Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin contains a very important message for us to know if we sincerely desire to be used of God!

Obeying Your Spirit

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 

Did you notice that meditating in the Word, practicing the Word, and giving the Word first place - the first three steps in training the human spirit - come before obeying your spirit? 

If your spirit has had the privilege of meditating in the Word, of practicing the Word, of putting the Word first, then your spirit is an authoritative guide. 

In the process of time, if you will follow the four steps we have just studied, you can know the will of God even in all the minor details of your life! 

But for this to happen, God's Word, not human reasoning, must dominate your thinking. The Word has been given to us by the Holy Spirit. If the Word is dominating us, then the Holy Spirit is dominating our thinking! 

The written Word was given to us to develop, shape, form, and fit our spirit nature  and nothing but the Word will accomplish this. Reading about the Word won't do it. That's the reason why God wants us to meditate in His Word. 

Confession: God's Word is good. I meditate in God's Word. I observe to do what His Word teaches. My way shall be prosperous. I shall have good success in life! 

Remember always that as God Himself is a 'triune' being (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), so are we triune beings! We ARE spirit beings who have souls (mind, emotions, will), and we live in human bodies while on this earth! God has given us His Spirit to live in our spirits; to lead, guide and direct us into all TRUTH (John 16:13)! AMEN! Study the person of Holy Spirit and then spend time meditating on just what this means to YOU and how it will change YOUR life for the better! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Closer Than You Know":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really LOVE this teaching on the Fruit of the Spirit by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland from their devotional "From Faith To Faith":

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

So many believers think of the fruit of the spirit as little more than a passive list of pleasant qualities that can help improve their personalities. But it’s far greater than that! It’s pure spiritual power.

Love is so powerful, the scripture says, that it never fails. Patience is so powerful it cannot be stopped. No matter what the circumstances, it will not quit. Temperance is so powerful it can master all the unruly desires of your flesh.

The fruit of the spirit is not weak; it’s strong. So strong all the demons of hell can’t stop it. So strong that if you’ll let it flow out of you, it will correct the problems in your life. It will keep you steadfast when all the people around you are falling down. It’ll keep you on your feet when governments fail and when the storms of life come.

We are living in dangerous days. There’s only one way you can make it through in victory. You must begin to release the powerful fruit of the spirit God has placed inside you. Believe me, if you’re born again, it is there. Learn to yield to it and as 2 Peter 1:10 promised, you shall never fall!

AMEN! When you and I REALLY realize that these 'fruit" are ours as a result of our new nature, because of the New birth, then we will be unstoppable by the enemy! These are not just good ways to behave! These are part of the complete package of who we became, and Who came into us, at the very moment that we received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior! Everything we need is available to us, and IN us, because the Spirit of the Living God lives IN US! HALLELUJAH! THAT is why we can declare, with Paul, Philippians 4:13:

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

AMEN! Take some time every day to meditate on just who YOU are - IN HIM - and you will begin to have great faith and boldness to do whatever HE instructs you to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Heart Like Heaven":

 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Isaiah 31:1 could just as well be a message for the church today! 

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!

In whom will YOU put YOUR trust and confidence? Refuse to make decision based on worldly circumstances, situations, events or people! Refuse to be moved by ANYONE'S words if they contradict what Holy Spirit has already told you! Have confidence that YOU are His and you DO hear His voice (John 10:27)! AMEN! Remember that there are rewards for obedience to God and His Word. There are NO rewards for going along with the crowd or for pleasing people! It may SEEM sometimes that you are the only one obeying God and His Word, but there are ALWAYS many that you do not know and cannot see! TRUST! The God of the Bible will ALWAYS be true to His Word, no matter what other people think should be done! HE is never wrong and HE never fails! AMEN! I choose to obey God and ALWAYS be on the winning side! How about you? Here is Hillsong Worship with "In God We Trust":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is too important to pass up!

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. John 15:6

If I were to ask you to make a list of a hundred things you need to do to please the Lord today, you could do it, couldn’t you? In fact, you probably have so many spiritual “dos” and “don’ts” cluttering up your mind that you’d hardly know where to start.

But you can relax. I’m not going to suggest you make a list of them. Instead, I’m going to help you simplify things by giving you only one: Abide in Jesus.

The one thing you’re truly responsible for is your union with Him. If you keep your union and fellowship with Him intact, everything else will be taken care of.

“But Gloria, I’m facing some big problems right now. My life’s turned upside down. I’m so rushed I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. I don’t have time to fellowship with the Lord today.”

That’s when you need to do it the most! You need to maintain your union with the Lord particularly when the storms of life come. I know that’s often not easy to do. Whether the storm is a sickness in your body or financial problems or family strife, the temptation will be to settle your attention and your mind on that problem. You won’t even want to think about anything else.

That’s what the devil planned on. That’s the reason he sent that storm in the first place. To distract you from fellowshiping with God. To draw your attention away from your union with Him.

Don’t fall into the devil’s trap. Instead, keep your thoughts and affections trained on the Lord. As you do that, the force of faith will begin to flow out of you. And that flow will repel every form of darkness. It will bring you in triumph through every storm.

Fellowship with Jesus today.

AMEN! Once we have established our relationship with Jesus through the New Birth, we can never lose that relationship. When we miss it sometimes we never stop being a part of the family of God, but we CAN interrupt our fellowship with Him! When we are in fellowship, we can hear His voice clearly and can be led in peace and joy by that still small voice inside. When we allow ourselves to get out of fellowship, then we will not often have the faith or courage to continue in intimate fellowship. Refuse to allow the enemy to steal one more moment of your intimate fellowship. He is completely eaten up with jealousy and envy over you because he gave up any fellowship he had with God at the moment of his rebellion! That's why he tries so very hard to rob you of yours! SAY NO! Instead, ramp up your time alone withe HIM until you receive the fullness of peace and joy in your life! Now keep that joy stirred up and the enemy will find it harder and harder to shake your confidence! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Falling Into You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like this from Jerry Savelle's devotional today!

Believe to See God’s Goodness

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13 NKJV).

David penned these words at a time when he was trusting in the Lord, even though it appeared that nothing was happening. David believed God would come through, despite the fact that the external circumstances appeared as if he’d been forgotten.

Moses believed in the goodness of God when he asked the Lord, “‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then [the Lord] said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion’” (Exodus 33:18-19 NKJV).

You cannot see the goodness of God unless you believe He is a good God. You will not see His gracious acts, His compassion, or His glory unless you believe that He is gracious and merciful. Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40 NKJV).

If you doubt that God is good and that He is going to manifest His goodness in your life, you will lose heart and quit. If you lose heart and doubt that God is good and faithful to you, you will move into unbelief and close the door on what He wants to give you.

If you need to build your faith in the goodness of God, find scripture verses that you can meditate on such as “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NKJV) or “You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. For you meet him with blessings and goodness” (Psalm 21:2-3 NKJV).

God is good and God is faithful. God is gracious and merciful. God is moved with compassion towards you. Believe it. Receive it by faith and you will see the glory and goodness of God in your life.

Confession: I believe God is a good God who is full of grace, compassion, and mercy. And I believe I will see His goodness poured out in my life—for all the days of my life.

It is such a frustrating thing to try and minister healing to someone who believes that God may have made them sick to teach them something! He will gladly teach us in every opportunity that we give His, but He does NOT make us sick to do so! He has no sickness to put on us! He IS LIFE and there is no darkness, or sickness, in Him or around Him! Refuse to believe the unbelief that is put forth as 'teaching' and check out the Word of God for yourself! When you do, you will find out that Jesus NEVER once said that it was NOT His will to heal! Refuse to believe anything that is not in the Word of God, no matter WHO is teaching it or telling it! Our God is unchangeable (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)! It WAS His will to heal then (when Jesus was on the earth) and it is STILL His will to heal now! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Back To Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I'm sure that you are very familiar with these verses, but they always, every time I read them, cause me to pause and check my own heart! Mark 6:1-6:

1 Jesus went away from there and came to His [own] country and hometown [Nazareth], and His disciples followed [with] Him. 2 And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were utterly astonished, saying, Where did this Man acquire all this? What is the wisdom [the broad and full intelligence which has been] given to Him? What mighty works and exhibitions of power are wrought by His hands! 3 Is not this the Carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here among us? And they took offense at Him and were hurt [that is, they disapproved of Him, and it hindered them from acknowledging His authority] and they were caused to stumble and fall. 4 But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor (deference, reverence) except in his [own] country and among [his] relatives and in his [own] house. 5 And He was not able to do even one work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sickly people [and] cured them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in Him). And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching.

Because these people, even some of Jesus' own family, were so familiar with the MAN, they could not accept Who He really was/is! Bear in mind that they heard and saw what others had, yet they were so focused on the natural man that they could not believe! The same thing happens today with ministers of the Gospel! People can become so familiar with someone that they always look at them through natural, human eyes rather than receive the Spirit of God as He minsters through them! We are ALL simply flesh and blood vessels through which Holy Spirit manifests His presence and power when we dare to believe, and act on, His Word! Remember that we are ALL called into the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). There will be some who will receive us and others who will not. The most important thing for us to remember is that we are rewarded for OUR obedience, NOT for their reception! So, take stock of how YOU are receiving ministers of the Gospel, and then be obedient to say and do what Holy Spirit directs. Pray for those you minister to and then cast the CARE of them over on HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail" as you recommit to YOUR personal ministry! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 55:22-23 encourages and exhorts us to trust the Lord in every situation we face. 

22 Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). 23 But You, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in, lean on, and confidently rely on You.

The righteous are those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and personal Savior! Once we do this we will never be more righteous or less righteous than the moment of our new birth! When we sin by making selfish decisions and choices to do things our own way instead of God's way, our FELLOWSHIP with the Lord is affected, but our RELATIONSHIP is not! As long as we continue to trust in HIM, He will never allow us to fail! The choice is ours for the results we desire to have! Those who have chosen to reject Jesus can NOT have that promise! The certain end for those who refuse the God of the Bible and His free Gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ WILL have a certain end also, as shown in verse 23. That is why We are still here instead of living in the glorious Heaven of the Bible right now! God desires that NONE should have those certain results, but that ALL should repent and receive! Make sure that you are buying up every opportunity to share the great GOOD NEWS of the Gospel with everyone you come in contact with! This is God's #1 priority and it should be ours! AMEN! 

Another verse that really stood out to me in our Bible Reading Plan for today is Mark 5:34:

34 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.

Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus' daughter when He was touched by this woman who had such faith in Him that she went in public, which she was not allowed to do without shouting 'UNCLEAN' so that others could avoid her. She also touched Jesus, which was also against the Jewish law. Not only was she instantly healed of this horrible ailment, but Jesus declared the above to her! Jesus already did everything that HE needs to do for His people to walk in healing and health! We need to do our part by building our faith with the Word of God (Romans 10:17) until WE have this kind of faith that will not be denied! When we do, it will be unto us exactly as it was with her, and HE will be saying the same to us! AMEN! Let's get busy! Here is Hillsong with an older, but powerful, song called "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have you ever come to a place where the Word of God seemed dry and lifeless to you? Do you struggle to understand what you are reading and how it can possibly apply to your life? If so, I want to encourage you that IF you have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, it is given unto YOU to know the Word! This is what Jesus said in response to His disciples asking why He spoken in parables to the crowds. Mark 4:22-24:

22 [Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known. 23 If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. 24 And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

Jesus said that things that were not understood were hidden, as a mystery, for those who will have the desire and ability to understand! The Word of God is a precious and powerful GIFT to those who belong to HIM! In verse 24 above, the phrase "be careful what you hear" is the Greek word "blepo", which means: to look at; to discern; to have the power of seeing; to perceive; to have understanding. In other words, PAY ATTENTION to the Word that you are reading, hearing, speaking! Notice the exhortation in verse 24 goes on to say that we will receive FROM the Word according to the measure of effort that put into learning it! Let's, like Paul (Philippians 3:10 AMP), put everything into going after THIS prize! The bonus? At the very same time we are learning of JESUS, we will also be learning, for the purpose of putting into practice, about the POWER available to us as born again believers! HIS power! So, I intend to ramp up my attention level where the Word of God is concerned. I will pray Psalm 25:5 before I begin. I will spend some time in praise, thanksgiving and worship for what He has already revealed to me, and I will commit more earnestly to putting it into practice! How about YOU? Here is a song by Hillsong Young and Free that I hope will encourage you in this fresh commitment! "Face To Face":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is very good for stirring yourself up in prayer for what you REALLY believe! 
When you pray, enter into your closet, and pray to your Father which is in secret.— Matthew 6:6

Jesus did not say — “Dream about thy Father in secret,” but “pray to thy Father in secret.” Prayer is an effort of will. After we have entered our secret place and have shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray; we cannot get our minds into working order, and the first thing that conflicts is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is the overcoming of mental wool-gathering. We have to discipline our minds and concentrate on wilful prayer.

We must have a selected place for prayer and when we get there the plague of flies begins — This must be done, and that. “Shut thy door.” A secret silence means to shut the door deliberately on emotions and remember God. God is in secret, and He sees us from the secret place; He does not see us as other people see us, or as we see ourselves. When we live in the secret place it becomes impossible for us to doubt God, we become more sure of Him than of anything else. Your Father, Jesus says, is in secret and nowhere else. Enter the secret place, and right in the centre of the common round you find God there all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.

I would like to add that every time of prayer and intersession should begin with prayer in the Spirit! This prepares our inner man to be in position to hear that still, small voice of Holy Spirit, and to obey HIM! AMEN! 1 John 5:14-15 gives the perfect 'formula' for getting answers to what we pray for! HE Hears His Word! 

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, find out what God's Word says about your situation, then pray both in the Spirit and in your known language. The next step is to declare and proclaim the answer, just as the Word promised! HE is pleased and YOU are blessed (to BE a Blessing! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4

I talk a lot about faith. But there’s another force that goes along with it that’s just as important. It’s patience—the ability to stand fast on the Word of God even when your victory seems slow in coming.

Patience is not automatic. It won’t go to work unless you let it go to work. So many people don’t understand that. They somehow think faith and patience will go to work for them without their help. They just let the devil tear their lives apart and then they say silly things like, “Well, I guess God sent that trial to strengthen my faith.”

Don’t you ever get caught saying that!

In the first place, James says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God...” (James 1:13). And in the second place, that trial isn’t going to make your faith stronger. In fact, it’ll destroy it if you’ll let it.

If I were to give you a set of weights, would that set of weights make you any stronger? No. As a matter of fact, if you dropped one of them on your foot, you could end up painfully weaker. It’s what you do with them that counts, right?

Well, the same thing is true when you run into some kind of trying circumstance the devil’s brought your way. If you just lie down and let it run over you, it will damage you. But if you’ll let patience have her perfect work, if you’ll remain consistently constant, trusting in and relying confidently on the Word of God, you’ll end up perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

“Wanting nothing.” That phrase alone should convince you that patience is no consolation prize. It’s a first-rate power that will put the promises of God within your reach. It’s a force that will make a winner out of you.

I have heard SO many times over the years that we should pray for patience! That is NOT a prayer that God can answer! Patience is NOT something that we can be gifted with. Patience is, simply, NEVER getting weary in being a DOER of the Word of God! Patience is refusing to ever give up or give in to the lies of the enemy! Patience is deciding to believe that God's Word is TRUTH (John 17:17) and not allowing for any other alternative! I hope that you will meditate on this until it becomes so real to you that you will NEVER again give up on the promises of God  because it seems to be taking too long! God's timing is PERFECT, so trust Him! AMEN! here is Hillsong United with "Touch The Sky":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This from Andrew Womack's devotional for today is a very good take on the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking how to be saved!

Matthew 19:16 "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

On the surface, it appears that this rich young ruler was "right on" in the way he approached Jesus and sought salvation. He ran, kneeled down to Jesus, and openly professed Him as a Good Master. What could be wrong with that?

First, he acknowledged Jesus as good but not as God. This is a pivotal point.

Every major religion of the world acknowledges that Jesus lived and will even admit that He definitely was a good man, but they won't recognize Him as God. If Jesus was only a good man, He couldn't save anybody. Jesus didn't just come to show us the way to God. He was the way, the only way unto the Father.

No man could come unto the Father, but by Him (John 14:6). Jesus had made this point publicly many times before. This is the reason that Jesus responded to this young man's question the way He did. Jesus was saying, "God is the only one who is good. You must accept me as God or not at all." Jesus was either who He claimed to be or He was the biggest fraud that ever lived. He has to be one or the other. He cannot be both.

Second, he asked what he could do to produce salvation. He trusted in himself and believed he could accomplish whatever good work Jesus might request. This is completely opposed to the plan of salvation that Jesus came to bring.

Jesus obtained salvation for us through His substitution and He offers it to us as a free gift. All we must do is believe and receive. This rich young ruler wasn't looking for a Savior. He was trying to be his own savior. This is the reason Jesus referred him back to the commandments. He either needed to keep all of the law perfectly or he needed a Savior. Jesus desired to turn this man from trusting in himself by showing him God's perfect standard, which no one could keep, so that then he would trust in a Savior.

So many times we center on the idea that the young man was too attached to his riches. This account shows that there was something deeper that kept him from making the right choice! He was trusting in whatever WORKS he could do to gain salvation when what he really needed was to recognize the SAVIOR, and that the Savior did not need his help! I have encountered people with similar attitudes! They try so hard to DO the 'right thing', when the REAL 'right thing' is to recognize that there is NOTHING that we can do in our own strength! There IS only ONE WAY! His Name is JESUS! Here is Hillsong with another older song called "One Way":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 50 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I want to look at verses 10-12:

10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills or upon the mountains where thousands are. 11 I know and am acquainted with all the birds of the mountains, and the wild animals of the field are Mine and are with Me, in My mind. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine.

I have heard these verses taught in so many different ways over the years, but our emphasis today is especially on verse 12! We KNOW that our God is an awesome and powerful God, the ONLY God! We KNOW that He owns everything, for He created it all in the beginning! What we don't often take the time to realize is His purpose for doing so! God did NOT create mankind because He NEEDED something! There is not a thing that we can give to God that doesn't belong to Him in the first place! Our creation did not fulfill a NEED that God had, but a DESIRE! He DESIRES a people with whom He can have intimate fellowship - by choice! Verses 14-15 reveal His heart for us, His people!

14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High, 15 And call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.

Verse 23 finishes this Psalm on a powerful, positive note for those who will believe!

23 He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God.


"Salvation" here is the Hebrew word "yesha`", which means: liberty, deliverance, prosperity, rescue, welfare, safety, victory! He demonstrates this 'salvation' in and through us! In other words, God shows off Himself in every good thing in our lives! We must get to know more about HIM every day so that we can begin to REALLY show forth Who He is - IN US! Then we will be able to stop trying so hard to do everything correctly and we can simply LIVE - IN HIM! It is HIS ability hat shines through us in every situation! His love, His mercy, His grace, His Wisdom! Spend some time meditating on this today, and then ASK Holy Spirit what this means to you and how YOU can be a DOER of this great WORD! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Empires":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers uses some older language, having been written long ago, but the message is still vital for us today! 

Come unto Me. — Matthew 11:28

God means us to live a fully-orbed life in Christ Jesus, but there are times when that life is attacked from the outside, and we tumble into a way of introspection which we thought had gone. Self-consciousness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of the life in God, and self-consciousness continually produces wrestling. Self-consciousness is not sin; it may be produced by a nervous temperament or by a sudden dumping down into new circumstances. It is never God’s will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him. Anything that disturbs rest in Him must be cured at once, and it is not cured by being ignored, but by coming to Jesus Christ. If we come to Him and ask Him to produce Christ-consciousness, He will always do it until we learn to abide in Him.

Never allow the dividing up of your life in Christ to remain without facing it. Beware of leakage, of the dividing up of your life by the influence of friends or of circumstances; beware of anything that is going to split up your oneness with Him and make you see yourself separately. Nothing is so important as to keep right spiritually. The great solution is the simple one — “Come unto Me.” The depth of our reality, intellectually, morally and spiritually, is tested by these words. In every degree in which we are not real, we will dispute rather than come.

The temptation is there for the born again believer, every day, to 'judge' ourselves by our thoughts, words and actions, rather than by what the Word of God says about us! At the moment of our New Birth, our dead human spirits were recreated by Holy Spirit in the image of God Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17). They are perfect and cannot sin! We are no longer sinners! It is not even correct to say that we are 'old sinners, saved by Grace'! We WERE sinners! We WERE saved by Grace! We are no longer sinners (heathens, unbelievers) but we are now saints because we WERE saved by Grace! We sometimes still sin (make selfish decisions to do things our own way, rather than God's way, in thoughts or words or actions). The remedy for that sin is to recognize that it IS sin. Acknowledge that we are wrong when we are contrary to His Word and that HE is ALWAYS right! Accept and receive the forgiveness that Jesus provided and the cleansing from ALL unrighteousness (unconfessed sin) because of the precious Blood of Jesus that has already been shed for us and that continually cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7 and 9)! Go through all of the 'IN HIM' Scriptures again to renew in your own heart just who YOU are IN HIM! Then refuse to ever even consider yourself in any other light! AMEN! HE does not! GLORY! Here is Hillsong United with "Closer Than You Know":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Under the circumstances….  Have you ever caught yourself using that phrase?

“I suppose I’m doing pretty well under the circumstances.”

If you’ve ever said something like that, I want you to kick those words out of your vocabulary right now. Because you, as a victorious child of God, don’t have any business living your life “under” your circumstances. You don’t have any business letting problems and situations rule over you.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus—the One who is in you—ransacked Satan’s kingdom. Through His death at Calvary, He legally entered the regions of the damned and stripped Satan of everything. He took away all his armor. He took the keys to death and hell. He bound that strong man, looted his kingdom, and Colossians says He spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them.

Then Jesus turned around and gave that victory to you. You are of God. Remember that! You have overcome through Jesus because He lives in you. You never have to live “under” the circumstances again!

AMEN and AMEN! We MUST know what belongs to us as Blood Covenant partners with almighty God by the Blood of Jesus and as members of His very own family! What you and I don't know about that WILL hurt us! Make it your goal to learn something new about who you are IN HIM everyday! You will be well on your way to walking in REAL power in your life! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Everyday":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am always extremely blessed to see how very timely and appropriate our daily Bible reading selections are to all of our current situations and circumstances! You will NEVER go wrong by choosing to make the Word of God YOUR final authority! In Titus we see that Paul is writing to warn and instruct Titus about certain people who are distressing and confusing the congregation by speaking of things that they do NOT know the TRUTH of, and for wrong reasons and purposes. Look at verses 9-11:

9 He must hold fast to the sure and trustworthy Word of God as he was taught it, so that he may be able both to give stimulating instruction and encouragement in sound (wholesome) doctrine and to refute and convict those who contradict and oppose it [showing the wayward their error]. 10 For there are many disorderly and unruly men who are idle (vain, empty) and misleading talkers and self-deceivers and deceivers of others. [This is true] especially of those of the circumcision party [who have come over from Judaism]. 11 Their mouths must be stopped, for they are mentally distressing and subverting whole families by teaching what they ought not to teach, for the purpose of getting base advantage and disreputable gain.

There will ALWAYS be those who will try to change or counterfeit the Word of God. The VITAL Truth to know, though, is that YOU can know the Word of God SO well that you will NEVER be fooled by those who would try! The enemy is behind it all because, even though he cannot understand the Word for himself, he DOES know that YOU can! He tries to stop that at every turn! Rebuke the devil! Forgive the people! KNOW the WORD! AMEN! You can make a great start by pouring your whole heart out to the Lord your God in praise and worship with today's Psalm! Psalm 47:

1 O clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy! 2 For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5 God has ascended amid shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne. 9 The princes and nobles of the peoples are gathered together, a [united] people for the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

NOW, remember this when you are challenged by others concerning your faith, the Word of God or your Holy Spirit led decisions! "No Sovereign but GOD, no King but JESUS"! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called  "Shout Of The King":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love the encouragement in Psalm 46:1-7 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!

1 God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas, 3 Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning]. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). 

This is a reminder to YOU, that no matter WHAT is going on around the world, our God will NOT be moved, the power of His Word will never be diminished, and HE is still and always the One, True, Sovereign GOD! AMEN! Further in our reading in 2 Timothy 4 we see this in verse 2:

2 Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.

Verses 3-4 describe perfectly what is going on around us in these last days!

3 For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, 4 And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions.

Verse 5 is is OUR specific instruction!

5 As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry.

AMEN! Refuse to get too caught up in trying to set people straight! Follow ONLY the leading of Holy Spirit inside of you as to who to speaks to and what to say! Pray in the Spirit for the others and then REST in Him in complete SHALOM! HE is the God Who is MORE than enough! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong United with "Here Now":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read 2 Timothy 3 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I am going to share the entire chapter from the Amplified Bible for you here:

1 But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

3 [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

6 For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate silly and weak-natured and spiritually dwarfed women, loaded down with [the burden of their] sins [and easily] swayed and led away by various evil desires and seductive impulses.

7 [These weak women will listen to anybody who will teach them]; they are forever inquiring and getting information, but are never able to arrive at a recognition andknowledge of the Truth.

8 Now just as Jannes and Jambres were hostile to and resisted Moses, so these men also are hostile to and oppose the Truth. They have depraved and distorted minds, and are reprobate and counterfeit and to be rejected as far as the faith is concerned.

9 But they will not get very far, for their rash folly will become obvious to everybody, as was that of those [magicians mentioned].

10 Now you have closely observed and diligently followed my teaching, conduct, purpose in life, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,

11 Persecutions, sufferings—such as occurred to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, persecutions I endured, but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

12 Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand].

13 But wicked men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves.

14 But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them],

15 And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

16 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This entire chapter is a perfect picture of the times in which we are currently living! There are unbelievers who have no current desire to know the One, True God. There are believers who have no desire to grow up in the things of God. There are believers who are being led around by their flesh natures at the whim of the enemy who have no desire to receive the correction and discipline of the Lord so that they may become more proficient in His Word. And we will not even begin to speak of the atrocities that are happening by the hand of unbelievers against born again believers AND against anyone who challenges them in any way. One of the truly sad things that I have seen is when born again believers, members of God's family and a part of the Body of Christ, spend time harassing, accusing, lying about and speaking evil of their own brothers and sisters in the Lord over differences of opinion in regards to the Word of God AND of things going on in the earth. This reminds me of the warning in 1 Timothy 1:4-7:

4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. KJV

I love the term "vain jangling"! That is EXACTLY what is sounds like when you witness some of these conversations! The enemy has believers at each other's throats over things they really know nothing about, and which have no eternal significance when it comes to reaching the lost, which is WHY we are even here in the first place, instead of in Heaven with our Father! Refuse to get involved in these discussions and, when you are able to, encourage others to do the same! The devil will try anything that he can think of to keep born again believers from sharing the Good News! Don't allow it! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song that reflects our true mission! "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is another important exhortation from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest"! 

Despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. — Hebrews 12:5

 It is very easy to quench the Spirit; we do it by despising the chastening of the Lord, by fainting when we are rebuked by Him. If we have only a shallow experience of sanctification, we mistake the shadow for the reality, and when the Spirit of God begins to check, we say — “Oh, that must be the devil.”

Never quench the Spirit, and do not despise Him when He says to you — “Don’t be blind on this point any more; you are not where you thought you were. Up to the present I have not been able to reveal it to you, but I reveal it now.” When the Lord chastens you like that, let Him have His way. Let Him relate you rightly to God.

“Nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him.” We get into sulks with God and say — “Oh, well, I can’t help it; I did pray and things did not turn out right, and I am going to give it all up.” Think what would happen if we talked like this in any other domain of life!

Am I prepared to let God grip me by His power and do a work in me that is worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly.

I especially like the last sentence here! Do you remember when Jesus said THIS in Luke 22:42?:

42 Saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.

When we submit our will to His, then we are really ready to be used by Him in extraordinary ways! The next time that you receive an instruction, exhortation or correction from Holy Spirit via your Pastor, other ministers or directly from Holy Spirit Himself, set your heart FIRST to be a DOER of the Word you are hearing. THEN ask how to begin! The right decision here will open up your heart to the divine and supernatural ability of God to accomplish it! AMEN! Here is Hillsong  with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!