Shalom,

Psalm 119:89-91:

89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens]. 90 Your faithfulness is from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands fast. 91 All [the whole universe] are Your servants; therefore they continue this day according to Your ordinances.

I hope that YOU are enjoying Psalm 119 as much as I am! Another result, and reward, of meditating on the Word of God is that it becomes SO real and extremely logical! You'll wonder why everyone doesn't see it, and then you'll remember that they CANNOT without giving the same attention in meditation and obedience as you have! In John 17:17 we hear Jesus stating that the Word IS Truth! Here, in Psalm 119, we see that His Word has been FOREVER settled! "Settled" here is the Hebrew word "natsab", which means: to stand; to establish; to set over; to stand firm;to be fixed. The Word of God is TRUE and it will NEVER change! You and I can put our complete faith, trust and confidence in His Word! His Word WILL accomplish what He sent it forth to accomplish, IN the lives of those who will receive that Word! I encourage you to go into your Bible reading and study with a new determination that whatever He is saying to do, you CAN do it, because HE will confirm it when you do (Mark 16:20)! AMEN! Here are a few more encouraging verses from this Psalm:

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].

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.

160 The sum of Your word is truth [the total of the full meaning of all Your individual precepts]; and every one of Your righteous decrees endures forever.

164 Seven times a day and all day long do I praise You because of Your righteous decrees. 165 Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.

AMEN! Thank You, Jesus, for Your Word! Now, to encourage you further in this commitment to obey the Word of God no matter what, Here is Hillsong United with a commitment song called "Oceans". Don't take this commitment lightly, but reinforce it daily! Amen! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began Psalm 119 today! How did YOU do in the challenge to find the Word in every verse? If you have some trouble with that, try checking out a couple of different translations and see if that doesn't help! Notice words like: Law, precepts, testimonies, commandments, statutes, judgments, promise. Have fun with it! 

Today we also read Joshua 9-10. Remember that in Joshua 1:8 we were told to meditate on the Word of God day and night? Let's look at that again:

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. AMP

WHEN we meditate on the Word of God, we will understand Godly principles that were given FOR our success! It brings the God of the Bible great glory when His people are successful and prosperous in every area! We have to go further, though, than simply meditating on the Word. Once we do that, then we need to have some specific direction from the Spirit of God Who lives in us on how to walk it out. If you have been to the Spoken Word Church you know that we have been taught that the Word of God is general guidance in the affairs of life, but that we must get our specific guidance for our own individual and unique lives from the One Who  knows us best! When we neglect to do this, we open the door for deception from the enemy and those whom he will use against us. Proof of that can be found in Joshua 9. People in the area of Jericho and Ai were gathering together to fight the Israelites, but the people of Gibeon  decided to use deception to protect themselves. Look at verses 3-6:

3 But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 They worked cunningly, and went pretending to be ambassadors and took [provisions and] old sacks on their donkeys and wineskins, old, torn, and mended, 5 And old and patched shoes on their feet and wearing old garments; and all their supply of food was dry and moldy. 6 And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, We have come from a far country; so now, make a covenant with us.

Don't you think that the God Who had delivered them at every turn would have warned Joshua about these men? Of course He would! So what was the problem? THEY NEVER ASKED HIM! Look at verses 14-15:

 14 So the [Israelite] men partook of their food and did not consult the Lord. 15 Joshua made peace with them, covenanting with them to let them live, and the assembly’s leaders swore to them.

Make sure that as YOU are meditating on the Word of God on a daily basis, you take the time to ask Him for insight in HOW to put this Word into practice. Pray over every decision, asking for wisdom when wisdom is needed! AMEN! James 1:5 gives us this instruction and promise:

5 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.

We, like Joshua and the people of Israel, will be without excuse if we neglect to ask for wisdom. Learn by Wisdom, in this instance, their experience, and you will save yourself time, energy, resources, pain, delays and discomforts! HE always has good plans for YOU (Jeremiah 29:11) AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "God Is Able":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are reading Psalm 119 over the next two days in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I LOVE Psalm 119 because the entire Psalm is speaking of the Word of God, which is TRUTH (John 17:17). Have YOU taken up the challenge to find the Word in every verse of Psalm 119 yet? Try it! You'll be glad you did, because the Word of God getting inside of you gives Holy Spirit what He needs to work with in YOUR life! AMEN! Today I want to look only at the first two verses:

119 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

This word "blessed" is the Hebrew word "'esher", which means: happiness; prosperity. This "blessing" requires something on OUR part, as opposed to the "blessing" found in Proverbs 10:22, which is from God alone. WHEN we meet the requirements of walking according to the Word of God, THEN we will have this "blessing" operating! Let's look at the Amplified Bible for little clearer rendering!

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.

Have you ever envied someone their "walk with the Lord" because they appeared to be on a more intimate basis with Him? Well, remember that God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). For His promises, it is ALWAYS "whosoever will"! So, WILL you? Will YOU make it YOUR determined purpose to know Him AND His ways, to obey His Word, and to BE who HE has called you to be? Be aware that you WILL fail on occasion! WHEN you do, go immediately to 1 John 1:9, admit your mistakes, receive your forgiveness, forgive yourself, forget about it and MOVE ON! You WILL be right back where you belong in Him, heading in the right direction: TOWARD HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Anchor". THAT is Who HE is to YOU! HALLELUJAH!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's devotional because it goes right along with what we posted here on Saturday! I LOVE when the God of the Bible confirms something I am seeing or teaching with other witnesses saying the same thing! 

Success Is a Decision

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8 NKJV).

Success begins with a decision to succeed. In turn, that decision will produce an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to do two things. The first is to discover the spiritual laws relevant to your challenge. Simply put, this means to get wisdom: 

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV). 

The second is to diligently apply these laws and wisdom through to complete victory. God’s will for you is success, but success doesn’t just happen. That’s why He shows you in His Word how to make things happen. If you do not believe and act according to His Word, there is nothing He can do about it. However, when you do your part, He has to do His part. I like to say it this way: We get to do the easy part and God gets to do the impossible part. For example, the Bible says,

 “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26NKJV).

 In other words, you can’t promote yourself; only God can make it happen. But you can make the decision to succeed by getting wisdom and then acting on the Word by choosing to become a servant. When you make the decision to apply the Word of God to your situation, God promises that you will make your way prosperous and have good success.

Confession: I made the decision to succeed today. I make an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to get wisdom concerning the spiritual laws relevant to my challenge, and then to apply them through to complete victory.

AMEN! Now I want to close this today with THIS from Psalm 117, the shortest Psalm in the Bible, which is still POWERFUL!

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!)

Praise Him because He IS, and He is WORTHY of all praise! AMEN! Here, to help you praise and worship Him, is Kari Jobe with "Revelation Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 116:15 says this:

15 Precious (important and no light matter) in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (His loving ones).

"Precious" here is the Hebrew word "yaqar", which means: brightness, clear, costly, excellent, highly-valued, glorious, splendid, weighty. The God of the Bible delights in welcoming HIS people into the Heaven of the Bible! When you and I have "finished our course", we can be completely assured that HE delights to see US! This is very different from the sentiments that you find on many sympathy cards that say things like: "God just needed another angel, so he took your _______." That is the worst in my book, by far! God does NOT "take" the life from people, He is the GIVER of Life! Yes, He "receives" His own into Heaven when we leave this earth, but WE choose by our life choices when that will be! God has no "set time" for YOU to die! The Psalm of God's protection, provision and safety, Psalm 91, promises this in verse 16:

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

He desires for us to live long on the earth so that we can be  LIVING witnesses to His glory and His story! We have all of eternity to spend in the Heaven of the Bible! Let's use our LONG LIFE here to reach the lost and bring as many as possible WITH us either in the Rapture, or when we, and they, have fulfilled our calling! Then, we can expect THIS from 2 Peter 1:11:

11 Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

An "abundant entrance"!  A glorious homecoming party! So, let's buy up every opportunity to bring His LIFE to the lost, while there is still time to do so! HE could be coming in the clouds for us at any time! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

After the death of Moses, the God of the Bible said this to his successor, Joshua, in Joshua 1:1-9:

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ minister,

2 Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites. 3 Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites [Canaan]—and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea on the west shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

6 Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

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.

9 Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

With a promise like that, is it any wonder that Joshua was bold and confident to DO what God had called him to do? The key to STAYING confident and bold is found in verse 8! The Word of God is the key to everything in our lives, also. When we meditate on the Word of God, the Spirit of God will teach us what that Word means in our lives, and how to put it into practice. With the meditation of the Word, which means to think about, to ponder, to imagine, to utter (speak), comes faith! We know that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), and hearing ourselves speak the Word is more powerful to us personally than hearing anyone else do so! We, who are born again believers, are in a much better position than Joshua was! He DID hear the God of the Bible speak to him, but he did NOT have the Spirit of God living IN him as we do! We should have SO much more faith than Joshua had to do what God has called US to do. Are YOU "hearing" the Word of God on a daily basis, and then meditating on it so that you can put it into practice? There is NO other way to be prosperous, successful and obedient to the Word than to do this! Notice in verse 8 that the God of the Bible said THEN you shall make your way prosperous! When? When we meditate day and night on the Word! It is very important to tune out the world and tune into the Word in order to be able to walk in the degree of protection, provision and safety that is needful in these very trying times in which we live.

Now notice verse 9 again. Joshua was promised that the Lord His God was WITH him wherever he went! He was not alone! Guess what! WE, have a BETTER Covenant, based on BETTER promises than Joshua had (Hebrews 8:6)! WE have the promise that the Lord our God is IN us, wherever we go! You just can't get any closer than that! Everything we need has been provided!  The answer to every question and the solution to every problem can be found in the ONE Who lives in us! HALLELUJAH! Let's be about the Word and accomplish completely what the God of the Bible has called us to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Always Will":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Look at the Psalm for today from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 114:

Psalm 114

1 When Israel came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

2 Judah became [God’s] sanctuary (the Holy Place of His habitation), and Israel His dominion.

3 The [Red] Sea looked and fled; the Jordan [River] was turned back.

4 The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.

5 What ails you, O [Red] Sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?

6 You mountains, that you skip like rams, and you little hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

When the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible brought Israel out of Egypt, the whole area around them KNEW that their God WAS God! There was no doubt in their minds that the God of Israel was stronger and more powerful than any other so-called gods! Look at Joshua 2:8-11:

8 Before the two men had lain down, Rahab came up to them on the roof, 9 And she said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land and that your terror is fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the [east] side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 When we heard it, our hearts melted, neither did spirit or courage remain any more in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Knowing this, why in the world did Israel ever doubt their God, and EVER turn from Him? Have you ever puzzled over that? Well how about THIS puzzle! God the Son became the Son of God (Jesus), leaving His glory in Heaven. He was born as a baby, being 100% human and 100% God, though He ONLY operated as a man while on the earth. A SINLESS man, but still a man, just like us! The Word says that He was tempted by everything that WE are tempted with, yet He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15)! He was PERFECT! That made Him the perfect bridge between man and God! He was MADE sin at His crucifixion, with OUR sin, and sick with OUR sickness, weakness and infirmity, so that He could bear it ALL, and carry it away from us! HALLELUJAH! So, how in the world does ANYONE refuse to receive Him as Lord and personal Savior? After 2000 years, He is still saving, healing, and delivering "whosoever will", and yet some won't! It is a mystery to me, other than that the Word of God says that their minds have been blinded by the god of this world system! 2 Corinthians 4:4:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

So let's continue to pray that the Spirit of God will cause them to SEE their need for the Savior! Continue to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers across their path, and then ready YOURSELF to go if He chooses to send YOU! AMEN! Here is a new song that speaks of the wonder of His awesome love and provision for us that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)! Hillsong United with "Prince of Peace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This from today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, is very important for every born again believer, and especially important for those involved in public ministry!

Labourers together with God. —1 Corinthians 3:9

Beware of any work for God which enables you to evade concentration on Him. A great many Christian workers worship their work. The one concern of a worker should be concentration on God, and this will mean that all the other margins of life, mental, moral and spiritual, are free with the freedom of a child, a worshipping child, not a wayward child. A worker without this solemn dominant note of concentration on God is apt to get his work on his neck; there is no margin of body, mind or spirit free, consequently he becomes spent out and crushed. There is no freedom, no delight in life; nerves, mind and heart are so crushingly burdened that God’s blessing cannot rest. But the other side is just as true – when once the concentration is on God, all the margins of life are free and under the dominance of God alone. There is no responsibility on you for the work; the only responsibility you have is to keep in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your co-operation with Him. The freedom after sanctification is the freedom of a child, the things that used to keep the life pinned down are gone. But be careful to remember that you are freed for one thing only – to be absolutely devoted to your co-Worker.
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

The absolute MOST important thing that we, as born again believers, are instructed to do is THIS from Mark 12:30:

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Everything else will fall into place when HE is our #1 Priority. The "work" He has called us to do is to represent HIM in the earth as His ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:20:

20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.

We cannot do this properly without having intimate fellowship with Him, through His Word and by His Spirit. AMEN! Make the adjustments that YOU need to make in order to love HIM most of all, and then get ready to be used by Him in mighty ways to reach the lost! THAT is HIS #1 priority! That's how YOU got here (Luke 19:10)! Here is Hillsong with "Lost Are Found":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

As you can probably tell, I am LOVING the Psalms lately! When Israel was right with God, they really knew how to praise Him! AND, in their praise was the encouragement for what the God of the Bible was GOING to do! Let's look st the Psalm for today. Psalm 112:

Psalm 112

1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.

2 His [spiritual] offspring shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

3 Prosperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Light arises in the darkness for the upright, gracious, compassionate, and just [who are in right standing with God].

5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 He will not be moved forever; the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall be in everlasting remembrance.

7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord.

8 His heart is established and steady, he will not be afraid while he waits to see his desire established upon his adversaries.

9 He has distributed freely [he has given to the poor and needy]; his righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) endures forever; his horn shall be exalted in honor.

10 The wicked man will see it and be grieved and angered, he will gnash his teeth and disappear [in despair]; the desire of the wicked shall perish and come to nothing.

Notice from verse 1 that the man who is THIS blessed, is the man , or woman, "who fears, reveres and worships the Lord and who delights GREATLY in HIS  commandments"! Jesus declared, in His prayer for US from John 17:20-23, that we are ONE with Him and with the Father! 

20 Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, 21 That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. 22 I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: 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.

We must meditate on that until it becomes so real that we will never again question the God of the Bible about the timing of His promises, but we will stand strong for as long as is necessary, and then some! AMEN! Here to encourage you in this is Hillsong with "God Is Great":

All creation cries to you
Worshipping in Spirit and in truth
Glory to the faithful one Jesus Christ God's son

All Creation gives you praise
You alone are truly great
You alone are God who reigns for eternity

God is great and His praise fills the earth fills the heavens
And Your name will be praised through all the world
God is great sing his praise all the earth all the heavens
'cause were living for the Glory of Your name the glory of your name

All to you Oh God we bring
Jesus teach us how to live
Let your fire burn in us
That all may hear and all may see

Holy is the Lord
The whole earth sings
The whole earth sings (x4)

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have you ever meditated on Psalm 111?

Psalm 111

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.

In OUR God is ONLY Light and Life and GOOD! In HIM is NO darkness at all! 1 John 1:5:

5 And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].

His plans for YOU are GOOD, and ONLY GOOD! Jeremiah 29:11:

11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

He IS our shelter in this current storm of evil that is occurring all over the world. Make sure that YOU are getting to KNOW Him (Philippians 3:10 AMP) so that you will be in a position of great authority, faith and power WHEN evil tries to invade YOUR life! AMEN! The God of the Bible has never changed! JESUS is the same, yesterday, today and FOREVER (Hebrews 13:8)! We can count completely on HIM and on His promises! AMEN! Get into the Word of God like never before. Refuse to be swayed by the world OR "religious sounding" lies that try to put you in a position of weakness and despair! OUR God IS God and He is the ONLY GOD! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with a song that will help you get THAT Truth in side of you! "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Deuteronomy 26:16-19:

16 This day the Lord your God has commanded you to do these statutes and ordinances. Therefore you shall keep and do them with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being. 17 You have [openly] declared the Lord this day to be your God, [pledging] to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes and His commandments and His precepts, and to hearken to His voice. 18 And the Lord has declared this day that you are His peculiar people as He promised you, and you are to keep all His commandments; 19 And He will make you high above all nations which He has made, in praise and in fame and in honor, and that you shall be a holy people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken.

In reading this passage in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, I was reminded of the beginning days of another nation, the United States of America! The original documents of the many founding fathers of our nation show the same commitment to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible that is expected of these Israelites. Don't believe the lying propaganda and rewritten history of those who would deny HIM! The original documents are available and tell the story of WHY this nation grew to become the most blessed, most prosperous and most powerful nation on the face of the earth! Reading them will also show exactly why this nation is in the condition it is in today! The good news for us is that it does NOT take an entire nation, only the people of God, to turn it around! Look at 2 Chronicles 7:14:

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

AMEN! There ARE more of us than there are of "them", if we would simply stand up. speak up and PRAY! The good news is that repentance takes only a moment! It is a decision, NOT an emotion! If YOU have been guilty of hiding your light and being silent in the face of evil, take yourself to 1 John 1:9 and deal with it immediately! 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

NOW you are ready to make a DIFFERENCE in YOUR world! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "The Difference":

"The Difference"

You are the difference in us
You have broken the past
And set us apart
You caused the darkness to end
You lifted our heads
To know You again

Lord You bring us to life
In You our hope will arise

We are found
There's nothing that can hold us down
With anything against us
We know Your love will be the difference
Be the difference
You give and take
Still we will go Your way
All our fear is in the distance
We know Your love will be the difference
Be the difference

You defied reason with love
Took the fall meant for us
You alone are enough
Though we were destined to fail
You opened the way
And broke every chain

Lord You bring us to life
In You our hope will arise

We are found
There's nothing that can hold us down
With anything against us
We know Your love will be the difference
Be the difference
You give and take
Still we will go Your way
All our fear is in the distance
We know Your love will be the difference
Be the difference

You awaken our hearts
To You we owe what we are
You're the change in us
The change in us
We know
You awaken our hearts
To You we owe what we are
You're the change in us
The change in us
We know
You awaken our hearts
To You we owe what we are
You're the change in us
The change in us
We know

We are found
There's nothing that can hold us down
With anything against us
We know Your love will be the difference
Be the difference
You give and take
Still we will go Your way
All our fear is in the distance
We know Your love will be the difference
Be the difference
Be the difference 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle's devotional for today contains a very important Truth concerning God, His Word and His works! 

He Said Surely!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6 NKJV).

In this verse taken from perhaps the most memorable of the Psalms, notice it doesn’t say maybe goodness and mercy will follow me. No, God’s goodness towards you is sure, certain, and guaranteed. Not because of any great thing you have done, or because you have been a faithful and loyal servant. The reason God’s goodness and mercy is on your life today is because of your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

God loved mankind so much that He wanted to pour out His goodness as a demonstration of this love. Under the Law, however, God was limited to what He could give by each individual’s adherence to the Law (their performance). That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus. The Bible says, 

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him” (Isaiah 53:7 NKJV). 

Jesus lived a perfect life on your behalf so that your heavenly Father could demonstrate His love and goodness towards you according Jesus’ performance, rather than yours. There is only thing that will hinder you from receiving the sure goodness and mercy of God every day. That one thing is a lack of faith. God has put the ball in your court. He s ready and waiting to manifest His goodness and mercy towards you, but He can only do it when you believe. Isaiah 53 says,

 “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (v. 4), and “by His stripes we are healed” (v. 5). 

Just as surely as Jesus has born your sin, sickness, and pain on the cross, so also God’s goodness and mercy will surely follow you all the days of your life!

Confession: I believe in the complete and total redemptive work Jesus did on the cross in my behalf. I know it is God’s will that I experience His goodness and mercy all the days of my life, and I receive them now—in Jesus’ name.

God's Word doesn't just CONTAIN Truth, it IS Truth (John 17:17)! Have you ever heard the saying, "God said it and that settles it"? Well, the Truth is that it IS settled, FOREVER, in the eyes of God! It is NOT, however, settled in OUR lives UNTIL we believe it, develop faith in it by hearing and hearing what the Word of God says, and then by receiving it. Only YOU can say, "God said it and that settles it IN MY LIFE"! The ONLY way you can be in position to settle it in your life is to be a DOER of Romans 10:17:

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

AMEN! As a born again believer, it IS given unto YOU to know His Word! So, let's follow on to know HIM and His Word. Here is Hillsong with an older song called  "I Will Run To You":

Shalom in Him!