Shalom,

I have a great end of the year and beginning of the new year challenge for you today! First of all, read all of Psalm 119 from today's portion of our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, and see if you can find the Word of God referred to in every verse! The next part of this challenge is to develop the habits that will turn into a lifestyle that are encouraged and even commanded in Philippians 4:4, 6, 8 and 13! 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

"Rejoice" is the Greek word "chairo", which means: to be cheerful, calmly happy or well-off, to be glad, to thrive. AND, we are commanded to do this ALWAYS! That means AT ALL TIMES! When things appear to be going good or not so good, we should not be moved! We are to rejoice because our results do NOT depend on those circumstances, but on the TRUTH of God's Word! AMEN! 

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

This goes right along with verse 4 and is how we go about being able to rejoice at all times! We MUST refuse anxiety, fear, guilt and worry! We do this by CHOOSING to think, speak and act in line with the Word of God! Verse 8 makes this even more clear!

8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

This verse shows us exactly how to discern which thoughts to accept and which to reject and replace! If the thoughts that come to us do not meet every one of these requirements, then they are NOT acceptable for us to think on! When we, through obeying the Word, are able to bring these thoughts under control, then faith in the Word will rise and NOT be choked out by the  lies of the world, the flesh nature and the devil! THEN we can have the confidence that comes from verse 13:

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].

Notice that this says ALL things! There is NOTHING too difficult for the God of the Bible, and NOTHING too difficult for those who dare to believe HIM and HIS WORD!  Holy Spirit IN is the ONE Who will infuse us with HIS strength, Wisdom, knowledge and ability! Let's make those changes and adjustments that are necessary to be able to walk in this VICTORY! AMEN! Here is a great song to end 2016 and begin 2017! Hillsong Worship with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We end the Book of Proverbs today with a chapter that is often quoted, many times out of context, but is most times vastly misunderstood! The picture of this most 'virtuous woman' was the example that this mother was trying to get across to her son. The very same PRINCIPLES, not exact examples, but principles, can be applied to every person! Every single person looking for a spouse should take these things into serious consideration as they listen for the leading of the LORD on their life-time marriage partner! These are qualities that every born again believer should be exhibiting as we represent JESUS as Ambassadors of Heaven! As you read through this chapter, keep this in mind and allow Holy Spirit to speak HIS Wisdom to YOU. AMEN! For today, I want to share some notes that I found on this that I believe will help you in this study! These notes were taken from the Amplified Bible footnotes:

Proverbs 31:10 It is most unfortunate that this description of God’s ideal woman is usually confined in readers’ minds merely to its literal sense—her ability as a homemaker, as in the picture of Martha of Bethany in Luke 10:38-42. But it is obvious that far more than that is meant. When the summary of what makes her value “far above rubies” is given (in Proverbs 31:30), it is her spiritual life only that is mentioned. One can almost hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Mary has chosen the good portion... which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

                                                                                                                                         

Proverbs 31:29 “Many daughters have done... nobly and well... but you excel them all.” What a glowing description here recorded of this woman in private life, this “capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman” of Proverbs 31! It means she had done more than Miriam, the one who led a nation’s women in praise to God (Exododus 15:20, 21); Deborah, the patriotic military advisor (Judges 4:4-10); Ruth, the woman of constancy (Ruth 1:16); Hannah, the ideal mother (I Samuel 1:20; 2:19); the Shunammite, the hospitable woman (II Kings 4:8-10); Huldah, the woman who revealed God’s secret message to national leaders (II Kings 22:14); and even more than Queen Esther, the woman who risked sacrificing her life for her people (Esther 4:16). In what way did she “excel them all”? In her spiritual and practical devotion to God, which permeated every area and relationship of her life. All seven of the Christian virtues (II Peter 1:5) are there, like colored threads in a tapestry. Her secret, which is open to everyone, is the Holy Spirit’s climax to the story, and to this book. In Proverbs 31:30, it becomes clear that the “reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord,” which is “the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10), is put forth as the true foundation for a life which is valued by God and her husband as “far above rubies or pearls” (Proverbs 31:10-14).

With these things in mind, and as a born again child of the Living God, here is a portion of Scripture, also from today's Bible Reading Plan, that will help each one of us get closer to this standard, IF we take it to heart and make it our own 'determined purpose'! Philippians 3:10:

 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. 12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

These verses in Matthew 12:34-37 were brought to my remembrance today.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. KJV

The word "idle" here is the Greek word "argos", which means: inactive, lazy, useless, shunning the labor which one ought to perform, unprofitable, pernicious. The Dictionary definition for pernicious is: having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. The synonyms are even more informative: harmful, damaging, destructive, injurious, hurtful, detrimental, deleterious, dangerous, adverse, inimical, unhealthy, unfavorable, bad, evil, baleful, wicked, malign, malevolent, malignant, noxious, poisonous, corrupting. Understand that this verse is NOT speaking of someone saying curse words, but of a born again believer saying anything that is contrary to the Word of God! The universe was created by the WORDS SPOKEN by our Creator! WE have been given the powerful opportunity, and the awesome responsibility, to speak God's Word into this world! When James instructed that we be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath (James 1:19), it was for the purpose of our taking the time to hear from Holy Spirit what Words SHOULD be spoken, then to speak them into the situation at hand. Now lets look at Matthew 12:34-37 from the Amplified Bible:

34 You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. 36 But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced. AMP

Yes, we will give account! NOT for the purpose of condemnation, there is now NO condemnation for those who are IN CHRIST (Romans 8:1), but for the purpose of rewarding us for those things that have been well done! Those things that have been done in obedience to the Word of God and the Spirit of God, for the right reason and motive. We have been given the ability to speak the Word into being! When we DO, then HE confirms that Word with signs, wonders and  miracles. Captives are set free, unbelievers become believers, and our GOD is exalted for all to see and be drawn to Him! Let's make the determined purpose and solid commitment to make our words count! Refuse to speak anything, about yourself or anyone else, that is not in line with the powerful Word of God! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs 29:25 is a very important verse for every born again believer to understand!

25 The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high.

Fear here is the Hebrew word "charadah", which means: fear, anxiety, quaking, trembling. Fear of man is the anxiety and concern over what another person or persons may think! We can fall into that easily if we forget to remember that GOD Himself is our #1 Source of supply for every good thing! Hebrews 13:6 tells us this:

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

And Romans 8:31 says this:

31 What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]

Knowing these Truths will give you confidence so that YOU do not fall into the "snare" (trap, something that allures one from their real purpose in order to destroy them) of the enemy! The promise of Proverbs 29:25 is that if we put our trust in the LORD, then HE will see to it that we are safe and set on high! This reminds ME of John 10:10:

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

Let's take advantage of the GOD-LIFE that is in us by the Spirit of God and be prepared to do exploits! Daniel 11:32:

And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

AMEN! Now THAT is a worthy goal! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "In Control":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world. The Spirit of God apprehends me and I am obliged to get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him. Until this is done, I lose every time. The battle may take one minute or a year, that will depend on me, not on God; but it must be wrestled out alone before God, and I must resolutely go through the hell of a renunciation before Him. Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there. If I say, “I will wait till I get into the circumstances and then put God to the test,” I shall find I cannot. I must get the thing settled between my self and God in the secret places of my soul where no stranger intermeddles, and then I can go forth with the certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity and disaster and upset are as sure as God’s decree. The reason the battle is not won is because I try to win it in the external world first. Get alone with God, fight it out before Him, settle the matter there once and for all.

What he is saying here is NOT that we fight it out with God to see who wins! God has already fought the battle FOR us and has given to us the responsibility to enforce that victory in our own lives. What we are to do is to get before God, armed with the promises and provisions of the Word of God, and declare ourselves before Him! When WE speak HIS WORD with the confidence, boldness, faith and authority that comes from meditating on that Word, then we give HIM something to confirm with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! If we just go off 'speaking' to things, situations and circumstances WITHOUT meditating on those promises, then we are simply speaking empty words and releasing hot air! The creative Word that produces is the Word that we KNOW! Not the Word we memorize, but the Word that is revealed and illuminated to us from the inside out! The "rhema' Word! When we know that we know that this Word is true, THEN we speak it out with faith and power! Are you ready to give more diligence to the study and meditation of the Word of God this new year? If so, then you are ready to 'be strong and do exploits' (Daniel 11:32)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! There is no greater message that sums up why we are celebrating the birth of Jesus today than this from the Amplified Bible! John 3:13-18:

13 And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven — the Son of Man [Himself], Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross],  [Num 21:9.] 15 In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! 16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation — he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.] AMP

God the Son (100% God) came from Heaven, leaving His glory with the Father, to be born as a human baby (100% man) for the very purpose of living without sin to become the PERFECT substitute for sinful man and the PERFECT Bridge between God and Man! He did NOT come to judge but to be a LIFE giver! WE have not been sent to judge, but to properly represent this LIFE Giver! Let's make this glorious, merciful, loving, powerfully profound message OUR message every day of this new year! HE came that WE might LIVE and WE have been sent so that THEY might LIVE! HALLELUJAH!GLORY TO GOD! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom and Merry Christmas Eve,

We have been going through Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for Morning Prayer this year and today's is excellent to share on Christmas Eve!

His Glory

"And the Word became flesh. And pitched his tent among us, And we gazed upon his glory, - A glory...full of favour and truth" (John 1:14 Rotherham). 

I love Rotherham's translation of John 1:14 - it is so beautiful. 

We've tended to think of Christ's coming to the earth as a man only in terms of His self-denial in leaving glory, or else in terms of His suffering on this earth. But I believe it was a joy to Christ, who so loved man and so desired man's fellowship, to "pitch His tent" among us so that He might give to alienated man - who had never known his Creator - a true conception of His Heavenly Father. 

It was good tidings of great joy which the angel proclaimed to the shepherds - and to all people everywhere. Man, separated from God for 4,000 years, could now gaze upon God's glory, could now see God, could now know God as He is, and could now be reunited with Him! 

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). 

The Word has become flesh! 

Confession: Like the multitude of the heavenly host, I, too, am praising God. Praise God for sending Praise God for sending a Savior! Praise God for Christ the Lord! Praise God for allowing us to gaze upon His glory! 

AMEN! Glory to God! We have a Saviour! So, here is Hillsong with that very song!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have been going through Proverbs again in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. By now we all should have realized the extreme importance of Godly Wisdom! No one is wiser than our God! There is no book that we could read that is as important as the Word of God! That is not saying that there is no use for books, but they should NEVER take the place of the Word of God! Proverbs 23:3-4 tell us just how important Godly Wisdom is!

3 Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], 4 And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Holy Spirit teaches us what the Word of God means to us personally (knowledge) and He then leads,guides and directs us in how to act on that knowledge (Wisdom)! As we see in the verses above, there is nothing that can be successfully accomplished in our lives without knowledge and Wisdom! Let's commit to make 2017 a year where we dig even deeper into the Word of God, allowing our wonderful, powerful Teacher to move us into the deeper things of God! Let's determine to be "meat-eaters' more than ever before (Hebrews 5:12 and 1 Corinthians 3:2)! We cannot fully and successfully finish our course (2 Timothy 4:7-8) and fulfill our calling without doing so! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Ephesians 1:3 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan:

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

Notice that this verse says that HE has ALREADY blessed us with EVERY (ALL) blessings! Our God planned, from before the foundation of the world, which also means BEFORE He had ever created mankind, to bless us this way! How do I know this? Verses 4-10:

4 Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. 5 For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]— 6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, 8 Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), 9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him, 10 [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.

Our God KNEW that mankind would eventually fall. He already had His plan in place for our Salvation, to buy us back, and then to put His Spirit IN us so that we could be His forever! Why did He do it this way? Because He did NOT want us to be robots who were programmed to follow Him. He wanted us to be able to make the personal and individual choice to do this so that WHEN we did, it would be of our own free will and because we wanted to. Our love for Him is genuine, individual and on purpose! HIS love for us is eternal! All of these wonderful blessings are OURS as members of His family! Now THAT is something to go back to verse 3 and really praise Him for! With our whole hearts! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is an excellent reminder that God's Word is TRUTH and that anything contrary to Truth is temporary and subject to change!

Experience Or Revelation

We have received…the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. — 1 Corinthians 2:12

•  

Reality is Redemption, not my experience of Redemption; but Redemption has no meaning for me until it speaks the language of my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me right out of myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left with my experiences, my experiences have not been produced by Redemption. The proof that they are produced by Redemption is that I am led out of myself all the time; I no longer pay any attention to my experiences as the ground of Reality, but only to the Reality which produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source, Jesus Christ.

If you try to dam up the Holy Spirit in you to produce subjective experiences, you will find that He will burst all bounds and take you back again to the historic Christ. Never nourish an experience which has not God as its Source, and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you try to lord it over Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? He must be Lord over you, and you must not pay attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. There comes a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience — “I do not care what I experience; I am sure of Him.”

Be ruthless with yourself if you are given to talking about the experiences you have had. Faith that is sure of itself is not faith; faith that is sure of God is the only faith there is.

Take this to heart, very seriously, if you have found yourself elevating your experiences, or those of people you know, above what the Word of God actually says! The Word IS Truth and there is no other! If your experiences, visions, dreams or anything else supernatural does NOT line up with the Word of God, then refuse to allow it to enter your thought life! If they DO, then ask the Father to reveal to you the next steps in carrying out HIS plan for YOUR life (Jeremiah 29:11)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what a treasury we have inside of us because the Spirit  of Almighty God lives in us!

22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].

What this TRUTH in God's Word is saying is that when Holy Spirit took up residence within is, He brought with Him all of these wonderful 'fruit'! I do NOT have to pray for patience! Patience is a part of who I now am because of HIS presence within me! What I MUST do, though, is to meditate on this until the TRUTH that I cannot yet see with my physical eyes becomes more real than what they CAN see! The same is true concerning every one of these precious and valuable 'fruit'! HE has already done His part by fulfilling the promise of God living IN us. Now I must stir up my faith until it is so real to me that I fully EXPECT to walk in the victory of it! AMEN! Joshua 1:8 tells us HOW to meditate! 

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.

I will think about, speak about (to myself and others), ponder, muse, dream and allow Holy Spirit to paint very real images inside of me! THEN I will be able to DO what He leads, guides and directs me to do, in full confidence that everything will work out VICTORIOUSLY! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is another very good reminder of the difference between the ways of God and the ways of the world! Doing things God's way ALWAYS brings blessings! 

Don't Settle for Second Best

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. James 1:2-3

I admit, it's tough to be enthusiastic about going through tests and trials. But can you get excited about being totally supplied in every way, in want of nothing? Well, according to the Word of God, if you'll use your trials to develop patience, you're going to be in precisely that position!

You see, patience doesn't mean what you thought it meant. It does not mean settling sweetly for second best. It does not mean standing meekly by while the devil romps all over you.

No, patience is a powerful word. The New Testament meaning of it as translated literally from the Greek is "to be consistently constant or to be the same way all the time, regardless of what happens."

To understand how much power is involved in that, you have to realize that it's one of the most outstanding attributes of God Himself. The Bible says He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Think about that for a minute. The guy who absolutely cannot be changed by anyone or anything is an extremely powerful fellow, wouldn't you say? Obviously, God has that much power. But you know what? You do too!

By the power of the Holy Ghost working within you, you can be the same every day no matter what happens. If you'll put your trust in the Word of God and let patience go to work, it won't matter what happens. You won't ever have to accept anything less than victory again. Now that's something to get excited about!

AMEN! Hiding God's Word in our hearts will give Holy Spirit what He needs to work with in us to take us from simply enduring tests and trials to becoming victorious overcomers in and through every one of them! Let's DO this! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Look To The Son":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today speaks of the incarnation of Jesus.

Incarnation

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1,14). 

Webster defines Incarnation as "The union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ." 

Incarnation was the only solution to the human problem - the only hope for mankind to be reunited with God. Any religion that denies the Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth is false! 

This Eternal Being, called Emmanuel - God with us, or Jesus the Christ - is here called the Word. The Word existed in the beginning. The Word was with God - with God in fellowship, in purpose, working with Him. God made the worlds through the Word (Hebrews 1:2; John 1:3). 

And this Eternal Being was God! He possessed the same nature. He existed in the same form and on an equality with God (Philippians 2:6). 

And this Being became flesh! The Word became a man and dwelt among us. He became human - as much a man as if He'd never been anything else, yet He did not cease to be what He had been. The Word made His home among us, and we beheld the glory of God (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). 

Confession: Jesus came and dwelled in flesh so that I might be eternally reunited with the Father. Jesus became like me, so that I could become like Him. I will walk in the reality of what the Incarnation made possible for me. I am reunited with my Father! 

Amen! here is Hillsong with "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like this form Andrew Womack's devotional!

LET GOD'S PEACE LEAD YOU

Luke 24:36 "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." 

Just as every sport has disputes that must be settled by the officials, the peace of God is the umpire that settles all disputes as to what the will of God is for our lives. We must learn to listen to and heed the peace of God in our hearts.

God's peace is something that every born-again believer has. It's a fruit of the Spirit. That peace is always umpiring; we just don't always pay attention. How many times have you acted contrary to the peace in your heart and afterwards, you experience disaster? You say, "I never did feel good about that." That was the peace of God umpiring, but we chose to play by our own rules.

There are some things we can do to facilitate the peace of God umpiring in our hearts. First, consider ALL the options. Many wrong decisions have been made because not all the options were considered. Don't let fear rule out God's possibilities. Next, use your imagination to explore what will happen with each choice. You should be able to discern a greater peace as you consider the option the Lord would have you take. That is not to say that there will be total peace with any of the choices. In your spirit there will be total peace over the right choice, but we aren't always totally in the Spirit and it is not unusual for some turmoil to exist. Just as an umpire has to make a call, be bold enough to follow the direction that gives you the most peace.

The rudder on a ship can't go any direction until the ship is moving. The ship doesn't have to be going full steam ahead for the rudder to work, but it does have to be moving. Likewise, we have to act before the peace of God will give us perfect direction. Even if you make a mistake, you will have made it in faith, trying to follow the peace of God in your heart. The Lord can bless a wrong decision made in faith from a pure heart, more than He can bless indecision (Romans 14:23).

Pastor Bill Novak has taught the congregation of The Spoken word Church the Truth concerning this last paragraph since the beginning of the church! He encourages us to make a decision concerning something that we believe we are to do, then check from the inside to see if this decision is accompanied by peace and joy. Isaiah 55:12 says this:

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:

Follow peace and joy and you can't go wrong! Amen! Here is Hillsong with another of my favorite "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food"  by Kenneth E. Hagin gives us a very good picture of the Lord Jesus, our Saviour, and how He alone was uniquely qualified to BE the perfect Mediator between our Holy God and sinful mankind!

"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Colossians 1:19). 

The Word of God plainly teaches that our Redeemer is divine. These divine offices are ascribed to Him: 

Creator (Colossians 1:16) 
Mediator (1 Timothy 2:4-5) 
Head of the Church (Colossians 1:16-24) 
Savior (2 Peter 3:2) 
Judge (2 Timothy 4:1) 
Preserver (Hebrews 1:1-3) 
Life-Giver (John 10:28) 
Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36) 
Resurrection and Life (John 11:25). 

Divine character is ascribed to Christ. Ordinary men are sinners by nature, but Christ Jesus is not an ordinary man. He is: 

Holy by Birth (Luke 1:35) 
Righteous (Isaiah 53:11) 
Faithful (Isaiah 11:5) 
Truth (John 14:6) 
Just (John 5:30) 
Guileless (1 Peter 2:22) 
Sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21) 
Spotless (1 Peter 1:19) 
Innocent (Matthew 27:4) 
Harmless (Hebrews 7:26) 
Obedient to God (Hebrews 5:8-10) 
Obedient to Earthly Parents (Luke 2:51) 
Zealous (John 2:17) 
Meek (Matthew 11:29) 
Lowly in Heart (Matthew 11:29) 
Merciful (Hebrews 2:17) 
Patient (Isaiah 53:7) 
Long-Suffering (1 Timothy 1:16) 
Compassionate (Matthew 15:32) 
Benevolent (Acts 10:38) 
Loving (John 15:13) 
Self-Denying (2 Corinthians 8:9) 
Humble (Philippians 2:5-11) 
Resigned (Luke 22:42) 
Forgiving (Luke 23:34) 

Confession: Jesus Christ is worthy. Thank God for this Worthy One. Thank God for this Divine One. Thank God that One who is the Creator would come to earth from glory to be the Mediator, the Head of the Church, the Savior, the Judge, the Preserver, the Life-Giver, the Lord and Savior. And thank God, this Worthy One is my Lord. 

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with a song that I LOVE called "Behold (Then Sings My Soul)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs 16:3 gives us instruction with a promise!

3 Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

The promise is that when we commit to God's plans and purposes for our individual life, He will cause the desire FOR those plans to grow, AND He will cause us to have success in what we do! If you are not experiencing success in your pursuits, check first of all to see that you have committed them to HIM. Have you been willing to make little adjustments that He has given you to do? Remember, HIS eyes are running over the whole earth to set up those situation and circumstance for YOU to be blessed (2 Chronicles 16:9), and to be a blessing (Zechariah 8:13)! When He tells us to do something, it is ALWAYS for our benefit to do so! He sees and knows the whole picture, and is causing everything to work together for YOUR good, when your heart is set on pleasing Him (Romans 8:28). Here is another verse that goes right along with Proverbs 16:3, which is part of our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. The new verse is Psalm 37:4:

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

HE will put desires in our heart so that HE can fulfill those desires FOR us. His blessing in and upon our lives will draw people to Him! Let's make those small adjustments so that we can stay continually in position to receive God's very best. After all, THIS is His will for us: John 10:10:

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

AMEN! I think that it is a GOOD thing to trust completely in Him. How about you? Here is Hillsong Worship with "In Control":

From heaven You can hear

I know You’re drawing near

As I worship

Held within Your love

The wind and waves will come

But I will stay here

I lift my hands to heaven

Here my heart surrendered

I tell my soul again

You are Lord of all

Though the seas are raging

You will speak and tame them

In You I find my rest

You are in control

Through valleys I will trust

Your Spirit is enough to keep me walking

You guide my every step

Speak life to me again

Lord I need You

I will trust in only You

No one can add to Your perfection

You’re the beginning and the end

More than I can comprehend

There is no one like You

No one

No one

No one Jesus

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been meditating on a specific Scripture used at Christmas time so often. When we take the time to think about it, the Gospel is right there in one verse! Isaiah 9:6-7:

6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Jesus was born as a human baby of a virgin. He was conceived by the Spirit of God. 'A Child is born'! Before being born as a baby, He set aside His glory with the Father in Heaven. 'A Son is given'! Jesus never stopped BEING God, but He did nothing on earth AS God! He did everything that He did as a Spirit-filled MAN! 100% Man and 100% God! The PERFECT Mediator between God and man Who fully qualified to represent BOTH in a showdown with the devil! He paid the ultimate price for OUR Salvation and now the ONLY thing keeping any person from the Heaven of the Bible is NOT sins committed, but it IS rejecting JESUS as Savior and Lord. If Jesus is not YOUR Savior, then you have NONE and must pray the awful price yourself! Is there REALLY any reason that you can't receive JESUS as Lord and Saviour right now, and know for a certainty that YOU will live forever in the HEaven of the Bible? Please pray this prayer, believing, and become a member of the family of God!

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

Let us know of your decision so that we can help direct you to a good local church where you can learn more of the wonderful Word of God and have fellowship with like-minded believers! Here is a Christmas song by Hillsong that covers this wonderful Gospel! "Perfect Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" by Gloria Copeland is a simple, yet very vital, lesson on how to be led by the LORD!

Don't Panic

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed. Proverbs 16:3, The Amplified Bible

Right now you may be on the edge of a major decision...about to make a change in your job or your church or your personal life. You know you need divine guidance. And you're hoping desperately to hear from the Lord. If that's your situation, don't panic. Being led by the Lord isn't some complicated process that only the spiritual "pros" can master.

I found that out years ago when I was a new believer. I wanted to live in a way that was pleasing to God, but I didn't know how to make decisions that were in line with His will. Then one day as I was studying The Amplified Bible, I came across Proverbs 16:3. Immediately, I latched on to this verse and began to use it in my life—and I can tell you now from experience, it works!

It will work for you too if you'll do what it says. Roll your works over on God, commit your ways to Him, trust them wholly to Him. He'll start adjusting your thoughts to be like His until, at some point, you'll just know the right thing to do. Of course, faith is involved. One of the requirements is trust, and you won't be able to do that without feeding on God's Word. Then as you practice rolling your works upon the Lord and trusting Him, you become more confident in your ability to hear. Start now with whatever problem is bothering you. Pray and trust God with it. In other words, believe you receive when you pray. Stop worrying and begin believing.

Learn to live this way and it doesn't matter whether you've been a Christian 30 minutes or 30 years, your plans shall be established and succeed!

AMEN! Our God is NO respecter of persons! (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11)! What He has promised in His Word, He WILL do for anyone and everyone who dares to agree with Him and make their ways line up with His! THAT is a GOD you can trust! AND, He IS God, there IS no other! AMEN! Here is Hillsong  with a Christmas song that I love called "Born Is The King":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

"From Faith To Faith" by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland for today is an admonition that is point on and perfectly timed for TODAY, even though it was written and printed years ago! 

Tune In

He that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 1 Corinthians 14:2

Have you ever looked around at your own life or the life of the Church and wondered why it's taking the Lord so long to get things in order? If so, let me tell you something I learned a few years ago. He's not the One who's slow. We are! It's not God's fault that the Church still has spots and wrinkles. It's not His fault that we're not living in total victory. He's always ready. He's the great "I AM." We're the ones who fall short.

Compare it to turning on a radio. If you don't have it tuned to exactly the right frequency, you won't be able to hear the station. It's not the station's fault. It's sending out signals perfectly. The problem is, you haven't tuned in to it.

That's what's happening with you and me. We haven't fine tuned our spirits enough to pick up the voice of the Spirit. Oh, we pick up a few things now and then, but mostly we just fade in and out. We don't stay on God's wavelength all the time.

How do you adjust your spiritual tuner? By praying in the spirit. Praying in other tongues is the fastest, most effective method I know of to tune in to God—because instead of praying your own thoughts and plans, you're praying His!

The Bible says that when you pray in tongues, you're speaking mysteries to God. In the spirit, you're calling forth parts of God's plan you don't even understand with your natural mind. By the unction of the Holy Spirit, you're praying the perfect will of God.

You see, God knows how to deliver His people. He knows how to turn us into the glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. He has a plan that will do it. And if we'll tap in to that plan and start releasing it into the earth by praying in the spirit, praying according to His will and not our own, this age will draw to a close quickly. If we'll all get our minds and hearts in tune with what God's doing, there will be an explosion of the power of God that will turn this world around!

Start adjusting your spiritual tuner today. Spend an hour praying in other tongues. Set your spirit on God's wavelength and just see how quickly the spots and wrinkles begin to disappear from you.

AMEN! One of the most precious Gifts that we have been given by the One, True God is the gift of being filled with Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues! This is spirit to SPIRIT communication with the One True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! And then HE (Holy Spirit) speaks to us, Spirit to spirit, with the answers to questions, the solutions to problems and the guidance and direction we need, directly from the Throne Room of Heaven! There are so many false teachings and misleading representations of Scripture that have caused born again believers to miss out on this most precious BLESSING! If you have fallen for some of these, NOW is the time to cast off all of that nonsense and find out for yourself just what intimate fellowship with HIM is really like! You will be SO glad you did and you will NEVER regret that decision! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Most High":

I want to see Your face
I want to know Your ways
Let Your light shine upon us

I want to know Your power
Come fill me once again
Lift me up in Your hands of grace

Put a new song in my mouth
Of praise to You
and the world will see and fear Your name
Put a new song in my mouth
Of praise to You
and the world will see and fear Your name

Worthy, worthy is the Lord
Worthy, worthy is the Lord
Worthy, worthy is the Lord
Most high

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is too good and important not to share!

A Great Plan!

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15). 

Man fell. 

But God had a plan - a great plan - redemption! God assumed the liabilities of man's transgressions and redeemed him from Satan's dominion. God had a plan to give life back to man. God's plan allowed man's nature to be changed back into harmony with God's nature. 

God cannot ignore man's transgressions. Justice demanded that the penalty for man's crime be paid - but man himself was unable to pay it. Therefore, because man couldn't save himself, God had to provide a Redeemer. 

No sooner had man fallen under the dominion of his enemy, Satan, than God began to speak forth His plan concerning the Coming One. This One, the seed of woman (for it was prophesied that a woman would give birth to a child independent of natural generation) would break Satan's dominion over man! 

This One would set men free! This One would bruise the head of the serpent! 

In Oriental languages, "bruising the head" means breaking the lordship of a ruler. When God spoke those words to Satan in Genesis 3:15, Satan had just come into the dominion meant to belong to man. But God spoke forth that his Wonderful Seed of woman would come to break Satan's lordship. 

Confession: Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption, which You planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate.

AMEN! So many times unbelievers look at God as a big cosmic bully who just waits for people to make mistakes so that he can rain terror down on them! This could not be further from the TRUTH! OUR God loved and loves His creation so very much that He, knowing that the man He created WOULD at some point sin and lose his dominion and authority, already had His great plan for SALVATION in place! When we see this in Genesis 3 (above) was NOT when God came up with the plan! I am thoroughly convinced that God created us with this plan already in place. He so desired a people to fellowship with who would come to Him of their own free will. This wonderful and glorious plan for our Salvation gives us the choice to come to Him and count on Him, or not! What have YOU chosen? I hope that you have chosen the LIFE that is available ONLY through Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (John 14:6)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Let There Be Light":

Shalom in Him!