Shalom,

We read Psalm 119 on our last day in this year's Bible Reading Plan! Look at verses 1-2:

1 You’re only truly happy when you walk in total integrity, walking in the light of God’s word. 2 What joy overwhelms everyone who keeps the ways of God, those who seek him as their heart’s passion!

Learning, knowing and obeying the Word of God puts us in position to receive the greatest blessings of our lives! Look at these verses from the Amplified Bible!

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God’s revealed will). 2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.

Note that under our new and better Covenant, the 'undefiled' are NOT those who never miss it or make a mistake! They are those who are 'upright and blameless' because they have received JESUS as Lord and Saviour, and the Blood of JESUS continually cleanses them from all sin as they confess (acknowledge and admit) that sin to the Father (1 John 1:9)! And we all are 'blessed, happy, fortunate and to be envied' when we make the Word of God our standard and order our lives by it! All of  Psalm 119 is referring to the Word of God and how indispensable it is to our success in everyday life! I encourage you to read Psalm 119 on a regular basis and allow Holy Spirit, who lives IN every born again believer, to show you more and more Wisdom from it! Make a commitment to put the Word of God first place this year, and next year on this last day of the year, YOU will look back on a year of unprecedented growth in the things of God and in usefulness to the Kingdom of God! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Verse 1
Before the earth knew its foundation
You spoke the dust into creation
Until the end when all has withered
Then still Your Word will endure forever

Pre-Chorus
The lamp unto my feet
The light unto my path

Chorus
Your Word will not be shaken
Your Word will never fail me
Like a fire in my bones
Like a whisper to my soul
Your Word is revelation

Verse 2
Deep calls to deep within Your presence
When I hear You speak my soul awakens
Your Spirit leads my heart to worship
As Your Word reveals the light of Jesus

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Yesterday we looked at James 1:22. Today's "Health Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin addresses that very thing again! 

Study the Word

But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)

Many Christians are trying to have faith. They are trying to believe. They meet together in services, each one urging the other to do what he's not doing himself. They use scriptural expressions and high-sounding phrases that have no meaning to their inner consciousness. 

One problem is that they are listening to preachers, but they're not digesting what they're saying. They are not doing any original thinking on their own. They are not spending time in the study of God's Word. 

They are what the Bible calls "hearers of the Word" and not doers. And that's the reason these people go under when the storms of life come. 

Jesus said, "Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:24-25). 

Jesus said that the man who built his house on the sand is the man who heard the Word but didn't do it. But the man who built his house on the rock is the man who heard the Word and did it. 

So many people are hearers of the Word and not doers. If you're not a doer of the Word, you don't have any foundation under you. Smith Wigglesworth made a statement: "If you wait until you need faith to get it, you're too late." That's the reason you need to study the Word for yourself and find out what it says. 

Confession: I am a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. I spend time studying God's Word. And I am blessed in every area of my life.

AMEN! SEE the Word! HEAR the Word! KNOW the Word! DO the Word! What happens then? Success in every area of life! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers has a very serious and important message for us! 

Deserter of Disciple?

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. —John 6:66

When God, by His Spirit through His Word, gives you a clear vision of His will, you must “walk in the light” of that vision (1 John 1:7). Even though your mind and soul may be thrilled by it, if you don’t “walk in the light” of it you will sink to a level of bondage never envisioned by our Lord. Mentally disobeying the “heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19) will make you a slave to ideas and views that are completely foreign to Jesus Christ. Don’t look at someone else and say, “Well, if he can have those views and prosper, why can’t I?” You have to “walk in the light” of the vision that has been given to you. Don’t compare yourself with others or judge them— that is between God and them. When you find that one of your favorite and strongly held views clashes with the “heavenly vision,” do not begin to debate it. If you do, a sense of property and personal right will emerge in you— things on which Jesus placed no value. He was against these things as being the root of everything foreign to Himself— “…for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). If we don’t see and understand this, it is because we are ignoring the underlying principles of our Lord’s teaching.

Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter.

What he is essentially saying here is that we cannot ever stand still in this life of faith! We are either progressively growing up in the things of God, or we are sliding away from Him! The key s that we must become DOERS of the Word, and not just hearers who walk away and forget! James 1:22 says this (in various translations):

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. KJV

22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. AMPC

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. AMP

22 Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life! TPT

AMEN! God means for us to see, hear, learn and DO His Word! His Word is the only TRUTH (John 17:17) and it is only through KNOWING His Word that we are truly set free and stay free (John 8:31-32). So let's GO and DO! Here is Hillsong with one of my favorites! "Go"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Philippians 1 today in our Spoken Word Bible reading Plan. Verse 6 is a very important verse for every born again believer to BELIEVE and RECEIVE! 

6 And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

Holy Spirit, at the very moment that we received JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour, came to live IN us! He recreated our previously dead human spirit into the image of God, making us that new creation that never existed before! AND, as this verse declares, THAT was the GOOD WORK that He BEGAN! He is continuing to work IN us as we spend time in His presence, time in the Word, time in praise and worship, and time in fellowship with like-minded believers (local church family is the very best place for that)! HE is the One who is doing all the work in us as we simply make ourselves available to Him! AMEN! Let's make whatever adjustments are necessary for us to continue this process of growing up - IN HIM! OUR lives will be better and so will the lives of those who count on us! Here is Hillsong with "Valentine", because He is OURS and WE are HIS!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek" (Volume 2) by Rick Renner is especially appropriate for today! 

Being Thankful

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Isn’t it amazing how quickly the excitement of new possessions can wear off? Within days of getting all those gifts at Christmas as a young boy, I was already dreaming of what I would receive for my birthday — which was a full seven months away! All those items I saw in the Sears catalog that I didn’t get for Christmas were so fresh in my mind that I nearly ignored the toys I had received as I longed for the next round of gifts.

But the Bible tells us to be thankful ! In First Thessalonians 5:18, Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God concerning you.” My parents had to teach me to be thankful. Sometimes they had to literally sit down with me, explain the cost of gifts, the sacrifices that were made to purchase them, and the importance of not being greedy. God blessed me with such wonderful parents who took the time to teach and instruct me on the most basic and elementary principles of life.

As a mature adult, the concept of “thankfulness” is deeply ingrained into my being because my parents so deeply planted it in my character. There is nothing I have that I did not receive, and I am thankful for everything God has sent into my life and for every partner who has helped us fulfill our heavenly mission. I have so much to be grateful for!

In First Thessalonians 5:18, we are instructed to be thankful “in everything.” This phrase in the Greek language is en panti, and it means in every detail, even in the smallest way. One expositor has translated it to read, “In every circumstance, be thankful….”

The word “thankful” is the present imperative active tense of eucharisteo, a compound of eu and charis. The word eu denotes good or well and always denotes a good inner disposition or a good feeling about something. The word charis is the Greek word for grace. When compounded, the new word paints the picture of one who is so grateful that he has an outpouring of overwhelmingly good feelings about everything. Regardless of what is happening — or not happening — he has decided to be thankful.

Let’s be honest. Perhaps things could be better than they are in your life right now. However, you probably will admit that they are not as bad as they could be! The truth is, you have a lot to be thankful about — even about the smallest details of your life.

Years ago I made a decision that when anyone asks me how I’m doing, I would answer by simply saying, “THANKFUL!”

Thankfulness is a choice. You and I must turn our eyes toward the good in our lives and away from the foul things that try to hold our focus — and choose to be grateful. It’s not that we’re hiding our heads in the sand concerning those bad things; we’re simply obeying the Lord as we focus on what is good, and we display an attitude of thanksgiving “in everything.” Paul said, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Could Paul’s words be any clearer? God wants you and me to be thankful — not resentful, not forgetful, but thankful. Really, if we consider all the terrible things that could have come about in our lives but didn’t, we can find a lot of reasons to be grateful. God has spared you and me from so much — and it is His will that we maintain a consistent, thankful attitude for the goodness He has shown us.

So I encourage you to make the decision today to put away all the bad memories of the past and start purposefully focusing on the good things God has done in your life. Even if you think life has been tough, I assure you that it has not been as tough as it could have been. God has been good to you. The best thing you can do when someone asks you how you’re doing is to respond, “I’m thankful !” Keep this attitude of thankfulness coming out of your mouth at all times, and speak it with conviction. I promise you, that one practice alone will change the way you see life!

This teaching is SO vital and timely! When we have trained ourselves to be thankful IN every situation (not FOR them, but IN them) then we will be in perfect position to witness God's very best results happening in our lives! We should ALWAYS be grateful for every good thing in our lives, knowing that every good thing comes from GOD (James 1:17)! Give HIM the glory, honor and praise! When we do this, our understanding of the Word of God will grow and deepen! We THEN truly will know what it means to 'walk by faith, and not by sight"! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Thank You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince! 

DON’T SWEAT IT, REST!

Ruth 3:18 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

God does not want you to “sweat.” Sweat here does not refer to your body’s perspiration, but your self-reliance or self-effort. God does not want you to believe that if you don’t do anything, nothing will happen. That may be true for someone without God in his life, but it is not true for you because you have God. And when He is in the picture, the God-factor changes everything!

When you are resting in God, He works for you. In fact, when He works, you end up with more. He is the one who is giving to you. It is not about you trying to give to yourself.

This was what happened to Ruth in the Old Testament. After laboring in the barley fields from morning to evening, she was able to glean one ephah of barley (see Ruth 2:17), which was equivalent to a 10-day supply of barley. Certainly, this amount was a blessing to her.

But when she rested at the feet of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, and did not labor, she received six ephahs of barley (see Ruth 3:15), which was equivalent to a 60-day supply! When Ruth sought her own blessing, she obtained only one ephah. But when she sought the blesser, she received much more.

Ruth’s blessings did not stop there. While Ruth rested and sat still as her mother-in-law Naomi had instructed, Boaz, who was the owner of the barley field, went to work, initiating actions, executing them and speaking on Ruth’s behalf. Right through it all, Ruth sat still and rested. Eventually, Boaz, the barley man himself, married Ruth (see Ruth 4). That meant no more measured wealth of six ephahs, but the yield of the whole barley field in total!

Boaz is a picture of Jesus, our heavenly kinsman-redeemer. When we rest in the Lord, He will not rest. He will work on our behalf. What do we do then? We just trust in and enjoy His love for us.

Beloved, stop striving and be at rest. If salvation, the greatest work, comes to us by resting in Jesus’ finished work, how much more will all the other blessings?

AMEN! Do you see that so many times we try to WORK at doing the right thing, when we SHOULD be simply waiting on the LORD? When Mary was slaving to serve everyone, which she thought was the right thing to do, JESUS showed her otherwise! Look at Luke 10:41-42:

41 But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42 There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.  AMP

Mary had chosen to put the Words of JESUS above anything and everything else! She knew, from having been in the presence of JESUS before, that food was not nearly as important as hearing the REAL food that came from His Words! She also knew that no one went hungry when the LORD was present! When we desire HIS presence more than our natural food, THEN we will truly be fed! Look at Job 23:12:

12 I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Make time spent in the presence of God and in His Word your TOP priority on each and every day and you will never want for anything! IN HIM is found the WAY to true LIFE, FREEDOM, WEALTH, PEACE, JOY, HAPPINESS and every other GOOD thing that the world strives forever for! God is GOOD! ALL the TIME! So spend YOUR time with HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "The Time Has Come":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Merry CHRISTmas! Today I want to share this very vital message from our partner Rick Renner! 

What You Must Seek

…Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. — Matthew 6:33

“Merry Christmas!”

Those were the first words we heard on Christmas Day when we were children. We were awakened when Dad would turn on the floodlights attached to his Kodak camera, and all three Renner kids would crawl out of bed in our pajamas, rubbing our eyes in the bright lights that were glaring down on us as Dad filmed practically every movement of the Christmas morning for us.

Today we still have those films that Dad took of all three of us as we scampered from our beds into the living room to begin the process of opening gifts. Those films are now decades old, and I am thankful for the thoughtfulness of my father to film those precious memories, which otherwise would have been completely lost. Now that they’ve been transferred to a digital format, we can enjoy them for years to come. Dad is in Heaven, but these are his treasures that he left for the rest of us to watch and enjoy.

Every so often, we watch those films and remember our childhood Christmases and the gifts that Daddy and Mother gave us. The greatest gift my parents ever gave me on Christmas was a study Bible — a very nice, leather-lined study Bible. I was so proud of it! They hit it right on the target when they gave me that Bible, as my heart was aflame to know more about God’s Word at that time in my life. I still have that Bible today. Dad wrote his favorite Bible verse right in the front of the inside cover. There, in Dad’s handwriting, it says, “…Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

Dad would quote this verse to us kids all the time. He wrote it in birthday cards, in letters that he occasionally wrote to us when we were at the university — and, of course, in the front covers of every Bible he ever gave to each of us. He really believed this verse, and he wanted to embed it in our souls.

Dad quoted Matthew 6:33 so often, and wrote it to us so many times, that one day I decided to pick up my Greek New Testament and look at the word “seek” to see what it means. It is the present imperative active form of the Greek word zeteo, and it depicts a constant attitude to actively and constantly seek for a thing.

Furthermore, zeteo is a command. Jesus was literally commanding us to actively and constantly be seeking after the Kingdom of God. Jesus promised that if we did, everything else we needed in life would be supplied to us. No wonder Dad wanted to get that verse into our hearts! He knew that if we got this right, everything else would be okay in our lives.

So I want to ask you: Are you obeying Jesus’ command to habitually, constantly seek the Kingdom of God? Are you on-again, off-again in your spiritual passion, or would Jesus say you are consistent in your seeking of Him and His Kingdom? All those other things you need to be supplied for life will come if you’ll place Jesus first and never stop seeking the purposes of His Kingdom. Jesus truly is the Gift that keeps on giving!

AMEN! JESUS truly IS the REASON that we are celebrating this day!  I hope that YOU have received JESUS as Lord and Saviour, and that YOU have committed your life to knowing HIM more every day! There IS no other way to grow up in the things of God! SEEK HIM FIRST, and you will NEVER find yourself without help in any time of need! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "Ask, Seek, Knock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Merry Christmas Eve! We read Proverbs 25 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. I have always loved verses 2-3!

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing. 3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, so the hearts and minds of kings are unsearchable.

God gets glory by concealing, or hiding, the precious TRUTHS of His Word, not FROM us, but FOR us! Who is it hidden from? From the enemy and those who have not yet received JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour. It is also hidden from those believers who are not following on to know the LORD! We call them 'unbelieving believers'! They CANNOT believe the promises of the Word of God because they have never bothered to dig into the Word to find them, as for precious treasure! (now THAT parable makes more sense, doesn't it!) Just as God gets glory from hiding the Word FOR us, WE get His Glory available to us when we dig in and find the precious treasures hidden there! Verse 3 above says that the hearts of kings is unsearchable. This means that, beginning with the King of kings, we will NEVER get to the end of all the Wisdom that is hidden IN HIM! But, the really good news is, we have all of eternity to keep trying! AMEN!Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Proverbs 24 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, and there is enough Wisdom in verses 3-5 to cause success for any person who will become a DOER of that Word!

3 Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], 4 And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong and is better than a strong man, and a man of knowledge increases and strengthens his power;

These verses are so valuable at face value, without even doing word studies! We will do that at another time, but today I want to just take the Word for what we can see! The first, and most important, step to building a family, a home and a life is 'skillful and godly Wisdom! This is Wisdom that comes by the Word of God with Holy Spirit as our Teacher! When we understand the Word better, then we, with Holy Spirit's help, will be able to lay, and build on, a solid foundation that cannot be shaken. Do you remember the New Testament teaching about the difference between the strength and stability of a house built on the ROCK, and the one built on ever shifting sand? THIS is what is being spoken of here in Proverbs! The Word of God meditated on and acted on produces a foundation so solid that nothing can shake it! THIS is the first and most vital step! Verse 5 says that a man who is wise is a man who is strong, in the strength that matters most! Yes, physical strength is important in being able to protect and defend your home and family. But physical strength without spiritual strength (Wisdom) is useless in all other realms of life! A man of Wisdom will become a man of health and well being, and of strength and conditioning, because they know, by the Spirit of God within, that this, too, in important. Just not of FIRST importance! So, get Wisdom and become strong in the things of God, and then allow that Wisdom to help you become strong physically, emotionally and in every other area! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "You Are My Strength":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share THIS from Jerry Savelle's devotional today!

God's Purpose

God opens doors of opportunities for each and every one of us everyday to serve Him in a greater capacity. But He doesn’t open these doors of opportunity for no reason. God always has a purpose for what He does.

Why does He give us these opportunities? So that He will be glorified in everything we do. He wants us to be blessed so we can be a blessing. God wants us to be able to help others. When we can do that, it brings glory to Him. It makes Him look attractive to the world.

Someone once said that the secret to success is to be ready for the opportunities that come into your life. I believe that God wants us to become more sensitive to the opportunities that are being presented to us.

I have seen people come to meetings where the Word of God is being preached and do nothing with it. And yet, there are others who sit in the same meetings, experience the same anointing, hear the same Word, and they seize the opportunity to apply it to their lives. If you examine their lives a year later, you see their lives are better. They have progressed, and the blessing of God is abounding at a greater level in their lives. However, the lives of the people who did nothing with the message are the same as, or worse than, before.

The difference is that some chose to seize the opportunity of the Word and some did not. Which one will you be today? Remember, God always has a purpose. He has a plan when He presents you with opportunities. Be still and hear His voice.”

Confession: “I will glorify God in everything I do today!”

HE has already provided for US to live in the fullness of our new and better Covenant! Let's find what belongs to us and walk in it! THAT will bring continual glory to His Name! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's reading  in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan takes us through Proverbs 22 and Galatians 6. There are SO many good nuggets of Wisdom found in both of those books. I will share a few that have been powerful in my life! First of all, it does not COST to serve God with all of our hearts. It pays! BIG TIME! Look at Proverbs 22: 4:

4 The reward of humility and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

The fear of the Lord is simply being in reverent awe over Who He is and over all that He has done in and for us! When we maintain that powerful attitude, we WILL be honored with riches (financial blessings) and honor (Godly favor and blessing) and Life (health and vitality). The next exciting promise that we see is found in verse 6:

6 Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.

When we seek the Lord over our children, and then see them go out into the world doing something differently than the way they were taught and trained, we can count on HIM to get them back on track, in keeping with HIS individual calling and anointing over their lives! NEVER be moved by the way things SEEM. ALWAYS confess God's Word over them and speak of them the way the Father speaks about YOU! God's at work in them continually. Never, ever doubt that! (Thank You, Father, for our families being born again, filled with Holy Spirit, loving Your Word and serving YOU!) Now, moving on to Galatians 6, we have verse 1:

Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.

I LOVE this! I have found that in this day of advanced technology and rampant use of social media, more and more people have taken it upon themselves to correct everyone that they deem to be wrong, in any and every area of life. Many of these spew hatred, sarcasm, ridicule, slander, gossip, innuendo and condemnation, rather than the loving encouragement and exhortation that we are called to do. Look at verses 2-3:

2 Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]. For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another’s load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself. 

AMEN! Let LOVE be your motivation in all that you do and you will never find yourself in the position of a judgmental critic, but you will always be one who can see and draw out the BEST in everyone! AMEN! And finally, here is a perfect exhortation for each of us! Verse 9:

9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.

AMEN! Run YOUR race, finish YOUR course, fulfill YOUR God-given destiny and you will have favor and anointing in this life and rewards in abundance in the next! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with one of my new favorite Christmas song! "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food". This message today is all about JESUS! He IS the Reason for this and every season, and this lesson points out the most important aspect of sharing the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST!

He Came To Save

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). 

The first step in redemption was Christ's identification with our humanity. This took place in His Incarnation. Christ was made flesh (John 1:14). Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same...." 
But at the time of His Incarnation, Jesus did not partake of the nature that reigned in the spirit of man. Had He done so then, He would have been spiritually dead during His earthly ministry! Then He could not have pleased the Father by doing His own will. No, His identification with the spirit nature of man didn't take place until His crucifixion. 

There God actually made Jesus Christ to become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sin nature itself was laid upon Jesus Christ until He became all that spiritual death had made man. In the mind of God, it was not Jesus Christ who hung on the cross; it was the human race who hung there. Therefore, each of us may say with Paul, "I was crucified with Christ." 

Confession: Because Jesus came to save me from my sins, I can claim Galatians 2:20, which says: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." 

So God the Son left His place in Heaven and was born as a baby, becoming the Son of God! He lived His life on earth NOT as God, but as a man without the sin nature of mankind. He lived a sinless life, never once giving in to the temptation of sin, even though He was tempted in every way that WE are tempted by the enemy to sin (a selfish decision to do things our own way rather than God's way). Because He was without sin, JESUS fulfilled the Law, the ONLY person to do so. When JESUS was on the cross, He was MADE to BE sin, with all of our sin. He died physically ONLY because He had died spiritually when He took upon Himself OUR sin!  He rose from the dead on that third day because the sin He bore was not His own, but ours! Once JESUS was reborn from the dead, He has provided THE WAY for every person ever born top accept and receive what HE has done as our own! AMEN! If YOU have never received JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour, I invite you to pray this payer with me now and know, FOR CERTAIN, that you have Heaven as your home when you leave this earth, and the people of God as your very own family! AMEN! 

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

AMEN! Now get yourself into a good local church that teaches the Word of  God and you will wreak havoc on the enemy and his 'territory'! Here is Hillsong with "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's devotional from his website. Pastor Bill Novak has been teaching for several months now on "Preparing To Prosper". This goes right along with that teaching!

LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES

This is a key the Lord shared with me about positioning ourselves for walking in the fullness of the blessing: Look for every opportunity that you can to sow towards it.

You can’t have a harvest without sowing. Harvests just don’t happen. They are the results of sowing. And if you want manifestations of the fullness of the blessing in your life, then you sow toward that.

The entire earth revolves around this principle. Genesis 8:22 says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, shall not cease.” (Amplified)

The whole earth revolves around the principle of sowing and reaping. The world calls it cause and effect. For every action, there is a reaction.

Let’s look at Genesis 12, God told Abraham that He would bless him. God said, “I will bless you. I will make you a blessing. I will make your name great. I will make a nation out of you and that through you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

This is what God promised Abraham when He first introduced Himself to him. But did Abraham wait until all of the promises of God for his life were manifested before he started sowing? No. He did not.

God is talking about these promises in Genesis 12, 13, and 14. By chapter 15, for the first time mentioned in the Bible, the Bible says that Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes of all. Once again, the promises that God gave Abraham haven’t been fulfilled yet.

What was Abraham doing? He was not only giving God tithes of all, but he is also sowing towards the fulfillment of the promises that God had given him.

Over the years, I have learned to follow that example. And if you want to live in the fullness of the blessing, then let me encourage you to begin to look for every opportunity that you can to sow towards the fulfillment of it. If you do, you won’t be disappointed. I can tell you without any reservations that God has never let me down and He’ll do the same for you!

AMEN! And this same principle works in every area of life! If you want to have friends, you MUST sow friendship into others! If you want God to have people praying for you, YOU must be praying for others.What you SOW is what you shall reap! So, begin, if you haven't already, to sow into those areas of life that you are believing and expecting God to move powerfully. If you want a new house, start taking better care of the one you now have, and then get involved in making someone else's dream come true! Jerry Savelle called it looking for opportunities. Let's GO! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love Paul's letters to the churches. He pulls no punches and tells it straight up, just like it is! Remember, Paul got His knowledge of the Gospel from JESUS Himself, supernaturally, by spending time in the presence of the risen Lord. He did NOT even spend much time with the other disciples and apostles until after this time. He is of the idea that those who were with JESUS when He ministered should be speaking the plain truth, just as he was. So, as we get into Galatians 3, Paul speaks pretty bluntly to them! Look at verses 1-2 as he speaks to them of the false teaching that had crept into the church that was requiring works to be saved along with faith. 

 O you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified? 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?]

Paul didn't waste a moment! He got right to the point and the very heart of the matter that he was addressing this church about! And this isn't all of it! Look at verses 3-5:

3 Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)—if it really is to no purpose and in vain. 5 Then does He Who supplies you with His marvelous [Holy] Spirit and works powerfully and miraculously among you do so on [the grounds of your doing] what the Law demands, or because of your believing in and adhering to and trusting in and relying on the message that you heard?

Did these people REALLY think that what JESUS accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection was NOT enough? I am sure that if they actually thought it through (you know, meditating on the Word as we are instructed in Joshua 1:8) they would NOT have come to the conclusions that they had. But, still in the habit of being intimidated by others who appeared to know more, they just simply began to believe that it must be true! The difference, though, is that every born again believer has the Spirit of Almighty God IN them, to teach and train them according to God's perfect Word and will and plan. There can be no excuse for laziness concerning the Word of the Living God! Each believer has the individual responsibility to get that Word into themselves, meditating on it until they can be a DOER of it! But Paul did not leave them in condemnation, he trained them further in the Word with verses 27-29:

27 For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ. 28 There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.

AMEN! We have been given pastors and teachers of the Word of God as helping gifts to us, to make it easier to get the Word into us, but Holy Spirit is the only One Who can make that Word come alive and be real and easily understood. So, spend time in the Word of God every day, and then time in HIS presence, meditating on that Word by asking Holy Spirit questions to make things clearer. That IS one of His roles! Thank You, JESUS! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word", which can only be effectively done when we KNOW the Word! AMEN! :

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 18 today and I want to look at verses 20-21:

20 A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil]. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

When God wanted to create something, He spoke! The world's that we see were created by His words! What WE desire to see or have happen must be proved for in the Word of God. Then, when we have found the promise that cover that, we meditate on that Truth (John 17:17) until it becomes real to us. Believing that we receive BEFORE we SEE it is called faith and that faith MUST be based on the Word of God! Now SPEAK the desired result rather than the problem and you will not even be able to keep up with all of the blessings coming your way, through faith! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share again today from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional because it follows right after yesterday's! 

For Further Meditation

"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Colossians 1:19). 

The Word of God plainly teaches that our Redeemer is divine. These divine offices are ascribed to Him: 

Creator (Colossians 1:16) 
Mediator (1 Timothy 2:4-5) 
Head of the Church (Colossians 1:16-24) 
Savior (2 Peter 3:2) 
Judge (2 Timothy 4:1) 
Preserver (Hebrews 1:1-3) 
Life-Giver (John 10:28) 
Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36) 
Resurrection and Life (John 11:25). 

Divine character is ascribed to Christ. Ordinary men are sinners by nature, but Christ Jesus is not an ordinary man. He is: 

Holy by Birth (Luke 1:35) 
Righteous (Isaiah 53:11) 
Faithful (Isaiah  11:5) 
Truth (John 14:6) 
Just (John 5:30) 
Guileless (1 Peter 2:22) 
Sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21) 
Spotless (1 Peter 1:19) 
Innocent (Matthew 27:4) 
Harmless (Hebrews 7:26) 
Obedient to God (Hebrews 5:8-10) 
Obedient to Earthly Parents (Luke 2:51) 
Zealous (John 2:17) 
Meek (Matthews 11:29) 
Lowly in Heart (Matthews 11:29) 
Merciful (Hebrews 2:17) 
Patient (Isaiah 53:7) 
Long-Suffering (1 Timothy 1:16) 
Compassionate (Matthew 15:32) 
Benevolent (Acts 10:38) 
Loving (John 15:13) 
Self-Denying (2 Corinthians 8:9) 
Humble (Philippians 2:5-11) 
Resigned (Luke 22:42) 
Forgiving (Luke 23:34) 

Confession: Jesus Christ is worthy. Thank God for this Worthy One. Thank God for this Divine One. Thank God that One who is the Creator would come to earth from glory to be the Mediator, the Head of the Church, the Savior, the Judge, the Preserver, the Life-Giver, the Lord and Savior. And thank God, this Worthy One is my Lord. 

AMEN! He is GOD and He is GOOD! ALL THE TIME!!! Here is Hillsong with "Behold":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" again. This lesson, all about Who JESUS is, will set you free and keep you free IF you will meditate on the TRUTH found here!

For Meditation

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). 

Divine names and titles ascribed to Jesus prove that He is, by nature, divine and a member of the Godhead: 

Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)
God (John 1:1)
Lord (Luke 19:34)
Lord of All (Acts 10:36)
Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8)
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7)
The Lord's Christ (Luke 2:26)
Son of God (Romans 1:4)
His Son (John 3:16-18)
God's Beloved Son (Matthew 3:17)
Only Begotten Son (John 1:18)
Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Revelation 22:13)
The Lord (Acts 9:17)
Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32)
Bread of God (John 6:33)
Holy One of God (Mark 1:24)
Thy Holy Child Jesus (Acts 4:30)
King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16)
Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:2)
Word of God (Revelation 19:13) 

Confession: Jesus is my Lord. My Lord is called Emmanuel...God...Lord of All...Lord of Glory...Wonderful...Counsellor...Mighty God...Everlasting Father...Prince of Peace...the Lord's Christ...Son of God...His Son...Only Begotten Son...Alpha and Omega...Beginning and the End...the First and the Last...the Lord...Son of the Highest...Bread of God...Holy One of God...the Holy Child Jesus...King of kings and Lord of lords...Lord and Savior...Word of God. That's who my Lord is! No wonder Satan cannot dominate me! 

AMEN and AMEN! When you KNOW Who HE is, you will KNOW who YOU are - IN HIM! One of the most vital TRUTHS that every believer should know so that we can, individually and altogether, be about our Father's business! What is HIS business? Seeking and saving the lost! So WE have been given Holy Spirit as our Helper and the SEED of the Living Word of God to SOW, SOW, SOW into the lives of others. I hope that you will mediate on all of these TRUTHS during the last days of this year, so that you can fly into 2019 with the Glory of God all over you, the Word of God In you and the praises of the Most High God on your lips continually! Let's make THIS year count -- BIG TIME! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I Love this from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

The Great Life

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled… —John 14:27

Whenever we experience something difficult in our personal life, we are tempted to blame God. But we are the ones in the wrong, not God. Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some disobedience somewhere in our lives. But as soon as we let go, everything becomes as clear as daylight to us. As long as we try to serve two masters, ourselves and God, there will be difficulties combined with doubt and confusion. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a saint. We encounter difficulties when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own purposes.

God’s mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, “as the world gives,” but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, wait until it does, or seek to find out why it is not coming. If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. God counters our self-willed decisions with an appeal for simplicity and unity.

My questions arise whenever I cease to obey. When I do obey God, problems come, not between me and God, but as a means to keep my mind examining with amazement the revealed truth of God. But any problem that comes between God and myself is the result of disobedience. Any problem that comes while I obey God (and there will be many), increases my overjoyed delight, because I know that my Father knows and cares, and I can watch and anticipate how He will unravel my problems.

AMEN! God is GOOD! ALL the time! Get yourself used to EXPECTING good and godly things, for that is what the God of the Bible desires for you! Here is Hillsong with "";

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I would like to share this powerful message from Joseph Prince:

BUILD YOURSELF UP—SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY

1 Corinthians 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself…

Many Charismatics believe that when you speak in tongues, you edify or build up your spirit man. Well, that is only one-third true. The Bible does not say that the speaker edifies his spirit. No, it says that the speaker “edifies himself.” This means his entire self—spirit, soul and body. So he who speaks in tongues builds up not just his spirit, but his soul and body as well.

Beloved, if you are feeling emotionally drained or just physically tired from a hectic week, begin to pray in tongues and allow the Holy Spirit to edify you. God’s Spirit in you knows exactly what you need and will rest and recharge you—spirit, soul and body—as you yield to Him and pray in tongues. Sometimes, when I am tired after a long flight and still need to preach at a conference, I will pray in tongues to edify myself. I have found that when I do this, despite the jet lag, I will have the strength and clarity of mind to preach an anointed message and do whatever I need to do for the day.  

One of our congregation members, a 74-year-old brother, decided to build up his body, specifically, his heart. He had discovered that two of his arteries were 70 per cent blocked and five smaller vessels were 80 per cent blocked. So during a church service, when I asked those who wanted to be healed of heart problems to stand up, he stood up, placed his hand over his heart and prayed in tongues.

He shared that at that moment, he believed that the Holy Spirit touched him and he became a different person. When he went for his medical check-up, his surgeon found that all the blockages in his arteries and blood vessels were gone! Even a scheduled heart-related operation was cancelled as there was no longer any necessity for it. Indeed, he was a different person. He literally had a change of heart, a new heart from God!

Beloved, you may not have a heart condition, but you can still pray in tongues for your area of need. Start building yourself up today—spirit, soul and body—and enjoy the healing, well-being, power and wisdom that only the Holy Spirit can bring!

We , as born again believers, have been given the most powerful Gift in the infilling of Holy Spirit! He fills us to overflowing with His presence and His power and gives us our own personal prayer language to be able to communicate, at any time and ALL the time, with God, spirit to SPIRIT! Be like Paul and determine to pray tongues more and more! You will never regret that wise decision! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Behold - Then Sings My Soul":

Shalom in Him!