Shalom,

As we close out 2019 with Psalm 119 through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, I want to encourage you to join us today in reading the best Psalm ever because it is ALL ABOUT THE WORD! And then I want to encourage you to join us tomorrow in beginning all over again to spend time daily in the Word of the living God Who has the answer for every question, the solution to every problem and the roadmap for YOUR successful 2020 and beyond! AMEN! Here are just a few of my favorite verses from Psalm 119:

11 Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You

16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. 17 Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live; and I will observe Your word [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. 18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.

27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts; so shall I meditate on and talk of Your wondrous works.

89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens]. 90 Your faithfulness is from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands fast.

96 I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

129 Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. 130 The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.

160 The sum of Your word is truth [the total of the full meaning of all Your individual precepts]; and every one of Your righteous decrees endures forever.

164 Seven times a day and all day long do I praise You because of Your righteous decrees. 165 Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.

167 Your testimonies have I kept [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]; I love them exceedingly! 168 I have observed Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are [fully known] before You.

And here is one of my favorite songs from Hillsong UNITED concerning the Word of God, "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We finish up Proverbs today with Proverbs 31! This Proverb is quoted often and women are told to emulate her. I LOVE this footnote found for the Amplified Bible on it!

Proverbs 31:10 It is most unfortunate that this description of God’s ideal woman is usually confined in readers’ minds merely to its literal sense—her ability as a homemaker, as in the picture of Martha of Bethany in Luke 10:38-42. But it is obvious that far more than that is meant. When the summary of what makes her value “far above rubies” is given (in Proverbs 31:30), it is her spiritual life only that is mentioned. One can almost hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Mary has chosen the good portion... which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

I also think that it is regrettable that this is used only for women! Yes, this is written by a mother to her son as advice for his search for a mate, but so many men would benefit from taking this advice and becoming a 'Proverbs 31' MAN! The principals for doing thngs God's way here are invaluable for every born again believer who wants to hear: "WELL DONE"! We also read Philippians 3 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, and you KNOW that verse 10 is my very favorite verse, if you've been reading here for very long! 

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

WE CHOOSE how we want to purpose to live our lives! Our wonderful Heavenly Father gives US the freedom to choose! What will YOU choose as your way of putting JESUS as your Number One? I believe that this commitment by Paul is the very BEST way to start! And he goes on to say this in verses 12-14:

12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Let's keep moving forward TOWARDS JESUS every day and allow Holy Spirit, Who is working His very GOOD work IN US, to continue to perfect us every day! AMEN! Here are Hillsong Kids with "My Number One":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love today's "Faith Food" deovtional by Kennet E. Hagin!

How Much More

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11).

Would you, as a parent, plan, purpose, and will for your children to go through life poverty-stricken, sick, downtrodden, downcast, down-and-out, with their nose to the grindstone? No! Assuredly not!

My younger brother had a difficult time getting his education. Our father left when this brother was only six months old. He graduated from high school during the Depression by working the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at a local cotton mill and then going to school immediately after work.

In time, this brother married, had a son, and became a very successful businessman. He said to me - and I guess this has been a driving force in my brother's life - "I'd rather let my boy die now than to have it like I had it. But I'm going to see to it that he doesn't have it rough like I did."

My brother worked hard to provide a better life for his family than he had known growing up. Just looking at it from the natural standpoint, he did all this because he loved them. And that's what Jesus meant when He said that if natural men know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will our loving Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him!

Confession: Even good natural fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more will my Father in Heaven give good things to me when I ask Him?

AMEN! Our God IS GOD and He is GOOD! ALL the time! We must get rid of any other way of thinking! God's Word is TRUTH and His Promises are SURE! We can COUNT on HIM! Here is Hillsong with "God Is Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


I believe Philippians 1:6 to be one of the most important verses for the born again believer! 

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

Holy Spirit is the ONE Who began the good work in us when He recreated our previously dead human spirits into the image of God! We became  new creation believers who have God living IN US! The BODY of CHRIST! The CHURCH of the Living God! We are unique in the history of mankind and will forever be a trophy through the ages of what GOD has done for man! And, as if that isn't amazing anf glorious enough, the above verse gells us that Holy Spirit CONTINUES working His GOOD WORK in usap until the time that JESUS returns for us! HALLELUJAH! I like this verse from The Passion Translation, too!

 6 I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put his finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!

AMEN! Never let yourself be discouraged by human weakness. Remember always that HE is not finished with you yet! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Ready Or Not":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverb 28 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Verse 1 is a favorite of mine!

1 The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion.

The lost and the wicked are running around in these evil sounding days wringing their hands, tearing their hair, shrieking in defense of their ungodliness and becoming unhinged! All the while, we who do know our God are strong, busy about our Father's business and doing exploits in the spritual realm because of Holy SPirit Who lives IN US! AMEN! Verse 14 is another favorite verse of mine!:

14 Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Remember that the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of Wisdom and of operating wisely! Be in awe of Him, His Word and His presence IN you and UPON you as a born again, Spirit-filled  believer! Keep yourself built up so that you are ready to minster LIFE and LIGHT to those who, as of now, have hardened their heart! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Andrew Womack's devotional for today is a great reminder!

Be Single-minded

John 21:21 'Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?'

Jesus had just told Peter to follow Him. However, Peter wanted to know what the Lord had planned for John. Instead of Jesus answering Peter's question, the Lord told him that what He had in store for John was none of his business.

Satan diverts many people by getting them preoccupied with what others are doing for the Lord. Comparing ourselves with others, whether we come out better or worse, is unwise (2 Corinthians 10:12). We need to be so single-minded following the Lord, that we don't look to the right or to the left to see what others are doing. It doesn't matter if we are doing as much to serve the Lord as someone else. The question is, are we doing all that the Lord wants us to do?

Singleness of purpose and vision is a necessity to victorious Christian living. James said that if we try to master many things we will fail (James 3:1). We have to set priorities and focus on them.

The scriptures teach that memory can be a powerful force for good in our lives. It is always good to remind ourselves that we were once apart from God's saving grace. It is an antidote against pride and self-righteousness. A person who remembers what he used to be will have a clearer understanding of who he is now. We have to cultivate our memories by meditating on the great things God has done for us and spoken to us.

AMEN! Each and every one of us has too much to do in running our own races to spend time thinking and worrying about the race of others! it is, as JESUS said to Peter in so many words, NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!!! Let's be busy about the individiual and unique plan that our Fahter has for US and spend the other times simply praying for others to see and hear HIM clearly enought to run thie reces well and to finish their appointed course! Anything else is an invasion of their lives! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" as a renewed comittment to what God has called US to do! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today on the birth of Jesus!

Love Sent His Son To Save

"...For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (Matthew 1:20-21; John 3:16-17).

AMEN! Merry CHRISTmas to you and yours! May the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas so change your life that YOU will become instrumental in sharing this life saving GOOD NEWS with everyone you know and those you meet! Here is Hillsong with "The Reason Why":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Two more days of Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on the birth of JESUS!

His Glory

"And the Word became flesh. And pitched his tent among us, And we gazed upon his glory, - A glory...full of favour and truth" (John 1:14 Rotherham).

I love Rotherham's translation of John 1:14 - it is so beautiful.

We've tended to think of Christ's coming to the earth as a man only in terms of His self-denial in leaving glory, or else in terms of His suffering on this earth. But I believe it was a joy to Christ, who so loved man and so desired man's fellowship, to "pitch His tent" among us so that He might give to alienated man - who had never known his Creator - a true conception of His Heavenly Father.

It was good tidings of great joy which the angel proclaimed to the shepherds - and to all people everywhere. Man, separated from God for 4,000 years, could now gaze upon God's glory, could now see God, could now know God as He is, and could now be reunited with Him!

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).

The Word has become flesh!

Confession: Like the multitude of the heavenly host, I, too, am praising God. Praise God for sending Praise God for sending a Savior! Praise God for Christ the Lord! Praise God for allowing us to gaze upon His glory!

AMEN! And THIS is the REASON that He came:

How wonderful, how glorious
My Savior's scars victorious
My chains are gone, my debt is paid
From death to life and grace to grace

AMEN! And here is that song, "Grace To Grace" by Hillsong:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Incarnate Revelator

"Jesus saith unto him [Philip]...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father..." (John 14:9).

Man born into a world ruled by Satan did not by nature know his Creator. Since Adam's sin - when man died spiritually - God and man had been spiritually separated.

Man desperately needed an Incarnation. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ - God manifested in the flesh - gave to the world the true knowledge of the nature of God.

Spiritually dead men couldn't know the nature of the Creator without a revelation from Him. God had been conceived as weird, cruel, grotesque, immoral, aloof, or perhaps, an impersonal energy, but He was never thought of as a God of love - a loving Heavenly Father.

"What's he really like?" people will inquire about some movie star, TV personality, politician, etc. And sometimes those close to that celebrity will attempt in an interview to tell what he is really like.

"What's God really like?" people want to know.

Friends, if you want to know what God is really like - just look at Jesus!

Confession: I have seen Jesus in the revelation of God's Word. Therefore, I have seen the Father. I know what the Father is like. He's just like Jesus! He's a God of love. He's a Father God. And because of Jesus, He's my very own Father. I am His very own child. I'm so thankful for this great plan of redemption which included revealing my Father to the world.

AMEN! Jesus IS the 'spirit and image' of His Father, which is where we got the phrase 'spitting image'. Studying the life of JESUS through the Gospels and the instructions of JESUS through the Epistles will bring a greater than ever understanding of just who YOU ARE! IN HIM! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am going to continue through Christmas with Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional concerning the Incarnation of JESUS that we are celebrating right now!

He Came To Declare Him

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. — JOHN 1:18

How Jesus realized and appreciated the phase of His mission on earth: Declaring the true nature of His Father!

A noted Bible scholar once said, concerning the Incarnation, “We know now that God is like this that we have seen in Jesus. He is Christ-like. And if He is, He is a good God and trustworthy. If the heart that is back of the universe is like this gentle heart that broke upon the Cross, He can have my heart without qualifications and without reservations. I know nothing higher to say of God than that He should live like Christ . . . . Strange, a man lived among us and when we think of God we think of Him in terms of this man or He is not good. We may transfer every single moral quality in Jesus to God without loss or degradation to our thought of God. On the contrary, by thinking of Him in terms of Jesus we heighten our views of God. All those who have tried to think of Him in other terms have lowered and impoverished our idea of Him.”

Confession: Jesus has declared God the Father to me. I know what God is like — He’s like Jesus! God is a good God — and I do trust Him.

JESUS came to reveal to us the Father. He showed us the Father by example:

 John 14:9 Jesus replied, “Philip, I’ve been with you all this time and you still don’t know who I am? How could you ask me to show you the Father, for anyone who has looked at me has seen the Father.

John 10:30 I and the Father are One.

He revealed to us the Father by His WORD:

John 3:16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 

He revealed to us the Father by His own obededience! 

John 5:19 So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. 20 The Father dearly loves the Son and discloses to (shows) Him everything that He Himself does. And He will disclose to Him (let Him see) greater things yet than these, so that you may marvel and be full of wonder and astonishment.

AS you celebrate CHRISTmas with your loved ones this year, remember that the plans and purposes of God for JESUS were and are all for OUR benefit and for our SALVATION! AMEN! Here is Hillsong again with one of my very favorite CHRISTmas songs! "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I will be continuing to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional up until Christmas Day this week because he speaks of the TRUTH of the incarnation so simploy and clearly! 

That We Might Be Sons

But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:4-7).

The object of the Incarnation was that man might be given the right to become a child of God (John 1:12).

Man could become a child of God only by receiving the nature of God; therefore, Christ came that man might receive eternal life (John 10:10; 1 John 5:11-12).

And man could receive eternal life only after he had been legally redeemed from Satan's authority (Colossians 1:13-14).

Confession: God sent forth His Son to redeem us, that we might become sons of God. I have received Christ; therefore, I have life. I am a son of God. And because I am, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into my heart, crying, "Abba, Father." I am no more a servant; but a son. I am an heir of God through Christ.

AMEN! He IS Who the Word of God says He is! and WE are who the Word of God says we are! Dare to BELIEVE and dare to RECEIVE all that God has already planned for you to walk in! Be the LIGHT in your world and SHINE! Here is Hillsong with "Whole Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We're continuing with Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional leading up to Christmas because he covers this mounmental occasion so very well!

He Came To Save

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
The first step in redemption was Christ's identification with our humanity. This took place in His Incarnation. Christ was made flesh (John 1:14). Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same...."

But at the time of His Incarnation, Jesus did not partake of the nature that reigned in the spirit of man. Had He done so then, He would have been spiritually dead during His earthly ministry! Then He could not have pleased the Father by doing His own will. No, His identification with the spirit nature of man didn't take place until His crucifixion.

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

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

AMEN! The more we understand about JESUS, His birth, ministry, death and resurrection, the more we will come to know and understand who WE are - IN HIM! Here are Hillsong Kids with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share again today from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional! This is SO on point in explaining God's point of view of US! 

Mediator

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

Man's condition demanded an Incarnation - man had become spiritually dead with no approach to God. The Incarnation of Deity with humanity provided One who could stand as man's Mediator.

Equal with God on one hand and united with man on the other, this One could assume the obligations of man's treason and satisfy the claims of Justice, thereby bridging the chasm between God and man.

God created man in His own image, just a little lower than Himself; so nearly like God that it was possible for God and man to become united for eternity in one individual! (When Christ became a man and took on a physical body in the Incarnation, He did so for eternity. Therefore, there is a God-man in Heaven today at the Father's right hand as a result of the Incarnation.) It was possible for God and man to become united!

God can dwell in these human bodies of ours, God can impart His life and nature to our spirits. That's what takes place at the New Birth: Spiritual death is eradicated from the spirit, and God gives man His life!

Confession: Today at the right hand of the Father there is a God-man, our Mediator, Jesus Christ. Jesus bridged the gap for me. He made it possible for spiritual death to depart from my spirit, and for God's own life and nature to take its place in my spirit. Therefore, God now dwells in my spirit. God lives in me!

AMEN! This GOD-MAN is loves YOU with an everlasting love! He will lead each of us to and through each victory and success, and bring GLORY to His Name in the process! HALLELUJAH! Here are  Hillsong Kids with "Made In Your Image":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to continue today to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional because there is such good, solid, straight forward TRUTH in it!

Incarnation

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1,14).

Webster defines Incarnation as "The union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ."

Incarnation was the only solution to the human problem - the only hope for mankind to be reunited with God. Any religion that denies the Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth is false!

This Eternal Being, called Emmanuel - God with us, or Jesus the Christ - is here called the Word. The Word existed in the beginning. The Word was with God - with God in fellowship, in purpose, working with Him. God made the worlds through the Word (Hebrews 1:2; John 1:3).

And this Eternal Being was God! He possessed the same nature. He existed in the same form and on an equality with God (Philippians 2:6).

And this Being became flesh! The Word became a man and dwelt among us. He became human - as much a man as if He'd never been anything else, yet He did not cease to be what He had been. The Word made His home among us, and we beheld the glory of God (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).

Confession: Jesus came and dwelled in flesh so that I might be eternally reunited with the Father. Jesus became like me, so that I could become like Him. I will walk in the reality of what the Incarnation made possible for me. I am reunited with my Father!

I hope that you will make the above confession over yourself every day until this becomes so real to you that you will never again doubt who YOU are IN HIM! Here to help you with that is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There really is no better way to share this CHRISTmas message than to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on it!

Humility

"Who [Christ Jesus], being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:6-8).

Christ has always existed in the form of God. But He emptied Himself and took the form of a bond servant, being made in the likeness of men.

This suggests a distinct operation of God totally different from natural generation: A miracle. First, God took Christ from the Godhead in Heaven - and then He placed Christ in the womb of a virgin to be united with flesh in a unique conception.

"Therefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me" (Hebrews 10:5).

God prepared a body - a special body - for this Being called the Son of God. In the Incarnation, Christ became a man!

Confession: Thank You, Jesus, for emptying Yourself and being made in the likeness of men. It was our only hope. Thank You for humbling Yourself and becoming obedient unto death; yes, even the death of the cross. And thank You, Father, for highly exalting Him, and for giving to Him the Name which is above every name. At that Name my knee does bow, and my tongue does confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-10).

AMEN! And He did it all so that WE could legally belong to HIM as His very own children with HIS Spirit living IN US! HALLELUJAH! There is no one like our GOD! And as His children, let's sing this with Hillsong Kids called "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is one of my favorites because it presents TRUTHS on just who JESUS is! One of my very favorite Christmas songs is one that came out about the time that I was born again. It's called "I Know Now Who He Was". Through this teaching, you will, too! 

For Further Meditation

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMEN! SO very thankful! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM", because Who He is makes US who we are! IN HIM!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There are five verses in Proverbs 16 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan that I really love. 

³ Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

⁷ When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁹ A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

¹⁶ How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

²⁰ He who deals wisely and heeds [God’s] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord—happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.

There is so much TRUTH, POWER and WISDOM in these verses! Remember that God's Word is His will, and also that it is ALWAYS God's will to to fulfill His promises to His people! 

AMEN! Here are Hillsong Kids with "As The World Shakes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 15 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and verse 32 is SO clear and powerful! 

32 He who refuses and ignores instruction and correction despises himself, but he who heeds reproof gets understanding.

The Word of God is what the our Father God uses to instruct, correct and train us! By the Spirit of God Who lives in us, the Word is brought to life and made personal and intimate to us individually. He IS our personal Teacher, and He teaches the WORD. To refuse or ignore His teaching and training puts us in the worst possible position for any type of success or victory! That's why this verse says that those who do so dispise themselves! "Despise", according to the  Dictionary, means: to loathe, to reject, to revile, to disdain, to repudiate, to neglect, to undervalue, to scorn or to detest! THAT is what we REALLY think about ourselves when we refuse to learn and grow and change! DON'T be one who refuses the wonderful and very personal teaching that comes directly fromthe heart of the living God! AMEN! Here also is verse 33, which is directed to those of us who refuse to refuse instruction! We DESIRE to walk in the wonderful and matchless Wisdom of the One, True God! 

33 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

AMEN! Let's make it our determined purpose to ALWAYS stay teachable and a DOER of the Word of God! TRUE SUCCESS! Here is Hillsong with "Look To The Sun":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Proverbs 14 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today we have THIS in verses 26-27:

26 In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge. 27 Reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.

The Book of Proverbs mentions the "Fear of the Lord" as the very beginning, or first part, of WISDOM! That means that without operating in the Fear of the Lord, we will NOT operate in Wisdom! Exactly what IS the "Fear of the Lord"?  In this instance we are looking at the Hebrew word "yir'ah", which  means: reverence, respect and awe! When WE operate at that level, there is NOTHING that the enemy can successfully do to us that can stop us! And then in verse 30 we see this:

30 A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

Many doctors will tell you that this is SO TRUE and very vital to know! Stress can be a killer! BUT, the good news is that JESUS told us how to deal with this in 1 Peter 5:7:

7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

We MUST cast those cares, not just AWAY, but altogether on HIM! AMEN! Because HE cares for YOU! Here is Hillsong with "Good Grace":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

Today we read Proverbs 13 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I want to share a few verses with you today! First verse 3:

3 He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

There are very many verses in the Word of God that warn us to guard the words of our mouth. This is one of them! Guard your own mouth so that you never speak out something you do not want! No matter what the 'evil report' may be, God's report is ALWAYS LIFE! 1 John 5:14-15 tell us this:

14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him

Proverbs 13:9 says this:

9 The light of the [uncompromisingly] righteous [is within him—it grows brighter and] rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked [furnishes only a derived, temporary light and] shall be put out shortly.

Never forget that though YOU may not 'see' it or even be aware of it, the Spirit of God is indwelling, and, if they ask Him and believe, infilling, every born again, Spirit filled believer in JESUS! The LIGHT of His LIFE within you shines forth brightly! People KNOW that there is something different about you, and they want to knnow more! Be ever ready to give a WORD of GOD answer when anyone asks you about the JOY that they see shining from YOU! AMEN! Now verse 20:

20 He who walks [as a companion] with wise men is wise, but he who associates with [self-confident] fools is [a fool himself and] shall smart for it.

ALWAYS  choose to walk with the wise! Fools can be found around every corner and in every area, but the WISE are the ones we should CHOOSE to spend time with! We all need encouragement and the WISE are the best source! AMEN! And now the last one I want to share today is verse 22:

22 A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up.

THIS day is coming upon us! Get and keep yourself READY! AMEN! Here Are Hillsong Kids with "This Is Living":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Our devotional for today on The Spoken Word Church website is worth sharing again here!

Send Someone a Signal that they Matter

Everyone needs reassurance of their worth. Remind yourself throughout today that each person you meet has encountered waves of criticism, condemnation and inferiority. You can change this. Your words of reassurance can be like water on their seeds of hope.

"The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." (Isaiah 50:4)

Notice that the Scripture above says that "The Lord God hath given me".  It is the LORD Who gives us the Wisdom and the Word to speak to others to comfort, counsel, exhort, restore, refresh and encourage them! We share the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation with the lost, but we also are to be a Light Bearer to the Church, which means the individual members of it! HE will give us what is necessary to lift them up and He will also give others what is necessary to minister to me in MY times of need! Let's buy up every opportunity to BE THE LIGHT in our world! Our GOD is waiting to confirm His Word that we speak with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! Here are Hillsong Kids with "We Came To Meet With You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

DIVINELY ARRANGED, BEAUTIFULLY TIMED

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time…

Nothing happens to you by accident when you have God in your life. Even a “chance” meeting with someone is part of His plan to set in motion His blessings in your life.

Such was the divinely arranged meeting of the Shunammite woman and Prophet Elisha. It led to the prophet pronouncing over her the blessing of a miracle child even though she was barren and her husband was old (see 2 Kings 4:8–17). A few years later, it was this friendship with the man of God, which saw her through a crisis when her son fell seriously ill and died—Elisha raised her son back to life (see 2 Kings 4:18–37).

When God is the one orchestrating the events in your life, neither lack nor danger nor destruction can affect you. When famine hit the land, the Shunammite woman’s family did not suffer because through Elisha, God had told them to leave the land. They went to the land of the Philistines and dwelt there throughout the seven years of famine (see 2 Kings 8:1–2).

God can place you at the right place at the right time, even through your daily decision-making. The Shunammite woman returned to Shunem after the famine had ended. She then decided to appeal to the king of Israel for help to regain her house and land, which had been illegally acquired by others during her absence. This decision brought her before the king on the same day that Elisha’s servant Gehazi was in audience with the king.

The king wanted to hear all about the miracles performed by Elisha. This gave the Shunammite woman the opportunity to share firsthand with the king how Elisha had raised her son from the dead. The thrilled king then ordered the restoration of her house and land, including all the proceeds of the field from the day that she had left until then (see 2 Kings 8:3–6). The Lord had timed and set up everything beautifully for her!

Beloved, God can also make all things beautiful in its time for you. As you involve Him in your daily life and trust His love for you, you too will see Him lead and place you at the right place at the right time to enjoy His blessings.

AMEN! Such a great encouragement for us to NEVER quit! Remember that GOD is ALWAYS watching and at work on our behalf! 2 Chronicles 16:9:

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. 

"Blameless" here can better be tranlsated "wholehearted" as in the Complete Jewish Bible! Keep your heart always trusting in the ONE Who love you MOST and BEST! He will NEVER let you down! Here is Hillsong with "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to again share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional! THIS is WHO WE ARE! IN HIM!

Crowned With Glory

When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands…. (Psalm 8:3-6 AMP)

God did not create man for death! Death, sin, sickness, hatred, revenge, and all such tragedies reflect conditions on earth that had no place in the original plan of the Creator. Man was created instead for joy, happiness, and peace!

Man was designed for eternal fellowship with God. He was created in God's very image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). He was created for joy, happiness, and peace. And he was created to give God pleasure (Revelation 4:11).

God gave man a place in His creation second only to Himself, with dominion as far reaching as the universe itself (Psalm 8:3-6; Genesis 1:26-28). Adam was the master of himself, of creation, and of Satan. Adam did not have to yield to sin - he had a choice.

Confession: I will do what I was designed to do; I will fellowship with God. I will give Him pleasure. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So I will walk in faith. I will not be dominated by sin, sickness, fear, and doubt, or anything else that is of the devil. I choose to walk with God.

AMEN! Never forget that YOU are exactly who GOD says you are! When YOU arre IN HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:This is a fundamental TRUTH that every born again believer MUST know in order to really grow in the Word of God and to trulyy understand our Salvation and the New and better Covenant that we now have through the Blood of JESUS CHRIST! 

The Impartial Power of God

By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14

We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “… there is no other name…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.

God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "At The Cross":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE to do word studies and share my thoughts on our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, but sometimes the authors of the devotionals that I like say it so well that I just MUST share it with you all! Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is a no nonsense approach to the Word of God conerning health and healing! 

Long Life

"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore...With long life will I satisfy him..." (Psalm 91:14,16).

"But, Brother Hagin," someone said, "I knew a minister who was a wonderful man of God, and he died at age 42."

That doesn't mean I have to die young. I don't know what that minister believed - but I know what I believe. And I know that the God who is more than enough said, "I will satisfy him with long life."

Someone else will say, "That just means we're going to live forever in Heaven." No, even sinners are going to live forever. They're going to live in one place, and we're going to live in another. That scripture is referring to our enjoying long life here upon this earth.

A reading of Proverbs reveals that the Word of God says that doing certain things will lengthen your life, but doing certain other things will shorten your life. Ephesians 6:1-3 tells children to honor their parents, "That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." Peter quoted the Psalms assuring us that these promises belong to us (1 Peter 3:10; Psalm 34:12).

Our promised lifespan is 70 or 80 years (Psalm 90:10). But don't compromise. Don't settle for anything less. And believe God for all you can!

Confession: Because I have set my love upon God, El Shaddai will satisfy me with long life. Unless the Lord Jesus Christ returns before I die, I will live out my years in service to God. I will live and work together with God in carrying out His will upon the earth.

AMEN! I don't personally believe that Psalm 90:10 is actually referring to a limit on the years of our lives, but THAT is a teaching and discussion for another day! The main point today is that we do NOT have to settle for less than God's very best! And WE get to decide to believe God for that! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!