Shalom,

I want to share this portion of today's devotion from Bob Yandian's "Morning Moments". 

"The office Jesus fulfills today in His heavenly ministry is that of intercessor for Christians. This is found in Romans 8."

Romans 8:34b It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Do you remember when Jesus instructed His disciples that they would no longer pray to him, but to the Father in His Name? John 16:23-24:

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. KJV

Then He went on to say this in verses 26-27:

26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. KJV

When we pray, in the Name of Jesus, we are acknowledging that our right to address the Father comes through the Son! "We are the redeemed petitioning our Heavenly Father through the Name of the One Who redeemed us. God loves to hear His children pray, but it must come to Him through His plan and method. Use the Name of Jesus in prayer today. Realize what authority you have through the Name of your Intercessor." Do you see that "in Jesus' Name" is NOT to be used as a talisman or rabbit's foot tacked on the end of a prayer? His Name is the key that gives us access and establishes in all realms our God-given right to declare God's Word and to petition Him to fulfill it in our lives! To our heavenly Father, when He hears that, it is as though Jesus Himself was speaking and declaring! As HE was with Jesus, so HE is with us, now, in this world! Amen! I hope you are as excited about prayer now as I am! Let's DO IT! Amen! Here is Hillsong United with "In The Mystery":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I laughed a little reading today's Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 120:1-2:

^1 [IN MY distress I cried to the Lord, and He answered me. ² Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.

Now don't tell me you're not feeling this way about all of the election calls and flyers you've been getting! The only thing I've noticed about this election over any other I've been involved in is that the lies are pretty much coming from one side! The choice, for Bible believing Christians, is clearer than any other election in history! Have YOU voted, or at least registered to be able to vote next Tuesday? It is our great privilege and awesome responsibility to pray and vote in this country of great freedom, so that that freedom to preach the Gospel is not lost! If you are NOT going to vote, then YOU should have been born in a nation where you COULDN'T! Do you think that this is too harsh? It is NOT! To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48b), and WE are required to preserve what God has given to us! Part of that responsibility is prayer. This will involve prayer in the Spirit and prayer in our known language, which will be prayer according to God's Word. We see this promise in 1 John 5:14-15:

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

So, what should we be doing concerning the elections in this last week? We should be sharing the Truth as we know it, praying over the elections and specifically for the candidate that represents Godly principles, and then VOTE! I have already voted, so I will continue to do the first things! How about YOU? Here to encourage you is Carman with "We Need God In America Again":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 119:89 says this:

⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens].

The Word of God is our MOST priceless possession! His Word is TRUTH (John 17:17)!  Psalm 119:96-100 should be our heart cry!

 ⁹⁶ I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity]. ⁹⁷ Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. ⁹⁸ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me. ⁹⁹ I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation.¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged, because I keep Your precepts [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them].

Develop, or reignite, a deep love and respect for the Word of God! Remember that Luke 4:4 says this:

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God . KJV 

Make Jesus and His Word top priority and your life will never be the same! Thank YOU, Jesus! Here is an older song from Hillsong called "To You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This morning at The Spoken Word Church we began a new series called "Revival". One of the points made by Pastor Bill Novak is that revival is not a one-man-show, but a team effort! He taught from Acts where Priscilla and Aquila helped to teach Apollos more about the Word of God so that he could continue his very effective ministry with even greater knowledge! THAT is people working together. This brought to mind Ephesians 4:16:


16 For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love. AMP

That should be the motivational Scripture for "Team Jesus"! We each have a part to  play in the whole picture of God's wonderful plan of Salvation! This is what verses 11-13 is preparing us for!

 And He himself gave some, on the one hand, as apostles, and, on the other hand, as prophets, and still again some as bringers of good news, and finally, some as pastors who are also teachers, for the equipping of the saints for ministering work with a view to the building up of the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the Faith and of the experiential, full, and precise knowledge of the Son of God, to a spiritually mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ, (Wuest)

Make sure that YOU are taking full advantage of all of the resources of your local church so that YOU can continue to grow up to a place of greater maturity in the Word of God! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Touching Heaven, Changing Earth":

We will seek Your face Almighty God
Turn and pray for You to heal our land
Father let revival start in us
Then every heart will know Your kingdom come

Lifting up the name of the Lord
In power and in unity
We will see the nations turn
Touching heaven changing earth
Touching heaven changing earth

Never looking back we'll run the race
Giving You our lives we'll gain the prize
We will take the harvest given us
Though we sow in tears, we'll reap in joy

Send revival (send revival)
Send revival (send revival)
Send revival to us

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 118:6-7 is a verse we hear a lot and declare for ourselves!

⁶ The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? ⁷ The Lord is on my side and takes my part, He is among those who help me; therefore shall I see my desire established upon those who hate me.

It is a great confidence booster to KNOW that God is on our side! He wants only good for us and it doesn't do anyone any good to come against us, because they will find themselves coming against the God of the Bible! But do YOU know what is even better and more important than God being on our side? It is for US to be on HIS side! When we choose HIM and His Word foremost in our lives, then HE will ALWAYS be able to get help to us! If you ever find yourself on a different side than God's side, repent (change your thinking to agree with God) immediately and get right back in that place of protection, provision and safety that God's side provides! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Running":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

1 John 1:1-3 from the Amplified Bible:


1 [WE ARE writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands. 2 And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers]. 3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). AMP

An important key to understanding the Bible is to always ask yourself: 

1. Who is speaking?
2. Who are they speaking to?

We must remember that the Epistles are letters written to the born again believers/churches. The teaching and instruction in the Epistles is only FOR believers! The only thing available to an unbeliever is to receive Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Savior. Once they do that, then the rest of the New Testament is for their growth and development as a member of the Body/Church of Jesus Christ. One of the wonderful and amazing Truths revealed in the verses above is that (verse 3) what separates believers in Jesus from the unbelievers is that we believers have the opportunity and privilege to have deep, intimate fellowship with the one, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, through His Spirit Who lives IN us! Don't take that blessing and privilege for granted! Treasure your time with Him every day! When you do, you will find yourself growing more than ever before! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "For All You've Done":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

I wanted to share the devotional from our Spoken Word Church website today.

 Establish a Place For Prayer

Places matter to God. He made them, too, you know. Think of these places: the Upper Room, Jericho, Bethel, Zarapheth, Gethsemane.

Jesus had special places for prayer. Mountains. Gethsemane. Go ahead, sanctify your own personal place of prayer. It will become a precious and treasured place.

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."   (Matthew 14:23)

We can be in an attitude of prayer at all times and in all places, but we all need our own special place where we know that we can get alone in the presence of God! It is here where we enter into the "secret place" of Psalm 91! That is the place where we are aware of His presence and can get our direction for the day! Make sure that YOU know the best place, and time, for YOU to get into His presence! Remember that in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11)! Here is Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 115:1-3:

 ¹ NOT TO us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness! ² Why should the nations say, Where is now their God? ³ But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

He IS the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! He is worthy of ALL praise, honor and glory! Is God getting glory when the nations of the world are saying, "Where is your God"? NO! That is why we are told in Matthew 28 to go in the authority and power of our Lord and preach the Gospel! We are told in Mark 16 to go and preach the Gospel and to lay hands on the sick and they will recover! Verse 3 above tells us that God is in Heaven and HE sets things up to operate the way that HE wants them to! We are told in Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:43; and Hebrews 10:12-13 that Jesus is also in heaven, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and WAITING for His enemies to be made His footstool! WHO will do that? WE will! When WE walk in the power and authority of the Word of God, by the Spirit of God and the Name of Jesus, HE gets the glory! Amen! Psalm 115:16 says this:

 ¹⁶ The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth has He given to the children of men.

Find out what belongs to you as a born again child of the Living God and act on it! he is WAITING for us to take our place! Here is a song I have used a couple of times before, but it is very appropriate today! Hillsong's "Children Of The Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the very basic teachings of the Word of God is found in today's Faith Food devotion by Kenneth E. Hagin.

Spirit Being
October 23, 2012

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23). 

You are a spirit. 

You have a soul. 

And you live in a body. 

With your spirit you contact the spiritual world. 

With your body you contact the physical world. 

And with your soul you contact the intellectual world. 

These are the only three realms you contact. There are no more. 

Man is a spirit being who was created in the image of God, who is a Spirit (See Gen. 1:26; John 4:24). 

This simple truth is so very important to understand in order to grow up in the things of God. As God  is a triune being (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) so we are also triune beings (spirit, soul, body). The moment we receive Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Savior, the Spirit  of God recreates our dead human spirit into the image of God. Our spirit-man is made perfect and does not sin! Our body will be instantly changed at the appearing of Jesus for His church. In the meantime, our body will do what our soul tells it to! The key to our growth, development and success in this life on earth is our soul, which consists of our mind, emotions and will. We CHOOSE with our soul! What is necessary then? We must continually renew our minds with the Word of God so that we will think correctly, then we will speak correctly and act correctly (Romans 12:2)! 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us this:

15 Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. AMP

Remember, God's Word IS Truth (John 17:17) and when we know the Truth, we will be truly free! John 8:31-32:

31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. AMP

Be FREE, spirit and soul and body! Amen! Here is Hillsong United with "The Stand":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

1 Peter 5:6-7 says this:

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, ⁷ Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Realize that Peter is speaking to born again, spirit-filled believers in this letter. When he says to humble ourselves, it does NOT mean to look at ourselves as scum, but to see ourselves as under the authority of the Sovereign God, and HIM alone! THAT is really a very high position! Recognize the authority of the Word of God and the Wisdom and promise of it! When we obey the Word, we can expect to receive the Word's results! When we choose to cast (throw, fling, toss, hurl) our cares, worries, anxieties and concerns on Him, then we can expect Him to take them! We are then free to operate in His peace and joy while the rest of the world falls apart! We WILL BE that Light in the darkness for the people around us so that we can lead them to HIM! Amen! Here is a very old song from Hillsong called "Joy In The Holy Ghost":

I've found a friend, o Such a friend
He made my heart his home
God himself is with me
And I know I'm never alone
I know all my tomorrows will be better than all my hopes
We've got love grace peace and power
And joy in the Holy Ghost.

(We've got love)
My God is never wrong
And He makes time for me
(We've got grace)
It blew apart my chains
And set the sinner free
(We've got peace)
It's like a river and you'll never run it dry
We've got power over fear and death
And hearts filled up with joy.

The Holy Spirit fills me up
And I need him every day
For fire faith and confidence
And knowing what to say
I gave my heart and all I am
To the one who loves most
We've got love grace peace and power
And joy in the Holy Ghost.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 112:1-9 is a great picture of the very blessed position we have as born again children of the Living God! 

 ¹ PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. ² His [spiritual] offspring shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. ^{3 Pr}osperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. ⁴ Light arises in the darkness for the upright, gracious, compassionate, and just [who are in right standing with God]. ⁵ It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. ⁶ He will not be moved forever; the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall be in everlasting remembrance. ⁷ He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord. ⁸ His heart is established and steady, he will not be afraid while he waits to see his desire established upon his adversaries. ⁹ He has distributed freely [he has given to the poor and needy]; his righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) endures forever; his horn shall be exalted in honor.

We ARE, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have Psalm 111 in the Bible Reading Plan today and am just going to share the entire Psalm! 

 ¹ PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart in the council of the upright and in the congregation. ² The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them.  ³ His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever  ⁴ He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.  ⁵ He has given food and provision to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever and imprint it [on His mind].  ⁶ He has declared and shown to His people the power of His works in giving them the heritage of the nations [of Canaan].  ⁷ The works of His hands are [absolute] truth and justice [faithful and right]; and all His decrees and precepts are sure (fixed, established, and trustworthy).  ⁸ They stand fast and are established forever and ever and are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness.  ⁹ He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant to be forever; holy is His name, inspiring awe, reverence, and godly fear. ¹⁰ The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever. [Job. 28:28; Prov. 1:7; Matt. 22:37, 38; Rev. 14:7.]

This Psalm celebrates all the wonderful things that the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible has done for US! Notice that verses 5 and 9 tell us that HE will remember His Covenant with us FOREVER! HE remembers the Covenant, but it will NOT affect our individual lives until WE remember it, and all that is included in it! Remember the "in Him" verses that we looked at on Wednesday? All of those promises are a part of our Covenant with God, sealed with the Blood of Jesus! Find out what belongs to YOU as a born again child of the Living God and claim them as your own! Verse 10 above tells us that gaining the Wisdom of God begins with the reverence and worship of HIM! Start there and then proceed to the Word of God! The Word will open up to you as never before! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Greater Than All":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read 1 Peter 2 in the Bible Reading Plan for today. Verse 2 says this:

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: KJV

I could take you for a word by word study of this verse, but the Amplified Bible does a great job of that for this verse:

2 Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation, AMP

We know that milk is the very first food that a newborn baby eats in order to grow and continue to mature to a point of eating solid food. It takes time and the vital nourishment that this milk provides. Have you ever heard a hungry newborn cry? They want to eat, and they want it NOW! When was the last time that YOU had such a hungry craving for the Living Word of God? We CANNOT grow without the Word! When we do grow, we will begin to require solid food from the Word of God in order to continue to grow and mature. 1 Peter 2:1 tells us what we have to put aside in order to hunger for the Word:

1 SO BE done with every trace of wickedness (depravity, malignity) and all deceit and insincerity (pretense, hypocrisy) and grudges (envy, jealousy) and slander and evil speaking of every kind. AMP

Not only will these things keep us from desiring the Word, they can also keep us from growing beyond the milk of the Word to the real meat! 1 Corinthians 3:2-3 tells us this:

2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], 3 For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? AMP

Do you REALLY desire to grow up in the things of God? Then put aside selfish desires and fleshly emotions and concentrate on the One Who loves us so very much! Begin again to desire to KNOW Him  more! We do NOT want to be as those to whom Paul was speaking in Hebrews 5:12-14:

12 For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! 14 But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. AMP

You and I have the precious and priceless privilege and the awesome responsibility to grow up and become mature ministers of the Gospel, minsters of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18)! Let's set everything aside and really run this race to WIN (1 Corinthians 9:24)! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Running":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

1 Peter 1:18-19 and 23-25 says this:

¹⁸ You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, ¹⁹ But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.

²³ You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.  ²⁴ For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off, ²⁵ But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you.

Do you understand what happened to you when you received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Savior? Your eternal salvation was purchased for you by the Blood of Jesus because without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22)! When you recognized that you were a personal sinner who needed a personal Savior and you called on the Name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 11:26), something awesome and divinely supernatural happened! A "new you" was born! Remember, you ARE a spirit being, you possess a soul (mind, emotions and will) and you live while on the earth in a mortal human body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The incorruptible seed of the Word of God that you received into your heart changed your previously dead human spirit into a living spirit in the image of Almighty God (2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 Corinthians 15:45 AMP)! YOU have the Spirit of God living inside of you to teach you the Word of God! Hallelujah! Unbelievers do NOT have the Holy Spirit living in them. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says this:

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. KJV

So what are we saying? Don't try to share deep teaching of the Word of God with unbelievers. They are NOT capable of understanding them! What is needful for them is to receive the simple Gospel! Show them the love of God and share with them the way! John 3:16-17 says all they need to know right now! 

16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. AMP

Remember to have patience with unbelievers, but do NOT have intimate fellowship with them. Save THAT for like-minded believers so that you can grow together in the Word of God! These are exciting times we are living in and vital times for sharing the Gospel! DO IT! Here is Hillsong with "Love So High":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

James 5:17-18 says this:

  ¹⁷ Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. [I Kings 17:1]  ¹⁸ And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]. [I Kings 18:42-45]

I have come across so many born again believers who have no confidence that THEY can operate in the authority of God's Word. The reason is that they do not have a working knowledge of who they are IN HIM! Elijah was a human being, prone to make mistakes, just like we are. He operated as a prophet with the anointing of the Holy Spirit UPON him! He did NOT have the Holy Spirit living IN Him the way a new Covenant believer does! And yet, he prayed and his prayer was answered! He spoke and what he spoke came to pass! How did he do that? Through faith in the ONE Who had instructed Him to do so! You and I need to develop faith, trust and confidence in who we are according to the Word of God. If you haven't already done so, go through the New Testament and highlight everything you come across that has to do with our bring "in Him". A very good resource for finding these Scriptures is the mini-book "In Him" by Kenneth E. Hagin. Now meditate on these Scriptures until you become confident of who YOU are - IN HIM! Then you will know that YOU can operate just as Jesus did on the earth! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Now we need to be doing something with THE BLESSING! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 107:2 says this:

 ² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary,

We have sung this in song many times over the years! We sing: "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so"!  What are the redeemed of the Lord supposed to say? "SO"? "I am redeemed"? There is nothing wrong with that, but that is NOT what the redeemed of the Lord are instructed to say here! They are instructed to say verse 1!

¹ O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

If the redeemed of the Lord can't say that He is GOOD, who will? Our message, as born again believers in Jesus of Nazareth, is that God isn't holding anything against anyone. The price for sin has been paid for all people, for all time! The ONLY sin NOT covered by the Blood of Jesus is the sin of rejecting Him! The only requirement for receiving your redemption is recognizing that you are a personal sinner who needs a personal Savior. Believe that Jesus came to this earth, died on the cross for YOUR sins and rose again from the dead. Receive His free gift by asking Him to become YOUR Lord and Savior! GOOD NEWS, from the God Who is GOOD, and Whose mercy and loving-kindness go on forever for those who receive! Amen! NOW, tell the world THAT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Romans 10:17 tells us this concerning faith:

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

When we receive Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Savior, we also receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! He is the One Who recreates our dead human spirit into the image of God! At the same time that we receive Him, we receive a "measure" of faith (Romans 12:3). This measure enables us to believe the Word of God when we study it. The more Word that we "hear", the more that measure of faith will grow! We are each responsible for the amount of faith that we have to operate on in our life. Whenever you read and study God's Word, EXPECT to have your faith grow! I really like this from Jerry Savelle's Daily Devotional:

The more you immerse yourself in the Word, the more confident you will become that His promises will come to pass in your life. We are talking about you getting to the place where you are receiving God's best. The more time that you spend in the Word and see what His best is (and that He wants you to have it), then the more confidence you will have that it will come to pass in your life.

The Apostle Paul refers to faith as a law.

. . . by the law of faith . . . Romans 3:27

The law of faith says that if you can believe for God's best in your life, and not give up, then it will become a reality. What you see on the inside, through the eye of faith, will become more real than what you see on the outside. The more time you spend in the Word reading about God's best, the higher your expectation will be to have it in your life.

You will always attract into your life what you expect. If you expect to fail, then you will fail. If you expect your life to always stay the same, then it will. If you expect to go broke, then you will. But at the same time, if you expect to succeed, you will. If you expect to receive God's best, then you will. Jesus said it this way: According to your faith be it unto you (Matthew 9:29).

EXPECT the promises of God to be fulfilled in your life as you put Him and His Word first place! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Stand In Awe":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

At The Spoken Word Church this morning Pastor Bill Novak reviewed the past two years of teaching series that culminated in the this last series. They are:

• Grace (all that is included in His grace that is sufficient)
• Prayer (all types of prayer)
• Feet (concerning our authority)
• See (keeping the WORD before my eyes)
• Heaven (living from Heaven's perspective on the earth)
• Healing (it's my right)
• Power (of my words)
• Two (power in agreement)
• Faith (all aspects of living by faith)
• Angels (their role and operation now)
• Demons, Devils and Evil spirits (knowing our authority)
• Peace (the God kind of peace)
• Happy (Joy on the inside produces happiness)

Now we are fully prepared and ready to be full participators in the next series that will finish up the year: "Revival"!  The dictionary definition of revival is: a restoration to life, use, vigor and vitality. Tune in to The Spoken Word Church October 28 to begin to find out what the Word of God has to say about Revival! Come and BE revived! Amen! Psalm 105:1-5 from today's Bible Reading Plan says this:

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].

Give thanks continually to the Lord for Who He is, what He has already done, and what you are standing on His Word for now! Praise, thanksgiving and worship show Him that you believe His Word and trust completely in Him to carry it out! THAT sounds like great preparation for revival! Here is Hillsong United with "Hosanna":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began in James in our Bible Reading Plan for today. Look at James 1:2:

 ² Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

Now think back to the last test, temptation, trial or hardship you dealt with in your life. Did YOU "count it all joy" or "consider it wholly joyful"? We can know the right Scriptures, pray the right prayers, make the right confessions and declarations, BUT, if we are not operating in the fullness of joy, then we just may be hindering our own results! This is NOT just a good suggestion for keeping a good frame of mind! This aspect is every bit as important as all of the previous actions we mentioned! This is the WHOLE picture! Take account of the things you are still waiting to see manifest that you have been standing on the Word of God for. NOW, check you "joy factor"! Do you need help in doing this? Put on your favorite Praise and Worship music and sing, shout, glory in HIS presence! Joy will most definitely rise! Do this as long and as often as necessary to maintain a high level of the joy of the Lord! Another thing to do is to open up the Word of God, especially some of the Psalms! Psalm 104:1 from our Bible Reading Plan for today is an excellent place to start! 

 ¹ BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty -

Here to also help you in this is "Praise Him" from Hillsong's new Cornerstone album:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 103:1-2 says this:

 ¹ BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! ² Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--

Why do you think we are instructed here to NOT forget "not one" of all His benefits? Do you remember this from 1 John 5:14-15?

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

When we understand the "benefits" that Jesus of Nazareth provided for us through His death, burial and resurrection, then we will KNOW His will! THEN, when we have a need, we will KNOW what to ask for, fully expecting that it WILL be done! Further, do you remember when Jesus Himself said this in Mark 11:23?

23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. AMP


Even beyond asking, we are told here to declare for ourselves! When will we be able to declare and see things done? WHEN we believe that what we say will be done! How can we get to that place? By remembering ALL of His benefits! KNOW who you are IN HIM! KNOW what is yours because of the New Covenant, sealed in the Blood of Jesus! DARE to believer that the Word is true, and then ACT on it! Amen! Here is Hillsong Live with "Children Of The Light", because THAT is who we are! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food for today said this:

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3). 

"Faith - that's what I want!" many people say to me. "And I'm praying that God will give it to me." 

If that's what you're doing, you're wasting your time. It would do no more good to pray that God will give you faith than it would to twiddle your thumbs and recite Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. 

Praying for faith is lost motion and wasted time, because every believer already has a measure of the God-kind of faith. You don't have to get it. You don't have to pray for it. You don't have to fast for it. You don't have to promise to do better and be good to get it. You already have it! 

Romans 12:3 tells us that we have been given a certain measure of the God-kind of faith! What we DO with that faith will determine how much of the BLESSING of God we are able to walk in in this life! We have the opportunity to grow our faith so that it becomes a strong and vital force in our every day lives, enabling us to walk in the fullness of the new and better Covenant (Hebrews 8:6)! Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God! Find out what God's Word says about everything that you are praying about. Meditate on those promises and faith for the Bible answer will grow and keep on growing! Stop hearing the Word of God and your faith will shrink and become smaller and weaker. WE are in total control of the level of faith that is operating in our lives! Make the adjustments needed now to become a mighty person of faith, bringing  glory to HIS Name! Amen! Here is an older song from Hillsong called "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the truly wonderful things that has happened as a result of living under perhaps the worst administration in the history of this nation, has been that God's people are praying as never before. At The Spoken Word Church we have had Friday Night prayer and morning prayer seven days a week for many years. Prayer and teaching and training believers to be bright lights in and to the world has always been our vision and calling. Many other churches are now doing similar things. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says this:

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. KJV

The word "humble" here is the Hebrew word "kana`", which means: to be under subjection. That simply means that we recognize the Sovereignty of God and submit to His authority. As New Covenant believers we know that when we confess our sin, He forgives us of that sin and then cleanses us from all unkown sin. When we stand in the gap for our nation and confess the sins of the nation, God has promised here to forgive us and to heal our land. Notice that He says "My people"! That doesn't involve every American, but every believer. If YOU belong to Him, then pray for the nation! When God's people pray, standing on His Word, then He confirms that Word with signs that the unbelievers can see! There will be NO mistake Who HE is in this! Psalm 101:1 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today says this:

 ¹ I WILL sing of mercy and loving-kindness and justice; to You, O Lord, will I sing.

Once we have prayed, then SING! Praise Him for what He is doing all across this nation right now! Some people have been saying that this may all be in God's plan for the End Times. That is probably true, but OUR responsibility has never changed! We are still to be the ones to pray and God will reveal His will in His time! Until He does, just keep up the good work and walk in His abundant BLESSING! He LOVES you AND this nation! Amen! Here is "Like Incense/Sometimes By Step" by Hillsong:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 100 in our Bible Reading Plan for today. here it is from the Amplified Bible:

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.  [Eph 2:10.] 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. AMP

This is called "A Psalm of thanksgiving". THIS is the proper attitude to have towards the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, and THIS is how to respond to Him! I think that the Message Bible is very interesting, too:

A thanksgiving psalm

1 On your feet now — applaud God!  2 Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. 

3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep. 4 Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, 

loyal always and ever. 

THE MESSAGE


I really like "make yourselves at home, talking praise"! We were MADE to praise Him! It is in our very nature as born again believers to give praise, thanksgiving and worship to Him! If YOU haven't been feeling quite like yourself lately, check your praise life! Make the adjustments necessary to become a consistent giver of thanks and praise to HIM! Your life will never be the same! Here is "Praise Him" from Hillsong's new Cornerstone Album:

Shalom in Him!