Shalom,

Psalm 121 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today says this:

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]—From whence shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. 6 The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

This is one of the "Songs of Ascents" that the Jewish people would have sung on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts of the Lord! Notice the promises that belonged to these believers under the Old Covenant! They trusted that the LORD would NOT allow them to fail! He would not allow even their foot to slip! The God Who never sleeps had promised to keep them! "Keep" is the Hebrew word "shamar", which means: to hedge about, to guard, to protect, to attend to. They had that promise, even under their Covenant BEFORE Messiah came! Notice that this promise included protecting them from the elements, from evil, and to do so in every area of their lives - FOREVER! What was the prerequisite? To lift up their eyes to HIM! We KNOW that we have a better Covenant that is based on better promises than they had (Hebrews 8:6)! Better promises than this! So, let's at LEAST expect these promises of protection, provision and safety to be ours, also, IF we are looking to HIM, and to HIM alone, as our Source of supply and of every good thing! And let's continue to dig into the Word of God to find out what those BETTER promises are! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are reading 1 John 5 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I have shared in our Adult Bible Study class at The Spoken Word Church that my very favorite portions of Scripture for my personal life are the Gospel of John, because it speaks specifically of the Deity of JESUS; the Epistles of John (1st, 2nd and 3rd John), because they give us specifics about THIS life from the LOVE of GOD perspective; and Paul's letter to the Philippians, especially Philippians 3. 1 John 5:1 says this:

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

What does it mean to be "born again"? There it is in 1 John 5! Believe in, which means to trust, rely on and join yourself to JESUS, Who died and rose again for US! Then verses 11-12 say this:

11 And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.

Just in case verse 1 isn't clear enough, we have this to confirm it! IF we have received JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, then we also have HIS LIFE in us! This "LIFE" is the Greek word "zoe" ,which means: life in the absolute sense, life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, and which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself, and which the Son manifested in the world. From this life man has become alienated in consequence of the Fall, and of this life men become partakers through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal life is the present actual possession of the believer because of his relationship with Christ. SO,  WHEN we received JESUS as Lord and Savior, we also received HIS LIFE in us! HE lives in us by His Spirit and we can, and MUST, communicate with Him intimately, every day, and all day long! What an extraordinarily blessed position it is to be IN HIM! Promises for victory here in this life and much more in the life to come! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light", because that IS who we are! AMEN! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have been in Psalm 119 for the last two days, dividing the 176 verses in half. Today we began with verse 89 and it is POWERFUL! 

89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven

Forever is the Hebrew word "`owlam". One of the definitions for this word is "time out of mind"! I LOVE that! It means FOREVER and ALWAYS! For ETERNITY! His WORD is "settled", which is the Hebrew word "natsab", which means set or established! His Word is IMMOVEABLE! It is UNCHANGEABLE! When WE speak HIS WORD in faith, HE confirms that Word with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! Verse 96 says this:

96 I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].

Because we believe this TRUTH about the Word of GOD, we should make it our determined purpose to be DOERS of verse 97, fully expecting the results shown us in verses 98-100:

97 Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me. 99 I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, because I keep Your precepts [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them].

As you continue through the rest of Psalm 119, remember that every verse is referring to the Word of God. Set your heart to go after something new from His Word every day! Think about it, speak about it (to yourself and others), put it into practice, and fully expect the results and rewards of the Word to flow into your life! HE desires that it be so! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have shared a few times on this blog concerning the harsh judgement and criticism that we are hearing from born again believers against other born again believers, and against ministries that they disagree with. In our reading today in 1 John 4 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, we see this addressed directly by John! 

1 Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 2 By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source]; 3 And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [non confession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. 5 They proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world [its whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them. 6 We are [children] of God. Whoever is learning to know God [progressively to perceive, recognize, and understand God by observation and experience, and to get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. 8 He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another. 12 No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us! 13 By this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His [Holy] Spirit. 14 And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [as the] Savior of the world. 15 Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God. 16 And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. 17 In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. 19 We love Him, because He first loved us. 20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen. 21 And this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother [believer] also.

So there we have it, clearly, plainly and simply! We can disagree with others, BUT, if someone has received JESUS as Lord and personal Savior (the first two underlined portions above) then we are NOT to hate them, speak evil of them, condemn them, or believe anything less than the BEST about them (1 Corinthians 13:7)! So, make sure that you are walking in the God kind of love, and YOU will receive the harvest of blessings that come with that! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Greatest of These":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been a student of the Word of God since the moment I was born again! I would hear the Word taught and then check it out for myself in my own Bible. I would call someone I trusted if I came across something that I didn't quite understand. From the moment I received the Infilling of Holy Spirit, I have had an increased understanding of the Word, sometimes knowing things about HIM before I even saw it in the Word, because HE lives in ME! I have always appreciated, respected and made use of the wonderful GIFTS that JESUS has given to us (Ephesians 4) and I have no problem acknowledging the obedient vessels who allowed Holy Spirit to use them to bring the WORD to us! So, with that explanation, I want to share today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince! I have heard this same TRUTH taught many times, but I have never heard this said any better than this! 

THE LIFE OF JESUS IS IN YOU

John 10:10 …I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Though Jesus is completely God, He was born completely human. He went through temptation after temptation and conquered every one of them. (Hebrews 4:15) And all that overcoming power is found in His life. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He conquered sickness, the winds and waves, the powers of darkness and death. It is His life that brings victory over the devil and all his works. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

Finally, Jesus went to the cross. And that life in Him put an end to everything that was natural of the Adamic race—sickness, poverty, failures, pains, curses and death. All that was natural ceased to be in that life of His. But all that was supernatural remained in Him. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

Then, Jesus rose from the dead. And in that life of His was added the power of resurrection. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

After His resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven to His Father. Today, He is seated at the right hand of God, resting in His finished work, occupying a place of the highest authority. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

And because Jesus went back to the Father, the Holy Spirit came to indwell you (John 16:7), so that you will live life with His anointing in you and walk in His overcoming power.

All that Jesus is, God meant for you to be. All that He has, God meant for you to have. All the exciting things that you read in the Bible about Jesus, all the treasures of Him hidden in the Old Testament and the unsearchable riches in Him that you find in the New Testament, all of that life of His, is not out there somewhere. God has deposited all of it in you, so that you can live the abundant life that Jesus came to give you!

Thought For The Day: All that Jesus is and all that He has, God has deposited in you so that you can live the abundant life that Jesus came to give you!

AMEN! We are abundantly equipped to carry out ALL that JESUS has called us to do, here, in THIS life! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Shadow Step". Let's walk in the steps that HE has laid out for us, KNOWING that HE will step into each situation at just the right time, in just the right way, to give us the powerful, anointed and supernatural victory! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John! Today we begin in 1 John. This entire 'letter' is about JESUS! 

1 [We are writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands. 2 And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers]. 3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 4 And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full [and your joy may be complete].

5 And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].6 [So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents]. 7 But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

8 If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts].

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

10 If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts].

This letter tells us that we CAN have intimate fellowship with the One, True God of the Bible! We CAN and we MUST, if we want to walk successfully though THIS life, bringing glory to HIM! AMEN! This letter also tells us that there will be attacks of the enemy to try and get us to miss it! the GOOD NEWS is that HE has already taken care of ALL of our sins, past, present and future! All that WE must do is to acknowledge the sin to HIM and HE will not only forgive us of that sin, but of any and everything NOT of Himself! AMEN! Thank You, JESUS! Let's begin to REALLY live by letting GO and letting GOD direct our steps! Here is an older song by Graham Kendrick called "Shine Jesus Shine":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland brings to mind the book by Jesse Duplantis called "One More Night With The Frogs". 

Get Rid of the Frogs

When shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses? Exodus 8:9

Have you ever wrestled with one of those problems that stubbornly refuses to go away? It seems to be immune to all solutions. You swat at the thing in every conceivable way, but instead of being eliminated, it expands and multiplies until it's wildly out of control.

An Egyptian pharaoh faced just that kind of problem, the Bible tells us, thousands of years ago. He was in a hot dispute with God over the future of the Israelites, and as a result of that dispute, he woke up one morning to find his country swarming with frogs. Slimy, smelly, hopping-all-over-the-place frogs.

It was a serious problem. I'm not talking about a frog or two in the front yard. I mean frogs were everywhere—in their beds, on their tables. Big old frogs in the ovens. Little bitty frogs in the bread dough and the drinking water. Frogs. Frogs in your hair. Frogs in places you wouldn't even want to think about!

Then God made a move. He sent His man Moses in to Pharaoh to ask, "When shall I entreat the Lord to get these frogs out of here?"

Do you know what Pharaoh said? "Tomorrow."

Can you imagine that? He could have said, "Right now! Today!" But instead he decided he'd spend one more night among the frogs.

You say, "That's the stupidest thing I ever heard. Why in the world would he say tomorrow?" I don't know. Probably for the same reason you want to wait until tomorrow to get saved or healed or prosperous.

Here's what I want you to notice. When Moses asked Pharaoh that question and he answered, "Tomorrow," Moses said, "All right. So that you know there's a God in heaven, be it done according to your words."

Let me ask you this: How long are you willing to let that persisting problem harass you? When are you going to get rid of the frogs in your life? Do you realize they'll stay around as long as you'll let them? They'll be there until you finally make a quality decision to go with the Word of God and get them out.

Why don't you do it today?

AMEN! The Word works, WHEN we work the Word! How do we 'work it'? We find out what the Word of God has to say about every situation we face. We begin to meditate on the promise of the Word until it rises up inside of us and we KNOW that it is TRUTH! THEN we speak that Word into our situation! THAT give God something to confirm with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! Let's not wait one more day! Let's GO FOR IT! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 115 is the one we read today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Here is the entire Psalm so that we can look more closely at some of these verses:

Psalm 115

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say, Where is now their God? 3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

4 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; 6 They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not; 7 They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither can they make a sound with their throats. 8 They who make idols are like them; so are all who trust in and lean on them.

9 O Israel, trust and take refuge in the Lord! [Lean on, rely on, and be confident in Him!] He is their Help and their Shield. 10 O house of Aaron [the priesthood], trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield. 11 You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield. 12 The Lord has been mindful of us, He will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron [the priesthood],

13 He will bless those who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, both small and great. 14 May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth! 16 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth has He given to the children of men.

17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord from this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

I love that verses 4-8 expose the idolatry of all those who worship things instead of the Most High God! We say how ridiculous it is that these Old Covenant people would cut wood for building homes and furniture. Then they would use some of it to burn for fuel for cooking and for warmth. Then they would take a big chunk of what was left and form an idol, cover it with gold, and then fall down before it in worship, expecting this man-made ridiculousness to bless them and protect them (Isaiah 44:6-20)! BUT, when we put anyone or anything before the Most High God, we might just as well do the same! FOOLISHNESS! STUPIDITY! There is ONE God and we are to worship HIM! AMEN! Verses 13-16 above tell us what benefit and blessing there is in worshipping HIM!  And in those verses we see that HE has given US the authority and the responsibility to manage the earth! Meditate prayerfully on that and see what Holy Spirit tells YOU about it, and about how YOU can better carry it out!  Then verse 1 tells us that all praise, thanksgiving and worship belong to HIM, and NOT to any of us! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a song that says that very thing! "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince shows us exactly how God ses us, and how He desires us to see ourselves!

SEE YOURSELF IN CHRIST

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

I remember going through a terrible time of depression when I was 18 years old. Believing that I was demon-possessed, I sought out a great man of God to have him cast the devil out of me. But when this man of God laid hands on me, he began to prophesy over me. He said, “Joe, I see you preaching to thousands and used by God to impact thousands of lives. Joe, you are called by God and the devil is attempting to stop you.”

“What? I came here for deliverance! I am only interested in saving my own life, not preaching nor impacting lives,” I thought to myself then.

You see, what happened was that at that moment, God allowed this man to step into the timeless zone He exists in to bring my future before me. As far as God was concerned, my future had already happened, though I was only 18 years old then. Today, I am a pastor of a church which has more than 30,000 members. Today, I am seeing what was told to me long ago.

God does not see as we see. Abraham was a childless, 100-year-old man. His wife, Sarah, at 90 years old, was doubly dead in her womb. (Genesis 17:17) Yet, God saw him and talked to him as if he were already the father of many nations.

My friend, God wants you to see the way He sees. Right now, you may see yourself going through a trial in your marriage, work, finances or health. But God sees a blessed marriage, success at work, supernatural provision and a healed body because He tells you that you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

You see, God sees you in Christ. So when you see yourself in Christ, who is outside time, you step into the timeless zone. In that timeless zone in Christ, whatever needs and trials of yours are already removed, repaired, restored or resurrected! In that timeless zone in Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!

Thought For The Day: See yourself the way God sees you — in Christ and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!

Not only do we learn who JESUS is from the Word of God, but we learn who WE are - IN HIM! As we meditate on those TRUTHS (Joshua 1:8 AMP) the reality of who we REALLY are will begin to rise up inside of us until all doubt is destroyed and faith takes over! It will happen NO OTHER WAY! God already knows who we are, but that will do us no good until WE know that! Begin today to look at yourself in a whole new light, just as Abraham had to see himself. Dare to BELIEVE! Dare to RECEIVE, all that God has paid for for you! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

1 Peter 5:67 is another favorite portion of Scripture, especially from the Amplified Bible!

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

We know from past study that one of the definitions for humble is: accepting something you don't deserve. JESUS humbled HIMSELF to take up the cross. He most certainly did not deserve it, but for LOVE He took it! For YOU and for ME! We, on the other hand, humble ourselves before Him by taking what HE has provided for us, which is FAR better than anything that we deserved without Him! All the while understanding that, as the song goes, 'without You I am nothing'! When we really grasp that there is nothing that we can ever do that can add to what JESUS has already accomplished FOR us, then it will be easier to realize that He left nothing undone, and that WHEN we are obedient to His Word to cast EVERYTHING over on Him, trusting completely in Him to handle it all, THEN we will receive HIS provision and be lifted to that place that brings glory to His Name! AMEN! Here is the song previously mentioned, by Hillsong, called "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle's website has this for today's devotional:

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success. (Ecclesiastes 10:10 NKJV)

The Spirit of God once said to me, “Son, if you are not willing to make a decision to win, then you are not going to win.”

Success begins with a decision.

The decision to succeed will produce an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to discover the spiritual laws relevant to your challenge (get wisdom), and to diligently apply these laws throughout your journey to complete victory.

Nothing just happens or changes on its own. Getting wisdom from the Word of God is the first step toward victory. Declaring the Word is what brings about change.

God wants you to be successful even more than you want to be successful, but if you don’t believe and act according to His Word, there is nothing He can do about it. However, when you do your part, God will always do His part.

Confession: Today I make the decision to win. I make an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to get the wisdom of God for my situation, and then to apply it and declare it until victory is achieved.

DECIDE to win today! Decide that you will NOT be moved by situations, circumstances or other people! You have within you the ability to accomplish ALL that God and His Word have called you to do! Let's get busy! Here is Hillsong with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Andrew Womack's devotional for today is an important one for each of us to know in order to share this TRUTH with the unbelievers that we know! 

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO THE FATHER

John 14:5 "Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"

Thomas knew Jesus. He just didn't realize Jesus was "the way." Likewise, people today know portions of God's Word but they don't realize that God's Word is their way to victory. Often, people cry out for God to speak to them while their Bible lays unopened on their nightstand. God has spoken to us through His Word. We just need to believe it and receive its truths as our way to victory.

Jesus didn't say: "I am a way, a truth, and a life." He claimed to be the only way, truth, and life. No man can come to the Father except through Jesus. This means that anyone who claims to honor Jesus while advocating other ways to get to God, truth, or life, besides Jesus, is deceived or a deceiver.

Jesus' claims about Himself, of which there is only one, left no room for other means to salvation. He is either who He says He is, or He is the greatest deceiver of all time. His own statements about Himself leave no other alternatives. Therefore, other religions that recognize Jesus and His teachings as wonderful examples, but don't believe He is the only way to achieve salvation, are false.

The Word of God is a spiritual book written under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It was not written to our head but to the innermost part of our heart. This is why some people find the Bible so hard to understand. They are trying to comprehend it using only their mind. The Word of God has to inspire our heart before it can enlighten our mind.

There IS only ONE WAY, ONE TRUTH and ONE LIFE that was given for all! The only question that will be asked of any of us is: What have you done with JESUS? If you would like to receive JESUS as YOUR Lord and personal Savior today, pray this prayer, believing in your heart what the Word of God says about Him, and what JESUS said about Himself! 

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.

AMEN! NOW you are a child of the Living God, with the Spirit of God living IN you! HALLELUJAH!!! Check out our website through the link on the left and get to know more about this wonderful New LIfe that you have just received! Here is Hillsong with "Age To Age":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest"  by Oswald Chambers is another excellent admonition to the born again believer!

The Unheeded Secret

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

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

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

This is SO important! When JESUS told Martha, in Luke 10:42, that Mary had chosen the better part, He was telling us all!

There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.

What had Mary chosen that Martha had not? She had chosen to stop all of the hustle and bustle of busyness and to sit at the feet of JESUS to hear His Words! So many Christians think that they have to be busy about doing things that prove their faith, when doing exactly as Mary did is the ONLY thing that will enable us to walk in the power and authority of the Word of God as JESUS did! HE said that we are to do the works that He did! HE didn't do those works until HE had spent time with His Father in prayer! Make sure that YOU are spending time, first of all, in intimate fellowship with the ONE Who has called you and anointed you in the first place! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Like Incense - Sometimes By Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin reading in 1 Peter today and I was MOST blessed to meditate on 1 Peter 1:1-5:

1 Peter, an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, [writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts]. 3 Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

I love that verse one adds "sowed" to the word "scattered" in reference to the early church being sent to all parts of their world! The Weust translation says this:

1  Peter, an ambassador of Jesus Christ, to those who have settled down alongside of a pagan population, sown as seed throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen-out ones, this choice having been determined by the foreordination of God the Father, 

We have often heard the early church was scattered out of fear of the persecution going on. We must remember this from Proverbs 16:9:

9 A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. AMP

Mankind ALWAYS wants a natural explanation for why things happen, when the God of the Bible has already put within His Word the answers to every question we could ever have! It takes time, energy, discipline and a determined purpose to find it out, though! I hope that it is worth it to you to continue digging into the wonderful, powerful, living Word of God! Remember, He has exalted both His Name and His Word, and He has placed His WORD even above His NAME (Psalm 138:2)! In fact, it is the Word of the Living God that has given to Him THE NAME that is above every other Name! AMEN! So, though in the natural realm it appeared the new believers ran from persecution, the Word of God actually shows us that HE scattered them abroad, after having given every believer the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), commissioned them to take the Gospel to the entire world, and promised to be with them, confirming His Word , and their prayer, with signs, wonders and miracles! Every time you see or hear of a negative event going on in the world around you, pray in the Spirit, and then ask the Father where HE is in this and what HE would have YOU to do! Then just go and do it! Pretty simple, don't you think? Thank You, JESUS! Here is Hillsong United with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I believe that Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today is vital for every believer to REALLY know and understand!

Faith Is Measurable

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

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

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

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

Here are some scriptures that prove faith is measurable: 

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

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

Here is an older song by Hillsong called "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle's devotional for today speaks to something that is a very big problem for some people. It can be especially challenging for young people. 

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25 NKJV).

The fear of man is one snare that every Christian will have to face and conquer at some point in life.

As long as you care more about other people’s expectations and what they think about you than what God’s Word says about you, you will not be free to fulfill God’s call on your life. So, how can you determine if you are ensnared by the fear of man? Let me ask you a few questions:

Do you get depressed when you perceive people are thinking negatively about you?
Do you feel insecure if your Christian peers think you are carnal or that you’ve missed God?
Do you spend hours thinking about how to set the record straight?
Do you always seek to justify your decisions or actions?

This type of thinking is indicative of a spirit of fear—specifically the fear of man—operating in your life. The fear of man is a form of mental bondage that serves as a snare. It will entrap you with worry and will rob you of the inner peace that is yours in Christ.

Jesus said, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44 NKJV). In other words, receiving honor from man prevents you from seeking what comes only from God.

Instead of caring what others may think of you, cast the care of your situation onto God and then trust Him to sort things out His way. Trusting God will free you from the snare of the fear of man. When you cast off your care and trust God to look after your reputation, insecurity will be a thing of the past. You will no longer need to look to people’s opinion of your for security (after all, their opinions are subject to change).

Who you are in Christ is unchangeable. So release yourself from the snare of the fear of man and put your trust completely in God. When you do, you will enjoy a life of freedom, secure in the knowledge of who you are in Christ.

Confession: I refuse to allow other people’s opinions of my ideas, decisions, and actions to ensnare me and steal my peace. I cast my care on God, knowing that He cares for me and will sort out everything to my benefit. My security is based solely on God’s Word and who He says I am in Christ.

AMEN! Such wonderful advice from one of our trusted partners! I use to be crippled by shyness when I was young and without JESUS in life. Shyness is, for the most part, fear of man! Other people's opinion mattered, sometimes WAY too much! As I have grown up in the LORD and in His Word, I have found that there will ALWAYS be someone who thinks negatively about you! My responsibility is to please God! HE will deal with what others think and say about me. He only leaves me the instruction to love others and to pray for them! When I DO that, the peace of  God envelopes me with such  thoroughness that what others think becomes of such little importance! TRUST Him in this! HE IS FAITHFUL! Thank You, JESUS! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Future Marches In":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Andrew Womack's devotional for today covers a very important aspect of walking in victory in this life!

A NEW REVELATION OF LOVE

John 13:34 "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

Jesus previously stated that all the law and the prophets were dependent on loving God first, and then loving your neighbor as yourself. These truths were already in the law but people missed them. So, this commandment was not new in the sense that it had never been given before, but it was brought to the forefront and given new meaning through the example of Jesus. Jesus not only loved His neighbor as Himself, He loved us more than Himself.

John, the apostle who wrote this gospel, later wrote about the new commandment of love. No doubt, he received his inspiration from this teaching of Jesus. John wrote, "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth" (1 John 2:7-8). He then goes on to speak of loving one another.

This commandment, or the revelation that God gave to man through His Word, wasn't new, but was never clearly seen by men because of the darkness that separated them from God. In the light of Jesus' life, the darkness was removed and the old commandment of love became new through the example of Jesus in a way that mere words could never express.

1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us that love NEVER fails! When we choose to walk in love, which means that we pray for those that hurt us or try to harm us, forgiving them, then we will have victory in every area that we need victory! This life of choosing love is also needful because our faith will ONLY work when we choose to walk in love, because it is LOVE that energizes faith so that our faith can accomplish whatever we are using it for! NOTHING is worth hanging on to when it affects our lives, families, callings and ministry! Just let it all go, and let GOD be GOD in that situation! Cast your care of all of that over on Him! HE is more than enough for every situation! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Greatest of These"

Shalom in Him!