Shalom,


Today we read the last 88 verses of Psalm 119 and again I didn't get past the first 2 verses before being so blessed by the Word! Verses 89-90:

⁸⁹Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens]. ⁹⁰Your faithfulness is from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands fast.

Our God has proven Himself faithful to His people at all times and in every situation! Where failure happens, it is NEVER God who has failed! "Settled" in verse 89 is the Hebrew word "natsab", which means: to stand; to be fixed; to be established; to be determined. GOD'S Word is forever fixed, established and determined for fulfillment! He said this in Isaiah 55:11:

11 So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

AMP

His Word WILL accomplish what He planned for it to accomplish, but ONLY in the lives of those who choose to believe it, receive it, and obey it! Seek the LORD daily through praise, prayer, fellowship and study and mediation of His Word. You will then be in a position to be a DOER of the Word, with wonderful, God-ordained results! AMEN! Here are some pictures I really like!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


We read the first 88 verses of Psalm 119 in the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. The very best verse, and one that should be all the motivation we need to desire to know Him more, is verse 2:


  ²Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart. AMP


The Amplified Bible is very accurate with this verse. The word "blessed" here is the Hebrew word "`ashre", which means: blessed, happy; connotes the state of prosperity or happiness that comes when a superior bestows his favor (blessing) on one. If we DO the last part of verse 2, then we will enjoy the first part! be a DOER of all that you see in the Word of God to do, and you will have the results promised in that Word! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 118 has 4 verses that contain the phrase "His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever". The KJV says simply "mercy". This is the Hebrew word "checed", which means: kindness; goodness; faithfulness; loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; devotion. I like this from Vine's Expository Dictionary:

In general, one may identify three basic meanings of the word, which always interact: "strength," "steadfastness," and "love." Any understanding of the word that fails to suggest all three inevitably loses some of its richness.

There is such a fullness of the nature of God's love for us contained in that word! That is why the command in verse 29 is this:


  ²⁹O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.


So be a DOER of that Word today! Give praise, thanksgiving and worship to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, for He deserves it! Amen! Here is an older song from Hillsong called "The Shout Of The King":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the entire Bible! It is also one of the needful things for the people of God to be doing! 


 ¹O PRAISE the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people!

    ²For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

We looked at the sacrifice of praise yesterday. The great thing about making THAT sacrifice to God is that once you begin, it is no longer a sacrifice at all! As we spend time daily in His presence, we should be falling so in love with Him that His praises just flow from us! THAT is the lifestyle that greatly pleases the God Who made us to have a free will! It shows the world, and the devil,  the choice that we have made! "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15)! Amen! Here s song I have used before, but it so fitting for today! Hillsong United with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 116:12 presents a question that we should be answering daily!


   ¹²What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? [How can I repay Him for all His bountiful dealings?]


What can I do TODAY that will communicate my eternal gratitude and thankfulness for all that HE has done for me? What would be pleasing to HIM? Look at verse 16:


¹⁷I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord.


Hebrews 13:15 says this:


15 Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.  


THAT is the sacrifice that HE is pleased with! Use very manner of praise and worship on a daily basis in order to keep HIM as the priority in your life! Here is a song by Don Moen called "A Sacrifice of Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


1 Corinthians 3:1-2:

3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready,



Why were they still only able to be fed the milk of the Word, or simple, basic teaching? Because they had NOT continued on in the Word of God so that they could grow up! Joshua 1:8 promises this:


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


So, either those immature believers in Corinth were not meditating on the Word, or they weren't obeying the Word they did hear. Either action will result in immaturity! What kind of Spiritual food are YOU able to digest? Does the teaching seem to always go over your head? We must realize that pastors and teachers do not understand the Word because they are ministers, but because they chose to spend time learning it! There is an anointing to minster the Word of God, but there is NOT an anointing to live it! Make the determined purpose today that YOU are going to know the Word of God more each day than you did the day before. If you do that, and put into practice what you learn, then you will NEVER be one who can only handle the milk! Bring on the meat! Amen! Here is Hillsong United with "Unending Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Look at Psalm 114 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan:


 ¹WHEN ISRAEL came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

    ²Judah became [God's] sanctuary (the Holy Place of His habitation), and Israel His dominion.

    ³The [Red] Sea looked and fled; the Jordan [River] was turned back.

    ⁴The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.

    ⁵What ails you, O [Red] Sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?

    ⁶You mountains, that you skip like rams, and you little hills, like lambs?

    ⁷Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

    ⁸Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

When did the Red Sea look and flea? When did the Jordan River turn back? It was when Judah became God's sanctuary and Israel His dominion! Do you know what THAT means for the New Covenant believers? NOW, the Spirit and Presence of Almighty God lives in US! WE are His present sanctuary! The Kingdom and Dominion of the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible has come to live on earth within each and every born again believer in Jesus of Nazareth! THAT is why we "can do ALL things through Christ Who infuses us with inner strength" (Philippians 4:13 AMP)! There are NO impossibilities when the God of the Bible lives in you (Matthew 19:26)! Meditate on that TRUTH until it becomes so real to you that you will not even entertain a thought of doubt! Then continue to mediate on the TRUTH every day, to stay in that place of quiet confidence in who you are IN HIM! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "All Things Are Possible":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


After hearing in Church on Friday night, and then again yesterday, that we are to be led and directed by the Spirit as smoothly and naturally as our legs hear from our brain how to walk, I found today's devotional in God Calling to be amazingly similar! Here is a portion:

April 23 - Too Much Talk

Guidance you are bound to have as you live more and more with Me. It follows without doubt.

But these times are not times when you ask to be shown and led, they are times of feeling and realizing My Presence. Does the branch continually ask the Vine to supply it with sap, to show it in what direction to grow? No, that comes naturally from the very union with the Vine, and I said, "I am the true vine, ye are the branches."

From the branches hang the choice grapes, giving joy and nourishment to all, but no branch could think that the fruit, the grapes, were of its shaping and making. No! the grapes are the fruit of the Vine, the Parent-Plant.  The work of the branch is to provide a channel for the life-flow.

So, My children, union with Me is the one great overwhelming necessity. All else follows so naturally, and union with Me may be the result of just consciousness of My Presence.

Spending time being AWARE of His presence IN US will cause us to be able to flow with Him as easily as breathing! it takes diligence, but remember that HE does the work! Amen! Then it ends with this:


When man ceased to commune with his God simply and naturally, he took refuge in words—words.  Babel resulted.  Then God wanted to do away with man from the earth.  Rely less on words.  Always remember that speech is of the senses.  So make it your servant, never your Master.


That is another reason that we are told to be swift to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19)! He wants our speaking to be with power, and that only happens as we speak His Words the same way He would! We have an amazing gift in the presence of the Holy Spirit in us and many of us do not spend nearly enough time getting to know HIM! It is time well spent, so let's make it our determined purpose to do so! Amen! This should help! Hillsong Live with "Love Like Fire"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Deuteronomy 29:29 says this:


    ²⁹The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all of the words of this law.


These "secret things" are things that only God knows! This is the Hebrew word, "cathar", which means: to hide carefully, to conceal. GOD Himself has hidden these things! Why has He hidden them from us? He hasn't! Haven't you ever read Proverbs 25:2?


2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.


This is telling us that it brings glory (Hebrew: "kabowd", which means: glory; abundance; riches; honour; reputation) to God when HE hides something in His Word for US to find out! The same word "kabowd" is used in reference for US to "search out a matter"! God WANTS us to know Him through His Word! And then we see in Deuteronomy 29:29 that SOME things are God's business alone! Unless HE reveals them to us, we will not know! The Good News? There is so very much more than we CAN know, IF we will follow on TO know! Amen! Let's DIG into God's Word like never before! Amen!  Let's worship HIM with Hillsong, singing "Here I Am To Worship":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 111:10:


 ¹⁰The 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.]


Sometimes I really LOVE the Amplified Bible! The "amplification" of this verse is right on with the original language. The reverent and worshipful fear of the LORD is the very first step in gaining Wisdom! It IS essential, it IS the prerequisite! You CANNOT learn a new language without learning the alphabet used for that language and you CANNOT learn the Word of God without having a reverential "fear" (respect, reverence, awe) of the LORD! When you and I have this kind of attitude as we begin to study the Word, it will come alive for us as never before! THEN we must be obedient to that Word in order to continue to learn more! I never tire of hearing, speaking and studying God's Word. I hope YOU feel the same way! Remember, Jesus said that His Words are Spirit and LIFE (John 6:63)! Worship Him with this song from Hillsong called "To Know Your Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Deuteronomy 26 is the tithing chapter! Leviticus 27:30b tells us that the tithe is "holy" to the LORD! That means HE sees it as set apart from the world and set apart as HIS! Malachi 3:10 tells us that we must bring the tithe into the storehouse, and also gives us the promise of what God does for the tither! Deuteronomy 26 tells us HOW to tithe! 


¹WHEN YOU have come into the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance and possess it and live in it,

    ²You shall take some of the first of all the produce of the soil which you harvest from the land the Lord your God gives you and put it in a basket, and go to the place [the sanctuary] which the Lord your God has chosen as the abiding place for His Name [and His Presence].

    ³And you shall go to the priest who is in office in those days, and say to him, I give thanks this day to the Lord your God that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.

    ⁴And the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

    ⁵And you shall say before the Lord your God, A wandering and lost Aramean ready to perish was my father [Jacob], and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and numerous.

    ⁶And the Egyptians treated us very badly and afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage.

    ⁷And when we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our [cruel] oppression;

    ⁸And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with great (awesome) power and with signs and with wonders;

    ⁹And He brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

    ¹⁰And now, behold, I bring the firstfruits of the ground which You, O Lord, have given me. And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God;

¹¹And you and the Levite and the stranger and the sojourner among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household. 

¹²When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce the third year, which is the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within your towns and be filled, 

¹³Then you shall say before the Lord your God, I have brought the hallowed things (the tithe) out of my house and moreover have given them to the Levite, to the stranger and the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Your commandments, neither have I forgotten them. 

¹⁴I have not eaten of the tithe in my mourning [making the tithe unclean], nor have I handled any of it when I was unclean, nor given any of it to the dead. I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me.

 ¹⁵Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey 

¹⁶This day the Lord your God has commanded you to do these statutes and ordinances. Therefore you shall keep and do them with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being 

¹⁷You have [openly] declared the Lord this day to be your God, [pledging] to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes and His commandments and His precepts, and to hearken to His voice. 

¹⁸And the Lord has declared this day that you are His peculiar people as He promised you, and you are to keep all His commandments; 

¹⁹And He will make you high above all nations which He has made, in praise and in fame and in honor, and that you shall be a holy people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken.

Now this is the way it was done under the Old Covenant, but we have a better Covenant, based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6)! WE should pray this way in presenting our tithe into the hands of OUR High Priest, Jesus of Nazareth!

"We profess this day unto the Lord God that we have come into the inheritance which the Lord swore to give us. We are in the land which You have provided for us in Jesus Christ, the kingdom of Almighty God (Colossians 1:13). We were sinners serving Satan; he was our god, but we called upon the name of Jesus and You heard our cry and delivered us from the power and authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of Your dear Son."

"Jesus, as our Lord and High Priest, we bring the firstfruits of our income to You and worship the Lord our God with it. We rejoice in all the good which You have given to us and our household. We have hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God and have done according to all that He has commanded us. Now look down from Your holy habitation from heaven and bless us as You said in Deuteronomy 26:15 and Malachi 3:10-11."

Don't rob God! Present YOUR tithes to Jesus and then bring them to a local church that qualifies as a Scriptural storehouse! That would be one that teaches the Word of God, provides Spiritual food for the congregation, and takes part in seeing that the Gospel is spread around the world. I KNOW that The Spoken Word Church is such a Storehouse! Then stand on God's promises in Malachi and EXPECT to see the results! he WILL NOT fail YOU! Amen! Be blessed by Shirley Caesar singing about "Tithes and Offerings"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


The entry for today in the Devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is one to take very seriously! Here is a portion of it:

You may have just victoriously gone through a great crisis, but now be alert about the things that may appear to be the least likely to tempt you. Beware of thinking that the areas of your life where you have experienced victory in the past are now the least likely to cause you to stumble and fall.

We are apt to say, “It is not at all likely that having been through the greatest crisis of my life I would now turn back to the things of the world.” Do not try to predict where the temptation will come; it is the least likely thing that is the real danger. It is in the aftermath of a great spiritual event that the least likely things begin to have an effect. They may not be forceful and dominant, but they are there. And if you are not careful to be forewarned, they will trip you. You have remained true to God under great and intense trials— now beware of the undercurrent. Do not be abnormally examining your inner self, looking forward with dread, but stay alert; keep your memory sharp before God. Unguarded strength is actually a double weakness, because that is where the least likely temptations will be effective in sapping strength. The Bible characters stumbled over their strong points, never their weak ones.

I especially like that last statement! It was Samson's strength that attracted trouble, and also not treasuring the Source of it! David was at his very best when he was in the midst of his trial, with Saul pursuing him. He trusted in the LORD his God more than any other time! Once he was crowned king and things were going well, he was distracted and got into trouble! The moment you celebrate the victory over tests, trials and temptations, refocus on HIM! Spending time in His presence every day will keep you in great position to hear His voice and avoid trouble! Amen! Here is Hillsong United with "You Are My Strength":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 108:7-9 shows Who REALLY owns the land of the Middle East!

 ⁷God has promised in His holiness [regarding the establishment of David's dynasty]: I will rejoice, I will distribute [Canaan among My people], dividing Shechem and [the western region and allotting the eastern region which contains] the Valley of Succoth. ⁸Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is My stronghold and the defense of My head; Judah is My scepter and lawgiver.  ⁹Moab is My washbasin; upon Edom [My slave] My shoe I cast [to be cleaned]; over Philistia I shout [in triumph].

The One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible declared the boundaries of the nation that HE called ISRAEL! The audacity of the people of the world to continue to come against God is amazing! Have they learned NOTHING from history or the Word of God? The answer to that is a definite NO! Here is a picture of the God-given boundaries of Israel:

And here is a picture of what the world has pushed Israel into now!

All that Israel really has to do now is to rely on NONE but God! He WILL deliver them when they rely on HIM and HIM alone! Look at verses 11-13:

 ¹¹Have You not cast us off, O God? And will You not go forth, O God, with our armies? ¹²Give us help against the adversary, for vain is the help of man. ¹³Through and with God we shall do valiantly, for He it is Who shall tread down our adversaries.

Hallelujah! Bless Israel! Your Father expects it! Amen! Here is Don Moen with "The Mighty One Of Israel":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 107:1-2 says this:


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

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

Are YOU one of  "the redeemed of the LORD"? If you are, then say so, every opportunity you have! If not, why not? Have you never heard this from John 3:16-18?

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. 18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation — he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.] 

Read the rest of Psalm 107 and see how many times the God of the Bible rescued His people when they called on Him! Did you know that Jesus said THIS? John 14:6:


6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me. 

And then this in Acts 4:11-12:

11 This [Jesus] is the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the Head of the corner [the Cornerstone].  [Ps 118:22.] 12 And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved. 

Are you ready to call on the Name of the LORD to be saved (Acts 2:21)? The Bible says that TODAY is the Day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)! Believe in your heart and say with your mouth this prayer:

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

Now YOU are a born again believer and a member of the family of God and of the Church of Jesus Christ! YOU can join in singing this song from Hillsong called "One Way":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 106:1-5:


¹PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! ²Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord? Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]? ³Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who observe justice [treating others fairly] and who do right and are in right standing with God at all times.⁴[Earnestly] remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people! O visit me also when You deliver them, and grant me Your salvation!-- ⁵That I may see and share the welfare of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your heritage.


Verse 2 asks the question: "Who can put into words...." and verse 3 asks: "Or who can show forth all of the praise [that is due Him]?"  The answer is: NO ONE!!! It is not possible for us, in this present form, to adequately speak to His magnificent greatness or His awesome worth! That is what is so very precious about our Heavenly prayer language! We can speak spirit to Spirit with Almighty God in totally adequate words that our human minds cannot even comprehend! In the Spirit, we are unlimited! When we are finally face to face with Him, we will be able to speak more knowledgeably because we will be like Him! 1 John 3:2:

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

Until that time, let's take full advantage of the opportunity to stay filled with the Spirit and full of His Word! Here to help is Hillsong United with "You Are More":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


At The Spoken Word Church this morning, Pastor Bill Novak began teaching a new series on the Power of our Words! Look at Mark 11:23:

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.

Did you notice WHO was doing the "saying" here? It is WHOSOEVER! That is the same WHOSOEVER that called on the Name of the LORD to be saved (Acts 2:21)! WHOSOEVER means ME! It also means you, IF you so choose! Let's look at Luke 6:45:

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Whatever we have in our heart in abundance is what will come out of our mouths! What comes out of out mouths is what we will have manifesting in our lives. What SHOULD we be putting into our hearts? GOD'S WORD!!! THEN we will have God's results! That's what I want, how about YOU? Here is Hillsong with "What The Lord Has Done In Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


A devotional that we read every day is Faith Food by Kenneth E. Hagin. Here is the devotional for today:


STRIPPED - April 14, 2012

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15). 
"And the hostile princes and rulers He shook off from Himself, and boldly displayed them as His conquests" (Col. 2:15, Weymouth). 

The Bible teaches us here that Jesus put Satan to naught and He triumphed over him. Another translation reads, "He stripped him." What did He strip Satan of? It was His authority over man. 

When Jesus put Satan to naught and stripped him of his authority, it was you in Christ who did the work. Christ acted in your stead - in your place. He did it for you. What Christ did was marked to your credit. He did it as your substitute. (He did it in your place, and God marked it to your credit as though you were the one who did it!) 

No, we're not bragging about what you are in the flesh. (You don't amount to much in the flesh.) We're talking about who you are in Christ. You can say, "In Christ, I conquered Satan. I stripped him of his authority. And when Jesus arose from the dead, I arose with Him!" 

Confession: Christ Jesus satisfied the claims of Justice against me. He paid the penalty of sin for me. He stripped the hosts of darkness of their authority over me. Satan, therefore, has no dominion over me! 

One of the most important things you should do as a born again believer in Jesus of Nazareth is to IDENTIFY with HIM! 1 John 4:17 says this:

17 In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. 

Find out what other things belong to you because you are IN HIM, and dare to walk in them! HE expects you  to! Amen! Join now with Hillsong United and "Shout Unto God"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 103:1-5:

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 —  

3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 

4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 

5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

This translation of the word "bless", which is the Hebrew word "barak", is very good! This word means: to bless as an act of adoration, to praise, to salute. Do you understand that in order to "affectionately and gratefully praise the LORD" we must develop an understanding of Who He is and an appreciation of what He has done! Spending time in the Word of God will show You His love for you, His care and provision for you, His delight IN you! From THAT knowledge SHOULD develop a thankfulness and gratefulness that you just can't keep from expressing! Then that frame of mind will put you in position to see and understand even more! What a blessed and exciting life He has given us! So, what are YOU waiting for? BLESS HIM!!!  Amen! Here to help you with that is Hillsong with "I Will Bless You Lord":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


I usually study in the Amplified Bible. Every time I read Psalm 102 I stop and think about the "melancholy pelican" in verse 6:


6 I am like a melancholy pelican or vulture of the wilderness; I am like a [desolate] owl of the waste places.


So, what exactly is a "melancholy pelican"? The word for "pelican" is the Hebrew word "qa`ath" which means: a ceremonially unclean bird. The Bible Exposition Commentary says this:



 He compared himself to the unclean birds (Lev 11:17-18) that lived solitary lives amid the ruins of the city. He was awake all night, a lonely man, like a sparrow bereft of his mate and chirping his lament on the roof. The enemy officers showed no sympathy but used his name in their curses (v. 8). It was as though God's hand picked him up and threw him on the trash heap, like a piece of discarded junk (v. 10; 51:11; 71:9; 147; 17; Isa 22:17-18). Like the evening shadows as the sun goes down, his life kept changing, but his days had no substance. Then the darkness fell and the long hard night lay before him. 


So this is the position that the psalmist found himself in. What did he then do? Verse 12-13:


12 But You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; and the fame of Your name endures to all generations. 

13 You will arise and have mercy and loving-kindness for Zion, for it is time to have pity and compassion for her; yes, the set time has come [the moment designated]. 

Right NOW is your "set time" to be delivered from ALL the works of the enemy! Look at 2 Corinthians 6:2:


2 For God says,

"At just the right time, I heard you.

On the day of salvation, I helped you." 

Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Today, this very day, YOU can be set free from all the works of the enemy, IF, you follow on to know God and His Word for the purpose of obedience to HIM! "Salvation" is the Greek word "soteria". This means: rescue, safety, health, salvation, deliverance, preservation. TODAY is the day for YOUR rescue! Are YOU ready to take it? GET READY! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Shout Your Fame":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 101:1-4 is a very personal decision and confession:


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

    ²I will behave myself wisely and give heed to the blameless way--O when will You come to me? I will walk within my house in integrity and with a blameless heart.

    ³I will set no base or wicked thing before my eyes. I hate the work of them who turn aside [from the right path]; it shall not grasp hold of me.

    ⁴A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil person or thing

Many people do not realize that the hardest, and most important, place to walk in integrity is in our own homes and with the people who know us the best! It is very easy to PRETEND to be "holy" (set apart from the way the world thinks, speaks and acts, and set apart unto God and HIS ways!), in public or in a church service, but these who are the closest to us are not so easily fooled! Walking and living in this quality of integrity requires a determined purpose on our part! We must "protect our heart with all diligence" (Proverbs 4:23) by giving great attention to what we allow into our eyes and ears! We must "set no base or wicked thing before" our eyes! Everything we take in will eventually find its way OUT by our words and actions! BE a person of great character and integrity and people will KNOW that they have been with JESUS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Open My Eyes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Today I have been thinking about this song from Hillsong United: "Take Heart". Here are the words to the song:

There is a light, it burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night and casts no shadow
There is hope, should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

In death by love the fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In His name all our fears are swept away
He never fails

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

All our troubles and all our tears
God, our hope, He has overcome
All our failure and all our fear
God, our love, He has overcome

All our heartache and all our pain
God, our healer, He has overcome
All our burdens and all our shame
God, our freedom, He has overcome

All our troubles and all our tears
God, our hope, He has overcome
All our failures and all our fear
God, our love, He has overcome

God, our justice, God, our grace
God, our freedom, He has overcome
God, our refuge, God, our strength
God is with us, He has overcome

The number of the enemies or the size of the problem we face makes no difference to God! He has already overcome ALL of the works of the enemy! Let this song minister to you, so that you, too, can operate as the overcomer that HE has made you! Amen! Here is a video of the song:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


In Luke 11 we see the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray. Do you think that HIS answered prayer caused them to sit up and take notice that He knew something they did not? He then gave them the format to use when praying! 

• Praise and Worship (Hallowed be Thy Name)
• Commitment (Your will be done)
• Petition for immediate needs (Daily bread)
• Deal with sin (Receive forgiveness and give forgiveness)
• Trust for protection, provision and safety

Use whatever words YOU choose, but take care of all of these things! Then in verses 9-10 says this:

   ⁹So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.

    ¹⁰For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

This instruction and promise should give you great confidence in prayer! I recently discovered something else about this passage! Notice that He said to:

• ASK
• SEEK
• KNOCK

Do you see that? Our God is absolutely THE most awesome, fun and  interesting "person" you could ever hope to meet! There is so very much in His Word that shows us His "personality", His character, His compassion, His Love. He is WONDERFUL BEYOND DESCRIPTION! Get to know Him more every day. You will be SO glad you did! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Wonderful God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Happy Resurrection Day! What an appropriate Psalm for today from the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 98:


 ¹O 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.

    ²The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations.

    ³He 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.

    ⁴Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!

    ⁵Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody.

    ⁶With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

    ⁷Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world, and those who dwell in it!

    ⁸Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy

    ⁹Before 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.

HE has done it! His "right hand" is the Hebrew word "yamin". In reference to God, this shows the idea of favor and strength being transmitted through the right hand of blessing!  Then His "arm" is the Hebrew word "zeroa" and this refers to His power! So, the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, by HIS own strength and power, provided "salvation" , which in Hebrew is "yeshuw`ah", which means: deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, health, welfare; and we KNOW Who goes by THAT Name!!! Yeshua=Jesus!!! Amen! The rest of this Psalm is an all-out glorifying of God for what HE has done! This involves shouting, clapping, singing, dancing, musical instruments, and anything else that can be used to bring Glory to HIS Name! So GO FOR IT!!! He is worthy to be praised! Maybe THIS will help! Hillsong Untied with "Break Free":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Luke 9:1-2 & 6:


 ¹THEN JESUS called together the Twelve [apostles] and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases, ²And He sent them out to announce and preach the kingdom of God and to bring healing. ⁶And departing, they went about from village to village, preaching the Gospel and restoring the afflicted to health everywhere.


Here Jesus gave both "power", the Greek word "dunamis", which means: force, miraculous power; and "authority", the Greek word "exousia", which means: the right to exercise power. That means that they had the ability to set people free from the works of the enemy and the right to do so! They had this because HE gave it to them! Under the New Covenant we have received the power AND the authority IN us because He lives IN US by His Spirit! You do NOT have to have a special anointing or call to the ministry in order to do the works that Jesus did! Matthew 28:18-19a says:


18 Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 GO THEN


BECAUSE Jesus had bought back the authority that Adam had given up in the Garden, everyone who accepts and receives Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour receives HIS power and authority! "GO THEN" is the command of JESUS sending US out into the fields that are "white unto harvest" (John 4:35). YOU have been empowered and sent, so let's be about obeying this call! Amen! Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food For Spring" says today:


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.


Fulfill God's plan for YOUR life by obeying His call to GO! Rewards for obedience are great on this earth and beyond description in the life to come! Hallelujah! Here is Hillsong United with "You":

Shalom in Him!