Shalom,

I really love the message in today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince! 

GOD OF THE SMALL THINGS TOO

John 21:9, 12 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread… Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.”

Like many parents, Wendy and I pray for our daughter Jessica every night before she sleeps. When Jessica was two years old, we decided to pray that her diapers would not overflow during the night. Her diapers not overflowing might be a small thing, but we knew that it would give our little girl a comfortable sleep every night. And after we started praying for this, we noticed that her diapers did not overflow.

That incident made me realize that our God is not just interested in the big things that affect us. He bothers and cares about the minor things that affect us too. There is nothing too insignificant for Him. So don’t be like some religious people who have this idea that God only wants us to bring the big issues to Him, and that He doesn’t want us to bother Him with small issues.

Nothing could be further from the truth. God cares about everything that you experience, from the small ulcer in your mouth to your concerns about the world’s economy. Even when you tell Him about the inconvenience that might arise if the bus is late, He takes note of that too. In fact, when you come to Him often about anything and everything in your daily life, you compliment Him because you are telling Him that He is your Daddy God who watches over you.

Jesus represented the Father’s heart and will when He was on earth (see John 5:19). He cared when His disciples were out at sea the whole night, cold and shivering. He cared when they caught nothing that night (see John 21:3). He cared that they would not have fish to sell. So He gave them a huge catch early the next morning (see John 21:5–6). He knew that they were cold and hungry, so He prepared breakfast for them, served over a fire of coals to keep them warm.

Jesus showed us that God is our loving heavenly Father who cares about the big and small things that happen every day in our lives. Nothing escapes God’s eyes because He loves you!

AMEN! Never allow the enemy to steal that very vital TRUTH from you! GOD LOVES YOU! His love is all-encompassing, never-ending, never-failing! He loved you before you were ever born and His plans and purposes for you are beyond your imagination! Trust Him with all that you are and you will begin to see His love as it plays out in every aspect of your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Love is Relentless":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems from the Greek". It's a little longer, but very important!

Repent!

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent….— Revelation 2:5

In this modern age, people want to be comforted and told that everything is going to be all right. But the truth is, some things are not going to be all right in people’s lives unless they make a decision to repent and change. In those cases, it is sometimes up to us to love people enough to be honest with them, no matter how painful it is for them to hear the truth. This type of spiritual pain is good for people to experience because it makes them aware that things are not right between them and God.

You may remember from the March 18 Sparkling Gem that the word “repent” is the Greek word metanoeo and means a change of mind, repentance, or conversion. The Septuagint used this word in the Old Testament to depict the prophet’s call to the people to turn or to change their attitudes and ways.

In the New Testament, metanoeo, or “repent,” has the same meaning, but the force is much stronger. It demands a decision to completely change or to entirely turn around in the way one is thinking, believing, or living. This word “repent” gives the image of a person changing from top to bottom — a total transformation wholly affecting every part of a person’s life.

Because Christ loves us, He often confronts us with painful truths about ourselves and then calls on us to repent. At that point, we must make the decision to turn from the sin in our lives and remove every action, attitude, or relationship from our lives that grieves Him and hurts us.

In Revelation 2:5, Jesus didn’t mitigate the truth; rather, He had a straightforward confrontation with the Ephesians as He told them that they had allowed their relationship with Him to slip. This congregation was viewed as the model church — an example for churches throughout other parts of the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, Jesus said its members and leadership were “fallen” compared to what they had experienced earlier with Him. The passionate, on-fire relationship they had once enjoyed with Jesus had slipped away as they became lost in the sophistication of ministry.

When the pastor of the Ephesian church heard this message from Christ, it must have pained his heart; yet it was his responsibility as the messenger of the church to pass this message on to the entire congregation. One can only imagine the pain these early believers felt when they heard Jesus’ words to them, urging them to put everything on pause and to take the time to remember the intimate relationship they had enjoyed with Him in the past. It must have profoundly affected the Ephesian congregation when they compared their passionate love for Christ in those earlier days to the body of believers they had become — spiritually sophisticated but distant from the Lord in their hearts.

Psalm 51 provides a vivid example of genuine repentance and is, in fact, called David’s psalm of repentance. In this psalm, one can sense not only David’s sorrow but also his decision to change. In verse 17, he wrote about a heart that is broken over sin: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The word “contrite” is the Old Testament expression for someone who is genuinely repentant for what he has done. This is a person who has recognized his wrong, decided to change, and now desires to live uprightly.

This was the spiritual condition to which Christ was calling the congregation of Ephesus. He confronted them with the truth: that although they had continued to serve Jesus and to faithfully go through the motions, little by little their spiritual zeal had begun to wane. Then He compelled them to acknowledge — just as He compels us today — that they needed to repent and return to Him, thereby rekindling the fire that once burned so brightly in their hearts.

When necessary, Christ calls entire churches to repent. Besides the churches in the book of Revelation, another scriptural example is the Corinthian congregation, to whom Paul brought correction for their many acts of carnality. When the Corinthian believers received Paul’s first letter and recognized that God was speaking to them through the apostle, they were moved with fear to purge themselves of the sin in their midst that had grieved the Holy Spirit. This willingness to change was the proof that true repentance had occurred. The indisputable transformation that occurred in the Corinthian church was sufficient evidence for Paul to declare in his second letter that they had cleared themselves in the matters where they had previously been wrong (see 2 Corinthians 7:9-11). God’s goal in confronting His Church is always to produce cleansing, transformation, and restoration.

Today Jesus is still crying out for the Church to repent of worldliness and carnality. As is true in each generation, today we have a choice: to harden our hearts and turn a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit, or to allow Him to deal deeply with us and produce genuine repentance in our hearts and souls. Although Christ is always ready to transform His Church, no transformation can occur unless we are willing to hear what His Spirit is saying to us. And once we do hear that divine message, we must be willing to respond with humble obedience, just as the Corinthian church did.

This was the case for the church at Ephesus. Jesus was calling this congregation to recognize their fallen state and to take visible steps to demonstrate that they were sincere about restoring their passion for Him. But how does a fallen church, or a wayward believer, restore that fire that once burned so brightly? That is exactly what we will discuss in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem!

Though JESUS was speaking to Churches in Revelation 2, churches are made up of people! WE are the CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST! It is up to us to represent HIM in all of His glory! KNOW the TRUTH, SPEAK the TRUTH, OBEY the TRUTH, and watch as the Author of TRUTH confirms His TRUTH with signs, wonders and miracles! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with a very good older song called  "One Way":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations"!

YOU ARE A SON AND AN HEIR OF GOD

Galatians 4:6–7 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Perhaps these questions have been popping into your head lately: “If You are a Christian, why are you sick? If your heavenly Father is so wonderful, why do you have so many problems? Doesn’t your God help you, His child?”

And if you have been tempted to ask, “God, I am Your child. Why is this happening to me?” know that Jesus knows exactly how you feel because 2,000 years ago, the devil played the same trick on Him—“If You are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3). You see, the devil’s intention was to make Jesus doubt His Sonship, and the devil wants to do the same thing to you today.

He wants to destroy the Spirit of sonship in you and in the body of believers. He knows that once you really believe that you are a son of God, something happens—you begin to live life as “an heir of God through Christ.”

As a son and an heir of God, you inherit all the blessings of God which Jesus died to give you, including salvation, healing, provision, wholeness, favor, intimacy with God and answered prayers. And Jesus rose from the dead to make sure that what He died to give you, you get. He is alive today to enforce this rich, blood-bought inheritance in your life!

My friend, you are an heir of God through Christ. This means that you are joint heirs with Jesus (see Romans 8:17). So His inheritance is your inheritance too!

What is provision when you are an heir of God? He owns every beast in the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills (see Psalm 50:10). All the diamonds and gold came from Him. What is healing when you are an heir of God? He is your Creator and the very breath of your life.

Beloved, enjoy every bit of your inheritance in Christ, not because you deserve it, but because it was paid for by Jesus’ blood!

AMEN! KNOW who you are - IN CHRIST! Then refuse to be intimidated by anything or anyone! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today!

Doing Philippians 4:6

"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God" (Philippians 4:6 AMP). 

A minister once came to me for advice. There were many storms in his life, and I felt sorry for him. He couldn't eat or sleep. 

Just to sympathize with him wasn't enough, so I had to read Philippians 4:6. "But everyone doesn't have the faith you have," he told me. "Yes, but they have the same Bible," I replied, "and it's a matter of practicing the Word." 

Then I showed him how to practice the Word: I read a verse aloud and then told the Lord, "Your Word is true, and I believe it." When I first started practicing this verse, I believed I could make my requests known to God, but it was hard for me to believe I could keep from fretting. However, God won't ask us to do something we can't do. So when God said not to fret, this means we can keep from fretting. 

So I say aloud, "I refuse to fret or have any anxiety about anything." Then I bring my requests to the Lord and thank Him for them. This quiets the troubled spirit the devil tried to make me have. If the devil tries to get me to worry again, I simply go back, reread this verse, and keep claiming it. 

Confession: I am a doer of Philippians 4:6! 

It takes practice, diligence and discipline to be a DOER of the Word of God! Begin today to practice DOING what you see to do and the Word will become more real to you! Faith will rise and you will begin to see the results that you have been hoping for! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I was really blessed by Andrew Womack's devotional for today!

MINISTER GOD'S LOVE

Luke 19:8 "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."

Zacchaeus was rich but Jesus made no demands for him to give away all his goods to the poor as He did with the rich young ruler. Zacchaeus had already repented and money was no longer his god, as was revealed by his actions. It seems that Zacchaeus was going above and beyond the requirement of restitution as stated in Mosaic law by offering to give half of his goods to the poor and to repay fourfold for his theft.

Publicans were hated by their fellow Jews. They were especially despised by the religious Jews as the epitome of sinners and Jewish religious laws prevented devout Jews from keeping company with any publican. To eat with a publican was unthinkable as the Jews considered this actually partaking of the publican's sins. This is why the people reacted so adversely to Jesus eating with Zacchaeus.

Jesus did not eat at Zacchaeus' house to participate in his sin but to extend mercy and forgiveness to him. This is always the criterion whereby we can judge whether or not we should be involved in a certain situation. We must not participate in other men's sins, but the Lord doesn't want us to retreat to monasteries either. We are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), and to do any good, we have to get out of the "salt shaker." If we can be in control and minister the love of God, then we are right to associate with sinners. But when we are being controlled by the ungodliness of sinners, we need to take control or withdraw.

As I was growing up in the things of God as a new believer, I remember hearing other believers speak of wanting to live in a Christian commune of some sort, where they never had to be around the world. We DO have that to look forward to in Heaven, and we DO have a responsibility to spend time with like-minded believers, but if we are to be the Light of the World, as representatives of Heaven on earth, we do have to deal with the world! The last paragraph above gives the right balance to this! BE the LIGHT, and if you find it beginning to overwhelm, then pull back and have fellowship with like-minded believers! Be active in your church so that you can be recharged, renewed, fed, encouraged, built up and then sent out again as a missile into the world! After all, that IS why we are here! To seek and save the lost! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 56 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Verse 3 was a verse that I heard not long after being born again. It was shared with someone concerning being afraid and I have never forgotten it! 

3 What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You.

Fear, which is an evil spirit (2 Timothy 1:7), will ALWAYS come knocking at the door of your heart (spirit/soul combination)! The enemy will keep trying to find an entrance into your heart and life. Meditating on the Word of God will give you the answers you need to cause him to leave and go elsewhere! Look at 2 Timothy 1:7 from the Amplified Bible:

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

Now, getting back to Psalm 56! Look at verses 9-11 to see what to do when the enemy comes at you!

9 Then shall my enemies turn back in the day that I cry out; this I know, for God is for me. 10 In God, Whose word I praise, in the Lord, Whose word I praise, 11 In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Never be afraid of the enemy! JESUS has already rendered him helpless and useless in the lives of born again believers! Verses 12-13 complete the picture for us of God's supernatural protection, provision and safety as we call on HIM in faith!

12 Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render praise to You and give You thank offerings. 13 For You have delivered my life from death, yes, and my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life and of the living.

AMEN! Keep meditating on the GOODNESS of your GOD and faith will rise! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Be Still":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really enjoyed our Spoken Word Bible Plan for today, but I think that today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is a powerful message that we all should make our own!

The Fruitfulness Of Friendship

I have called you friends. — John 15:15

We never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we abandon in every particular. Self-surrender is the most difficult thing — “I will if…!” “Oh, well, I suppose I must devote my life to God.” There is none of the joy of self-sacrifice in that.

As soon as we do abandon, the Holy Ghost gives us an intimation of the joy of Jesus. The final aim of self-sacrifice is laying down our lives for our Friend. When the Holy Ghost comes in, the great desire is to lay down the life for Jesus, and the thought of sacrifice never touches us because sacrifice is the love passion of the Holy Ghost.

Our Lord is our example in the life of self-sacrifice — “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” He went on with His sacrifice with exuberant joy. Have I ever yielded in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If Jesus Christ is not the lodestar, there is no benefit in the sacrifice; but when the sacrifice is made with the eyes on Him, slowly and surely the moulding influence begins to tell.

Beware of letting natural affinities hinder your walk in love. One of the most cruel ways of killing natural love is by disdain built on natural affinities. The affinity of the saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not sentimental, for the saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing.

“I have called you friends.” It is a friendship based on the new life created in us which has no affinity with our old life, but only with the life of God. It is unutterably humble, unsulliedly pure, and absolutely devoted to God.

AMEN! The mistake that the rich young ruler (from the Gospels) made in his speaking to JESUS was that he loved his possessions more than he loved God! He could not picture himself giving! The TRUTH that he missed out of great fear of giving up everything is that JESUS never asked Him to do that! JESUS simply told him to sell his 'things' (in other words: liquidate his assets!) and give to the poor. JESUS did NOT say to give everything to the poor, simply give to the poor. But when we are not fully committed to our relationship/fellowship with JESUS, then other things will sneak in and take the preeminence! Don't allow that to happen to YOU! Love Him with all that you are and you will discover that you cannot EVER outgive God! When we let go of some things in order to draw closer to Him, then HE pours good things back into our lives! He's just that wonderful! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with an older song that I love called  "Love You So Much":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love the Parable of the Sower that we read today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan from Mark 4. I especially love that the seed is ALWAYS good and ALWAYS ready to bear much fruit! What makes the difference in the results seen in this parable? It is the condition of the SOIL! This is also vitally important in speaking the Word of God! Just speaking, declaring or confessing the Word of God will NOT produce results. We must be speaking, confessing and declaring the WORD, and doing it BOLDLY into GOOD SOIL! The soil is our heart (spirit /soul combination) and the condition of it depends completely on OUR diligence to prepare it! We must be praying, praising, and meditating on the Word that we already know in order to be prepared to receive more! THEN we must be DOES of THIS from verse 24:

24 And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

AMEN! There are no 'down times' when it comes to our attention to the Word of God! We CANNOT grow without it! So, let's pick up our game and become OBSESSED with JESUS and HIS Word! When we do, then that Word will be IN us in abundance and we will get ourselves in position to ask what WE will, and it WILL be done! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Mark 3:1-6 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!

3 Again Jesus went into a synagogue, and a man was there who had one withered hand [as the result of accident or disease]. 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. 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.

Notice that what caught the eye and heart of JESUS was the man with the withered hand! His first response was to set free this one who had been bound by the enemy! Now notice the focus of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the Jewish nation! THEY kept watching JESUS because they wanted to find SOMETHING that they could accuse Him of aso that they could get rid of Him! Instead of being the ones who operated fully under their own Covenant with Almighty God COULD have done what JESUS did! Remember Namaan? HE was set free from leprosy under the OLD COVENANT! But these religious leaders were NOT focused on helping the people, but on protecting their positions from this ONE Who was healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers and preaching the Kingdom of God in the exciting way that it should have been preached! Jealousy will always lead to bitterness and envy and hatred and plots, plans and strategies to overthrow the ones who make one look bad! Refuse to be a 'naysayer'! Appreciate other ministers of  God who are going about our Father's business! Support them and pray for them and encourage them and then YOU will be supported, prayed for and encouraged by those whom JESUS will call upon to do so! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Alive":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love Jerry Savelle's devotional for today!

BE DETERMINED TO WIN

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise (Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV).

So you’ve made the decision to believe and act on what the Word of God says about your situation. You’ve prayed in faith, believing you’ve received the promised outcome, but you don’t yet have it. This is where determination comes in.

The Greek word for determination means, “a firmness of purpose.” It also means “to give definite aim or direction; an unwavering resolution,” and “to set a boundary.” In other words, it’s time to become determined, to set a boundary, and then not compromise. Stay with the unwavering decision that you will agree with the Word and be made completely whole in every area of your life.

Either the Word of God is true or it isn’t. Either God can be trusted or He can’t. Well, the Word of God is true and He can be trusted—so why waiver?

Make a firm resolution in your heart and mind that you are not going to compromise. Decide that you are not going to be moved by what you see, feel, or hear. Make the determination right now that the only thing that is going to move you is God, and you will see the wholeness that is yours in Jesus Christ.

Confession: Father, I am determined to do Your will and live according to Your Word. My trust is in You alone, and I refuse to be moved by anything else. I hold on to my confidence, knowing that in due season I will receive all that You have promised me.

I LOVE this! He says that 'determination' means 'a firmness of purpose'! That is exactly what the Amplified Bible says in Philippians 3:10!

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection

That is Paul's prayer! Let's be like Paul! Make it YOUR 'determined purpose' to know HIM and then you WILL know how to stand uncompromisingly on the Word of God! And then you WILL see HIS results! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with another older so called "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin covers a subject that there are no clear answers to! 

Above Only

"The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath" (Deuteronomy 28:12-13). 

The reason why Christians continually make mistakes and fail is because their spirits, which should guide them, are kept locked away in prison, so to speak. Even in our churches, the intellect has taken the throne. 

Any person who shuts his spirit away and never listens to it becomes crippled in life. He becomes an easy prey to selfish and designing people. 

But the person who listens to his spirit is the one who climbs to the top. 

Before I began to learn in 1959 how to follow the inward witness, it cost me financially. I had to borrow money to get out of a financial hole. Yet God had said I would have money to loan if I would follow the inward witness. But when I began to follow it, I started rising to the top. And I've been rising ever since. 

AMEN! That's all I can say right now on that subject!  What the enemy THINKS he can do is so off the Truth that it borders on ludicrous! Study up on who JESUS is, who you are IN HIM, what God has already done for you and what HE expects YOU to do to enforce HIS will. BE THE LIGHT! There is way too much darkness! Here is Hillsong with "Remembrance":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 50 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, and it is GLORIOUS! Look at verses 1-6:

1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. 3 Our God comes and does not keep silence; a fire devours before Him, and round about Him a mighty tempest rages. 4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that He may judge His people: 5 Gather together to Me My saints [those who have found grace in My sight], those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens declare His righteousness (rightness and justice), for God, He is judge. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

God's people here have a Covenant with Almighty God that ensures their health, prosperity, favor and freedom from the works of the enemy, IF they keep their Covenant! God did not, and does not NEED sacrifices! The blood sacrifices under the Old Covenant were set up as a point of contact for the people to have faith that their sins were taken care of, IF! When Israel obeyed the God of the Bible, they were the most blessed and most prosperous nation anywhere! BUT, when they desired to 'fit in' with other nations and to begin to observe and to DO what these other (heathen) nations did, then they turned their back on the One, True God and even began to worship lifeless idols. In verses 10-12 the God of the Bible tells the people why He does not NEED their sacrifices!

10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills or upon the mountains where thousands are. 11 I know and am acquainted with all the birds of the mountains, and the wild animals of the field are Mine and are with Me, in My mind. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine.

EVERY good thing that we see in all of creation belongs to the God Who created it all! Even under our new and better Covenant, He gives us opportunity to give to Him of what we have been blessed with. NOT because He needs them, they are already HIS! No, He gives us the opportunity to obey His Word so that we can have the results that our obedience promises! 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.

Let's DO THIS! Our GOD is GOOD! ALL the time! So let's give HIM praise, thanksgiving and worship! ALL THE TIME! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with the very first song that I ever heard from them! "Shout To The Lord":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle's website devotional for today is all about faith and a real blessing to me!

FAITH CAN TURN ANYTHING

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible (Hebrews 11:1,3 NKJV).

If the unseen force of faith ignited God’s own Word to form the worlds, then our faith can turn around any situation we may ever face.

Faith can turn the table on any attack of the devil. Faith can turn what the devil meant for evil into a blessing. Faith can turn anything around to your benefit, if you will believe and trust wholeheartedly in God’s goodness and mercy.

In the book of Genesis we find the story of a man named Joseph who faced betrayal, unjust treatment, and suffered one set back after another. Despite crippling circumstances that included a stint in prison, Joseph continued to trust in the love, goodness, and faithfulness of God.

If God is a good God (He is) and you are walking with Him and walking in His Word, you can’t lose. No matter what happens in your life, even if you don’t understand what is going on, your faith will cause things to ultimately work out for your good.

Faith in God’s love and faithfulness to His Word creates an all-encompassing shield around you. When you refuse to fear, the devil can do nothing in your life. When your faith is in God, it is impossible for the devil to succeed against you. Every attack and negative circumstance must turn around for your good, as it did for Joseph.

Joseph ended up exactly where God wanted him. He was made second in command over all of Egypt, and God used him to save the lives of many people (see Genesis 50:20). God used all of the negative situations Joseph experienced to prepare and train him for success in his assignment in life.

Praise God that every challenge you face is nothing more than an opportunity to exercise your faith in His Word, gain greater wisdom, and become better equipped to handle the calling that is on your life.

Never crumple in the face of adverse situations. Your plans may not have worked out the way you expected, but God has everything in control. Faith in God and in His Word can turn anything around for your good.

Confession: I am more than a conqueror in all things. My faith is in God and in His Word. Anything the devil may try to use against me for evil will turn for my good as I fulfill God’s plan and purpose for my life.

AMEN! Remember that YOU are exactly who God says you are in His Word, whether you look and act like it or not! Make it your 'determined purpose' to find out who you are - IN HIM - and then count on God to do His part! HE will never fail you! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share one of my favorites from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

Charged To Keep

"For he [God] shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:11). 

I once heard a pioneer Pentecostal missionary tell this experience: A neighboring tribe kidnapped a little girl from the tribe where he was a missionary. The people in her tribe knew that if they didn't recover her before nightfall, they would never see her again. 

So the missionary and a native interpreter made their way through the jungle to the kidnappers' village. They took trinkets and bargained with the chief for the child's return, but night overtook them. Because they couldn't travel at night in the jungle, they were forced to stay at the kidnappers' village. 

Sleeping on the floor of a thatched hut, they were awakened by the sound of drums. The interpreter said that the drums meant they were to be killed: The chief had decided to kill them and keep both the trinkets and the girl. Then they heard the hostile natives coming for them. 

The missionary and the interpreter knelt down, prayed, and committed themselves to God. Then the missionary said, "Let's not wait for them. Let's go out. I'll go first." 

He stepped outside with his eyes shut and waited for what seemed to be an eternity. One slash of their knives could cut off his head. But instead he heard moaning and groaning. He looked, and every native was on his face on the ground. 

"They are calling you 'god,'" the interpreter said. "They say that when you stepped outside, two giants in white stepped out with you, holding great swords in either hand." 

Confession: God has given His angels charge over me to protect me in all my ways. 

Is there really anything more exciting than the knowledge that THIS is the God to Whom YOU belong? He will never do any less for you, IF you will trust in Him completely! In order to trust Him that way, you have to KNOW Him! Make Paul's prayer in Philippians 3:10 YOUR prayer and purpose and you WILL see those results! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "God Is Able":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 47 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Here is that Psalm!

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.

If you can't come up with anything in your life to thank God for, then declare this Psalm as praise to Him! SHOUT to Him with a triumphant voice! Use the 'voice' you would use if you just found out you had won a lottery! TRIUMPHANT and JOYFUL!!! THAT should ALWAYS be our attitude where GOD is concerned! NO ONE will EVER love you more than GOD already does, and has proven! SO, give Him unrestrained praise, thanksgiving and worship! Go on, do it NOW! Here to help you with that is Hillsong with "I Am Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" again today. This one is SO important for every believer to consider and to KNOW!

Does He Know Me?

He calleth…by name. — John 10:3

When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (John 20:17). It is possible to know all about doctrine and yet not know Jesus. The soul is in danger when knowledge of doctrine outsteps intimate touch with Jesus. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine was no more to Mary than the grass under her feet. Any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could not ridicule out of her was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her; yet His blessings were nothing in comparison to Himself. Mary “saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus”; immediately she heard the voice, she knew she had a past history with the One who spoke. “Master”!

When I have stubbornly doubted? (John 20:27). Have I been doubting something about Jesus — an experience to which others testify but which I have not had? The other disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, but Thomas doubted — “Except I shall see…, I will not believe.” Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches come, or how they come, we do not know; but when they do come they are indescribably precious. “My Lord and my God”!

When I have selfishly denied Him? (John 21:15-17). Peter had denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses, and yet after the Resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. He restored him in private, then He restored him before the others. “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

Have I a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one sign of discipleship is intimate connection with Him, a knowledge of Jesus Christ which nothing can shake.

I LOVE this, especially the very last line:  The one sign of discipleship is intimate connection with Him, a knowledge of Jesus Christ which nothing can shake.

HE always knows YOU! When we maintain a consistent and intimate fellowship with HIM, being aware of His presence within us, then WE can really KNOW HIM! AMEN! Remember Paul's desire stated in Philippians 3:10 AMP:

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection

This was Paul's greatest desire, and I have made it mine, too! I want to REALLY KNOW Him, so much that I can help others with HIS Wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and with His presence and purpose and power! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with very old song called "I Know It":

I know it I know it His blood has set me free I've been delivered forgiven Fear has got no hold on me I'm set apart not livin' life my own way No holding back Till I see Him face to face because I know it Power in the Name of Jesus Oh yes I know it I know it Salvation oh oh The blood of Jesus has set me free There is healing in the Name of Jesus Salvation in the Name of Jesus Forgiveness in the Name of Jesus I've never known it like I know it today There is power in the Name of Jesus Fullness of joy I've found in Jesus Strength in the Name of Jesus I know it I know it Oh I've got to tell you that I

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read 2 Timothy 3 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I want to look at verses 16-17:

16 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Not every Word was SPOKEN by God, but every Word was GIVEN by God! He has given us this precious and powerful WORD so that we can search it out to find the TRUTHS that have been hidden in it FOR us! It takes diligence and discipline to get the Word of God into us so that we can know it, believe it, act on it, and then receive the results of doing so. And what are the God-given results of that? We will be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work! This brings rewards in Heaven, but also peace, prosperity, favor, anointing and success in THIS life! Lazy believers will never find these TRUTHS out. Scoffers will never believe them. The slothful will never act on them. Refuse to be THOSE believers! Find out what belongs to you, here and now, as a born again believer, and take full advantage of the new and better Covenant that we have with Almighty God because of, and through the precious blood of JESUS! There is SO MUCH MORE that God intends for you in this life that you are currently experiencing! Let's go after ALL that HE has prepared for US! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "You Are Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like Rick Renner's devotional for today from "Sparkling Gems From the Greek 2".

Living in the Limelight

Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. — 1 Thessalonians 2:6

Another pitfall that has short-circuited the call of God in lives of others is a desire for glory or fame. But neither money nor fame was Paul’s motive for pursuing ministry. Paul’s primary pursuit was to please God. He genuinely loved God and the people God had called him to reach.

In First Thessalonians 2:6, Paul said, “Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.” The Greek tense makes it clear that Paul was saying he didn’t habitually seek glory from men; it wasn’t his pattern of operation. Then Paul got more specific by using the phrase “neither of you, nor yet of others.” In a general sense, Paul wasn’t seeking glory from people. And in a specific sense, he wasn’t seeking glory from those he knew personally, including the church members in Thessalonica.

Paul’s statement in verse 6 was what I call a futuristic statement. Paul was saying, “I haven’t sought glory in the past; I’m not seeking glory from you now; and I’m not going to seek glory from anyone else in the future.” Paul simply wasn’t interested in the limelight — in receiving the glory of men. This is a great test and temptation for anyone who becomes well known. It is a test that must be passed. If having the adulation of men is important to you, it will eventually become a noose that hangs you — as you’ll end up doing or saying anything to get attention and adulation.

Proverbs 29:25 (NKJV) holds a powerful warning to us along this line. It tells us that “the fear of man brings a snare….” Being overly concerned about what people think of us and fearing their possible rejection of us is actually a dangerous trap of the enemy that he uses to try to control us. It will either muzzle and silence us from speaking the truth when necessary, or provoke us to say what people want to hear — instead of the word of the Lord they need to hear.

Either way, seeking adulation and praise from man is a deceptive trap, and the source is fear. And fear always works to nullify faith, which is essential for you to please God! So make sure your goal is always to stay pleasing to the Lord above all else and all others. It’s that pure desire of your heart to please Jesus that will keep you free every day from the trap of seeking praise from men!

When we realize that each and every member of the Body of Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ, the family of God, has their own special and very unique gifting, calling and anointing to carry out their part of the Great Commission (Matthew 28) and the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), then we will have the freedom to simply BE the very best that we can be, without comparing ourselves to others! No one has your particular calling, or the equipping that goes with it! God knows exactly what is needed for each of us to successfully carry out what HE has given us to do. We get no credit for any of that! It is all simply HIM working in and through us! We WILL get rewarded for our faithfulness on that day when the rewards are given out, but we will not be rewarded for gifts, calling and anointing, for we had nothing to do with that! It is as was as HE wills! AMEN! Let's keep running our race and reaching for the prize, knowing that HIS will is more important than anything and HE desires that none should perish! So let's be about our Father's business! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is one that is VITAL for our continued spiritual growth, so that we can be useful to HIM in this world! 

Quench Not The Spirit

Quench not the Spirit. — 1 Thessalonians 5:19

The voice of the Spirit is as gentle as a zephyr, so gentle that unless you are living in perfect communion with God, you never hear it. The checks of the Spirit come in the most extraordinarily gentle ways, and if you are not sensitive enough to detect His voice you will quench it, and your personal spiritual life will be impaired. His checks always come as a still small voice, so small that no one but the saint notices them.

Beware if in personal testimony you have to hark back and say — “Once, so many years ago, I was saved.” If you are walking in the light, there is no harking back, the past is transfused into the present wonder of communion with God. If you get out of the light you become a sentimental Christian and live on memories, your testimony has a hard, metallic note. Beware of trying to patch up a present refusal to walk in the light by recalling past experiences when you did walk in the light. Whenever the Spirit checks, call a halt and get the thing right, or you will go on grieving Him without knowing it.

Suppose God has brought you up to a crisis and you nearly go through but not quite, He will engineer the crisis again, but it will not be so keen as it was before. There will be less discernment of God and more humiliation at not having obeyed; and if you go on grieving the Spirit, there will come a time when that crisis cannot be repeated, you have grieved Him away. But if you go through the crisis, there will be the psalm of praise to God. Never sympathize with the thing that is stabbing God all the time. God has to hurt the thing that must go.

Notice that I struck through the word 'perfect' in the first paragraph. I believe that a better word for the day in which we live would be 'continual'! None of us are perfect, so our communion with Him will never be 'perfect' this side of Heaven! But, we can practice continual communion with Him by keeping ourselves aware of His presence within us! Remember, He will NEVER leave us or forsake us! That means that He is ALWAYS, at ALL times, living IN us! When we are aware of HIM, and when we are not! The problem is that if we do not stay in a state of awareness, we will not have the confidence that He is there and ever ready to be exactly what we need at any given time! Take whatever time is needful for YOU to stay continually aware of HIM in YOU and you will never lack the confidence that HE is WHO HE says that HE is, and YOU are who HE says that YOU are, too! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with the song by that name! Just for you! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's website devotional!

RIGHTEOUS MEANS RIGHTEOUS

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).

Jesus didn’t come to help you overcome your sinful nature. He came to completely remove it so that you no longer have to be a slave to sin. The Bible assures us of this truth: “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:6 NKJV).

Jesus took away every trace of your unrighteousness and gave you His righteousness. Righteousness simply means “right-standing with God.” He did away with your old sinful nature and gave you His very nature.

You are not partly righteous and partly unrighteous, having to struggle with a split personality. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).

When Jesus made you righteous, He didn’t do a partial job. He made all things new. We know that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. When you begin to see yourself as completely righteous in Jesus, your righteous nature will naturally manifest.

God intends for you to think and act like the righteous person you are in Christ. After all, righteous means righteous.

Confession: I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am a new creation, no longer a slave to sin. I can go boldly to my heavenly Father, knowing that I am in right-standing with Him because I am clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.

Amen! Now dare to believe that you ARE exactly who GOD says that you are! Never give in to condemnation, of yourself or others! If the enemy can keep you in condemnation, then he has won a great battle. Refuse to let him! Keep him on the run by exercising your authority over Him in the Name of JESUS! Meditate on THIS song, from Hillsong Worship, called "Who You Say I Am" and you will see yourself become exactly who HE says you are! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!