Shalom,

Yesterday's reading in Psalms told us how to go about praising the Lord. Today's, Psalm 150, tells us, again, how, where and why and then leaves us no doubt about WHO is to do this!

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!)

So WHO is to praise the LORD? EVERYTHING breathing! Most important to me? I am to praise the LORD! YOU are to praise the LORD! Let's continue to praise Him, NOT simply because He tells us to, but because we WANT to! AMEN! We cannot out-give God in any area, but we CAN give Him our whole hearts in surrender to His will and in praise, thanksgiving and worship! What will we receive in return? 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! THAT is the Father's heart towards us! EXPECT good things to pour into your life, and begin to thank Him NOW for them! That is faith in operation! Here is Hillsong United with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 149 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Here are verses 1-5:

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.

It has been said that this psalm is a primer on worship. There are many different types of praise and methods for doing so. The common denominator in all praise is the Subject! We are to praise the LORD! We praise Him for Who He is and for ALL that He has done in us, for us, and through us! We are to praise Him in private and in the congregation! We are to praise Him in song, with instruments and with dancing! Take a check on your own personal praise and worship of the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God. Are there areas that you need to add or improve upon? Remember that praise is the perfect prayer! It is acknowledging the Lord above all else in your life. It is giving HIM the preeminence! He alone deserves our whole heart and soul and mind and strength! Let's pick it up in our praise lives, both individually and in the congregation! HE inhabits the praises of His people! CELEBRATE! Now lets look at the last 4 verses! 

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!)

These verses show us that besides what we have previously learned and known about praise and worship, it is also part of our "weapons of warfare"! 2 Corinthians 10:4:

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, AMP

Our praise and worship, combined with our declaration of the Word of God, will defeat the enemy every time! Do you remember the account of the shout unto the Lord of the Israelites at Jericho, after their obedient silence (Joshua 5-6)? Do you remember the results of the praise and worship going on before at the "battle" against the Moabites and Ammonites during the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20)? Let's get thoroughly involved in improving our praise and worship life and in getting ready for what GOD is going to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called  "Great In Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 148 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. The word "praise" occurs 13 times in this Psalm, and in 12 of the 13 times it is the Hebrew word "halal" that is used. This means: to be clear, to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to stultify (which means: to appear foolish or absurd), to act like a mad man. This means that there is no such thing as praising quietly in your heart! This praise, by its very nature, is noticeable, noisy and many times public! SOMEONE has to hear your boasting of the greatness of your God! Here is all of Psalm 148!

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!)

One of the very most important things that you, as a born again child of the Living God, can do is to PRAISE HIM (halal)! We MUST boast of Him, telling of His wonderful works, so that those who do not yet know Him will be drawn TO Him! AMEN! Make sure that YOU are taking some time every day to THANK Him for all that He has done, then go out and make HIM famous by telling others! Here is Hillsong with "Shout Your Fame":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Reading John 7 today caused me to reflect on my own life and ministry! Jesus was being pressured by His brothers to go up to Jerusalem. I LOVE His answer to them! Verses 6-8:

6 Whereupon Jesus said to them, My time (opportunity) has not come yet; but any time is suitable for you and your opportunity is ready any time [is always here]. 7 The world cannot [be expected to] hate you, but it does hate Me because I denounce it for its wicked works and reveal that its doings are evil. 8 Go to the Feast yourselves. I am not [yet] going up to the Festival, because My time is not ripe. [My term is not yet completed; it is not time for Me to go.]

Jesus KNEW the who, what, where, when and how of what He was called by God the Father to do! Others didn't always understand, but the fruit of His obedience to His Father was evident! Very early in the ministry that God has called me to, He laid it very strongly on my heart that "we" were supposed to pray AT our church FOR our church, The Spoken Word Church. I would mention it to others and it seemed that no one was interested! Everyone said things like "That sounds good", but no one else wanted to join me! When I complained to the Father that no one was interested, He said "I didn't tell you to get others to pray, I told YOU to pray"! That's why I added the quotes around the "we" above! I had added the we, when God meant ME! I have learned that no one else will receive YOUR call FOR you! He will place that in YOU! Others can confirm it, but they cannot call you! I was trying to add a wagon load of people on MY calling! It doesn't work that way! Sometimes we get ideas of what others SHOULD be doing, when it really is NOT our business! Remember this from John 21:21-22 when Peter asked what John was called to do?

21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? 22 Jesus said to him, If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of yours?] You follow Me!

It was NOT my place to get everyone else to pray! THAT was God's choice and God's responsibility. I had ONE responsibility! I repented and asked for permission to go BY MYSELF to pray at the church from 6am to 7am every morning. I began to obey with just myself and Holy Spirit! AFTER my obedience, HE began to speak to others in the congregation and we soon had MANY praying! We have now been praying every single morning from 6-7, seven days a week, 365 days a year, since 1985! We have had miraculous answers to prayer for our congregation and for our partners. ALL that our Father God is looking for from us is simple obedience and faith, trust and confidence that HIS plans for us are PERFECT! AMEN! I hope this has helped YOU to be free to be who God has called you to be, doing what HE has called you to do! You answer to NO ONE but HIM! Just like JESUS! AMEN! Here is a beautiful song of individual commitment by Hillsong United called "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" is another important lesson for the born again believer!

Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. — Luke 24:49

The disciples had to tarry until the day of Pentecost not for their own preparation only; they had to wait until the Lord was glorified historically. As soon as He was glorified, what happened? “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” The parenthesis in John 7:39 (“For the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified”) does not apply to us; the Holy Ghost has been given, the Lord is glorified; the waiting depends not on God’s providence, but on our fitness.

The Holy Spirit’s influence and power were at work before Pentecost, but He was not here. Immediately Our Lord was glorified in Ascension, the Holy Spirit came into this world, and He has been here ever since. We have to receive the revelation that He is here. The reception of the Holy Spirit is the maintained attitude of a believer. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive quickening life from the ascended Lord.

It is not the baptism of the Holy Ghost which changes men, but the power of the ascended Christ coming into men’s lives by the Holy Ghost that changes them. We too often divorce what the New Testament never divorces. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is not an experience apart from Jesus Christ: it is the evidence of the ascended Christ.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost does not make you think of Time or Eternity, it is one amazing glorious NOW. “This is life eternal that they might know Thee.” Begin to know Him now, and finish never.

During the Old Covenant, meaning all of the Old Testament accounts and the Gospels in the New Testament, God the Holy Spirit only came upon the prophet, priest and king. He lived IN none of them! It was not until the Resurrection of Jesus, when those believing on Him were MADE new creatures as Holy Spirit recreated previously dead human spirits into the image of God, that He lived IN man! ONLY in born again believers (John 20:22)! Those disciples who were waiting in Jerusalem in obedience to Jesus had already received the new birth, but were now "endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49)! This is what he is referring to above. This enduement with power is simply the evidence of the indwelling Spirit of the Living God overflowing in us! YOU can experience this powerful enduement , too! If you haven't yet, please go to our website through the link in the left and find out  more! you will NEVER be the same again! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake" because WE need to awaken ourselves to be more consciously aware of HIS presence IN US! Amen!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 145 says everything I desire to say about life here on this earth! With THIS attitude, you can handle anything and everything that happens, safe under the shadow of His wings and abiding carefree within the Kingdom of God and HIS protection, provision and safety!

[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 andloving-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.

AMEN! Let's be about our Father's business and HIS #1 priority: seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10; Matthew 18:11)! He WILL handle everything else IF we cast all care over on HIM (1 Peter 5:7)! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "When The Fight Calls":

 WHEN THE FIGHT CALLS

 [Verse 1]

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

[Chorus]

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 that I am Lord

[Verse 2]

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

[Bridge]

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,

Two things really stood out to me in my studies today! The first was from Psalm 144 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verse 1 says this:

1 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight—

People have sometimes had the very misguided idea that as Christians, we are to be "peace freaks" and never "rock the boat". That could NOT be further from the Truth! We are told to live peaceably with others, as much as WE are responsible for (Romans 12:18). That means that I will not deliberately stir up discord with someone else. That does NOT mean that I will not speak up when I see wrong being done, or that I will allow someone to be maligned in my presence! When Peter spoke to Jesus in a way that was contrary to the Word and will of God, Jesus addressed the enemy who was using Peter's emotions for his own end by saying "Get behind me satan" (Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33 and Luke 4:8)! Jesus was waging the warfare that we, as born again believers, are to wage! Ephesians 6:12:

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. KJV

AMEN! Also from Psalm 144 are two verses that form my new prayer for the political situation that we are now in in this nation! Verses 7-8:

7 Stretch forth Your hand from above; rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hands of hostile aliens (tribes around us) 8 Whose mouths speak deceit and whose right hands are right hands [raised in taking] fraudulent oaths.

I am going to continue to ask the Father, in the Name of Jesus, to deliver us from those politicians who are lying in all of their deceitfulness! My hope is that they will NOT be able to tell another lie, but will be forced to speak ONLY the TRUTH! Are you ready to agree with me? I hope you do! AMEN! 

The second thing that really stood out for me is found in today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers! You can find it here: My Utmost For His Highest

He is saying in this that when we live the life of faith in the God of the Bible and His Word, we will find ourselves in a position of such blessing that we may be tempted to continue looking to the BLESSINGS instead of the will and plan and purpose of the BLESSER! To keep a check on this for yourself, make sure that every decision, dream, goal, plan and purpose is something that you discuss with HIM in your time of close, intimate fellowship! When our will lines up with His, there is no stopping the wonderful, supernatural blessings from pouring into our lives. We are, remember, BLESSED, in order to BE a BLESSING (2 Corinthians 9:8-9)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 3 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I have been referred to over the years as "one of those born agains". Now THAT is TRUTH! I HAVE been born again by the incorruptible Seed of the Word of the Living God (1 Peter 1:23)! The Blood of Jesus shed for sin made it possible! God's invitation came through the mouth of Jesus in John 3:3:

3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, who was a member of the Pharisees and who had come in secret to find out more from Jesus. When Nicodemus asked Jesus how in the world someone could be born a second time, Jesus answered Him with this in verses 5-6:

5 Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

It is the third person of the Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), Holy Spirit, Who does the work of the New Birth when an unbeliever calls on the Name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10:9-10)! 1 John 5:10-11 tells us this:

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. AMP

If YOU have realized that you were a sinner and in need of a Savior, and you called on the Name of Jesus, then YOU are "born again"! You ARE a new creature that never existed in your life before (2 Corinthians 5:17). Holy Spirit recreated your previously dead human spirit in the image of God and He remains living IN you now! Being born again is not a new and different "religion" but a new creation made to have intimate fellowship with the God of the Bible. A member of God's very own family, an heir of God, a joint equal heir WITH Jesus Christ and a part of the very Body of Christ Himself! The Head, Jesus, is now physically seated in the Heaven of the Bible at the right hand of God the Father, and He is waiting for US to carry out His instructions to take the Gospel to the world so that all the "whosever will" (John 3:16) may also be born again! If you have never been born again, then I invite you to check out our website through the link on the left to find out more. In addition to the prayer for Salvation, you will find how to receive the Infilling of Holy Spirit and many other resources for learning and growing in the things of God! Don't spend another day outside of the will and the plan of God for your life! GO! You will never regret this most important decision! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Go":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another very good message! 

Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body what ye shall put on. — Matthew 6:25

Jesus sums up commonsense carefulness in a disciple as infidelity. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will press through and say — “Now where does God come in in this relationship, in this mapped-out holiday, in these new books?” He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.

“Take no thought…” — don’t take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never any thing else that worries us. Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the word He puts in? The devil? No, the cares of this world. It is the little worries always. I will not trust where I cannot see, that is where infidelity begins. The only cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit. The great word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon.

I remember hearing Brother Kenneth E. Hagin explain how the Word of God, which was becoming so very clear to him, suddenly began to be dry and lifeless after he decided that he simply could NOT stop worrying when he saw in the Word that he was supposed to. ("Fret not" is in MANY places in the Word of God! Once he realized that the Word becoming dry to him began at the same time as his decision to NOT obey the Word concerning worry, he repented! That simply means that he changed HIS thinking to agree with GOD and His WORD! IF you need to, change YOUR thinking right now to agree with the God of the Bible that YOU can cease from worry and fear by casting your care on HIM, and by refusing to take those thoughts, making them YOURS, in the first place! AMEN! Stop being unfaithful to the Lord your God by thinking thoughts that are contrary to his Word! Refuse to be moved by what you see, hear, smell, taste or touch! Be moved ONLY by the Word of God! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have always loved the Book of John. It IS my favorite Gospel, although I LOVE all of the Word of God. John 1:1-4:

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.

This book begins with JESUS! I love that the Amplified Bible adds "before all time" to "In the beginning"! Time is only relative to this world. God created time for us to operate in. From the very beginning of all things, JESUS was with God and One with Him. Verse 3 goes on to tell us that JESUS was directly involved in the creation of all things! Go back and read again the account of Creation in Genesis! The Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit - "let us make man") had the idea. JESUS spoke the Word ("Let there be light" or, more accurately, "Light Be") and Holy Spirit carried it out (moved upon the face of the waters). This same JESUS came into the world for the very purpose of becoming OUR Saviour! The very LIFE (Zoe) of God was IN HIM, and IS NOW inside of every born again believer! You and I must meditate on that Truth until we are so convinced of it that we will NEVER give in to fear, worry, guilt, doubt or unbelief again! Look at John 1:5:

5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

The forces of darkness can NEVER defeat the Life and Light of God that is within YOU! Stand strong against every attack of the enemy with the Word of God and see VICTORY after VICTORY in every area of your life! John 8:31-32 tell us how to get and operate in that TRUTH.

31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. AMP

AMEN! It takes time, energy and diligence to stay in the Word, but the rewards far exceed any price we must pay! Dive in today, like never before, and become ALL that the God of the Bible intends for you to be! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Where You Are":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have really enjoyed going through "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers. He used phrases that may sometimes be difficult to understand, but for the most part the daily teachings are very important! Here is today's:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. — Matthew 6:33

Immediately we look at these words of Jesus, we find them the most revolutionary statement human ears ever listened to. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” We argue in exactly the opposite way, even the most spiritually-minded of us — “But I must live; I must make so much money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.” The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God, but how we are to fit ourselves to live. Jesus reverses the order: Get rightly related to God first, maintain that as the great care of your life, and never put the concern of your care on the other things.

“Take no thought for your life….” Our Lord points out the utter unreasonableness from His standpoint of being so anxious over the means of living. Jesus is not saying that the man who takes thought for nothing is blessed — that man is a fool. Jesus taught that a disciple has to make his relationship to God the dominating concentration of his life, and to be carefully careless about every thing else in comparison to that. Jesus is saying — Don’t make the ruling factor of your life what you shall eat and what you shall drink, but be concentrated absolutely on God. Some people are careless over what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, and they look as they have no business to look; they are careless about their earthly affairs, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the great care of the life is to put the relationship to God first, and everything else second.

It is one of the severest disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.

AMEN! Do you see that we are to take care of the business of "being where God wants us to be, doing what God wants us to do"? THAT is the true measure of prosperity! Make the Lord Jesus your very top priority and everything else will simply fall into place!  Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today asks some questions that make God's will concerning health and healing abundantly clear!

And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put [permit] none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee.
(Deut. 7:13-15)

And He will love thee, Love thee! Love thee!  And put sickness upon you? And cause you to die when you're a baby? And cause some of you to be stillborn, and some of you to be sick and crippled?  No! No! No! That's not the Holy Scriptures! 

"But that's not for us today, Brother Hagin." 

Are you sure? First Corinthians is in the New Testament, isn't it? Let' look at First Corinthians 10:11 to see if divine health is for us:

"Now all these things happened unto them [Israel] for ensamples [examples, types]: and they are written [Who are they written for the Jews? No!] for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 

Glory! Deuteronomy 7:13-15 was written for my benefit. It was written for my admonition! 

All of the promises of God are for His people are ours (2 Corinthians 1:20)! OUR Covenant is a better one than the Israelites had, and our promises are better also (Hebrews 8:6)! The only way we can miss out on the promises of God is by doing nothing! We MUST find out what belongs to us, and then go after it by faith! Matthew 11:12 tells us this:

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].

Be ZEALOUS for all that HE has provided for you! Be unwilling to do without what God has given! Learn how to appropriate what belongs to you as a child of the Living God, and then GO FOR IT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Falling Into You":

[FALLING INTO YOU

[Verse 1]

I've lived my life to the limit

Well I'm at the end of myself

I see the end that I know below me

Your love is waiting to catch

[Chorus]

I'm falling into you

Cause no one's gonna

Love me like you do (alright)

I've got nothing to lose

So I can't stop, won't stop

Falling into you (alright)

[Verse 2]

The rush I've felt in the free-fall

As I lost control of my life

Jesus, I've found that

You've always had me

Your love is never in doubt

[Bridge]

I wanna love you like you love me

I wanna love you like you love me

[Chorus]       [Bridge]     [Chorus 2x]

[Outro]

I'm falling into you

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland shows another important factor in answered prayer!

Don't Waste Time Wondering

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17

So many believers wring their hands and worry about whether or not they’re praying according to God’s will. “Oh, dear me,” they say, “I certainly can’t expect God to do something for me that’s outside His will.” And they’re absolutely right. But they don’t need to waste time standing around looking puzzled. They need to grab their Bibles and find out what the will of God is. God has made some very specific promises in His Word and it’s His will to fulfill every one of them in your life. In fact, those promises are divinely guaranteed by a contract that’s been signed in the blood of Jesus.

Think of it this way. Your Bible is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. It is a record of your inheritance. Everything that belongs to you has been written down in that Book and the smartest thing you can do is to find out what is in it. Don’t leave it lying on the coffee table and hit the floor crying, “Oh, God! Oh, God! I’m searching for the truth.” Pick up your Bible from the coffee table and find out what belongs to you! Find out how you need to change to get in line with God’s will.

Most people don’t do that. They try to change God instead. They’ll go on and on trying to convince God just how badly they hurt or how poor they are. They’ll beg and plead and wheedle, all the while acting as though they had to somehow change God’s mind about the situation. Those folks are in for a long wait. God is never going to change. The Bible says He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. His will is too. So don’t waste your time wondering if your prayers are in line with it. Get the Book and base your prayers on it. Then you can rest assured the answer is on the way!

Once you begin to find out what the Word of God reveals that the will of God is, THEN you can encourage yourself with THIS from John 15:7 & 1 John 5:14-15:

7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

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.

AMEN! So, we CAN know the will of God IF we choose to! I DO! How about YOU? Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "In Your Eyes":

 IN  YOUR EYES

Verse]

Skylines and crowded streets

Calling my attention

The limelight and empty dreams

Grieving my affections

But there is a perfect Voice

Waiting above the noise

Jesus my only choice

When all the lights are screaming

[Chorus]

Then I

I get lost in Your eyes

And find the clarity to life

The world when all the colors rage

But I'm not gonna look away, no

I get lost in Your eyes

[Verse 2]

I've read all the glossy guides

To living in contentment

I've heard all the pretty lies

And all of them are vacant

But You are a love unique

My heart, my identity

Jesus you're all I need

And see the rest is nothing

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? —Romans 8:35

God does not keep a man immune from trouble; He says — “I will be with him in trouble.” It does not matter what actual troubles in the most extreme form get hold of a man’s life, not one of them can separate him from his relationship to God. We are “more than conquerors in all these things.” Paul is not talking of imaginary things, but of things that are desperately actual; and he says we are super-victors in the midst of them, not by our ingenuity, or by our courage, or by anything other than the fact that not one of them affects our relationship to God in Jesus Christ. Rightly or wrongly, we are where we are, exactly in the condition we are in. I am sorry for the Christian who has not something in his circumstances he wishes was not there.

“Shall tribulation…?” Tribulation is never a noble thing; but let tribulation be what it may — exhausting, galling, fatiguing, it is not able to separate us from the love of God. Never let cares or tribulations separate you from the fact that God loves you.

“Shall…anguish…?” — can God’s love hold when everything says that His love is a lie, and that there is no such thing as justice?

“Shall…famine…?” — can we not only believe in the love of God but be more than conquerors, even while we are being starved?

Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver and Paul is deluded, or some extraordinary thing happens to a man who holds on to the love of God when the odds are all against God’s character. Logic is silenced in the face of every one of these things. Only one thing can account for it — the love of God in Christ Jesus. “Out of the wreck I rise” every time.

AMEN! There is NOTHING that we could ever face or go through or DO that can separate us from His love! The only thing that will cause His protection, provision and safety to NOT be available to us is if we quit, give up and stop believing! We will ALWAYS win if we stay in the fight of faith and use those powerful weapons that HE has provided us with! 2 Corinthians 10:3-5:

3 For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, 5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),

Line YOUR thoughts up with HIS thoughts, His Word, and refuse to quit! Your VICTORY is about to manifest! Here is Hillsong with "In God We Trust":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have shared this particular Truth concerning Psalm 136 before, but I believe that  it is important enough to repeat! Lets look at Psalm 136:1:

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

When you do a word study on this verse, you will find that the words "he is" and "endure"  have been assigned the Strong's Concordance number "9999". This number means that those words do not appear in the original manuscripts, but have been added by the translators for "clarity". Sometimes they were correct. Other times their efforts have left us with a little less understanding of something deeper! When you read this verse WITHOUT those words, it looks like this:

O give thanks to the LORD, for good, for mercy forever.

This does not mean that the Lord is NOT good, or that His mercy does NOT endure. It DOES mean that we are to give our thanks to the Lord, for His goodness and for his mercy FOREVER! There should NEVER be a moment in a day that we are not thankful and grateful to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible for WHO He is and for every good thing that He has done in our lives! ALWAYS and FOREVER! If He never did another good thing for me, He still deserves my continual praise, thanksgiving and worship for all that He has already done! And YOURS, too! AMEN! Now let's look at just how "good" the Lord is! This is the Hebrew word "towb", which means: good in the widest sense; pleasant, agreeable, excellent, rich, valuable in estimation, prosperous, happy. This IS our GOD! AMEN! Then "mercy" is the Hebrew word "chesed", which means: kindness, goodness, faithfulness. It IS where we get the word "loving-kindness"! So, what we are seeing here is that we should be giving praise, thanksgiving and worship to HIM all day every day for WHO HE IS! For His very nature! AMEN! Let's get started being a DOER of this Word! Here is Hillsong with "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!