Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 105 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I LOVE verses 1-5:

1 O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them.
3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity].
4 Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.
5 [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds that He has done, His miracles and wonders, the judgments and sentences which He pronounced [upon His enemies, as in Egypt].

Are YOU "earnestly remembering  the marvelous deeds He has done"? Meditate on these verses until they rise up big in you with all of the excitement and wonder His GOODNESS brings! Let YOUR expectation of His GOODNESS cause faith to rise and then TELL of HIS wonderful LOVE and GIVE Him at LEAST "A Thousand Hallelujahs" with Brooke Ligertwood!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is one of the most basic and powerful lessons on FAITH!

How Faith Comes

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. — ROMANS 10:17

How does God give the sinner faith to be saved?

Let me read along with you from Romans chapter 10, which talks about salvation and about getting faith to be saved. (My comments are in brackets.)

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach [Notice that God’s Word is called ‘the word of faith.’ That’s because it builds faith. It causes faith to come into the hearts of those who are open to it.]; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. . . . For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? [Now get this.] and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? . . . So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:8-10, 13, 14, 17).

You cannot believe without hearing. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing what? The Word of God!

Confession: I listen to the Word of God. And faith comes to me.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat Of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing the devotional from Jerry Savelle Ministries again today because this one is just as powerful as yesterday's! 

When In Adversity, I’ll Still Have Joy

When we refer to Apostle Paul, we think of his faith. We know that he was a great man of faith. But I believe that there is another characteristic about this man’s life that should be mentioned right alongside his faith, and that is his joy.

The people in Lamentations had lost many things. They had lost many possessions, confidence, stability, security, peace, and most of all JOY. They didn’t see anything in their lives to be joyful about. Lamentations 5:21 says, “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.”

What were they saying? In other words, God, we need some restoration in our lives. We’ve lost many things. There are many negative things happening in our lives. There is nothing positive that we can point at. And we’ve lost our joy. Our joy has withered away. Restore us, Lord.

Have you recently asked God for some restoration? Many times, we find ourselves needing restoration. Why? Because Satan is a thief. He comes to steal, to kill and to destroy your life (John 10:10). I’m sure he’s stolen some things from you. He may have stolen your marriage, your finances, your children, your job, your peace, your joy, your confidence. He is a thief out to destroy your life. And what you need is restoration.

You may be waking up in the middle of the night wondering where in the world you are going to get the money to meet that need. God, is it over? Is this as far as we go? What did I do to get into this kind of condition? God, have I sinned? Lord, what is going on here? The worst thing you can do is lose your joy. Joy is vitally important in the midst of adversity. Joy is a powerful force.

32But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Hebrews 10:32-34 KJV

The most important thing for you to do when Satan is trying to take everything you’ve got is maintain your joy. Don’t ever let him steal your joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). What you need most in the middle of a storm is strength to carry on.

If you have no joy, you have no strength. If you have no strength, then you can’t resist. If you can’t resist, then the devil will not flee. And if the devil doesn’t flee, then you will not win. Your victory is directly linked to your joy!

Declare: When I’m in adversity, I’ll still have joy in Jesus’ mighty name! Amen

AMEN! NEVER give up your God-given JOY!!! It is a vital source of STRENGTH!!! Here is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle Ministries devotional for today is POWERFUL!

God’s Grace Is Sufficient

It makes no difference how you describe your situation, pushed to the wall, end of your rope, in over your head … God’s mercy is enough. God’s mercy is sufficient. If you are in over your head, then you need to call on God for a favor … Say, I need a favor today, Lord!

The favor of God is sufficient for whatever you are going through. In the Old Testament, in particular, when God’s people were facing impossible situations, they called on the mercy of God.

One example is found in Second Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel were totally outnumbered by enemy forces. They had very little hope. So, what did they do? They lifted up their hands and said, “God, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (verse 12).

They asked God for His mercy. What did God tell them to do? He told them to go and confront their enemies. He said to get the praisers and the singers out front and confront their enemies. He instructed them to stand in their presence and begin to say, “Praise the Lord. For the Lord is good and His mercy endureth forever” (2 Chronicles 20:21/Psalm 136:1).

That reveals to me that when you don’t know what to do, then praise always comes first. Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

Every time you declare your freedom, you are blowing a horn right in Satan’s ears. The blowing of the trumpet in Leviticus was symbolic of making a decree. When they heard that trumpet sound, they were making a profound statement in the spirit (decreeing their freedom). “ … The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

Every time you speak the Word of God, it is a sword coming out of your mouth. It is a trumpet being blown. No wonder the devil fights us so hard about confessing the Word.

Everything I have was obtained by confessing the Word of God. I am blowing my trumpet in the devil’s face and telling him, “You are not keeping me poor. You are not keeping me sick. You are not keeping me broke. You are not taking my marriage. You are not taking my children. I am the redeemed and I am saying so.”

It is time for you to blow your horn of freedom! Job 22:28 says, “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee.”

Begin to decree today that freedom is yours!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Health Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is VITAL for walking in divine health!

Don’t Give the Devil Permission

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. — PSALM 141:3

Here is an important scriptural principle that many dear Christians have never seen or realized yet: With your mouth, you’re either going to give God dominion over you or you’re going to give Satan dominion over you.

To be saved, you must confess the Lordship of Jesus. Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” You give Jesus dominion over you by confessing Him as your Lord. Then He begins to rule in your life.

However, when you confess Satan’s ability to hinder you, to keep you from success, to hold you in bondage, or to keep you sick, you are giving Satan dominion over you. He is the god of this world, and he’ll move right in, because you’ve permitted him to do so.

Many dear saints of God have opened the door to the devil ignorantly; they didn’t even realize they were doing it. But it’s still permission. Whether they’re knowledgeable or ignorant of what they’re doing, it’s still permission. Those who always talk sickness find that sickness dominates them.

Confession: I keep the door closed on the devil. I don’t allow him into any part of my life. I keep a watch on the words of my mouth, only speaking those things that bring glory and honor to God.

AMEN! Find out God's Word for every situation in life and refuse to speak anything else! Proverbs 18:20 says this:  A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].

WORDS and VITAL! Here is UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is excellent!

Pull Yourself Together

Yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. — Romans 6:13-22

I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot atone for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I can not make right what is wrong, pure what is impure, holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Have I faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made a perfect Atonement, am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The great need is not to do things, but to believe things. The Redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith upon it. If I construct my faith on my experience, I produce that most unscriptural type, an isolated life, my eyes fixed on my own whiteness. Beware of the piety that has no presupposition in the Atonement of the Lord. It is of no use for anything but a sequestered life; it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every type of experience by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the presupposition of the Atonement.

The Atonement of Jesus has to work out in practical, unobtrusive ways in my life. Every time I obey, absolute Deity is on my side, so that the grace of God and natural obedience coincide. Obedience means that I have banked everything on the Atonement, and my obedience is met immediately by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.

Beware of the piety that denies the natural life, it is a fraud. Continually bring yourself to the bar of the Atonement — where is the discernment of the Atonement in this thing, and in that?

Making JESUS your #1 priority puts you in position to LIVE life in this way! DO IT! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am sharing again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This was the very first devotional I ever used and it is still one of my very favorites! 

The Father Glorified

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. — JOHN 14:13

What a striking promise!

When we are born into the family of God, the right and privilege to use the Name of Jesus is given to us by the New Birth. All authority vested in that Name is given to us so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

The Son was an outcast on the earth. He hung naked before the world and was crucified. But wherever the shame of the crucifixion has been preached, the might, power, and honor of His Name also has gone — shedding blessings upon the human race and bringing glory to God the Father.

Jesus’ Name is to take Jesus’ place upon the earth. All Jesus could do during His earth walk can now be done by every believer. Jesus is in that Name. Jesus is that Name. All Jesus was — all He did — all He is — all He will ever be — is in that Name now!

When we use Jesus’ Name, we bring onto the scene the fullness of His finished work at Calvary. By our use of that Name, the living, healing Christ is present — to the glory of God the Father!

Confession: I will use the Name of Jesus, as directed by His Word, to bring glory to God the Father.

AMEN! Our ONLY reason for being here instead of being immediately with the Lord in Heaven is so that we can make JESUS known! Let's SHOUT HIS FAME as Hillsong put it so well several years ago! 

Shalom In Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this devotional from our partner, Rick Renner.

Our Partner In Prayer

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. — Romans 8:26-27

Today I want to continue talking to you about the Holy Spirit’s role and responsibility in your life in the area of prayer. Yesterday we looked at several truths about this subject contained in Romans 8:26. Now I want to address how the Holy Spirit can intercede for and through you when you’re grappling with your inadequacies in prayer.

I shared that the word “intercession” is the Greek word huperentugchano, which means to fall into with. This word “intercession” in the Greek conveys the idea of a rescue operation and paints the picture of a person who comes upon someone who has fallen into some kind of quandary. Upon discovering the trapped person’s dilemma, he swiftly swings into action to rescue and deliver the one who’s in trouble.

This word huperentugchano carries the idea of coming together in experience or meeting with. It can also mean to supplicate, which denotes a rescue operation in which one snatches and pulls a person out of imminent danger. So we could translate the phrase, “…the Spirit itself [Himself ] maketh intercession for us…” like this: “The Spirit Himself falls into our situation with us, meeting us in a common experience and rescuing us from our weakness.”

Now let’s look at the word “groanings” in this verse. It is the Greek word stenagmos, which means deep inward sighs and could be translated to vent. The picture this word paints is similar to a teapot of water placed on a stove. As you turn up the flame and the water begins to boil, the teapot lets out some steam and that little pot begins to whistle.

This Greek word stenagmos gives us insight into how this “intercession for us with groanings” takes place in us. We think our world is falling apart — that our fiery trial is so unbearable that we’re going to be consumed by the heat of that test. Of course, the devil stokes the fire in an attempt to convince us that we’re never going to walk free from that place of testing. And, indeed, we can begin to think it’s all over for us. But little do we know that as those flames are heating up, the Holy Spirit on the inside of us is getting angrier and angrier about the looming obstacle the enemy has placed before us. Then — suddenly — the Holy Spirit vents! The Holy Spirit sighs, and incredible prayers come rising up out of us. The Bible describes them as “groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Now what does this mean, “which cannot be uttered”?

First, I want to ask you — if someone stood before you and began groaning in agony, would you be able to hear him or her? All things being equal, yes, you would hear that person groaning.

There have been times in my life when I’ve gone before the Lord with a problem, and I’ve groaned so hard in prayer that although my prayer was uttered with my mouth, it was expressed without, or apart from, natural language or speech. In other words, I prayed with “groanings which cannot be uttered.”

We see an example of this in Jesus’ prayer life (see March 14), when He stood before Lazarus’ tomb and “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” (John 11:33). What Jesus was experiencing wasn’t just a matter of human emotions, but a deep, inward form of prayer when Jesus’ spirit hooked up with the Holy Spirit in a powerful, supernatural expression of the Father’s will.

These “groanings which cannot be uttered” can also refer to speaking, or praying, in other tongues. This phrase in the Greek simply indicates that what is uttered doesn’t make sense to the human mind. So, you see, this has nothing to do with silent thoughts or with silent groanings and sighings. Rather, the groanings in Romans 8:26 are supernatural utterances that proceed from your spirit and come forth from your mouth as the Holy Spirit rises up within you to lift you up and rescue you from your plight. This is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit as your Partner in prayer!

Second, the first part of this verse says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities….” As we saw yesterday, the Greek word for “helpeth” — sunantilambano — conveys this same idea of partnership and cooperation. In the midst of our weaknesses when we are inadequate to get the job done, the Holy Spirit comes and says, “Let Me grab hold of that hindrance with you, and you and I will push against it together until it is moved completely out of your way.” This is how prayer becomes a twofold partnership between you and the Holy Spirit. He does this thing with you — in fact, He can’t do it without you!

In the trials of life and the situations you find yourself in that seem impossible and overwhelming, you must participate with the Holy Spirit as He intercedes on your behalf. The Holy Spirit is in you — in your spirit — grabbing those problems along with you. The devil may turn up the heat, but, all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit begins to shove back and vent ! And like that teapot on a hot stove, as you’re praying, you might make some noise!

Romans 8:27 tells us how the Holy Spirit knows just what to pray to get the job done: “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The word “searcheth” here is similar to the Old Testament word “looketh” used in reference to God as He instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint a king from the household of Jesse (see 1 Samuel 16:1-10). After Jesse had called in his sons, Samuel looked at Jesse’s firstborn, Eliab, and said, “…Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him” (verse 6). However, God saw things differently: “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (verse 7).

As Samuel looked at each one of Jesse’s sons who had gathered before the prophet that day, the Lord said to Samuel, “No, it’s not him. He’s the wrong man for the job. You’re looking at outward characteristics, and you think you know what you want. But I look inwardly, at the heart.”

Both of these words “looketh” in First Samuel 16:7 and “searcheth” in Romans 8:27 indicate that God is looking for something that we wouldn’t think to look for. He looks beyond the surface — beyond what is shallow — right down to the need at the very deepest point.

The word “searcheth” in Romans 8:27 is translated from the Greek word ereunao, and it literally means to investigate, to examine, or to sift. It paints a picture of someone who’s going through stacks of material looking for something, so he carefully investigates, examines, and sifts through the materials as he searches for what he needs.

Verse 27 continues, “…He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit….” The word “spirit” in verse 27 is capitalized in the King James Version, but this word is not a proper noun in the Greek. You’d have to translate this Greek word in the context of the setting — and in this particular setting, the word “spirit” refers to the human spirit, not the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit who searches a person’s heart knows the “mind” of that person’s spirit.

Before we look at what the Holy Spirit knows about the mind of a person’s spirit, let’s look more closely at what it is He’s looking for as He “searcheth the hearts.” First, we know that He’s looking inward — within the heart — not outward, or just at the appearance of things. Second, we know He’s investigating and examining as He looks upon the heart. That’s how He knows the “mind” and the deepest, truest desires of a person’s human spirit.

Why do we need Someone to help us pray? Because we simply don’t know how to pray “as we ought” (verse 26)! For example, do you really know what the deepest desire of your heart is? Even if you think you know, could you agree that there’s probably a deeper desire of your heart than you’re even aware of right now? Well, the Spirit of God searches — investigates, examines, and sifts — through your heart for what He needs in order to pray for you. He looks for things you don’t even know to look for — things that, naturally speaking, you don’t have the ability to search out on your own. And He who searches the heart “…knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit…” (verse 27).

The word “mind” in this verse is translated from the Greek word that means frame of thinking. The Holy Spirit knows the mind of your spirit because He’s examining and sifting —investigating your heart to discover the will of God embedded deep within your innermost frame of thinking. The Holy Spirit is searching to see what your spirit desires or what dreams God has planted in your heart. And when He finds the deeply laid plans of God on the inside of you, He begins to pray about them according to God’s will.

Of course, you may already have a measure of understanding concerning some of those plans, but there’s no way you can instantly, automatically understand everything there is to know about them. But the Holy Spirit examines and investigates your heart and knows how to intercede effectually on your behalf regarding all that He finds there. Now you can see how valuable the Holy Spirit’s role is in your prayer life. This intercessory work has to be His responsibility because He’s the only One capable of accomplishing it!

Now let me ask you — have you ever been so perplexed by some challenge or dilemma that you said, “Lord, I don’t even know how to pray about this situation”? Are you facing difficulties right now at your workplace, in your business, in your family, or in your finances? Whatever situation you find yourself in, the Holy Spirit’s job is to fall into that situation with you and launch a rescue operation to deliver you out of confusion or danger and into the perfect will of God.

You may not know how to pray “as you ought,” but the Holy Spirit knows how to make intercession for you! He knows how to examine and investigate your heart until He takes hold of the frame of thinking of your spirit. You may be wondering, What am I going to do about this situation in my family? But the Holy Spirit knows just what the Lord wants to do. You may be concerned about a situation at work, and you’re asking, What about my job? Well, the Holy Spirit knows. Maybe you’re staring at a crossroads in your life, wondering which way to turn. The Holy Spirit knows!

I’m so thankful for the beautiful intercessory work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I can’t even recall all the times He has made intercession on my behalf to strengthen me in my weakness when I faced my own quandaries and crossroad moments and didn’t know what to do. And He wants to do the same for each one of us.

The Holy Spirit wants to help you pray about the deep, God-given desires of your heart. He knows better than you do what the plan of God is for your family, your job or business — and all the dreams He has placed in your heart. That means He knows about plans you may not yet be aware of. But the Holy Spirit hovers over those dreams and plans, and He knows the frame of thinking of all the secret places of your heart. Just ask, and the Holy Spirit will help you make the discoveries you need to know about your life and your future!

AMEN! This powerful PRAYER key has been my 'go to'  solution in every incident where I was at the end of my own wisdom in what to do, and even as a way to be in the presence of God without my mind interferring! Here is one of my favorite 'new to me' songs by Brandon Lake called "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another that I LOVE to meditate on!

Sufficiency

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament [New Covenant] . . . . — 2 CORINTHIANS 3:4-6

We aren’t ordinary people.

We’re tied up with Omnipotence.

We’re united with God Himself.

We’re carrying out God’s will here on the earth.

We’re the channels through whom God is pouring Himself out upon the world.

It is perfectly normal, then, that God should become our sufficiency — that His ability should become our ability.

Now we can better understand First Corinthians 3:9, “For we are labourers together with God . . . .” That’s fellowship with the Father! He supplies strength, wisdom, grace, and ability — the supernatural tools with which we work as able ministers of the New Covenant.

Confession: My sufficiency is of God, who makes me an able minister of the New Covenant. God is my sufficiency. He is my ability. I am a laborer together with God in carrying out His will upon the earth.

AMEN! No one in our lives desires for us to be MORE than healthy, happy, strong, prosperous, successful, powerful  and influential than our wonderful Elohim! That is the our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit of the Living God! AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 95 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and I LOVE this!

We will be looking at the entire Psalm today!

Psalm 95

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights and strength of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and supplication].
7 For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Harden not your hearts as at Meribah and as at Massah in the day of temptation in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tried My patience and tested Me, proved Me, and saw My work [of judgment].
10 Forty years long was I grieved and disgusted with that generation, and I said, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they do not approve, acknowledge, or regard My ways.
11 Wherefore I swore in My wrath that they would not enter My rest [the land of promise].

THIS is OUR GOD!!! There IS no other! Here is Hillsong with "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am sharing again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional.

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 cleanseth 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 fellowshipping 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 fellowshipping 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! Prayer is our one-on-one communication with the GOD Who created the universe and has promised US the WAY to HIS presence! GET THERE! Now enjoy HIS company! Here is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you my LIFE verses, the ones that motivate me more than any other! Philippians 3:8-10 from the Amplified Bible - Classic Edition:

8 Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One), 9 And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith. 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], 

I have to check myself often to make sure that THIS stays as my "DETERMINED PURPOSE"! AS I truly and purposefully become more "more deeply and intimately acquainted with HIM" I will be able to walk more fully in the calling that HE has placed on MY life from before the foundation of the world! I hope that YOU will all make that same commitment, to! Here is Brandon Lake with "Too Good Not To Believe":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

A Brand-New Body at the Blast of a Trumpet!

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16

All over the world, Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Occurring usually in the month of September, this feast is celebrated with the blowing of trumpets—the shofar or ram’s horn. That is why it is also called the Feast of Trumpets.

The Jews observe seven feasts: The Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. The first four have been fulfilled literally by Jesus. He was the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), the bread of life (John 6:35) and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). And when Pentecost had fully come after His ascension, He sent us the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–4).

So the next feast that we are waiting for Jesus to fulfill literally is the Feast of Trumpets. Why is this feast significant to us? Because when Jesus fulfills it, it means that we are going up to meet Him in the clouds!

I am talking about the rapture of the church. When the trumpet sounds, “in the twinkling of an eye,” we who are alive will be changed. We will put on new bodies that will be like Jesus’! Those who are dead in Christ will rise and also receive new bodies. They will go up first followed by us who are alive, and we will all meet the Lord in the air (1 Corinthians 15:51–55).

This means that there is a possibility that you might not see death! The Bible says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). It is one thing to happen to be alive, but quite another to remain alive.

I believe that there is a generation of Christians who know the resurrection power of the Lord. They know how to walk in their inheritance and put off sickness and death until the coming of the Lord. My friend, may you be counted as one of them as you take the Lord Jesus and His finished work as your victory over sickness and death!

AMEN! THIS is our FUTURE! In the meantime, lets run our race, finish our course and share HIS LIFE wherever we go! HE is expecting that of us! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 92 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and I LOVE verses 11-15!

11 My eye looks upon those who lie in wait for me; my ears hear the evildoers that rise up against me. 12 The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. 15 [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

THIS is who HE has made US to be! Let's DARE to BELIEVE that what God's Word declares about US is TRUTH and act like it! Here, to help us do that, is Brandon Lake with "God Is Not Against Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Don't Be Discouraged!

A faithful man shall abound with blessings. Proverbs 28:20

Abounding would imply that increase has taken place. But notice it didn’t take place overnight. It was the result of faithfulness, and faithfulness takes time.

Faithful means:

1. Sticking with God and His Word no matter what happens in your life.
2. Being steadfast in your allegiance to God.
3. Unwavering loyalty.
4.  A firm resistance to the temptation to give up, draw back, or to compromise.

God promises that you will abound with blessings if you will:

• Stick with Him and His Word,
• Be steadfast in your allegiance to Him,
• Have unwavering loyalty to Him,
• Develop a firm resistance to the temptation to give up, draw back, or compromise.

Hebrews 10:39 says, “We are not of them who draw back.” THE MESSAGE paraphrase says, “We’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it … trusting [God] all the way.”

I want to encourage you today. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see things happening in your life immediately. Have faith that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Your due season will come. It will happen!

Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” The key word is “IF.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To every thing there is a season.” According to God, there is an appointed time to reap the harvest. So don’t be discouraged. Your harvest time will come. Our part is to not become weary and quit.

Confession: I will not grow weary in well doing. My harvest time is coming in Jesus name!

AMEN! KNOW GOD's WORD and then EXPECT HIM to carry it our on YOUR behalf! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am sharing from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional.

Dare to Decide

Be it according to thy word. Exodus 8:10

I used to worry about making decisions for God. I used to be afraid to step out on faith and declare I was going to do something new that He’d shown me to do. I’d think, What if I fail? I was so scared of failing, I’d muddle around in indecision for weeks. Then one day I found out it wasn’t my power that was going to carry it out anyway. But it took my decision to move God in on the scene. Once I decided what I was going to do, and committed myself totally to it, God backed me!

What I learned is a truth from the Word of God that, if you’ll pay attention to it, will revolutionize your life. It’s truth that carries an awesome responsibility with it, but it’s a fabulous thing to realize.

Here it is: The right, the privilege and the power to decide has been left by God in the hands of men.

You have the right, for example, to decide where you’re going to spend eternity. You have a right to make that decision, and God will back your decision.

God can do everything for you but decide. He’s provided the power. He’s provided His Name. He’s provided the blood of Jesus. He’s provided the kingdom of God. He’s even made us partakers of it (Colossians 1:12).

But He’s not going to stuff that inheritance down our throats. Somewhere down the line we each have to make the decision to receive it.

Now the beautiful part is this: When you make that decision, God will back you to the hilt with His power. Once you make a decision to be born again, there’s no devil in hell big enough to stop you. All you have to do is decide.

Decide now. Declare your decision. Let it be done unto you according to your words.

Is God leading you in some new direction? Is He leading you to step out in faith for healing or prosperity or to take a whole new step of ministry? Don’t let fear hold you back.

AMEN! Here is Tauren Wells with "Take It All Back":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin:

The Greater One Within

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

It should be common practice for you to say in every crisis of life: "I am a victor. I am more than a conqueror. The Creator dwells in me. The Greater One lives in me. He can put me over. The Greater One will make me a success. I can't fail."

That's not bragging on you; it's bragging on the Greater One who is in you. And it will put Him to work for you!

If you're a born-again, Spirit-filled believer, you have in you, ready for your use, everything you will ever need to put you over. The divine potential of all the power that there is, indwells you!

If you will believe the Bible and begin to confess what it says, the Greater One will rise up in you and give illumination to your mind, direction to your spirit, health to your body, and help in every aspect of life.

Confession: Greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world. The Greater One is greater than the devil, greater than disease, greater than poverty, greater than death, greater than all the power of the enemy. And He lives in me! The Greater One can make me a success. I cannot fail!

AMEN! The most powerful thing we can do for our own lives and the lives of our children is to speak what GOD says about us! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle Ministries devotional!

 Words – They Matter!

Words play an such important factor in determining whether or not you will live in the fullness of the Blessing or not. And if you want to live in the fullness of the Blessing, then you need to begin to confess it with your mouth.

Why is it so important to confess with your mouth that you live in the fullness of the Blessing? Why do you need to agree with God?

Because what you say out of your mouth matters. God knows it and the devil knows it. That is why the devil has worked so hard to deceive us into believing that what we say doesn’t matter. Remember that saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

The truth is that words can hurt you. The Bible even says they can bring death.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

If you are going to agree with God that you are living in the fullness of the Blessing, then you can’t agree with the devil (by speaking your circumstances) at the same time. That’s called mingled seed (Leviticus 19:19).

I am not saying to pretend that negative things are not happening. I am not saying to just pretend that your electric bill isn’t due or that your mortgage isn’t due. I am not saying to pretend that sickness and disease do not exist or that marital problems don’t exist. What I am saying is that pretending is not faith. Faith doesn’t pretend. Faith believes. Faith attacks. And faith is now.

No matter what you are going through, your situation does not change the Word of God. What will change your situation is when you get your words in line with THE Word, and THE Word says that you are blessed and highly favored!

AMEN! Make it YOUR daily new habit to ONLY speak what the Word of God says about you! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is vital for you!

Receiving the Holy Spirit

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4).

"…They sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-15).

"…Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2).

In New Testament times, it was the exception for believers not to have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, with the supernatural sign and initial evidence of speaking in tongues.

The Epistles were written to believers who knew Jesus as Savior and who had been filled with the Holy Spirit.

Thank God, the Holy Spirit is in us too. But too often people who have been born again and then filled with the Spirit just think of themselves as having received a blessing or some kind of experience—and they miss entirely what the Word of God teaches!

A Divine Personality actually comes to live in us! God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit indwells us!

Confession: God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit indwells me. The Creator dwells in me. God lives in me.

AMEN! TRUST HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "More":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 86 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to share verses 8-13 with you!

8 There is none like unto You among the gods, O Lord, neither are their works like unto Yours. 9 All nations whom You have made shall come and fall down before You, O Lord; and they shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name. 12 I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole (united) heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore. 13 For great is Your mercy and loving-kindness toward me; and You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol [from the exceeding depths of affliction].

Remember that Psalms were the worship songs of that time! Add your own tune to these words and sing them to the LORD! Allow Holy Spirit to continue to lead, guide and direct you into even deeper worship and you will find heart on fore for HIS will and plan and purpose! Here is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional that our partner, Rick Renner has on his website! 

HEALING

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil…. — Acts 10:38

During our early years in the former USSR, I preached a series of meetings in Riga, Latvia. Several thousand people showed up for these special services — many of whom were first exposed to our ministry through our TV program — and our team witnessed thousands of people come forward to surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was absolutely thrilling to see people’s response to the Gospel message.

After all the meetings were concluded, the local church leader who organized the event came to me and asked me to pray for his disabled teenage son. His boy had suffered severe, permanent injuries after being physically beaten by a gang of hoodlums. In fact, they smashed his head into the concrete street so many times with such force that his brain had become dislodged from his skull. He was literally a boy with a battered brain. The father asked me if I would pay a visit to their home to pray for their son’s miraculous healing, so we went to their home to meet the young man.

When my eyes first fell upon that poor boy, I was utterly shocked to see what that gang of hoodlums had done to him. Severe tremors shook his entire body, and he seemed unaware of anything going on around him. He didn’t even know we were there. His battered brain caused him to exist in a coma-like state. He just lay in a chair in the corner of the house, where he quivered and shook uncontrollably. The doctors had already pronounced that there was no hope and that he would be a vegetable for the rest of his life. According to medical science, this condition was irreversible.

However, during the previous week of meetings, we had experienced many miraculous healings and witnessed mighty, life-changing demonstrations of God’s power. So with a whole week of miraculous events behind me, I looked at this young man with eyes full of faith. And his parents, who had witnessed the same miraculous events, were also full of expectation for God to do the impossible for their son.

I moved forward, laid my hands on the young man, and commanded him to be healed in the name of Jesus. I ordered his brain to correctly reattach to his skull and commanded the horrific trembling to stop. Yet regardless of how confidently or loudly I prayed or how much authority I felt I was exercising in Jesus’ name, absolutely nothing happened when we were done praying. The young man was still a sorry-looking heap of trembling, quivering flesh — shaking uncontrollably and still unaware that we were even there to pray for him.

As I told the father and mother farewell, I felt their great disappointment that nothing instantaneous had happened — and I was deeply dismayed as well. I was so full of expectation for God’s healing power to be imparted, but from what I saw with my eyes, nothing happened except that we had raised our voices in prayer and laid hands on him with no results. The events of that day disappointed me deeply and threw me into a state of bewilderment, because I fully expected the young man to be healed and fully restored as a result of our visit. To be honest, I couldn’t shake the image of that young man shaking so uncontrollably and our seeming powerlessness to do anything about it — and that disappointment stayed with me in the months and years that followed.

Three years later, I returned to the same city to preach again, and the father who had organized our earlier meeting came to see me. I asked about his son’s condition, and he said, “Oh, we never told you, but the day you laid hands on him, his condition slowly began to change. It started the day you prayed over him — little by little, his violent shaking and uncontrollable quivering stopped. Today he is totally whole and back to living a normal life!”

The man continued: “Our son’s recovery started immediately after you left. It took a few months for it to be complete, but over that brief period of time, God completely restored him!”

I was stunned. For three years I carried sorrow in my heart about that young man, not realizing that when I prayed three years earlier, healing power went into him, and slowly — little by little, step by step — it began to completely restore his broken body and battered brain. I asked the Lord for insight into how this happened, and I was led to Acts 10:38, where the Bible says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.”

I had read this verse and quoted it on many occasions. But this time, my eyes were especially focused on the word “healing,” and I understood that the Holy Spirit wanted to show me something important that I needed to understand about the healing ministry. So I opened my Greek New Testament to Acts 10:38 to see what this word “healing” meant in the Greek. And to my surprise, it was the Greek word iaomai.

This word iaomai is a very ancient word for “healing” — so ancient that it was even used in Homer’s time. It mostly denoted healing that came to pass over a period of time. It is for this reason that the word iaomai is often translated throughout Greek history as a treatment or cure or remedy. Thus, it depicts a sickness that has been progressively healed rather than instantaneously healed.

When I saw this, I began to look for other examples of iaomai in the New Testament, and I discovered that this word is used 23 times in the Gospels and the book of Acts to denote miraculous acts of power that were progressive, rather than instantaneous. It unmistakably tells us that there are many people who, from the moment they are touched by God’s power, begin to amend or be cured. In other words, this means that all healings are not instantaneous; certain people are progressively restored to health over a period of time. They become better and better until ultimately they are completely cured. Although this type of healing is not instantaneous, it is nonetheless miraculous.

The picture of iaomai is similar to a physician who gives medicine to a sick patient and expects the medication to do its invisible, internal work to produce a remedy for a physical problem — but with supernatural results. When this type of healing power is at work, the person praying for the sick may not see immediate results. But that person can be confident that because he has prayed in faith, healing power has been imparted. The complete manifestation of healing may take time. But if God’s power has been imparted and received by the person’s faith, that healing power has started its invisible, internal work to reverse the sick person’s condition and bring him or her back to a healthy state of being.

When the Holy Spirit quickened this truth to my heart, I understood that this is precisely what happened to the boy with a battered brain! When I prayed for him, I did it in faith and sensed an impartation of the Spirit. However, I saw no immediate change — and therefore, I became discouraged. But as we have seen already, that boy progressively began to get better day by day after I prayed for him, until finally his brain returned to normalcy and he was completely cured.

Perhaps you’ve prayed for someone, fully expecting to see an immediate change, but like me, you walked away disappointed because you didn’t see immediate, miraculous results. Now you have new insight from the Word to help you hold fast to your faith! Based on the usage of this Greek word iaomai in Scripture, you can know for certain that when you pray for a person in faith, a supernatural impartation of healing power does take place! Whether or not you see an immediate change, the divine “medicine” has been administered in faith, and that healing power will progressively work in that sick person to eventually reverse the individual’s condition and restore him or her to wholeness again.

So today I want to encourage you to lay your hands on the sick and release your faith that they will be healed. Don’t allow what your eyes see in the present moment to affect your faith. If you don’t see instant results, bolster the faith of those whom you’ve laid hands on. Let them know that they received a dose of healing power that works like divine medication! And if they will continue to stand strong in faith for the full manifestation of their healing, they will progressively see that healing manifested until they are fully well!

Praise God for those moments when we see instantaneous results! But let’s not forget that sometimes the Lord works through iaomai power. In those moments, the results may be delayed, but they will come nonetheless — and that manifestation of God’s healing power is just as miraculous as any other!

AMEN! HALLELUJAH!!! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!