Shalom,

There are two things that really stood out to me from our Spoken Word Bible Plan readings for today. The first is from Psalm 31. David was crying out to God for help, but along with this he was reminding himself of how the Lord had already delivered him in times past. We MUST base our faith on the Word of God (Romans 10:17), but when the circumstances SEEM to be so contrary to the promise, then we must encourage ourselves in the Lord the way David did! He did it by remembering past victories! He reminded himself that God was faithful! HE never changes (Hebrews 13:8)! Look at these verses for an example of how to think and what to say to keep yourself in faith during times of testing, trial and temptation! Verses 19-24:

19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere,and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men! 20 In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues. 21 Blessed be the Lord! For He has shown me His marvelous loving favor when I was beset as in a besieged city. 22 As for me, I said in my haste and alarm, I am cut off from before Your eyes. But You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You for aid. 23 O love the Lord, all you His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, and plentifully pays back him who deals haughtily. 24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!

Notice that it is "in the secret place of Your presence" that the Lord our God hides us from the attacks of the enemy (Psalm 91)! Love, pray for, encourage and assist your fellow believers in Jesus, our brothers and sisters in the faith, when they are undergoing tests, trials and tribulations, but NEVER attribute these to God! The promise is that He WILL hide us! COUNT on it, no matter what happens to others! We do NOT know their lives and whether or not they had the same faith in this promise. If we base our faith for even a moment on the experiences of  others, it ceases to be faith, which is based solely and completely on the Word of God! You may be ridiculed for your stance, but you WILL be walking in the promise! AMEN! 

The second thing that really stood out to me came while I was reading Acts 3. We see that Peter and John were going in to the temple "at the hour of prayer". This was three o'clock in the afternoon, one of the three times a day (9am, 12, 3pm) that "The Amidah", or "The Standing Prayer", was said in the temple. This had been going on since 450 BC and the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. One of the portions of this prayer is a prayer for healing. 

"Heal us, Oh Lord, and we will be healed; save us and we will be saved. For You are our praise. Oh grant a perfect healing to all our ailments, for You, Almighty King, are a faithful and merciful healer. Blessed are You, O Lord, the healer of the sick of His people Israel."

We've mentioned before that this man had heard this prayer because he was laid daily at the gates of the temple, but he was never able to stand with the rest of the congregation to pray! NOW, he went in "walking and leaping and praising God"! The thing that really came to my attention was the fact that this prayer for healing was prayed three times a day, EVERY DAY, for about 480 years and yet the people had not seen healings such as the ones that Jesus performed! This makes it all the more bizarre that the religious leaders would refuse to recognize that Jesus was Who He said He was! Have you encountered people who, in spite of all the evidence, refuse to believe the Word of God and the God of the Word? Take heart! They did the same to Jesus! Just continue to walk in the Light of His Word and be the example to those around you, all the time praying for them to see and receive! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "God Who Saves":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Are you familiar with 2 Chronicles 20:15?

15 He said, Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

We can have great faith and confidence in every situation that God already has the answer and the solution! HE has already gotten the victory FOR us (1 Corinthians 15:7; Romans 8:37)! What WE need now is the wisdom to do OUR part in order to have this victory manifest in our lives! Now, look at Jerry Savelle's devotional for today!

Wisdom to Win

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering … James 1:5-6 AMP)

God always has a way to get you out of trouble and into the victory He has planned for you. This victory comes through the wisdom, knowledge, an understanding you need in your situation. So how do you tap into this wealth of wisdom? Wisdom is received from God exactly the same way anything else is received from God: by asking in faith.

First, meditate on the promise found in James 1:5 until you know in your spirit that God is going to give you the wisdom you need. Then, simply ask Him for it and believe from that moment that you have received all the answers and understanding you need for the situation. Even if you still feel confused or uncertain, thank God for giving you the wisdom you asked for.

If the answer you need isn’t apparent two seconds after you ask, don’t waiver. Rest in the fact that God has answered your request. As you continue to thank Him and read His Word, the answers you need to get you out of that trouble will certainly come.

Confession: Father, I come to you in faith today, asking for the wisdom I need to obtain victory in my situation. I refuse to waiver as I thank you for the wisdom you have promised to so liberally give to me. I receive it now in Jesus’ name.

AMEN! There is no reason to EVER stay in and settle for bad situations! Seek HIM diligently for the way out and HE is faithful! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's reading from the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan includes Psalm 29. What a powerful Psalm this is! The footnote in the version I am using says that this is referred to as "The Song of the Thunderstorm" , reminding the listener of Noah and the flood. Here is this entire Psalm from the Amplified Bible:

1 Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness or in holy array. 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon many (great) waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord splits and flashes forth forked lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the hinds bring forth their young, and His voice strips bare the forests, while in His temple everyone is saying, Glory! 10 The Lord sat as King over the deluge; the Lord [still] sits as King [and] forever! 11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

I can imagine hearing this Psalm sung by a congregation of people who are sold out, completely committed and on fire for the things of God! This type of commitment begins at home, though! If you don't already, begin to sing the Psalms and see how much clearer you are able to hear the Spirit of God as He teaches you the Word of God in a way that YOU are able to understand and immediately put into practice! The One, True God LOVES to hear HIS Word on YOUR lips! AMEN! Now look again at verse 11:

11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

When we DO this, HE will give to us HIS great "peace", which is the Greek word "shalowm", and means: completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, health, prosperity, contentment, friendship. When someone in Israel greets you with "Shalom", consider yourself MOST blessed! AMEN! Meditate on this today and realize that the God Who was this to David, IS this still! He NEVER changes (James 1:7; Hebrews 13:8)! Here is a medley of great songs from Rhema Singers and Band from a long time ago that are just as powerful today!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I simply want to remind you of a few instructions, and then to encourage you with how very blessed we are to live in THESE days! First of all, we receive this instruction from the Old Testament, and it is never changed in the New! 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.

Do you see that there is never a time when we are NOT to do this? If we truly want to be successful in whatever we do, then we MUST obey this instruction! There is NO other way to true prosperity and success! There are two ditches that believers sometimes fall into concerning success and prosperity. Either they believe that they have to do nothing and the blessings of God will simply pour out on them, or they believe that God wants nothing to do with natural success and prosperity and is simply concerned with spiritual things. BOTH are extremely inaccurate! Look at John 10:10 and 3 John 2:

John 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).

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

Does THAT sound like someone who wants you to remain poor and "under the circumstances"? It does NOT, because HE does not! In fact, the KJV version of 3 John 2 says this:

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers

AMEN! In OUR time, with all of the wonderful technology that we have, it is easier than ever before to spend time continually in the Word of God, in some form or another! Are YOU making the most of these wonderful "tools" from God for getting, and keeping, the Word of God inside of you? If not, make the choice to do so now! You will be tremendously glad you did! Now that we have established that, I want to remind you of THIS instruction found in Mark 12:30-31:

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. 31 The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

When we determine to live by this law of love, then we WILL be pleasing to Him AND we will reap the rewards of that obedience here, in THIS life, AND in the life to come! There is nothing that anyone could ever do to you that would make getting out of this life of love worth it! Our walking in love, because He first loved US, is pleasing to the Lord and we have THIS promise when WE please HIM! :

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

AMEN! So, let's rest in HIS peace that passes all understanding by walking in love, with HIM first, and then with others! Remember, love NEVER fails (1 Corinthians 13:8)! Here is  Hillsong with "Love Knows No End":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Look at Psalm 27:4:

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

David, who lived under the Old Covenant, had this deep desire within him! HE had to go to a physical place in order to be in the house of the Lord! He and other believers would yearn to be in the presence of the Lord. After the Temple was built, believers in the One, True God would travel from where they lived to Jerusalem to be near His presence in the Holy of Holies! We who have received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior have received the Spirit of the Lord to live inside of us and have only to get alone with Him to be in His presence! Any time, all day long! We are, of all people who have ever lived, MOST BLESSED! Look at verse 4 in the Amplified Bible:

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.

How amazing is it that some, in this most blessed of all times to be alive, ignore that close presence of the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible and spend no time with Him at all? I am making it my determined purpose to spend MORE time than ever before "inquiring" of Him in His presence! HE is the only person we know that has ALL the answers to every situation! Why would we ever look anywhere else? It takes diligence and commitment to do this, but it DOES become our nature when we do! Are you ready? Let's GO! Here is Hillsong with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have to share this from Jerry Savelle's devotional for today! 

Grace and Strength

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]. (Philippians 4:13 AMP)

The word grace can be defined as “the strength and power of God that enables us to do what He tells us.”  So, how do you access this enabling strength and power? By accessing the grace of God. The Bible says, “It is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace” (Hebrews 13:9 AMP).

The grace of God is the only thing that is going to give you inner strength. No amount of self-effort or determination is going to release that inner power. Romans 5:2 tells us that we have access to this grace by faith. Just listen to this partial list from Hebrews 1 of what accessing grace through faith did for those who believed:

• Noah prepared and ark for the saving of his household
• Abram went to the place which he would receive as an inheritance
• Sarah received strength to conceive a child
• Moses led God’s people safely through the Red Sea
• Women received their dead raised to life again

It doesn’t matter what difficulty you may be facing today, or how impossible it may seem to accomplish what God has called you to do. God’s grace will provide the inner strength and power you need to carry you to victory—and you can access this grace through faith.

Confession: By faith, I access the grace of God. I believe I receive supernatural inner strength to do what the Word tells me to do. I am not moved by how I feel, because God’s grace is upon me right now.

Remember that faith comes by hearing (and hearing and hearing) the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Find out what the Word of God says about each and every situation that you face. Develop your faith by continually meditating on that Word and you will find that His grace is sufficient for YOU, too (2 Corinthians 12:9)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Scandal Of Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 25:12-14 should be very exciting to those who fear the Lord and who, like Paul (Philippians 3:10), have determined to really KNOW Him!

12 Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. 13 He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land. 14 The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

I LOVE that this deep intimate knowing of the LORD is a secret. It is NOT something that is known to those who do not seriously seek Him! The world cannot know Him the way that WE can, IF we choose to. Is there anything in YOUR life that is hindering you from seeking Him with everything that is within you? If there is, then make some adjustments! We cannot successfully walk in this new Covenant any other way! Let's GO FOR IT! Here is Hillsong with "Closer":

"Closer"

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

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

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

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The message that I believe the LORD wants us to get inside today is that each one of us is called to full time ministry! Few are actually called to a "pulpit" ministry, but we are ALL called to the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). We will carry this out in unique and different ways because we are all unique and different individuals! For that very reason, we will each be able to reach different people! I LOVE God's wonderful plan for the Gospel! I want to share two devotional readings for today that address different aspects of this, to encourage you in YOUR ministry! First we have "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

 I have appeared unto thee for this purpose. — Acts 26:16

The vision Paul had on the road to Damascus was no passing emotion, but a vision that had very clear and emphatic directions for him, and he says, "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." (Acts 26:19) Our Lord said, in effect, to Paul – Your whole life is to be overmastered by Me; you are to have no end, no aim, and no purpose but Mine. "I have chosen him."(Acts 9:15)

 When we are born again we all have visions, if we are spiritual at all, of what Jesus wants us to be, and the great thing is to learn not to be disobedient to the vision, not to say that it cannot be attained. It is not sufficient to know that God has redeemed the world, and to know that the Holy Spirit can make all that Jesus did effectual in me; I must have the basis of a personal relationship to Him. Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim, he was brought into a vivid, personal, overmastering relationship to Jesus Christ. Verse 16 is immensely commanding – "to make thee a minister and a witness." There is nothing there apart from the personal relationship. Paul was devoted to a Person not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s, he saw nothing else, he lived for nothing else. "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."(1 Corinthians 2:2)

The vision spoken of here is not necessarily a vision seen with the eyes, but a purpose for our individual lives in HIS plan! Jesus said that HIS sheep hear and know His voice (John 10:27)! You CAN and MUST know what YOUR purpose is! TRUE prosperity is being WHERE God wants you to be, doing WHAT God wants YOU to do! The next devotional reading is from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food":

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:15,17-18).

Jesus delegated the power and authority in His Name to "them that believe." Some have relegated spiritual authority exclusively to preachers mightily used of God. But this passage of Scripture isn't just talking about evangelists, pastors, or others in the ministry; it's talking about the entire Body of Christ - the believing ones. 

Authority is invested in the Name of Jesus. And authority is invested in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the earth. Some of us have touched that authority now and then, but none of us have been able to abide in it like God wants.  However, I am thoroughly convinced that in these last days, just before Jesus comes, there will arise a body of believers who will learn how to take advantage of all that belongs to them in the Name of Jesus - that Name which is above every Name! 

Confession: I am a believing one. And these signs in Mark 16:17-18 follow me. I will learn and know how to take advantage of the Name which belongs to me - the Name which is above every Name

AMEN! Let's each be about our Father's business by doing OUR part in HIS plan! Time is running out for the lost on this earth to hear the Gospel before Jesus comes for the church! We MUST make the most of our opportunities to share the Gospel! Are you ready? YOU ARE! Now let's GO! Here is Hillsong United with "Go":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are reading Psalm 23 and Matthew 23 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Psalm 23 tells us of the great provision we have in our Great Shepherd, Jesus! Matthew 23 gives us the account of this same Jesus speaking of and to the scribes and Pharisees about the errors of their ways. So many times we read this passage and imagine that He is so angry at them! In reality, this God of LOVE (1 John 4:8) was so filled with love and compassion for them that His heart was broken over their unbelief and failure to see. We must always realize that EVERYTHING that Jesus did and does is motivated by His eternal LOVE for us! Every word He spoke to them was meant to pierce their unbelief and turn their hearts back to the One, True God! I LOVE the Visual Bible: Matthew with Bruce Marchiano portraying Jesus. He very accurately, and convincingly, shows this aspect of the ministry of Jesus! Today I want to share two video clips that contain Matthew 23 so you can get a feel of the heart of Jesus! THIS should cause you to fall in love with Jesus all over again! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have enjoyed reading Job this year more than any other year since we began using the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! The more that you know and understand the Word of God, the more you realize the error in what both Job and his "friends" say! Today we read where God Himself begins to speak! The questions that the God of the Bible asks Job reveal, beyond doubt, that the Biblical account is the only accurate account of creation! I would challenge any so-called atheist to answer even one of the questions that the LORD poses to Job! I LOVE verse 4 that asks "Where were YOU...?" Here is Job 38 in full:

38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now your loins like a man, and I will demand of you, and you declare to Me. 4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding. 5 Who determined the measures of the earth, if you know? Or who stretched the measuring line upon it? 6 Upon what were the foundations of it fastened, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 Or who shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth and issued out of the womb?— 9 When I made the clouds the garment of it, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it, 10 And marked for it My appointed boundary and set bars and doors, 11 And said, Thus far shall you come and no farther; and here shall your proud waves be stayed? 12 Have you commanded the morning since your days began and caused the dawn to know its place, 13 So that [light] may get hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wickedness [of night] out of it? 14 It is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed; and things stand out like a many-colored garment. 15 From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. 16 Have you explored the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of deep darkness? 18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know it all. 19 Where is the way where light dwells? And as for darkness, where is its abode, 20 That you may conduct it to its home, and may know the paths to its house? 21 You must know, since you were born then! Or because you are so extremely old! 22 Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasuries of the hail, 23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? 24 By what way is the light distributed, or the east wind spread over the earth? 25 Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain, or a path for the thunderbolt, 26 To cause it to rain on the uninhabited land [and] on the desert where no man lives, 27 To satisfy the waste and desolate ground and to cause the tender grass to spring forth? 28 Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? 29 Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has given it birth? 30 The waters are congealed like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. 31 Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades, or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion? 32 Can you lead forth the signs of the zodiac in their season? Or can you guide [the stars of] the Bear with her young? 33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule upon the earth? 34 Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an abundance of waters may cover you? 35 Can you send lightnings, that they may go and say to you, Here we are? 36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts [or in the dark clouds]? Or who has given understanding to the mind [or to the meteor]? 37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the [water] bottles of the heavens 38 When [heat has caused] the dust to run into a mass and the clods to cleave fast together? 39 Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions 40 When they couch in their dens or lie in wait in their hiding place? 41 Who provides for the raven its prey when its young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food?

Indeed! Where? Who? What? When? Science is wonderful for confirming that the Word of God is TRUE! There is not one biblical account that has been disproved by Science! Make the Word of God YOUR final authority, lining everything else up with it. You will be of all people MOST  wise and knowledgeable! The more confidence that YOU place in the Word of God for YOUR life, the more victory and success you will have! Remember, Jesus already told us that His Word is TRUTH (John 17:17)! Let's agree with Him. The results are well worth it! AMEN! Here is a new song by Hillsong Young and Free called "This Is Living":

Waking up knowing there's a reason
All my dreams come alive
Life is for living with You
I've made my decision
You lift me up, fill my eyes with wonder
Forever young in Your love
This freedom's untainted with You
No moment is wasted
See the sun now bursting through the clouds
Black and white turns to colour all around
All is new, in the Savior I am found
This is living now
This is living now
You take me higher than I've been before
It's Your perfect love that sees me soar
God your freedom is an open door
You are everything I want and more
You lead the way, God You're right beside me
In Your love I'm complete
There's nothing like living with You
This life You created I choose
See the sun now bursting through the clouds
Black and white turn to color all around
All is new, in the Savior I am found
This is living now
This is living now
You take me higher than I've been before
It's Your perfect love that sees me soar
God your freedom is an open door
You are everything I want and more
See the sun now bursting through the clouds
Black and white turn to color all around
All is new, in the Savior I am found
See the sun now bursting through the clouds
Black and white turn to color all around
All is new, in the Savior I am found
This is living now
This is living now
You take me higher than I've been before
It's Your perfect love that sees me soar
God your freedom is an open door
You are everything I want and more

Shalom in Him!