Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food" devotional. Many times born again believers have problem receiving their healing because they do not REALLY understand that they have already been set free FROM them!

We Died to Our Old Nature

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When we were born again, we died to our old nature. We died to our diseases. And we rose in the fullness of life, free from our sins and diseases. I was reading a sermon by a Methodist minister once. In his sermon, he shared the following story:

 "I was in bondage to tobacco. I was in a large city at a Methodist conference and wanted a cigarette. So I went into the back alley and smoked a cigarette. [If any of the brethren had seen him, they would have taken his ordination papers away from him.] Afterwards, I felt so condemned. "I said to the Lord, 'Lord, I've done my best. I know that I don't need that and I shouldn't be bound by anything. And yet, I'm under bondage. I've prayed and fasted sometimes as long as two weeks and I still go right back to it.' "Then I heard the Lord say, 'That's the problem. You've tried to do it yourself. Don't you know that I delivered you from all bondage at Calvary?' I said, 'Yes, that's right. You did. Thank You, Lord. I'm delivered!'" 

From that day on, he never wanted another cigarette. You see, he accepted God's deliverance and was set free! In the area of healing, many people are struggling and trying to be healed. They don't realize that Jesus already delivered them from all sickness and disease at Calvary and that all they have to do is accept it and thank God for it. 

Confession: Thank You, Father, for delivering me from sickness and disease at Calvary. I accept it and thank You for it!

AMEN! God, through JESUS, has already done everything that He ever needs to do concerning sickness, disease, weakness and infirmity! He LAID them, ALL on JESUS! JESUS bore them ALL, and left them in hell! These do NOT belong to a born again child of the Living God anymore than sinand the sin nature! Let GO and allow the Spirit of Almighty God Who lives IN YOU to do the WORK that He was sent forth to do! Let Him make the Word come alive you you and teach you HOW to appropriate what JESUS has made to be YOURS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Lost Are Found":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" again. 

Is Your Profit Showing?

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

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

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

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

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

The reason that we, the born again children of the Living God, are still on this earth instead of going directly to Heaven with our Father, is so that we can show forth HIS goodness, His grace, His mercy, His love, His protection, provision and safety, so that those watching our lives can see HIM in us! We have all of eternity to be with HIM, but the longing of His heart is that NONE should perish (2 Peter 3:9)! So, when we show HIM off, HE will draw all men unto Himself! Will everyone choose Him? WE don't know and that is NOT our business! OUR business is to present Him! So, let's be about this great business of presenting JESUS to everyone we meet by standing on His Word and allowing Him to fulfill it in our lives! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from The Spoken Word Church website devotional! 

Expect and Give Favor.

Expect others to respond favorably toward you. Do not build mental images of fear and worry.

Set favor in motion for your own life by planting seeds in the lives of others. Give special attention and favor to others. Become a part of someone's miracle, and it will come back to you.

"A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn." (Proverbs 12:2)

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

One of the most important TRUTHS found in the Word of God is the principle of "Sowing and Reaping"! Galatians 6:7-9 says this:

7 Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.

And then 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says this:

6 [Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. 7 Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving].

So, when we are speaking about giving favor to others, these verses apply! They are Godly principles that apply to every area of our lives! NOT just in the financial areas, but in every area! What we SOW into someone else IS what we will reap, or harvest, in our own! Let's be planting the right seeds so that our harvest of abundance will be in good and godly things! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin:

Don't Talk Fear

"Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth" (Proverbs 6:2). 

With your mouth, you are either going to give God or Satan dominion over you. 

When you were born again, you confessed the lordship of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). You confessed Jesus as your Lord. Jesus began to have dominion over you and to rule in your life. 

But, when you confess Satan's ability to hinder you, to keep you from success, to cause you to fear - even though you are a Christian - you are giving Satan dominion over you. And, naturally, when Satan has dominion over you, you are filled with weakness and fear. 

Don't ever confess your fears. 

"But what if I'm afraid?" you might ask. 

"You" are not really afraid. The Bible says that God has not given you - the real "you" - the spirit of fear, but He's given you the spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Fear isn't something that is coming from the inside of you, trying to get hold of you. 

Fear is from the enemy. You have a spirit of power - so say you have! You have a spirit of love - so say you have. You have a spirit of a sound mind - so say you have. When you confess it, then it will begin to dominate you. 

Confession: I am never afraid. I do not know fear. I have a spirit of power. I have a spirit of love. I have a sound mind. 

AMEN! The very best choice to make is to NEVER say anything that you do not want to happen! Speak God's Word over every situation and over every area of your life! When we speak God's Word, we give Him something to confirm (Mark 16:20) and the angels work to carry out (Hebrews 1:14)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to again share "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

The Delight of Sacrifice

I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls… —2 Corinthians 12:15

Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans 5:5). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see John 15:13). I don’t throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul spent his life for only one purpose— that he might win people to Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but never to himself. He said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul said that he knew how to be a “doormat” without resenting it, because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him would allow. Freedom was not Paul’s motive at all. In fact, he stated, “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren…” (Romans 9:3). Had Paul lost his ability to reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love, this is not an overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.

AMEN! Be mindful for the needs of those around you! After all, we ARE the only JESUS that some people will ever see! BE the LIGHT! Here is Hillsong with "Look To The Son":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this powerful lesson from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "Faith To Faith" devotional:

Don't Stop at the Gate

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

When you made Jesus the Lord of your life, one of the privileges you received was the right to come to the throne room of God any time you want to. Think about that! You have the right to go boldly before God and obtain whatever you need.

Even though that's clearly what the Bible says, many people don't go boldly into th throne room. Instead they think, 'I could never go in to where God is. I'll just stand out here and yell and hope He hears me.' I used to be guilty of that myself.

I remember one day I was in prayer, begging and pleading, bombarding the gates of heaven for revival. After I'd been at it a little while, the Lord spoke to me. What are you doing? He said.

"I'm bombarding the gates of heaven with prayer for revival," I answered.

"Kenneth, how big is My city?" He asked me.

"As far as I can tell from what the Bible says, it's about 1200 cubits or somewhere around 1500 miles square and 1500 miles high."

"Then why are you bombarding the gates? Assuming that My throne is in the middle of the city that leaves you about 750 miles short! And, by the way," He added, "those gates aren't locked. Why don't you quit bombarding them and just come on in?"

After I repented for mimicking old traditional prayers without thinking, I remembered that the Word says, "Come boldly to the throne" and I've been coming boldly ever since.

Do you need to receive something from God today? Don't waste time standing around outside heaven's gates. Through Jesus you belong in the very throne room of God. So come right on in. The door is always open for you.

AMEN! You and I are citizens of Heaven, with the right to enter at any and all times! Heaven DOES have a wall and gates, but they are NOT meant for us! They are only meant to keep out the devil and all of those who choose him instead of the One, True God of the Bible! So, let's kick up our praise, thanksgiving and worship and take it right into the very presence of the Living God Who is responsible for every good thing in our lives! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we see how Moses and the Israelites rejoiced before the LORD and sang to Him, Who had delivered the Egyptians into their hands, and into the sea! Here is their song from Exodus 15: 1-18:

 1Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying, 

I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider or its chariot has He thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The Lord is a Man of War; the Lord is His name. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his host has He cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are sunk in the Red Sea. 5 The floods cover them; they sank in the depths [clad in mail] like a stone.n6 Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. 7 In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrow those rising against You. You send forth Your fury; it consumes them like stubble. 8 With the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood fixed in a heap, the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 10 You [Lord] blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; [clad in mail] they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out Your right hand, the earth’s [sea] swallowed them. 13 You in Your mercy and loving-kindness have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. 14 The peoples have heard of it; they tremble; pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Now the chiefs of Edom are dismayed; the mighty men of Moab [renowned for strength], trembling takes hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away—little by little. 16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of Your arm they are as still as a stone—till Your people pass by and over [into Canaan], O Lord, till the people pass by whom You have purchased. 17 You will bring them in [to the land] and plant them on Your own mountain, the place, O Lord, You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.

Miriam and the ladies then responded in song, also! Have YOU made a point of celebrating what God has done for you, in you and through you? This is vitally important to remembering these glorious, victorious moments when in the heat of the battle of the GOOD fight of faith! It's GOOD because we WIN! IF we do it right! SING about it! SHOUT about it! Tell the world about your great and mighty GOD and all that HE has done! AMEN! Here, to help you with that remembrance, is Hillsong with an older song called "This Is How We Overcome"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I REALLY love today's "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

Behold the Lord

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Inside, you're perfect—born again in the image of Jesus Himself. But outwardly do you find yourself falling frustratingly short of that perfection? Is there a solution? Yes! The secret lies in "the renewing of your mind."

Romans 12:2 tells us that, if you'll renew your mind, you can actually be "transformed." That word transformed is translated from the Greek word from which we get the term metamorphosis. It's used in Scripture in two other places.

One of those places is when Jesus was transfigured on the Mount as He spoke with Moses and Elijah. The other is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18. It says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Changed, transformed, transfigured! Those are powerful, exciting words, and they describe what will happen to you as you spend time beholding the Lord in the Word and in prayer. As you spend time renewing your mind, your outer being will be transformed in much the same way as a caterpillar is changed into a butterfly. Instead of conforming to the image of the world, you'll begin to conform to the image of the reborn spirit within you which is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Take time to get away from the world and study God's Word. Meditate on it and let it change you from the inside out. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind and release the beautiful spiritual butterfly that's living in you!

If only every born again believer was taught from the moment of their new birth that they have been made PERFECT in their spirit man and must only continually renew their minds with the Word of God in order to walk pleasing to the LORD! There would be such an excitement around their learning and feasting on the Word! Instead, many are taught that they have to now 'tow the line' as a believer because people are watching! Everything that they try to do right is based on and flows from the outside! We CANNOT be changed from the outside in. Growing up in the things of God ALWAYS happens from the INSIDE OUT! It IS the work of the Spirit of Almighty God in us that is the answer! Look at Philippians 1:6:

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.

Realize who you are, because of who HE has made you, and then continue devouring the Word of God so that you can continue to learn just what that all means! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "From The Inside Out":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to use Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest" again today because it goes right along with wha
 we looked at yesterday!

The Initiative Against Dreaming

Arise, let us go hence. — John 14:31

Dreaming about a thing in order to do it properly is right; but dreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong. After Our Lord had said those wonderful things to His disciples, we might have expected that He would tell them to go away and meditate over them all; but Our Lord never allowed “mooning” When we are getting into contact with God in order to find out what He wants, dreaming is right; but when we are inclined to spend our time in dreaming over what we have been told to do, it is a bad thing and God’s blessing is never on it. God’s initiative is always in the nature of a stab against this kind of dreaming, the stab that bids us “neither sit nor stand but go.”

If we are quietly waiting before God and He has said – “Come ye yourselves apart,” then that is meditation before God in order to get at the line He wants; but always beware of giving over to mere dreaming when once God has spoken. Leave Him to be the source of all your dreams and joys and delights, and go out and obey what He has said. If you are in love, you do not sit down and dream about the one you love all the time, you go and do something for him; and that is what Jesus Christ expects us to do. Dreaming after God has spoken is an indication that we do not trust Him.

AMEN! DARE to DREAM! And DREAM BIG, because we have a GREAT, BIG GOD Who delights in us asking and depending on HIM! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is SUCH a good lesson for us all!

Taking the Initiative Against Drudgery

Arise, shine… —Isaiah 60:1

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us— He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue— a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

When he is speaking of drudgery, he is not necessarily speaking about doing manual labor, or even working at a job at all! What he is saying is that we must be willing to be obedient to do anything and everything that Holy Spirit is wanting to use us to do! Whether He desires for us to do something that everyone will notice, or to do something that no one on earth will ever see or know, OUR responsibility it to DO THE WORK, trusting that our rewards come later, and they come from HIM! AMEN! Make sure that you are always led by peace and joy, doing those things that Holy Spirit directs you to do, no matter what anyone else thinks of it! AMEN! GOD will reward you abundantly! Here is Hillsong with "So Will I":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers goes right exactly along with what we looked at yesterday on this blog!

The Initiative Against Despair

Rise, let us be going. — Matthew 26:46

The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say – “It is all up now, it is no use trying any more.” If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair, and Jesus Christ comes and says – “Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing.” Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.

There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said – “Arise and do the next thing.” If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.

Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.

AMEN! THAT is exactly what the enemy wants us to do! Get discouraged, quit, give up and judge ourselves as unworthy to receive all that God has planned for us! LIES!!! Don't receive the LIES from the father of them! He is nothing but a liar and the TRUTH is NOT in him! So, reject and replace! Reject the lies and replace them with the powerful TRUTHS of God's Word! YOU will never be the same, and neither with all of those whom HE brings across YOUR path! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Hindsight":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from two different devotionals that speak to two different sides of a same issue! The first will be "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. This deals with depression, which is so widespread today:

Taking the Initiative Against Depression

Arise and eat. —1 Kings 19:5

The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive— only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.

... Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things— things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.

AMEN! Holy Spirit knows you far better than you know yourself, and infinitely more than any psychiatrist can, unless they are born again and filled with HIS Spirit! God has the answer for every situation that you will ever face! Jerry Savelle has this great advice in his website devotional:

PERFECT PEACE

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3).

You will notice that God has given us a promise, but we must meet His condition. The promise is: He will keep you in perfect peace. The condition is: if your mind is stayed on Him. The mind plays a vital part in you walking in perfect peace no matter your circumstances.

I’m not talking about mind power. I am talking about the power of God’s Word working in a faith-filled heart and a renewed mind. As you renew your mind to God’s Word and fill your heart with faith, you will begin to approach every situation in your life without worry or fear.

“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (Luke 12:29 & 31, NIV).

Your mind can not be full of negative voices, worry, or fear when you keep your mind on God. It is a choice you have to make, regardless of your feelings. Put God first place in all you do and think and you will walk in perfect peace.

Confession: I will keep my mind on God and full of His Word. I refuse to allow worry or fear to be a part of my life. I trust You Lord and follow after You above anything else.

AMEN! I LOVE when everything I hear or see in any given day all seem to line up with the other things I see and hear! God's got a wonderful system to get HIS glorious knowledge, Wisdom and understanding to us! AMEN! Now be a consistent DOER of the Word you see here and you will BEGIN to turn everything around to God's plan and purpose for you! And yours! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Peace!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 47 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! 

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.

CLAP YOUR HANDS! SING, SHOUT! Give God the GLORY for He has done GREAT and WONDERFUL things for US! AMEN! You and I must continually remind ourselves of the GREATNESS of our GOD! When we DO that, then we will never get caught with 'small' thinking or believing ever again! Our God IS GOD! The ONE and ONLY! Let's practice every day giving HIM His due! Here is Hillsong with "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Health Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin gives us a vital component for receiving healing and walking in divine health! 

The Importance of God's Word

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

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

I remember one fellow in particular. He had been in twenty-one services, yet still failed to receive his healing. I said to him, "Bring your Bible."

He responded, "Well, the only time I take my Bible to church with me is on Sunday morning."

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

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

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

Confession

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

There are many vital TRUTHS in the Word of God that born again believers miss because they never get to know the Word of God for themselves! Make knowing and acting on the Word of God your #1 priority and you will find yourself walking in a greater degree of success and prosperity in every area of life! That IS God's plan for us! John 10:10:

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

AMEN! So be it unto us according the the Word of God! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Happy and very blessed Valentine's Day! I hope that you are all remembering your FIRST LOVE today! Today I want to share from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems of the Greek"! it's ALL about the LOVE! GOD's LOVE !

Love Never Fails!

Charity [agape love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth…. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

In today’s Sparkling Gem, we come to the end of our study of First Corinthians 13:4-8, where Paul describes the behavior of the love of God. As Paul comes to the conclusion of his fabulous text about the agape love of God, he concludes powerfully in verse 8 by affirming that love “…never faileth….”

The word “faileth” is the Greek word pipto, a word that dates back to classical Greece and generally means to fall from a high position. It was also used on rare occasions to depict a warrior who fell in battle. In many places the word pipto is used to depict falling into ruin, into destruction, into some kind of misfortune, or into disappointment. In First Corinthians 13:8, Paul uses this word to affirm the eternal truth that love never disappoints or fails.

It is simply the truth that human beings often fail each other. I’m sure you have felt let down by someone else at some point along the way. And if you’re honest about your own dealings with others, you’ll have to admit that you have been guilty of letting others down as well. But agape love — God’s love — never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down. It is a love that can always be depended on and is always reliable.

People you know and respect may occasionally fall from the high position they hold in life — and that can be an emotionally difficult experience for you when you see it happen. Other times, fellow warriors may fall in battle or stumble into some kind of misfortune that disappoints you, and that is painful as well.

But you can be sure that the agape love of God will never fail you or let you down. This love is constant, unchanging, and unbendable. It is a love you will always find to be reliable and true — a love on which you can depend.

God wants you to learn to function in His high-level agape love, which is why the Holy Spirit so carefully inspired the apostle Paul to write these famous words in First Corinthians 13:4-8. This passage of Scripture is God’s mirror, designed for us to look into so we can see how well we fare at walking in the agape love of God.

I have compiled all the words, phrases, and translations we have been studying and placed them here as one complete text for you to read. Take a few minutes to read this text slowly; then ask yourself, Do I pass the love test? Or does this reveal that I need to mature more in this part of my life?

The following is an expanded interpretive translation of First Corinthians 13:4-8:

“Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed; Love doesn’t demand others to be like itself; rather, it is so focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be; Love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself that it never thinks of the needs or desires that others possess; Love doesn’t go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make it look more important in the sight of others; Love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner; Love is not rude and discourteous — it is not careless or thoughtless, nor does it carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others; Love does not manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to its own advantage; Love does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp, they cause an ugly or violent response; Love does not deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes; Love does not feel overjoyed when it sees an injustice done to someone else but is elated, thrilled, ecstatic, and overjoyed with the truth; Love protects, shields, guards, covers, conceals, and safeguards people from exposure; Love strains forward with all its might to believe the very best in every situation; Love always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others; Love never quits, never surrenders, and never gives up; Love never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down.”

So after pondering these verses, what is your answer? Are you walking in this kind of love? Have you achieved the level of love that God wants you to have in your life? Do you manifest this type of love to others who are around you? Or do you now see that you still have areas in your life where you need to grow, develop, and change in regard to walking in love?

I plead with you to spend time in prayer about this issue of God’s love in your life. How you relate to others, love others, and impact others is the most important question in your life. Since this is such a vital issue, don’t you think it’s worth your time to get into the Presence of the Lord and ask Him to reveal those areas in your love walk that need to be improved?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to be the embodiment of Your love. I know that I fall very short of the agape love that You desire to see operating in my life. Therefore, I am asking You to help me move upward to the highest level of love so I can be a channel through which this love can be poured out to others whom I know and meet. Just as You have loved me, help me become a life-changing source of divine love to other people.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God’s love dwells in me. It flows from my heart to all those around me. People who are close to me are changed and transformed by this love that operates so mightily in me. When others see me, they think of the love of God, for it is demonstrated continually in my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

AMEN! Now spend some time every day meditating on these beautiful, wonderful and powerful WORDS! THIS concept of Love leaves us without excuse for EVER treating ANYONE in a way that is less than love! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "This Is Real Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 44 today as we continue to follow the Spoken Word  Bible Reading Plan! Here are the first verses:

1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us [what] work You did in their days, in the days of old.

2 You drove out the nations with Your hand and it was Your power that gave [Israel] a home by rooting out the [heathen] peoples, but [Israel] You spread out.

3 For they got not the land [of Canaan] in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance [did it], because You were favorable toward and did delight in them.

4 You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel).

5 Through You shall we push down our enemies; through Your name shall we tread them under who rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in and lean on my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

7 But You have saved us from our foes and have put them to shame who hate us.

8 In God we have made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

What we see here is a people who are reminding themselves of all that their God had done for them to this point, so that they could continue to have strong faith that HE would do what they needed Him to do! THIS is what David was doing in 1 Samuel 30 when it says that he "encouraged himself in the Lord". Many times we look to others to encourage us or to give us a 'word' from the Lord so that we can continue to stand strong. This is NOT the  most effective way! We should ALL be encouraging one another always, BUT, if we cannot encourage ourselves with God's Word, then we will never be in faith, anyway! SO, practice doing what the psalmist here was doing! Rehearse YOUR past victories in HIM! Remind yourself of every time the God of the Bible came through for YOU! Stir up YOUR joy, which IS strength, and then be speaking the Word of God into every situation you are dealing with ! Others can come into agreement with you, but YOU are responsible for hiding God's Word in your own heart! Let's "GO" with  Hillsong! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional from Jerry Savelle is excellent!

THE FORCE OF JOY

For the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV)

In common vernacular, the word joy means “delight, happiness and pleasure.” However, from a biblical standpoint, joy is a powerful force that resides in your spirit once you’ve made Jesus the Lord of your life.

Just because you may walk around all day with a frown on your face doesn’t mean joy is not in your spirit. It just means you’ve suppressed it—you haven’t tapped into it. And if you haven’t tapped into joy, then you are not experiencing the strength of the Lord.

Appropriating the joy of the Lord is a matter of choice, and act of your will. You can get up in the morning and will to be happy, or you can will to be unhappy. Either way, the choice is yours. In order to walk in the joy of the Lord, you must choose to reach down into your spirit and tap into the joy that resides there.

Of course, the devil will do everything he can to prevent you from connecting to the force of joy, but he can’t succeed unless you let him. He will attempt to deceive you into thinking there is no joy within you. And if he can get you to choose not to tap in to it, you will be a weak and easy target for the devil to overcome.

Regardless of the frustrations and challenges you may be facing at this moment, the joy of the Lord resides within you. Choose today to tap in to the force of joy, and then take a step of faith and choose to rejoice. When you do, you will experience renewed strength.

Confession: I will not be deceived into letting go of my joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength, and I choose to tap in to the force of joy today. Regardless of my circumstances or how I feel, I choose to rejoice in the Lord.

Because we have received JESUS as LORD and personal SAVIOUR, WE HAVE JOY! HIS joy is residing on the inside of US! SO, stir up that joy! Sing to HIM! Worship HIM! Thank HIM! Sing! Dance! Shout! Leap! Twirl! Do it FIRST by faith, and then with all boldness as HIS joy rises big within you ands floods your entire being! NOTHING will ever get you down again, IF you will stir up joy! AMEN! Here is  Hillsong with a great older song called "This Is How We Overcome":

Your light broke through my night Restored exceeding joy Your grace fell like the rain And made this desert live You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy Your hand lifted me up I stand on higher ground Your praise rose in my heart And made this valley sing You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy This is how we overcome This is how we overcome This is how we overcome This is how we overcome

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 42 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Let's look at this one in The Passion Translation:

A contemplative poem for instruction, by the prophetic singers of Korah’s clan

1 I long to drink of you, O God, drinking deeply from the streams of pleasure
flowing from your presence. My longings overwhelm me for more of you!  2 My soul          thirsts, pants, and longs for the living God. I want to come and see the face of God.
3 Day and night my tears keep falling and my heart keeps crying for your help
while my enemies mock me over and over, saying, “Where is this God of yours?                          Why doesn’t he help you?” 4 So I speak over my heartbroken soul,
“Take courage. Remember when you used to be right out front leading the procession of praise
when the great crowd of worshipers gathered to go into the presence of the Lord?
You shouted with joy as the sound of passionate celebration filled the air and the joyous multitude of lovers honored the festival of the Lord!” 5 So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. For no matter what, I will still sing with praise, for living before his face is my saving grace! 6 Here I am depressed and downcast. Yet I will still remember you as I ponder the place
where your glory streams down from the mighty mountaintops, lofty and majestic—the mountains of your awesome presence.  7 My deep need calls out to the deep kindness of your love. Your waterfall of weeping sent waves of sorrow over my soul, carrying me away,
cascading over me like a thundering cataract. 8 Yet all day long God’s promises of love pour over me. Through the night I sing his songs, for my prayer to God has become my life.
9 I will say to God, “You are my mountain of strength; how could you forget me?
Why must I suffer this vile oppression of my enemies— these heartless tormentors who are out to kill me?” 10 Their wounding words pierce my heart over and over while they say, “Where is this God of yours?” 11 So I say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disturbed.
For I know my God will break through for me.” Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again. Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!

Now THIS is how we keep the instructions from yesterday's blog! THIS is how we keep the Word and the promises of it right before our eyes! Meditate on the underlined verses of this Psalm and confess them and declare them over yourself every day! There may be times when you must do this all day long, BUT, never be weary in doing what is right, because the promise IS that we WILL reap the promises IF we 'faint not'! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a very old but very powerful song! "This Is How We Overcome":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is very good again today!

Is Your Ability to See God Blinded?

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things… —Isaiah 40:26

The people of God in Isaiah’s time had blinded their minds’ ability to see God by looking on the face of idols. But Isaiah made them look up at the heavens; that is, he made them begin to use their power to think and to visualize correctly. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms, and every leaf that fades, if we will only begin to use our blinded thinking to visualize it.

The real test of spiritual focus is being able to bring your mind and thoughts under control. Is your mind focused on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Is it your work? Is it your idea of what a servant should be, or maybe your experience of salvation and sanctification? If so, then your ability to see God is blinded. You will be powerless when faced with difficulties and will be forced to endure in darkness. If your power to see has been blinded, don’t look back on your own experiences, but look to God. It is God you need. Go beyond yourself and away from the faces of your idols and away from everything else that has been blinding your thinking. Wake up and accept the ridicule that Isaiah gave to his people, and deliberately turn your thoughts and your eyes to God.

One of the reasons for our sense of futility in prayer is that we have lost our power to visualize. We can no longer even imagine putting ourselves deliberately before God. It is actually more important to be broken bread and poured-out wine in the area of intercession than in our personal contact with others. The power of visualization is what God gives a saint so that he can go beyond himself and be firmly placed into relationships he never before experienced.

As born again, Spirit-filled believers in JESUS as Lord and Saviour, we have Holy Spirit living IN us! He is ready at all times to TEACH us what the Word of God says and means - to us! He instructs us in the unique and individual ways that each of us can put the Word of God into practice. One very important part of that involves our meditation. God designed us with the ability to 'daydream'! We can, as Holy Spirit leads us, 'picture' the Word we are reading and studying. We can 'see' the results in our imaginations, which is what we have those for! When we fill our ears, eyes, hearts and minds with the Word of the Living God as Holy Spirit leads, guides and directs, we will begin to SEE with the eyes of our FAITH, and then God can cause it to come to pass! AMEN! Work on spending more time in His intimate presence, allowing Holy Spirit to show Himself strong for you, and believing the God of the Bible will become the most natural thing EVER! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Irresistible":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is EXCELLENT for those in ministry! Especially for those just starting out. This advice, if heeded, will cause you to NEVER be drained dry!

Are You Exhausted Spiritually?

The everlasting God…fainteth not, neither is weary. — Isaiah 40:28

Exhaustion means that the vital forces are worn right out. Spiritual exhaustion never comes through sin but only through service, and whether or not you are exhausted will depend upon where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter — “Feed My sheep,” but He gave him nothing to feed them with. The process of being made broken bread and poured-out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you to the dregs. Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted. Before other souls learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus direct, they have to draw on it through you; until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and His sheep as well as for Himself.

Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? From your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is. You have no right to say — “O Lord, I am so exhausted.” He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him. “All my fresh springs shall be in Thee” (PBV).*

*PBV: Prayer Book Version. The Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England includes a translation of the Psalter, or Psalms of David.

Make sure that YOU are never forgetting or letting go of your FIRST LOVE! Today's Psalm 40:3 is an excellent place to begin returning to that complete reliance on  the God of the Bible! 

3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.

Amen! Begin every new step in your walk with HIM with praise, thanksgiving and worship and you will NEVER find yourself empty! You will ALWAYS have more than enough of the presence of  God for YOUR needs AND to minister to others! AMEN! Children's songs always re-energize me, so here is Hillsong Kids with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!