Shalom,

Reading Psalm 90 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan brought back a memory of something I used to think about when I was very young. Moses is speaking here about the fact that the adults in the wilderness were dying between the ages of 70 and 80. (This was because of the curse that resulted from the people agreeing with the 10 spies who returned with a negative report of the promised land instead of agreeing with Joshua and Caleb who said that they were well able to take the land.) Look at verse 9:

 9 For all our days [out here in this wilderness, says Moses] pass away in Your wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told [for we adults know we are doomed to die soon, without reaching Canaan].

When I was young I used to have this thought that our lives were really just a story that God was reading and we were the characters in it! Now that I have studied the Word of God for so many years, I realize that this is truer than I thought! Here we are reading about the thoughts and words and actions of Moses and the other Old Testament saints, sometimes treating them as simply characters in a story! But, they were REAL! Their lives were not simply made up stories or fairy tales! These ARE living, breathing people who are now, IF they had faith in the Messiah Who was to come, living in Heaven with the God of the Bible! HALLELUJAH! I also have another revelation for you! WE are in the current "story" being written! Look at 2 Corinthians 3:2-3:

2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. KJV

WE are those "living epistles"! People who see and know us are actively "reading" our lives and deciding if they will believe our "story" and join us! Those born again believers who have already passed over into Heaven are now having their lives "read" by people, sometimes literally! So I have come to realize that the thought I had as a child was very real, except that I am NOT a make believe, made up story! I am, and you are, a living, breathing love letter from God to the lost! Let's make these "stories" (letters, books) available now, while we are still here, so that when we do arrive in Heaven, we will have many people greeting us who read our lives and chose to follow! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "My Story":

God will always be my story

Nothing less than Christ my Savior

God will always be my hope

Nothing more than Christ alone

And this will be my story

And this will be my song

My chains are broken

I am free

And this will be my story

And this will be my song

I'll praise You my Savior

Jesus

Take my life but give me Jesus

To know You God is why I live

Take the world but give me Jesus

For all my days I'll follow You

And this will be my story

And this will be my song

My chains are broken

I am free

And this will be my story

And this will be my song

I'll praise You my Savior

Jesus

We lift Your name up

We lift Your name

You are higher

There's no one like You, Jesus

(x4)

And this will be my story

And this will be my song

My chains are broken

I am free

And this will be my story

And this will be my song

I'll praise You my Savior

Jesus

We lift Your name up

We lift Your name

You are higher

There's no one like You, Jesus

(x4)

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

As I was meditating on the Psalm for today, I decided to share these two thoughts! First of all, let's look Psalm 89:1-2:

1 I will sing of the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation. 2 For I have said, Mercy and loving-kindness shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness will You establish in the very heavens [unchangeable and perpetual].

Loving-kindness is a great translation for the word "mercy" here! This is actually the Hebrew word "chesed", which means: goodness, kindness; faithfulness; steadfast love; grace; devotion. HIS love and devotion for YOU is eternal and powerful! He will NEVER change His mind concerning YOU! You have nothing to fear from flesh or the enemy because GREATER is the One Who lives IN you (1 John 4:4)! Expect, appreciate, walk in and then share this wonderful loving-kindness that HE has bestowed on YOU! AMEN! The second Truth that I was meditating on today is found in Psalm 89 also, in verses 14-18 from The Message Bible:

14 The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule; Love and Truth are its fruits. 15 Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. 16 Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do — they can't keep it quiet! 17 Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us — you've been so good to us! We're walking on air! 18 All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King! 

Is THIS the attitude of YOUR heart when you think of our wonderful Lord and all that HE has done for YOU? Let's make it so! He is worthy of this and so much more! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Alive":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a portion of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. It is not service that matters, but intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This will give our life the attitude of child-wonder which He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious (that is, using religion as a higher kind of culture) and be spiritually real.

If you are looking off unto Jesus, avoiding the call of the religious age you live in, and setting your heart on what He wants, on thinking on His line, you will be called unpractical and dreamy; but when He appears in the burden and the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. Trust no one, not even the finest saint who ever walked this earth, ignore him, if he hinders your sight of Jesus Christ.

I have often heard this phrase said of people that other believers simply did not understand! "They are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good." Have YOU heard this before? Well, it is simply NOT TRUE! The more Heavenly minded we are, the MORE good we will be to everyone that we come in contact with! The ONLY Answer for all of the evil that we see going on all around the world right now is Jesus Christ and a personal relationship With Him! Is there ANY reason that YOU can't receive Jesus as Lord and Savior right now? Go to our website through the link on the left and find out how to pray to become a born again believer! Now, begin to REALLY live! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "His Glory Appears":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In reading today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, I realized that this is a perfect message for the day after celebrating Resurrection Sunday!

But God’s free gift is not at all to be compared to the trespass.... For if many died through one man’s falling away (his lapse, his offense), much more profusely did God’s grace and the free gift [that comes] through...Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for [the benefit of] many. Romans 5:15 AMP

If you’re ever on a losing streak and need someone to tell you how to turn things around, go to God. He’s an expert on the subject. He’s suffered more losses than anyone who’s ever lived.

Just think about it. He lost Lucifer, His top-ranked, most anointed angel. And when Lucifer fell, He lost at least a third of His other angels as well. Then He lost the man and woman He had created. And because He’d given them dominion over the earth, when He lost them, He lost it too. Any way you figure it, that’s a lot of real estate down the drain!

Yet, in spite of all that, God is no loser. He’s the greatest winner of all time. Do you know why? Because He knows how to turn the losses around. He knows how to use the law of giving and receiving to transform losses into gains.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…” (Luke 6:38). 

That’s the powerful principle that breaks losing streaks. Isn’t that staggering? He had every option that exists to choose from to redeem the things He’d lost. He had all wisdom and all power available to Him. Out of all that, the law of giving is what He chose to use.

He gave the most irreplaceable thing He had: His only Son. Then He backed that gift with His own faith. And when the law of giving and receiving had done its work, the Almighty Father God received not only His first-begotten Son, but millions of other sons as well.

Don’t despair over your losses. Redeem them the same way God redeemed His. Give and put the most powerful principle in the universe to work for you.

AMEN! I always counsel those who are going through a struggle or trial to realize that we are not facing anything that someone, somewhere isn't also facing (1 Peter 5:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13)! I also remind them that He has also given us THIS promise in Ephesians 6:8:

8 Knowing that for whatever good anyone does, he will receive his reward from the Lord, whether he is slave or free.

So, when YOU are going through something, realize that some other believer is going through the same thing! Begin to pray for someone you don't even know, and God will see to it that others, whom you don't know, will be praying for YOU! That makes it so much easier to cast the care of it over on the Lord and fully expect the deliverance you need to come! Be patient, because God's timing is PERFECT, but begin to expect some "suddenlies" as you put others before  yourself, that is giving, and that IS God! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "When The Fight Calls":

You’ve overcome this world with love 

And made my fight Your own 

I lift my eyes and throw fear aside 

And sing out into the night 

Cause even when the world caves

Even when the fight calls

Even when the war’s waged

I’ll take heart

I know You are greater

Forever You are Savior

I will sing Your praise

With all that I have

With all am Lord

I’ll stare down the waves

Cause You own the tide

I still myself and know

You wait for me

On waters wild

Where faith walks above the storm

I won’t let the storm weather my heart

Won’t let the darkness beat me down

Sing in the night my hope alive in You

I'll walk through the fire and not get burned

Pray in the fight and watch it turn

Jesus tonight I give it all to You

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I know that this will be a little long, but today I want to share ALL of Romans 14. I have witnessed, and been the brunt of myself, SO many people who have made it their life's work to correct every single person they come in contact with who may believe something slightly different than what they themselves believe! THIS, if acted on, should put a stop to that! 

14 As for the man who is a weak believer, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions. 2 One [man’s faith permits him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [limits his] eating to vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats look down on or despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize and pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted and welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand. 5 One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 None of us lives to himself [but to the Lord], and none of us dies to himself [but to the Lord, for] 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For Christ died and lived again for this very purpose, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise]. 12 And so each of us shall give an account of himself [give an answer in reference to judgment] to God. 13 Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am convinced (persuaded) as one in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is [forbidden as] essentially unclean (defiled and unholy in itself). But [none the less] it is unclean (defiled and unholy) to anyone who thinks it is unclean. 15 But if your brother is being pained or his feelings hurt or if he is being injured by what you eat, [then] you are no longer walking in love. [You have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him.] Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died! 16 Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.] 17 [After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God and is approved by men. 19 So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another. 20 You must not, for the sake of food, undo and break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean and pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others or to make them fall by what he eats. 21 The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him. 22 Your personal convictions [on such matters]—exercise [them] as in God’s presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do]. 23 But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].

There is not one person living on the earth today who has a CLEAR picture of all there is to know! 1 Corinthians 13:12:

12 For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].

So, the lesson is for each one of us to live out the Word that WE know, all the while praying and interceding for others to come to the full knowledge of the Word and to walk in all of the fullness of our Covenant with Him! We also must keep open for the correction OF THE LORD as it pertains to His Word, so that we can become progressively more like HIM! In fact, Paul said THIS in 1 Corinthians 2:2:

2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.

The next time someone tries to sway you to their own way of thinking when it comes to the Word of God, simply trust Holy Spirit to give you a way out of that conversation. Refuse to get caught up in those very unwise discussions! Why are they "unwise"? Because there is NO answer to them on this side of Heaven! We will NOT know and understand everything their is to know and understand until after the Church is carried away as His Bride! NOW is the time to join together in faith praying, interceding, sharing the Gospel and TELLING of His wondrous works! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Face To Face":

[Verse 1]
I remember when I called Your name
There I knew I'd never be the same
Love came rushing to this heart of mine
Like You waited for this all my life
I remember when I learned to pray
Close to You I find my hiding place
And Your Spirit looks within my soul
And Your presence keeps me wanting more\
[Verse 2]
When I think upon your wounded hands

And how you begun a great romance

I will take your bread and take your wine

To remember what you sacrificed

Now I'm serving for Your kingdom come

Where You're leading me is where I'll run

Jesus I can be your hands and feet

And let my life remember You my King

I need You more than anything

[Bridge]

Lord here I am

I'm reaching out

I will lay me down and surrender

I'll sing Your name

I'll sing it loud

You are all I want, now forever

(2x)

Lord here I am

[Verse 3]

And the day shall come when I will rise

Finally I'll see you face to face

With the heavens I will glorify

Crown You Lord for eternity

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website:

Sow a Part of Yourself Everyday

A seed is anything you can do that benefits another person. Your respect for others is a seed. Plant that seed. Your knowledge given to others is a seed. Sow that seed. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

"Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." (Ephesians 6:8)

This is a verse that I have had great confidence in from the first time that I heard it taught! When you believe that "God is not a man, that He should lie" (Numbers 23:19) and that His Word is Truth (John 17:17), then when you meditate on this verse, your confidence will begin to grow until you have full assurance that when YOU pray for others, HE has someone, somewhere in the world, praying for YOU! When you do anything that benefits someone else, you can have confidence that God will see to it that your own needs are met! Don't look for return help from someone that YOU give to. Look to God as your Source and expect that He will use any and every means to provide for you! This principle is especially important to me concerning mercy. I believe that when I sow mercy, love and forgiveness into someone's life, mercy will be there for me when I need it! Here is another Scripture I want to share with you that goes right along with this. Proverbs 3:27:

27 Withhold not good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. AMP

When you are able to pray for someone, pray for them. When you are able to give something to someone what will be a blessing to them, give it! When you are able to encourage someone, encourage them! The other side of this is DO NOT think, speak or act in a way that is detrimental to someone else, because what you sow, you WILL reap! Galatians 6:7:

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. KJV

Now look at this from the Amplified Bible:

7 Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. AMP

AMEN! God has already provided for us to be blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing, in heavenly places, IN HIM! Ephesians 1:3:

3 May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! AMP

So, let's make the choice to no longer hold back, but to pour our whole heart into think, speak and act like JESUS! AMEN! THAT will draw all men unto HIM through the testimony of your life! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "This Is Real Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The appeal that Paul makes in Romans 12:1-2, to the believers in Rome and to all believers, is very familiar to most people, but not always understood! 

12 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

I remember hearing, especially as a new believer, all of the "things" that a Christian should do, and NOT do, because we are representing Him. We were told how to think, speak and act so that we would never besmirch the Name of Jesus. This is so NOT what we are to be taught as new believers! These instructions from Paul, when acted upon, are the only things we need to give attention to doing in order to represent Jesus properly in the earth! We MUST surrender to Him and His will in order for Holy Spirit to be able to continue the good work in us that He began at the New Birth! When we spend time getting to really know Jesus (Philippians 3:10 AMP), we will fall more in love with Him every day! This love will draw us into a deeper and more powerful fellowship with Him that will cause us to develop a real hunger for His Word and His presence! THAT is how HE intends for this life to work! When we try in our own strength to keep a list of dos and don'ts, we will fail, grow weary and feel like giving up and quitting. When we spend time in His presence, getting to know Him, the work in us will be a supernatural work by the Spirit of God inside of us and it will be HIS strength that empowers us to be changed, from the inside out! It will no longer be a hardship, but a great joy! We will live a life of gratefulness, thankfulness and praise, which will reflect HIM to those we come in contact with. Make the choice today to allow Holy Spirit to work His work in you! People will look at YOU and they will see JESUS! AMEN! Now look at, and celebrate with, these verses from today's reading in Psalm 84:

4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; they will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.   ...  7 They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in Zion.   ...  10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]! AMP

AMEN! It doesn't COST to serve the Living God, it PAYS! Here is Hillsong with an older song based on Psalm 84 called "Blessed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love this portion of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

He must increase, but I must decrease. — John 3:30
 If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God’s order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences; we come in and prevent God, and say — “This and that must not be.” Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say — “That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him.”
Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. “The friend of the Bridegroom…rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” This is spoken with joy and not with sadness — at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.

Do you see what this is saying? So many times over the years I have seen various ministers minister to their people in such a way that the people never grow up, but become increasingly dependent on them for everything. This can be a real power trip for some, but it is NOT the Biblical way to minister! What should happen is what I have seen happen with my own Pastor at The Spoken Word Church. He has taught us what the Word has to say on every subject you can mention, and then has provided us with resources (books, tapes, CDs, videos, DVDs) where we can continue our own personal study on the subject. He began instructing us from the very first services that we should never believe something just because he was teaching it, but that we should be as the Bereans and check everything out in our own Bibles to "see if it were so" (Acts 17:11)! This is true Biblical ministry! This does NOT mean that as a minister I should never meet with people for prayer and counseling. What it DOES mean is that I shouldn't make them feel as though MY prayers and knowledge is what will deliver them! The Truth is that if I am doing MY job well, every person I minister to will become more proficient in the Word and in prayer so that as they continue to grow, they will come to the place of being able to help other people, just as I have helped them! Our Father wants each one of us to be in position to help each other, and other people, so that ALL of us may get ourselves in position to have and show a life that is overflowing with good things that bring glory to His Name! AMEN! Look at 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].

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Brighter":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today contains some very wise instructions for praying for family and friends. We're speaking of prayers that have a "YES" answer! Remember that 1 John 5:14-15 says this:

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.

So, we see here that in order to get the "YES" answer to our prayers, they must be according to the WILL of God! The only resource that we have that reveals the WILL of God is His WORD! AMEN! Find what the Word of God has to say about something that YOU are praying for, then pray knowing that He hears and because He hears, YOU HAVE IT! AMEN! It couldn't be any clearer than that! Now, back to Faith Food for today! Yesterday and today Faith Food covers the prayers of Paul in Ephesians 1 and 3. These are prayers that come directly from the Word of God, providing an accurate understanding of what God Himself promises concerning His Will! I am going to share theses two portions of Scripture and I ask YOU to begin to pray them, inserting your name or your loved one's name in the proper place. Proclaim this Word as your confession of faith in the ability of Almighty God to perform and to confirm His own Word on our behalf! AMEN! Here is Ephesians 1:15-23 and Ephesians 3:14-21 AMP:

Ephesians 1:15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (the people of God),  16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.  17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, 18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), 19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, 20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. 22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],  [Ps 8:6.] 23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]. AMP

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]. 16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. 17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, 18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! 20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] —  21 To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). AMP

AMEN! Prayers that are completely in line with the will of God! He HEARS these prayers! You HAVE IT NOW! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,  

Today I want to look at Psalm 81:7-16:

7 You called in distress and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

8 Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you—O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

9 There shall no strange god be among you, neither shall you worship any alien god.

10 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

11 But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.

12 So I gave them up to their own hearts’ lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels.

13 Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!

14 Speedily then I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.

15 [Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever.

16 [God] would feed [Israel now] also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy you.

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have had people ask me how a God of love could allow sickness and disease, poverty and death, to take place on the earth. They also ask how a loving God could send anyone to hell. The answer to these and all other similar questions is found in the verses above! God has wonderful plans for His people (Jeremiah 29:11) if they would only trust and rely, hear and obey Him! When Israel obeyed God and walked in His ways, the entire nation prospered and lived in peace and safety. The problem was that in times of peace and prosperity, they would neglect to continue in His ways, giving HIM the praise, thanksgiving and worship that was due to Him for all that they were blessed with! When they would turn their eyes from HIM, they would get caught up in what was going on among the other nations, and, wanting to "fit in", they would forget about the One, True God. When that would happen, He would have no choice but to be true to His Word and allow them to live as they chose, choosing the death and the curse rather than life and the blessing. Read Deuteronomy 28-30 to see what God promised!. 

Even though Israel wold fall away from God, whenever they would repent and call on Him for help, He would answer them, deliver them, and then counsel them to stay in fellowship and obedience. The New Birth is proof positive that our God IS a God of Love and that He cares for all of us! Now let's look at Galatians 4:4-7:

4 But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, 5 To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons]. 6 And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father! 7 Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir by the aid of God, through Christ.

The God Who so greatly loved the entire world (John 3:15-18 AMP) that He would send His only Son to become sin and die for us a most torturous death so that we could be born again, become children of God, heirs of God and ministers of God, is most certainly not holding anything good back from us! HE is not making the decision for whether we are walking in the fullness of blessing, protection, provision and safety. WE ARE! HE has given us the opportunity to know for certain that we have Heaven as our home when we leave this earth AND to have a most wonderful life while we are here, going about HIS business! It IS His desire for us! John 10:10 and 3 John 2:

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

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

He has given us His Word and Holy Spirit to teach us. He has given us the promises and the instructions for how to walk in them. He has given us the CHOICE for what we want to allow in our lives. Along with those wonderful blessings comes the responsibility of CHOICE! I hope that YOU are making wise choices, beginning with the choices to be born again, to be filled with His Spirit, and to learn and grow in the knowledge of His Word (Find out how on our website through the link on the left)!  Now make the further choice to be a DOER of His Word (James 1:22) and you will find your life begin to change for the better in every area. When it does, never forget Who those blessings and good things came from (James 1:17), and never neglect to give HIM praise, thanksgiving and worship for them! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Romans 8 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Romans 8:1 says this:

8 Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

Notice that the first half of this verse is in regular type, while the second half is in italics. When you see this occur in the KJV or the classic version of the Amplified Bible, be aware that this means these words were NOT included in the most reliable of the earliest writings. This has been added by the translators because they believed that it made the meaning clearer. In some cases this may be so, but I have found that it is best to read the verses without those and ask Holy Spirit to further define this. In this case, they were decidedly wrong. There is now NO "condemnation", which is the Greek word "katakrima". This word means: an adverse sentence (verdict), a damnatory sentence, the sentence pronounced with a suggestion of punishment to follow. There is NO sentence of punishment for those who are "in Christ Jesus" which means those who are born again. When you received Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior, you were born again of "incorruptible seed" by the Word of God (1 Peter 1:22)! You ARE a new creature with the Spirit of Almighty God living IN you! There is NO sentence, punishment or judgment against you because Jesus paid the complete price for sin, for all time, for all people "whosoever will" receive! Those who reject Jesus have chosen to accept the sentence of punishment for sin themselves instead of HIS substitutionary sacrifice. His sacrifice was NOT just for those who "walk not after the dictates of the flesh", but for ALL who will receive! Otherwise it would go back to being our own good works and righteousness, which is good for nothing! Now before you accuse me of giving people a license to sin, realize that allowing sin into our lives DOES open the door for the enemy of our souls to wreak havoc in our lives here on earth! It does not affect our eternal life in Heaven other than keeping us from building rewards for our obedience to HIM. 

So, stop allowing people to keep introducing "another doctrine" that takes away from the Grace of God that brings great joy! Turn away from sin because it affects your fellowship with HIM, with other people, your effectiveness in sharing the Gospel and your rewards in Heaven, and NOT because you fear you will miss Heaven! You ARE a new creation, created in the image of God, a member of His family, an heir of God and a unique member of the Body of Christ! Let's get busy about our Father's business of seeking and saving the lost and we won't have time to even consider nonsense! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a new song about the Grace of God called "Grace To Grace":

If love endured that ancient cross How precious is my Savior's blood The beauty of heaven wrapped in my shame The image of love upon death's frame If having my heart was worth the pain What joy could you see beyond the grave If love found my soul worth dying for How wonderful How glorious My Savior's scars victorious My chains are gone My debt is paid From death to life And grace to grace If heaven now owns that vacant tomb How great is the hope that lives in You The passion that tore through hell like a rose The promise that rolled back death and its stone If freedom is worth the life You raised Where is my sin? Where is my shame? If love paid it all to have my heart How wonderful How glorious My Savior's scars victorious My chains are gone My debt is paid From death to life And grace to grace When I see that cross, I see freedom When I see that grave, I'll see Jesus And from death to life, I will sing Your praise In the wonder of Your grace When I see that cross, I see freedom When I see that grave, I'll see Jesus And from death to life, I will sing Your praise In the wonder of Your grace How my soul will sing Your praise In the wonder of Your grace How my soul will sing Your praise How wonderful How glorious My Savior's scars victorious My chains are gone My debt is paid From death to life And grace to grace

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the lessons from the Word of God that I picked up on early in my walk with Him is that God does NOT think as man thinks! When "religious" people try to put the God of the Bible into their particular religious box, they usually come up severely short changing their own lives. Numbers 22:19 is good Scripture to meditate on when YOU are tying to decide if something that SEEMS to be too good to be true really is TRUTH (John 17:17). 

19 God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?

Does God's Word SAY it? Then DARE to BELIEVE it!  AMEN! Now, let's look at Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional again today:

And be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5

Most believers don't know anything about true humility. If you tell them they're the righteousness of God, they'll fight to keep from believing it. You can give them scripture references to prove it, and they'll still argue.

"Oh no," they'll say, "I'm not righteous. I'm just an old sinner saved by grace." They're making a sincere attempt to be humble. But they're sincerely wrong. They're so afraid of being exalted by pride that they've let Satan trick them into falling right into it. Let me show you what I mean.

According to 1 Peter 5:5-6, to be truly humble is to submit to God. That means when God says something, you believe it no matter how foreign to your "religious" thinking it may be. When He says you've been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, you say that too. In fact, you wouldn't dare say anything else because to do so would be to dare to disagree with God. And, when you get right down to it, that's the ultimate form of pride, isn't it?

Don't let Satan keep you groveling in the dust of false humility. Agree with God. Find out what His Word says about you, then be bold enough to say it yourself. Banish pride by submitting to His truth. Clothe yourself in true humility. It's sure to look good on you.

AMEN! Refuse to walk in self-centered pride, making your own thoughts higher priority than God's! IF God said something, then THAT is what He meant AND means! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland:

Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. Ephesians 4:27 AMP

If you give the devil place, he will take it. You have to stay alert and keep your shield of faith high because if you don't, he'll turn around and steal back from you the ground you just took.

There have been people who have received their healing and have fallen back into their old thinking patterns of sickness. They let their faith down and gave the devil an opening. When he came along with an old symptom, they weren't ready for him. They fell victim to his counterattack.

You can stand successfully against the devil's strategies! But before you do, you're going to have to make three quality decisions.

First, you must make the Word of God the final authority in your life. Line up your thinking with whatever the Word says.

Next, you must decide to live your life by faith in what God has said. The Bible says, 

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17 NKJV).

Finally, you must decide to live by the love of God because faith works by love. Without love, your faith won't function. Without the Word, you can't have faith. So don't try to make one of these decisions without the other two. You need to make all three of them. This lifestyle of the Word, faith and love keeps you in a place of resistance to the devil!

Decide today to give the devil no place! 

I suggest you get alone with God and pray:

  

In the Name of Jesus, I commit myself from this day forward to live by the Word of God, to live by my faith, and to live by the love of God.

                                                                                                                                                               Here is Hillsong Kids with "Every Move I Make":

Shalom in Him!