Shalom,

We read the last 88 verses of Psalm 119 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. I would encourage you to re-read yesterday's blog on the Word and then pay special attention to Psalm 119:89 and 93 for today: 

⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens].
⁹³ I will never forget Your precepts, [how can I?] for it is by them You have quickened me (granted me life). AMP

His Word forever settled and will NEVER change! Any changes to be made will be in us as we continually meditate on His Word and hide it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11)! It is the Word that brings the Life of God into every area of our lives! Read the Word, speak the Word to yourself (and others), listen to the Word being read (CDs, MP3s, etc), and meditate (think about, ponder, talk about) on it so that YOU can make your way prosperous and have GOOD success (Joshua 1:8 AMP)! Then look at Psalm 119:97-100 for more reasons to KNOW this Word!

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]. AMP

Enjoy your journey into the Word of God! you will NEVER regret THAT decision! EVER! Here is an older song by Sara Groves called, appropriately, "The Word"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Every verse of Psalm 119 speaks of the Word of God. Why not challenge yourself to find them all? The Word of God is alive and powerful! Hebrews 4:12:

12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. AMP

The Word of God doesn't simply CONTAIN Truth, it IS Truth! John 17:17:

17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. AMP

The Word of God shows us how to be successful! Joshua 1:8:

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

The Word of God reveals the Will of God! Romans 12:2:

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. KJV

The Word of God created everything that we see! Hebrews 11:3:

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. KJV

The Word of God is the source of faith! Romans 10:17:

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

The Word of God brings the New Birth! 1 Peter 1:23:

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. AMP

The Word of God IS God!  John 1:1:

1 IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. AMP

What emphasis do YOU give to the Word of God? This CHOICE will affect every area of your life! Make the wise choice! AMEN! Here are a few pictures to inspire you!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Pastor Bill Novak ended his current series called "God/Man" today at The Spoken Word Church. He will begin a series called "End Times" next week! Did YOU know that Jesus was/is 100% God AND 100% man? Everything that He did here on the earth, He did as a perfect, sinless man! He was completely man and COULD have sinned, but He did not! He was the perfect sacrifice for OUR sins, because He had none of His own! He was the perfect Mediator! 1 Timothy 2:5-6:

5 For there [is only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 Who gave Himself as a ransom for all [people, a fact that was] attested to at the right and proper time. AMP


The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus was MADE to BE sin, with OUR sin, so that WE could be MADE the Righteousness of Gd, through HIM! 

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. KJV

How can we partake of this wonderful gift? Romans 10:9-10 tells us this:

9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. AMP

Have YOU received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior yet? If not, is there any reason you can't do so right now? Understand that the price to be paid for sin is death, which is eternal separation from the God of the Bible! Romans 6:23a:

23 For the wages of sin is death;... KJV

BUT, the God has provided the way out! Romans 6:23b:

 ...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. KJV

If you would like to, pray this prayer now:

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.

Contact us through the link at the left and let us know so that we can assist you further in finding a good church in your area. In the meantime, check out the teaching on the website to get started! AND welcome too the family! Here is a song to encourage you! It's called "I'm Not Ashamed" by Hillsong:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 117 contains only 2 verses,but they are very direct in instruction to us! As you read and study these verses in these different versions of the Bible, allow the Holy Spirit to direct YOU in YOUR private and personal praise and worship! THEN you will be SO ready for your church Worship Service tomorrow! Ready to be a FULL participator and not just an observer! AMEN! 

Ps 117:1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 

2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endures for ever. Praise ye the Lord. KJV

Ps 117:1 O PRAISE the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people!  [Rom 15:11.] 

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

Ps 117 :1 Praise Adonai, all you nations! Worship him, all you peoples! 2 For his grace has overcome us, and Adonai’s truth continues forever. Halleluyah!  CJB


Ps 117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. 

2 For he loves us with unfailing love; the Lord's faithfulness endures forever. 

Praise the Lord! New Living Translation 

Ps 117:1 Praise God, everybody!  Applaud God, all people!  

2 His love has taken over our lives;God's faithful ways are eternal. 

Hallelujah! THE MESSAGE

Remember that He LIVES in the praise of HIS people (Psalm 22:3)! The Old Covenant believers AND us new Covenant believers! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Praise Him"! Quite appropriate, don't you agree?

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's message from the devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is very thought provoking!

Take now your son . . . and offer him . . . as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you —Genesis 22:2

.....  If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break us from those traditional beliefs that misrepresent Him. There are many such beliefs which must be removed-for example, that God removes a child because his mother loves him too much. That is the devil’s lie and a travesty on the true nature of God! If the devil can hinder us from taking the supreme climb and getting rid of our wrong traditional beliefs about God, he will do so. But if we will stay true to God, God will take us through an ordeal that will serve to bring us into a better knowledge of Himself.

The great lesson to be learned from Abraham’s faith in God is that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter what contrary belief of his might be violated by his obedience. Abraham was not devoted to his own convictions or else he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was actually the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself. But you must always be willing to come to the point of giving up your own convictions and traditional beliefs.  ....

Abraham obeyed God because he BELIEVED the promise of God that he would be the "father of many nations" (Genesis 17:4) and that his descendants would be as numerous as the sands of the sea and as the stars of the heaven (Genesis 22:17)! He didn't know HOW God was going to accomplish this if he offered Isaac, but he knew God WOULD! I imagine Abraham picturing Isaac rising from the dead! To have THAT kind of faith in God and His Word requires an all out commitment to feeding on the Word, meditating on the Word and obeying the Word, by the direction of the Holy Spirit. There are NO short cuts available! Determine today to make the Word of God your #1 priority! You will NEVER regret that decision! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with a new song called "Stay And Wait":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


I am going to do something very different today! The message from today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek" by Rick Renner is so very powerful and important to know that I am going to share it in it's entirety here:

The Day the Veil Was Rent And the Earth Shook Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. -- Matthew 27:50,51

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record that on the day Jesus was crucified, the sky turned eerily dark at the sixth hour of the day. Matthew 27:45 says, "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." Notice the choice of words Matthew uses to describe this event. First, he says that "there was darkness." The words "there was" are from the Greek word ginomai, which describes an event that slowly crept up on them before they knew what was happening. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the clouds started rolling over the land, becoming darker and darker until finally an ominous, dark gloom filled the entire sky and loomed over the landscape. The word "dark" is the Greek word skotos, used all over the New Testament to depict something very dark.  Verse 45 says that this sudden and unexplainable darkness covered all the "land." The word "land" is the word ges, the Greek word for the earth, and it refers to the entire earth, not just a small geographical region. The Greek word ges emphatically tells us that the whole world literally became simultaneously darkened.  The historians Phlegon, Thaddus, and Julius Africanus all referred to the darkness that covered the earth at the time of Jesus' crucifixion. Critics of the Bible have attempted to explain away this supernatural darkness by alleging that it was due to an eclipse of the sun. This is impossible, however, for the Passover occurred at the time of a full moon.  The Bible informs us that the darkening of the sky started at the sixth hour (see Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:45). This is significant, for the sixth hour (noontime) was the very moment that the high priest Caiaphas, arrayed in his full priestly garments, began the procession in which he would enter the temple to slaughter a pure, spotless Passover lamb. This darkness that covered the land lasted until the ninth hour - the exact moment the high priest would be making his entrance into the Holy of Holies to offer the blood of the Passover lamb to cover the sins of the nation.  It was at this moment that Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). As He heaved upward to breathe for the last time, Jesus gathered enough air to speak forth a victory shout! His assignment was complete! After proclaiming those words with His last ounce of strength, Matthew 27:50 tells us that He "...yielded up the ghost."  What Matthew tells us next is simply amazing! He writes, "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom...." The word "behold" is the Greek word idou. This is a very difficult word to translate, for it carries such intense feeling and emotion. The King James Version most often translates this word as behold. But in our contemporary world, it might be better rendered, Wow!  This word idou carries the idea of shock, amazement, and wonder. It's almost as if Matthew says, "Wow! Can you believe it? The veil of the temple itself rent in twain from top to bottom!" Matthew wrote about this event many years after the fact, yet he was still so dumbfounded by what happened that day that he exclaimed in effect, "Wow! Look what happened next!"  There were two veils inside the temple - one at the entrance to the Holy Place and a second at the entrance to the Holy of Holies. Only the high priest was allowed to pass through the second veil once a year. That second veil was sixty feet high, thirty feet wide, and an entire handbreadth in thickness! One early Jewish writing states that the veil was so heavy, it took three hundred priests to move or manipulate it. It would have been impossible humanly speaking to tear such a veil.  At the exact moment Jesus was breathing His last breath on the Cross at Golgotha, Caiaphas the high priest was standing at his station in the inner court of the temple, preparing to offer the blood of a spotless Passover lamb. At the very instant Caiaphas stepped up to kill the Passover sacrifice, Jesus exclaimed, "It is finished!" At that same instant, miles away from Golgotha inside the temple at Jerusalem, an inexplicable, mystifying supernatural event occurred. The massive, fortified veil that stood before the Holy of Holies was suddenly split in half from the top all the way to the bottom!  The sound of that veil splitting must have been deafening as it ripped and tore, starting from the top and going all the way down to the floor. It was as if invisible, divine hands had reached out to grab it, rip it to shreds, and discard it.  Imagine how shocked Caiaphas must have been when he heard the ripping sounds above his head and then watched as the veil was torn in half, leaving two sides of the once-massive curtain lying collapsed to his right and his left. Just think what must have gone through this evil high priest's mind when he saw that the way to the Holy of Holies was opened - and that God's Presence was no longer there!  You see, when Jesus was lifted up on that Cross, that Cross became the eternal mercy seat on which the blood of the final sacrifice was sprinkled. Once that sacrifice was made, it was no longer necessary for a high priest to continually make sacrifices year after year, for Jesus' blood had now settled the issue forever!  For this cause, God Himself ripped the veil of the temple in half, declaring that the way to the Holy of Holies was now available to everyone who came to Him through the blood of Jesus! This is why the apostle Paul wrote that Jesus "...hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Ephesians 2:14).  Jesus' death was such a dramatic event that even the earth reacted to it. Matthew 27:51 says, "...the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." The word "earth" is the word ges, the same word seen in verse 45 (see above) that describes the whole earth. The word "quake" is the Greek word seiso, which means to shake, to agitate, or to create a commotion. It is where we get the word for a seismograph, the apparatus that registers the intensity of an earthquake. It is interesting to note that Origen, the early Christian leader, recorded that there were "great earthquakes" at the time of Jesus' crucifixion.  I find it so amazing that although Israel rejected Jesus and the Roman authorities crucified Him, creation always recognized Him! During His life on this earth, the waves obeyed Him; water turned to wine at His command; fishes and bread multiplied at His touch; the atoms in water solidified so He could walk across it; and the wind ceased when He spoke to it. So it should come as no surprise that Jesus' death was a traumatic event for creation. The earth shook, trembled, and shuddered at the death of its Creator, for it instantly felt its loss.  The earth shuddered so violently when Jesus died that even "...the rocks rent...." The word "rocks" is petra,  referring to large rocks. The other word that could have been used for "rocks" is the word lithos, which meant small stones. But Matthew tells us that huge, large rocks were "rent" by the shaking of the earth. The word "rent" is schidzo, meaning to rend, to tear, to violently tear asunder, or to terribly fracture. This was a serious earthquake! It makes me realize all over again the incredible significance of the death of Jesus Christ!  When Jesus' blood was accepted at the Cross as final payment for man's sin, the need to habitually offer sacrifices year after year was eliminated. The Holy of Holies, a place limited only to the high priest once a year, has now become open and accessible to all of us! As "believer-priests," each of us can now enjoy the Presence of God every day. This is why Hebrews 10:19,22 says, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.... Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience...."  Since the way to the Holy of Holies has been thrown wide open to us, we need to take a few minutes each day to enter into the Presence of God to worship Him and to make our requests known. Because of what Jesus did, we can now "...come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Since this is God's promise to us, let's drop everything we're doing and come boldly before that throne of grace for a few minutes today!  Are YOU ready to do so? Here is Hillsong Live with "Love Like Fire":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

When Paul went to the Corinthians, he proclaimed the Gospel message of Salvation through Jesus Christ and God confirmed that message with signs, wonders and miracles, just as He did with the first disciples (Mark 16:20) and as He does now through our missionary partners around the world who do the same! How do I know this? Look at 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 and 4-5:

1 As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom;² For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.

⁴ And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], ⁵ So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God. AMP

THIS is the same message that WE are to be bringing to the lost! We are not supposed to try to teach them the deeper things of the Word of God. People who have not yet received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior cannot even understand the Word yet, other than the simple and powerful Gospel! Look at verses 13-14:

¹³ And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]. ¹⁴ But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. AMP

As born again believers get themselves into a good Bible teaching church, THEN they can begin to be taught the Word of God and grow in the Word and the Word can grow in them! THESE are the people that Paul is speaking of in verses 6-10:

⁶ Yet when we are among the full-grown (spiritually mature Christians who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a [higher] wisdom (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden); but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away. ⁷ But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God—[that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence]. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. ¹⁰ Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny]. AMP

God wants us to become those who DO know and understand Him and His Ways through His Word! The choice, however, is ours to make, each and every day! Please do NOT become as those Paul  speaks of  whom he could NOT teach anything beyond the simple milk of the Word the Gospel of Salvation (1 Corinthians 3:2)! Be a diligent hearer AND doer of the Word, beginning with the simple Gospel, and then and grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2)! YOU will become a powerful force for good in the lives of everyone around you when you do so! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Children Of The Light" - OUR calling!

Children in the wilderness
Following the love You poured out for us
Covered by the name that we confess
Jesus Saviour forever

Roaming through the dark of night
Clinging to the word that burns deep inside
Eyes fixed on Your name and endless light
Jesus Saviour forever

Set alight to follow
In the shadow of Your Name
The world is Yours and I know
Everything will find its place
Under Your name

Walking on through the fire
Knowing I will not be burned but refined
Fearless in Your name ever by my side
Jesus Saviour forever

Taking on the raging storm
Anchored to the kingdom unshakable
Holding to Your Name that outshines all
Jesus Saviour forever

Set alight to follow
In the shadow of Your Name
The world is Yours and I know
Everything will find its place
Under Your name

Bridge (x2):

Children of the light
Blazing through the night
Taking back what the devil had stolen

Calling on Your name
Breaking every chain
Jesus everlasting freedom

Running through the wild
Dancing in the fire
Taking back what the devil had stolen

Calling on Your name
Breaking every chain
Jesus everlasting freedom

Set alight to follow
In the shadow of Your Name
The world is Yours and I know
Everything will find its place
Under Your name
(x2)

Jesus, under Your name

Jesus, All the power
All the glory
All the praise be to Your Name forever
All the power
All the gloryAll the praise be to Your Name forever

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I just cannot get past Psalm 113! It is powerful from beginning to end and a great and timely message for US!

¹ Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
² Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever
³ From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
⁴ The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens!
⁵ Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high,
⁶ Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth!
⁷ [The Lord] raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill,
⁸ That He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people.
⁹ He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)  AMP

The word "praise" is found 5 times in this Psalm. This is the Hebrew world "halal", which means: to be clear, to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to stultify (to appear, foolish, absurd or ridiculous). Do you get that this is NOT a quiet sort of response? Why do this? Because HE IS, and because of all the wonderful things He has done in us, for us and through us! AMEN! Here, to help you be a DOER of this Psalm, is a very old song by Ron Kenoly called "Can't Stop Praising His Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The next time you are tempted to be discouraged and to give up your strong stand on the promises from the Word of God, read Psalm 112! Just look at the promise in the first three verses:

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 offspring shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. ³ Prosperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

The fear of the Lord is simply reverence and respect for Who He is and the awareness of His presence! Love His Word, love your fellowship with Him and you will be, of all people, most blessed! What about the wicked, or those who go against God's Word? Verse 10 gives their promise!

¹⁰ The wicked man will see it and be grieved and angered, he will gnash his teeth and disappear [in despair]; the desire of the wicked shall perish and come to nothing.

It may SEEM as though everything is working out fine for those who reject God and His Word, but when it's all said and done, it will not be so! THAT is why we are to pray for them and preach the Gospel, buying up every opportunity! Remember, God desires that none should perish, so let's do OUR part and make sure they hear! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 111:1 says this:

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.

The only way that we can possibly praise  and give thanks to the Lord with our whole heart in the presence of others (the council of the upright and in the congregation) is if we are being continually thankful and praising Him when we are alone! Realize that doing so with our whole heart is NOT just joining in with the singing and praising as part of the service! Other people may not be able to tell the difference, but you AND the Holy Spirit DO know! Make it your daily "practice" to stay in an attitude of thankfulness and to sing praises to Him throughout your day. When we do so, really flowing with others in a Worship Service will be so much more powerful and it WILL affect the anointing on the service! We ALL have a responsibility to come together with something to add to the service (1 Corinthians 14:26)! Leading a life of praise makes this so much easier to do! Amen! Here is Hillsong Live with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

2 Corinthians 1:20 says this:

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. KJV

"Amen" is the Greek word "ameen" and it means: firm; trustworthy; surely; faithful; of a truth; truly (when used in the beginning of a sentence); so be it and may it be fulfilled (at the end of a sentence). When God spoke the promises of His Word, He said YES to them and also the Amen! We have a responsibility to find these promises in the Word, meditate on them (Joshua 1:8) until they become our own, speak them out over our lives, and then AGREE with God (Matthew 18:19) by declaring AMEN, SO BE IT! Understand that we can SPEAK the Amen without really believing it! It is the Word spoken in faith that has come BECAUSE  of the Word (Romans 10:17) that produces results! AMEN! So continue in your daily meditation of the Word with a singleness of purpose that will not stop until you HAVE the promise on the inside, speak the promise in faith, thank Him for that promise and then fully expect to see it manifest! HE cannot do this for us! His part is to provide the blessing (Ephesians 1:3), which He has already done, and OUR part is to receive! So, what are you waiting for? GO GET IT! AMEN! By the way, here is the verse from the Amplified Bible:

20 For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God. AMP

Here is a very old song from Hillsong called, of course,"Yes and Amen":

God says yes and I know that I'm blessed
Yes got a heart that's at rest
Yes and a future that's sealed
Yes if I'm healed then I'm healed
I'm not afraid of circumstances
Cuz I've already found the answers
In Christ all of God's promises
Are yes, yes and Amen

Now is the time to let faith win
God has placed His promises in the center of His will
Seek His kingdom and His ways
All the power of heaven is yours to call today

All God's promises 
Yes and amen
Celebrate God's promises 
Yes and amen.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Although Jesus is speaking most specifically to the Jewish people here, preparing them for the time of the Tribulation, WE, as born again believers, can stand on these promises because they are in accordance with the Word and Will of God! Luke 21:14-18:

¹⁴ Resolve and settle it in your minds not to meditate and prepare beforehand how you are to make your defense and how you will answer. ¹⁵ For I [Myself] will give you a mouth and such utterance and wisdom that all of your foes combined will be unable to stand against or refute. ¹⁶ You will be delivered up and betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and [some] of you they will put to death. ¹⁷ And you will be hated (despised) by everyone because [you bear] My name and for its sake. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head shall perish.

Though we have not seen the same degree of Christian persecution in this country that our brothers and sisters in other countries have, it HAS begun! Be prepared to carry the message of the Gospel WHEREVER you find yourself! Stay saturated with the Word of God, filled with the Spirit of God and stir up the joy! BE the light that the world needs to see and COUNT on the promise that not one hair of your head shall perish! The same Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead lives IN YOU (Romans 8:11), and HE is well able to rescue you from every situation! AMEN! His arm is NOT shortened (Numbers 11:23 ans Isaiah 59:1)! He raised them in sacrifice of His life for us and He stretches them out for us to run to now! AMEN! Here is a new song from Hillsong United called "Up In Arms":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 108:12-13 is an important Truth to remember whenever you face adversity, test or trials. It is ESPECIALLY important for us to remember this in the days in which we are living, right now, in THIS nation!

¹² Give us help against the adversary, for vain is the help of man. ¹³ Through and with God we shall do valiantly, for He it is Who shall tread down our adversaries.

We should NOT be looking to natural means as our source of help! God WILL move, in answer to our prayer, THROUGH natural means, but HE must be our Source of supply! Find out what His Word has to say about each and every situation you face. Pray His Word back to Him. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us this:

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.

Once you have prayed "according to His will", His Word, then begin to praise and thank Him for the answer, no matter how things APPEAR to look! Be a DOER of Psalm 108:1-5:

¹ O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast, in the confidence of faith); I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with my glory [all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image]! ² Awake, harp and lyre; I myself will wake very early—I will waken the dawn! ³ I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; and I will sing praises unto You among the nations. ⁴ For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great and high as the heavens! Your truth and faithfulness reach to the skies! ⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth.

Remember, He inhabits your praises (Psalm 22:3) and where HE is, the enemy will be on the run! Amen! Here is Hillsong United with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share today from Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food again!

"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" (Col. 1:18). 

Here's where we believers have missed it! We've recognized that Jesus is the Head of the Church, and we've exalted Him to His position of Power, all right. But we've failed to see that the Head is wholly dependent upon its body for carrying out its plans. 

We've failed to see that we are seated in Christ in heavenly places. We've failed to see that Jesus has authority over Satan's power. If this authority is ever exercised, it will have to be exercised through the Body. 

We've been so sure that we couldn't do anything, that we've left everything up to Christ the Head of the Church - and the Head is powerless without the Body. 

Take your own physical head as an example. It is powerless to carry out any of its plans without the cooperation of the body. Your head might see a songbook on a rack in front of you, but unless your body cooperates, your head will never be able to sing from that book. The ministry God wants to accomplish through His Son in this world will be carried out through the Body of Christ. And we the Body of Christ have the same authority the Head has! 

Do you remember this from 1 Corinthians  12:27:

27 Now you [collectively] are Christ's body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [each with his own place and function]. AMP

Do you also remember when Jesus said this in Matthew 28:18-19a:

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore KJV

And this from Heb 10:12-13:

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. KJV

And this from Mark 16:19-20:

19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. KJV

Do you see what HIS part is and what OUR part is? Pretty simple! He leads, guides and directs us, from Heaven, by His Word and the Holy Spirit. WE do the "work of the ministry" (Ephesians 4:12)  and HE confirms the WORD we speak with signs and wonders and miracles! Want a part in the rewards given out at the Reward Seat? Then DO the things that you can DO here and now! Amen! Here is Hillsong Live with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I like this from My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers for today:

We all have moments when we feel better than ever before, and we say, “I feel fit for anything; if only I could always be like this!” We are not meant to be. Those moments are moments of insight which we have to live up to even when we do not feel like it. Many of us are no good for the everyday world when we are not on the mountaintop. Yet we must bring our everyday life up to the standard revealed to us on the mountaintop when we were there.

What he is saying here is that there are times when the revelation of God's Word simply flows! Times when we are very aware of the presence of God. Many times this may be after a time of very intimate fellowship with Him or after an especially anointed Worship Service in the presence of like-minded believers. It is very easy to see things clearly and be extremely motivated to be a DOER of the Word of God in this environment. But we are not meant to live continually in one big Worship Service, we are meant to go from that service and share the Light and the Life with those we come in contact with! Church is supposed to be the place where believers come together to be taught, trained, encouraged and re-charged for the daily work of the ministry (2 Corinthians 5:18)! Then we are to be sent forth as missiles into the lost world and save some (1 Corinthians 9:22)! Look at Hebrews 1:7:

7 and unto the messengers, indeed, He saith, 'Who is making His messengers spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire;' YLT

Here is more from the devotional:

Never allow a feeling that was awakened in you on the mountaintop to evaporate. Don’t place yourself on the shelf by thinking, “How great to be in such a wonderful state of mind!” Act immediately— do something, even if your only reason to act is that you would rather not. If, during a prayer meeting, God shows you something to do, don’t say, “I’ll do it”— just DO IT! Pick yourself up by the back of the neck and shake off your fleshly laziness. Laziness can always be seen in our cravings for a mountaintop experience; all we talk about is our planning for our time on the mountain. We must learn to live in the ordinary “gray” day according to what we saw on the mountain.

Be a DOER of the Word, ESPECIALLY when you DON'T "feel" like it! Determine to be moved only by the Word of God and the Spirit of God and you will find that the joy of your daily fellowship with Him will not leave as quickly as it has in the past! When the devil realizes that he cannot get you to stop or give up by "messing" with your feelings, he will leave you alone and go find someone that he CAN intimidate! Be NOT ignorant of the way he works (2 Corinthians 2:11)! YOUR weapons are not carnal (worldly and prone to failure) but are "mighty through God to the pulling down" of the enemy's strongholds in your life (2 Corinthians 10:4)! Amen! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong Chapel with "Salvation Is Here":

Shalom in Him!