Shalom,

Psalm 150 is a total psalm of praise to the LORD and instruction to US to do so! We've covered it on this blog a few times before. "Praise" is the Hebrew word "halal", which means: to shine, to boast, to make a show, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to appear as a fool or madman. When was the last time that YOU praised Him with your whole being as this Psalm instructs? Our Bible reading for today in John 10 gives us even more reason to praise Him! John 10:10:

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Now THAT is very easy to understand! The enemy wants to hurt us in any and every way possible, but JESUS came to GIVE us His very own LIFE! He goes on to say this in verse 11:

11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.

Jesus GAVE His life for us! Look at verse 18:

18 No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.

Jesus, knowing FULLY what He was about to do, laid down His own life to become sin with our sin and sick with our sickness and disease! He gave us His eternal life, life as HE has in Himself! Look at verses 27-28:

27 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.

Would you like to see where He is speaking of US specifically? Look at verse 16:

16 And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring and impel those also; and they will listen to My voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock under one Shepherd.

Remember, He was speaking to the Jewish people during His earthly ministry, but the Gospel was given to ALL people when He commissioned the Church to "go into all the world" (Mark 16:14)! 

Let's praise Him today with every fiber of our being and all that is within us! He IS worthy and we ARE, of all people, MOST BLESSED! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

It will really help our sharing of the Gospel if we recognize that the eyes of some have been blinded by the devil so as to keep them from seeing the Truth of God's Word! ALWAYS pray before you go out to share the Word! Pray that the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the lost to see the Truth of the Gospel. Then share as the Holy Spirit leads, operating in the gifts of the Spirit, with each and every individual. Our reading in John today is a good example of that blindness! We have the account of the man born blind whom Jesus healed by spreading mud on his eyes and having him wash in the Pool of Siloam. The Pharisees just could not figure this out! Look at John 9:14-17:

14 Now it was on the Sabbath day that Jesus mixed the mud and opened the man’s eyes. 15 So now again the Pharisees asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, He smeared mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see. 16 Then some of the Pharisees said, This Man [Jesus] is not from God, because He does not observe the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner (a bad man) do such signs and miracles? So there was a difference of opinion among them. 17 Accordingly they said to the blind man again, What do you say about Him, seeing that He opened your eyes? And he said, He is [He must be] a prophet!

And then again in verses 24-33:

24 So the second time they summoned the man who had been born blind, and said to him, Now give God the glory (praise). This fellow we know is only a sinner (a wicked person). 25 Then he answered, I do not know whether He is a sinner and wicked or not. But one thing I do know, that whereas I was blind before, now I see.26 So they said to him, What did He [actually] do to you? How did He open your eyes? 27 He answered, I already told you and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Can it be that you wish to become His disciples also? 28 And they stormed at him [they jeered, they sneered, they reviled him] and retorted, You are His disciple yourself, but we are the disciples of Moses. 29 We know for certain that God spoke with Moses, but as for this Fellow, we know nothing about where He hails from. 30 The man replied, Well, this is astonishing! Here a Man has opened my eyes, and yet you do not know where He comes from. [That is amazing!] 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him. 32 Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He would not be able to do anything like this.

I especially like the underlined verses! Can you just see how the Pharisees would have reacted to that? Religious thinking is some of the hardest to undo in people! They put more stock in what they THINK the Word says than in what it actually DOES say! Pray and let the holy Spirit do the work! OUR responsibility is simply to tell the TRUTH! Preach the GOOD NEWS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "I'm Not Ashamed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 148 is most definitely a PRAISE Psalm! 

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights!

2 Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts!

3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light!

4 Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.

6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over].

7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps!

8 You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders!

9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers andjudges of the earth!

12 Both young men and maidens, old men and children!

13 Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven!

14 He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) AMP

The word "praise" here is the Hebrew "halal", which means: to shine, to boast, to make a show, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to appear as a madman! Notice that not a person, place or living thing is exempt from the COMMAND to praise HIM! Why? Because He IS and He made us! Everything we are and everything we have that is good came from HIM! AMEN! Our New Testament reading today in John recounts the situation when the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman whom they caught in "the very act of adultery". (I wonder how they missed the man that must have been present "in the very act", but THAT is another subject!) Notice how Jesus spoke to this woman after all those who MUST have had sin in their own lives had left them. Verses 10-11:

10 When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? 11 She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more. AMP

Notice how Jesus addressed the Pharisees in the crowd after this incident in verse 15:

15 You [set yourselves up to] judge according to the flesh (by what you see). [You condemn by external, human standards.] I do not [set Myself up to] judge or condemn or sentence anyone. AMP

They had judged this woman, and many others on other occasions, but Jesus, Who alone had the RIGHT to judge, did NOT! Look at John 3:17:

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

Jesus did NOT come into the world to judge, but to bring SALVATION! Neither did He send US into the world to condemn, but to PREACH THE GOSPEL (the GOOD NEWS)! Don't get caught up, as some have, in concentrating on sin, but rather on SALVATION! Present THIS Jesus to the world and the world will WANT Him! AMEN! Hallelujah! Now THAT is something to Praise Him for! Here is Hillsong Live with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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


The Shield of Faith!

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. -- Ephesians 6:16

Rick explains the type of shield that Paul had in his mind when he wrote this:

With the imagery of a Roman soldier before him, Paul used the Roman soldier's shield to illustrate the shield of faith that God has provided for you and me. The word "shield" is the Greek word thureos, which was used by the Greeks and Romans to depict an oblong door that was wide in width and long in length. The reason the Roman soldiers used this word to describe their battle shields was that the shields were door-shaped. They were wide in width and long in length; just like the door of a house.Because it was wide and long, this shield completely covered the Roman soldier! This is why the Holy Spirit chose to use the word thureos as the illustration of faith. He is telling us that God has given us enough faith to make certain we are completely covered for every situation - just like the shield that completely covered a Roman soldier! 

So we see that these Roman shields were big enough to cover a man! Now we will see how strong they were:

In the majority of cases, the Roman soldier's shield was composed of multiple layers of thick animal hide that had been tightly woven together. Usually six layers of animal hide were specially tanned and then woven together so tightly that they became nearly as strong as steel. One piece of leather is tough, but imagine how tough and durable six layers of leather would be! Because of how it was made, the shield of the Roman soldier was extremely tough and exceptionally durable! 

Very strong! Just like the faith that comes to us from the Word of God is stronger than any force that could ever come against it! He also covers the fact that these shields had to be cared for in  order to maintain the ability to protect:

In order to keep those shields in good shape, the soldiers were given a daily schedule to maintain excellent condition of their shields. Each morning when the soldier was awakened, he would reach for a small vial of oil. After saturating a piece of cloth with oil, he would begin to rub, rub, and rub that heavy ointment into the leather portion of the shield to keep it soft, supple, and pliable. Any soldier who neglected this daily application of oil and allowed his shield to go without the necessary care was in effect inviting certain death. If not correctly cared for and properly maintained, the leather portion of the shield would harden, crack when put under pressure, and finally fall to pieces. Therefore, the end result of a soldier's failure to care for his shield was the loss of his own life. 

Oil in the Word of God always refers to the Holy Spirit! What are we told about this? Look at Jude 20:

20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; AMP

We also know from Romans 10:17 where faith comes from:

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

So, we see that there are NO shortcuts to developing and maintaining our "Shield Of Faith"! It takes diligence and commitment, but it is SO well worth our time and effort! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with a fun armor of God song called "On The March"! Lyrics follow!

ON THE MARCH LYRICS

I straighten up, I stand my ground
I'm in the army of God now
I'm not alone there's many more
We're gonna change the world.

I'm not afraid, How can I be?
My God is here, He's with me
I shine a light a light for you
In everything I do.

We're gonna change the world, We're gonna change the world
The army of God is on the march again
Hey, Hey
We're on the march again.

Have you got your belt of truth?(I've got that)
The breastplate of righteousness?(I've got that)
On your feet put the gospel of peace(I've got that)
Hold up the shield of faith(I've got that)
Put on the helmet of salvation(I've got that)
Lift high the sword of the spirit(I've got that)
Now you're wearing the Armour of God
'Cause we're a part of the army now

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

1 Samuel 18:1-4 says this:

1 When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own life. 2 Saul took David that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own life. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, even his sword, his bow, and his girdle.

Why am I sharing this today? Because THIS is the Scriptural way for men to love men and women to love women! The argument that people give in support of the homosexual lifestyle is that people should be able to love whomever they choose! That is TRUE! THIS type of love shown above! David loved Jonathan and Jonathan loved David, enough to give their lives for one another! THIS love did NOT involve sex, however, much to the dismay of many who would like to use this passage to legitimize this lifestyle choice! What does God have to say about this lifestyle choice in His Word? Here are two examples:

Lev 18:22 You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination. AMP

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. KJV

God does NOT hate homosexuals! God loves the entire world so very much that He gave His only Son to die for ALL OF US (John 3:16-17 AMP)! We are to LOVE the sinner and HATE the sin! Why? Because sinful choices open the door for the enemy to steal, kill and destroy in our lives! That includes sin of any and every kind! Did YOU know that to worry is a sin? Look up in  a concordance how many times God's Word says "Fret not"! There is no degree of sin. ALL selfish choices that we make to act in rebellion to God's Word are sin and CAN lead to serious and tragic situations in our lives. Let's make the conscious decision to avoid sin by hiding His Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) and to love others as HE has loved us (John 13:14 and John 15:12)! THAT will keep us in His perfect peace and keep the Blessings flowing in our lives! AMEN! Here is a new song from Hillsong United that speaks of HIS love and HIS Word, called "Up In Arms":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing Psalm 145 in it's entirety today!

Psalm 145

[A Psalm] of praise. Of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise].

2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable.

4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts.

5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate.

6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness.

7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great andabundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness andjustice.

8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.

9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].

10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]!

11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power,

12 To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

14 The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.

17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious andmerciful in all His works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently andworshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.

20 The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

I shared this entire Psalm so that we can remind ourselves that THIS is our #1 priority! To love the Lord our God with our entire being and to declare HIM to the world! How have YOU been doing in that department lately? Have you let the pressure to be "liked" by the world cause you to hesitate? So many of us have, at times, been too concerned with people "liking" us! I am NOT here to be liked, but to be HEARD as I share the Gospel, the Good News, with every person! AMEN! here, to encourage YOU to do the same, is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I find so many things in my daily study of the Word of God that fit right in with this time that WE are living in! The Word of God is SO exciting and SO appropriate! Look at Psalm 144:11:

11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the power of [hostile] alien [tribes] whose mouths speak deceit and whose right hands are right hands [raised in taking] fraudulent oaths. AMP

Could you imagine yourself praying that prayer today? From illegal aliens to corrupt politicians, we have seen it all! God has prepared us for this time ! Look at verses 1-2:

1 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight - 2 My Steadfast Love and my Fortress, my High Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in Whom I trust and take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. AMP

He does NOT want us to take this lying down! He wants us to use His Word and speak to those things, situations and circumstances. What do we speak? HIS WORD! Do you want to hear some more really GOOD news? Look at verse 15:

15 Happy and blessed are the people who are in such a case; yes, happy (blessed, fortunate, prosperous, to be envied) are the people whose God is the Lord! AMP

Is Jesus YOUR Lord? If not, why not? John 3:16-17 tells us this:

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

Is there any reason you can't receive Jesus as Lord and Savior right now, and have a fighting chance of coming out on top in all of this? Pray 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, get into a good local church among a loving family of believers and be taught the Word of God so that you, too, will know how to fight with weapons that cannot fail! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "With You":

Shalom in Him!

FRIDAY'S  POST

Shalom,

Psalm 143:1 begins with this call to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible:

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness. AMP

Have you ever prayed that prayer or one similar to it? Do you know that we have the key given to us in the New Testament that will make sure that all of our prayers are answered? Look at 1 John 5:14-15:

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. KJV

Do you see that the KEY is to get God to hear us! IF He hears us, we HAVE IT! So how do we get Him to hear? We must ask according to His WILL! How do we KNOW what the Will o God is? HIS WORD! His Word IS His Will! So, ask according to the WORD and you can KNOW that you have the answer! AMEN! Let's look at these two verses in the Amplified Bible and then in the Message Bible. I want you to REALLY get this inside!

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

14 And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening. 15 And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours.  THE MESSAGE

Isn't this so very clear now? you should be jumping up and down with JOY because you now know the answer that so many people have been seeking! Know His Will and you will know what to pray and it WILL be done for you! HALLELUJAH! Thank YOU, Lord Jesus! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share our Daily Devotional from The Spoken Word Church website. I LOVE this one! It is so encouraging and reminds me that I am responsible for my own countenance! Do I reflect HIM? Here it is:

Make Today a Major Event in Your Life

Do not be passive today. You are alive! Act like it! Talk like it! Celebrate yourself!

Speak a little louder today. Speak a little faster. Smile bigger. Laugh aloud, and exude the joy of Jesus as you spread it generously over every single hour today.

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalms 118:24)

Do you realize that YOU are the only Jesus some people will ever see? That is, until the end of the age when He returns at His Second Coming! We ARE the Body of Christ and individual members of it! 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

We represent our Head, Who is JESUS! Let's make sure that we are representing Him in TRUE fashion and in a way that will draw those who desire Him! My life is NOT my own! I was bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. AMP

 I MUST be about my Father's business, and so must YOU! AMEN! I was going to share "Your People Sing Praises" by Hillsong but could not find a really good video, so I am going to share "Children Of The Light" by Hillsong because that IS who we ARE!  

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

John 1:1-4 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan goes perfectly with the blog from yesterday! 

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. ² He was present originally with God. ³ All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. ⁴ In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. AMP

We know that their is ONE God and OUR God IS God! He is One God in three distinct persons! God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Spirit! God the Son is also called the Word! God the Son, the Word, created all that is! HE became the Son of God, Who is also the Son of Man, so that He could be the perfect Stand-in for both God and man in the great Plan of Salvation! 100% God and 100% Man, he was without sin, so He could pay the price for OURS! AMEN! In the verses above we see that He (the Son, the Word, the Christ, JESUS!) is also called the LIFE! Do YOU have THE LIFE? Look at 1 John 5:11-13:

11 And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life. 13 I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life. AMP

If YOU do not have this Life yet, I invite you to pray this prayer right now, believing these things in your heart and receive HIM!

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 check out The Spoken Word Church website at the left to learn more and to contact us so that we can help you find a good local church where you can be taught these Truths on a regular basis and grow up in the Word of God so that you can find out ALL that the One, True God has prepared for you! AMEN! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong with "One Way":

I lay my life down at your feet 
'Cause You're the only one I need 
I turn to you and you are always there 

In troubled times it's you I seek 
I put you first that's all I need 
I humble all I am, All to you 

One way 
Jesus 
You're the only one that I could live for 
One Way 
Jesus 
You're the only one that I could live for 

You are always, always there 
Every how and everywhere 
Your grace abounds so deeply within me 

You wil never ever change 
Yesterday today the same 
Forever till forever meets no end 

One way 
Jesus 
You're the only one that I could live for 
One Way 
Jesus 
You're the only one that I could live for 

You are the way the truth and the life 
We live by faith and not by sight... for You 
We're living all for You

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have always THOROUGHLY enjoyed reading 1 Samuel 5:1-4!

The Philistines brought the ark of God from Ebenezer to Ashdod. ² They took the ark of God into the house of Dagon and set it beside Dagon [their idol]. ³ When they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. ⁴ But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had again fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and [his] head and both the palms of his hands were lying cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left him. AMP

This incident is really God confirming what He has said about Himself! Look at Isaiah 44:6-8:

6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.  [Rev 1:17; 2:8; 22:13.] 7 Who is like Me? Let him [stand and] proclaim it, declare it, and set [his proofs] in order before Me, since I made and established the people of antiquity. [Who has announced from of old] the things that are coming? Then let them declare yet future things. 8 Fear not, nor be afraid [in the coming violent upheavals]; have I not told it to you from of old and declared it? And you are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no [other] Rock; I know not any. AM

Our God IS God, and there is NO OTHER!!! Amen! How silly is it to make anything or anyone else the god of your life? Look at Isaiah 44:14-17 to see how really idiotic this is!

14 He hews for himself cedars, and takes the holm tree and the oak and lets them grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest; he plants a fir tree or an ash, and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man to burn; a part of it he takes and warms himself, yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. [Then out of the remainder, the leavings] he also makes a god and worships it! He [with his own hands] makes it into a graven image and falls down and worships it! 16 He burns part of the wood in the fire; with part of it he [cooks and] eats flesh, he roasts meat and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire! 17 And from what is left [of the log] he makes a god, his graven idol. He falls down to it, he worships it and prays to it and says, Deliver me, for you are my god! AMP

Whether we are dealing with Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Rah, or any other of the hundreds of names given to idols who are called gods by many, they are NOT!!! There is only ONE God and OUR God IS God! There is only ONE LORD, and His Name is JESUS! Look at Acts 4:12:

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 AMP

AMEN! How very exciting it is to know the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible , and to BE KNOWN by Him! Here is Hillsong with "God One And Only":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 139:1-3:

¹ O Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. ² You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. ³ You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways.

Do you know what the most exciting thing is about these verses? He KNOWS us completely and yet LOVES us TOTALLY and  FOREVER! Look at Jeremiah 31:3:

3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee. KJV

Yes, He was speaking to Israel, but WE, those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior have been grafted in (Roman 11:19-20)! We ARE one with HIM and with Israel! Now look at John 3:16-17:

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

Don't ever be afraid to come boldly into His presence! He already knows all about you, so be honest with Him and receive everything you need to walk victoriously, here, in this life! AMEN! Here is an old song by Lamb called "You Are There" with lyrics following

IF I ASCEND TO THE HEAVENS, YOU ARE THERE,

TAKE THE WINGS OF THE DAWN,

TO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA.

IF I MADE MY BEDS IN THE UNDERWORLD,

YOU ARE THERE, HEY YOU ARE THERE,

IF I SAID TO THE DARKNESS, COME COVER ME,

THEN THE NIGHT WOULD BECOME LIGHT,

ALL AROUND ME.

FOR THE NIGHT IS THE SAME AS THE DAY,

WHEN YOU ARE THERE.

YOU ARE THERE WHEN MY ENEMIES RISE,

AND I RUN IN DESPAIR,

YOUR RIGHT HAND TAKES HOLD OF ME,

YOU ARE THERE,

I CANNOT ESCAPE FOR YOUR HAND'S UPON ME,

I REST MY SOUL IN YOUR CARE.

LORD I KNOW THAT YOU SEE ME WHEREVER I GO,

AND I KNOW THAT YOU HEAR EVERY WORD THAT I BREATH,

YOU KNOW WHEN I RISE,

AND YOU KNOW WHERE I LAY,

YOU ARE THERE, HEY YOU ARE THERE



YOU KNOW WHERE I WALK,

AND YOU KNOW HOW I TALK,

YOU SEARCH EVERY MOTIVE,

THAT STIRS IN MY HEART.

YOU'RE IN FRONT AND BEHIND ME O LORD,

YOU ARE THERE.

YOU ARE THERE WHEN MY ENEMIES RISE,

AND I RUN IN DESPAIR,

YOUR RIGHT HAND TAKES HOLD OF ME,

YOU ARE THERE,

I CANNOT ESCAPE FOR YOUR HAND'S UPON ME,

I REST MY SOUL IN YOUR CARE.

CHORUS 1:

YOU SEE WHERE I RUN AND YOU SEE WHERE I HIDE,

YOU SEE IN THE DEEPEST DARK OF THE NIGHT,

YOU WON'T LET ME GO, YOU'RE THERE BY MY SIDE FOREVER,

YOU ALWAYS WERE THERE WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST,

YOUR LOVE AND YOUR GRACE ARE FAITHFULLY CLOSE,

I KNOW I CAN PUT MY TRUST IN YOUR HANDS FOREVER.

CHORUS 2:

YOU, YOU ARE THE LIGHT THAT LIGHTS THE DARKEST NIGHT,

YOU ARE THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR,

YOU, YOU ARE THE FRIEND THAT'S CLOSER THAN A BROTHER,

YOU LEAD ME ON TO LIFE ETERNAL.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share some of our devotional from The Spoken Word Church website:

Keep a Journal of Miracles

God instructed Israel to pile stones to remind their children of the greatness of God. Look for miracles every day. Unexpected, unplanned introductions to people. Information that suddenly emerges. An invitation that opens great doors of opportunities.Document these experiences daily. Your written journal is your private reservoir of memories that feed your faith.

Do you remember that BEFORE David took down Goliath, in the Name of the Most High God (1 Samuel 17:45), he REHEARSED past victories over the bear and the lion (1 Samuel 17:34-37)? Remembering is a key component of growing in faith! Meditating on the Word of God involves remembering what we have read and heard! Record you prayer requests and then record the answers, remembering to THANK Him for them! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Up In Arms":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food for today because it is so powerful and so clear!

Covenant Blessing

May 18, 2013

"And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill" (Ex. 23:25-26). 

As long as Israel walked in the covenant, there was no sickness among them. There is no record of a premature death as long as they kept the covenant. No babies, no young people, no middle-aged people died. With sickness taken away from the midst of them, they lived their whole lives out without disease, and then they just fell asleep in death.

When it was time for them to go, they would lay hands on their children, pronounce blessings upon them, gather their feet up into bed, give up the ghost, and go home.

What does that have to do with us? God is the same God now that He was then! The Bible says that He does not change. God was against sin in the Old Testament (Old Covenant), and God is against sin in the New Testament (New Covenant). God was against sickness in the Old Testament and God is against sickness in the New Testament.

God made provision for healing in the Old Testament and God has made provision for healing in the New Testament! 

Confession: I love and serve the Lord my God as a New Covenant believer. Jesus has taken sickness away from the midst of me. If He tarries His coming, the number of my days I will fulfill. 

Remember that we have a BETTER Covenant that is based on BETTER promises (Hebrews 8:6)! That mean that we should have even more confidence in the Word concerning health and healing than ever! They looked forward to what God would do. We look back to what He has already done! "It is finished. It is done. He is risen. I have won!" I love this Truth AND this song! Here is is, by Sarah Hart Pearsons:

IT IS FINISHED

Grace says, "You are loved"

In response I say, "Thank You, thank You Lord"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

Grace says, "You are healed"

In response I say, "Thank You, I receive"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

I believe because You said it

But I trust because I  know You

It is finished, it is done

You have risen, I have won

It is finished, it is done

Now I'm singing hallelujah

Grace says, "You're redeemed"

In response I say, "Thank you I believe"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

Grace says, "You are cleansed"

In response I say, "Thank you, I forgive"

This is sweet salvation, this is sweet salvation

grace says, "You are loved"

Grace says, "You are healed"

Graces says, "You're redeemed"

Grace says, "You are clean"

It is finished, it is done

Jesus said it, the work is done

It is finished, it is done

Now I'm singing hallelujah, hallelujah

Shalom in Him!