Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is VITAL! 

Forgiveness

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses (Mark 11:26). 

"Brother Hagin," a woman once said, "cast this old, unforgiving spirit out of me. I've got something against a woman here at church, and I can't forgive her. I don't seem to have the ability to forgive." 

I replied, "Do you ever have to forgive your husband?" 

"Oh, yes. I have to forgive him, and he has to forgive me." 

"I thought you said you didn't have the ability to forgive." 

She laughed and said, "I can forgive, can't I?" 

"Certainly," I said, "if you can forgive one person, you can forgive another." 

She understood and replied, "I can forgive. I do forgive. That's it!" 

And it's just that simple. Don't complicate forgiveness. Jesus said, "When ye stand praying, forgive." That means we can forgive. Jesus didn't ask us to do something we can't do. 

Confession: I can forgive. I am quick to forgive. And my Father in Heaven forgives me. 

Unforgiveness will steal more of God's tremendous blessings from us than almost any other sin! How do I know this? Look at Matthew 18:23-34:

23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants. 24 When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000], 25 And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made. 26 So the attendant fell on his knees, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything. 27 And his master’s heart was moved with compassion, and he released him and forgave him [cancelling] the debt. 28 But that same attendant, as he went out, found one of his fellow attendants who owed him a hundred denarii [about twenty dollars]; and he caught him by the throat and said, Pay what you owe! 29 So his fellow attendant fell down and begged him earnestly, Give me time, and I will pay you all! 30 But he was unwilling, and he went out and had him put in prison till he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow attendants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and told everything that had taken place to their master. 32 Then his master called him and said to him, You contemptible and wicked attendant! I forgave and cancelled all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 And should you not have had pity and mercy on your fellow attendant, as I had pity and mercy on you? 34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed.

Notice that the master had compassion on this man and forgave his debt of  an equivalent of $10 MILLION! You would have thought that this man would be SO very grateful that he would just be searching for someone else to bless out of sheer elation for his debt forgiven! But, instead, he tried to force someone else to pay HIM $20! The easiest way for us to forgive others is to begin each and every day in gratefulness and thankfulness for ALL that HE has done for us! AMEN! With that mental attitude, the CHOICE to forgive should be easy. It may NOT be easy on the flesh to come to that decision to forgive, but forgiveness itself is NOT an emotion, but a decision of our will! WILL you forgive, as HE has instructed? If you will, then you CAN! Holy Spirit will cause our emotions to come in line with God's Word, when we CHOOSE God's Word! Thank YOU, Holy Spirit! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Behold (Then Sings My Soul)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today is all about 1 John 5! This is what we are reading in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and one of my favorite books! Some of my very favorite verses are found in 1 John 5! Verses 1, 4-5, 10-12, 13, and 14-15:

1 Everyone who believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring).

4 For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]?

10 He who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] has the testimony [possesses this divine attestation] within himself. He who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him out to be and represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed (put his faith in, adhered to, and relied on) the evidence (the testimony) that God has borne regarding His Son. 11 And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.

13 I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.

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.

EVERYONE who believes (adheres to, trusts and relies on) Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Savior of the world) IS a born again child of God! What GREAT good news! AMEN! When we are born again, we receive the very life and nature of Almighty God into our new creation spirits (2 Corinthians 5:17), ETERNAL LIFE! We find, with 'settled and absolute knowledge' that we HAVE eternal LIFE from these verses! AS if that would not be enough to be extremely excited and joyful over, we find out that if we find out that the only thing we must do to get God to answer our prayers is to get Him to LISTEN to them! We find that He only listens to those things that are in agreement with His own WILL. His Word IS His WILL, so when we pray His Word, HE HEARS! AND, He ANSWERS!!! I hope you gained a new appreciation for 1 John 5 today! And there is SO much more to find in every book of the Bible! DIG IN! You will never regret that decision! Here is Hillsong Worship with "In God We Trust":

Shalom in   Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE Psalm 119 and its powerful emphasis on the Word of God! Two verses that really stood out to me in our reading today are verses 129-130:

129 Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. 130 The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.

I love the emphasis that the Amplified Bible gives here in saying that the Word of God "far exceeds ANYTHING conceived by man"! Our best and highest thoughts do not even compare to the thoughts, Words and purposes of Almighty God! So many people misquote John 8:32 when they simply say:  "The truth will set you free". That is NOT what the Word says! Here are verses 31-32 TOGETHER, which is the only way to understand what is being said here!

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.

The Truth itself (John 17:17) will not set anyone free until they KNOW it! How do we get to that point? Verse 31 says that this comes about by abiding in His Word. This means that the Word of God takes a place of high priority in our lives and we spend the time necessary to get to KNOW it! Joshua 1:8 gives us the time-tested, Word of God way to go about this!

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

Meditating on the Word of God, and allowing Holy Spirit to teach us things we do not yet know, is what is necessary here! Let's make it OUR 'determined purpose' to get to know HIM and His Word better every day! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

YOUR WORD

Before the earth knew its foundation

You spoke the dust into creation

Until the end when all has withered

Then still Your Word will endure forever

The lamp unto my feet

The light unto my path

Your Word will not be shaken

Your Word will never fail me

Like a fire in my bones

Like a whisper to my soul

Your Word is revelation

Deep calls to deep within Your presence

When I hear You speak my soul awakens

Your Spirit leads my heart to worship

As Your Word reveals the light of Jesus

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE the way Oswald Chambers says this in today's "My Utmost For His Highest"!

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. —Roman 5:10

I am not saved by believing; I realise I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me; repentance is the sign that I realise what God has done in Christ Jesus. The danger is to put the emphasis on the effect instead of on the cause — “It is my obedience that puts me right with God, my consecration.” Never! I am put right with God because prior to all, Christ died. When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals I can accept, instantly the stupendous Atonement of Jesus Christ rushes me into a right relationship with God, and by the supernatural miracle of God’s grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, not because I have repented, but because of what Jesus has done. The spirit of God brings it with a breaking, all-over light, and I know, though I do not know how, that I am saved.

The salvation of God does not stand on human logic, it stands on the sacrificial Death of Jesus. We can be born again because of the Atonement of Our Lord. Sinful men and women can be changed into new creatures, not by their repentance or their belief, but by the marvellous work of God in Christ Jesus which is prior to all experience. The impregnable safety of justification and sanctification is God Himself. We have not to work out these things ourselves; they have been worked out by the Atonement: The supernatural becomes natural by the miracle of God; there is the realisation of what Jesus Christ has already done — “It is finished.”

AMEN! There is not one thing that WE must do to be 'saved' except to RECEIVE what JESUS has already done! I have heard so many people, who do not want to be judged for their own actions, who will say that they can tell if someone is saved or not by the way that they act! Almighty God Himself is the ONLY One Who knows the heart of each person! Our responsibility is to preach the Gospel, giving everyone we come in contact with the opportunity to be saved! Our next responsibility is to pray for them. Anything else is NOT our business! We should be ever ready to believe the BEST of each other and PRAY! If we, as the Body of Christ, can do this, then we will be a GREAT example of operating in the joy of the Lord, wherein is GREAT strength! When we pray for each other, we give God something to work with, and HE is the One Who will speak to His own children. This SHOULD be a great relief to many of you! Refuse to be a Martha, who was worried about many things, when only ONE thing was needful! Luke 10:41-42:

41 But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42 There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.

Holy Spirit can do more with our godly example and genuine love and enthusiasm for the things of God than with anything that we can say by way of our own fleshly correction! BE THE LIGHT and let HIM work HIS work! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with  "In God We Trust":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is great reminder of how faith is supposed to work!

As Though They Were...

"As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17). 

If Abraham believed according to what was spoken, exactly what was spoken? What did Abraham believe? 

When Abram (as he was then called) was ninety-nine years old, the Lord said to him, "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee" (Gen. 17:5). Notice that God did not say, "I'm going to do it"; He said, "I have made thee." 

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

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

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

This MUST be our attitude and approach to the Word of God! IF God said it, that is exactly what He meant! God is NOT double-minded. He does NOT use empty, meaningless words. His Word IS Truth (John 17:17) and when WE get HIS Word inside of us, we will be able to ask what WE want and it WILL be done (John 15:7) AMEN! Realize that God is NOT holding anything back from us! He has already blessed us with everything we will ever need (Ephesians 1:3)! Now it is up to US to speak God's Word and promises over these things and fully EXPECT to see HIS results! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE two things from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! First of all, I have discovered what people have been searching for vainly for years on end! The answer to world peace! Look at Psalm 117:1-2:

1 O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people! 2 For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

THAT is the ONLY answer to WORLD PEACE! If the whole world of people will stop what they have been doing and just simply praise the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible and JESUS as LORD, and yield their lives to Him, then HE would be able to bring that peace that passes understanding to every person! Likely to happen? Not in THIS lifetime! During the Millennial reign of Jesus there WILL be peace as JESUS Himself rules and reigns from Jerusalem! BUT, you and I can have that powerful peace, right here and right now, by casting our cares and worries on Him and obeying His Word and His Spirit! Let's DO this!!! Amen! Will you miss it? YES! But He has even provided for that situation! 1 John 1:9 tells us how to regain our fellowship with Him when we DO miss it! 

9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

Amen! Thank YOU, Jesus for this wonderful and powerful promise, which I make use of every day! Let's pursue peace by pursuing HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Behold (Then My Soul Sings)":

Verse 1
Behold the Father’s heart
The mystery He lavishes on us
As deep cries out to deep
Oh how desperately He wants us
The things of earth stand next to him
Like a candle to the sun
Unfailing Father
What compares to His Great love

Verse 2
Behold His holy Son
The Lion and the Lamb given to us
The Word became a man
That my soul should know its Saviour
Forsaken for the sake of all mankind
Salvation is in His blood
Jesus Messiah
The righteous died for love

Pre-Chorus 1
It wasn’t over
For He is the risen One

Chorus 1
Then sings my soul
Then sings my soul
How great Your Love is
How great Your Love is

Verse 2
Behold I have a friend
The Spirit breathing holy fire within
My ever present help
Speaking truth when I can’t find it
Light up this broken heart
And light my way
Until my time on earth is done
Oh Holy Spirit
Breathe in me like kingdom come

Pre-Chorus 2
Oh Holy Spirit
Let Your work in me be done

Outro
Then sings my soul my God
He who was and is to come
Prepare the way
Until the work on earth is done
Watch as the clouds He rides swing low
Lift up the sound
As He makes our praise His throne
Behold the Lord our God will lead us home

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have many resources that I have accumulated over the years, some that I study everyday and others that I look to for additional inspiration for teaching, exhortation and writing. One of those is Andrew Womack's daily devotional. Today's is EXCELLENT! It may not be something that you have never heard before, but it IS something that is extremely important for every born again believer to remember! 

OUR LIFE IS IN HIM

John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

This is a profound truth, that is the key to bearing fruit, but it is so easy to forget. Because the fruit is borne on the branch, it is easy to credit the branch with the fruit, when it is the vine that drew the life from the earth and channeled it through the branch.

Likewise, since we are the branch through which the life of God flows, we sometimes think that it is our own holiness that produces the fruit. The moment we think that way, we are no longer abiding (trusting in; clinging to) in the vine and we will become fruitless if we persist in this mind set.

This is actually a great relief if the believer understands this and applies it properly. It puts all the responsibility on Jesus. Our only responsibility is to respond to His ability. In the same way that you have never seen a branch travailing to bring forth fruit, so all we have to do is labor to enter into His rest (trust and depend) and completely trust Jesus as our source (Heb. 4:11). If we abide in Him, fruit will come naturally.

It's our faith in what Jesus did for us that saved us, and our faith has to continue to be in Christ, not in ourselves, to maintain salvation. Our holiness, righteousness, and justification are gifts that we receive in our spirits through Jesus.

Just like the life of a root is found in the soil, or a branch in the vine, or a fish in the sea, so the believer's true life is found in the union with Christ.

If you really understand this, you will also understand why there can be wonderfully supernatural ministry that sets people free and delivers from the works of the enemy, produced through a minister who may NOT be living as he or she should! The POWER is of GOD, and NOT of us! 2 Corinthians 4:7:

7 However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.

This does NOT give a license to continue in sin, for that will eventually catch up to any person who continues to dabble in darkness! But it IS the plan and purpose of God that His Body should be about the Father's business of seeking and saving the lost and of setting the captives FREE! Stay balanced in your thought life by always being aware of HIS presence IN you, and giving HIM the credit and praise for any and every GOOD thing! Refuse the enemy's push to get high-minded and haughty over what the LORD is doing through you! We are simply vessels who will be rewarded for our obedience, and ONLY for our obedience! Direct the Glory to the LORD of all lords and stay in that wonderful place of HIS perfect will for you! Blessings abound in THAT place! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "One Thing", so that WE can make sure that JESUS is always OUR "One Thing"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have you ever had someone ask you: "If God is so good, then how come ..."? They may ask about people dying young, catastrophes, terrorist attacks, or any number of other things that they believe should NOT happen if "God is in control"! In one aspect, they are correct! IF God was 'in control' of everything, these things would NOT be happening! The TRUTH is, God is NOT in control of everything! Remember that God said THIS to Adam and Eve in the Garden in Genesis 1:28:

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. KJV

God had given HIS dominion (authority) over the earth to mankind! Man had the responsibility to take care of God's creation. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God's direct command (Genesis 2:17), they no longer walked in the same level of authority as they had before. Before God banished them from the Garden, so that they could not eat of the Tree of Life and stay in their fallen state forever (Genesis 3:22), He promised them a Savior (Genesis 3:14-15). In His perfect timing, He sent Jesus to the earth to become the ransom for the sin of all mankind. The Savior paid the price for EVERYONE, but, though He is available for everyone, it is only "whosoever will" choose JESUS who WILL be saved! Those who DO receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, He has given HIS authority! Matthew 28:18-19a:

18 Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go then ... 

What Jesus was saying is that those who belong to Him, who are now in His family and members of His body, can and must operate in HIS authority, speaking HIS Word, so that HE can confirm that Word with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! AMEN! If WE don't use our authority, then the enemy continues to control things! Let's step up into our place of authority as born again, Spirit-filled believers and stop allowing the enemy to wreak havoc in our realms of influence! Find out what belongs to you as one who is "IN HIM" from the Word of God and then dare to operate in it! When WE call on HIM to be strong on our behalf, then HE can get involved and bring HIS results! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is another vital piece of Wisdom and knowledge for us to grab and obey!

Choose Life

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6

If you were given the choice between life and death, which would you choose? The answer seems obvious. But, in reality, it's not. You see, choosing death doesn't necessarily mean jumping from the nearest cliff. It's much more subtle than that.

The Bible says death is being carnally minded, being entangled in this present worldly realm. The Bible also tells us what life is. "My son, attend to my words," says Proverbs 4:20-22, "...for they are life!" To be worldly minded is death. To be Word-minded is life.

In Luke 10, there's a story that illustrates this principle extremely well. It's the story of Mary and Martha. You probably remember it. Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to Him teach while Martha was bustling around in the kitchen cooking dinner for everyone.

Finally Martha couldn't stand it anymore. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus answered, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42).

Mary had set everything else aside, so she could hear the Word. But Martha had let the seemingly important business of living take priority over the Word. She'd chosen death, not life. You see how easy it is to slip into that?

"But Brother Copeland," you say, "if I didn't spend all my time taking care of the business of living, my life would fall apart!"

Oh, really? Martha probably thought that too. She probably thought if she didn't cook dinner for all those folks, they'd go hungry. But they wouldn't have. Jesus had miraculously fed multitudes before and He could have done it again in Martha's home. She could have plopped herself down at Jesus' feet, and they could have had a banquet at God's expense!

Don't make the mistake that Martha did. Don't get so entangled in the business of living that you choose death by default. Decide to put the Word first place. Choose Life!

AMEN! THE most important decision of our daily lives is to choose to put JESUS first in ALL that we do! Spend time in praise and worship, time in prayer, time in study and meditation of His Word, and time in intimate fellowship with HIM! WHEN we do this, we will keep ourselves in position to receive ALL that HE has planned and promised for us! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Our New Testament reading for today gives a very good exhortation as to what the born again believer needs to do in order to rise above the attacks of the enemy and get the victory! 1 Peter 5:6:

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: KJV

Notice that we are to humble OURSELVES! This is NOT something that someone else can do FOR us! This does NOT mean that we degrade ourselves. It does mean, however, that we are to consider who WE, as born again, Spirit filled believers, ARE, according to the Word of God! When WE do that, then HE has promised to exalt us!  This also means that we must be DOERS of verse 7, for this is the way to humble ourselves! 

7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

You see, Scriptural 'humbling' means we accept something we don't deserve, which would be His grace, mercy, love, care, protection, provision and safety. It is both arrogant and prideful for us, after being born again and being made new creatures, to continue to see ourselves as 'old sinners, saved by grace'! We WERE old sinners, but once we received that grace, we are no longer sinners, but saints in the eyes of God! Our sins, failures, shortcomings, faults and missteps do NOT change our relationship with God, but they may affect our fellowship, which affects our faith! Dare to believe the Word of God that tells us that WHEN we sin, if we confess (recognize, acknowledge) our sin before Him, then HE will forgive us of THAT sin AND cleanse us from anything and everything else in our lives that may be off (1 John 1:9)! So, let's be DOERS of 1 John 1:9, and 1 Peter 5:6 and 1 Peter 5:7! When we do, then we will be in a position of authority and strength over the enemy and his tactics! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Scandal of Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

If you have been following this teaching blog for any length of time, you already know that I LOVE to share those things that I study each day, even when they come from someone else's teaching! After all, everything from the Word of God belongs to us all! AMEN! I always mention where these come from. Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's website devotional:

Who Are You?

For You did form my inward parts. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before they ever took shape, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13, 16 NKJV)

People all over the world ask this question: Who am I? They are searching for both their individual identity and the purpose for their life. I’ve encountered believers who’ve lost sight of who they are simply because of something others have said to them. Things like “you’re a failure … you’re a nobody … you’ll never succeed.”

We are told in Proverbs 23:7 that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” In other words, you will be the person you believe in your heart to be. And the only valid source for determining your identity is the Word of God.

Jesus was quoting the Word of God when He declared, “He has anointed Me to preach the gospel … to heal the brokenhearted … to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). Just as Jesus found His identity in the Word of God, so too will you. The fact of the matter is this: you are who God says you are.

• Your talents and abilities don’t determine who you are.
• Your job or your social status doesn’t determine who you are.
• Your family and friends don’t determine who you are.
• Your mirror doesn’t determine who you are.

Only God determines who you really are. However, nobody else—not even God—can determine whether the real you will ever be expressed in life. That decision is entirely yours.

I encourage you to take the time to fill your heart with the Word of God. As you begin to understand what your Creator has to say about you, you are certain to find your true identity in Him.

Confession: Father, I choose right now to believe I am who You say I am. I will not walk by my feelings, but rather by my faith in Your Word. As I come into agreement with You, I will become the person You created me to be.

Isn't that such exciting news to hear and see? We do NOT have to try and please other people in our walk with God, and neither SHOULD we! Our #1 priority should be our DAILY fellowship with the God of all the Universe! When WE do that, then everything else will simply fall into place! I can live with that! How about YOU? Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Face To Face":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love this very simple teaching on walking in faith by Kenneth E. Hagin from his "Faith Food" devotional for today!

Exercise

"...According to your faith be it unto you" (Matthew 9:29). 

If you eat natural food regularly and get no exercise, you'll grow fat and flabby. Likewise, if you don't exercise your faith, your faith muscles will be flabby. 

Exercise your faith on the level where you are. Some Christians are beyond others in the development of their faith. As you feed and exercise your faith, it will grow. Remember, no one climbs a ladder by starting on the top rung! 

Some people have become defeated because they tried to believe beyond their level of faith. They heard faith taught, and they tried to start at the top of the ladder. Because their faith wasn't at that level, faith didn't work for them, and they said, That faith business doesn't work. I tried it, but it doesn't work. 

Faith will work for you as you exercise it. After awhile you'll be able to believe God for things you never dreamed you could. According to your faith be it unto you. If your request is based on God's Word, and you believe God to do it, God will do it. 

Wherever you are in faith, keep your attitude right. Keep a positive attitude, and keep the switch of faith turned on. Keep believing God and using your faith. 

Confession: According to my faith be it unto me. I am using my faith today. I am exercising my faith. I am putting my faith into practice. I see to it that my faith is always at work! 

AMEN! What great advice that is! The Bible says that Faith COMES by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17)! Faith GROWS by exercising it! Find out what the Word of God has to say about every situation you face. Now get that Word in you in abundance and begin to put it into practice! As knowledge of the Word comes to , layer upon layer, so does the faith in that Word! Your faith will be built up, layer upon layer upon layer as you continue to get to KNOW the Word and OBEY the Word! AMEN! here is Hillsong Worship with "Rule":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

"My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is very good for today!

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

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

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

So many born again believers put undo pressure on themselves to 'perform'! They take on the expectations of others to live up to what 'they' say a Christian should do! I remember early on in my life as a born again believer when I was at a particular meeting and the minister was doing what reminded me, for all the world, of a 'scalp' count! He was asking for the number of people each one had led to the LORD! The measure of our 'success' as a believer is NOT how many people that we have personally led to the LORD! No one officially led me to the LORD. The person that was most influential to me was my best friend in high school who showed me, as a 10th grader, where the Bible said "You must be born again" (John 3:3). I had no idea what it meant at that time, but when I was ready, that moment in time came back so clear to me! I'm sure that she never counted me as one that she had led to the LORD! Yes, it is important to share the Gospel, which is why we are even here on earth! BUT, Jesus gave us to very important exhortations! He said this in Matthew 27:18:

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

We also see this that Jesus spoke to Martha about doing good work in Luke 10:41-42:

41 But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42 There is need of only one. Mary has chosen the good portion that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.

What was Mary doing that, in the eyes of Jesus, was the 'good portion'? Verse 39:

39 And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching.

Mary chose to seat herself at the Lord's feet! Our communion and fellowship with HIM is THE most important part of our lives as born again believers! Everything we do should flow from that fellowship with Him, and at HIS leading and direction! Everything else is just empty works, no matter how 'good' they may seem! Remember, obedience is better than sacrifice in the eyes of God (1 Samuel 15:22; Acts 17:11)! Here is Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I just have one important thought to share with you today! It's found in 1 Peter 1:1-2:

1 Peter, an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, [writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts].

The KJV addresses the "strangers scattered". The Amplified Bible and the Wuest translations reveal something more! 

1 Peter, an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, [writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts].

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an ambassador of Jesus Christ, to those who have settled down alongside of a pagan population, sown as seed throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen-out ones, this choice having been determined by the foreordination of God the Father, those chosen out to be recipients of the setting-apart work of the Spirit resulting in obedience [of faith] and [this resulting] in the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. [Sanctifying] grace to you, and [tranquilizing] peace be multiplied. Kenneth S. Wuest 

These two translations reveal that the early church didn't just 'disperse", they were SENT and SOWED into each area they went to! YOU, too, have been sent, or SOWED, into the place where you now live! We are ALL sent, fully equipped, gifted and talented, with a Godly plan and purpose, to the place of GOD'S choosing! We have all been sown as seed in the place and to the people where we now are! Let's buy up EVERY opportunity to preach the Gospel and to be an encourager to those we come in contact with! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Rule":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food". There has been such a lack of understanding about Bible faith, even with all of the 'Faith Teaching' that many of us have heard over the years! Today's devotional is all about faith!

Faith Is Measurable

"When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel" (Matt. 8:10). 

A centurion came to Jesus on behalf of his sick servant. When Jesus said, "I will come and heal him" (Matthew 8:7), the centurion answered, "speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (verse 8). Jesus said to him, "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee" (verse 13). Turning to His disciples, Jesus said, "I have not found so GREAT faith, no, not in Israel" (verse 10). 

Therefore, it is possible for a person to develop great faith. 

On the other hand, an example of little faith is seen when Peter began to sink after having walked on the water. Jesus chided Peter, saying, "O thou of LITTLE faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31). 

If faith can be great, and faith can be little, then faith is measurable! 

Here are some scriptures that prove faith is measurable: 

Growing faith (2 Thessalonians 1:3) 
Weak faith (Romans 4:19) 
Strong faith (Romans 4:20) 
Rich faith (James 2:5) 
Full of faith (Acts 6:5) 
Perfect faith (James 2:22) 
Unfeigned faith (1 Timothy 1:5) 
Shipwrecked faith (1 Tim. 1:19) 
Overcoming faith (1 John 5:4). 

Confession: My faith is growing. My faith is measuring up to a great faith, strong faith, rich faith, perfect faith, unfeigned faith, overcoming faith; I am full of faith! 

Whether or not MY faith grows is only, and completely, up to ME! The same is also true of YOU and YOUR faith! We need to know where faith comes from so that we can DO what needs to be done in order to have faith working in our lives! Romans 10:17:

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

It is ONLY by HEARING what the Word of God is saying that faith, beginning as a small seed, continues to grow and grow and grow as WE keep hearing and hearing and hearing His Word! No one else can pray faith into us, anoint us with or transfer faith to us! As I said, it is ONLY and COMPLETELY up to each individual, born again believer to develop STRONG faith! AMEN! Let's get to it! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Faith":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

I have found so very many new and interesting ways to look at the Word of God since I learned how to do word studies, revealing a more in-depth understanding of what is actually being said! One of the interesting things that I have found is that translators would sometimes add small connecting words that they felt would help clarify some verses for people. There are many times, however, when reading the Word exactly as it was written reveals something even more powerful than was previously thought! One example of this is found in today's reading in Psalm 107:1-2:

1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. KJV

In Strong's Concordance, when a word is added, the numerical value given is '9999'. There is no word to look up in either the Hebrew or Greek because this particular word was added. In the KJV Bible you can find these as words printed in italics! If you want to have some fun with this, check out some of these italicized words and see what you find! When we look at verse 1 above WITHOUT the added words, it says this:

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

It is actually saying to give thanks (yadah: laud, praise) to the Lord for good (towb: benefit, welfare, prosperity, happiness), for mercy (checed: goodness, kindness, faithfulness) forever (owlam: time out of mind, eternity, everlasting, perpetual)! The LORD is the One Who gives us all good things (James 1:17), and these are GOOD things! AMEN! We are to be thanking Him for each, and every, GOOD thing, and we are to do it FOREVER! Throughout all eternity, we will be praising and thanking HIM! HALLELUJAH! Now on to verse 2! Have you ever had someone respond to hearing "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so", but saying "So"? I have! 'So' is another '9999' word! It is NOT actually in there! We are NOT supposed to say "so", and we are not being instructed here to tell others that we are redeemed. Instead, this instruction is to SAY what verse 1 says! Let's look at Young's Literal Translation to get a better idea:

'Give ye thanks to Jehovah, For good, for to the age His kindness:' 2 Let the redeemed of Jehovah say, Whom He redeemed from the hand of an adversary. YLT

The redeemed of the Lord are to say (amar: to say, to speak, to utter, to BOAST) "Give thanks to the Lord, for good, for mercy, forever"! We are to forever be telling of the great goodness of our GOD! WE are to make HIM famous! AMEN! I hope that you enjoyed digging deeper into the Word! I'll try to do more of this as we continue with this daily teaching blog! Here is Hillsong again with that older song called "Shout Your Fame":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Have I mentioned lately how very much I love our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan? It never fails that there is something in each day's reading that pertains specifically to the times we are living in right now! Many times the lessons that I am learning are for my own personal growth, development and correction. There are times, however, when the lesson is too important not to share! Today's is such a lesson! We read in James 3 today, where we heard how important it is to avoid jealously, contention and pride in our dealings with others. We saw how important, and impossible on our own, that it is to 'tame the tongue'! Only with help of Holy Spirit is this possible! Thank YOU, Holy Spirit! The verses I especially want to draw your attention to today are verses 17-18:

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity). 18 And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].

Especially during this election season things have become heated between people and groups that used to see eye to eye on many things! That includes friends and relatives of my own. I have taken to only sharing my thoughts with like-minded people so as not to stir up even more contention. I believe, after studying this passage today, that though this is good, God's very best is for me to continue to share with all of these whom JESUS has put into my life, but to share what is really important. That would be to encourage, every day, with the Word of God! Not for the purpose of correction, unless specifically, and prayerfully, instructed by Holy Spirit Himself. Otherwise, my responsibility to the Body of Christ is to continue to pour life, joy and freedom into their lives! If these are walking closely with JESUS, then they will receive with joy and grace. If they are not, then Holy Spirit will continue to work in their hearts through LOVE, LIFE and LIGHT! AMEN! I am not responsible to convince other believers of their decisions. Too much of that has been done in recent months, to the extreme detriment of the Body of Christ and our 'image', so to speak, in the world. I am not speaking of being liked. I am speaking of being LIGHT! It's one thing to have people avoid us because they do not want the LIGHT at this time. It is something else entirely when people avoid us because we have become contentious, argumentative, bitter, condescending, judgmental and accusatory in our attitude, words and behavior. It is NOT my responsibility to 'get' someone to 'vote right'! The natural world has no bearing on our commission to preach the GOSPEL! It is just NOT that important! What am I saying? Take your own personal responsibility to vote before God and be obedient to what the Word of God and Holy Spirit is saying to YOU. Now PRAY that HE will get His will through to everyone else voting and leave it to HIM! That IS, after all, HIS job! AMEN! Here is one of the songs from Hillsong Worship's new album "Let There Be Light" to encourage you to put first things first! THAT would be JESUS! The song is called "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am simply going to share "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers in its entirety because this message is vitally important if we truly desire to fulfill what God has called each one of us to do!

All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. — Matthew 28:18-20

The basis of missionary appeals is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the heathen. We are apt to look upon Our Lord as One Who assists us in our enterprises for God. Our Lord puts Himself as the absolute sovereign supreme Lord over His disciples. He does not say the heathen will be lost if we do not go; He simply says — “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” Go on the revelation of My sovereignty; teach and preach out of a living experience of Me.

“Then the eleven disciples went…into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them” (verse 16). If I want to know the universal sovereignty of Christ, I must know Him for myself, and how to get alone with Him; I must take time to worship the Being Whose Name I bear. “Come unto Me” — that is the place to meet Jesus. Are you weary and heavy laden? How many missionaries are! 

We banish those marvellous words of the universal Sovereign of the world to the threshold of an after-meeting; they are the words of Jesus to His disciples. “Go ye therefore.…” “Go” simply means live. Acts 1:8 is the description of how to go. Jesus did not say — Go into Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, but, “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me” in all these places. He undertakes to establish the goings.

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you…” — that is the way to keep going in our personal lives. Where we are placed is a matter of indifference; God engineers the goings. “None of these things move me….” That is how to keep going till you’re gone

I LOVE that Jesus did NOT say that the heathen would be lost if we do not go"! He didn't give us a negative message at all! Jesus simply said to GO! When we go in HIS power, led by HIS Spirit, speaking HIS Words and doing HIS will, then we cannot fail and we WILL be more effective than we have ever been before! Let's trust God's perfect plan and stop putting so much stress on ourselves and what WE have to do! JUST BE! When we spend time in HIS presence on a daily basis, we will get to know HIM just as powerfully as Paul did, and THEN we will BE those powerful witnesses that show forth His presence, drawing all men to HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "In God We Trust":

IN GOD WE TRUST

Overwhelmed but I won’t break

Through the battle I will say

Your grace will be enough

Your grace will be enough

Under fire but we won’t fall

We will never be alone

You’ll always be enough

You’ll always be enough

Now in God we trust

In His Name we hope

I know God will not be shaken

God is here with us

He’s already won

I know God will not be shaken

We will follow where You go

We will trust through the unknown

I know You go before

I know You go before

Lead my heart now in Your ways

For we’re carrying Your Name

Your promise never fails

Your promise never fails

You finish what You begun

Forever strong in Your love

Your Name is sure

And You will fight for us

Our hope forever secure

In You alone 

Shalom  in Him!