Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional!

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:5-6

There is nothing–absolutely nothing–that is more important than learning to love. In fact, how accurately you perfect the love walk will determine how much of the perfect will of God you accomplish. That’s because every other spiritual force derives its action from love. For example, the Bible teaches us that faith works by love. And answered prayer is almost an impossibility when a believer steps outside of love and refuses to forgive or is in strife with his brother.

Without love, your giving will not work. Tongues and prophecy will not work. Faith fails and knowledge is unfruitful. All the truths that you have learned from God’s Word work by love. They will profit you nothing unless you live the love of God.

First Corinthians 13:4-8 paints a perfect picture of how love behaves. It’s patient and kind. It’s not jealous or proud. It doesn’t behave rudely or selfishly and it isn’t touchy. Love “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? But don’t despair. You are a love creature. God has re-created your spirit in the image of love. And He has sent His love Spirit to live in you and teach you how to love as He loves. You can live the love life. Begin today.

AMEN! DARE to TRUST the ONE Who LOVES YOU MOST! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek":

Has anyone Ever Spit In Your FACE?

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him.… — Matthew 26:67

Some years ago, I visited another church in our city to hear a special speaker who had come from afar. That evening at the meeting, the local church I was visiting announced they would be starting a building program. As I sat in there, God’s Spirit spoke to my heart and instructed me to sow a sacrificial seed into their new building program. It was a time when we desperately needed money for our own building program, so anything I sowed would be sacrificial. However, the amount the Lord put in my heart was significant.

What made it even harder for me to give this gift was that this church had acted maliciously toward our church in the past. They had lied about us, scoffed at us, and even prayed for our downfall. And now the Lord was telling me to sow a large gift into this same church?

Throughout that entire service, I argued with the Lord. The issue really wasn’t the money, although we could have used the money ourselves at that moment. The issue I was wrestling with was giving a gift to this church that had treated us with contempt for so long.

Finally, the Spirit of God asked me, Are you willing to sow a seed for peace with this church? That clinched it! I pulled my checkbook out of my pocket to write what I considered to be a sizable gift for this other church. Writing that check was difficult, but once it was written, my heart simply flooded with joy because I had been obedient. There is no joy to compare with the joy that comes from being obedient!

One week later, the pastor to whom I gave the gift was at a meeting with his staff and church leaders. The pastor told his leaders, “Look at this puny little check Pastor Rick gave us! Couldn’t he have done any better than this?” When I heard how he viewed the sizable gift I’d given, I was quite shocked. But when I heard what this pastor did next, I was literally stunned. He devoted the next part of his staff meeting to discussing all the things he didn’t like about me and our church. He poked fun at us, ridiculed us, mocked us, and put us down in front of his people. Instead of being thankful for the gift we gave, he once more demonstrated utter disrespect and contempt for us.

When I heard about this event, it hurt so badly that it cut deep into my heart. How could anyone say the gift we gave was puny? It would be considered significant in any nation of the world. But what hurt the most was that the pastor had put us down and publicly made fun of us in front of his staff and leadership. I remember feeling as if I had been spit on — and as the years passed, this same pastor spit on us many more times.

For instance, when we dedicated our church building — the first church to be built in sixty years in our city — it was a moment of great rejoicing. But soon after our dedication, this man stood before a large convention of several thousand people and sneered at our new facility. For a second time, he injected a dagger into my heart! At a time when this pastor could have been rejoicing with us, he chose to make it another opportunity to spit in our faces.

How about you? Can you think of an instance in your life when you did something good for someone, but that person didn’t appreciate what you did? Was he so unappreciative that you felt as if he’d spit in your face? Were you stunned by his behavior? How did you act in response to that situation?

I think nearly everyone has felt taken advantage of and spit on at some point or another. But imagine how Jesus must have felt the night He was taken to the high priest where He was literally spit on by the guards and temple police! For three years, Jesus preached, taught, and healed the sick. But now He was being led like a sheep to the spiritual butcher of Jerusalem, the high priest Caiaphas, and to the scribes and elders who had assembled to wait for His arrival.

In the trial that took place before the high priest and his elders, the religious leaders charged Jesus with the crime of declaring Himself the Messiah. Jesus replied by telling them that they would indeed one day see Him sitting on the right hand of power and coming with clouds of glory (Matthew 26:64). Upon hearing this, the high priest ripped his clothes and screamed, “Blasphemy!” as all the scribes and elders lifted their voices in anger, demanding that Jesus die (Matthew 26:66).

Then these religious scribes and elders did the unthinkable! Matthew 26:67-68 says, “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”

Notice that it wasn’t just a few who spit in his face that night; the Bible says, “…they spit in his face.…” The word “they” refers to all the scribes and elders who were assembled for the meeting that night. One scholar notes that there could have been one hundred or more men in this crowd! And one by one, each of these so-called spiritual leaders, clothed in their religious garments, walked up to Jesus and spit in His face!

In that culture and time, spitting in one’s face was considered to be the strongest thing you could do to show utter disgust, repugnance, dislike, or hatred for someone. When someone spattered his spit on another person’s face, that spit was meant to humiliate, demean, debase, and shame that person. To make it worse, the offender would usually spit hard and close to the person’s face, making it all the more humiliating.

By the time Caiaphas and his scribes and elders had finished taking turns spitting on Jesus, their spit was most likely dripping down from His forehead into His eyes; dribbling down His nose, His cheekbones, and His chin; and even oozing down onto His clothes. This was an extremely humiliating scene! And remember, the men who were acting so hatefully toward Jesus were religious leaders! Their hideous conduct was something Jesus definitely didn’t deserve. And what makes this entire scene even more amazing is that Malchus — the servant whom Jesus had just healed — was in all probability standing at the side of Caiaphas and watching it all happen!

These religious leaders didn’t stop with just humiliating Jesus. After spitting on Him, they each doubled up their fists and whacked Him violently in the face! Matthew 26:67 says, “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him.…” The word “buffet” is the Greek word kolaphidzo, which means to strike with the fist. It is normally used to picture a person who is violently beaten.

As if it wasn’t insulting enough to spit on Jesus, approximately one hundred men viciously and cruelly struck Him with their fists. Not only was this brutal — it was sadistic! Humiliating Jesus with their spit and curses didn’t satisfy the hatred of these men; they wouldn’t be satisfied until they knew He had been physically maltreated. To ensure that this goal was accomplished, their own fists became their weapons of abuse.

It appears that these scribes and elders were so paranoid about Jesus getting more attention than themselves that they simply wanted to destroy Him. Every time they spit on Him, they were spitting on the anointing. Every time they struck Him, they were leveling a punch against the anointing. They hated Jesus and the anointing that operated through Him to such an extent that they voted to murder Him. But first they wanted to take some time to personally make sure He suffered before He died. What a strange way to render “thanks” to One who had done so much for them!

When I get disappointed at the way others respond to me or to what I have done for them, I often think of what happened to Jesus on that night when He came before these Jewish leaders. John 1:11 tells us, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Although these men who spit on and hit Jesus refused to acknowledge Him, He still went to the Cross and died for them. His love for them was unwavering — unshaken and unaffected by their wrong actions.

As you think of how people have wronged you, does it affect your desire to love them? What have these conflicts revealed about you? Is your love for those unkind people consistent, unwavering, unshaken, and unaffected? Or have the conflicts revealed you have a fickle love that you quickly turn off when people don’t respond to you the way you wished they would?

The same Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus now lives in you. Just as the Spirit of God empowered Jesus to love people consistently, regardless of what they did or didn’t do, the Holy Spirit can empower you to do the same. So why don’t you take a few minutes today to pray about the people who have let you down or disappointed you? Then forgive those people, and decide to love them the way Jesus loved those who wronged Him!

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional that speaks of all that JESUS has done for US!

Firstborn From The Dead

Who [his dear Son] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. — COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

Although He is coequal with the Father, the eternal Son of God accepted a subordinate place and undertook the task of reconciling the world to God through the blood of His Cross.

For this purpose, Jesus yielded Himself to death (Matthew 27:50). When Jesus was made to be sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), He was turned over by God to spiritual death, which is separation from God. This occurred when that heartbreaking cry fell from Jesus’ lips, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” Jesus’ spirit was delivered up for our offenses, that He might be raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). It was the wisdom of the Father that yielded Jesus, the Righteous One, to death, that our debt might be paid, and Jesus might become THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD!

Confession: Thank You, Jesus, for dying for my sins. Thank You, Jesus, that You paid my debt so that I might be free!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing today's "Faith Food" devotional so that you can get a better picture of just who WE, as the Church of Jesus Christ, are to be in this world!

To The Church

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body . . . . — EPHESIANS 1:22-23

What a need there is for the Church to awaken to the appreciation of her mighty place and privilege — to be exalted to the place God wants her, and to realize she is to rule over the powers of the air!

How often the Church has failed in her ministry of authority, actually bowing down in defeat and being overcome with fear.

“. . . And gave him to be the head over all things TO THE CHURCH . . . .” To the Church! The reason Jesus is Head over all things — the devil, demons, sickness, poverty, and everything else that’s evil — is for the benefit of the Church! We need to sit reverently and meditate before these mighty truths so their tremendous meaning can grasp our hearts. In this attitude, the Spirit of Truth can lift us into the place where we can see the full meaning of what God’s Word is saying: That God made Christ to be the head over all things for the sake of the Church, so that the Church, through the Head of the Church, might exercise authority over all things.

Confession: Jesus is my Head. Jesus is Lord over all. Jesus has given me authority over all the hosts of the enemy. Greater is Jesus that is in me than he that is in the world. I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me and gave Himself for me.

AMEN! Remember, YOU ARE exaclty who GOD'S WORD says you are! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Don’t Confuse Faith with Emotions

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Some years ago, the wife of one of my key leaders was diagnosed with a cyst in her womb that the doctors said had to be removed by surgery. She was told they might even have to remove her whole womb. Of course, this couple was very affected by the news. I met with them to pray with them and to partake of the holy Communion.

Honestly, I didn’t feel any faith when I prayed for them. In fact, I felt quite helpless. But I heard the Lord telling me to rest. I heard Him telling me not to even try to use faith and to simply rest in His faith. So I simply said, “Growth, I curse you to your roots in Jesus’ name. Be plucked out by your roots and be thrown into the sea.” At the same time, I also prayed the Lord would cause her youth to be renewed like the eagle’s.

A few days later, she had a final scan before her surgery. And guess what? Her gynecologist said the whole growth had simply disappeared and that it was a miracle! But the Lord didn’t stop there. Her monthly period had actually stopped for some time, but soon after I prayed for her, it returned. The Lord had renewed her womb and her youth. Hallelujah!

I felt no faith when I prayed for her, but her healing was not dependent on what I felt about my faith. Don’t look at your own faith and think, I don’t have enough faith for the breakthrough I need. Faith is nothing more than looking to Jesus.

There were only two individuals in the Gospels whom Jesus described as having “great faith”: the centurion who believed Jesus only had to speak a word and his servant at home would be healed (Matthew 8:5–13) and the Syro-Phoenician woman to whom Jesus said, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:21–28).

And neither of them was conscious of their own faith.

Do you want to know what they were conscious of? They were conscious of Jesus. They saw Him as the One who was faithful and powerful. They had a great estimation of His grace and goodness. And as they saw Him in His grace, He saw them in their faith!

Don’t worry about whether or not you have enough faith. Just look to Jesus. Spend time in His presence. Watch or listen to sermons that are full of Jesus. When you touch Jesus, you touch faith because He is the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:2). The Bible declares He is faithful, and He will not allow you to go through more than what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He will carry you through.

HALLELUJAH!!! Always remember that the PRICE had ALREADY vbeen PAID IN FULL by JESUS! HE desires GOOD for you even more than YOU desire it for yourself! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 100 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE this! 

Psalm 100
A Psalm of thanksgiving and for the thank offering.

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing!
3 Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!
5 For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.

HALLELUJAH!!! I promise you that if YOU will pray, sing or even SHOUT this Psalm daily, your entire outlook on life will change!  Our great GOD has placed EVERYTHING that we will ever need in order to live a full and wonderful life within His WORD! Learn to LOVE the WORD! Your life will never be the same! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle Ministries devotionl!

You Are A World Overcomer

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 NKJV

Are you feeling overcome by the world? Are you feeling less than a conqueror? If so, you are in good company. We all go through times when we don’t feel like the totally victorious Christians the Word says we are.

But at times like these, when you are tempted to yield to feelings of condemnation, remind yourself that your feelings will lie to you. Feelings are just that: feelings.

Your feelings will fluctuate depending on how you perceive yourself, your circumstances, and the situation around you. Feelings will even cause you to doubt what the Word of God says about you. When you allow yourself to be led by your feelings, you will not get the victory that is already yours in Jesus.

However, if you refuse to be led by your feelings and choose instead to believe what the Word of God says about you and your situation, your feelings will eventually yield to the truth and change. As you meditate on the Word of God and see yourself as an overcomer through the eye of faith, victory will come easily.

The Bible doesn’t say, “This is the victory that has overcome the world—our feelings.” No, it says, “This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” So take this radical step today: decide to walk by faith regardless of what your feelings might say.

Confession: I am not moved by what I feel. I am not moved by what I see. I am moved only by the Word of God, and it says I am an overcomer!

Amen! DARE to BELIEVE that what GOD says about YOU is TRUTH! Now EXPECT that TRUTH to manifest in YOUR life! Here is Benjamin William Hastings and Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you this exciting and encouraging Psalm 98!

Psalm 98
1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations.
3 He has [earnestly] remembered His mercy and loving-kindness, His truth and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have witnessed the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world, and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy
9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge [and rule] the earth; with righteousness will He judge [and rule] the world, and the peoples with equity.

THIS is how the LORD desires to see YOU and ME! Let's NOT disappoint HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "I Know A Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is something that every born again believer whould KNOW and act on!

His Body

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. — 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27

We’ve sometimes prayed about the Lord’s work upon the earth like this: “Lord, You do this. Lord, You do that.”

But think about what Jesus said in Matthew 28:18 and 19, “ . . . All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore . . . .” The Lord Jesus Christ conferred the authority on the earth upon us. He commissioned us to go.

Actually, the authority that Christ can exercise on the earth has to be exercised through the Church. The Church is His Body. And the Church is here. Christ is not here. He’s at the right hand of the Father. Christ is the Head of the Church, but all of His orders have to be carried out through His Body. Everything Christ does on the earth has to be done through His Body.

You’re a member in particular of Christ’s Body. He has conferred upon you authority over all the power of the enemy!

Confession: I am a member in particular of the Body of Christ. I am a worker together with God in the completing of His work upon the earth. I am well-equipped. I am endued with power and authority in Jesus’ Name. And I will faithfully fulfill my part in God’s plan.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "The Great I AM Can":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have taken a week off for vacation and personal time! Today I want to share this devotional with you by Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest"!

The Collision Of God And Sin

Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree. — 1 Peter 2:24

The Cross of Jesus is the revelation of God’s judgment on sin. Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was a superb triumph in which the foundations of hell were shaken. There is nothing more certain in Time or Eternity than what Jesus Christ did on the Cross: He switched the whole of the human race back into a right relationship with God. He made Redemption the basis of human life, that is, He made a way for every son of man to get into communion with God.

The Cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The whole meaning of the Incarnation is the Cross. Beware of separating God manifest in the flesh from the Son becoming sin. The Incarnation was for the purpose of Redemption. God became incarnate for the purpose of putting away sin; not for the purpose of Self-realization. The Cross is the centre of Time and of Eternity, the answer to the enigmas of both.

The Cross is not the cross of a man but the Cross of God, and the Cross of God can never be realized in human experience. The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God, the gateway whereby any individual of the human race can enter into union with God. When we get to the Cross, we do not go through it; we abide in the life to which the Cross is the gateway.

The centre of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The Cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened — but the crash is on the heart of God.

THANK YOU JESUS for ALL YOU HAVE DONE! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have alwasy loved today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin!

Source

Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. — LUKE 10:19 (ASV)

Authority is delegated power.

Its value depends on the force behind the user.

Jesus said, “I have given you authority.” Who gave it? Jesus did. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God manifested in the flesh! That means that God said it. Therefore, God said “I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.”

(Serpents and scorpions represent demons and evil spirits and the power of the enemy.)

God Himself is the Power, the Force, behind this authority. The believer who is fully conscious of divine authority can therefore face the enemy without fear or hesitation.

Behind the authority possessed by the believer is a Power far greater than the power that backs our enemies. And those enemies are compelled to recognize that authority!

No wonder John says, “. . . greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Confession: I am a believer. Jesus has given me authority. God has given me authority. God Himself is the Power behind this authority. And this authority God has given me is over all the power of the enemy.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share one of my favorite portions of Scripture!  1 John 5:11-15

11 And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life. 13 I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him. AMP

HALLELUJAH!!! THIS is our PROMISE! I encourage you to spend even more time inthe Word of God and in praying in the Spirit so that Holy Spirit, our TEACHER, can teach us more and more of God's Word and how to walk in it! Your life will NEVER be the same! Here is Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

You Are an Heir of the World!

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13–14

God’s blessings are part of our inheritance in the new covenant of grace, which Jesus died to give us. God’s Word tells us that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us . . . that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Isn't it interesting that the Lord is very specific in mentioning that Christ became a curse for us on the cross, so that we can experience and enjoy the blessing of Abraham? He does not want us to simply experience any kind of blessing. He wants us to experience the blessing of Abraham. I think it behooves us then to find out what “the blessing of Abraham” is and who can receive it.

The Bible tells us that “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Are you Christ’s? Do you belong to Jesus? Then that makes you an heir according to the promise.

Every believer in Christ is an heir. Whenever you hear the word “heir,” it speaks of something good. It speaks of an inheritance that you don’t work for, an inheritance that is yours not because of what you do, but because of whose you are.

In this case, as a new covenant believer in Jesus, you belong to Jesus and you have a blood-bought inheritance in Christ as the seed of Abraham. You, beloved, are an heir according to THE promise!

Now, there are many promises in the Bible, but what is THE promise that God made to Abraham? We can’t claim this promise if we don’t know what it is. We need to go to the Word (use the Bible to interpret the Bible) to establish what the promise is. And we find the answer in Romans 4:13—“For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

The promise to Abraham and his seed (you and I) is that he would be “the heir of the world”! In the original Greek text, the word “world” here is kosmos. Its meaning includes, “the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures.”

Now, that is what you are an heir to through Jesus' finished work! In Christ, you are an heir of the world—its goods, its endowments, its riches, its advantages, and its pleasures.

This is THE promise that God made to Abraham and his seed. Don’t apologize for it. It is your inheritance in Christ!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional!

Come Alive Today

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Resurrection. What do you think of when you hear that word? Most people think of the past. Of a stone rolled away. An empty tomb. And a risen Lord.

Praise God, Jesus is alive today, isn't He?

What we don't fully understand is this: He's not the only One who has been resurrected. We've been resurrected too!

We were spiritually resurrected the day we made the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives. That day we passed from death to life. The greater part of your resurrection has already happened!

Think about it. When you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, the Spirit of God hovered over you. The glory of the Lord came into your being. And that glory consumed the old, sinful man that you were. That old man died. And in his place a new creature was born.

Oh yes, there will be a day when the earthly body you live in will be raised and glorified—but you don't have to wait until then to be free from sin and from the sickness and poverty and failure that goes with this natural world. You're free from all that right now!

You may be sitting there thinking, Well, if I'm so free, why can't I quit smoking? Why can't I lose this weight? Why am I always sick?

Because you've let Satan convince you that you're still under his power. You've let him talk you into living as if you're still spiritually dead!

So, today I want you to begin considering yourself alive! Begin thinking of yourself as one who already has the life of God instead of an earthly being who's waiting for the Resurrection. Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to the power of Jesus. You'll find yourself living a whole new life today!

HALLELUJAH and AMEN! In JESUS we are ALIVE! Here is Brandon Lake with "Daddy's DNA":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle Ministies devotional

Face The Problem

4My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 6So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” Psalm 55:4, 6 NKJV

God doesn’t want you to run away from any situation in defeat. Victory is always His plan for you.

Running away from problems and troubles is always society’s mentality: “Oh, if I could just leave this place. If I could just get in the car and go.” Looking for the easy way out of trouble and misery doesn’t work. Running from the problem that causes those feelings won’t do any good. If you avoid dealing with the issue now, it will be even more difficult to stand and face it later.

People often quit their job because of someone they work with, only to end up working with someone worse at their next place of employment. God wants you to learn to face your problems and overcome them by applying His Word. He wants you to learn to work with unpleasant co-workers by overcoming evil with good. When they blame you for something you didn’t do, bless them, and help them.

Being a doer of the Word isn’t always easy, but it always works.

Although David wanted to fly away and be at rest, he changed his speech and declared a few lines later “As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me” (Psalm 55:16 NKJV).

God doesn’t want you to leave any situation in defeat. If it is God’s time to move you on, He won’t use negative circumstances to lead you. Instead of running from the problem, overcome it. And then move on.

Confession: I choose to face the problems before me today. I will apply the Word of God to them, and I will overcome them. I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me.

HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Turnaround":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Right Place, Right Time

I returned and saw under the sun that—the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them. Ecclesiastes 9:11–12

Today, I want to bring your attention to Psalm 91:1 and Ecclesiastes 9:11. Did you notice that the number 911 occurs in both passages? The number 911 is very significant for our times. It is a number that marks the largest-scale terrorist attack on American soil to date. Our hearts were broken that day, the world changed, and we will never forget what happened.

While I know that chapter and verse markers in our Bible aren’t inspired, it is my personal opinion that the prayer of protection in Psalm 91 marks the times we are living in and gives us a crystal clear reason why we don’t have to live in fear.

In Ecclesiastes 9, King Solomon tells us that the winner of the race is not necessarily always the fastest one, and the person who wins the battle isn’t necessarily always the strongest. He points out that men of understanding are not the only ones who gain riches and men of skill do not always experience favor. And then he says this: “Time and chance happen to them all.”

Solomon then goes on to talk about those who are “like fish taken in a cruel net” or “birds caught in a snare.” (Notice that he’s saying this of the “sons of men” and not the “sons of God.” As believers, we are the sons and daughters of God.)

There are therefore two categories of people—those who are blessed because they find themselves at the right place at the right time, and those who are caught off guard in an evil time and find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t know about you, but I know which category I want to fall under!

As a son or daughter of God, rest assured that the blessing of being placed in the right place at the right time is yours because of our Lord Jesus! Despite the dangerous times we live in, you can expect Him to protect and deliver you from every snare of the enemy.

AMEN! Make sure that YOU are fully taking in the Word of God every day! HE will NEVER let you down!  Here is Brandon Lake with "Plans". 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Vision By Personal Purity

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. — Matthew 5:8

Purity is not innocence, it is much more. Purity is the outcome of sustained spiritual sympathy with God. We have to grow in purity. The life with God may be right and the inner purity remain unsullied, and yet every now and again the bloom on the outside may be sullied. God does not shield us from this possibility, because in this way we realize the necessity of maintaining the vision by personal purity. If the spiritual bloom of our life with God is getting impaired in the tiniest degree, we must leave off everything and get it put right. Remember that vision depends on character — the pure in heart see God.

God makes us pure by His sovereign grace, but we have something to look after, this bodily life by which we come in contact with other people and with other points of view; it is these that are apt to sully. Not only must the inner sanctuary be kept right with God, but the outer courts as well are to be brought into perfect accord with the purity God gives us by His grace. The spiritual understanding is blurred immediately the outer court is sullied. If we are going to retain personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean there are some things we must scorn to do or to think, some legitimate things we must scorn to touch.

A practical way of keeping personal purity unsullied in relation to other people is to say to yourself — That man, that woman, perfect in Christ Jesus! That friend, that relative, perfect in Christ Jesus!

This is SO very important! No one can keep your fellowship with the LORD powerful except YOU! Here is Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake with "Love Of God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

 I LOVE today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers!

Interest Or Identification?

I have been crucified with Christ. — Galatians 2:20

The imperative need spiritually is to sign the death warrant of the disposition of sin, to turn all emotional impressions and intellectual beliefs into a moral verdict against the disposition of sin, viz., my claim to my right to myself. Paul says — “I have been crucified with Christ”; he does not say, “I have determined to imitate Jesus Christ,” or, “I will endeavour to follow Him,” but, “I have been identified with Him in His death.” When I come to such a moral decision and act upon it, then all that Christ wrought for me on the Cross is wrought in me. The free committal of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the chance to impart to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.

“…nevertheless I live….” The individuality remains, but the mainspring, the ruling disposition, is radically altered. The same human body remains, but the old satanic right to myself is destroyed.

“And the life which I now live in the flesh,…” not the life which I long to live and pray to live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” This faith is not Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith that the Son of God has imparted to him — “the faith of the Son of God.” It is no longer faith in faith, but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the Son of God.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle Ministries devotional!

The Counterfeit

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:16-17 NKJV

The term counterfeit refers to something that was made in imitation, so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine. Therefore, a counterfeit cannot be considered a counterfeit unless it is identical in appearance to the real thing.

A counterfeit $20 bill looks and feels like a genuine $20 bill, but in reality it is a worthless scrap of paper. Although your five physical senses may assume it is genuine, the truth of the matter is that it’s a fake, a deception, a lie. The only way to determine whether a $20 bill is genuine or counterfeit is to inspect it closely and put it through certain tests.

Just as a $20 bill must be tried to determine its authenticity, so must every perceived blessing be tried. If you have been praying for something in particular, and that something appears on your doorstep, do not welcome it into your house without first testing it. When you have been standing in faith for a while, it can be easy to accept an apparent manifestation without first checking it out with the Word and with your inner witness.

The devil has no power over you. The only way he can gain access to your life is by deceiving you. He oftentimes does this by presenting you with a counterfeit answer to prayer so that you will accept something that is designed to steal, kill, or destroy in some area of your life. To do this, he has to come to you with something you are eager to have.

The only way to see through the devil’s deception is to judge it against the Word and the Spirit. If the enemy has brought anything that is a counterfeit into your life, the Word of God will expose it for what it is. If it is a counterfeit, you will not have peace in your spirit.

Inspect every gift closely and put it through these two tests. The Word and the Spirit will alert you to counterfeits. By accepting only the good and perfect, you will keep yourself from the harmful and destructive. You will ensure that every gift is a true blessing from your heavenly Father.

Confession: I declare that every good and perfect gift comes from my heavenly Father. I will not be deceived by the enemy, who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. By testing every gift by the Word of God and by the Spirit, I will walk in God’s favor and blessing all the days of my life.

AMEN! Our GOD only gives us GOOD GIFTS!!! Here is Brandon Lake with "Plans":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 78 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and these verses really stood out to me!

Psalm 78
A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Asaph.

1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old [that hide important truth]—
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed.
5 For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make [the great facts of God’s dealings with Israel] known to their children,
6 That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children,
7 That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments
8 And might not be as their fathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.

Lets be DOERS of these verses, especially verse 4! THAT is how we raise the next generation of powerful believers who change their world! Here is Brandon Lake with "I Know A Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is Step 4 from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on receiving from God!

Step 4: Tell It

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. — PSALM 105:1-2

Step 4: Tell it. This woman, “. . . knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth” (Mark 5:33). Not only did Jesus hear her, but the whole crowd heard her. Jesus said to me concerning this step, “Tell it so that others may believe it and receive it.”

There is a difference between this step and the first step. The first is, Say it. This fourth step is Tell it.

The woman said what she believed. Then, after she received, she told what had happened to her.

1. Say it.
2. Do it.
3. Receive it.
4. Tell it.

I asked Jesus, when He gave me these steps, “Are You telling me that any believer, anywhere, can write a ticket of victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil?”

“Emphatically, yes,” Jesus answered. “And if they don’t do it, it won’t be done. They’ll be wasting their time to pray that I will give them the victory. They’ll have to write their own ticket.”

Confession: I give thanks unto the Lord. I make known His deeds among the people. I sing unto Him. I sing psalms unto Him. I talk of all His wondrous works!

AMEN! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is Step 3 for receiving from God from Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food" devotional!

Step 3: Receive It

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? — MARK 5:29-30

Jesus knew that power had gone out of Him. At that time, Jesus was the only representative of the Godhead at work upon the earth. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). In that day, to get to where the power was, you had to go where Jesus was. Today, the Holy Spirit in the Person of the Godhead is at work upon the earth. He is everywhere present — and wherever the Holy Spirit is, there is power.

Nuclear bombs release radioactivity into the atmosphere — a power that can neither be seen nor felt, but a power that is both dangerous and deadly. However, there is a power working upon the earth this moment that is neither dangerous nor deadly; a power that is good, that heals, and that sets men free — the power of the Holy Spirit!

Jesus said to me when He gave me these four steps, “Power is always present everywhere. Faith gives it action, or puts it to work, or uses it.”

This woman’s faith caused the power to flow from Jesus into her. With our faith, we can plug into the power of God that is everywhere present, and we can put that power to work for us!

Confession: I recognize that God’s power is everywhere present. And I know how to plug into that power and put it to work for me. Faith is the plug.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong and Benjamin William Hastings with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is step 2 from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on receiving from God!

Step 2: Do It

What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond. . . . some one will say, “You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions. . . .” You notice that his [Abraham’s] faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected. — JAMES 2:14,18,22 (Weymouth)

Step 2: Do it. It wouldn’t have done that woman with the issue of blood any good to have said, “If I may but touch His clothes I shall be whole,” if she hadn’t acted on what she said.

Jesus said to me in that vision, “Your actions defeat you, or they put you over. According to your actions, you receive, or you are kept from receiving.”

That’s important. Read it again.

The Book of James is written to believers. James said, “What doth it profit, my brethren.” Most people think James was writing about salvation, but he was writing to people who were already saved, pointing out that faith without corresponding actions won’t work. It is a great mistake to confess faith in the Word of God and, at the same time, contradict your confession by wrong actions. Actions must correspond with your saying and believing in order to receive from God.

This woman said, “If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole,” and then she acted on that — and she received!

Confession: My actions line up with God’s Word. My actions put me over. By my actions I receive from God!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am going to be sharing Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for the next 4 days because he has a 4 part lesson for us to learn! 

Step 1: Say It

For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. . . . And he [Jesus] said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. — MARK 5:28,-29, 34

The Lord Jesus Christ gave me a sermon during a vision in 1953. He told me to get pencil and paper and to write down 1, 2, 3, 4. Then He said, “If anyone, everywhere, will take these four steps, or put these four principles into operation, they will always receive whatever they want from Me, or from God the Father.”

The steps Jesus gave me are simple. They are (1) Say it; (2) Do it; (3) Receive it; and (4) Tell it. Jesus used the healing of the woman with the issue of blood to illustrate these four steps.

Step 1: Say it. What was the woman’s first step toward being healed? “For she SAID . . . .” Jesus told me, “Positive or negative, according to what the individual says, that shall he receive. This woman could have made a negative statement instead of a positive one. She could have said, ‘There’s no use. I’ve suffered so long. All the best doctors have given up on my case. I might as well go ahead and die.’ And that would have been what she received. But she made a positive statement — and it came to pass.”

What this woman said was her faith speaking.

Confession: I have what I say. I speak positively — and I receive accordingly. What I say is my faith speaking. And what I say makes me whole.

AMEN! Our Father is waiting for US to speak His WOrd over our lives in every area so that HE can fulfill it! Here is UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Obstacles

. . . And much people followed him [Jesus], and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years. . . . When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. — MARK 5:24-25, 27

To receive her healing, this woman had a number of obstacles to overcome. In her religious tradition, a woman with an issue of blood was considered in the same category as a leper. She was not supposed to mingle in public. If anyone came close to her, she was to cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” In fact, the women in ancient Israel didn’t have the same rights and privileges to mix freely in public that most women in the modern world have.

You could say that a multitude of people stood between this woman and her healing. Public sentiment and her own religious teachings stood between her and getting to Jesus. But she overcame all obstacles. She got into the very midst of the crowd, and she reached through to touch Jesus’ clothes.

This woman didn’t pray that God would overcome the obstacles; she did something about them herself! You, too, will have to do something about the obstacles that confront you. Too many people expect God to do everything, leaving no part for them to play in receiving His blessings. But we do have a part to play. Receiving from God is a faith proposition.

Confession: I am a believer. I am not a doubter. I have faith. I am an overcomer. No obstacle to the blessings of God can stand in my way. I overcome all obstacles by faith in God’s Word!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Remember The Miracles":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is another of my favorites! 

Living by Faith—It's a Lifestyle

Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  2 Timothy 2:3

Times of hardness are inevitable. You need to know that. It's true that we've been redeemed from the curse, and there's nothing Satan can do to reverse that, but he is going to challenge you on it.

So don't be surprised when things get tough. Times will come when you have to stand strictly by faith, when you'll have to speak and act as though what God says is true even when you can't feel it or see it happening around you. There will be times when everything looks terrible. That's when you must endure hardness as a good soldier.

So many people hear the word of faith about healing or prosperity and they think, Hey! I'm going to try that. Then when the hard times come, they give up and cave in.

Let me warn you, living by faith is not something you try. It's a lifestyle. You do it when it's hard. You do it when it's easy. You do it all the time because you're not doing it just to get in on the benefits. You're doing it because you know that faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).

Things may get a little rough at times, but let me assure you, you'll always come out on top if you endure hardness as a good soldier. If you refuse to faint and fall away, you will have the victory. The only defeated Christian is the one who quits!

Remember that with our GOD, the ANSWER is always there BEFORE the problem! Never give up! Never give in! Your GOD is MORE than ABLE to deliver you in every situation! Here is Benjamin William Hastings and Hillsong with "That's The Power"! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this devotional from Jerry Savelle Ministries!

Beyond The Common

Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: “Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish! For I will work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.” Acts 13:40-41 NKJV

When Paul spoke these words to a group of worshipers in Antioch, citing the words written by the prophet Habakkuk (see Habakkuk 1:5), he was referring to the recent death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was clearly the most extraordinary demonstration of God’s love and goodness the world had ever seen.

Although God’s love has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 5:5), God continues to look for opportunities to pour out His love and goodness in many other extraordinary ways. However, we oftentimes limit Him by setting our expectations only on what is common in our lives.

The word common means general, ordinary, familiar. It can also mean mediocre or inferior quality. On the other hand, one of the meanings of the word extraordinary is beyond the common method and beyond the common course of things.

God is saying, “What once was rare is going to become the norm.” I believe things that were once rare—breakthroughs in finances, in healing, and in the restoration of relationships—are going to become the norm. God said He is going to do a work that will be so marvelous, so wonderful, and so extraordinary that some people will not be able to believe it, even if it is clearly described to them in detail.

Now is the time to stretch our faith, stretch our imagination, and think bigger than we’ve ever thought before. Now is the time to believe beyond the common, and see God pour out His love and goodness in extraordinary ways!

Confession: I choose to raise my vision and my expectations above what is common in my life. I declare that what was once rare will become the norm as I see breakthroughs in every area of my life. I expect God’s marvelous work in my life to manifest, and I believe that I receive it now!

AMEN! Be it unto us according to the Word of God! Here is Brandon Lake with "God Is Not Against Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's devotional from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inpirations"!

Been Toiling All Night?

The goodness of God leads you to repentance. Romans 2:4

Famished and fatigued from working all night at sea and catching nothing, Peter and his crew of fishermen carried their fishing nets to shore as the golden sun rose over the Galilean horizon. As they began washing their nets, large numbers of people began to throng the waterfront. Then Peter saw the man everyone was crowding to see.

Before Peter knew it, this man headed in his direction and got into his boat! He then gestured to Peter, and Peter and his crew instinctively grabbed their nets and went back into the boat. The man smiled warmly at Peter and asked if Peter could push the boat out some distance from the shore.

By this time, the waterfront was blanketed with people eager to hear this man speak. Peter turned to his seasoned crew and instructed them to push the boat out. The crew responded swiftly to their captain and watched as the man sat down by the edge of the boat and began teaching the multitudes gathered on the shore.

When he was done speaking, he turned to Peter and requested that Peter and his men launch out into the deep and let down their nets for a catch. The request stung Peter’s heart and he explained to the man that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. Nevertheless, he was willing to comply with the man’s request.

Peter found himself wondering, What would a carpenter from Nazareth know about fishing? Peter had been fishing in these waters since he was a youth and knew the most opportune time to fish—definitely not this late in the morning!

As the boat reached the deep waters, Peter just went through the motions and cast one net into the water. One net, he thought, was enough to prove his point that there simply weren’t any fish to be caught!

Had it been anyone else—anyone but this man who carried himself with quiet authority and a warm friendliness—he would have scoffed at the request. But this man . . . something in his voice and carriage just made Peter acquiesce to his request more readily than his head knew why and despite every instinct telling him nothing was going to happen.

What happened next stunned Peter.

It was as if the net suddenly became a fish magnet! Massive schools of large tilapia rushed into the net from every direction, straining its capacity until it began to tear as Peter and his men began to haul up this unprecedented load of fish.

The amazed and frantic fishermen quickly hollered to their friends in another boat to come and help them. Now two boats were lined up side by side, with both crews hauling fish into their boats. The men worked furiously, loading onto the boats the thrashing fish with their silver scales glistening in the sun . . . until both boats were so full of fish that they began to sink!

Blown away by what he was witnessing, Simon Peter knelt before Jesus and proclaimed, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8).

Let me ask you this question: which came first—Peter’s repentance or God’s blessing? Under the new covenant of grace, God blesses you first, and His blessings, favor, and overflowing love lead you to repentance!

Peter and his crew of mariners had toiled painstakingly all night and caught nothing. Then, when Jesus stepped for the first time into his boat, Peter’s business suddenly experienced a surge beyond his wildest imagination.

Today, the same thing can happen to you in your career, family, or health, as you open your heart to receive the Lord’s goodness and love.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is EXCELLENT!

Fruit Of The Mouth

A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. — PROVERBS 18:20

You won’t get the blessings of God just because you believe.

You don’t get saved, healed, or get answers to prayer just because you believe.

Most Christians think that is the case, but it isn’t what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that you must believe and you must say something.

For example, in order to be saved, Romans 10:9 and 10 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.” Notice it doesn’t say you’ll be saved just because you believe. The very next verse says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION.”

Jesus didn’t conclude Mark 11:23 by saying you’d have whatsoever you believed. He concluded it by saying, “. . . he shall have whatsoever he SAITH.”

Faith is always expressed in WORDS! The words that you speak — not just on Sunday, in church, or when you pray, but the words you speak in your everyday life, at home, with your friends, and on your job — determine what you have in life.

Confession: I purpose that I shall speak only according to God’s Word!

AMEN! CHECK your own confessions, your WORDS! Train yourself to speak ONLY what God's Word says about you and your life! Here is UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Fatih Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another GREAT one! 

Overcoming Faith

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. — 1 JOHN 5:4

I may be in the world, but I am not of the world. I am of God. My citizenship is in Heaven. And while I am in this world, I have the Greater One living in me. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Who is in the world? The devil. He’s called the god of this world in Second Corinthians 4:4.

What is in the world? Sin. But the Greater One in me is greater than sin. The Greater One conquered sin.

What else is in the world? Sickness. It’s not of God. It doesn’t come from Heaven. There’s no sickness up there. Sickness is of this world. But the Greater One in me is the Healer.

What else is in the world? Trouble. Adverse circumstances. Seeming impossibilities. But when I’ve faced such things, I’ve just remembered who is on the inside of me and what the Bible says. I didn’t even have to pray about it. I just looked that circumstance right in the face and laughed as I said, “If I don’t make it over you, I’ll make it around you. If I don’t make it around you, I’ll make it under you. If I don’t make it under you, I’ll make it through you, because the Greater One is in me!” Even while I laughed, that circumstance ran off and hid!

Confession: I am born of God. And by releasing my faith in words through my mouth, I overcome the world!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am REALLY looking forward to THIS  from Psalm 67 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!

Psalm 67

To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song.
1 God be merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us—Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!—
2 That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You [turn away from their idols] and give thanks to You, O God; let all the peoples praise and give thanks to You.
4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples fairly and guide, lead, or drive the nations upon earth. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
5 Let the peoples praise You [turn away from their idols] and give thanks to You, O God; let all the peoples praise and give thanks to You!
6 The earth has yielded its harvest [in evidence of God’s approval]; God, even our own God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall reverently fear Him.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood  with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Undaunted Radiance

Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. — Romans 8:37

Paul is speaking of the things that might seem likely to separate or wedge in between the saint and the love of God; but the remarkable thing is that nothing can wedge in between the love of God and the saint. These things can and do come in between the devotional exercises of the soul and God and separate individual life from God; but none of them is able to wedge in between the love of God and the soul of the saint. The bedrock of our Christian faith is the unmerited, fathomless marvel of the love of God exhibited on the Cross of Calvary, a love we never can and never shall merit. Paul says this is the reason we are more than conquerors in all these things, super-victors, with a joy we would not have but for the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.

The surf that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surf-rider the super joy of going clean through it. Apply that to our own circumstances, these very things – tribulation, distress, persecution, produce in us the super joy; they are not things to fight. We are more than conquerors through Him in all these things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. The saint never knows the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation,” says Paul.

Undaunted radiance is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can alter. The experiences of life, terrible or monotonous, are impotent to touch the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful (Wonderful, Powerful) Name It Is!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Andrew Wommack's devotional!

Knowing God Is Our Greatest Treasure

Matthew 6:21, 'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.' 

If isolated from the rest of God's Word, there are some scriptures that could be interpreted to mean that having money or wealth is wrong. However there are other scriptures that speak of riches as a blessing. The harmony between these two apparently opposite positions is that money is neither good nor bad. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil, and many have committed the sin of loving money who don't even have a dime (1 Timothy 6:10)! The love of things (covetousness) is idolatry, and this is what Jesus is addressing.

Because it is so easy to lust after money and the things it can provide, the Lord established a system whereby prosperity is a by-product of putting God first. As Matthew 6:33 states, 'But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.' We should no more reject the blessing of prosperity than we should covet it, which is idolatry.

The reason for not laying up treasures on this earth is so that we will not have our hearts drawn away from the things of God. A key to success in the Kingdom of God is singleness of purpose. We don't have the capacity to do our best in two areas at the same time. If we will simply put God and His Kingdom first in every area of our lives, He will add to us all the wealth that we need. What is more valuable or important than knowing Him?

AMEN!!! KNOWING JESUS is the MOST wonderful thing in all of this life! Here is Brandon Lake with "Plans":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a VERY important lesson!

Atmosphere

In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found. . . . Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. — PROVERBS 10:13, 24:3-4

Spiritual things are created by words. Even natural, physical things are created by words! God, who is a Spirit, said, “Let there be an earth,” and there was an earth. Jesus said, “. . . whosoever shall SAY . . . shall have whatsoever he SAITH” (Mark 11:23,24). Atmospheres are created with words.

For example, if you go into a room where fish has been fried, the fish smell is still in the atmosphere. And if you go into a room where harsh words have been spoken, they also linger in the atmosphere. The air is heavy with them.

Children brought up in an atmosphere of wrong words become warped. They fail in life, because right words were not spoken to them.

Why is it that some children grow up strong and go out in life’s fight and win? It’s because the right kind of words were spoken in their home! Words make children love an education. Words bring children to church.

Confession: I create the very atmosphere around me with my words. I speak words of wisdom — God’s words. I speak words of faith — God’s words. I speak words of love — God’s words. And the chambers round about me are filled with precious and pleasant riches!

WORDS are POWERFUL! Make sure that YOUR words line up with GOD'S WORDS! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!