Shalom,

We continue with the rest of Psalm 119 in our Bible Reading Plan today. Here is a very vital promise for you! Verse 165:

165 Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.

Do YOU want too have peace in your life? Then DO verse 165 and learn to LOVE His Word! AMEN! After all, HE has forever settled His Word as the final authority! Verse 89:

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

AMEN! Now look at verses 96-100:

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

Do YOU want to operate in Wisdom and understanding in YOUR life? Then pay attention to God's Word! Be a DOER of that Word! In order to BE a DOER, we must first be a KNOWER of the Word! Look at John 8:31-32:

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

Now look at Psalm 119:129-131:

129 Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. 130 The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple. 131 I opened my mouth and panted [with eager desire], for I longed for Your commandments.

Make the determined purpose that YOU will love His Word by  knowing and DOING the Truth, so that your life will be a living example of all that God intends for the world to see! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Chapel with "Lost Are Found" which is what happens when God's people KNOW and OBEY Him! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I always love when we read Psalm 119 in the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! I challenge myself to find the Word in every verse! It IS there! Today I was especially drawn to verses 1-6:

1 BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God's revealed will). 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. 3 Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. 4 You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently. 5 Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]! 6 Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.

Notice that these were written under the Old Covenant, when the believers were not yet born again! By faith in the Messiah Who was to come, they received forgiveness for their sin and accepted the challenge to order their lives according to His will! WE, who have the Spirit of God living IN us, should be so much more committed to walking according to His ways, revealed in His Word! With a new and better Covenant, that is based on even better promises than they had (Hebrews 8:6), WE are so much better equipped than they were! Walking out of line with God's Word and His ways will NOT keep a born again believer out of Heaven, but it WILL keep us from being that living witness for His love, life, power, glory and His NAME! Pay attention to the message that YOUR life is sending to those around you! Can they tell that HE is #1 to you? THAT should be our goal! How else will they ever be moved to ask us about the joy (1 Peter 3:15)? Make the adjustments in YOUR life that only YOU can make, and purpose to bring glory to HIS Name! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like this portion of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers for today:

I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go —Jeremiah 45:5

This is the firm and immovable secret of the Lord to those who trust Him— “I will give your life to you . . . .” What more does a man want than his life? It is the essential thing. “. . . your life . . . as a prize . . .” means that wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life and nothing can harm it. So many of us are caught up in exhibiting things for others to see, not showing off property and possessions, but our blessings. All these things that we so proudly show have to go. But there is something greater that can never go— the life that “is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Are you prepared to let God take you into total oneness with Himself, paying no more attention to what you call the great things of life? Are you prepared to surrender totally and let go? 

Remember, you are not abandoning the hopes, dreams and expectations that HE has placed in your heart. You are showing that you have all confidence that those precious and secret things are safe in HIS hands (Psalm 37:4)! AMEN! If YOU are ready to make this all out commitment to HIM, then tell Him that in your own words, and then sing this song to Him! Hillsong United with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The Bible Reading Plan for today goes right along with our Spoken Word Church Adult Bible Study teaching! We looked at Psalm 150, which is all about praising and worshiping the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Psalm 117 is also all about praising Him! 

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

He IS worthy of ALL praise, worship, adoration and thanksgiving, simply because of WHO He IS! When we add what He has DONE for us, there should be no end to our grateful and thankful praise to Him! Every day should be filled with it! If you have not been doing so, make the necessary adjustments in your life and begin! HE is worthy and YOU will be blessed beyond measure! AMEN! I also liked this from Joshua 5:2-7:

2 t that time the Lord said to Joshua, Make knives of flint and circumcise the [new generation of] Israelites as before. 3So Joshua made knives of flint and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they came out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out were circumcised, yet all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way after Israel came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the Israelites walked forty years in the wilderness till all who were men of war who came out of Egypt perished, because they did not hearken to the voice of the Lord; to them the Lord swore that He would not let them see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So it was their uncircumcised children whom He raised up in their stead whom Joshua circumcised, because the rite had not been performed on the way.

 The older generation who had come out of Egypt, and had not believed God, had all died away except Joshua and Caleb, because they HAD believed the promise of God! This new generation were circumcised as an outward sign of their renewed commitment to the God of the Covenant! He began again with them! When Jesus rose from the dead, a NEW Covenant went into affect for all those who would believe and receive Jesus as Lord and personal Savior. The Word of God tells us that WE have an even better Covenant, based on better promises, than they had! This new covenant fulfilled the Old and gives us the ability to walk as Jesus walked on the earth because the Spirit of the Living God lives IN us! AMEN! Soon and every soon Jesus will appear in the sky to take the Church and then begins the final 7 years of Jewish history where the God of the Bible will again work with and through them specifically! We are living in the MOST exciting of times! Are you READY for this? I believe you are! Here is Hillsong Young and Free again with "Wake" because that is what we need to be: AWAKE!!! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from Jerry Savelle's Daily Devotional:

You Are God’s Most Prized Possession

God is always mindful of you!

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man, that you care for him? For you made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:3-5, NIV).

Have you ever just stopped and looked around at God’s creation? A beautiful evening sunset, a clear, star filled night, mountain scenery that takes your breath away!

The psalmist is saying, Lord, You’re so magnificent and creative, why would you have anything to do with man? Why would you be so mindful of him?

You are God’s most prized possession! In fact, in His mind, you are His prized possession above the stars, above the moon, above the heavens, above all His creative handiwork.

An artist may display the many wonderful, creative pieces he designs, but there’s always one that is his most prized possession. That’s the way God feels about YOU!

Confession: Thank you, Father, that You are always mindful of me, thinking thoughts of love, good, and favor toward me.

If we are ever going to walk in the fullness of the New Covenant that we have with the God of the Bible, through the Blood of Jesus, then we will have to understand just how HE sees US! Find out what the Bible says about you! If you have received Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior, then every verse of Scripture that explains who we are "IN HIM" belongs to YOU! I highly recommend the mini book "In Him" by Kenneth E. Hagin! Circle or highlight every verse in your own Bible that mentions being "in Him", in Christ", etc. Meditate on these and allow the Holy Spirit to build into you a TRUE picture of how God sees you! You will NEVER be the same again! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "I'm Really Happy":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I cannot read Joshua 1 in our Bible Reading Plan and not stop to look specifically at verse 8! We speak of it all the time because it is SO essential to spiritual growth! Look here:

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shalt make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. 

KJV

It is even clearer in the Amplified Bible:

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.

A working knowledge of the Word of God comes from daily meditation on it! "You shall meditate" is the Hebrew word "hagah", which means: to murmur, to ponder, to moan, to utter, to muse, to mutter, to devise, to speak. It is NOT enough to just read the Word, and NEVER enough to just memorize! Speaking the Word to ourselves and to others, thinking about it and allowing the Holy Spirit, Who IS our Teacher, to make it personal, going over it again and again, will cause the Word to become real and give us the understanding that is necessary to become a DOER of the Word! James tells us that to hear the Word but not do the Word is deception (James 1:23)! We may THINK we are growing in the things of God, but it is not possible without meditating on the Word. Joshua tells us that when we DO meditate on the Word, then we will SEE what we are to do and we can go on to become a DOER! These actions will cause us to make our own way prosperous and to have good success at everything we lay our hands to! Are you ready to have the Word of God become more real than ever before? Let's MEDITATE! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song that is SO appropriate! "Everyday":

"Everyday"

What to say, Lord? It's
You who gave me life and I
Can't explain just how
Much You mean to me now
That You have saved me, Lord
I give all that I am to You
That everyday I could
Be a light that shines Your name

Everyday, Lord, I'll
Learn to stand upon Your word
And I pray that I
I might come to know You more
That You would guide me in every single step I take, that
Everyday I can
Be Your light unto the world

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

Everyday, Lord, I'll
Learn to stand upon Your word
And I pray that I
I might come to know You more
That You would guide me in every single step I take, that
Everyday I can
Be Your light unto the world

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have used 1 Corinthians 2:14 before in explaining why we should never argue or attempt to debate the Word of God with an unbeliever:

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.

An unbeliever has no capability of understanding the teaching of the Word of God! That is why the disciples of Jesus could walk directly in His presence for three years of His ministry and understand nothing of what He was actually about to do at the cross! BUT, once they were born again and had received the Spirit of God to dwell inside of them, and then were filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they did have the ability to understand! That was one of the most pronounced things to happen for me when I was filled with the Spirit. The Word of God came so alive that I actually would know things about Him before I even saw them in the Word! Remember, His Word is TRUTH (John 17:17) and the understanding of it is vital for your continued growth. So what DO we share with unbelievers? Look at verses 4-5:

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, 5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.

We preach the Gospel! When WE preach the simple Gospel, GOD will confirm that Word with signs and wonders and miracles! AMEN! Then when they, and YOU, are grown in the things of God, verses 6-8 apply!

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.

I LOVE the Word of God! There is nothing on this earth that makes SO much sense as the Word of God does! Put the Word of God as YOUR priority and feed on it continually through every avenue available to you and you will be amazed at how very powerful it is! You will NEVER be the same, and those around you will notice! Here is Hillsong with a wonderful older song called "Yours Is The Kingdom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There are so many great things to share from today's Bible Reading Plan that it takes discipline to just pick one or two! The most exciting to me is found in 1 Corinthians 1. Here Paul is speaking of the Jews, who were always looking for a sign, and the Greeks, who were always trying to reason everything out to a logical conclusion. They wanted to hear something "reasonable" from the apostles and disciples of Jesus. What did they get instead? Look at verse 23:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; KJV

The simple Gospel message is what they received from Paul and the other born again believers! That God so greatly loved the entire world that He sent His own Son (John 3:16-17) to be become a man. Jesus lived as a man, with all of the limitations of a human body to deal with. He never sinned, but became sin with OUR sin and sin nature so that He could pay the ultimate price for OUR salvation! He did this once for all! For all sin, for all people, for all time! The only requirement to receive this ransom is to believe that He did, and to receive Him as Lord and Savior! THIS was the "stumbling block"! They could NOT believe that it could be so simple! I LOVE the Amplified Bible for this! 

23 We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.

It was scandalous to the Jews that God would ever become a mere human! They thought He would come riding in on a majestic horse and rescue Israel from their enemies! He WILL do that one day! BUT, He was NOT just looking to save Israel, but ALL who would believe! GLORY! THAT means ME! It means YOU! HALLELUJAH and Thank YOU, Jesus! I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel! Look at Romans 1:16:

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. KJV

Look also at the Amplified Bible:

16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, AMP

Do YOU believe with a personal trust and a confident surrender to and reliance on Him? If so, and you haven't yet prayed to receive Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior, then pray this prayer with me and KNOW that YOU have received this "scandalous" gift! 

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.

AMEN! Now visit our website through the link on the left and find out how to begin to grow up in the things of God! Get into a good Bible teaching church and among like-minded believers! If you need help finding one, let us know and we'll help you out! Here, to encourage you, is Hillsong United with "Scandal of Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from Jerry Savelle's Daily Devotional:

Him First!

When your motivation for studying the Bible is so that you can know Him and not just to find some “secret formula,” then you will discover that your relationship will put you in a position to have your every need met.

This is why Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,” or in other words, put God first in your life, then “all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

The revelation from the Word of God that God wants to bless us is certainly valid. However, some people have become selfish, self-centered, and have no desire to know God, they only want what He’ll give them.

Many people have never really entered into a “knowing” relationship with God. They know about Him, but they really don’t know Him, because they don’t know Him, they tend to believe things about Him that simply are not true.

Don’t just look for some “get rich quick” scheme. Study the Word in order to know Him more intimately.

I hear Christians say sometimes, “I don’t know God’s will.” When you get to know Him, you’ll know His will. When you seek Him to know Him, everything else that you need will always follow.

Confession: Today, I set aside any things that I have been seeking first. I commit to seek God first and to know Him more intimately and trust that the other things will be added to me.

The most important person for us to really KNOW is Jesus. Knowing Him more intimately will open up His Word to our understanding! THAT will bring faith with which we can handle any and every situation we face! AMEN! I want to share the same song we shared yesterday because the message is perfect! "Closer and closer we want to know YOU"! AMEN! Hillsong Live with "Closer" (lyrics can be found in yesterday's blog):

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am loving Psalm 111 today, after an awesome Resurrection Day service at The Spoken Word Church! 

 1 PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart in the council of the upright and in the congregation.

    2 The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them.

    3 His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.

    4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.

    5 He has given food and provision to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever and imprint it [on His mind].

    6 He has declared and shown to His people the power of His works in giving them the heritage of the nations [of Canaan].

    7 The works of His hands are [absolute] truth and justice [faithful and right]; and all His decrees and precepts are sure (fixed, established, and trustworthy).

    8 They stand fast and are established forever and ever and are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness.

    9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant to be forever; holy is His name, inspiring awe, reverence, and godly fear.

    10 The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever. [Job. 28:28; Prov. 1:7; Matt. 22:37, 38; Rev. 14:7.]

He has done wonderful things for US! These "works" are to be remembered (verse 4)! Make sure that YOU are remembering to thank Him every day for each new day of His blessing on your life! LOVE verse 7! His WORD is TRUTH (John 17:17) and there are NO contradictions in it, only ignorance on our part! Ignorance is only temporary IF we decide to make it that way! Remember, you CAN know, if you follow on to know (Hosea 6:3)! How to begin? Verse 10, of course! Be in awe of Him and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, by the Holy Spirit and according to His Word! Continue doing this every day and you will begin to have the knowledge of Him and His Word continually flooding your innermost being! He WANTS you to know Him! Determine to do so! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Closer":

VERSE 
There is no life without You 
You have all that we need 
Where You are 
Every fear is broken 
And the darkness must flee 

CHORUS 
Closer and closer 
We want to know You 
Reaching out 
Reaching out 
Here in Your presence 
We want to go deeper 
In Your light 
Come alive 

VERSE 
There is no one beside You 
You alone are enough 
You fling the doors of 
Your heart wide open 
And we are lost in Your love 

BRIDGE 
To You 
We will come running 
In You 
We find belonging 
Your love 
Is all that can satisfy

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

As we celebrate Resurrection Day today, don't forget to remember just what He provided for YOU when He died and rose again! Jesus declared this in 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

He gave His life so that you could have it! Have what? LIFE! Look at 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). AMP

Is YOUR life overflowing with HIS life, in abundance? He desires it to be so! WE must want what God wants, for the same reason He wants it! He desires that none should perish or be lost (2 Peter 3:9). Our responsibility here is to preach the Gospel so every person we know has the opportunity to have HIM as Lord and Savior (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). THAT is what this abundant life is for! Make the necessary adjustments in your thoughts and motives and you will begin to see more of HIS life manifesting in yours! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake":

Shalom in Him!

SATURDAY'S POST

Shalom,

I have always been blessed by the TRUTH we find in the account of the widow who gave only two mites, which was all that she had. Look at Luke 21:1-4:

1 LOOKING UP, [Jesus] saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And He saw also a poor widow putting in two mites (copper coins). 3 And He said, Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 For they all gave out of their abundance (their surplus); but she has contributed out of her lack and her want, putting in all that she had on which to live.

God is NOT impressed with ANY of our physical possessions! HE owns them all in the first place (Psalm 24:1)! Give to the Lord your whole heart and the gifts you give to Him will mean something! This widow gave a minute amount, but she gave all that she had! She gave 100% of her heart in trust to HIM! YOU can, too! AMEN!  After all, HE gave it all for YOU! Here is Hillsong United with "Go":

Shalom in Him!

FRIDAY'S POST
Shalom,

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.

Do YOU awaken the dawn of each day with praise, thanksgiving and worship to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible? You SHOULD! The Word of God tells us that we are to love the Lord our God with our whole heart! That is the spirit/soul combination. We ARE spirit beings. We possess souls (our minds, emotions and wills) and we live, while on this earth, in mortal, physical bodies. Maintaining a grateful and thankful heart requires a diligent commitment! Practice praise and see how much YOUR life and outlook changes! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Irresistible":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a portion of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. 

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment . . . and plunged into the sea — John 21:7

Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction. If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the transaction is to be, but make the determination to surrender your will regarding whatever you see, whether it is in the shallow or the deep, profound places internally.

If you have heard Jesus Christ’s voice on the waves of the sea, you can let your convictions and your consistency take care of themselves by concentrating on maintaining your intimate relationship to Him.

Do you remember that the Word of God says that obedience is better in the eyes of the Lord than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22)? He desires that WE desire HIM and His presence more than anything else in life! We ARE to love the Lord our God with everything that is within us (Mark 12:30)! Make sure that YOU have made a complete dedication of your life to Him in faith and HE will do HIS part to lead, guide and direct you every step of the way! Here is a great song of commitment to help you with this! Hillsong United's "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail": 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This, from today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, is so vital for your spiritual growth! 

While you have the light, believe in the light . . . —John 12:36

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.

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.

Don’t give up because you have been blocked and confused once— go after it again. Burn your bridges behind you, and stand committed to God by an act of your own will. Never change your decisions, but be sure to make your decisions in the light of what you saw and learned on the mountain

Many born again believers live from one crusade, camp meeting, revival meeting, seminar to the next! Their faith is centered around the anointing present at these meetings, the particular minister who is conducting it, the praise and worship or the prayer line. This was fine when we were spiritual babes. NOW, however, we should be building up ourselves in our most holy faith (Jude 1:20 ) so that WE are able to minister to the REAL babies in the Body! AMEN! Remember, faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), not by simply reading and not by memorizing! Be a daily DOER of Joshua 1:8 and faith will not only COME, it will STAY and grow stronger! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Live with "Stronger":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 105 is a great instruction for every born again believer to obey! Look at verses 1-5:

1 O GIVE thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples! 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them.  3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity]. 4 Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore. 5 [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds that He has done, His miracles and wonders, the judgments and sentences which He pronounced [upon His enemies, as in Egypt].

I LOVE the Amplified Bible for most things! It just makes things so much clearer! We understand that we are supposed to give praise to the Lord! But this is more than just singing a few songs, singing in the Spirit, and sharing a message or two to bless people! This psalm says that we are supposed to "seek and require the Lord as our indispensable necessity"! When was the last time that YOU spent enough quality time in His presence, giving praise, thanksgiving and worship, with THIS high level motivation? How important IS praise, thanksgiving and worship to YOUR well being? Look at Luke 17:12-19:

12 And as He was going into one village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance. 13 And they raised up their voices and called, Jesus, Master, take pity and have mercy on us! 14 And when He saw them, He said to them, Go [at once] and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cured and made clean. 15 Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice; 16 And he fell prostrate at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, Were not [all] ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was there no one found to return and to recognize and give thanks and praise to God except this alien? 19 And He said to him, Get up and go on your way. Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your belief in God) has restored you to health.

Jesus had healed the 10 lepers and the Word of God says that they were cured and made clean "as they went". These lepers had to stand at a great distance from other people because they were considered unclean! In fact, if anyone came near them, they were supposed to yell out "UNCLEAN" so that people could avoid their presence! When Jesus prayed, all ten lepers were cured and were made clean, meaning that after they showed themselves to the priests who would declare them clean, they would be able to be in the presence of other people! This was a HUGE occurrence in their lives! This was NOT like being healed from the common cold! Yet, only ONE of them came back to thank Jesus! Was there a reward in doing so? ABSOLUTELY! Look at verse 19 from the KJV!

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: your faith hath made you whole. KJV

This is a VERY big deal! "Has made whole" is the Greek word "sozo". This means: to save, deliver, protect, rescue, make well, restore. Study leprosy sometime and learn how it would ravage the human body! Yes, all ten were free of the disease, but only the one who returned to thank the Lord was totally restored to health and wholeness! Make whatever adjustments are necessary for YOU to seek HIM as your "indispensable necessity"! The attitude HE requires is that HE we keep HIM as our #1 priority and the only ONE we can't live without! When HE has that place, then ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE and everyone else in our lives will be MOST BLESSED! AMEN! Here, to help you with this commitment, is Hillsong Kids with "My Number One". Let's have some child-like faith in operation! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have heard many varying opinions about the Lunar Eclipse Tetrad that begins tonight and involves 4 total lunar eclipses between tonight and September 2015. Some are of the opinion that God has nothing to do with it! I simply invite you to read all of Psalm 104 below and decide for yourself!

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

    2 [You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent,

    3 Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,

    4 Who makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His ministers.

    5 You laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.

    6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

    7 At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.

    8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which You appointed for them.

    9 You have set a boundary [for the waters] which they may not pass over, that they turn not again to deluge the earth.

    10 He sends forth springs into the valleys; their waters run among the mountains.

    11 They give drink to every [wild] beast of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst there.

    12 Beside them the birds of the heavens have their nests; they sing among the branches.

    13 He waters the mountains from His upper rooms; the earth is satisfied and abounds with the fruit of His works.

    14 He causes vegetation to grow for the cattle, and all that the earth produces for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food out of the earth--

    15 And wine that gladdens the heart of man, to make his face shine more than oil, and bread to support, refresh, and strengthen man's heart.

    16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly and are filled with sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He has planted,

    17 Where the birds make their nests; as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.

    18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the conies and badgers.

    19 [The Lord] appointed the moon for the seasons; the sun knows [the exact time of] its setting.

    20 You [O Lord] make darkness and it becomes night, in which creeps forth every wild beast of the forest.

    21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.

    22 When the sun arises, they withdraw themselves and lie down in their dens.

    23 Man goes forth to his work and remains at his task until evening.

    24 O Lord, how many and varied are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your riches and Your creatures.

    25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, in which are swarms of innumerable creeping things, creatures both small and great.

    26 There go the ships of the sea, and Leviathan (the sea monster), which You have formed to sport in it.

    27 These all wait and are dependent upon You, that You may give them their food in due season.

    28 When You give it to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, and they are filled with good things.

    29 When You hide Your face, they are troubled and dismayed; when You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

    30 When You send forth Your Spirit and give them breath, they are created, and You replenish the face of the ground.

    31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works--

    32 Who looks on the earth, and it quakes and trembles, Who touches the mountains, and they smoke!

    33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.

    34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord.

    35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Do you REALLY think that anything that happens in the heavens and the earth are simply coincidence? Look at Acts 2:16-21 where Peter was explaining what as happening to the born again believers and what would happen in the last days!

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. KJV

OUR God IS God! The times and seasons are in His hands! Watch and pray as you see these events unfold! This IS the most exciting time to be alive! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong United with "A Million Suns":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have found a new email daily devotional that I have been enjoying called "First Things First" by Christine Caine. She has such a positive outlook based on he Word of God that I want to share these with you on occasion! Here is the one from today:

I want you to think about a dollar bill. You don’t know its history, what it has paid for or where it has been, but you do know its value. The value is determined by the United States Treasury Department that printed the bill. Do you know it is no different when God looks at you? It doesn’t matter where you have been or what you have done, God knows your value because when He looks at you He sees His Son. You are worth far more than gold. He loves you unconditionally and has a plan and purpose for your existence. So, every time you see a dollar bill, remember . . . Your worth is found in Jesus!

AMEN! If YOU are born again, having received Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior, then God is now your very own Father and YOU are His very own child. He loves YOU as much as He loves Jesus! Hard to believe? Look at John 17:23:

23 I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. AMP

Actually, you should read ALL of John 17 on a regular basis. This is Jesus praying for HIS own. That includes every born again believer! He sees you through the Blood of Jesus, and ONLY through that Blood! Never belittle yourself again, especially to God! He paid a very dear price to ransom you and accomplished a great and mighty work IN you, by His Spirit! What are YOU saying about the wonderful work of God? Here, to encourage you, is Hillsong Live with "Love So High":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I was really blessed reading Psalm 102 again today! Two things really leapt off the page at me! Look at verses 12-13:

12 But You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; and the fame of Your name endures to all generations. 13 You will arise and have mercy and loving-kindness for Zion, for it is time to have pity and compassion for her; yes, the set time has come [the moment designated].

This psalm was written a very long time ago, but it is still vital today! The "set time" has come again for the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible to be the strength of Israel and Jerusalem! We ARE living in the most exciting time ever! Soon and very soon we are going to see our King appearing for His church! HIS fame endures forever! HALLELUJAH! The other Truth that I saw is in verse 18:

18 Let this be recorded for the generation yet unborn, that a people yet to be created shall praise the Lord.

The generation yet unborn is referring to a future generation. The "people yet to be created" is THE CHURCH! Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17:

17 Therefore if any person is in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! AMP

The moment a sinner prays to receive Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior, the Spirit of God comes and recreates what was a dead human spirit into a NEW spirit in the image of God Himself! Our spirit man is PERFECT! NOW we must renew our souls (mind, emotion and will) with the Word of God so that what took place on the inside can be evidenced in our lives! AMEN! These new creation people are to praise the Lord! How is YOUR praise life? Wherever you are in that, there is always room for improvement. Grow your intimate fellowship with Him by praising Him in spirit and in Truth, by the Holy Spirit within you and by the Word of God, and you will grow closer and closer to Him! He desires for us to do so! LET'S DO IT! Here is Hillsong with "Closer and Closer":

VERSE 
There is no life without You 
You have all that we need 
Where You are 
Every fear is broken 
And the darkness must flee 
CHORUS 
Closer and closer 
We want to know You 
Reaching out 
Reaching out 
Here in Your presence 
We want to go deeper 
In Your light 
Come alive 
VERSE 
There is no one beside You 
You alone are enough 
You fling the doors of 
Your heart wide open 
And we are lost in Your love 
BRIDGE 
To You 
We will come running 
In You 
We find belonging 
Your love 
Is all that can satisfy

Shalom in Him!