Shalom,

We are finishing up the year in FINE fashion with our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan by reading Psalm 119! This Psalm is ALL about THE WORD! Take the extra time today to look for the Word of God in every verse! Then we finish the New Testament with Philippians, my favorite Epistle! We finish the Old Testament with the final book, Malachi. I want to look at something that is special to me in each of these selections today! Psalm 119:2:

2 Blessed (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

Do YOU desire to be "blessed, happy,fortunate and to be envied" more in 2014? Of COURSE you do! We were designed by the Living God to desire to succeed and do well! It is within our control to do so! What is required? That we "keep" His testimonies! His Word! Let's look at the word "keep". It is the Hebrew word "natsar". It means: to guard, to protect, to maintain, to obey, to watch and to watch over, keeping with faithfulness, and one of my favorites, to keep in view! So the answer for walking in the fullness of the blessing of God in 2014 will be to keep the Word of God first place in our lives! Read it, study it, know it, DO it, and keep doing so consistently and continually! What else? Seek to know Him, spend time in His presence learning of Him and the more you do so, the more you WILL "crave Him with your whole heart"! NOTHING is more important in your life that JESUS! 

In Philippians 4 there are three verses to keep foremost in your remembrance and act on them! Verses 4, 6, and 8! 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

 8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

Begin every day by rejoicing in all the good that HE has done for YOU! You HAVE joy in you as a fruit of your born again spirit! Stir it up! No matter what the situation, circumstance, test or trial that you are facing at any given time, do NOT let satan steal your joy! YOU are a child of the Living God! YOU have Heaven as your home when you leave this earth! YOU are a Blood Covenant partner with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible through the shed blood of Jesus the Christ! ACT like it! We DO this by being a DOER of verse 6! Cast every care on Him, find out what the Word of God promises you for every situation, stand on the Word and SHOUT the victory! AMEN! If that seems impossible for you to do, then you need to be DOER of verse 8! What we think about continually is what we WILL end up speaking out of our mouth, and what we say with our mouth will eventually come to pass! Don't ever forget that you have all of the power that created the universe, and that raised Jesus from the dead, living IN you in the person of the Spirit of Almighty God! Make full use of all of the wonderful resources that HE provides to you as your Helper, Comforter, Counselor, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby (John 14:26 AMP). HE is waiting on YOU! Then, you need remind yourself of this from Malachi 3:16:

16 Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.

Fellowship more this year with like-minded believers, both for YOUR benefit and for THEIRS! God is watching and HE will NOT forget! I encourage you to make 2014 the year that YOU give more of YOU to HIM! Dare to step out in faith, completely trusting Him to lead, guide, direct, honor, bless and protect you! He WILL! AMEN! Here is a song that, IF you have made this commitment, will help to take you there! it is called "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail" by Hillsong United:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

As we wrap up another year of going through the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, we come to Proverbs 31 again! I usually avoid speaking about Proverbs 31 and Song of Solomon because so much has been said, taught and written about both of these books and I have a problem with MOST of what has been said! I believe that too many people miss the entire meaning of both because they apply too much to the natural, physical realm and not nearly enough to the supernatural, spiritual and unseen realm! We ARE going to give it a go today! Proverbs 31:10 says this:

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. KJV

The word "virtuous" is the Hebrew word "chayil", which Strong's Concordance says means: a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, valor, strength. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon adds this: might, efficiency, ability. I REALLY like what the Theological Word Book of the Old Testament says: When the term is used of woman it is translated "virtuous", but it may well be that a woman of this caliber had all the attributes of her male counterpart. The Amplified Bible says:

10 A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.

The Proverbs 31 woman is NOT supposed to be a one-woman show of housework, cooking, cleaning, running a business, raising her children AND making her husband look good! She IS to be a woman, like Mary in the New Testament, who sits at the feet of Jesus in order to hear the Word of Truth! THEN she follows the leading of the Holy Spirit to use her individual and unique gifts, talents, strengths and abilities to be the very best that SHE can be, IN HIM! Proverbs 31 shows us that every woman, and man, is free, in Him, to do any and all of these things! IF a woman, wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandma will BE who God has called, anointed and gifted HER to be, everyone IN her life and realm of influence will be tremendously blessed! If a husband, or any other man, woman or child is judging whether any woman is a "true" Proverbs 31 woman, they have completely missed the boat! WE are not to judge ANYONE! There is more than enough for each of us to do in order to stay in deep, intimate fellowship with HIM and to get His Word into us in abundance so that we can operate in power to see to it that people hear the Good News and have the opportunity to be set free! So, the next time you find yourself thinking about whether someone is a Proverbs 31 woman, REPENT and get about your OWN business, which is to be about HIS business! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Christ Is Enough":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like this exhortation by Paul found in Philippians 2:1-4:

1 SO BY whatever [appeal to you there is in our mutual dwelling in Christ, by whatever] strengthening and consoling and encouraging [our relationship] in Him [affords], by whatever persuasive incentive there is in love, by whatever participation in the [Holy] Spirit [we share], and by whatever depth of affection and compassionate sympathy, 2 Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. 3 Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. 4 Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others. AMP

Paul was saying here that it was a source of joy for him when believers lived in harmony with one another! Being in full accord means to be like-minded! I really like the Amplified Bible, above, for this verse! We are to be of one harmonious mind and intention! We will ALL have a different calling, anointing and way of carrying out what God instructs! HE has given us each an individual and unique personality for HIS purposes! We each reach different people, at different times and by different methods! Being in "harmony" and being "like-minded" does NOT mean that we become little clones of each other! Every God-given personality has specific people that it is their responsibility to share the Gospel with! Who are YOURS? He WILL let you now, so listen to HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Hope Of The World":

Remember that in Jesus, WE are the salt of earth and the hope of the world! BE the Light! BE who God has called YOU to be! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin Philippians again today! This is one of my favorite books of the Bible! Look at verse 6:

6 And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

Who is the HE referred to here? It IS the Spirit of God Who recreated your dead human spirit at the moment of your New Birth (when you received Jesus as Lord and personal Saviour). He made you a new creation that never existed, in YOUR life, before that point in time (2 Corinthians 5:17)! HE began to work in you, will continue to work in you and WILL bring this work to a successful conclusion IF we don't give up and quit! Another portion I like is found in verses 23-26:

23 But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart (to be free of this world, to set forth) and be with Christ, for that is far, far better 24 But to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your sake 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and stay by you all, to promote your progress and joy in believing,26 So that in me you may have abundant cause for exultation and glorying in Christ Jesus, through my coming to you again.

WE decide how long we will live on this earth by our daily choices! Paul knew beyond any doubt that Heaven was real and a FAR better place to be! He also knew that God had called Him and anointed Him for a particular ministry and if he left this life early, someone would have to fill in the gap for him! Make it YOUR determined purpose to fulfill ALL of the years of your life! The choice is YOURS! Choose wisely! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "A I Need Is You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love the attitude of the people toward the wonderful Word of God that is shown in Nehemiah 8:1-8:

1 THEN ALL the people gathered together as one man in the broad place before the Water Gate; and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first of the seventh month. 3 He read from it, facing the broad place before the Water Gate, from early morning until noon, in the presence of the men and women and those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in sight of all the people, for he was standing above them; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah--the Levites--helped the people to understand the Law, and the people [remained] in their place. 8 So they read from the Book of the Law of God distinctly, faithfully amplifying and giving the sense so that [the people] understood the reading.

Notice in verse that the people ASKED for Ezra to bring the "Book of the Law of Moses", or "The Word of God", so that they could be taught! Verse 3 tells us that Ezra read from the Word of God "from early morning until noon" and "all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law"! When was the last time that YOU were in a service that went from early morning until noon and EVERYONE stayed attentive? These people had such a hunger for the Word because they had been without it! Verse 5 tells us that when the Word of God was opened, all of the people stood up! They then worshiped the Lord and verse 7 tells us that "the people remained in their place"! They desired to hear the Word read and taught and they received what they were believing for! Verse 8 tells us that the people understood! If we truly desire, as Paul did in Philippians 3:10, to know HIM more, it will require this kind of attention and commitment found in Nehemiah today! But remember the promise for those who will spend the necessary time to mediate the Word and get it on the inside of us! Look at 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

Begin today to "make your way prosperous"! You WILL have good success at whatever you do and God will get the GLORY! AMEN! I want to leave you today with this very powerful song of commitment by Hillsong United called "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Ephesians 5:1-2 is very important for our daily lives and our spiritual growth!

1 THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. 2 And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

Why is this so important? Look at Matthew 22:36-40 and Mark 12:28-31:

Matt 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. KJV

Mark 12:28 Then one of the scribes came up and listened to them disputing with one another, and, noticing that Jesus answered them fitly and admirably, he asked Him, Which commandment is first and most important of all [in its nature]? 29 Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.  [Deut 6:4,5.] 31 The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. AMP

JESUS said that these two commands, to love GOD with all our being and to love others, were the greatest commandments we can obey! He also said these two sum up everything that the God of the Bible desires for His children! He wants us to walk in love because He desires that we walk in TRUE prosperity, which is "being WHERE God wants you to be, DOING what God wants YOU to do"! He also desires that our faith work, and it CANNOT work without our walking in love (Galatians 5:6). He desires that we succeed and love NEVER fails! 1 Corinthians 13:8 AMP)! SO, obey the Word, follow the example of Jesus, and EXPECT better results than you have seen up to this point! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Our God Is Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have two things to share with you today! This picture:

And this song:

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Happy celebration of the birth of our Saviour!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Another prayer given to us by Paul is found in Ephesians 3:14-21:

14 For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name].  16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. 17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, 18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19 [That you may really come] to know [practically,through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! 20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]-- 21 To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

   

Include this prayer for your friends, family and loved ones, along with the prayer in Ephesians 1, for 30 days and get ready to share the testimony of what God has done in their lives!  God's Word WORKS and HE confirms His Word with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:19-20)! GO FOR IT! Here is Hillsong with a great Christmas song "Emmanuel":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

No matter WHAT situations, circumstances or events take place, these verses in Ephesians bring everything into proper perspective! Ephesians 2:4-10:

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) 6 And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. KJV

Remind yourself of these Truths as often as you can! Getting this Word into your heart will give you the confidence to face ANYTHING! Amen! Philippians 4:13 AMP:

13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. AMP

HALLELUJAH! He is FAITHFUL! Be a DOER of His Word and you can accomplish anything! Here is Hillsong Young and Free (youth) with "Alive":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom

THIS is one of the prayers that I pray for my friends, family and loved ones! Ephesians 1:16-23 AMP:

16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. 17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, 18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), 19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, 20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. 22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], 23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].

Paul prayed this prayer for the born again believers that he was writing this letter to! Have YOU ever prayed this prayer? NOW is a good time to start! Pray it for 30 days for someone you know and watch how the God of the Bible can answer this prayer that is according to His Word, which is His will! (See 1 John:14-15) Here, to encourage you in this endeavor, is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we're simply going to look at a couple of verses that pertain to the Christmas season! Isaiah 7:14 says this:

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6:

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. KJV

Luke 2:10-14:

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. KJV

JESUS is the only REASON for this SEASON! Merry Christmas! Here, because I LOVE this song, is Hillsong with "We Have A Savour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to address something today that has been spoken of a lot lately. First, though, let's look at 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. AMP

God so GREATLY loved, and loves, the entire world that He sent God the Son to be born into the world as a human baby. He never stopped BEING God, but He did not act as God on the earth! He was the perfect combination of 100% Deity (God) and 100% (sinless) humanity! He, and He alone, was the PERFECT sacrifice for the sin of all mankind! He died once, for all! For all people and for all time! The ONLY sin that was NOT covered by the blood of Jesus is the sin of rejecting Him! God desires that NONE perish (2 Peter 3:9), BUT, the ultimate choice for that is OURS! (What have YOU done with Jesus?) Keeping this in mind, that sin will NOT keep someone from Heaven IF they have received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior, we are going to look at what GOD thinks of homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13:

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

13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. KJV

The word "abomination" here is the Hebrew word "tow`ebah", which means: something disgusting, an abhorrence, loathsome, detestable, repulsive. That's why we see this in Leviticus 20:13 from the Amplified Bible:

13 If a man lies with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed an offense (something perverse, unnatural, abhorrent, and detestable); they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.  AMP

THAT is what God thinks of the practice of homosexuality! He will NEVER change His mind on that! Look at Romans 1:26-32:

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. NKJV

This lifestyle choice is, and always will be, sin in the eyes of God! Will that condemn someone to hell? NO! Sin does not send anyone to hell! Rejecting the Salvation FROM hell that Jesus provided is what will determine our eternal destiny! Sin, which is a selfish decision to do things our own way instead of God's way, has been dealt with. Sin WILL affect our lives here on earth, however! We ARE ambassadors of Heaven (2 Corinthian 5:20) and Heaven is our source of supply. Sin will keep us out of fellowship and thereby hinder our lives here on earth. We operate in this life by the laws of sowing and reaping. If we sow sin into our lives, we WILL reap the results of that sin (Galatians 6:7). The answer is 1 John 1:9! Change your thinking to agree with God and get right back in the flow of fellowship with Him! IF we refuse to do so, then we just may find ourselves in our eternal home sooner than we and God planned! So, stand for what the Bible says and love everyone you meet enough to share the Good News of the Gospel with them! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "One Way":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to address two different things today! First let's look at Proverbs 20:13:

13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread.

The Word of God is NOT saying that sleep is bad, just loving it so much that you don't do what you're called to do! THIS verse is directed towards lazy people who want to spend all of their time sleeping and doing nothing! Then we have this in Psalm 127:2:

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he gives his beloved sleep. KJV

We are SUPPOSED to give our bodies the rest they need to be fit and healthy! HE blesses us with sleep AND, as we can see from the Amplified Bible, He even blesses us WHILE we sleep!

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil — for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep. AMP

Refuse to get into either ditch! Be wise and led by the Spirit of God as you go about your daily life! AMEN! I want to leave you today with THIS reminder from Galatians 4:4-6, especially because it's CHRISTMAS!

4 But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, 5 To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God's sons].  6 And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father!

This is the very best time to LOVE people enough to TELL them the TRUTH and GIVE them a chance to make the right CHOICE! AMEN! Here is a song that is not a regular Christmas song, but shows the very BEST Gift to give! Hillsong's "Tell The World".   MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I cannnot improve upon the message in today's Faith Food by Kenneth E. Hagin!

Incarnation

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1,14). 

Webster defines Incarnation as "The union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ." 

Incarnation was the only solution to the human problem - the only hope for mankind to be reunited with God. Any religion that denies the Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth is false! 

This Eternal Being, called Emmanuel - God with us, or Jesus the Christ - is here called the Word. The Word existed in the beginning. The Word was with God - with God in fellowship, in purpose, working with Him. God made the worlds through the Word (Heb. 1:2; John 1:3). 

And this Eternal Being was God! He possessed the same nature. He existed in the same form and on an equality with God (Phil. 2:6). 

And this Being became flesh! The Word became a man and dwelt among us. He became human - as much a man as if He'd never been anything else, yet He did not cease to be what He had been. The Word made His home among us, and we beheld the glory of God (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). 

Confession: Jesus came and dwelt in flesh so that I might be eternally reunited with the Father. Jesus became like me, so that I could become like Him. I will walk in the reality of what the Incarnation made possible for me. I am reunited with my Father! 

Jesus IS the very REASON for the wonderful Christmas season! Worship Him! Here is Hillsong with "It's Christmas":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Galatians 2:20 from our Bible Reading Plan for today:

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. KJV

I'm sure that you are familiar with this verse! My question is: do you REALLY believe it? Paul was addressing the opinion of some believers who were trying to add obedience to the Law, and following Jewish traditions, to the requirements for born again Gentile believers. Acts 2:21 says this:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. KJV

Romans 10:9-10 says this:

9 That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. KJV

The ONLY required step for becoming part of the family of God is to believe and to receive! Look at Galatians 2:20-21 from the Amplified Bible:

20 I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 [Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose]; I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God. For if justification (righteousness, acquittal from guilt) comes through [observing the ritual of] the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain. [His death was then wholly superfluous.]

Don't treat this precious and priceless gift of Grace lightly! Our "works", once we are born again, are to how HIM off! We are here to bear witness to the Truth of the Gospel and to give HIM something to confirm with signs, wonders and miracles! Mark 16:20:

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it). AMP

Our obedience under the New and better Covenant (Hebrews 8:6) brings blessings in THIS life and rewards in the life to come! They do NOT, however, get anyone an entrance into the Heaven of the Bible! Jesus paid the required price for sin, for all people, for all time! Every sin is obliterated by His blood EXCEPT the sin of rejecting Him! WHEN you sin, as a believer, RUN to 1 John 1:9 and receive your forgiveness so that you can carry on in His calling on your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a celebrating Christmas song called "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I SO love this from today's Faith Food by Kenneth E. Hagin! 

"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Col. 1:19). 

The Word of God plainly teaches that our Redeemer is divine. These divine offices are ascribed to Him: 

Creator (Col. 1:16)
Mediator (1 Tim. 2:4-5)
Head of the Church (Col. 1:16-24)
Savior (2 Peter 3:2)
Judge (2 Tim. 4:1)
Preserver (Heb. 1:1-3)
Life-Giver (John 10:28)
Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36)
Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)

Divine character is ascribed to Christ. Ordinary men are sinners by nature, but Christ Jesus is not an ordinary man. He is: 

Holy by Birth (Luke 1:35)
Righteous (Isa. 53:11)
Faithful (Isa. 11:5)
Truth (John 14:6)
Just (John 5:30)
Guileless (1 Peter 2:22)
Sinless (2 Cor. 5:21)
Spotless (1 Peter 1:19)
Innocent (Matt. 27:4)
Harmless (Heb. 7:26)
Obedient to God (Heb. 5:8-10)
Obedient to Earthly Parents (Luke 2:51)
Zealous (John 2:17)
Meek (Matt. 11:29)
Lowly in Heart (Matt. 11:29)
Merciful (Heb. 2:17)
Patient (Isa. 53:7)
Long-Suffering (1 Tim. 1:16)
Compassionate (Matt. 15:32)
Benevolent (Acts 10:38)
Loving (John 15:13)
Self-Denying (2 Cor. 8:9)
Humble (Phil. 2:5-11)
Resigned (Luke 22:42)
Forgiving (Luke 23:34) 

Confession: Jesus Christ is worthy. Thank God for this Worthy One. Thank God for this Divine One. Thank God that One who is the Creator would come to earth from glory to be the Mediator, the Head of the Church, the Savior, the Judge, the Preserver, the Life-Giver, the Lord and Savior. And thank God, this Worthy One is my Lord. 

As YOU prepare for your Christmas celebrations with friends, family and relatives, make sure that YOU keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!  How? By meditating on Who He IS! At The Spoken Word Church, for the last several years, we have decorated out Christmas tree with hand-made ornaments that proclaim the many Names and offices of Jesus, the Christ, Who IS King of kings and Lord of lords! Here is a photo from our church Christmas and a song, by Hillsong, called "Jesus, What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs 16:7 is a verse that every born again believer should take to heart and count on! 

7 When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

"Ways" is the Hebrew word "derek", which means: a course of life or mode of action, manner, moral character. When we spend time in His Word and in His presence, then we will begin to think, speak and act like HIM! THAT is when we will see the results of this promise active in our lives! What is the promise? That even our enemies will be at peace with us! "Peace" here is the Hebrew word "shalam". It means: to be safe, to be friendly, to make peace, to be uninjured. Notice that when WE please Him by our obedience to His Word and His Spirit, then He MAKES our enemies to be at peace with us! I believe that they have no choice in the matter at this point! Our responsibility is to do OUR part and let GOD do HIS! AMEN! What a relief THAT is! Here is Hillsong with a Christmas song I enjoy called "It's Christmas":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is a very good exhortation from Jerry Savelle!

Diligence

Diligence is a key to obtaining blessings from God. Let’s look at some scriptures that deal with diligence.

“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor” (Proverbs 12:24).

“The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is a man’s precious possession” (Proverbs 12:27).

“The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4).

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty. But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5).

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).

Diligence is a prerequisite to seeing your victory.

Diligent people always make a steady consistent effort to accomplish their goal.

Diligent people never give up.

Confession: I decide today to always make a steady, consistent effort to accomplish my God given goals and never give up. Whatever I do today, I will do it diligently and joyfully as unto the Lord.

There is really nothing I can add to this except AMEN! AND to remind you of Proverbs 15:33:

 33 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

There can be no REAL diligence without the reverent fear of the LORD! Pleasing HIM is all of the incentive we should need to stick with it and NEVER give up and quit.How diligent have YOU been? More importantly, how diligent WILL you be from this time forth? Here, to encourage and exhort you is Hillsong with "Take Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like this message in today's "Pursuit of His Presence" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland:

Operate in Full Power

For since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God...God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!  – John 3:34, The Amplified Bible

“Oh, God, I need more power! Please...please...please give me more power, Lord!”

Have you ever prayed like that? I have. In fact, years ago I was praying along those lines, earnestly beseeching God to give me greater power to minister. It was a fine, very spiritual-sounding prayer. But the Lord interrupted me right in the middle of it.

"Kenneth, He said, where would I go to get you more power?"

The question stopped me cold.

No one has more power than I do, He continued. And I’ve already filled you with My Spirit. I’ve put within you the same miraculous force that created heaven and earth, the same supernatural strength that raised Jesus from the dead. Where am I going to go to find something greater than that?

The point was clear. As born-again, Holy Spirit-filled believers, you and I don’t need more power. We simply need to more fully release what we’ve already been given. We need to allow the Spirit of God within us to flow through us in greater measure.

If we’re not seeing miracles in our lives and ministries, it isn’t God’s fault. He isn’t the one limiting us. We are!

In order to fully operate in all that power that God has provided for us as born again believers, we must KNOW and understand the power! Paul's declaration in Philippians 3:10a shows how to BEGIN to walk in the power of God! 

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection AMP

"In that same way" means that we will get to know and understand the power available to us because of His death, burial and resurrection at the same time, and in the same way,  that we are getting to know HIM more and more every day! PROGRESSIVELY is what the Amplified Bible says! Seek to know HIM and the power will come! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Great In Power":

Shalom in  Him!

Shalom,

I want to share some things that really stood out to me in today's Bible Reading Plan! First we'll look at Proverbs 13:9:

9 The light of the [uncompromisingly] righteous [is within him--it grows brighter and] rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked [furnishes only a derived, temporary light and] shall be put out shortly.

If you are wondering where they came up with this in the Amplified Bible, we'll do a little Word Study! look at this verse from the KJV:

9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 

KJV

"Light" is the Hebrew word "`owr". It means: illumination or luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.). It can also refer to: light of life, light of prosperity. Also to give light."Lamp" is the Hebrew word "niyr". It means: to glisten, a lamp. Do you see that the Light that is in us, as born again believers, is HIS Light (John 1:4-5)? Any light that we see in the lost is only temporary and will NOT last! We are doing no favors for "nice" unbelievers by assuming that they may be believers because they do nice things! I would rather lose a friend that is an unbeliever, if they would happen to be offended, knowing that the seed of the Word I share will NOT return void (Isaiah 55:11)! They will NOT be able to forget that Word and their choice WILL affect their eternity! Walk in love! Share the TRUTH! AMEN! Now look at Proverbs 13:13-14 and 20:

13 Whoever despises the word and counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself, but he who [reverently] fears and respects the commandment [of God] is rewarded. 14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.

20 He who walks [as a companion] with wise men is wise, but he who associates with [self-confident] fools is [a fool himself and] shall smart for it.

All of the evil that is happening in the world has it's root and source in sin! Jesus provided the way out of the curse that comes from sin! Those who will receive HIM as Lord and personal Savior are set free from the curse (Galatians 3:13) and from the law of sin and death! Look at Romans 8:2:

2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death. 

AMP

We HAVE BEEN set free, but WE must appropriate it through His Word! That is what Proverbs 13:14 is saying! Get into the Word and make it your own! Get to a good local church that teaches the Word of God uncompromisingly! Fellowship with like-minded believers, as verse 20 says, and you will be wise! AMEN! One last Scripture I want to encourage you with today is found in Revelation 19:11-16:

 

11 After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness). 12 His eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on His head are many kingly crowns (diadems); and He has a title (name) inscribed which He alone knows or can understand. 13 He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God. 14 And the troops of heaven, clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which He can smite (afflict, strike) the nations; and He will shepherd and control them with a staff (scepter, rod) of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God the All-Ruler (the Almighty, the Omnipotent). 16 And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name (title) inscribed, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

As you face temptation to be discouraged with what you see taking place on the earth today, remember that THIS is a sure and certain event! He IS Lord and He WILL rule and reign! Right now, our responsibility is to see to it that we allow Him to reign NOW in OUR lives so that others will see and will be drawn to HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Yours Is The Kingdom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like Rick Renner's explanation of James 4:7 from yesterday's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek". Here is a portion:

……Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. —  James 4:7

When the devil tries to assault your mind, telling you that your God-given  dream will never come to pass, how do you resist those assaults? Do you  stand firm against those lies and command them to leave? Or do you allow  the devil to mentally assail your mind with untrue allegations?  In James 4:7, the Bible tell us, “…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  The word “resist” is from the Greek word anthistemi, which is a compound  of the words anti and istimi. The word anti means against, as to oppose  something. The word istimi means to stand. When placed into one word,  thus forming the word anthistemi, it means to stand against or to stand in opposition. It is a word that demonstrates the attitude of one who is  fiercely opposed to something and therefore determines that he will do  everything within his power to resist it, to stand against it, and to defy  its operation. By using this word, James plainly lets us know that we must be aggressively  determined to stand against the work of the devil. Just shutting our eyes and  hoping the enemy will withdraw won’t work. We must dig in our heels, brace  ourselves for a fight, and put our full force forward to drive him back and out  of our lives. Our stand against Satan must be firm, unyielding, and steadfast  if we want to successfully resist his bombardment of lies against our minds and emotions.

At The Spoken Word Church, we like to use the term "reject and replace" when speaking of the lies of the devil! We recognize that they do not line up with the Word of God and reject them by denying them the right to take up residence in our souls (mind, emotions, and will). It is NOT enough, though, to simply reject the bad! We MUST replace those thoughts and ideas with the thoughts and ideas of God that our found in His Word! If we don't, we will experience what Jesus was speaking of in Matthew 12:42! The empty spots in our minds WILL be replaced with SOMETHING! Make sure that YOU replace them with the Word! AMEN! Another Truth that we must cover here is the first part of James 4:7 that says this:

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. KJV

To "submit" is the Greek word "hupotassso". It is also a compound word! The first part, "hupo", means: under. The second part, "tasso", means: to arrange in an orderly manner, i.e. assign or dispose to a certain position. This means that WE are to put ourselves in the position of being under the authority of God and His Word! Thayer's Greek Lexicon says, of "hupotasso":to put in subjection. This is a choice that WE must make! THEN we can resist this enemy and he will have to flee! AMEN! Here is Rick Renner's expanded translation of James 4:7b:

“Stand firmly against the devil! That’s right — be unbending and unyielding in the way you resist him so that he knows he is up against a serious contender. If you’ll take this kind of stand against him, he will tuck his tail and run like a criminal who knows the day of prosecution is upon him. Once you start resisting him, he’ll flee from you in terror!”

AMEN! let's DO IT! Here, to encourage you in doing this consistently, is Hillsong with "Children Of The Light". That IS who we are!

Shalom in Him!