Shalom,

In this time in which we live there are many very outlandish ideas and actions that are being put forth to people as normal and right. Men wanting to become women and women wanting to become men! And this is only a sample of the outlandish and completely ungodly things that are happening all over the earth today! I have at times felt so sorry for those who are so muddled in their thinking and wonder how in the world they came to this way of thinking, speaking and acting. Then I read Proverbs 1 today and it is right there! Verse 7:

7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

Fools despise the Wisdom found in the Word of the Living God! God's Word is Truth (John 17:17), but they do not want the Truth! The Truth is so readily available to them! If you don't think so, look at verses 20-23:

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets; 21 She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22 How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge? 23 If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.

When the Lord our God tells us in His Word that Wisdom is crying aloud, that tells me that everyone can hear the Wisdom, but SOME choose to ignore it! The end result of these unwise decisions is found in verses 29-32:

29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord, 30 Would accept none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. 32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the careless ease of [self-confident] fools shall destroy them.

The good news is that they still have every opportunity to repent, which simply means to change THEIR thinking to agree with GOD and HIS thinking! IF they do, then they will have the same promise that we who are following on to know the Lord  have right now! Verse 33:

33 But whoso hearkens to me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.

Don't ever envy those who deny the Lord and His Word and SEEM to be doing well. The Word is TRUTH and the eventual results of going against God and His Word are CERTAIN! The rewards for doing things Gods way are also CERTAIN! And eternal! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Crowns":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

It's always a sad time for me when we end our reading through the Psalms in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I am SO glad, however, that we go through them twice in a year! I am also glad that we get to finish each time through with Psalm 150!

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!

2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!

3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!

4 Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes!

5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

"Praise" in every verse in this Psalm is the Hebrew word "halal", which means: to be clear, to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to 'stultify' (cause to appear foolish or absurd), to act like a madman, with a sense of shouting and jubilation! Now the praise and worship services at the church that you attend may not include these things, but they SHOULD! THIS is BIBLE! If your church is not open to the all out boasting on the Lord our God that this Psalm calls for, then perhaps you should look for a different church! The Spoken Word Church IS such a church, or I would not be attending there! We teach the uncompromising Word of the Living God, and we put it into practice! Our services are examples of DOING the Word so that the congregation can truly become DOERS! The Word of God says, in the book of James, that to not act on the Word we hear is to deceive our own selves! Don't allow any form of deception in your life! Go after the Lord with everything within you, holding nothing back, and you will find yourself walking in the fullness of the knowledge of His Word! Let's GO FOR IT! Amen! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another very vital message for born again believers to really get inside!

The Bounty Of The Destitute

Being justified freely by His grace… — Romans 3:24

The Gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the revelation which it brings is not palatable. There is a certain pride in man that will give and give, but to come and accept is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom, I will give myself in consecration, I will do anything, but do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God; we must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest blessing spiritually is the knowledge that we are destitute; until we get there Our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us if we think we are sufficient of ourselves; we have to enter into His Kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are rich, possessed of anything in the way of pride or independence, God cannot do anything for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is made effectual in us by the Holy Spirit; He imparts to us the 

quickening life of Jesus, which puts “the beyond” within, and immediately the beyond has come within, it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the domain where Jesus lives (John 3:5).

I LOVE this! The very best definition of humility is accepting something you don't deserve! JESUS did not deserve the cross, but He humbled Himself to take up that cross so that you and I can take up the Salvation that He so willingly provided! Now WE humble ourselves under His mighty hand to receive ALL that He has provided for us! Will YOU humble yourself to receive so great salvation? There is NO other way to have Heaven as your home when you leave this earth, and no other way to have a relationship with the Creator of all that is! If you have never done so, please pray this prayer now, receiving JESUS as Lord and personal Savior and become a forever member of the family of Almighty God!

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

AMEN! Now you qualify to KNOW Him, as Paul mentioned in Philippians 3:10! Let's GO! Here is Hillsong UNITED with that song!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

THIS, from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "Faith To Faith" devotional is EXCELLENT!

Occupy Till Jesus Comes

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17

The Bible teaches that as believers, you and I are to occupy until Jesus comes. Occupy is a military term meaning to hold possession, or control, of conquered troops and territory. If we're to do that effectively, most of us are going to have to change our attitudes. We're going to have to recognize that Jesus has already won the victory.

That's right. Satan is already defeated. He was whipped at Calvary. We're not on the defensive—he is!

What's more, Jesus has given you His very own armor and sword to use to keep that defeated devil in line. You may be a 90-pound weakling on your own, but if you'll put on God's armor, the devil will never know it. He'll run from you just like you were Jesus.

Think about it. What would you do if you were the devil and you came face to face with some fellow wearing God's armor and God's helmet with God's weapons in each hand? As long as that fellow only spoke God's words, you would think that must be God inside there!

Don't neglect any of the armor you've been given. Wear it all. Keep the devil on the defensive—and occupy till Jesus comes!

AMEN! We CANNOT walk in the victory that JESUS purchased for us unless and until we find out just who we are - IN HIM! Once we get that image of who we are inside of us, we will never be defeated again! We WILL face tests, trials, challenges and situations, but we WILL come out victoriously on the TOP of the situation if we will do this! What is stopping YOU from walking in the fullness of your Covenant with Him? Let it go and get going! The PRIZE is well worth the price! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Always Will":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's readings in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan includes Psalm 147. This another wonderful Psalm to use in personal praise and worship to our great GOD! Bringing to remembrance WHO He is and WHAT He has done is a perfect way to prepare our hearts to hear and obey, and to receive ALL that He has for us! 

Psalm 147

1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God, for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate. 2 The Lord is building up Jerusalem; He is gathering together the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows]. 4 He determines and counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. 5 Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless. 6 The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground. 7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!— 8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. 9 He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens that for which they cry. 10 He delights not in the strength of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness. 12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13 For He has strengthened and made hard the bars of your gates, and He has blessed your children within you. 14 He makes peace in your borders; He fills you with the finest of the wheat. 15 He sends forth His commandment to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. 16 He gives [to the earth] snow like [a blanket of] wool; He scatters the hoarfrost like ashes. 17 He casts forth His ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold? 18 He sends out His word, and melts [ice and snow]; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19 He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not dealt so with any [other] nation; they have not known (understood, appreciated, given heed to, and cherished) His ordinances. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

AMEN and AMEN! After declaring this Psalm, continue in your own words to remember all that He has done personally for you, and then worship Him in spirit, by Holy Spirit within you, and in TRUTH by the Word of God! Here, also, is Hillsong Worship with "What A Beautiful Name" to add to your personal worship of Who He is! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today gives us in a condensed form just what our inheritance as New Covenant believers includes!

A Great Plan

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree'" (Galatians 3:13). 

Part of the inheritance that Colossians 1:12-14 tells us we should be giving thanks to the Father for is "...redemption through his blood..." (verse 14). 

What are we redeemed from? From the curse of the law. And what is the curse of the law? The only way to find out, is to go to the law and see what it says the curse is. 

The term "the law," as found in the New Testament, refers to the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. Reading there, we find that the curse, or punishment, for breaking God's law is threefold: 

1. Spiritual death (Genesis 2:17) 

2. Poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) 

3. Sickness (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) 

Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and Colossians 1:12-14 tells us to thank God for our redemption! We are to thank the Father for this great plan of redemption which He planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate! 

Confession: Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption which You planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate! Thank You because I am redeemed from death! Thank You because I am redeemed from poverty! Thank You because I am redeemed from sickness! Thank You, Father! 

AMEN! So many more people would welcome the New Birth if the Good News of the Gospel was presented accurately! The moment that we believe in our heart that JESUS died in OUR place and accept and receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior, we become a new creation. We are then members of God's family, with all of the authority, rights and privileges that this position provides! Everything that JESUS bore away FOR us no longer belongs TO us, but has been deposited in hell where it belongs. Refuse to accept something that does not belong to you! Submit yourself to God and His powerful , Life-giving Word and resist the devil and his lies and he will flee from you as though in terror, taking his lies with him! BUT, WE must do both the submitting and the resisting! Find out just what belongs to you as a child of the Living God and refuse to settle for anything less. Our Father expects this of us! He is waiting on us! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 145 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today is SO timely! As we spent yesterday being aware of all that God has blessed us with so that we can be THANKFUL, here is another list of wonderful things our GOD has done for us! 

Psalm 145

[A Psalm] of praise. Of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. 2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable. 4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness. 7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice. 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness. 9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]! 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 14 The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season. 16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor. 17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently andworshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. 20 The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

And then we read THIS in Jeremiah 29:11-13:

11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. 12 Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. 13 Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

AMEN! Continue to remember all of His great benefits and blessings to you, and then continue to look forward to ALL that HE has promised to do! HE IS GOOD FOR IT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "You Crown The Year":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Today is a very appropriate time to read this from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 144:1-3:

1 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight— 2 My Steadfast Love and my Fortress, my High Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in Whom I trust and take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. 3 Lord, what is man that You take notice of him? Or [the] son of man that You take account of him?

"What is man that You take notice of him?" Aren't we more than thankful that He DOES? AMEN! What SHOULD our response to such a LOVE be? Verse 9:

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a harp, an instrument of ten strings, will I offer praises to You.

Why? Because THIS in verse 15!

15 Happy and blessed are the people who are in such a case; yes, happy (blessed, fortunate, prosperous, to be envied) are the people whose God is the Lord!

AMEN! Spend extra time today reminding yourself and your loved ones of all that our wonderful LORD has done for you! Also, spend some time alone with HIM, speaking to Him in your known language and in the wonderful, powerful spiritual language that He has placed inside of you! All the while remembering THESE promises!

1 Corinthians 14:2:For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].

1 Corinthians 14:4 He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself

1 Corinthians 14:14 For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the [Holy Spirit within me] prays

1 Corinthians 114:17 To be sure, you may give thanks well 

And the last one covers what we SHOULD do!

1 Corinthians 14:15 Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.

AMEN! We are triune beings, just like our Triune (Trinity) God! We are spirits, who have souls and, while on the earth, live in these physical bodies! We contact God with our spirits, so let's GO FOR IT with all of the 'tools' He has given us! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with a song of Thanksgiving called "Thank You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is very appropriate for today and for the times in which we live!

Purpose

"...That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:2-4). 

God doesn't tell us to do something just to fill up space in the Bible. He has a purpose in mind. We are to pray for those in authority so that we who are Christians may lead a quiet and peaceable life. 

God is concerned about us, and He will work on our behalf, even when those in authority are not Christians. 

God's ultimate purpose is that we be able to spread the Gospel freely. If we do not live under a stable government, the spreading of the Gospel is hindered. 

For example, times of political upheaval, war, travel restrictions, and other limitations hinder the spreading of the Gospel. Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14). 

The devil will try his best to see that this is not accomplished. Therefore, we are exhorted to offer intercessory prayer, supplications, and the giving of thanks for those who lead our nation. 

Confession: Father, I thank You for our leaders. I thank You because You hear and answer prayer, and because You are working on my behalf. 

Instead of getting caught up in worry, fear, disappointment, depression and despondency, every born again believer should simply be continually casting ALL of their care over on HIM, and then thanking Him for the answer, rejoicing in His promises! He has not broken even one of all of His glorious promises, and He isn't about to start now! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail" (and HE never will!) AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share a sequel to yesterday's message on the LOVE of God for us from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

It Is Finished

I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. — John 17:4

The death of Jesus Christ is the performance in history of the very mind of God. There is no room for looking on Jesus Christ as a martyr; His death was not something that happened to Him which might have been prevented. His death was the very reason why He came.

Never build your preaching of forgiveness on the fact that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. It is untrue to Jesus Christ’s revelation of God; it makes the Cross unnecessary, and the Redemption “much ado about nothing.” If God does forgive sin, it is because of the Death of Christ. God could forgive men in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted to be Saviour because of His death. “We see Jesus…because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” The greatest note of triumph that ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ – “It is finished.” That is the last word in the Redemption of man.

Anything that belittles or obliterates the holiness of God by a false view of the love of God, is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ. Never allow the thought that Jesus Christ stands with us against God out of pity and compassion; that He became a curse for us out of sympathy with us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by the Divine decree. Our portion of realising the terrific meaning of the curse is conviction of sin, the gift of shame and penitence is given us; this is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the wrong in man, and Calvary is the estimate of His hatred.

AMEN! JESUS hates sin because it was sin and the curse that removed man from the very presence of God in the first place! BUT, before Adam and Eve ever took a bite out of that fruit, God already had the WAY back in place! He KNEW! He LOVED! So, HE GAVE! Don't ever doubt the Father's love for YOU! It cost Him His Son and made YOU and ME worth that price! HALLELUJAH! We are no longer who and what we were! We ARE new creation beings! We have a brand new, sinlee spirit, a soul (mind, emotions and will) that MUST be renewed every day to think, speak and act like God's kids! AND, soon and very soon, we are going to see our KING of all kings and LORD of all lords riding in the sky to pick us up and take us HOME! AMEN! Thank YOU, JESUS! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Behold - Then Sings My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The most important message that I can share with you today is found in Oswald Chambers' devotional, "My Utmost For His Highest".

The Forgiveness Of God

In whom we have…the forgiveness of sins. — Ephesians 1:7

Beware of the pleasant view of the Fatherhood of God – God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That sentiment has no place whatever in the New Testament. The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ; to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive sin and reinstate us in His favour is through the Cross of Christ, and in no other way. Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony of Calvary. It is possible to take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and our sanctification with the simplicity of faith, and to forget at what enormous cost to God it was all made ours.

Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace; it cost God the Cross of Jesus Christ before He could forgive sin and remain a holy God. Never accept a view of the Fatherhood of God if it blots out the Atonement. The revelation of God is that He cannot forgive; He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God by the Atonement. God’s forgiveness is only natural in the super-natural domain.

AMEN! The LOVE of God is MASSIVE, ETERNAL, ALL-ENCOMPASSING, but it ONLY comes to US through the cross of JESUS! THAT was the only legal way that we could be brought back to the place that Adam had with God in the Garden, and then beyond that place because, though Adam and Eve walked WITH GOd, WE have GOD INSIDE! AMEN! What a glorious way to bring us back. If you ever are tempted to think that God no longer cares about you, REMEMBER that HE sent His ONLY Son to that cross to die OUR death so that WE don't have to! NO GREATER LOVE! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Shout To The LORD":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 140 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and verse 7 is a great promise that we can STILL stand on! 

7 O God the Lord, the Strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

"You have covered" is the Hebrew word "sakak", which means: to hedge or fence about, to overshadow, to stop the approach, a protector. Our God has promised to protect us when WE count on Him to do so! We truly CAN cast all of our care and worry over on Him, because HE cares for US! And He is overwhelming capable of doing so! AMEN! Then in John 17 JESUS is speaking to the Father about His disciples. He says THIS about them in verses 7-8:

7 Now [at last] they know and understand that all You have given Me belongs to You [is really and truly Yours]. 8 For the [uttered] words that You gave Me I have given them; and they have received and accepted [them] and have come to know positively and in reality [to believe with absolute assurance] that I came forth from Your presence, and they have believed and are convinced that You did send Me.

It is through the Word of God that we come to REALLY know the Father and JESUS and Holy Spirit! JESUS had given the the Word of God consistently for His entire three years of ministry. Now, as He was preparing to give HIS life as a ransom for OURS, He was making sure that they would be in position to continue to receive the richest and best that God had to offer! JESUS goes on to say THIS in verses 9-11:

9 I am praying for them. I am not praying (requesting) for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they belong to You. 10 All [things that are] Mine are Yours, and all [things that are] Yours belong to Me; and I am glorified in (through) them. [They have done Me honor; in them My glory is achieved.] 11 And [now] I am no more in the world, but these are [still] in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your Name [in the knowledge of Yourself] those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are one].

JESUS was not praying here for the world, because the ONLY thing that the world had coming was the promise of the Messiah saving them! His prayers here were for those who had already been born again, that what was hindering their growth in the things of God would be exposed for what it truly is and that they would have the ability of God to walk out this new and powerful revelation and manifestation of HolySpirit and WORD! HE desires the same thing for YOU! Are you ready for this? If you are born again, then you ARE! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Behold - Then My Soul Sings":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional by Jerry Savelle is very good!

And the devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” (Luke 4:3-4 NKJV)

What bread is for your body, God’s Word is for your spirit. It is through His Word that you come to know who you are in Christ Jesus. Once this becomes revelation to you, no one can ever take it away. When you know who you are in Christ, your days of weakness and defeat are over.

The devil will always try to challenge the revelation of who you are, just as he tried with Jesus. But, just as Jesus did, you can boldly declare to the devil, “It is written!” He cannot steal from you any longer. Tell him, “You’ve defeated me or the last time. I’m entitled to be blessed. I’m entitled to health. I’m entitled to prosperity. You’re not stealing from me any longer!”

Although the devil is a worthy opponent, he is a defeated foe. Jesus has already defeated him. He has been stripped of his authority and power. You, however, are a world overcomer. You are no longer a loser; you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. All you have to do is shake your Bible at the devil and declare, “It is written, I am more than a conqueror in Jesus name!”

Confession: I know who I am in Christ. I am a new creation. I am the righteousness of God. I am a joint heir with Jesus. I am more than a conqueror. I am a world overcomer, and from this day forward I am a winner!

The ONLY way that the devil can stop us from walking in victory in every situation is to get us to believe something about ourselves that is contrary to the Word of God. To believe a LIE! Remember that JESUS said this to the Pharisees and the Jews who did not believe Him. John 8:44:

44 You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.

Anything Contrary to God's Word is a lie, so find out what the Word of God says about you, and BELIEVE it! AMEN! HIS Word is TRUTH (John 17:17)! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 138 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I have always confessed verse 8 over my life. 

8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands.

"Perfect" is the Hebrew word "gamar", which means: to complete, to perform, to finish. That does not mean that He will make me 'perfect' in this life, although, as a born again believer, my spirit man IS perfect, in the image of God. However, in THIS world, as triune beings with a spirit, soul and body, ONLY the spirit man is perfect. We still must renew our minds daily with the Word of God so that our soul (mind, emotions and will) will CHOOSE to do things God's way. Wherever our soul goes, our body will follow! Here, in this life, we are a work in progress, and HE is "perfecting" that work in us, day by day, as we allow Him to! Some of that work that He does is shown in today's reading in John 15:1-3:

I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. 3 You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].

When we allow, and invite, Him to do His work in us, then we have this promise in verse 7 to stand on in faith!

7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

The Word of God is FILLED with such promises to those who will choose HIM and His ways of doing and being right! I choose JESUS! How about you? Here is Hillsong with "Behold - Then Sings My Soul":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 14 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. John 14:6  is one of the most well knowns verses in the Bible!

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

There IS no other way! JESUS is THE WAY! AMEN! He is the ONLY way for a sinner to become a saint! A new creation that never existed before! I LOVE this verse, but I learned something new from this chapter! In verses 1-3 we have this:

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. 2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.

We learned about these verses during our Wednesday Night service this week! We learned that this life is preparation for the next! We are destined to one day BE in our Father's house! He is preparing our life after earth! The next life will be much, much more than anything that we have experienced in this life! Much, much more of everything GOOD! We will be very busy with the things that God will have for us to do and I KNOW that it will never be boring! There is a reason that we need to be preparing HERE for our time THERE! We don't yet know what it will entail, but we DO know that it will be without evil influences and that we will be able to thrive! When we look at this life in THAT light, we can handle anything that comes, KNOWING that HE has this! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Future Marches In":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Do you remember that 1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us that love NEVER fails? If you do, then you will LOVE today's "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

PUT LOVE TO WORK

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13

What do you do when you're facing a particularly stubborn problem? A problem that resists your every effort to solve it?

Put the power of love to work on it! The power of love is the greatest power in the universe. It's beyond defeat. It never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

The Bible says God is love. So when you release love into a situation, you have released God into it. Think about that! When you start releasing love into a situation, Jesus becomes responsible for its success.

What is this love I'm talking about?

First Corinthians 13 tells us it's patient and kind. It's not jealous or haughty or conceited or rude. It doesn't insist on its own way. It's not touchy or resentful and it pays no attention to a suffered wrong.

Love rejoices when right and truth prevail and it bears up under anything and everything that comes. It's ever ready to believe the best of every person. Its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything without weakening.

The person who refuses to love is missing out on the very best God has to offer.

Don't you miss out on any of it. Release love every moment into every situation, every prayer and every thought until it totally consumes your life. It will strengthen you and cast out every fear that has robbed you of God's greater blessings. It will drive the devil out of your affairs and set you free from every torment of darkness.

Put love to work on the stubborn problems in your life. It's the one solution they'll never be able to resist.

AMEN! There is not a time in our lives where it pays to get out of love! NOT walking in love WILL cost us! In fact, Galatians 5:6 tells us that our faith will not work without love! 

For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

So, refuse the devil's tricks and schemes to get you to let go of your love walk. God Himself will vindicate you when others hurt or harm you. Choose the way of love every time and reap the benefits and rewards of doing things God's way! There is NO better way to be blessed! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Greatest of These":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have covered this before, But I want to repeat it because it is SO important! John 13:7-10 gives the account of JESUS washing the feet of His disciples. 

7 Jesus said to him, You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later on. 8 Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet! Jesus answered him, Unless I wash you, you have no part with (in) Me [you have no share in companionship with Me]. 9 Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, [wash] not only my feet, but my hands and my head too! 10 Jesus said to him, Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is clean all over.

In this situation we have been taught that JESUS humbled Himself to wash their feet, and Peter had to humble himself to receive something he did not deserve. While this is true, it is, by far, NOT the most important TRUTH to take away from this action of JESUS! When JESUS said that unless HE washed Peter, Peter would have no part with JESUS! This represents the New Birth! We MUST be born again (John 3:3) because that is the Way that God provided for us! There IS no other WAY and no other NAME by which WE can be saved! WHEN we receive JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, HE will do the supernatural work in our previously dead human spirits that makes us children of God, with Heaven as our SURE home when we leave this earth (2 Corinthians 5:17)! What JESUS was demonstrating is that once we are born again (receive JESUS as our Saviour) we NEVER have to do that again! There is no getting "born again, again"!) Once we are New Creations, then all that we ever need is forgiveness operating continually by keeping our 'feet' clean (1 John 1:9)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Your Love Is Relentless":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland:

STAKE YOUR CLAIM

Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.... Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Psalm 112:1, 3

I'll never forget the time Gloria discovered that scripture. We didn't have any money at the time, and the walls in our house were as bare as they could be. But she was ready to decorate. So she took that promise, "Wealth and riches shall be in his house" and laid claim to it by faith.

Suddenly, everywhere we went, someone was giving us a painting or some other little treasure for our house.

Unfortunately, most believers aren't as quick to believe God for that kind of thing as Gloria was. Some even claim God doesn't promise us New Testament believers physical prosperity, just spiritual. But the truth is, you can't separate the two. That's why Jesus says, "If you'll seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these [material] things will be added to you." He knows the spiritual realm and the material realm are connected.

The physical world cannot operate independently from the spiritual world. What happens in one is simply a reflection of what happens in the other.

Obviously, your spiritual standing profoundly affects your financial standing. That's why, when you get hold of the gospel and begin to prosper spiritually, you can begin to prosper physically and materially as well.

Don't let anyone talk you out of God's promises of prosperity. You don't have to choose between financial and spiritual prosperity. Both belong to you. Lay claim to them by faith. As a born-again child of God, dare to reach out and receive the riches that belong to you!

AMEN! Dare to believe God for every good thing! When you put Him first place, He will put desires in your heart so that HE can fulfill them! He is NOT stingy and He is NOT holding back. We simply have to take God at His Word and DARE to believe and receive! Here is Hillsong with "God Is Able":

Shalom in Him!