Shalom,

My best answer for this day is this:

Psalm 150

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are you BREATHING? Then let's PRAISE THE LORD! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Echoes (Til We See The Other Side)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

For the last couple of days our Spoken Word Church website devotional has looked at the model that JESUS gave us for prayer. He did NOT give us this 'prayer', but He gave us this 'model' for coming into His presence in prayer! Today's lesson is very important!

Focus on Praise

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, His first focus was on entering the presence of God with praise. He drew attention to the Name of God.

So, today, begin praising God aloud for being Jehovah-Jirah (Provider). Jehovah-Shalom (Peace). Jehovah-Rophe (Healer). Jehovah-Nissi (Banner). Jehovah-Rohi (Shepherd). Jehovah-Tsidkenu (Righteousness).

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." (Matthew 6:9)

AMEN! Coming into His presence with praise and worship has us in the right position to hear from God clearly! Our souls (mind, emotions and will) are focused solely on HIM and we are more intuned to Him, which enables us to be momre sensitive to Holy Spirit Who is living IN us! Here is Hillsong with "What a Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Substitution

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

The modern view of the death of Jesus is that He died for our sins out of sympathy for us. Yet the New Testament view is that He took our sin on Himself not because of sympathy, but because of His identification with us. He was “made…to be sin….” Our sins are removed because of the death of Jesus, and the only explanation for His death is His obedience to His Father, not His sympathy for us. We are acceptable to God not because we have obeyed, nor because we have promised to give up things, but because of the death of Christ, and for no other reason. We say that Jesus Christ came to reveal the fatherhood and the lovingkindness of God, but the New Testament says that He came to take “away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). And the revealing of the fatherhood of God is only to those to whom Jesus has been introduced as Savior. In speaking to the world, Jesus Christ never referred to Himself as One who revealed the Father, but He spoke instead of being a stumbling block (see John 15:22-24). John 14:9, where Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father,” was spoken to His disciples.

That Christ died for me, and therefore I am completely free from penalty, is never taught in the New Testament. What is taught in the New Testament is that “He died for all” (2 Corinthians 5:15)— not, “He died my death”— and that through identification with His death I can be freed from sin, and have His very righteousness imparted as a gift to me. The substitution which is taught in the New Testament is twofold— “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The teaching is not Christ for me unless I am determined to have Christ formed in me (see Galatians 4:19).

This addresses the very heart of the Gospel! We are NOT just 'fogiven sinners'! We ARE new creation believers who have the Spirit of Almighty God living IN us! JESUS gave His life for US, to make us members of His Body and His BRIDE! HE, in the meantime, has gone back to prepair a place just for us! AND, soon and VERY SOON, our KING JESUS is going to be splitting the Easter sky and coming in the air to take all who know Him to be with Him FOREVER! That IS QUITE A LOT more important than simply knowinh ABOUT Him! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM": 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read in 1 John 3 through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I really love verses 1-2 in the Amplified Bible!

3 See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. 2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is.

I love "what an incredible quality of love the Father has given us"! Do you remember that 1 Corinthians 13:8 tell us that love NEVER fails?  Well the love that never fails is THIS incredible love that HE has bestowed on US! His LOVE never fails to protect us, provide for us, lead, guide and direct us WHEN we align ourselves with HIM! We will never understand the extent of this great LOVE for us, and what this love has done IN us, until we see JESUS face to face. But we CAN know that He never fails. Find out what God's Word says about YOU as a born again believer, and dare to believe ever word! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle's website devotional for today is an excellent lesson on thought life.

PLANTING THOUGHTS

Have you ever known someone who appeared to have the “perfect” life and seemed to be happy? And then one day, you discover that they’re getting a divorce and that they had been having an affair for several years? You wonder, “How did that happen?”

It all began in the mind . . . as a thought.

Everything in your life begins as a thought. A single thought that you dwell on and allow to drop into your spirit could change your entire destiny. Thoughts that are dwelled on and meditated upon, eventually lead to actions.

You don’t just wake up one day and discover that your life has fallen apart, or you don’t love your spouse anymore. Those feelings began as thoughts planted into your mind and you allowed them to take root and grow up and become your actions.

I remember the testimony of a couple whose marriage was restored after going through a very heart-breaking divorce. They were both born again, serving God and preparing for the ministry. The wife shared that during this time, on several occasions, a gentleman at her work place would often make the comment to her, “If you were my wife . . .” She had no intentions of leaving her husband, having an affair or any thoughts of being married to anyone else.

The more this man made this same comment, “If you were my wife . . .,” that thought was then planted into her mind. She began wondering, “What if I were married to someone else?” She imagined herself with another man and how life would be different. Eventually, those thoughts took root in her mind because she entertained them constantly; and as a result, she had an affair and left her husband.

By the grace of God, eventually her eyes were opened to Satan’s deception and miraculously, God restored her marriage and they are now doing great. But it all began as a thought planted into her mind that took root.

Negative and positive thoughts will come across your mind on a daily basis. You can’t prevent negative thoughts from coming. But you can prevent them from lodging in your mind and taking root. Philippians 4:8 says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”(NLT) The only way to “fix your thoughts” on these things, is to stay in God’s Word!

Confession: I will bring every negative thought captive to the obedience of Christ

AMEN! Refuse to allow any thoughts that are contrary to the Word of God to stay! We cannot control the thoughts that the enemy sends at us, but we have FULL control over what thoughts we choose to allow to stay. Refuse to 'take' those thoughts! How do we 'take' thoughts? Matthew 6:31 starts with this:

31 Therefore take no thought, saying,

Refuse to speak those thoughts that do not line up with the Word of God and with His plan and purpose for your life. Remember, the enemy is going about AS a roaring lion (pretending to be something that he most defiinitely is NOT), seeking someone who will allow themselves to be devoured by his toothless self (1 Peter 5:8)! YOU have control over what he can do in your life! 1 Peter 5:9 tells us to resist him! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with the perfect song to use against this liar! "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 117 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. All two verses!

1 O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people! 2 For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

ALWAYS remember that our God CHANGES NOT! He IS Mercy and He gives Mercy! He always and only desries for His very best for us, and His Word and His Spirit work together to reveal what we need to know in order to walk in it! We also began reading in 1 John 1 today. Look at verse 5:

5 And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].

NO darkness! God does NOT, nor has He EVER, brought sickness and disease on His people! What He DID do, and continues to do, is to provide HEALING for His people! Are YOU one of HIS people? Have YOU received JESUS CHRIST as YOUR Lord and personal Saviour yet? If you have, dig into His Word and learn more of Him! (Philippians 3:10 AMP) If you have not yet, go over to The Spoken Word Church website through the link on the left, and find our how! We are waiting, along with all of the angels in Heaven, to welcome you into our FAMILY! And then we look forward to verse 

7 But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

And then the further promise found in verse 9:

9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

Let's always take God at His word, expecting the fullfilment of all that He has provided and promised us in our new and BETTER Covenant! Meditate on all of these things and then come to church tomorrow and fellowship with like-minded believers. YOUR life will never be the same! Here is Hillsong with "Echoes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

GOD HAS PROVIDED HEALING

Today, I want to talk about being thankful for God’s provision of healing. We have a covenant right to walk in divine health.

Some people say that God puts sickness on people and disease to teach us something. That is not in the Word! Jesus never said, “I’d sure like to help you, but God told me that He is trying to teach you something.” In fact, the opposite is true. The Word says that when multitudes of people came to Jesus, He had compassion on them and healed them ALL (Matthew 14:14). Acts 10:38 says,”God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.” Not once did Jesus refuse to heal anybody. When a person said,”Master, I know you can heal me if you will,” He didn’t answer, “I know I can too, but I won’t.”

Look at Mark 16:17,18. It says, “these signs shall follow the believer…They shall lay hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover.” In Exodus 15:26 it says: “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” If you’ll read Psalm 103:2-5, you’ll see that it says He forgives our inquities and heals all of our diseases.

When Jesus died at Calvary, we see Him doing what Isaiah said He would: bearing our sin, our sickness, and our diseases. Jesus became a curse for us. He bore every sickness and disease listed in Deuteronomy 28. After naming all kinds of sicknesses and diseases, it says, “Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law” (verse 61). From the common cold to cancer – every sickness is under the curse. And, we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!

God wants you to receive your healing. He doesn’t care whether you go to the physician or to the minister as long as you put His Word first place in your life. According to Proverbs 4:22, the Word is health to your flesh. Begin to put the Word in your heart, confess it, and allow it to be medicine to your flesh.

Jesus Christ is the High Priest of our confession, and He will back His Word. Your symptoms may tell you that you are sick, but God says that you are healed.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t want you sick? Today, be thankful for God’s provision for healing.

Confession: Thank you Father for providing my healing at Calvary. Health and healing are mine because You have redeemed me from the curse of the law.

AMEN! Dare to believe and receive all that God has prepared for you! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

 Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is SUCH an important message. Because of the outdated way of speaking, we will not 'get' this unless we mediate on it and allow Holy Spirit, Who IS our Teacher, show us exactly what HE means for us to k now! 

The Viewpoint

Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. — 2 Corinthians 2:14

The viewpoint of a worker for God must not be as near the highest as he can get, it must be the highest. Be careful to maintain strenuously God’s point of view, it has to be done every day, bit by bit; don’t think on the finite. No outside power can touch the viewpoint.

The viewpoint to maintain is that we are here for one purpose only, viz., to be captives in the train of Christ’s triumphs. We are not in God’s showroom, we are here to exhibit one thing — the absolute captivity of our lives to Jesus Christ. How small the other points of view are — “I am standing alone battling for Jesus”; “I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold this fort for Him.” Paul says — “I am in the train of a conqueror, and it does not matter what the difficulties are, I am always led in triumph.” Is this idea being worked out practically in us? Paul’s secret joy was that God took him, a red-handed rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive, and now that is all he is here for. Paul’s joy was to be a captive of the Lord, he had no other interest in heaven or in earth. It is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory. The Victor ought to have got us so completely that it is His victory all the time, and we are more than conquerors through Him. “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ.” We are enwheeled with the odour of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God.

AMEN! What a tremendous blessing to know that God is NOT expecting us to fight the battle, but to show forth HIS VICTORY! He has already defeated satan! Now He is waiting for US to realize this and enforce HIS VICTORY by standing on His Word and EXPECTING it to come to pass! After all, faith is simply believing that if God said it, IT IS TRUTH! He cannot lie! So, let's stop struggling to GET and answer and start rejoicing that we already have it! Remember:

"You can know what God will do! What He says in His Word, He will do for you"! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin 2 Peter 1 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! Look at verse 2:

2 May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal,]precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Notice that all of these wonderful blessings contained in that one verse come to US, multiplied, through the knowlege of God and of our Lord Jesus! We HAVE a BETTER Covenant with God than the Israelites did because WE have GOD INSIDE! WE have the better promises! BUT, without the KNOWLEDGE of who we are - IN HIM, and what we have - IN HIM, and what we can do - IN HIM, we cannot walk in all that God has prepared for US from before the foundation of the world, that WE should walk in them! Let's make whatever adjustments that each of us must make in  order to walk in the fullness of HIS plan for US! AMEN! Now look at verses 3-4:

3 For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). 4 By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

GOD's divine power has already bestowed on us ALL things that are necessary for us to walk in HIS LIFE, and LIGHT and POWER! Those exceeding great promises are given so that WE may be the LIGHTS in our own areas of the world! The world may appear to be so dark right now, but GOD's LIGHT is shining all over this earth, through His people who are on fire, and staying on fire, for the things of God! He has been waiting for such a time as this, when the knnowledge of the Glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea! AMEN! We are all liginv in the very most exciting time to be alive on planet earth! Let's be about OUR FATHER's business and keep that fire roaring! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Light Will Shine":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Gloria Copeland's testimony of faith from their devotional, "From Faith To Faith":

When Tough Times Come

Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Acts 9:31

There are times when life on this earth is hard and uncomfortable...and even downright painful. When those times come, you deeply need the comfort that only the Holy Spirit can bring.

How do you receive that kind of comfort?

By doing just what the believers in Acts did. By “walking in the fear of the Lord.”

Now, when I talk about “the fear of the Lord,” please understand, I’m not saying you should be afraid of God. He’s your Father! You should be as secure and unafraid when you come before Him as a child who knows he is dearly loved. But you must also have so much respect for Him that whenever He reveals something you need to do, you do it immediately—even if it goes against your natural desires. That’s walking in the fear of the Lord.

Let me show you what I mean. Once, several years ago, I received a very disturbing phone call shortly before I was to preach at one of our meetings. It was painful news about a situation in which one of my children had been wronged. The news of it wounded my heart.

I cried, and in the natural, I wanted to get angry about it, to strike back in some way. But instead, I began praying in other tongues. As I prayed, I was prompted in my spirit to rejoice and praise the Lord.

I certainly didn’t feel like praising. I felt like stomping my foot. But, out of respect to the Lord, I put my feelings aside and obeyed. Next, the Holy Spirit impressed me to read a particular prophecy. As I did, I could tell I was being strengthened.

Then suddenly, I realized I was free. By my obedience, I had opened myself to the comforting power of the Holy Spirit. The anger and pain that had filled me just moments before were gone! They had been replaced by the gentle love and reassurance of the Lord.

No matter how tough or painful a situation you may be facing today, trust and obey the directions of your Father. He will make that same supernatural, Holy Spirit-inspired comfort available to you!

AMEN! Doing things God's Way will ALWAYS be the RIGHT WAY! AMEN! Make sure that you are seeking His face and His presence on a daily, moment by moment basis! We can NEVER get 'too much' of HIS presence! And in HIS presence is FULLNESS OF JOY (Psalm 16:11)! And we can ALL use a little more JOY in our lives! Here is Hillsong with a great older song called "This Is How We Overcome!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food" devotional.

God's Mercy

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. (Psalm 86:15)

In F. F. Bosworth's book Christ the Healer, he brings out the following point:

"The psalmist David understood healing to be a universal privilege. In Psalm 86:5, he said, 'For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.'"

In his book, Bosworth has a chapter called "The Lord's Compassion" that goes into detail about this and brings out this point: "Throughout the Scriptures, when the sick came for healing, they asked for mercy. You see, God's mercy covers man physically as well as spiritually."

Again and again, we read in the four Gospels that Jesus had compassion on the sick (see Matthew 9:36; 14:14; Mark 6:34; and Luke 7:13). The same Greek word for "compassion" is also translated "mercy."

Blind Bartimaeus, who sat by the wayside begging and crying, said, "Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me." And Jesus stopped and asked him what he wanted.

He said, "That I might receive my sight." Jesus had mercy on him and healed him. (See Mark chapter 10.)

When you read through the four Gospels, every time it says, "Jesus had compassion," it means He had mercy. Therefore, Jesus, according to the Old Testament promise, showed that He was plenteous in mercy by healing not some, but all who came to Him!

Confession: God is good, ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy. He is compassionate and gracious to me, healing all my sicknesses and diseases.

AMEN! Instead of giving people sympathy when they share their problems and concerns with us, we should give them compassion , just as JESUS did! That means to pray for them, lay hands on them , speak God's Word over them, as Holy Spirit leads and directs. THAT is what JESUS would do, and WE are His body on the earth. Let's be about our Father's business and bring GLORY to HIS Name! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 111:7-9:

7 The works of His hands are [absolute] truth and justice [faithful and right]; and all His decrees and precepts are sure (fixed, established, and trustworthy). 8 They stand fast and are established forever and ever and are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness. 9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant to be forever; holy is His name, inspiring awe, reverence, and godly fear.

Our God IS GOD! The ONE and ONLY! He is GOD and He is GOOD! The above verses, from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, leave no doubt whatsoever that everything to do with God is absolute! There are 'absolutely' no gray areas where God and His Word are concerned! When we put His Word first place, and as final authority in our lives, then we will live life at a much higher level! We are no longer subject to the world and the devil, for OUR Covenant is with Almighty God! HE inspires us to be in awe of Him. Verse 10 tells us this:

10 The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever.

We are BEGINNING to know Wisdom when we worship the Lord in reverence, awe and respect! Give HIM the top spot in your life and watch and see what HE will do to bless you and to show Himself off to those watching you! We ARE those living epistles! In US the world sees HIM! Be the LIGHT in YOUR world! They are counting on you to! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of The Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read 1 Peter 2 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verses 2-3:

2 Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation, 3 Since you have [already] tasted the goodness and kindness of the Lord.

Remember that the Epistles are letters written to the born again, Spirit-filled churches who were living under our new and better Covenant! The instruction for us is to desire His WORD so that we may grow up IN HIM! Verse 5 gives us another instruction that the Lord our God desires of us!

5 [Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

Only the Body of Christ, the Church of the Living God can offer up those sacrifices that are pleasing to Him! Why? Because He has made us for this very purpose, that WE might show forth His praises to the world for all of eternity! See verse 9:

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

AMEN! My prayer for you is that you would make it YOUR 'determined purpose' to know JESUS and, by doing so, know who YOU are IN HIM! Acting on that knowledge brings glory to His Name and shows HIM off to the world. Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Shout Your Fame":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The devotional on our Spoken Word Church website for today is extremely imporant!

Don't Edit

God already knows everything about you. When you pray, be direct. Be honest. He rewards integrity.

Talk it out. You can trust the One who made you. He's got all the time in the world. Don't edit your conversations with Him.

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

AMEN! When we receive JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour, we enter into RELATIONSHIP with the One, True God of the Bible! NOTHING can ever change that! But in order to walk in the benefits of our new position under our new and better covenant, we must develop and maintain a close and intimate FELLOWSHIP with Him! As stated above, God already knows all about you, but when you are open and  honest with Him, it puts YOU in a place where you are more able to receive from HIM! SEEK intimate fellowhsip with Him as soon as you wake up in the morning! Begin your day this way and you will find that all of your days will be more productive and successful, whatever you are called to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense (Sometimes By Step)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional has many straight forward lessons on faith in bite-size pieces!Today's is excellent!

Faith Is Measurable

"When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel" (Matthew 8:10).

A centurion came to Jesus on behalf of his sick servant. When Jesus said, "I will come and heal him" (Matthew 8:7), the centurion answered, "speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (v. 8). Jesus said to him, "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee" (v. 13). Turning to His disciples, Jesus said, "I have not found so GREAT faith, no, not in Israel" (v. 10).

Therefore, it is possible for a person to develop great faith.

On the other hand, an example of little faith is seen when Peter began to sink after having walked on the water. Jesus chided Peter, saying, "O thou of LITTLE faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31).

If faith can be great, and faith can be little, then faith is measurable!

Here are some scriptures that prove faith is measurable:

Growing faith (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
Weak faith (Romans 4:19)
Strong faith (Romans 4:20)
Rich faith (James 2:5)
Full of faith (Acts 6:5)
Perfect faith (James 2:22)
Unfeigned faith (1 Timothy 1:5)
Shipwrecked faith (1 Timothy 1:19)
Overcoming faith (1 John 5:4).

Confession: My faith is growing. My faith is measuring up to a great faith, strong faith, rich faith, perfect faith, unfeigned faith, overcoming faith; I am full of faith!

Amen! Make the decision that you will do whatever it takes to grow your faith into all of the overcoming characteristics of great Bible faith! The only limits to faith are what we put upon ourselves by our choices! Let's GO! Here is Hillsong with "Faith":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 107 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Look at verses 1-3:

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary, 3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the [Red] Sea in the south.

We are to give thanks to the Lord because He deserves it! He is GOD and He is GOOD! ALL the time. When we are in the center of His will, and when we are not, HE never changes! When we repent (change OUR thinking to agree with GOD, Who is ALWAYS right), then God can change any and every situation around for our good! The choice is ours! Verses 6, 13, 19 and 28 all say this same thing:

6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.

The Jewish people would go along in line with the One, True God until they became comfortable in the world, then they would rebel against God. In those instances above, they would realize their sin and repent! God would deliver them and bring them back into fellowship with HImself - EVERY SINGLE TIME! And He will do the sam for YOU when YOU change YOUR thinking to agree with GOD! AMEN! The answer for maintaining a good and Godly attitude is found in verses 31-32:

31 Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the company of the elders.

And then we see THIS in James 4:10:

10 Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

That is our encouragement and exhortation to submit ourselves to God and receive all that He has promised us in the "WILL"! HIS will! HIS plans and purposes for us! EXPECT God to be true to His Word! He has never failed you and He won't start now! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a message from Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations".

CULTIVATE YOUR GIFTINGS WITH GOD'S WISDOM

Proverbs 17:8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; wherever he turns, he prospers.

When we see something moldy, we throw it away. But when Alexander Fleming saw his culture dishes contaminated with mold, he discovered penicillin. You see, he had a gift which prospered him.

Joseph, a Hebrew slave in Egypt, had nothing except his gift of interpreting dreams. But look at what that gift did for him. It prospered him. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and became the most powerful man in Egypt after Pharaoh (see Genesis 41).

“But Pastor Prince, what if I don’t have any gift?”

My friend, don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have any gift. God has given each person a gift which can open doors of opportunities and bring in great blessings.

Maybe you are just not aware of that gift you have inside you, or perhaps it has profited you nothing thus far as you have not found out how best to use it. You need to take your gift and ask God for wisdom to cultivate it until it becomes such a powerful tool or “precious stone” that wherever you turn, you prosper.

This was the case with a church brother who was tremendously gifted in the creative arts. For a long time, he lacked the confidence and boldness to leave the security of his police job and step out on his own. But when he began to seek God’s wisdom for his situation, God gave him boldness to leave his job and go back to school to pursue the creative arts. In school, he prospered, becoming one of its top students and impressing the principal so much with his creative gift that he was offered a teaching position in the school even before he graduated.

Now, please don’t go and quit your job after reading this. What you should do is ask God for wisdom regarding your gift. For when the wisdom of God is added to your gift, that gift becomes “a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; wherever he turns, he prospers.”

AMEN! YOU azre uniquely gifted by God to minister LIFE to those people that He has put in your 'realm of influence'! Be ever ready to be led by Holy Spirit as He desires to use you! Your rewards in Heaven come from that willingness and obedience! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The devotional on our Spoken Word Church website today is a very important one for powerful answered prayer!

Choose A Prayer Partner

You cannot trust everyone with your private thoughts or problems. But, you need someone. One cannot multiply. Two is the secret to multiplication.

Jesus introduced the formula for prayer power. It's called the power of agreement. Don't ignore it.

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)

We can always stand in faith for ourselves on the promises found in God's Word, but the Prayer of Agreement is SO powerful. Notice that the PROMISE is that if two of us "agree", which is the Greek word "sumphoneo", meaning: to be harmonious and in one accord, then we HAVE what we are asking for! Now THAT is a powerful promise! The Amplified Bible says this:

19 Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven.  AMP

In order to "make a symphony together" we will have to have a like-minded, Word knowledgable prayer partner! When we are "on the same page" with what we are asking, what the Word says about it and enter into that 'symphony' of agreement, then we WILL have what we are asking for! God is just waiting for His people to take Him at His Word! Are YOU ready to do that? I am! Let's go! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been asked manys over the years what I would do if the laws of our land said that we could not have a Bible, preach the Gospel or pray in the Name of Jesus. Many have said: "But we are told to obey the laws of the land." This is true, but Rick Renner, in his "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" for today covers this so very well! I couldn't say it better!

Who’s Law Will You Obey?

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…. — Hebrews 10:25

In today’s Sparkling Gem, I want to share some history with you about where believers met to worship when the law forbade them to do so. I think you will find this little history lesson to be very interesting!

Hebrews 10:25 commands believers to meet together regularly. However, during New Testament times, Roman law expressly forbade believers from congregating. Although there were periods of reprieve in different regions of the empire in the early centuries of the Church, it was generally illegal for Christians to come together anywhere in the Roman Empire — including the privacy of their own homes. Those who were caught doing so often faced severe reprisal.

These restrictions put believers in a difficult position. Although Scripture instructed them to obey, honor, and pray for the authorities of the land (see Romans 13:1,2), their government wouldn’t permit them to obey God’s commands. As the new laws took effect, Christians found themselves being forced to choose between obeying the law of God or following the law of man — just as Peter and John had to decide whom they would obey when the Sanhedrin commanded them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus (see Acts 4:19). When Roman or local laws were in line with God’s law, early Christians diligently obeyed them. But if a law conflicted with the principles clearly outlined in God’s Word, most believers chose to obey God over the government’s mandates. This choice was not without consequence, however, because it gave rise to accusations that Christians were insubordinate lawbreakers.

As a result of Roman authorities passing laws that forbade gatherings that were not sanctioned by the government, it quickly became difficult for believers to find safe locations where they could worship together in peace. Early Christians had to be creative in the ways they met and in the way they communicated where their meetings would be held. One method they used to communicate with each other was secret imagery that pagans didn’t understand.

Soldiers and political officials might have thought this symbol was a mere street game, but in reality, it was a secret code designed to help believers connect with each other and coordinate meetings. For instance, if it was scribbled next to a shop, it might have conveyed that the shop owner was a Christian. If it was drawn next to a home, it might have indicated that a Christian gathering was secretly being held there. Wherever this symbol was inscribed, it sent the message that believers were nearby.

Because of the law forbidding unauthorized gatherings — which included members of this upstart Christian sect — Hebrews 10:25 put believers in direct opposition to the law. Consequently, they were often driven to assemble in secret meetings, which they frequently disguised to look like something else. Using emblems like the circular icythus symbol, believers were able to covertly communicate where they lived or worked with each other. And by regularly changing the place and time of their meetings, they made it difficult for authorities to catch them.

Congregations rarely met at the same place for long, choosing instead to constantly move to new secret locations in order to avoid detection. Church meetings in the First Century were mostly conducted in private residences, and just like today, the homes of believers could come in all sizes. Some places were quite modest, whereas others were large enough to accommodate a small congregation. In Acts 20:7-12, we read of a boy who fell from a window of a third-floor apartment where Paul was preaching to a local congregation. This reveals that even apartment buildings could be used for church use if the circumstances were right.

As the years passed and forces continued to mount against Christians, they were often forced to become even more covert about the locations of their meetings. For example, in the mid-Second Century at the trial of Christian leader Justin Martyr, he admitted to the Roman magistrate that he had been conducting meetings in a room located above a bathhouse in Rome.

Since Roman bathhouses were notorious cesspools of sinful activities, it might seem highly unusual that a respected church leader like Justin Martyr would choose to meet with other Christians there for purposes of teaching or corporate worship. However, the strategic potential of such a meeting place should be considered. This may have been an ideal covert location for Christian gatherings simply because it was such an unlikely possibility.

Another place where believers met in secret was in suburban cemeteries on the outskirts of the cities. These were considered ideal meeting places because they were largely hidden from the eyes of hostile governmental authorities.

By the Second Century — and some scholars believe there is evidence for as early as the late First Century — believers began to use underground catacombs for the burial of their dead. Although there were few rich Christians in the earliest years of the Church, later some wealthy Christian landowners granted permission for underground tombs to be built on their land. Some of the larger rooms in these underground chambers became another means used by early believers to assemble together in secret.

Especially during periods of fierce persecution in the Second and Third Centuries, these underground catacombs sometimes provided an effective “cover” for Christian meetings because they gave the impression that these believers were merely a group of people gathered for a funeral ceremony. In fact, at times actual funerals became legal opportunities for Christians to gather.

Roman soldiers were superstitious about the dead and were afraid to enter the catacombs, so some of the larger chambers in these underground systems became ideal locations for believers to meet on occasion without fear of authorities watching what they were doing. Deep beneath the earth, those burial quarters would be transformed into places for worship, testimony, and the teaching of God’s Word — a place where believers could strengthen each other’s faith before reemerging into the sunlight. But even these Christian burial grounds came to be officially forbidden to believers.

So we see that because of the hostile forces arrayed against the Church during the first three centuries of its existence, it was a matter of survival for early believers to find concealed places where they could meet to worship, hear God’s Word, and fellowship with one another. It’s not so different than the way the Church operates today in countries where governments are hostile to the Gospel.

We should never take for granted how fortunate we are to be able to attend church without the threat of death or imprisonment. This privilege has cost and continues to cost others highly. Let’s pray for God to give us a renewed love for the local church — and a firm decision that if we have to choose between obeying man’s laws or God’s laws, we will always choose to obey God rather than man!

AMEN! No law of man will EVER alter or nullify God's Word! His Word IS His Will and we must make it our standard. HE will do His part to deliver us from the enemy when we put our trust in HIM! Here is Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of my mighty prayer 'Sistas' gavce me her own copy of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers a few years ago and I love it! His way of speaking back then (He lived from 1874-1917) was very different from ours now, so it takes some meditating to really get what he's saying. Many of the lessons are very good. I have also found many of his quotes to be very good, also. THIS is one of those!

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Christian Church should not be a secret society of specialists, but a public manifestation of believers in Jesus.  Facing Reality, 34 R 

I LOVE this! There is a saying going around that the church should be a hospital for unbelievers, and that is simply untrue! The CHURCH is NOT for unbelievers, but for the born again believers to gather together to celebrate the resurrection of JESUS, be taught and trained in the Word of God to go out into the world and preach the Gospel to unbelievers so that they can be born again, and to be a blessing each other! Too many churches preach only salvation, mostly to those already born again, and never train the believers how to study the Word, pray Scripturally, preach the Gospel, lay hands on the sick, cast out devils, and be used in the Spiritual Gifts so that they CAN meet the needs of the hurting! What we learn in a good local church, The Spoken Word Church being one of those, is intended to help us operate as the LIGHT in our own worlds! The 'public manifestation' that he refers to above can ONLY happen when we are well trained in the things of God! SO, if you don't already have a good local church, FIND ONE! Contact us through the link on the left if you need help doing so! The most important calling that we have in this life is to LOVE the Lord ouf God, love our neightbor as ourself and PREACH THE GOSPEL! When we do so, HE can confirm the Word we speak with signs, wonders and miracles, just as He did in Mark 16:20! LET'S GO! Here is Hillsong UNITED with that encouragement! "Go":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations" for today is another simple, yet profound TRUTH that will set you free when you really see it!

JESUS IS YOUR QUALIFICATION FOR GOD’S BLESSINGS

Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you…

God loves to bless you. He has even declared that “blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.” This means that you can’t run fast enough to escape them! When you turn one corner, there is a blessing waiting for you. When you turn another corner, you run smack into another blessing!

Now, you may think that you don’t qualify for God’s blessings because of the preceding verse which says that these blessings will come to pass only if you diligently obey God’s voice and keep all of His commandments. You know that no matter how hard you try, you just cannot keep all of God’s commandments. In fact, the Bible says that if you fail to keep just one commandment, you fail to keep all (see James 2:10).

My friend, I have good news for you: Jesus is the one who qualifies us for every single blessing because He has kept all of God’s commandments. When He died for us on the cross, He not only fulfilled all of God’s commandments, He also redeemed us from the curse of the law (see Galatians 3:13). Note that He did not redeem us from the blessings of the law, so the blessings are still ours today!

As you read the list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28, starting with “Blessed shall you be in the city…in the country…the fruit of your body…your basket…when you come in…when you go out…” (Deuteronomy 28:3–13), I believe that Jesus is saying to you, “Like the blessings? Then take them by faith!”

You may say, “But I don’t deserve them.” Yes, you don’t deserve them, but you still get them because of Jesus. That is God’s grace! The law says, “You must deserve the blessings.” But the law is no longer here. Grace is here. So take the blessings by grace through faith. Believe God for the blessings.

Today, it is no longer a question of how much or how well you have kept God’s commandments. It is a question of how much you can believe God for His blessings. All the promises of God in Christ are “Yes,” and because you are in Christ, you can say “Amen!” to His blessings (see 2 Corinthians 1:20)!

AMEN! Remember, God's Word is TRUTH (John 17:17)! The ONLY TRUTH! Find out what God's Word has to say about every situation that you face! Now stand on that TRUTH and HE will confrim it and brin g it to pass (Mark 16:29)! Here is Hillsong with "King of Kings":

Shalom in Him!