Shalom,

I absolutely LOVE today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

The Amplified Bible translates Matthew 11:12, "...a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion."

I want you to get violent today. Yes, violent, determined, zealous. I want you to get so committed to the things of God that you'll withstand any attempt to take them away from you. Too many believers these days are like the Israelites. They're wandering around in a wilderness of defeat because there's an enemy in the promised land. They're being robbed of their rightful inheritance because they're afraid to fight him. They keep hoping that somehow they'll find a way in without using force. But they won't! You have to make demands where Satan and his associates are concerned.

When God sent the Israelites into Canaan, He said, "Send the armed men to go before you." They were to go up armed—ready for the fight. He knew they'd have to fight to take the land. He never promised them that they wouldn't. What He promised them was they'd win every time. The same is true for you. You can't just lie down and play dead when you're dealing with the devil. He's not going to let go of any area of your life—of your health or your finances or anything else—without a fight. He's not going to give it up unless you force him.

Quit sitting there in the wilderness. Quit sitting there while the devil steals the blessings of God out from under you. You have God's permission and His power and His ability to take the land. Get violent enough to do something about it...today!

AMEN! The decision to walk in the victory that our New Covenant provides is one that only YOU can make for yourself! I can pray that you WILL make that decision, but I cannot make it for you! No one can! Are YOU ready to make the necessary adjustments in your life that will cause you to be so determined and zealous for God's plans that you will NOT back down? If you are, then THIS song, from Hillsong United, is for YOU! "Oceans - here Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's New Testament reading in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan contains some of my very favorite verses! 1 John 5:10-12; 1 John 5:14-15. Verses 10-12 say this:

10 He who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] has the testimony [possesses this divine attestation] within himself. He who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him out to be and represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed (put his faith in, adhered to, and relied on) the evidence (the testimony) that God has borne regarding His Son. 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.

THAT is the New Birth! Have YOU received the Son of God, JESUS, as your Lord and personal Savior? If you have, then you HAVE the Son! If you have not, then you don't! Is there ANY reason that you cannot accept and receive Jesus right now? Pray this prayer:

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

NOW you HAVE the SON and you HAVE His LIFE. HALLELUJAH! Now get into a good ,Bible believing, Bible TEACHING church and continue to grow up in the Truth of God's Word so that you can learn to rule and reign in your own life, in HIS ability! One of the things you will learn as you do is found in verses 14-15:

14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

THAT is the most vital prerequisite for answered prayer! He will grant any request that He hears, and He hears ONLY His will, which is revealed in His Word! It takes a commitment to study and meditate on the Word (Joshua 1:8), but just how much is answered prayer worth to YOU? AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a great song about prayer that we have used a few times called "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Psalm 119:1-3 shows us where the supreme authority in all the universe is!

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.

He, the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible IS the Supreme Authority in all of the universe! OUR God IS GOD! Verses 92-93 shows us how to live in success and prosperity in this life:

92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, [how can I?] for it is by them You have quickened me (granted me life).

Verse 97 is also key to success in this life!

97 Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

How does obedience to this verse bring success? Look at Joshua 1:8:

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

AMEN! The entire Bible is our Word from God to bring prosperity, success, health, wisdom, understanding, favor, anointing and any and every other thing needful for our success. Without this Word, we would FAIL! Make sure that YOU are putting time in the Word of God as a top priority! Then YOU will have the same confidence of success in every area! Here is Hillsong United with "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have often heard born again believers speaking of what they are "giving up" in order to serve the Lord. I have heard others who feel that those who ignore the God of the Bible sometimes appear to be living a better life than we do. Notice the word "appear" there! I want to encourage you to NOT fall for the lies of the enemy! It does NOT ultimately cost to serve the Lord, it pays rich dividends! Rewards and responsibilities in the next life AND right here! Look at Psalm 119:1-2:

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.

These verses say that those who will serve and obey God and His Word will be  in position to be envied by those who observe their lives! Not only that, but we will be blessed and happy! Are YOU ready for the manifestation of THAT in your life? I know that I am! So, let's get ourselves in position for these Truths to be active and observable! People must be going to "see" something if they are going to be tempted to envy us! What DO we do? We order our lives by the Word of God, confessing sin and receiving forgiveness when we need to! We also put His Word first place and seek to have intimate fellowship with HIM every day! The more time we spend with Him, the more time we will WANT and DESIRE to spend with Him! We will begin to "crave" His presence! And THAT is what "craving" means! Here is Hillsong Worship with a new song called "In God We Trust":

Shalom in him!

Shalom,

I really like the devotional from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today:

As Though They Were...

"As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were. (Rom. 4:17). 
If Abraham believed according to what was spoken, exactly what was spoken? What did Abraham believe?  When Abram (as he was then called) was ninety-nine years old, the Lord said to him,

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee" (Gen. 17:5). Notice that God did not say, "I'm going to do it"; He said, "I have made thee." 

When God made Abraham that promise, Abraham was childless. But Abraham was told he was not to believe he was "going to be" (future tense) a father. (Those who are always "going to" get something never get it. It is the same with the ones who say, "I'm going to get saved sometime." Or "I'm going to get my healing sometime.") 

No, faith is always present tense! Abraham had to believe he "was made" the father of many nations. For, you see, faith calls those things which be not as though they were. That's what causes them to come into being! 

Confession: Like my Heavenly Father, I call those things which be not as though they were. And they come into being! They're mine. I have them now! 

Find out what the Word of God promises for every area of your life. Meditate on these promises until they become so real to you that you can visualize them on the inside, like a daydream! Now begin to speak these promises over every area of your life, fully expecting that "what He had promised, He is able also to perform" (Romans 4:21)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with a song from their new CD called "In God We Trust":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Remembering that the Epistles are letters that were written to be read in the churches, let's look at 1 John 1:

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We know from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that the Word has been give TO the Body of Christ, His Church, so that we can continue to grow up - IN HIM!

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

1 John 1 is instructing us to continue to walk in fellowship with the Lord so that our joy may be made "FULL" (verse 4)! You can easily see here that the Lord our God desires for us to live in obedience to His Word, as led by His Spirit, so that we can have the abundance of HIS life that we hear about in John 10:10: 

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

His #1 desire is to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10) so that none "should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). Let's begin to SEE ourselves being obedient to His Word and see HIM continually confirming that Word, right before our eyes! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "What A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a portion of The Spoken Word Church website devotional. 

ESTABLISH A PLACE OF PRAYER

Places matter to God. He made them, too, you know. Think of these places: the Upper Room, Jericho, Bethel, Zarapheth, Gethsemane. Jesus had special places for prayer. Mountains. Gethsemane. Go ahead, sanctify your own personal place of prayer. It will become a precious and treasured place.

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."  (Matthew 14:23)

I want you to notice that, though we are encouraging YOU to establish a prayer place, we are NOT dictating to you where that should be! Some people prefer to pray outside, some by the water, some in the woods, some in a church, some in a special prayer area, some in their living room. The important thing is NOT where YOUR area is, but that you GET there on a consistent basis! I would strongly suggest having a specific place in your own home where you can go consistently, and then use other places when the occasion arises. The PLACE is NOT the issue, but that you actually develop the "habit" of praying every day, and many times a day. You and I CAN pray anywhere and at anytime without anyone else even knowing we are doing so, but we MUST have the special area where we can go to block out all distractions so that we can hear from HIM! AMEN! As you develop this private and personal interaction with the One, True God, you will be more confident in hearing His voice, which should result in some instant obedience on YOUR part and quicker manifestations on HIS part! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with a song from their new album called "Transfiguration":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 115 exposes every other "so-called" god and what they really are! It also exhorts Israel, and US, to trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident in) the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, Who alone IS GOD! 

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say, Where is now their God?

3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

4 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

5 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

6 They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not;

7 They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither can they make a sound with their throats.

8 They who make idols are like them; so are all who trust in and lean on them.

9 O Israel, trust and take refuge in the Lord! [Lean on, rely on, and be confident in Him!] He is their Help and their Shield.

10 O house of Aaron [the priesthood], trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield.

11 You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield.

12 The Lord has been mindful of us, He will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron [the priesthood],

13 He will bless those who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, both small and great.

14 May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children.

15 May you be blessed of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth!

16 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth has He given to the children of men.

17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any who go down into silence.

18 But we will bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord from this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

We know from the Word of God the many Names of God. By contrast, THESE are NOT His Names: allah, buddha, krishna, sun, moon, stars, gods of mythology, or ANY other name that is named! He ALONE is GOD and there IS none other (Isaiah 45:5)! All other "gods" are either inanimate objects or demonic spirits. Encourage yourself to remember that our God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). His arm is not shortened that He cannot deliver (Isaiah 59:1). He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). His Word can be counted on, now and forever (Psalm 119:89). His love for you is eternal and powerful (Psalm 100:5). His mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). His plans for you are GOOD (Jeremiah 29:11). YOUR future, IN HIM, is bright! Keep looking up! He's coming soon - FOR YOU! Here is Hillsong with "We Will See Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In 2 Peter 1, which we are reading today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, Peter greets the believers to whom he is writing this letter with these words in verse 2:

2 May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Notice that all of these wonderful blessings that Peter is speaking of here are found, and multiplied, "in" the knowledge of Him. This word means that the knowledge of Him is the intermediary, or the channel, through which all of these multiplies blessings will come. "Knowledge" is the Greek word "epignosis", which we have covered many times on this blog. Very simply, it refers to the cumulative (layer upon layer) understanding of Who Jesus is, what He has, what He can do, and what that means to us! So, if YOU desire to walk in those multiplied blessings, there is NO shortcut! You MUST begin, and continue, to grow in the knowledge of Him! This is why Paul made it his 'determined purpose" to know Him more and more, every single day! You CAN do the same, IF you choose to do so , and then choose to follow through! Are YOU ready? Here is a song by Hillsong Worship to encourage you! It's called "Heart Like Heaven":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Let's look at Psalm 113 today:

1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever
3 From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
4 The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high,
6 Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth!
7 [The Lord] raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill,
8 That He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people.
9 He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

This Psalm begins with the call to praise the Lord, which is the Hebrew word "Yah" and "Yaweh", which we translate as "Jehovah" and means: the Eternal, self-existing One! It IS the Covenant Name for the One, True God! Any good thing attached to His Name represents His protection, provision and safety in every area of life (Jehovah Rapha = Healer; Jehovah Jireh = Provider)! Learn to count on HIM rather than man for your provision in every area. IF He chooses to work THROUGH another human being, then THEY will get rewarded when YOU give all the glory to GOD! AMEN! Now notice verses 7-9 again. This says that GOD raises up the poor and lifts the needy out of their dire circumstances! His intention is that they will turn their eyes on HIM so that HE can deliver them, redeem them and bless them! Do YOU see why the corrupt welfare system in our nation has completely pulled the attention of the people off of the very One Who REALLY has their interests at heart? If the government gives handouts, then the people will begin to look to the government for every provision instead of looking to the God of the Bible for the inspiration, creativity, connections with people, favor, anointing and anything else necessary for each person to become successful! The enemy of our souls is behind this entire system and he desires to STILL try to defeat the God of the Bible! Be wise and understanding how your God works, and how your enemy works! When you understand, then you WILL choose wisely! AMEN! Here is a new song from Hillsong Worship called "Jesus I Need You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the things I love to do here is to share a thought, teaching or devotional from another good ministry, and then share how Holy Spirit has expounded on it to me! THAT comes from meditation of the Word (Joshua 1:8). You can learn from the original teaching, and then also from what I have learned. When YOU meditate on that, He will expound on it even more to you! That's how knowledge, wisdom and understanding come to the Church! Keep learning and keep sharing! Today I want to look at Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food":

GOD'S MERCY

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. (Ps. 86:15)

In F. F. Bosworth's book Christ the Healer, he brings out the following point: 

"The psalmist David understood healing to be a universal privilege. In Psalm 86:5, he said, 'For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.'" 

In his book, Bosworth has a chapter called "The Lord's Compassion" that goes into detail about this and brings out this point: "Throughout the Scriptures, when the sick came for healing, they asked for mercy. You see, God's mercy covers man physically as well as spiritually."  Again and again, we read in the four Gospels that Jesus had compassion on the sick (see Matt. 9:36; 14:14; Mark 6:34; and Luke 7:13). The same Greek word for "compassion" is also translated "mercy." 

Blind Bartimaeus, who sat by the wayside begging and crying, said, "Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me." And Jesus stopped and asked him what he wanted. He said, "That I might receive my sight." Jesus had mercy on him and healed him. (See Mark chapter 10.) 

When you read through the four Gospels, every time it says, "Jesus had compassion," it means He had mercy. Therefore, Jesus, according to the Old Testament promise, showed that He was plenteous in mercy by healing not some, but all who came to Him! 

Confession:   God is good, ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy. He is compassionate and gracious to me, healing all my sicknesses and diseases.

Did you notice that it said above that Jesus healed NOT "some", but ALL who came to Him in faith! THIS was under the Old Covenant, when He had not yet born away our sin AND our sickness and disease! HOW MUCH MORE will HE have mercy and compassion for His own children! Dare to believe that the very same One Who fed the multitudes, walked on water, turned water into wine, raised the dead and healed "every manner of sickness" (Matthew 4:23) lives in YOU, by His Spirit! You, moved with compassion as Jesus was, CAN DO all of the mighty works that Jesus did (John 14:12)! HE said so! Get yourself ready to see signs, wonders and miracles, by YOUR hand and His Word when you dare to believe and then to act on that faith! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

If you have read this blog for very long you will be familiar with this verse: John 17:17.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. KJV

17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. AMP

When you have made Jesus the Lord of your life and His Word your final authority, you LOVE to see and hear verses such as this! When we establish in our own hearts that this is true, then we will NOT be moved by anything that is contrary to what the Word promises, because if it does not agree with the Word of God, then it is nothing but a lie! Do you see that? That is why it is so vitally important for YOU to meditate on the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8) so that your confidence in it will continue to grow and will eventually chase doubt right out of your life! To add to your meditation on this great, vital Truth, I want to share a couple more verses from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! First of all, Psalm 111:1 says this:

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.

This declaration from the psalmist that they WILL praise and give thanks to the Lord is followed by verses 2-9 that do just that! 

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.

Then we have verse 10 that gives us a purpose for this praise, thanksgiving and worship that has just taken place! 

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.

AMEN! The fear of the Lord is simply a respect, honor and reverential awe of Who He is, what He has done, what He has promised and a placing HIM above everyone else in your life. When we put HIM up there, everyone else in our life will benefit! Here is a new song from Hillsong Worship called "Open Heaven/River Wild":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I had other plans at first, but I MUST share this with you today instead! From "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

My kingdom is not of this world. — John 18:36

The great enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the Systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation;…for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you,” a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives in the shop window. It is the innermost of the innermost that reveals the power of the life.

We have to get rid of the plague of the spirit of the religious age in which we live. In Our Lord’s life there was none of the press and rush of tremendous activity that we regard so highly, and the disciple is to be as His Master. The central thing about the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship to Himself, not public usefulness to men. It is not its practical activities that are the strength of this Bible Training College, its whole strength lies in the fact that here you are put into soak before God. You have no idea of where God is going to engineer your circumstances, no knowledge of what strain is going to be put on you either at home or abroad, and if you waste your time in over-active energies instead of getting into soak on the great fundamental truths of God’s Redemption, you will snap when the strain comes; but if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in God on the un-practical line, you will remain true to Him whatever happens.

This is TRULY one of the most serious problems in the church today! Remember that Jesus HIMSELF said this in Matthew 22:37-38:

37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). 38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. AMP

BEFORE we do any "work" for Him, we MUST make sure that HE is OUR #1 priority! Without that vital intimate fellowship with Him, we are basically useless to anyone! You CANNOT walk in the power of God without knowing the Source of that power! Paul said THIS in Philippians 3:10:

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

Make knowing and loving HIM your first priority every day and then let HIM lead, guide and direct you to and through the "work" that He has for you to do. There is really no other way to successfully fulfill your calling and ministry. Here is Hillsong Worship with a new song called "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

1 Peter 6-7 is especially meaningful to me at this point in my life! 

6 [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, 7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.

Having been born again and filled with His Spirit 35 years ago, I have faced many different tests, trials, temptations, hindrances, attacks, persecutions, delays and sorrows, but out of ALL of them HE has delivered me as I stood steadfast, many times with the agreement and encouragement of my personal prayer partners. All of these experiences have given me points of contact and remembrances to look back on and encourage myself with as I face the new and current attempts of the enemy to hurt, harm, distract, delay, harass, discourage and stop me! All the while my faith, which is infinitely more precious that all the gold in the world, has stood the test and grown stronger with each and every exercise of it! There is NOTHING that is impossible to you if you will dare to believe the promises of the Covenant as revealed in the Word and refuse to quit! God is pleased with your faith and He is waiting eagerly to confirm His Word in your life! For your joy and His glory! HALLELUJAH!

I am not sharing this to discourage you, but rather to show you that the ONLY way you will not come out as more than a conqueror is if you quit! DON'T DO IT! All the enemy REALLY has is one weapon, the lie. He has many different ways, schemes, strategies and tactics to TRY to get you to believe his lies, but YOU have the Word of God which is TRUTH (John 17:17)! NEVER let go of the Word! AMEN! Look at verses 23-25 in 1 Peter 1:

23 You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God. 24 For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off, 25 But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you. 

Thank You, Jesus, for Your Word! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with a new song called "In God We Trust":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I would like to talk about THIS from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith":

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

We often think of "laying down your life" for someone else in terms of dying. That's what Jesus did. He loved us so much He laid down His life by dying in our place so that we could live. But now, He's asked us to lay down our lives in a different way. He's asked us to show our love, not by dying for others, but by living for them. Exactly what does that mean?

Sometimes it means giving our lives by spending time in prayer for someone. Other times it means giving of ourselves with love and understanding. Many times it means laying down our own selfish desires in order to meet the needs of another.

Romans 15:1 puts it this way, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."

When you lay down your life, you live to please God instead of yourself. You let your life be guided by His love. If love leads you to the person next door, you follow. When love calls you to intercede for someone in need, you yield. Commit yourself today to lay down your own life—and take up the love life. Say:

"Father, in Jesus' Name, I see from Your Word that You were willing to give of Yourself, in the person of Your Son, for all men. I understand that because Jesus is Lord of my life, I, too, am called to give myself to others. I choose to accept that calling today. I'll give of my time. I'll give of Your love in me. I'll be strong and lift up those who are weak. I'm willing to be available to be used of You so that those around me might experience the abundant life You have provided. You have loved me, Lord, with the greatest love there is. I count it a privilege now to share that love with others. I thank You for it in Jesus' Name. Amen."

I want to encourage you to remember that in order to lay down our lives on behalf of another person, we must first of all be a DOER of Mark 12:30:

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.  AMP

When we can do THAT, then we are in position to be ABLE to be a DOER of verse 31, which IS laying down your life for someone else!

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

The greatest show of love we have ever received is when Jesus gave His life for us! Unselfishly doing verse 31 is how WE return that love to Him! AMEN! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong United with "One Way":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have you ever felt yourself, or been told by others, that you are worthless or somehow less than every other believer because you make mistakes? I want you to see THIS today! 1 John 1:8 says this to born again believers! Remember, the Epistles are letters that were written to the churches!

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. KJV

Verse 10 goes on to say this:

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. KJV

So, it is established that once we are born again and our sin nature is done away with (2 Corinthians 5:17), we still live in this body that has not YET changed and have a soul (mind, emotions and will) that CAN be changed, progressively, day by day. While we are on earth and in these bodies, we will have to contend with the nature of the flesh, in all of its weaknesses (Galatians 5:16-25). We WILL sometimes sin (make selfish decisions to do things our own way instead of God's way in thought, word or deed). The GREAT news is found in verse 9:

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

This is a New Covenant promise! Under the Old Covenant, the people could have their sins covered by bringing animal sacrifices. WE have our sins completely cleansed away! I want to encourage you to go back over Psalm 107 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and see how faithful our God was to bring them back when they repented! We read how the people would get involved with sin and bad things would begin to happen to them. They would turn back to God, crying out for His help, and He would deliver them! HOW MUCH MORE, will we be brought right back into perfect, intimate fellowship with Him when we, who are His children and members of His body, repent (change our thinking to agree with God), confess sin and receive forgiveness AND cleansing from any and all unknown sin! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "You Saw Me":

Shalom in him!

Shalom,

I want to share this from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" for today because it involves a subject that I believe it very important for born again believers to understand and to get right!

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turns it whithersoever he will.  Proverbs 21:1

Think about that for a moment! God has reserved the right to override the will of a nation's leader, if need be, to see that His people are governed according to His will.

What's more, God will hear the prayer of any government leader. Even if he's the worst reprobate in the whole world. He heard the prayer of old King Nebuchadnezzar. Believe me, that means He'll listen to any leader!

You see, Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. He was an ungodly ruler of an ungodly nation. However, he'd taken captives from the land of Judah. He had some of God's people under his authority. So, God began to deal with him.

Again and again, God warned him, Nebuchadnezzar, you're going to lose your mind if you don't straighten up. And, sure enough, he went just as crazy as could be.

He stayed that way for years too. Then one day he cried out to God and God heard him.

Despite his status as a heathen king of a heathen nation, God intervened repeatedly in Nebuchadnezzar's life and heard him when he finally cried out for help. Why? Because he had God's people under his control! (Read Daniel 4:1-37)

That same principle still holds true today. If we'll open the way through prayer, God will deal with our leaders!

If we will humble ourselves in unity and pray, God can change the injustice and corruption that exist in our country, or any country for that matter. He'll change the hearts of everyone from the White House on down to make sure His children are governed justly.

Make it a point to pray for our leaders today!

We KNOW that we are to pray for leaders from 1 Timothy 2:2:

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty KJV

This also includes the "why" that we pray! The area that many believers err in is WHAT they pray! I have heard people pray for the health, prosperity, safety and many other natural things for our leaders. While this "sounds" like the loving "Christian" thing to do, this would not be an accurate way to pray! First of all, we are told to pray for these leaders so that WE may be able to "lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty"! Secondly, if they are living in ungodly ways, denying Jesus as Lord and Savior, not involved in tithing and giving, we can pray all day long for their health and well being and it is simply NOT going to happen! Theses things are promises of God for HIS people! We cannot pray against God's will! Look at 1 John 5:14-15:

14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.  15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him. AMP

So, how DO we pray? We pray what we KNOW is God's will for them. We pray that they receive Jesus as Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:9), that laborers would be sent to minister to them (Luke 10:2), that their hearts would be turned by the Lord (Proverbs 21:1) to make those decisions that would enable God's people to worship freely and live that peaceable, godly life (1 Timothy 2:2)! Pray, also, in the Spirit and allow Him to pray through you what you do not know! AMEN! If we begin to pray earnestly (James 5:16) and knowledgeably, we will give God what He needs to work with in order for His will to be carried out! LET'S DO IT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have a suggestion for you today! Have you had times when you felt that the pressure was too much to bear? Have you had times when it seemed like you were the only one the enemy was focusing on? We MUST, first of all, understand that this is far from the Truth! Both Paul and Peter addressed this in 1 Corinthians 10:13 and in 1 Peter 5:8-9:

1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. KJV

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. KJV

AND, even if it were true, the Word of God and the authority we have as born again believers is still the same, ALWAYS! What we REALLY need at these times is to do what David did in 1 Samuel 30:6:

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. KJV

One of the examples of David doing this is found in 1 Samuel 17:35-37 when David went before Saul  before he faced Goliath. Another example of encouraging yourself in the Lord by reminding yourself of past victories and of all the things that the God of the Bible has done before is found in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Read Psalm 105 all the way through. If that doesn't encourage you that God is GOOD, all the time, then read it again and again! Build yourself up in your faith by doing this AND by praying in the Spirit (Jude 1:20) and you will find your joy stirring up, your courage and confidence returning and you will be able to get your shout on! The shout of VICTORY through HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Shout Of The King":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

THIS, from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, is a very good reminder to those called to the ministry. 

Moses saw the oppression of his people and felt certain that he was the one to deliver them, and in the righteous indignation of his own spirit he started to right their wrongs. After the first strike for God and for the right, God allowed Moses to be driven into blank discouragement, He sent him into the desert to feed sheep for forty years. At the end of that time, God appeared and told Moses to go and bring forth His people, and Moses said — “Who am I, that I should go?” In the beginning Moses realized that he was the man to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in the individual aspect, but he was not the man for the work until he had learned communion with God.

We may have the vision of God and a very clear understanding of what God wants, and we start to do the thing; then comes something equivalent to the forty years in the wilderness, as if God had ignored the whole thing, and when we are thoroughly discouraged God comes back and revives the call, and we get the quaver in and say — “Oh, who am I?” We have to learn the first great stride of God — “I AM THAT I AM…hath sent me.” We have to learn that our individual effort for God is an impertinence; our individuality is to be rendered incandescent by a personal relationship to God (see Matthew 3:11). We fix on the individual aspect of things; we have the vision — “This is what God wants me to do”; but we have not got into God’s stride. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a big personal enlargement ahead.

This is a good reminder for ALL believers, because we are ALL called to the Ministry of Reconciliation, which is sharing the God News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost! Remember that HE will give you the words to say and that HE wants them to be born again even more than you do! Spend that time in intimate fellowship with Him that is needful for YOU to be aware of the gifts, calling and anointing that are within and upon you for ministry. When you do that, you will be in position to realize and rely on the TRUTH that it is the Spirit within you Who "doeth the work" (John 14:10)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Forever Reign":

Shalom in Him!