Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith"  devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is spot on!

Don't Serve the Problem

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him. Isaiah 55:7

You can't win a victory as long as the problem is the biggest thing in your life!

The Lord woke me up to that fact a few years ago. At that time I was facing some difficulties in my ministry that seemed so big to me, I thought about them from morning till night. Even though I was standing against them, I was thinking more about those problems than about the scripture promises I was standing on.

Then I saw something in Matthew 6:24-25: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life...."

I'd read that scripture hundreds of times, but that day I saw something I'd never noticed before. I saw that immediately after Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters," He said, "Take no thought." Suddenly it hit me: We serve our thoughts!

That's why Isaiah 55 says for us to forsake our thoughts, and by the Word, take God's thoughts. That's why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to cast down thoughts that challenge the Word and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Do you want deliverance from your problems today?

Then quit serving them! Quit allowing them to consume your thought life. And don't wait until circumstances change to do it. Instead, realize that circumstances won't ever change until you switch from wrong to right thinking.

I know that's not easy to do, especially in the midst of heavy darkness and trial. But you can do it if you'll do these three things:

First, remember you aren't alone. You have the Word (God's thoughts). You have the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and you have the mind of Christ.

Second, get around people who are full of faith. Instead of rehearsing your problem, let them do the talking. Make yourself listen. Join in with their faith and resist darkness.

Third, praise God. Do whatever it takes to make yourself praise. When you begin to praise, God's presence will turn back those worried thoughts and make them fall!

Your problems are not the biggest thing in your life. Jesus is. Serve Him with your thoughts and He will set you free!

AMEN! Instead, rejoice with Psalm 30 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! 

A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the Temple. [A Psalm] of David.

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.

6 As for me, in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

7 By Your favor, O Lord, You have established me as a strong mountain; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried to You, O Lord, and to the Lord I made supplication.

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit (the grave)? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth andfaithfulness to men?

10 Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

12 To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Future Marches In":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the things that I love to post and proclaim is that our God IS GOD! The ONE and ONLY! Today's Psalm 29 does just that! 

Psalm 29

A Psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness or in holy array. 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon many (great) waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord splits and flashes forth forked lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the hinds bring forth their young, and His voice strips bare the forests, while in His temple everyone is saying, Glory! 10 The Lord sat as King over the deluge; the Lord [still] sits as King [and] forever! 11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

The voice of our LORD is POWERFUL! I hope that YOU are spending time daily getting to know His voice so that you will never be led astray by the voice of the world or of the enemy! It takes time to have confidence in knowing, just as it takes time to get to know anyone. The MOST important person in our lives to REALLY know is HIM! Amen! So make whatever adjustments that YOU need to make in order to develop that confidence that when HE speaks, you WILL hear. THEN you can obey His voice and reap the results of Godly obedience! THEN you will become an example that other believers can follow (1 Thessalonians 1:7) so that they, too can know Him better. Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail" (but HE never will!):

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince is another invaluable lesson for those who desire to grow up in the things of God!

NOW MY EYES SEE YOU, LORD!

Job 42:5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.

You may have heard of God from a friend or colleague. Perhaps you continue to hear of Him in church services on Sundays. Like Job, you say to God, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear.” But God also wants you to be able to say to Him, “But now my eye sees You.”

When Job told the Lord, “My eye sees You,” he was not saying that he saw God physically. He was referring to the moment when he had a personal revelation of God.

Why was it so important for Job to have a personal revelation of God? You see, God wanted Job to know that without a personal revelation of Him, the devil could easily steal from him. But from the moment that Job had a personal revelation of God, things got a lot better for him, with God restoring to him double of everything that he had lost. (Job 42:10–16)

There was a lady who was separated from her husband because he had an affair with his colleague. But when she came to our church and began to have a personal revelation of God’s personal love for her, she believed God for the restoration of her marriage by the end of the year. She did not just hear of a God who “so loved the world”. (John 3:16) She came to know the God who so loved her!

Not long after that, her estranged husband started dating her and was soon falling in love with her all over again. God also “took care” of the other woman—she resigned from the company. And on the first of January the following year, the couple moved back into their matrimonial home, their marriage now built solidly on God!

My friend, when you are reading your Bible or hearing God’s Word being preached, and suddenly you exclaim, “I see it, Lord!” that is when your personal revelation of God has come. And you are now in a position to receive all that He has for you!

Thought For The Day: When you have a personal revelation of God, you are in a position to receive all that He has for you!

AMEN! Joshua 1:8 is an excellent instruction for us because it reveals to us the vital necessity of meditating on the Word of  God UNTIL it becomes so real to us that doubt does not have room to grow! 

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. AMP

When we meditate on the Word of God that reveals just Who JESUS is, THEN we will be able to say "I see you Lord"! Then we will have the understanding of who WE are - IN HIM! There are no shortcuts to learning and knowing the Word. BUT, we have Holy Spirit as our personal Teacher! He delights in making the Word come alive to us so that we CAN be DOERS of it, receiving the benefits of that obedience! Let's make a new determined purpose to focus on knowing HIM more than any other person in our lives. THAT knowledge will positively affect our relationships with every other person in our lives! THAT is a very GOOD thing! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Closer":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share one of my very first blog posts for "Truth" so that those who never make it back to the beginning will still get this powerful teaching! This is borrowed from a friend, but the TRUTH of it belongs to God, and therefore every believer! It is all in explanation of "SHALOM"!

Shalom!

By way of explanation, I want to share with you something that a precious sister in the Lord posted on her blog a few months ago:

The meaning of the word "Shalom"
By David Silver

The Hebrew word SHALOM is understood around the world to mean peace. But peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word SHALOM. Here in Israel, even though we don't have much in the way of peace, we use the word SHALOM on a daily basis. We use it to greet people with, and we use it to bid farewell to people. However, SHALOM means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.

Strong's Concordance 7965 - Hebrew Shalom ..... A word study in the New King James version for SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.

Shalom comes from the root verb Shalam meaning to be complete, perfect and full. In modern Hebrew the obviously related word Shelem means to pay for, and Shulam means to be fully paid.

Sar SHALOM (Prince of Peace) is one of the descriptive names the Bible uses to indicate the ministry and personality of the Messiah: Isaiah 9:6 - The Son of God is completely perfect in all things.

So in essence, when you speak out the word SHALOM - you are not only proclaiming peace, but all the above meanings of the word over that person - that's a mighty blessing!!!

Remember what the word of God says - "there is life or death in the power of the tongue".

We recently heard someone on a Christian TV program say: "No wonder the Jewish people are so blessed, because every time they say Shalom to one another, they are also allowing the full meaning (see above) of SHALOM to be pronounced over them. He humorously proceeded to say that this greeting word would be much more beneficial to the American people if they greeted each other with SHALOM instead of their usual "Hi" or "Howdy" greeting. As Josie and I adapted to life in Israel, we adapted to the SHALOM habit over the "Hi" habit....As Messianic Jews, we are called to bless you and we take that very seriously, by praying for you and by greeting you with SHALOM. Therefore, from now on, when we or someone says SHALOM to you, you should receive it as a tremendous blessing. And bless them back with a hearty SHALOM!

"Numbers 6:24-26: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His face upon you and give you SHALOM. In the name of SAR SHALOM - the Prince of Peace.

(The above was borrowed from OUT of ZION Ministries.)

So say Shalom to everyone you want to bless today! You will really be a blessing to them!

Here is Hillsong Worship with a song that speaks of His great love for us that gives us SHALOM! "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is something that I heard first from Kenneth E. Hagin! 

The Way To Know

If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.… — John 7:17

•  

•  

•  

•  

The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do. Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey.

No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test over it. We disobey and then wonder why we don’t go on spiritually. “If when you come to the altar,” said Jesus, “there you remember your brother hath ought against you…don’t say another word to Me, but first go and put that thing right.” The teaching of Jesus hits us where we live. We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one second. He educates us down to the scruple. The Spirit of God unearths the spirit of self-vindication; He makes us sensitive to things we never thought of before.

When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don’t shirk it. If you do, you will become a religious humbug. Watch the things you shrug your shoulders over, and you will know why you do not go on spiritually. First go — at the risk of being thought fanatical you must obey what God tells you.

There is no possibility that we can grow in, or gain more knowledge of, the Word of God if we are not putting it into practice! Kenneth E. Hagin shared that the Word of God was so real and powerful to him, UNTIL! There was a day when he came across the command to not worry. Because he considered himself to BE a confirmed worrier, he thought this this command couldn't possibly be meant for him! IT WAS, and IS for each of us! When the Word became dry and lifeless to him, Brother Hagin asked God what the reason was. The LORD told him to go back to the last thing he had learned and not obeyed yet. He went right back to the worry not command and OBEYED it! Even though he could not even imagine himself being ABLE to do this, he did it anyway! This act of faith and obedience caused the Word of God to open up to him again! Make sure that YOU are studying the Word of God for the purpose of obedience! Don't put yourself in position to have the enemy steal, kill and destroy in your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Future Marches In":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share two things from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. The first is Psalm 25:5, which I have shared before and is so powerful that it bears repeating, as often as necessary! 

5 Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

When we ASK Him ANYTHING that is according to His will, then He hears us! IF He hears us, we HAVE the petitions that we asked of Him! How do I know that? 1 John 5:14-15 tells us so!

14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

SO, KNOWING that it IS His will that we know and understand His Word, when we ask Him to teach us, He most certainly will! THEN it is up to us to put that Word into practice! Be obedient to it, and we will see the results that He has promised. AMEN! The second thing that I want to share with you today is this, also from Psalm 25. Verse 14:

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.

We know from Isaiah 55:8-9 that God's thoughts and ways are much higher than our natural, human thoughts and ways! They MUST be, because HE is GOD ALMIGHTY! BUT, we, as born again children of God, have the right AND the ability to know His thoughts and ways because the Spirit of Almighty God lives IN us! He is there to teach us the Word, bring things to our remembrance and to show us things to come!  The key to walking with Holy Spirit in this manner is found in verse 14 above! We must fear HIM! That means to revere and worship Him! We must spend time in intimate fellowship with Him, with the attitude of praise, thanksgiving and worship! This involves personal time, NOT just the worship service on Sunday in church! Your personal understanding of the Word depends on your personal time in His presence! When WE are faithful to get into that 'holy of holies' then HE is ALWAYS faithful to meet us there! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with one of my very favorite new songs "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince is a message that every born again believer MUST understand if they want to walk in victory where health and healing is concerned. Actually, this lesson is vital for every area of life!

STANDING ON NO-CURSE GROUND

Genesis 8:4 Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

For 40 days and nights, it rained so hard that the whole world perished, except for Noah and those who were with him in the ark. At the end of 150 days, on the 17th day of the seventh month, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat.

In Hebrew, the word “Ararat” means “the curse is reversed”. The waters of judgment receded, causing the ark to rest on the mountains of Ararat, on new ground where the curse is reversed. And it happened on the 17th day of the seventh month on the Feast of Firstfruits—the exact date that Jesus rose from the dead 4,000 years later!

When Christ rose from the dead, we were raised together with Him. (Colossians 2:12). We who are in Christ our true ark stand on resurrection ground where the curse has been reversed (Galatians 3:13), where diseases, poverty and failures have no right to operate!

A church member shared how God delivered him from cervical spondylosis, a medical condition which causes the neck section of the spinal cord to deteriorate. An X-ray taken four to five years back showed that that area of his spinal cord was deteriorating fast. He was in pain and had to take medicine to manage the condition. And whenever he had a relapse, he would get depressed.

During his last relapse, he went to the doctor, trusting God that he was already healed, had another X-ray taken and was given some medication. He took the medication, still believing God that he was healed. The following morning, the pain in his neck was gone and he was able to turn his head. When he finally collected his X-ray results a week later, his doctor actually told him that his spinal cord looked better than the doctor’s own! The doctor was very surprised because patients with this condition usually don’t get better. God had reversed the curse of cervical spondylosis for him!

My friend, as a believer, you are on no-curse ground. You stand in the blessings zone where it is very easy for God’s blessings to rain all over you!

Thought For The Day We stand on no-curse ground where diseases, poverty and failures have no right to operate!

AMEN! Jesus BECAME the curse FOR us, so that the curse has no more hold on us or access TO us, unless WE fail to enforce the 'no-curse' TRUTH! Continue meditating on what belongs to YOU as a born again child of the Living God and faith will rise within you to walk in the fullness of what God has provided for you! Refuse to lose a speck of your good ground to the enemy because of neglect! YOU have a better Covenant and the right to walk in it! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 23 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Here it is from the Amplified Bible:

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

As you read through this Psalm, remember that our God has given us a free will. He will NOT force His will on us in this life. WE must CHOOSE to do things HIS way, IF we desire to walk in the promises of God that are found in His Word! That being said, our God leaves nothing undone in HIS part to protect, provide and lead us toward certain victory in every situation! Here are some Names of God that this Psalm reveals:

• "I shall not want" — Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide" (Genesis 22:14)
• "still waters" — Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace" (Judges 6:24)
• "restores my soul" — Jehovah-Rophe, "the Lord who heals" (Exodus 15:26)
• "paths of righteousness" — Jehovah-Tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness" (Jeremiah 33:16)
• "you are with me" — Jehovah-Shammah, "the Lord is there" (Ezekiel 48:35)
• "presence of my enemies" — "Jehovah-Nissi, "the Lord our banner" (Exodus 17:15)
• "anoint my head" — Jehovah-M'Kaddesh, "the Lord who sanctifies" (Leviticus 20:8)

So now, when you meditate on Psalm 23, and everything else you see in the Word of God, REMEMBER what part is solely HIS, a what part YOU are expected to play! DO your do's and HE will bring the results! Sometimes like a mighty flood! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Wonder":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is a great reminder of just who WE are - IN HIM! 

Where He Is

"Jesus answered and said unto him, 'If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him'" (John 14:23). 

As Jesus goes on teaching in John chapter 14, He begins to talk about the Holy Spirit coming to us: Jesus and the Father, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, come to abide in us. 

At present, Jesus literally - with His resurrected body - is seated at the right hand of the Father. Yet the Bible talks about "Christ in you, the hope of glory." 

You see, the reason why Christ is in us is because the Holy Spirit is in us. The Holy Spirit said through Paul, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). 

And in Second Corinthians 6:16, we read, "…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 

We've never plumbed the depths of what this is really saying: God is dwelling in us! 

Therefore, if God is dwelling in us, then that is where God is going to speak to us - where He is - in our hearts, or our spirits. God communicates with us through our spirits. Our spirit picks things up from the Holy Spirit and then passes them on to our mind by an inward intuition, or inward witness. 

Confession: (Make your confession from John 14:23, First Corinthians 3:16, and Second Corinthians 6:16.) 

When the Word of God promises us that HE will NEVER leave us or forsake us, THIS is what He means! Hebrew 13:5:

Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”

 Holy Spirit lives IN every born again believer! He is also within and upon, in power, those who have received the INFILLING, as in Acts 2 and throughout the Book of Acts! Spend this week meditating on who the Bible says YOU are - IN HIM! Then begin to act like it! There are people just waiting on YOUR ministry! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Shadow Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is a very challenging message to some and great confirmation to others!

Sanctification

This is the will of God, even your sanctification. — 1 Thessalonians 4:3

•  

The Death Side.
In sanctification God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. Many of us spend so much time in the place of death that we get sepulchral. There is always a battle royal before sanctification, always something that tugs with resentment against the demands of Jesus Christ. Immediately the Spirit of God begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle begins. “If any man come to Me and hate not…his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

The Spirit of God in the process of sanctification will strip me until I am nothing but “myself,” that is the place of death. Am I willing to be “myself,” and nothing more — no friends, no father, no brother, no self-interest, simply ready for death? That is the condition of sanctification. No wonder Jesus said: “I came not to send peace, but a sword.” This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us faint. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus on this point. “But it is so stern,” we say; “He cannot wish me to do that.” Our Lord is stern; and He does wish us to do that.

Am I willing to reduce myself simply to “me,” determinedly to strip myself of all my friends think of me, of all I think of myself, and to hand that simple naked self over to God? Immediately I am, He will sanctify me wholly, and my life will be free from earnestness in connection with every thing but God.

When I pray — “Lord, show me what sanctification means for me,” He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus Christ puts into me: it is Himself in me.

When we received JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, we were born again spiritually. Our spirits were made new, sanctified immediately! When we rise to meet JESUS in the air, our bodies will be sanctified immediately! Made new, a resurrection body that will never die! The sanctification that he is speaking about above is the sanctification of our souls! Our mind, emotions and will must be renewed every day by our CHOOSING to spend time in prayer, praise and worship, study and meditation of the Word and intimate fellowship with HIM! Consistent fellowship with like-minded believers is also a big help in sanctifying (setting apart FROM the world and UNTO God) our souls! The steps above are vital for this to happen, in us and for us! Are YOU willing to stand alone if everyone you know decides to go against God and His Word? THAT is what he is speaking of! JESUS must BE our "#1! HE must be our first love, our top priority and our all-in-all! This is a daily decision to put HIM first, no matter what others think about us and our decisions to do so! How much do YOU care what others think? THAT amount will trip you up if you let it! If our character and decisions please God, we don't have to be concerned about pleasing other people! HE will surround us with great FAVOR! Amen! Here are Hillsong Kids with "My #1":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE the message of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

The Gateway To The Kingdom

Blessed are the poor in spirit. — Matthew 5:3

•  

Beware of placing Our Lord as a Teacher first. If Jesus Christ is a Teacher only, then all He can do is to tantalise me by erecting a standard I cannot attain. What is the use of presenting me with an ideal I cannot possibly come near? I am happier without knowing it. What is the good of telling me to be what I never can be — to be pure in heart, to do more than my duty, to be perfectly devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair. But when I am born again of the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come to teach only: He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives are based on that disposition.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man — the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out Our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the paupers in spirit,” that is the first principle in the Kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility — “I cannot begin to do it.” Then Jesus says — “Blessed are you.” That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus Christ works.

AMEN! Without HIM, we are NOTHING! But, IN HIM, we can do ALL things! Philippians 4:13:

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].

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle's website devotional:

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

Jesus said …“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NKJV)

As the god of this age, Satan seeks to blind those who are perishing. He also wants to blind the hearts and minds of God’s people to the truth of who they really are in Christ.

Paul addressed this in his letter to the church at Corinth when he said, “whose minds the god of this age has blinded … lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ … should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV).

Satan wants to put blinders over your eyes so that you cannot see who you really are in Christ, and one of his most effective tools is religious tradition. That’s why Jesus admonished religious leaders for “making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down” (Mark 7:13 NKJV).

The only thing that can remove Satan’s blinders and break the chains of bondage is truth. And the only valid source for finding truth is the Word of God. By definition, the word truth means “the highest form of reality that exists." Therefore, the Bible is the highest form of reality that exists. The more truth you know, the greater freedom you will enjoy.

God is not hiding truth from you. He has hidden it for you in His Word—all the way from Genesis through Revelation. If you are hungry enough for freedom, then you’ll get into God’s Word. And if you abide in that Word, it will make you free.

Confession: I declare that I have a fresh hunger for the Word of God. My spiritual eyes are open to the specific truths I personally need today, which God wants to reveal to me.

AMEN! IF we will 'abide' (KJV says continue) in God's Word, THEN we will KNOW the Truth and that Truth that we KNOW  will set us free, and KEEP us free, IF we continue in it! There is no letting up with the Word of God, and why in the world would we ever want to? His Word IS Truth! It doesn't just contain Truth, it IS Truth! That makes everything that is contrary to the Word of God a lie! I would much rather spend my time in the Truth than in anything else the world has to say! Make the Word of God YOUR top priority and source of TRUTH and you will be truly FREE! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "The Difference". 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share our devotional from The Spoken Word Church website today! It is so encouraging and enlightening! 

Expect a Turn Around

Today is not permanent. Your worst circumstances today are subject to change. God is stepping into the arena of your life. He is turning the tide in your favor.

You are never as far from a miracle as it first appears.

"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 40:4-5)

What we EXPECT to happen is so very important to walking in faith! We must not only KNOW what the Word SAYS, but we must know how and when to put it into practice! Follow the leading of Holy Spirit Who lives IN you! He will NEVER lead you in a wrong way! TRUST! Amen! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Lifeline":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince is EXCELLENT!

How Do You See Jesus?

Mark 8:29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

Do you know that how you see Jesus determines what you receive from Him? If you see Jesus as your healer, you will receive healing. If you see Jesus as your refuge and fortress, you will receive protection.

The people of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, saw Jesus in the natural. They said of Him, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matthew 13:55–56) They saw Jesus in the natural. They did not see Him as God in the flesh. As a result, He could not do many mighty works there. (Matthew 13:58)

Today, many people, including some philosophers, see Jesus of Nazareth as a good person who led an exemplary life. They feel that if all of us could live our lives like Him, the world would be a better place.

They don’t see Jesus as the bread of God who came from heaven to give life to the world. (John 6:33) They don’t see Him as the one who came to give them living water, so that they would never thirst again. (John 4:14) They don’t see Him as the Lamb of God, who took away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) They don’t receive from Him what they need because they don’t esteem Him rightly.

Jesus did not come just to set a good example for man to follow. He came to be our Redeemer. (Galatians 3:13) He came to be our righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30) He came to be our shepherd, so that we will not lack anything. (Psalm 23:1)

Jesus asked His disciples once, “But who do you say that I am?” How you answer this question depends on how you see Jesus. And how you see Jesus will determine how and what you receive from Him. So see Him as your God, as everything He claims to be in His Word, and He will do mighty works in your life!

Thought For The Day: How you see Jesus determines how and what you receive from Him.

How YOU perceive JESUS determines what YOU receive FROM Him! Every born again believer has the same opportunity to know JESUS as Paul desired, and prayed, in Philippians 3:10 AMP. Make YOUR adjustments so that YOU can receive all that God has provided, through JESUS, for you! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Wonder":

Shalom in Him!