Shalom,

We are reading Mark 3 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Look at verses 1-5 to see another example of JESUS being about His Father's business!

 1 Again Jesus went into a synagogue, and a man was there who had one withered hand. 2 And [the Pharisees] kept watching Jesus [closely] to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they might get a charge to bring against Him [formally]. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, Get up [and stand here] in the midst. 4 And He said to them, Is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to take it? But they kept silence. 5 And He glanced around at them with vexation and anger, grieved at the hardening of their hearts, and said to the man, Hold out your hand. He held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored.

That man was overjoyed that JESUS was doing this work! So were all of the others whom JESUS had healed and set free. Do you know who else was elated at what JESUS was doing? Those who truly knew their God and were actually looking for His coming! That would NOT include the Pharisees who were plotting against JESUS! Even though He was doing what was promised in the Word of God and THEY should have studied to find out what the Word of God said about it and what they, themselves should be doing! When this man with the withered hand was healed, THIS is what the unbelieving Pharisees did! Verse 6:

6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately held a consultation with the Herodians against Him, how they might [devise some means to] put Him to death.

I have two things to share with you concerning this! The first is to exhort YOU that you should never be as these particular Pharisees! If  you see someone teaching, preaching and healing, yet you don't agree with what they say or the way that they are operating, then I suggest to you that YOU need to spend some time in the Word of God and in fellowship with Holy Spirit, because you just might find yourself moving against GOD! There are as many different ways to minster as there are people and personalities called by God to do so! The bottom line for all of us should be that if JESUS is being exalted as Saviour and the ONLY WAY to the Heaven of the Bible, then leave them alone and go about your own calling and anointing! 

The second thing I want to share is found in the Psalm for today! Psalm 59:16-17 show us what David's answer was when someone came against him. 

16 But I will sing of Your mighty strength and power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning; for You have been to me a defense (a fortress and a high tower) and a refuge in the day of my distress. 17 Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my Defense, my Fortress, and High Tower, the God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love.

Refuse to take it personally when people come against you, remembering that it is NOT really people, but the enemy moving on them, that is the source of the problem! When we react to those times in the way that David reacted, then we will receive supernatural protection, provision and safety no matter what or who comes against us! remember, if God if FOR you, and He IS, then it doesn't do ANYONE any good to come against you! GOD'S GOT THIS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Shadow Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Mark 2 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! I spoke about the faithful friends and the paralytic during ABS on Sunday at The Spoken Word Church! Look at verses 1-12:

1 And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. KJV

There are so many great things that we could speak about in this passage, but the one that was pointed out to me by a friend from church was the underlined portion! When JESUS saw THEIR faith, He was able to heal the paralytic man! The message? Faithful, faith-filled friends are PRICELESS! This man was SO blessed to have friends who believed enough, and loved enough, to pay whatever price was necessary to get their friend to JESUS! People speak a lot about 1 Corinthians 15:33:

33 Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.  AMP

... but having faith-filled friends is also very, very important! Do YOU have friends like these? If not, you need to ask the Father for some, and then make sure that YOU are such a friend, because good seed sown results in good harvests! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "In God We Trust", because we NEED friends who put their trust in HIM! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin goes right along with what we have been covering on our Spoken Word Church website devotional! God's plan for our prosperity and how it will affect the world around us! 

Is Your Profit Showing?

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15). 

If your profiting is to appear to all, then it is to show! Why is godliness profitable? Why is living for God, being God's child, walking in fellowship with God, keeping God's commandments, profitable? 

It is because God has made some promises to His faithful children. Notice the word "promise" in yesterday's text: "having promise of the life that now is" (1 Timothy 4:8). God has made us promises in this life. Our profiting is because of these promises. 

And when our profiting (which is due to God's promises) appears to all, we are able to show the world there is a God in the Church - just as when Israel was walking with God, she could show the earth "there is a God in Israel" (1 Samuel 17:46). 

Confession: I will meditate upon God's promises and give myself wholly to them, that my profiting may appear to all.

AMEN! God's plan for our prosperity is to reach the world with the GLORIOUS GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST! In fact, THIS, from our wonderful partners, Jerry and Marilyn O'Dell, is one of our foundational TRUTHS! 

"The reason for the knowledge, the purpose for the power and the plan for the prosperity is reaching the lost."

Let's be all about our Father's business in reaching the lost! It is HIS #1 priority! Let's make it ours, and do whatever it takes to be the best that we can be! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I simply have to share this from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems" devotional!

The Unseen Power Behind the Throne

…take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. — Luke 12:11,12

In Moscow stands the Kremlin — an architectural wonder that is simply breathtaking in terms of beauty. Within this great walled city are palaces, ancient churches, governmental buildings, and the State Armory Museum, a fabulous structure that holds treasures, crowns, diamonds, carriages, and thrones of the Russian state. One throne in particular has captured my attention every time I visit the Armory. It is a gigantic, double-seated throne with a strange opening just behind the seat to the right side.

In 1676, Tsar Alexis Romanov died, leaving his sickly son, Ivan, to inherit the throne. As a result of a number of political manipulations, it was decided that Ivan would be proclaimed Tsar jointly with his ten-year-old brother, Peter. For a brief period of time, both brothers ruled Russia, sitting together on the gigantic, double-seated throne that is now on display in the Armory. Young Ivan sat on the left side of the throne, and his brother Peter sat on the seat to the right. Eventually Ivan proved to be too physically and mentally feeble to rule, so he resigned his position. His brother Peter remained as Tsar and ruled Russia until his death in 1725. Today he is respectfully referred to as Peter the Great because of the great accomplishments and lasting impressions he made during his reign.

But why was there an opening behind the seat where Peter sat upon the throne? That opening was made so Peter’s sister, Sophia, could sit behind the young Tsar and privately provide him with correct responses to questions and comments made to him by visiting dignitaries. As the young Tsar listened to his sister’s words spoken quietly to him through a veil, and as he in turn communicated what he heard to those who approached him, an impression was made that he was intellectually powerful, even at an early age. The truth was, young Peter was brilliant, but his sister, although unseen, was the real power behind the throne.

When I’ve visited the State Armory Museum and looked at that strange opening in the double-seated throne, I’ve pondered the words of Jesus in Luke 12:11,12. Jesus told His disciples what to do when they faced difficult circumstances in which they didn’t know what to say or how to respond: “…Take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”

Notice Jesus said, “…Take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer….” That doesn’t mean Jesus was advocating mindlessness. Rather, He was saying that there is no need for us to be anxious or worried in those moments because the Holy Spirit will be the unseen Presence, advising us what to say.

It would be easy in the natural for us to feel fretful, uneasy, upset, or distraught in those moments of not knowing how to answer. That’s why it’s important to understand that the Greek word for “thought” in this verse is actually Jesus’ prohibition against our being fretful in such moments. We may not always know how to respond to every question put before us or every situation we face. But Jesus is telling us that we have no need to be ill at ease because His Spirit will teach us “in that hour” — that is, in our specific moment of need — exactly what we need to say.

The sister of Peter the Great was an invisible advisor to her brother as she sat behind the strange opening in that double-seated throne. But the Holy Spirit wants to be an infinitely more effective unseen Advisor to you. If you will allow Him to take that position in your life, and if you will determine to learn how to hear and trust His voice, the Holy Spirit will give you answers to the questions and situations you encounter that you’re unable to answer or solve on your own.

So open your heart to the Holy Spirit today, and receive Him as your personal Advisor. As you train your heart to hear what He’s saying to you more and more accurately, He will help you respond with His insight and wisdom to every situation you could ever face in this life!

What a wonderful example of how Holy Spirit desires to operate, IN us, FOR us, and THROUGH us! you, as a born again believer, are NEVER alone! Trust Holy Spirit to be there when you need Him to be. There are things that you already know, and many times He will simply lead with peace and joy that you are right on in what you say and do. Other times, and you WILL know them, He desires to move supernaturally to show Himself strong to those you minister to. Encourage yourself in the Lord, as David did, that God has NOT left you helpless! You HAVE the HELPER! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Let There Be Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I would like to share portions from two of my favorite devotionals. The first is Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest":

The Delight Of Sacrifice

I will very gladly spend and be spent for you. — 2 Corinthians 12:15

When the Spirit of God has shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, we begin deliberately to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests in other people, and Jesus Christ is interested in every kind of man there is. We have no right in Christian work to be guided by our affinities; this is one of the biggest tests of our relationship to Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, not fling it away, but deliberately lay my life out for Him and His interests in other people, not for a cause. Paul spent himself for one purpose only – that he might win men to Jesus Christ. Paul attracted to Jesus all the time, never to himself.

 “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” 

When a man says he must develop a holy life alone with God, he is of no more use to his fellow men: he puts himself on a pedestal, away from the common run of men. Paul became a sacramental personality; wherever he went, Jesus Christ helped Himself to his life. Many of us are after our own ends, and Jesus Christ cannot help Himself to our lives. ....... That was not Paul’s motive: “I could wish myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren” – wild, extravagant – is it? When a man is in love it is not an exaggeration to talk in that way, and Paul is in love with Jesus Christ.

I LOVE this! Even saying that we desire to reach people with the Gospel, we need to make OUR reasons for doing so line up with HIS! We should be doing this BECAUSE He first loved us and He desires that NONE should perish. It should always, and only, be our love for HIM that motivates us to fulfill our calling! The other devotional that I would like to share a portion of is Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "Faith To Faith".

Peace at Home

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. James 3:16

Have you ever noticed that the easiest place to remain self-centered is at home? There's an incentive to be lovely with others, but with your family you are tempted to allow yourself more selfish privileges, as if it didn't count there.

Before I was a Christian, I was more courteous and nicer to friends than to my own family. I was more demanding and less forgiving with those dearest to me than with anyone else.

But after I made Jesus Lord of my life, I realized all that had to change.

Gloria and I began to learn through the Word how important harmony is within our family. We learned that if we wanted the power of agreement (see Matthews 18:19) to work in our lives, we could not allow strife in our home.

Strife drops the shield of faith, stops prayer results and invites Satan and his cohorts into your midst. Discord is deadly. It paralyzes the power of God in your life. Don't allow the enemy to stop you at your own front door by allowing strife in your home. If you do, you'll be no threat to him anywhere else. Put the power of harmony to work in your family.

AMEN! There is NEVER a 'safe place' to go against the Word of God! His WORD is His WILL! If we desire to be in the will of God, then we must put His Word first place in every area. First place in importance. First place in action. First place in faith! Here is Hillsong with a song that speaks to this! "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is a great attitude adjuster for us! I have included a portion of it below:

The Determination To Serve

The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. — Matthew 20:28

Paul’s idea of service is the same as Our Lord’s: “I am among you as He that serveth”; “ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” We have the idea that a man called to the ministry is called to be a different kind of being from other men.  ....  “I know how to be abased,” says Paul. This is Paul’s idea of service – “I will spend myself to the last ebb for you; you may give me praise or give me blame, it will make no difference. So long as there is a human being who does not know Jesus Christ, I am his debtor to serve him until he does.” The mainspring of Paul’s service is not love for men, but love for Jesus Christ. If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and broken-hearted, for we shall often meet with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men.

Paul’s realization of how Jesus Christ had dealt with him is the secret of his determination to serve others. “I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious” – no matter how men may treat me, they will never treat me with the spite and hatred with which I treated Jesus Christ. When we realize that Jesus Christ has served us to the end of our meanness, our selfishness, and sin, nothing that we meet with from others can exhaust our determination to serve men for His sake.

I LOVE the underlined part above! When we are in intimate fellowship with the LORD, we will be moved with compassion, as He often was. BUT, we need to act out of our LOVE for HIM, rather than out of  emotion over the needs of people! HE must always have the FIRST position in our hearts, and then what and who HE loves! When we keep our priorities in the right place, there is nothing that can stop us from fulfilling our God-given ministry! Here is Hillsong with one of my favorite ACTION songs! "GO"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's reading in Psalms is completely and accurately appropriate for what has gone on in this country over the last weeks, months and even years! 

Psalm 53

To the Chief Musician; in a mournful strain. A skillful song, or didactic or reflective poem of David.

1 The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt and evil are they, and doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, who sought (inquired after and desperately required) God.

3 Every one of them has gone back [backslidden and fallen away]; they have altogether become filthy and corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.

4 Have those who work evil no knowledge (no understanding)? They eat up My people as they eat bread; they do not call upon God.

5 There they are, in terror and dread, where there was [and had been] no terror and dread! For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; you have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that the salvation and deliverance of Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, then will Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

I have seen this posted many times in the last few days: "I asked God why He allowed all of the bad things that have happened in schools lately. God answered, You kicked me out of the schools!" This is far more true than many people realize, and it is also a truth that MANY people refuse to acknowledge! Verse 6 is a prayer from an Old Covenant perspective that has been answered by our new and BETTER Covenant! We now have all the authority we need available to us WHEN we receive JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour! Those in the world without JESUS are still living under the curse of sin. There is no hope for anything better unless and until they recognize their need for a Saviour, and the great love that God has for them to provide One Himself! John 3:16-17:

16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

Refuse to get caught up in the nonsense of the world and continue to simply speak the TRUTH! You will have God's protection, provision and safety operating FOR you when you put HIS agenda as your top priority! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name It Is":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you from the devotional on our Spoken Word Church website!

CONCENTRATE ON THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS!

Jesus was a success maker. Jesus taught people to realize their dreams. Jesus taught us to do the same.

When Job prayed for his friends, his own captivity was turned. When the widow fed the prophet, God fed her.

God wants us to be involved in the needs of others. The God of Heaven has assured us a guaranteed harvest. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

"Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." (Ephesians 6:8)

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it." (Proverbs 3:27)

Meditation on Ephesians 6:8 (above) brings us to that obvious conclusion: What WE make happen for others, God will make happen for US! Now this isn't speaking of the identical situation, but of the essence of it! When I concentrate on the success of others, encouraging, praying, supporting in any way that I can, then God WILL raise up those who will do the same for me, in the areas of my interests, concerns and endeavors! We cannot EVER out-give God! So, if you find yourself up against a wall in your dreams, visions and goals, take some time to find others who need some encouragement and dive in! It will open up so many new realms of possibility for you, as well as expanding your realm of influence! While you are contemplating this, here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Joseph Prince's "Grace Meditations" for today contains the very essence of the Covenant of Grace that we are living in! 

YOU ARE PERFECT IN GOD’S EYES

Hebrews 10:12, 14, KJV  But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God... For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

God sees you with no flaw, spot or imperfection, so honor His Word and the finished work of His Son by saying, “Amen!” Don’t doubt your perfection in Christ. To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.

The Bible tells us, “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in God’s eyes!

Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely finished and perfect! So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins.

When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely.

“Holy Spirit, thank You for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am still the righteousness of God in Christ.”

My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6)

AMEN! If we do not begin to see ourselves ONLY as God sees us, then we will constantly be trampled on by the enemy telling us that we are just not good enough! THEN we will be rendered useless and helpless when it comes to preaching the TRUTH of the Gospel with the Anointing and power that Holy Spirit will bring to it! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light", because that IS who we are! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are reading Psalm 50 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE to dig into the Word of  God. I love doing 'word studies' to find out what was actually meant by what was said! I have learned SO much over the years by checking out different translations and even by hearing things that I disagree with, because it causes me to dig deeper into WHY I believe what I believe. This is what every 'student of the Word' should be doing, in their own unique way! Today I looked deeper at the verse 23. 

23 He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God.

This is what I found! "He who brings an offering" is the Hebrew word "zabach", which means: to sacrifice. "Praise" is the Hebrew word "towdah", which we have covered numerous times on the blog, and means: adoration, praise, thanksgiving. "glorifies" is the Hebrew word "kabed", which means: to honor, to be heavy, rich, to make weighty, to be rich, to be glorious. "To he who orders" is the Hebrew word "suwm" which means: to put, to place, to set, to appoint. "His way" or ("conversation' in the KJV), is the Hebrew word "derek", which means: a road, a course of life, a mode of action, a manner, conduct.  "I will demonstrate" or ("Will I show KJV") is the Hebrew word "ra' ah", which means: to see, to look, to inspect, to perceive, to consider, to get acquainted with. "The salvation" is the Hebrew word "yesha', which means: liberty, deliverance, prosperity, rescue, welfare, safety, and victory! Now all of those taken together sounds a lot like the Amplified verse above! We've looked at this to show you how exciting it can be to see the TRUTH in different formats! Not all of these human endeavors are completely accurate, but the true student of the Word, who is filled with Holy Spirit, will be able to properly discern what is important and what is not! Now let's look at verses 1-3 from The Passion Translation:

God Has Spoken

A poetic song of Asaph, the gatherer

1 The God of gods, the mighty Lord himself, has spoken!
    He shouts out over all the people of the earth
    in every brilliant sunrise and every beautiful sunset,
    saying, “Listen to me!”
2 God’s glory-light shines out of the Zion-realm
    with the radiance of perfect beauty.
3 With the rumble of thunder he approaches;
    he will not be silent, for he comes with an earsplitting sound!
    All around him are furious flames of fire,
    and preceding him is the dazzling blaze of his glory.

Now doesn't THAT sound more like how our Almighty God will reveal Himself when He finally sets His foot upon the earth again? HALLELUJAH! Soon and very soon, in the fullness of time, ALL things prophesied in the Word will come to pass! AMEN! Here is a very old song by the Rhema Singers and Band called "God is God (and He always will be God)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you from Rick Renner's devotional on hearing from God. It is a little long, but it addresses a mind set that many people have that God sometimes willfully holds out on us when we desire to know the Truth! 

God’s Five Guarantees!

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.— James 1:5

Have you ever asked someone a question that you knew he or she could answer, but instead of being helpful with a clear response, that person skirted the issue and answered indirectly? In these situations, it may have appeared that the person was hiding his knowledge to retain a sense of control by keeping you in the dark. What an unpleasant experience, especially when you know that the person could just simply answer you!

This is the way many people wrongly perceive God. They know that He has the answers to their questions, but often they don’t believe He will actually answer them. In their minds, He dangles the answer before them and then jerks it back out of reach just as they attempt to take hold of it. They think this is the way God keeps people on their knees in a humbled position of supplication. But in fact, James 1:5 gives us five guarantees that God does not act like this at all!

As we saw yesterday, God isn’t offended or upset when you ask Him for clarification on the issues you’re facing in life. In fact, He encourages you to come alongside Him and ask for the answers you lack. If you meet this requirement of drawing near to Him, pulling right up alongside His heart, James 1:5 says that God will answer you liberally. He’ll play no games with you once you meet this one condition when you ask.

James wrote that God “…giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” In this verse, we find five guarantees that God makes to those who seek answers to their questions.

We are guaranteed that God “giveth.”

We are guaranteed that God gives “to all men.”

We are guaranteed that God gives “liberally.”

We are guaranteed that God “upbraideth not.”

We are guaranteed that answers “shall be given” to the one asking.

Let’s look at each one of these five guarantees.

James 1:5 guarantees that when we ask for wisdom and we meet God’s condition of drawing close to Him, God will “give” us the answers we are falling short of. The Greek word used for “giveth” is didontos, a form of didomi, which means I give. But in this Greek case, the grammar does not describe the random, occasional act of God, but rather the regular behavior of God. In fact, the entire Greek phrase is tou didontos theou and is literally translated the giving God. Hence, God is not one who holds out on us when we need wisdom or information. He is, in fact, the giving God — one who is reputed for habitually giving answers to those who meet His conditions.

James 1:5 guarantees that God gives “to all men.” This removes the uncertainty that God may answer some and not If God’s condition has been met — that is, if we have drawn near to His heart and come closely alongside Him — He will answer us, because each of us fits into that phrase “all men”!

James 1:5 guarantees that God gives to all men “liberally.” This is the Greek word haplos. It denotes something that is bountiful. It actually portrays one who gives copiously, amply, extravagantly, generously, lavishly, liberally, plentifully, or richly. This is a person who has an open hand, as opposed to one who keeps a closed fist. Hence, God doesn’t dangle the bait before us and then quickly jerk it out of our reach. If we have met His conditions and pulled up alongside His heart, He reaches down with an open hand to give the answer we seek — and He gives us the answer bountifully.

James 1:5 guarantees that God “upbraideth not.” This is a translation of the Greek phrase me oneididzontos. The word me is emphatic for not, while the word oneidodzontos is a form of the word oneinidzo, which means to berate, to censure, to correct, to rebuke, or to scorn. In other words, God is not going to get upset with you if you ask Him for answers. He will never berate, censure, correct, rebuke, or scorn you when you come alongside Him to receive wisdom.

James 1:5 guarantees that answers “shall be given” to the one who is seeking them and who has fulfilled God’s conditions. The Greek tense used for “shall be given” makes this verse a pr Even if you don’t know the answer right now, the answer that you seek will be given to you!

James 1:5 conveys this idea in the Greek:

“If you are short on the answers you need, insistently ask God for them. But God first requests that you come alongside Him. That is the one request He makes before He will provide the answers you seek Him for. God is the giving God. He is known for habitually answering those who seek answers from Him, and when He answers, He does so lavishly and with 

So now you can rest assured that GOD is always speaking to reveal Himself and His Word to you! If you feel that He is not, then you have simply found a place where YOU are getting 'bad reception' and you need to make whatever moves are needful in your own person life to get you to where you can hear HIM, easily and completely! CHOICES. Make your WISE! Here is Hillsong with "So Will I":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Galatians 5:6 tells us this:

6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love.

The Amplified Bible is even clearer!

6 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.

Why is walking in love so important? Well we see here that our faith doesn't work without it! Love is what energizes our faith! But, more importantly, JESUS instructed us to love! Mark  12:30-31 says this:

30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. 31 The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Because this instruction is so important, I wanted to share today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin with you!

Love Arises

"Love is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly" (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). 

It's always flesh that is boastful, haughty, conceited, arrogant, inflated with pride, rude, and unmannerly. And by an act of your own will, you can decide not to give in to these fleshly temptations. You can decide rather to walk in love—to walk in the Spirit. 

The battle is there between your human spirit and your flesh. But the Bible says, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). 

Decide to allow your spirit to dominate. When the temptation comes, stand still a moment and begin to speak the Word of God. Begin to say, "I am born of love. I will allow the love of God within me to dominate."  And the love of God will rise up big within you! 

Confession: I am a love person. Therefore, I am not boastful or vainglorious. I do not display myself haughtily. I am not conceited—arrogant and inflated with pride. I am not rude. I am not unmannerly. I do not act unbecomingly. I act in love. 

AMEN! Here, to help reinforce this for you, is Hillsong with "Greatest Of These":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The message that I have been getting from Holy Spirit for quite some time now is that we who know the Word of God and are daring to stand on it MUST spend MORE time in intimate praise and worship of our One, True God! We have already been given everything we need to SUCCEED! Now we must accept and receive what our Father has already done in us, for us and through us, and then worship Him with everything that is in us! AMEN! That attitude of continual gladness and joy will minister to more people than anything we could personally say or do! Let's get to it and be found, when He comes, giving God glory continually! AMEN! Here is the perfect place to start! Psalm 47!

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 O clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy! 2 For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5 God has ascended amid shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne. 9 The princes and nobles of the peoples are gathered together, a [united] people for the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

AMEN! Don't stop now! Here is Hillsong with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to look at Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food" devotional!

The Importance of God's Word

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-22)

Knowing the written Word of God for yourself is very important. I've had people attend my meetings who were there every single service, but they didn't bring their Bibles. Now I didn't tell them, but I knew that if I could get them to bring their Bible one time so they could see for themselves what God says, they would receive their healing.

I remember one fellow in particular. He had been in twenty-one services, yet still failed to receive his healing. I said to him, "Bring your Bible." 
He responded, "Well, the only time I take my Bible to church with me is on Sunday morning." 

I said, "Bring it with you." I knew he wouldn't accept what I was saying if I just told him, because he thought certain scriptures read a certain way. And they didn't read the way he thought. 

One night he brought his Bible and followed me in reading the scriptures. Before I finished my lesson, he jumped up and said, "I just can't wait. I'll receive right now." And he received his healing! 

Someone might say, "What if you couldn't have gotten him to bring his Bible?" He wouldn't have received. The Bible is God's Holy Book. The Bible is God speaking to us. Do you want God to speak to you? The Bible is God speaking to you. 

Confession:  The Bible is God speaking to me. I attend to God's Word by reading and studying my Bible. I keep His Word before my eyes, and I incline my ears unto it.

I LOVE this! There is POWER in the Spoken Word of God, BUT, We cannot speak over our lives what we do not know! Keep digging deep in to the Word of God and into His presence and you will never be disappointed! You will also be well on your way to walking in divine health and healing! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today everyone in the world is speaking of LOVE! The problem with the world's idea of love, though, is that it is basically very selfish! We have a natural tendency to love those who love us or act lovely to us. God's love, which is SO much higher than man's love, chose to love us when we were VERY unlovely! Romans 5:8 tell us this:

8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

JESUS died for ALL! Every single man, woman and child has the opportunity to accept and receive JESUS as LORD and personal SAVIOUR! John 3:14-17:

14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], 15 In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! 16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 

The only thing that JESUS demands after we receive Him as Lord and Saviour, is that we love HIM with everything within us, and then that we love each other with the very same love with which HE loves us (Mark 12:30)! You CAN do this! Count on Holy Spirit within you to help you cast down those thoughts and imaginations from the enemy that tell you that it is hard to do (2 Corinthians  10:5)! Remember, it is NOT by might or by power, but by the Word of God and Holy Spirit! AMEN (Zechariah 4:6)! So spread the LOVE today, but make it God's love! The love that NEVER fails! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share something that was recently given to me. This is Psalm 63, but from The Passion Translation!

Thirsting for God

 For the Pure and Shining One
King David’s song when he was exiled in the Judean wilderness
¹ O God of my life, I’m lovesick for you in this weary wilderness.
    I thirst with the deepest longings to love you more,
    with cravings in my heart that can’t be described.
    Such yearning grips my soul for you, my God!
² I’m energized every time I enter
    your heavenly sanctuary to seek more of your power
    and drink in more of your glory.
³ For your tender mercies mean more to me than life itself.
    How I love and praise you, God!
⁴ Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart.
    My arms will wave to you like banners of praise.
⁵ I overflow with praise when I come before you,
    for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else.
    You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.
^6–7 I lie awake each night thinking of you
    and reflecting on how you help me like a father.
    I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow,
    offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!
⁸ With passion I pursue and cling to you.
    Because I feel your grip on my life,
    I keep my soul close to your heart.
⁹ Those who plot to destroy me shall descend into the darkness of hell.
¹⁰ They will be consumed by their own evil
    and become nothing more than dust under our feet.
¹¹ These liars will be silenced forever!
    But with the anointing of a king I will dance and rejoice
    along with all his lovers who trust in him.

The challenge here is to read this Psalm and then DO it! As you do, there will be a change in your intimate fellowship with HIM! As you worship Him with this, the sound of HIs voice within you will become louder and clearer! If we will all do this, then our Worship Services will be like those that are taking place in Heaven at all times! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 43 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Look at verses 3-5:

3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling. 4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy; yes, with the lyre will I praise You, O God, my God! 5 Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.

You know, and we have shared many times on this blog, that we are not to merely read or memorize the Word of God, but we are to MEDITATE on it, day and night! Joshua 1:8:

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.

Why do we meditate? Because when we do, we give Holy Spirit something to work with so that He can give us the revelation of what the Word of God means, and how each of us, individually, can put it into practice in our lives! And THEN, says Joshua 1:8, we will make our way prosperous and have good success! God's promises always require a choice on our part! Not let's look again at Psalm 43:3-5, but let's look at it from The Passion Translation, which is the result of someone else's mediation! 

Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak!
    Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth!
    Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path,
    showing the way into your burning presence,
    into your many sanctuaries of holiness.
4 Then I will come closer to your very altar
    until I come before you, the God of my ecstatic joy!
    I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart,
    to you, my God, my magnificent God!
5 Then I will say to my soul,
“Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed,
    for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me.
    Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.”
    Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!

Not everything from every translation is completely accurate, but when you are a student of the WOrd, you can trust Holy Spirit to show you what to take and treasure and what to simply move on from! The thing that really stuck out to me from this selection this:

 I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart,
    to you, my God, my magnificent God!

I LOVE the thought that there is a harp playing inside of my heart that brings up the high praises of God when I sing to Him, in both English and in Spirit! Meditate on that the next time YOU praise and worship HIM! Ask Holy Spirit to reveal to you how your 'harp' sounds and help you to use it!I KNOW that God placed music inside each of us so that we can praise and worship Him in Spirit and in TRUTH! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "O Praise The Name":

Shalom in Him!