Shalom,

The sadness of leaving the Psalms today is replaced with awe at how very simple and profound Wisdom really is! Look at Proverbs 1:1-7:

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, 3 Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, 4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth— 5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]— 6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles. 7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

Not one of the "self-help" books that have ever been written can even begin to compare with the results you can have by meditating daily on the Wisdom found in this Book! It takes diligence and commitment to spend time meditating on the Word of God every day, but that is TRULY what is needful in order to stand out as a carrier of Light (Joshua 1:8)! In these days, when common sense is rarely to be found, operating with the Mind of Christ will cause the born again, Spirit-filled believer to stand out as a beacon! THIS is what is needed for people to come to YOU and ask about that hope (1 Peter 3:15)! THEN you can share the Gospel and they will TRUST that you are telling them the TRUTH! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "What A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love going through the Psalms in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I have found that praise is the highest form of prayer and "Book of Psalms" in the Hebrew is "tehillim", which means "Book of Praises"! David is the author of 73 of the 150 psalms. Many of His psalms begin with a crying out to the Lord for deliverance in a time of trouble, but end with him encouraging himself in the Lord by reminding himself (and us) of the times that the Lord delivered him before and of the promises of the Word. If you would like to increase your praise life, try singing the Psalms to the Lord! Remember, He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3)! Psalm 150 closes the Book and is full on praise! This psalm tells us where to praise the Lord, how to praise the Lord, why to praise the Lord and who SHOULD praise the Lord! I am going to share all of Psalm 150 here so that YOU can use this psalm to develop your very own worship service! 

Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!

2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!

3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!

4 Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes!

5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

AMEN! And even though Psalm 150 closes the Book of Psalms, and we will be beginning the Book of Proverbs, YOU and I can take out the Psalms and read/study/sing/praise with them every day if we really want to! The choice is up to us! Here is Hillsong with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In keeping with our theme this week of maintaining a grateful, thankful heart and attitude, Psalm 149 shows several ways to do so! 

Psalm 149

1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, praise Him in the assembly of His saints! 2 Let Israel rejoice in Him, their Maker; let Zion’s children triumph and be joyful in their King! 3 Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the [single or group] dance; let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre! 4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory. 5 Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands, 7 To wreak vengeance upon the nations and chastisement upon the peoples, 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, 9 To execute upon them the judgment written. He [the Lord] is the honor of all His saints. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

I LOVE that verse 4 tells us that the Lord takes pleasure in us! That is the Hebrew word "ratsah", which means: to be pleased with; to be favorable to; to accept favorably; to be delighted with; to be pleased to make friends with. Our God not only loves us with an everlasting love, but he LIKES us, too! He likes spending time with us, He enjoys blessing us and He LOVES when WE enjoy His presence! I encourage you to begin spending more time in intimate fellowship with Him for the purpose of knowing, and loving HIM more! THAT will be a "win win" situation in every aspect! Here is Hillsong with a Christmas song that I love called "Born Is The King":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Happy first day of your "I intend to be thankful every day and not only on Thanksgiving"  commitment! What are YOU thankful for today in YOUR life? I am forever thankful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus, for saving me from death, hell and the grave! I am also thankful for health and well being, right here in this life! I am also thankful to have a home and responsibilities waiting for me in Heaven when I have finished my course! I am thankful that I belong to a great, Scriptural local church! I am thankful for the understanding that has always come of the Word of God from the moment I was filled with the Spirit of Almighty God! I am thankful for every person reading and studying this blog, and then sharing it with others! Psalm 148 is a wonderful way to assist you in maintaining YOUR thankful heart! 

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. 6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over]. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps! 8 You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars! 10 Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers and judges of the earth! 12 Both young men and maidens, old men and children! 13 Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven! 14 He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

AMEN! I truly believe that if we maintain this attitude, 2016 will prove itself to be the very best year of our lives so far! Here is Hillsong Worship with another song to assist you in this! "Here Now (Madness)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you have been maintaining a thankful and grateful heart on a daily basis, and that you do NOT think about those things on just this one day of the year! Staying in that consistent "attitude of gratitude" will keep you in the center of God's will for your life and in position to affect the greatest number of people with the TRUTH of God's Word! Read and re-read Psalm 147 today to see just how important it is to make sure that YOU are on God's side! HE is always on yours! I LOVE this quote that some have said came from the mouth of Abraham Lincoln! Who ever DID say it, it originated in the very heart of God! 

Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.  Abraham Lincoln

God's side is the ONLY important side! Remember, when you disagree with God and His Word, GOD is ALWAYS right! We have been reading in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, in Revelation, the exhortation found in God's letters to the churches! Make the adjustments necessary to get yourself back over on the "right side"! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

THIS from today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is important to keep in mind as you go through a busy holiday season.It is more important now than at any other time that born again believer stay on fire for the things of God, keeping HIM ever present in your thoughts and affections so that we can stay in position to help the helpless!

Stir Up the Power

Greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears.... I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you.... For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  2 Timothy 1:4,6-7, New King James Version

There are times when you know what God has called you to do, but you just don't feel you have the inner resources you need to do it. Somehow you've simply run dry. You know the Word says that "out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). But, during those times, you can't even find the creek bank, much less the river. The Word of God tells us how to handle those situations through a clear command: "Stir up the gift inside you."

You stir yourself up! Everything you need is already in you. Jesus put it there. Everything you'll ever need to accomplish what God has called you to do has been placed inside you by God Almighty. Faith is in there. Power is in there. Love is in there. Believe that. Speak it out. Say it to yourself now, right out loud:

"In the Name of Jesus, I stir up the gift that's within me by faith. I'm stirring up my faith. I'm not going to wait until I feel stirred up. I'm stepping out by faith and expecting my feelings to follow! I'm stirring up the love of God that's in me. I'm stirring up the power. I'm stirring up myself and running the devil out of my affairs. I'm stirring myself up in the Spirit of the living God! I am stirred up!"

AMEN! Stay full of the Word, full of faith, filled with the Spirit and power and overflowing with love. You will NOT fail to reach the lost with that attitude! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with: "This Is Living":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I cannot think of any better way to lead into Thanksgiving than to meditate on the wonderful things that HE has done for us! Psalm 145 does just that! Here is the entire Psalm:

Psalm 145   [A Psalm] of praise. Of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. 2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable. 4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness. 7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice. 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness. 9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]! 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 14 The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season. 16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor. 17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. 20 The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

I especially like verse 2:

 2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever. 

The very BEST way to stay strong in faith for every area of your life is to maintain a consistently grateful, thankful heart! When you appreciate all of the good things that He has done for you, your faith expands to believe for even more! Remember James 1:17:

17 Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].

Begin a fresh new approach to life by thanking the God of the Bible EVERY day for the good of that day! Thank Him for the good that you are expecting Him to do each day as it starts. Now EXPECT to see answers to some long awaited for! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Thank You Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There has been a lot of talk lately about what the "Christian" thing is to do concerning the refugees from the Middle East who want to come to America. This current administration had already denied protection to the persecuted Christians and Jews of the area. These "refugees" are Muslims who do NOT like us and who allow Jihadists to operate in their very midst! Contrary to current propaganda, these are NOT  mainly women and children, but mainly able bodied men who are able to commit acts of terror, and desire to do so right here on our soil! There are places to go and provisions available for them right there in the neighboring countries. The culture, the climate, the language and any number of other things necessary for them to live a life of provision and safety are right there where they are! Saudi Arabia has a refugee area filled with enough EMPTY air-conditioned tents to house 3 million people. So, what does the God of the Bible have to say? Look at Psalm 144:1-2:

1 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight— 2 My Steadfast Love and my Fortress, my High Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in Whom I trust and take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.

We are to fight for the nation that He has given us. The Jewish people were given the land of Israel by the God of the Bible Himself! The United States of America was founded by this same God for the purpose of spreading the Truth and Power of the Gospel around the world! Why is there so much dissent from the Biblical principles that our nation was founded on? Look at 2 Chronicles 36:11-16 for a perfect picture of what is happening here!

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke at the dictation of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 Also all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed greatly in accord with all the abominations of the heathen, and they polluted the house of the Lord which He had hallowed in Jerusalem. 15 And the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent to them persistently by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God and despising His words and scoffing at His prophets till the wrath of the Lord rose against His people, till there was no remedy or healing.

This very same attitude has infiltrated every area of our society, most especially evident in government! Even many politicians who were elected to office based on their promise to uphold our Constitution, which has the Word of God as it's basis, have now turned from that stance and have worked with others to try and remove Biblical, Godly principles. But we DO have a promise concerning these things, these days and these times! 2 Chronicles 7:14 promises us this:

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! So, discover the Truth of how the God of the Bible wants us to view these issues, then take up your own strong stand for HIS will! Refuse to be intimidated by those who do not know the Lord your God or His Word. Keep yourself ever in the presence of the Lord and He will reveal to you each step to take in order to stay in HIS divine protection, provision and safety! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense (Sometimes by Step)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Did you realize that YOU are in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today? Look at John 20:29:

29 Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.

Jesus said that those of us who believe on Him because of what the Word said, rather than actually seeing Him personally, are BLESSED! In fact, as you can see above, we are not only blessed, but "happy and to be envied"! If you have never before been made aware of how very much you are blessed IN HIM, then I encourage you to take the time today to meditate on this wonderful TRUTH! AMEN! I also want to remind you NOT to get to critical of Thomas here. A few verses up we see that none of the others believed UNTIL they SAW Jesus either! So keep believing what the Word of God says because it IS the Word of God! Verses 30-31 remind us of just how important that is!

30 There are also many other signs and miracles which Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written (recorded) in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of God, and that through believing and cleaving to and trusting and relying upon Him you may have life through (in) His name [through Who He is].

THESE accounts that we have in the written Word of God are more than enough to bring, and build, FAITH into us! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In John 19 today we are reading about the torture and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. What He did, He did for US! This is made clear in today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

The death of Jesus Christ is the performance in history of the very mind of God. There is no room for looking on Jesus Christ as a martyr; His death was not something that happened to Him which might have been prevented. His death was the very reason why He came.

Never build your preaching of forgiveness on the fact that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. It is untrue to Jesus Christ’s revelation of God; it makes the Cross unnecessary, and the Redemption “much ado about nothing.” If God does forgive sin, it is because of the Death of Christ. God could forgive men in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted to be Saviour because of His death. “We see Jesus…because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” The greatest note of triumph that ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ – “It is finished.” That is the last word in the Redemption of man.

Anything that belittles or obliterates the holiness of God by a false view of the love of God, is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ. Never allow the thought that Jesus Christ stands with us against God out of pity and compassion; that He became a curse for us out of sympathy with us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by the Divine decree. Our portion of realising the terrific meaning of the curse is conviction of sin, the gift of shame and penitence is given us; this is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the wrong in man, and Calvary is the estimate of His hatred.

NOTHING that Jesus did for us was out of emotion, but was part of the well-laid plans of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)! They created us in THEIR image (Genesis 1:27), with a free will, knowing that at some point in time, one of us would sin. The plan was already in place to redeem us back from the enemy in such a way that he would be permanently defeated and have no power over us, AND that WE would have God Himself living IN us! It was/is God's perfect plan. It was perfectly planned, perfectly timed, perfectly carried out and, by Holy Spirit led understanding of the Word, we are in the process of perfectly learning just what belongs to us BECAUSE of this wonderful, glorious Plan of Redemption! HALLELUJAH!!! As you give thanks this week for all that you have, remember to thank HIM first of all for all that He IS and all that YOU are because of Him! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Thank You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I felt that I had to share THIS from Jerry Savelle's devotional for today. SOMEONE really needs to see this clearly!

Just Passing Through

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the Valley of [Baca] … (Psalm 84:5-6 AMP)

Psalm 84 talks of a place called the Valley of Baca. The Hebrew meaning of the word baca is “weeping, tears, or misery”—something we can all identify with. While times of sorrow are a certainty in life, the Valley of Baca is not a place where we are to linger. It is not a place where we should establish residence. It is a place that we are to pass through.

I don’t know what you may be going through today; I don’t know the difficult place you may be in. But whatever it is, you don’t have to stay there. You can choose to pass through your valley. Verse 7 of this Psalm 84 goes on to say of those who pass through, “They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power].”

Any time I find myself in the Valley of Baca, I purpose to keep my eyes on Jesus and stand firm on the Word of God. I can do this because I know I’m only passing through. I know that when I get to the other side, I’m going to increase in victorious power. Anything Satan may be trying to do to me is only going to add to my glorious testimony—glory to God!

Confession: I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. I fix my eyes on Jesus as I stand on the Word of God, knowing that I go from strength to strength, increasing in victorious power.

AMEN! I keep this in mind whenever I confess Psalm 23 over my life and that of my family and loved ones. Verse 4 is what I am specifically referring to:

4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. AMP

Notice that we are NOT supposed to settle down and LIVE in this valley, but to walk on through it! Whatever circumstance or situation you are presently facing, HE has made a way for you THROUGH it to the other side! The place of VICTORY! AMEN! Never settle for an evil report. Never give up before you have the answer! Never quit before you reach the finish line! GOD is, and always has been, the God of VICTORY! So let's GO FOR IT! And then give HIM all the GLORY! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have you ever noticed how very angry and aggressive people can be when you make a stand on the Word of God? In these recent years the very mention of Jesus, the Bible, Heaven, prayer or creation can set some people off in such a rant that they can't even contain themselves or their emotions! I noticed THIS in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan in John 17:14:

14 I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world.

Jesus, in speaking to the Father, was warning His disciples that the world, influenced and driven by the devil, would hate them every bit as much as they hated Him. Even some of those whom Jesus had previously healed and delivered ended up deserting Him in the end. So I am SURE that Jesus prayed for the Father to hide us all out in some safe place where we wouldn't have to deal with the world's hate, right? NO! THIS is what Jesus prayed in verses 15-18:

15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. 18 Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

WHOA! Not only did Jesus NOT ask that we be hidden in a safe spot away, He actually sent them, and us, out into the world! Just in case you don't think that He was also referring to us, look at verse 20-21:

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.

No, we are not to live AS the world, but we ARE to be available TO the world so that they can see HIM in and through us! How else will they ever see or ever know that they CAN have eternal life (Romans 10:13-15)? So, don't ever take it personally when people rant and rave at you, simply pray that their eyes be open and that they be blessed according to the Word. That leaves THEM in God's hands and YOU walking in the love that will NEVER fail (1 Corinthians 13:8)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional from Jerry Savelle's website was one of the first lessons I learned as a born again believer! It is essential for every believer to know this Truth from the inside out in order to truly be successful and victorious in this life:

Revelation of Righteousness

Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17 NKJV)

It is impossible to live a victorious Christian life if you are constantly mindful of your sin. If you’re going to live a life of victory, it is essential that you have a revelation of the fact that you are the righteousness of God. To be righteous simply means you have the ability to stand in the presence of your Father God without a sense of fear, guilt, or inferiority—with absolutely no consciousness of sin.

If you’ve made Jesus Christ your Lord, then you already have been made the righteousness of God in Him. In fact, you are as righteous as Jesus is, because He gave you His own righteousness. Perhaps you’ve not yet taken advantage of this revelation, but it is nonetheless true.  Until you have a revelation of your own righteousness in Christ, sin and sickness will reign over you. Satan will maintain the upper hand.

 But the instant you realize you are the righteousness of God in Christ, that you are in right standing with God, the works of Satan in your life are forever destroyed. Fear of your circumstances will be a thing of the past as you face even the most adverse situations with a sense of authority and dominion. Just as Jesus reigns over sickness, death, and the laws of nature, so you can now reign in life in Him.

Confession: I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, not because of my own works, but because of what Jesus has done for me. Today I receive a new and fresh revelation of God’s grace, and what being in right standing with God really means.

AMEN! You ARE, right now, the Righteousness of God IF you are born again! We have been made righteous with HIS righteousness, not our own, which is as "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) in the eyes of God! There is nothing good about us except GOD, so fully accept and receive all that He has already done for you! BE who HE has made and called you to be! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Go", which we CAN do now, IN HIM! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sure that most of you have heard someone pray and end the prayer with "in Jesus' Name". Jesus Himself said to pray this way in John 16:23:

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. KJV

There is so much more involved here, though, than simply saying "in Jesus' Name"! Look at this verse from the Amplified Bible:

23 And when that time comes, you will ask nothing of Me [you will need to ask Me no questions]. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that My Father will grant you whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]. AMP

What exactly are we doing when we pray in the Name of Jesus? We are acknowledging THIS from Philippians 2:9-11:

9 Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, 10 That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. AMP

We are also acknowledging THIS from Hebrews 1:4:

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. KJV

HE has received this by inheritance and WE are equal heirs WITH Him! Romans 8:17:

17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. AMP

That means that we, who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, have as much right to use His Name as He does! HALLELUJAH! When we ask in His Name, we are presenting our Covenant before the Father, and He WILL answer! Prepare yourself, though! Along with this tremendous Blessing, privilege and power comes THIS from John 15:19-21:

19 If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you. 20 Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours. 21 But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me. 

Do NOT expect everyone to welcome you or your message, because they didn't all welcome Jesus! But know that you have His protection, provision and safety to come through every situation as MORE than a conqueror (Romans 8:37) and as a carrier of His Light and Life, you have great rewards waiting for you in Heaven! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "O Praise The Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today  we read John 14 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verse 6 is one of the most important verses in the entire Bible! Jesus Himself said this to His disciples, specifically to Thomas, who had asked Him how they could know the way to the place where He was going. 

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

Jesus is the ONLY way to ever get to the Heaven of the Bible! The Old Testament believers put their faith in the Messiah that they knew was to come because of the promises given to them. Most of them expected a conquering king to come. He DID! Jesus came to conquer sin and death and the enemy of our souls, satan! He accomplished it all when He died in our place and rose again from the dead, guaranteeing that anyone and everyone believing in and receiving Him as Lord and personal Savior would one day rise with Him. He IS the WAY! have YOU received Him yet? If not, I invite you to pray this prayer and know for certain that you have Heaven as YOUR home when you leave this earth! 

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

AMEN! Now you have found THE WAY! Now get into a good local church and dive into the Word of God so that you can, in turn, lead others to "THE WAY"! Here is Hillsong United with "One Way":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

If you ever feel weary or are tempted to think "I can't take it anymore", I would encourage you to read Psalm 136 out loud! It is a wonderful declaration of faith and confidence in the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible and a psalm of praise TO Him! Taking control of your thought life in this way will cause you to view your entire situation in a whole new, and very powerful and positive light! After that, I would encourage you to take to heart THIS from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional for today:

And now abides faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love). 1 Corinthians 13:13

What do you do when you're facing a particularly stubborn problem? A problem that resists your every effort to solve it? Put the power of love to work on it! The power of love is the greatest power in the universe. It's beyond defeat. It never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). The Bible says God is love. So when you release love into a situation, you have released God into it. Think about that! When you start releasing love into a situation, Jesus becomes responsible for its success. What is this love I'm talking about?

First Corinthians 13 tells us it's patient and kind. It's not jealous or haughty or conceited or rude. It doesn't insist on its own way. It's not touchy or resentful and it pays no attention to a suffered wrong. Love rejoices when right and truth prevail and it bears up under anything and everything that comes. It's ever ready to believe the best of every person. Its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything without weakening.

The person who refuses to love is missing out on the very best God has to offer. Don't you miss out on any of it. Release love every moment into every situation, every prayer and every thought until it totally consumes your life. It will strengthen you and cast out every fear that has robbed you of God's greater blessings. It will drive the devil out of your affairs and set you free from every torment of darkness. Put love to work on the stubborn problems in your life. It's the one solution they'll never be able to resist.

Love NEVER fails! Making this choice to walk in love puts us in position for the Divine intervention of the Most High God! Galatians 5:6 tells us that our faith works by love. Just as a car "runs" on gasoline, our faith "runs" ONLY on love! Without choosing to walk in love towards everyone, our faith will be inactive and ineffective. So, after you have built yourself up reading Psalml 136, then take a gauge of your own love walk. See what you've been doing right and keep it up! See where you may be lacking and make the necessary adjustments. Once you do that, you cannot fail! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Faithfulness":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

"My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers today has a line that I really like! Here is a portion:

We  have to be so one with God that we do not continually need to ask for guidance. ... When He gives the check, we have to stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind in order to make out what God’s will is. ... “The Lord led me,” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design, which, if we are born of God, we will credit to God. We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. 

The line that I really love is this: We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail.

When you and I begin to really recognize the hand of God in every little detail of our lives, our faith in Him and in His Word will grow so strong that NOTHING will seem impossible to us! THAT is what HE is waiting for! AMEN! Notice that Jesus said THIS in Mark 11:23:

23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

We MUST meditate on the Word of God so that the understanding can come and then WE will dare to believe that what Jesus said about us is exactly what He meant to say! It is TRUTH! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with the title song from their new album "Open Heaven/River Wild":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Mark 12:30 Jesus Himself gave us this command:

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.

The MOST important commandment for us to obey is THIS one! When we do this, every other area of our lives will fall right into place! I want to share a portion of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

We have to get out into faith in Jesus Christ continually; not a prayer meeting Jesus Christ, nor a book Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, Who is God Incarnate, and Who ought to strike us to His feet as dead. Our faith must be in the One from Whom our experience springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute abandon of devotion to Himself. We never can experience Jesus Christ, nor ever hold Him within the compass of our own hearts, but our faith must be built in strong emphatic confidence in Him.

It is along this line that we see the rugged impatience of the Holy Ghost against unbelief. All our fears are wicked, and we fear because we will not nourish ourselves in our faith. How can any one who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! It ought to be an absolute psalm of perfectly irrepressible, triumphant belief.

Loving HIM with everything within us will require spending time in His presence, getting to REALLY know Him! Every person in your life that you know well required that same commitment from you. How much more should we all invest in knowing HIM! Remember that 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 

There is a price to pay if you really want to know the Lord your God in that way, but the rewards FAR outweigh the const! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have you ever been involved in a discussion about who REALLY killed Jesus? I remember when I  was very young thinking how wonderful it would have been if they had NOT killed Jesus because He would still be alive and I could see Him! After I received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior, I would hear that it was the Jews who killed Jesus. Others would say that it was the fault of the Romans. When I realized that He had died for my sins, I thought that I was responsible! Though all of the above were involved, NONE of them were responsible! Look at John 10:17-18:

17 For this [reason] the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life—to take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.

THIS is why the religious leaders who had desired to get rid of Jesus could never touch Him before this! NO ONE could TAKE His life! HE alone had the power to lay His life down and until He did that, He would not have died! So WHY would He do that? FOR YOU! Look at Hebrews 12:2:

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. KJV

He did this, in obedience to the Father, so that WE could belong to Him in such a way that the enemy would have no legal hold over us! Adam had dominion over the whole earth, but he gave it up to satan when he disobeyed God in the Garden. JESUS bought it all back when HE, Who was sin-LESS became sin with OUR sin and suffered the penalty for it! Because He did this, WE {who choose Him} are now forever free from that penalty and HE {Who was unlawfully executed for sin He did NOT commit} is forever given that Name that is above every Name, that at HIS Name every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that HE IS LORD (Philippians 2:10-11)! HALLELUJAH! It was unfailing LOVE and the perfect will of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that allowed Jesus to suffer the horrendous in order to bring us the GLORIOUS! HALLELUJAH! Have YOU praised Him and thanked Him for so great Salvation (Hebrews 2:3) today? DO IT NOW! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Unending Love":

Shalom in Him!