Shalom,

Today we read in Acts 3 of the crippled man who was laid DAILY at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. JESUS Himself had passed through that gate on many occasions, but what happened to this man on this day was because he FINALLY had faith to be healed! Remember that faith comes by hearing (and hearing and hearing (Romans 10:17) the Word of God. This man had heard when JESUS spoke, and than after the Resurrection and the day of Pentecost, when the early church members were FILLED with Holy Spirit, he had heard what EVERYONE was speaking of, when the 3000 new believers were born again after all of the visiting Jews from other nations HEARD the disciples speaking to them, and they heard in their own languages! SIGNS, WONDERS, MIRACLES!  They happen when the One, True God is GLORIFIED! Acts 3:4-8:

4 And Peter directed his gaze intently at him, and so did John, and said, Look at us! 5 And [the man] paid attention to them, expecting that he was going to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! 7 Then he took hold of the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady, 8 And leaping forth he stood and began to walk, and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Don't you just KNOW that the people were ECSTATIC! SOME were! Others not so much. SOME believed! Others did not. It will be the same for you. When you share the Good News, even with signs and wonders and miracles that confirm that news, SOME will not believe or receive. We CANNOT be moved by the reactions of the people, for good or for bad. We must simply do out part in sharing the Gospel and being obedient to Holy Spirit, casting the care of it all over on Him! Walk away rejoicing in the TRUTH of the Word and allow Holy Spirit to do what only HE can do! AMEN! Here is an older song by Hillsong United called "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 30:1-5:

1 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me. 3 O Lord, You have brought my life up from Sheol (the place of the dead); You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (the grave). 4 Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 5 For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Who is the first person that YOU speak to when you wake up? I speak to the LORD! As born again believers, we have SO very much to be thankful for, every single day of our lives! When you begin your morning like this, you will be in position to encourage yourself in the LORD in the same way that David did when he faced tests, trials and tribulations (1 Samuel 30:6)! Refuse to lose heart and give in to fear, guilt, worry or condemnation. Remind yourself of all of the wonderful things that GOD has done for YOU! A fierceness will rise within you that we help you to NEVER quit and give up! Commit to learn something new to love about the LORD every day and you will find that praise and worship will come easier and easier until that is your attitude through all things! Here is an old sog by Hillsong called "Everyday":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I simply want to share the devotional from Jerry Savelle's website. It is SO powerful!

Grace Will Give You What You Don’t Deserve

For by grace you have been saved [blessed, healed, delivered, made whole] through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV, brackets added).

The biblical definition of grace is “unmerited favor.” It is something you didn’t earn; it is the gift of God. So when you see the word grace in your Bible, you can accurately interchange it with the word favor.

God’s grace, His unmerited favor, is simply God giving you something you don’t deserve. The Bible says, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5 NKJV). Simply put:

• Grace makes a way for God to bless you in life—regardless of your merits.
• Grace will give you what you did not earn.
• Grace will qualify you for what you do not qualify for.
• Grace will give you what you do not deserve.

Have you ever wondered why some believers are more blessed than others? Is it because of their spiritual performance, the hours spent reading the Word, praying, and fasting? No! They are blessed because they actually believe God has justified them. And they’ve received His grace, knowing that grace will give them what they don’t deserve.

Confession: Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have been saved by the grace of God. I did not earn this grace. It is a precious gift that has given me what I don’t deserve: God’s favor, blessing, health, and wholeness—spirit, soul, and body.

When we realize that God has ALREADY given to us everything that we will ever need to be successful (2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:3), then we can begin to learn how to access it! There is NOTHING that God has ever done, or will do, for us that we have earned or have to earn! It can't be done! Without Him we are nothing! But IN HIM we ARE and CAN DO everything that He says in His Word about us! Dare to believe that what He says about YOU is the TRUTH! Now let's get busy BELIEVING so that we can RECEIVE in order to BE the BLESSING that God desires for us to be! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a follow up to Thursday's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin! 

Act Like It's True

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17). 

The crises of life come to all of us. If you do not know how to act on God's Word when a crisis comes, you will be at a disadvantage. 

No matter what the problem is, God's Word has something to say about it. God's Word has the answer. Find out what the Word says, and act like it's true! 

When someone asks the question, "What in the world are we going to do now?" Just smile and answer, "We're going to act like the Bible is true!" 

Many people mentally agree that the Bible is true, but that's not enough. You must act like the Bible is true! If you know God's Word is true, and you act like it is, then it will become real in your life. You will bring God on the scene in your life! 

Confession: God's Word is truth. I act like God's Word is true. I act like First John 4:4 is true. I act like Matthew 6:25-34 is true. I act like Hebrews 13:5-6 is true. I act like Philippians 4:19 is true. I act like Matthew 8:17 and First Peter 2:24 are true. I act like all the "in Him" scriptures are true. I act like it, and they are a reality in my life! 

Acting like the Word is true does NOT mean to throw away all of your medicine or to drive off with a car that doesn't belong to you! It means to begin to expect the situation to turn in your favor as you continue to meditate and confess that Word over your life. It means to envision yourself with the answer and picture yourself healed and whole, prosperous and in control of your finances, working at that new job, ministering to many people, and so on to whatever it is that YOU are believing God for! The best way to do this is to have a 'vision board' where you can pin up actual, physical pictures of what you are believing for. Fixing your eyes on those every day as you continue to meditate on and declare the Word will cause faith to rise in a more specific way and will also help  you to recognize the answers when they come! I am working on changing my office to accommodate a large vision board and more work space! What can YOU do to increase your faith and envision your victory? Let's GO FOR IT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Running":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

We read Matthew 27 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. We've covered Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:19-20 on this blog before:

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.

19 For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],

We see from these two portions of Scripture that God does not believe in atheists! He KNOWS that they KNOW that He IS, they just refuse to acknowledge what they KNOW because they think that they then do not have to make a decision, but they are wrong! Just as they KNOW that there IS a God, Matthew 27:50-54 shows us what all of those present at the crucifixion of JESUS witnessed. They KNEW Who He was at that time! 

50 And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. 51 And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep in death were raised [to life]; 53 And coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him keeping watch over Jesus observed the earthquake and all that was happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, Truly this was God’s Son!

Not only had the people present during JESUS' ministry KNOWN that He was from God because of the many signs, wonders and miracles that He had performed, they HAD to know, understand and realize Who He was when all of these things took place! Yet, some still tried to stop people from telling HIS story! Many are still trying to do so today! Our only recourse is to continue "Speaking the Truth in love" {Ephesians 4:15}, giving Holy Spirit something to work with in drawing 'whosoever will' into a saving knowledge. Never stop sharing the Good News, but never do it without prayer. AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Let There Be Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food". This is the most simple, clear, and profound definition of faith that you will ever hear!

Faith: Acting on God's Word

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). 

Some people have such a struggle. They say they are trying to get faith, or else they are trying to believe. But all that is necessary is just to act on what God says. 

I use the phrase "acting on God's Word" rather than "have faith" or "believe," because that's exactly what faith is!

Someone once asked Raymond T. Richey, a man mightily used of God in the healing ministry, "What is faith?" 

Richey replied, "Faith is just acting on God's Word." 

Smith Wigglesworth would say, "Faith is an act." 

That's what faith is - acting on God's Word. 

Confession: I am a doer of the Word. I gain knowledge of God's Word. I hear His Word. Then I act accordingly. I act on God's Word! 

We know that Hebrews 11:1 says this:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. KJV

The Amplified Bible says this:

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Faith IS the substance of what we are hoping for, bringing into the natural, physical realm what has been promised in the Word of God and is already REAL in the spiritual realm. The WAY it is brought is by our acting on the Word! Being a DOER of the Word gives Holy Spirit something to work with to manifest those spiritual blessings into natural, physical form! THAT is why we are encouraged to be DOERS of the Word, and not just HEARERS (James 1:22)! Hearing the Word will NOT bring about the manifestation. Hearing the Word brings and grows faith, but ACTING on the Word makes it a reality in our realm! Do you see that? If not, continue to meditate on the Word and Holy Spirit will show YOU, personally, how to put it into practice! HE desires for you to have the answer even more that YOU desire to have it! TRUST HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 25:14 is a key Scripture for walking in our Covenant with Almighty God that has been sealed by the Blood of JESUS! 

14 The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

"Secret" hear is the Hebrew word "cowd". which means: a session (company of persons in close deliberation), intimacy, consultation, a secret counsel, a secret or confidential plan, an emphasis on confidentiality in contrast to general counsel or advice. This means that those who fear, revere and worship the LORD have the advantage, not only over the unbeliever who has no access to the LORD other than to be able to receive Him as Lord and Savior, but also over the born again believer who does NOT operate in the fear of the LORD. HE will not force Himself on anyone! Hosea 6:3 tells us this:

3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: 

KJV

Paul said this in Philippians 3:10-11:

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]. 

AMP

How do we attain to that level of reverence and awe of the LORD? Paul said this about that in verses 

7-8:

7 But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ's sake. 

8 Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One), 

AMP

He is not speaking here of simply being born again, of having JESUS as Lord and Savior. He is speaking of going beyond the new birth to that place of intimate fellowship with HIM! This is AVAILABLE to every believer, but not every believer will go after this! Will you? That IS the wisest choice that you can make as a born again believer, because THIS promise comes after that decision!

He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

AMEN! I hope that you will choose well! Here is Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 24:6 says this:

6 This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of] Jacob.

"Those who seek Him" is the Hebrew word "darash", which means: to tread or frequent, to follow (for pursuit or search), to seek, to ask, to worship, to require, to inquire of God. I believe that the generation in which WE are living is the generation of the greatest outpouring of God's glory resulting in Wisdom, knowledge and understanding for every believer who WILL seek after HIM! I have been born again and filled with Holy Spirit for almost 37 tears! I can honestly say that the last 2-3 years have been filled with more knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, and of God Himself, than any other years! I urge you to step up your study time, your prayer time, your praise time and your intimate fellowship with your Heavenly Father time so that YOU can say the same thing! So that the Word of God CAN come alive inside of you with TRUTH! AMEN! I LOVE this portion of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

I have appeared unto thee for this purpose. — Acts 26:16

The vision Paul had on the road to Damascus was no passing emotion, but a vision that had very clear and emphatic directions for him, and he says — “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.”; Our Lord said, in effect, to Paul — “Your whole life is to be overmastered by Me; you are to have no end, no aim, and no purpose but Mine.” “I have chosen him.”

Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim, he was brought into a vivid, personal, overmastering relationship to Jesus Christ. Verse 16 is immensely commanding — “to make thee a minister and a witness.” There is nothing there apart from the personal relationship. Paul was devoted to a Person not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s; he saw nothing else; he lived for nothing else. “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

AMEN! THAT is what each one of us must realize for our own personal lives and ministries! The first, and most important, commandment is to love the LORD our GOD with everything that is within us! When we do that, Holy Spirit is able to flow through us with the Gifts of the Spirit to manifest His presence and to meet the needs of the people, turning hearts to JESUS! WHILE we faithfully do this, HE will see to it that we are walking in the promise 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).

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "As It Is (in Heaven)":

Whether now or then

Death is not my end

I know heaven waits for me

Though the road seems long

I’ll never walk alone

I’ve got all I need to sing

I know You love me
I know You found me
I know You saved me
And Your grace will never fail me
And while I’m waiting
I’m not waiting
I know heaven lives in me

Should I suffer long
This is not my home
I know heaven waits for me

Though the night is dark
Heaven owns my heart
I’ve got all I need to sing

So I will sing like I will there
In the fearless light of glory
Where the darkness cannot find me
And Your face is all I see
I will sing like a man
With no sickness in my body
Like no prison walls can hold me
I will sing like I am free

I’ll sing holy holy
My heart cries holy
As it is in heaven
It is in me

We’ll sing holy holy
The earth cries holy
As it is in heaven
So let it be

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle's website devotional! It has to do with 'facts' and 'truth'! This has been in the news the last couple of days concerning the definition of facts. Someone used the phrase 'alternate facts' to describe lies! No, if something is not true, it is simply a lie! But we will go further today to see that even 'facts' can be lies when put next to the ultimate TRUTH of the Word of God!

God Will Turn Your Life Around

And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them (Deuteronomy 28:13 NKJV).

Many people suffer from feelings of rejection. All their lives they’ve been told things that have kept them down and held them back. Perhaps you are one of these people. Maybe you were told you’d never amount to anything. You may have been born into poverty and told you would always be poor. Or you may have been ridiculed and told that no one would ever love you.

Although circumstances may make these statements appear to be factual, they are not the truth. If you go to the Bible, you’ll find out that God’s plans for you are always good. In fact, if you will put God at the center of your life, He will turn things around for you.

If you allow it, God will take you from being beneath and cause you to be above. He will move you from being the tail and will make you the head.

How will He do this? Through His Word!

As you read the Bible, God will reveal His truths to you. If you believe what He says and act on what He reveals to you, your life will turn around.

When you seek Him, God will take you in His hands and clothe you with His Word. Then He will hold you up like a trophy for the world to see and say, “See what my name can do! See what my Word can do! See what my Spirit can do!”

Don’t allow old feelings of rejection to rule you for one more day. Take heed to God’s Word, believe what it says, and allow Him to turn your life around.

Confession: It is God’s desire to turn my life around, to make me the head and not the tail. I choose today to release all feelings of rejection, and instead seek God’s face so that He can change me and demonstrate to the world what only He can do.

AMEN! Are YOU ready to learn more of the  TRUTH that will expose every lie? I invite you to check out our website through the link on the left and read the articles, blogs, letters and to listen to the teaching. You can also order the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan that we have been using for years to study through the Bible chronologically. Get the Word of God inside of you in abundance and you will never be swayed by 'false facts' again! IS there really such a things as a 'false fact'? Most definitely! Things may appear for all the world to be one way, but if the Word of God says something different then the lie has been exposed! The Word produces in our lives when we give it FIRST place! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Verse 1
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

Pre-Chorus
The lamp unto my feet
The light unto my path

Chorus
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

Verse 2
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,

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

Look unto Me, and be ye saved. — Isaiah 45:22

Do we expect God to come to us with His blessings and save us? He says — “Look unto Me, and be saved.” The great difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and it is His blessings that make it difficult. Troubles nearly always make us look to God; His blessings are apt to make us look elsewhere. The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is, in effect — Narrow all your interests until the attitude of mind and heart and body is concentration on Jesus Christ.

Over the 35 years of The Spoken Word Church, we have seen this to be true very many times! People who are in need, whether that need is spiritual, mental, physical, financial, or family wise, are usually ready to do whatever it takes to get out of bondage. We have seen so many powerful and sometimes miraculous results from people choosing to put God and His Word as their #1 priority! When the answers come, many rejoice and then make the decision to STAY committed and connected to God and His Word on a consistent basis. There have been some, however, who received the answer to their need with great rejoicing, but then began to give more attention to the blessings and provision rather than the ONE Who caused it all to happen! If and when people truly realize that very good thing about themselves and in their lives comes from God (James 1:17), they will be more likely to reverence and honor HIM! THAT is the attitude of faith that brings consistent success and continued favor! AMEN! There was another quote on the page where the selection above came from that is simple, yes a very profound TRUTH! 

"Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same."

I love this! Don't pressure yourself that you must behave in a certain way to be recognized as a Christian! The Word of God tells us that we will be known by our LOVE (John 13:35) Don't try to impress people with your Christianity. LOVE them with it! Be REAL! That will mean actually obeying the two commandments that JESUS gave to us in Matthew 22:37-39:

37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). 38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

AMEN! Do THIS and your actions will get their attention and lead them to JESUS! SINCERE LOVE! THAT is the God kind of LOVE and it WILL make an unshakable impression! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Real Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love that our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan places Job in the correct chronological order so that we are reading it at the beginning of each new year rather than at the end! If we can gain understanding of what happened to Job, and why, then we will be better prepared to handle every situation that we face! Today we read Job 36-37. After hearing Job and three of his 'friends' go back and forth over why these things had happened, we are finally getting a glimpse of God's view! Elihu is speaking, by the Spirit of God, and showing constructively to Job what his attitude toward God SHOULD be! The other three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, had accused Job of wrong doing because of what had happened. Job claimed to be completely righteous and not understanding why God was not listening to Him. He didn't sin by cursing God, as some would have, but His attitude toward God was wrong. As you continue reading through Job, keep these things in mind! Learn from Elihu the proper attitude to have when speaking of or addressing the One, True God! He is now FATHER to us, but we are STILL to 'fear' Him! We are to hold Him in honor and with the deepest of reverence and awe for WHO HE IS! Here are just a few of the TRUE things that Elihu is saying about Him! From Job 36:

5 Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.  

10 He also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.11 If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy.

From Job 37:

2 Hear, oh, hear the roar of His voice and the sound of rumbling that goes out of His mouth! 3 Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, and His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4 After it His voice roars; He thunders with the voice of His majesty, and He restrains not [His lightnings against His adversaries] when His voice is heard. 5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

As we continue in Job, we will see that the LORD rebukes Job for his attitude and Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar for the error of their words and their judgement to/of Job. He does NOT say these things about Elihu! Elihu was humble in waiting for the 'wise' and 'aged' ones to speak and then spoke what the LORD gave Him to speak! In our New Covenant that was sealed with the Blood of JESUS, we have Holy Spirit living IN us and WE can see and know the TRUTH, just like Elihu! THANK YOU JESUS for our new and BETTER Covenant (Hebrew 8:6)! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Let There Be Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This year we are going through the devotional "365 Days of Healing" by Mark Brazee during our Morning Prayer. It has been very good, but today's is EXCELLENT! I am sharing it here and definitely recommend it to you! 

Refuse To Allow Sickness in Your Life

"Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). 
Sometimes people say, "God allowed the devil to put this sickness on me." No, they allowed it, and God didn't have any choice in the matter because He will not override people's wills. 

Most of us have been guilty of the same thing at one time or another. We allow the devil to put sickness on us because we don't use our God-given authority. God doesn't allow sickness in our lives as a part of His divine plan and purpose for us. He only allows sickness when He doesn't have a choice. 

You see, God has bound Himself to His Word. He said, "Whatever you forbid, I'll forbid. All of heaven stands at attention ready to back you up. But if you allow it, I have to allow it. Whatever decision you make, I'll back you up on it" (Matt. 18:19 RIEU). 

Just think about it. God doesn't have sickness to give. Remember, He lives in heaven. Do you think you'll see a lot of sick people lying around when you get to heaven? No! There is no sickness and disease up there. 

You can't give something you don't have. If you don't have sickness, you can't give it. Well, that applies to God as well. If God doesn't have something, He can't give it. 

So how would God give us sickness? Would He take a trip down to hell and borrow it from the devil? No! God is the One who sent sickness down to hell to begin with through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. If He didn't want it up in heaven, He sure doesn't want it on His children. 

So follow God's example, and refuse to allow sickness in your life! 
Confession: 
I refuse to allow sickness or disease in my life! I want nothing 
from the devil. I give him no place in me. Therefore, I won't 
allow sickness in my body, and all of heaven backs me up.
AMEN, AMEN and AMEN! If you will get this TRUTH down on the inside, you will grow in faith to the point where you will be able to refuse even the thought of sickness and disease! It has NO RIGHT to be on your body or in your body if you are a born again child of the Living God! Sickness was dealt with in the same way, and at the same time, that sin was dealt with ! Once and for ALL! One sacrifice for ALL time and for ALL people 'whosoever will' believe and receive! HAVE you? WILL you? Only YOU control that decision! I LOVE this song from Hillsong Worship called "Grace To Grace". One of the lyrics says this: "When I see that cross I see FREEDOM!" HALLELUJAH! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

This is the Psalm that we have today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Remember that Psalm 14:1 says this:

The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. 

This is why I posted a picture today! The next time you have a clear night sky where you live, go out and look at the sky as Abraham did when the LORD told him that his descendants would be "as the stars in the heaven"! Then read again Psalm 19!

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. 2 Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard. 4 Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it. 

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes. 9 The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward. 

12 Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults. 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Because this goes right along with yesterday's blog post, I am again going to share from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

It Is The Lord!

Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. — John 20:28

"Give Me to drink.” How many of us are set upon Jesus Christ slaking our thirst when we ought to be satisfying Him? We should be pouring out now, spending to the last limit, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me” — that means a life of unsullied, uncompromising, and unbribed devotion to the Lord Jesus, a satisfaction to Him wherever He places us.

Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him. It is easier to serve than to be drunk to the dregs. The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God, not a call to do something for Him. We are not sent to battle for God, but to be used by God in His battlings. Are we being more devoted to service than to Jesus Christ?

OUCH! This one can really hurt IF we have become guilty of trying to fulfill a ministry rather than all out obedience to the daily will of the Father! Remember from yesterday that our first and most important commandment is to LOVE the Lord our God with everything that is within us (Mark 12:30)! Everything else should pour out as fruit from that relationship and fellowship with HIM! The ministry that God has called us to is NOT hard! What IS hard is dealing with the flesh nature that craves acceptance and recognition from others and rewards that can be seen. Do you know what one of the BEST promises is that we have for being obedient to the LORD? Look at Proverbs 16:7:

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

AMEN! When our enemies are at peace with us, then we are free to BE the LIGHT to those still lost in darkness! When we can freely and confidently cast every care over on HIM because we have meditated on the Word of God and spent time in intimate fellowship with Him, which causes that promise to be REAL, then we are care free and ready to go where He says go, do what He says do and say what He says to say! That gives HIM something to work with to draw them to Himself and show Himself off to them! We have an awesome privilege AND a vital responsibility to BE the LIGHT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers is a very good message, though it may be a little difficult to understand at first!

The Vocation Of The Natural Life

But when it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me… — Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to any particular service; my interpretation of it may be, because contact with the nature of God has made me realize what I would like to do for Him. The call of God is essentially expressive of His nature; service is the outcome of what is fitted to my nature. The vocation of the natural life is stated by the apostle Paul — “When it pleased God to reveal His Son in me that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.”

Service is the overflow of superabounding devotion; but, profoundly speaking, there is no call to that, it is my own little actual bit, and is the echo of my identification with the nature of God. Service is the natural part of my life. God gets me into a relationship with Himself whereby I understand His call, then I do things out of sheer love for Him on my own account. To serve God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is expressive of that which is fitted to my nature: God’s call is expressive of His nature; consequently when I receive His nature and hear His call, the voice of the Divine nature sounds in both and the two work together. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and I serve Him in the ordinary ways of life out of devotion to Him.

The important part of this message is that the number one priority for serving the LORD is to LOVE Him first, and most, of all! Every single born again believer has been called into the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Some of us will carry that out in a more public manner, while others may never do anything publicly, and no one but JESUS will even know! The calling is NOT the most important part! We will ALL be rewarded abundantly ONLY for our obedience, whatever that may look like and wherever that may take place. A public ministry will NOT have more rewards simply because more people knew of them! OBEDIENCE will be rewarded and the first and most important step of obedience is to THIS commandment given by JESUS! Mark 12:30:

30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul and out of and with all your mind  and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.

Whatever the 'calling', success will only come with a complete love and surrender to the ONE Who gave it all for us! THAT is our message and our priority! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "I Will Boast in Christ":

Now and forever

All I have because of Jesus

All this promise

Won for me

When He paid the highest ransom

Once for always

For my freedom

I will boast in Christ alone

His righteousness

Not my own

I will cling to Christ my hope

His mercy reigns

Love will never lose its power

All my failures could not erase

Now I walk within Your favour

Grace unending

My salvation

What can wash away my sin

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can make me whole again

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

O precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have been looking a lot lately at the Word of God and the importance of studying the Word with the help of Holy Spirit, Who lives IN us, as born again believers, and is our Teacher. Today I want to look at something that will help us to maintain the correct attitude as Wisdom, knowledge and understanding come! In today's reading in Matthew 16 we see JESUS asking His disciples Who people were saying that HE was. Verse 13:

13 Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?

They reported to JESUS that some people thought that He was John the Baptist, some thought that He was Elijah and others thought that He was Jeremiah or one of the other prophets who had come before. Then JESUS asked the disciples Who THEY thought that He was! The first and only reply that is recorded here in Matthew came from Peter and he said this:

16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Peter had the correct answer! This was the wonderful response that Peter received from JESUS! Verse 17:

17 Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. 

JESUS revealed to Peter that it was God Himself (revelation knowledge) Who revealed to Peter this Truth! It did NOT come from Peter's own intellect, but was supernaturally revealed. This is what we are called to do as born again believers! Study and meditate the Word of God until Holy Spirit causes the revelation of the TRUTH of the Word to rise up within us! It is NOT because WE are so smart, but that we are TEACHABLE! The proof that this is not something that originates from us and causes us to supernaturally 'smart' is found in verses 21-23:

21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised from death. 22 Then Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You! 23 But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.

Just six verses after JESUS commended Peter for being blessed to have revealed knowledge, He was rebuking him for operating in natural, human knowledge. We do not OWN revelation knowledge! We must continue to feed on the Word of God to have the Wisdom continually revealed to us! This is a continuing, progressive 'work' in us and WE control the outcome! We can have just as much as we are willing to go after! Philippians 3:13-14:

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.

OUR admonition comes from the first part of verse 15!

15 So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions;

Let's keep growing up in the things of God and in the Wisdom, knowledge and understanding that comes from our intimate fellowship with Him and continuous feeding on His Word! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!