Shalom,

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers is excellent today!

That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. — John 15:11

What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. "I delight to do Thy will." (Psalm 40:8) Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happenings, not in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had. The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious  (petty) irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of this world, said Jesus, will choke God’s word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the shows of things. All that God has done for us is the mere threshold; He wants to get us to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim Who Jesus is.      

                                                                              

Be rightly related to God (born again), find your joy there, and out of you will flow rivers of living water. Be a centre for Jesus Christ to pour living water through. Stop being self-conscious, stop being a sanctified prig (haughty), and live the life hid with Christ. The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes. The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it.                                                                

AMEN! The Christian life is NOT meant to be a life on constant struggle to "be good"! It is to be a daily adventure in faith where we  are fellowshipping with HIM, growing in the Word, understanding the Word and obeying the Word until living this way becomes as normal and natural as breathing! When was the last time you actually thought about your breathing? Do you see? THAT is the life we were born again to live! AMEN! Here is another older song from Hillsong called "Irresistible":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There are many issues that people who don't want to acknowledge the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, or Jesus Christ as Lord, like to bring up to try and trap Christians. When they do, they then try to attach labels to us to try and hurt our reputations. Pay no attention to those who would try to do this in YOUR life! You need answer no questions about these issues unless the Spirit of God is leading you to minister to them! Jesus encountered this often in His ministry! We see one example of that in today's Bible Reading in Mark. The Pharisees, always trying to trap Jesus, asked Him about divorce. Jesus answered them in verses 5-8:

5 But Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart [your condition of insensibility to the call of God] he wrote you this precept in your Law. 6 But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. 7 For this reason a man shall leave [behind] his father and his mother and be joined to his wife and cleave closely to her permanently, 8 And the two shall become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.

There is your answer! This is also your answer to the "gay marriage" debate! God Himself created marriage! HE established the boundaries of marriage to be between a man and a woman. People are free to do whatever they want! God gave each and every one of us the freedom of CHOICE! He will NOT force anyone to obey His Word! He will NOT force anyone to receive Jesus as Lord and personal Savior! He made THE WAY for us to belong to HIM for all of eternity (John 14:6), but the choice is, and always has been, our own! The same is true for every one of God's precepts, instructions and commandments! Joshua 24:15 gives us this choice:

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. KJV

Marriage, by God's own decree, is between one man and one woman. Anything else is whatever you want to call it, but it is NOT marriage! Let God be true, but every man a liar; (Romans 3:4)! Settle this for your own mind, and refuse to debate! If someone TRULY wants to know what God thinks, they KNOW where to look! Debating YOU is only for the purpose of dragging you into contention.  AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "One Way", because He IS the ONLY Way! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Said I not unto you, that if you would believe, you should see the glory of God? — John 11:40
Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common-sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture heroically on Jesus Christ’s statements when the facts of your common-sense life shout – "It’s a lie?" On the mount it is easy to say – ‘Oh, yes, I believe God can do it’; but you have to come down into the demon-possessed valley and meet with facts that laugh ironically at the whole of your mount-of-transfiguration belief. Every time my programme of belief is clear to my own mind, I come across something that contradicts it. Let me say I believe God will supply all my need, and then let me run dry, with no outlook, and see whether I will go through the trial of faith, or whether I will sink back to something lower.

This goes right along with Isaiah 31 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Look at verse 1: 

1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!

God's ways are NOT our ways (unless WE choose HIS ways!), but His ways are MUCH better (Isaiah 55:8-9)! When you find yourself at odds with the Word, choose the Word anyway! HE is always right (Numbers 23:19; Romans 3:4)! Trust Him and walk in the faith that the Word of God will bring! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Always Will":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There is a very important lesson to learn from today's reading in Mark! Verses 31-33 says this:

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must of necessity suffer many things and be tested and disapproved and rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again [from death]. 32 And He said this freely (frankly, plainly, and explicitly, making it unmistakable). And Peter took Him by the hand and led Him aside and then [facing Him] began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God’s side, but that of men].

Notice that just two verses before this Peter had spoken by the Holy Spirit when he said that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah! Now we see Peter trying to correct Jesus when Jesus revealed the Father's plan to them. What is the lesson? Both Holy Spirit and the enemy use people to speak to us! When any of us is not swift to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19), we may be used by the devil to further HIS cause! Choose rather to be led by the Spirit, and when we speak, speak as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11)! We CAN! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The daily devotional from The Spoken Word Church website for today says this:

Plan on Supernatural Protection

Every day of your life, Satan will make attempts to destroy you. The story of Job illustrates this. You are not capable of totally protecting yourself. You will require supernatural interventions. Plan on supernatural protection daily. It is one of your rewards for hourly obedience.

"But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries." (Exodus 23:22)

Not only do we have this promise from Exodus, but we also have all of Psalm 91, which every born again believer should make their own by meditating on it and confessing and declaring it over their lives on a daily basis! Here is the entire Psalm:

1 HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! 3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. 8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,  [Psalms 91:1,14.] 10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. 11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.  [Luke 4:10,11; Hebrews 1:14.] 13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.  [Luke 10:19.] 14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness — trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.  AMP

Make these declarations over your own life, today and every day! COUNT on God's protection wherever you go! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Lifeline":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 56:3-4 is a declaration of faith and confidence made by David, who lived under the Old Covenant! 

3 What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. 4 By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me?

David KNEW, as did Abraham before him, that what God had promised, He was able also to perform (Romans 4:21)! WE have a better Covenant that is based on even better promises than they had (Hebrews 8:6)! Keep this in mind as we look at Jerry Savelle's devotion for today!

Decide to Win

You can have life and blessing or you can have death and cursing. The decision is yours. God puts it this way:

 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

God said, “Here is life and blessing, and here is death and cursing. What is your choice?” It is up to you. Whose decision is it to have life? Yours! Whose decision is it for you to prosper? Yours! Whose decision is it for you to be in health? Yours!

When Jesus said to a man, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6) He was telling the man that the prerequisite to being made whole is to make a decision to be made whole. Whatever challenge you are facing right now, choose to win.

Confession: I make the decision to have life today. I make the decision to have blessing today. I make the decision to be made completely whole today. I choose to win.

What will YOU choose THIS DAY? What WE choose is what WE will have! Choose wisely! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Two things really stood out to me in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! First of all, Psalm 55:22-23 was one of the first portions of Scripture that I ever read in the Amplified Bible and I LOVE it! 

22 Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). 23 But You, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in, lean on, and confidently rely on You.

The promise that God will NOT allow the righteous to "slip, fall or fail" was SO exciting to me! I could confidently leave things in His hands, trusting completely in Him to lead me successfully through every situation! I STILL have that same confident trust! THAT is what meditation in the Word (Joshua 1:8) will do for YOU! The other verses that stood out to me today are found in Mark 5:25-34:

25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, 28 For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health. 29 And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment. 30 And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes? 31 And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me? 32 Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.

This is Mark's account of the woman with the issue of blood. Notice that she came up behind Jesus, IN THE THRONG, and touched His garment! With her issue of blood she was considered, by Jewish law, to be unclean. She was NOT to be in a crowd of people at all! She was to stay apart and if someone came close to her, she was to yell "UNCLEAN"! There were severe consequences for disobeying that command! What does that tell YOU about this woman's attitude? She was DESPERATE! She was every bit as desperate for her healing as the men who had carried their friend to see Jesus and cut a hole in someone else's roof in order to get him to Jesus! The question that comes next is: How desperate are YOU for the things of God, and to walk in the promises of His Word? No one can develop desperation FOR you! Decide today that you will not go another day without stirring up your confident hope and eager anticipation for the things God has already provided for you in His Word! Become desperate to show forth His glory in your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Love Like Fire":

"Love Like Fire"

I am desperate for Your touch
A glimpse of heaven
For the glory of Your Son.
In a moment You can
Turn a life around
Forever to be found in You.

I am reaching out to find
Theres nothing greater than
Your love that holds my life.
Your grace and mercy that
Have saved me by Your blood,
And swept away my shame Oh Lord.

Your love is like fire
That burns for all to see.
My only desire
To worship at Your feet.
So let this fire
Consume my life.
Let Your love take me deeper
Pull me closer to where You are,
'cause all I want is more of You.

And I'm surrender to Your love
Forever humbled by the
Message of the cross.
I stand abandoned in
Your presence and Your embrace,
And I'll never be the same Oh God.

Your love is like fire,
That burns for all to see.
My only desire,
To worship at Your feet.
So let this fire
Consume my life.
Let Your love take me deeper,
Pull me closer to where You are,
'cause all I want is more of You.

When You call I will follow.
At the cross I surrender all,
Jesus I belong to You.

I belong to You Lord

Your love is like fire,
That burns for all to see.
My only desire,
To worship at Your feet.

Your love is like fire,
That burns for all to see.
My only desire,
To worship at Your feet.

So let this fire
Consume my life.
Let Your love take me deeper,
Pull me closer to where You are,
'cause all I want is more of You.

When You call I will follow,
At the cross I surrender all,
Jesus I belong to You.

Let Your love take me deeper,
Pull me closer to where You are,
Cause all I want is more of You

When You call I will follow,
At the cross I surrender all,
Jesus I belong to You.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have always liked Mark 4:24-25:

24 And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear. 25 For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away [by force],

Notice that as you give "thought and study" to the Word of God that you have been taught, then you will receive virtue and  knowledge! The Holy Spirit is our great Teacher! When we meditate, according to Joshua 1:8, on the Word of God, then the Spirit of God will make that Word real and make it come alive to us in a way that we can act on it and become DOERS of the Word. Look at Luke 12:12; John 14:26; 1 John 2:27:

Luke 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. KJV

John 14:26 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. AMP

1 John 2:27 But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do].  AMP

As a born again believer, you have an advantage that no unbeliever on earth has! you HAVE the Spirit of God living IN you! He is there, among other wonderful things, to TEACH us how to operate in the Kingdom of Heaven while here on earth! The unbeliever cannot receive the Spirit of God UNTIL they receive Jesus as Lord and personal Savior (1 Corinthians 2:14) Take the challenge to get into the Word of God as never before and you will see amazing results in your life, home and loved ones! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 53:1 says this:

1 The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt and evil are they, and doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

Do YOU know someone who claims they don't believe in God? We looked at this earlier on the blog, but I want to post it again. Romans 1:20-23:

20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],  [Psalms 19:1-4.] 21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves]. 23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles. AMP

Notice that God has made His presence "intelligible and clearly discernible" through His creation! There is no REAL denying of the God of the Bible! They KNOW! They may, for whatever dumb reason, not want to acknowledge Him, but they still know! AMEN! THAT is why it makes one an "empty-headed fool" for denying Him! We see the same idiotic response to Jesus in Mark 3! The Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to try to catch Him healing on the Sabbath so they could bring charges against Him. Here are these religious leaders, who SHOULD have known their Messiah when He appeared, who saw miracles of health and healing and deliverance that they had NOT seen in their lifetime! Wouldn't you think that they would WANT to see God's goodness displayed? Apparently NOT! Look at verse 6:

6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately held a consultation with the Herodians against Him, how they might [devise some means to] put Him to death.

SERIOUSLY! They witnessed things that were promised in the Word of God, but refused to acknowledge that HE was the Reason! Our goal for own personal lives should be to continue to show forth HIS Word and works so those who WILL want to know YOUR God, CAN know Him! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "I Believe":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In a great many of the instances when Jesus healed someone during His earthly ministry, He said that it was THEIR faith that made them whole! Jesus recognized when someone was in faith or not. In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan in Mark 2 we see this in verses 1-4:

1 And Jesus having returned to Capernaum, after some days it was rumored about that He was in the house [probably Peter’s]. 2 And so many people gathered together there that there was no longer room [for them], not even around the door; and He was discussing the Word. 3 Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had scooped out an opening, they let down the [thickly padded] quilt or mat upon which the paralyzed man lay.

THIS was a desperate move on their part! Look at verse 5 to see the reaction of Jesus:

5 And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven [you] and put away [that is, the penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed, and you are made upright and in right standing with God].

Jesus SAW their faith! What did Jesus "see"? Well, we know that He was filled with the Spirit, so I am sure that He knew inside Himself of the faith of these who brought this man. But He also "saw" the desperate, "we refuse to be denied access" attitude! The result of their desperation, faith and boldness? Verses 11-12:

11 I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and be going on home. 12 And he arose at once and picked up the sleeping pad or mat and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and recognized and praised and thanked God, saying, We have never seen anything like this before!

How desperate are YOU to receive ALL God has provided for you in His Word? Only YOU can put limits on what God can do in YOUR life! Find out what God's Word provides and then get desperate for it! Matthew 11:12 says this:

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].

Get YOUR share by going after HIM and His Word! AMEN! One of the saddest things I have experienced in my almost 28 years as an ordained minister of the Gospel is the number of people who have died in my community who never even set foot in The Spoken Word Church, where we have not buried an active member in our 33 years as a local church! Pastor Bill Novak has made his services available to teach and train believers to receive the healing that was provided for EVERY born again believer at the Resurrection of Jesus. Every minister in the area knows and is responsible for whether or not they made this available to their people or not. The people themselves are without excuse because we have fully advertised what we believe. Refuse to go along with the crowd when YOU can have ALL that God has provided for you! John 10:10 wasn't just a great saying from Jesus, it IS the TRUTH!

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).

DARE to believe! DARE to receive! DARE to tell others! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Our Spoken Word Church devotional for today contains this portion:

Obedience is doing whatever God instructs you to do. Each instruction is linked to a miracle in your future. Each act of obedience shortens the distance to any miracle you are pursuing.

Obedience is very important to the God of the Bible! He tells us this in 1 Samuel 15:22:

22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,  And to heed than the fat of rams.

We also see this in today's Bible Reading Plan in Mark 1:40-45:

40 And a leper came to Him, begging Him on his knees and saying to Him, If You are willing, You are able to make me clean. 41 And being moved with pity and sympathy, Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be made clean! 42 And at once the leprosy [completely] left him and he was made clean [by being healed]. 43 And Jesus charged him sternly (sharply and threateningly, and with earnest admonition) and [acting with deep feeling thrust him forth and] sent him away at once, 44 And said to him, See that you tell nothing [of this] to anyone; but begone, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your purification what Moses commanded, as a proof (an evidence and witness) to the people [that you are really healed]. 45 But he went out and began to talk so freely about it and blaze abroad the news [spreading it everywhere] that [Jesus] could no longer openly go into a town but was outside in [lonely] desert places. But the people kept on coming to Him from all sides and every quarter.

We see here that disobedience can cause hardship, to ourselves and others! Practice being obedient to the Word of God and to the specific instructions from the Holy Spirit. REWARDS come ONLY for obedience! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "Trust and Obey":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I recently watched the movie, "God's Not Dead". It was very well done and I loved the systematic way that the student in the film destroys all of the arguments of the liberal professor! No, we cannot "prove" the existence of God, but no one has EVER disproved Him! EVER! The Bible tells us in Romans 1:20 that creation itself speaks of the presence and power of God! IF people WANT to know Him, they can! The choice has always been ours to make! Look at Romans 1:20-23:

20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],  [Psalms 19:1-4.] 21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves]. 23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles. AMP

I hope that YOU have chosen Him! The Word of God tells us that all of creation was done by Jesus (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16)! This same Jesus gave up His glory in Heaven and came to earth in the form of man. He lived His earthly life as a man (without sin) and not as God ,even though He never stopped BEING God! This made HIM the perfect representative of both! HE was made sin with the sin of all mankind in order for US to have the opportunity to CHOOSE to be made new creations in HIM! Have YOU received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior yet? If not, please go to our website through the link on the left and find out more! For those who have received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior, what are YOU doing to make sure that the precious Gospel of Salvation through Jesus is presented to all of those in YOUR realm of influence? Have a plan and a purpose for your personal ministry (2 Corinthians 5:18)! The Spirit of God, His Anointing, will rise up within you to present the message in power! AMEN! Let's DO THIS! Here is Hillsong United with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This, from Faith To Faith by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, is very important for success in YOUR walk of faith! 

Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ, the Messiah, [as] risen from the dead. – 2 Timothy 2:8

This is the key to holding onto the blessings of God. When pressure comes, when troubles and trials are bearing down on you, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Remember that when Jesus arose, you arose. When He came out of hell and defeated the enemy, you came out of hell and defeated the enemy. His victory is your victory because you're in Him.

In the hard places, remember that. When the devil tells you you're not going to get your answer this time, remember that. When he tells you there's no way out, you remember Christ, the Anointed One, the Victorious Conqueror, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father!

If there's an image Satan hates more than any other, it must be that image of Jesus, rising from the dead, stripping him forever of his authority, and openly displaying his defeat to all of heaven and hell. That's the picture you need to keep in the forefront of your mind. Think about it until it's etched into your heart so deeply that nothing Satan says or does can get it out of you.

That's when the gifts of God will be established in your life. That's when the devil won't be able to talk you out of your inheritance with trials and tribulations. Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

The devil will ALWAYS try to paint a picture of fear, lack, doom and gloom, and he hopes that you will receive it and make it your own. YOU have a choice to make! Will you receive the lying picture from the enemy or will you allow the Spirit of God and the Word of God to paint a picture of victory, health, prosperity, peace, joy and love inside of you? As for me and my house, we CHOOSE LIFE! Now get yourself into the Word of God, spend tie praying in the Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to give you God images of the GOOD things that He has promised in His Word! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Where We Belong":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have a confession that we make at The Spoken Word Church when we are believing God for healing, protection, safety, provision, prosperity and anything else that we have need of that God has promised in His Word. It is this:

"God is 100% able, and He is even more willing than He is able, so He is AT LEAST 100% willing!"

That is entirely Scriptural! Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin covers this every well:

When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, THOU CAN make me clean. (Matt. 8:1-2)

Notice what the leper said: "Thou can." We would say today, "You're able to." You see, he already believed that Jesus was able to do it. But he wasn't sure if Jesus was willing to do it. Then Jesus put forth His hand, touched him, and said, "I will" (Matt. 8:3). 

Jesus never said, "I won't." Of all the people who ever came to Jesus for healing, Jesus never said, "It's not My will to heal you. God's trying to teach you a lesson. You just be patient in this, and let patience have her perfect work."  Not one single time did Jesus ever say that. And no man has any right to say it to others in His Name, because Jesus Himself never said it. 

Settle on God's willingness to heal you. He not only can, but He will! So don't just believe that He can; believe that He will! 

Confession: God desires to heal me. I believe that He is not only ABLE to do it, but He is also WILLING to do it.

AMEN! He IS and He WILL for YOU! Believe it, receive it and share it! Here is Hillsong Chapel with a song about that very thing! "Lost Are Found":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

John 1:1-5:

1 IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.  [Isaiah 9:6.] 2 He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. AMP

This "Life" is "zoe", the absolute fullness of life that is in God! God's very force of LIFE! THIS life is the LIGHT that defeats the darkness of the world! Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the darkness and horror that is taking place in the world? KNOW this from 1 John 5:10-13:

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

Every born again believer HAS this same "zoe", LIFE, in them that God has within HIMSELF! This LIFE in you is the LIGHT that will drive the darkness out of YOUR situations, family, job and all your areas of influence! Now that Jesus has risen and ascended to Heaven, WE are the same LIGHT in this world that HE was during His earthly ministry! Refuse to be discouraged by darkness ever again! BE the LIGHT and darkness will flee! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a song we have used here many times, but it is especially appropriate today! "Children Of The Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

I really like this from Jerry Savelle's daily devotional:

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.

AMEN! Will YOU make this commitment? Everything you have been believing God for will be found on the other side of your obedience! Here is Hillsong United with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Would you like to erase any doubt that we are living in the last days? Look at 2 Timothy 3:1-5:

1 But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. 3 [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. 4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. 5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

Sound familiar? As born again believers we MUST recognize the signs of the times in which we live, BUT, we are NOT to order OUR lives by them! We are to continue to be where God wants us to be, doing what God wants us to do! To do anything less would make us just like these unbelievers! They may be belligerent, but the Bible tells us that "a soft answer turns away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1) and God's Word will NOT return void (Isaiah 55:11)! Keep sowing the seed of God's Word and watering it with prayer and EXPECT to see godly results! AMEN! Refuse the lies the enemy tells when he says that people don't really WANT to hear the Gospel. THEY DO! They may not admit it to YOU, but inside they have a giant hole that they have been trying to fill with anything and everything BUT God! Let the WORD do it's work! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Not Ashamed", because it is the Gospel that will set people free! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 44 is an instructional psalm. The first part shows what God did for the nation of Israel. The rest of the psalm shows what happened when God's people turned from him to do things their own way! He removed them from the land and left them to their own ways. NOT forever, but until they had repented. Then, in His perfect timing, He brought them back again! We are looking today at verses 1-8:

1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us [what] work You did in their days, in the days of old. 2 You drove out the nations with Your hand and it was Your power that gave [Israel] a home by rooting out the [heathen] peoples, but [Israel] You spread out. 3 For they got not the land [of Canaan] in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance [did it], because You were favorable toward and did delight in them. 4 You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel). 5 Through You shall we push down our enemies; through Your name shall we tread them under who rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in and lean on my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7 But You have saved us from our foes and have put them to shame who hate us. 8 In God we have made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! AMP

The One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible brought His people to their promised land, the land HE had promised to give them! He gave the heathen nations opportunity to bless His people, and when they refused, He took the land from them and drove them out! In case you were thinking that God did something "illegal" here, look at Exodus 19:5:

5 Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine.  AMP

When the heathen nations wanted nothing to do with the One, True God, He obliged them by casting them OUT! HE gave the land to Israel! He gave them MUCH more than they currently occupy! Check your own attitude towards the nation of Israel and the Jewish people! He WILL bless those who bless Israel! Those who won't? I wouldn't want to BE them! AMEN! Here is Don Moen with "Mighty One Of Israel":

 Shalom in Him!