Shalom,

Today we begin in the Book of Proverbs and I want to share a portion. Proverbs 1:1-7:

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, 3 Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, 4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth— 5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]— 6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles. 7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

I LOVE this! The underlined verses tells us the very purpose for Proverbs! THIS is what meditating on and DOING what we see in Proverbs will accomplish in our lives! Let's commit to be DOERS of every Word that Holy SPirit reveals to us! Do it QUICKLY! Do it BOLDLY! Do it JOYFULLY! THEN you will begin to see the manifestation of the GOODNESS of GOD! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Resurrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Absoluteness Of Jesus Christ

He shall glorify Me. — John 16:14

The pietistic movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them; there is nothing about them that needs the Death of Jesus Christ, all that is required is a pious atmosphere, and prayer and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous, it did not cost the passion of God, it is not dyed in the blood of the Lamb, not stamped with the hall-mark of the Holy Ghost. It has not that mark on it which makes men say, as they look with awe and wonder – “That is the work of God Almighty.” That and nothing else is what the New Testament talks about.

The type of Christian experience in the New Testament is that of personal passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other type of Christian experience, so called, is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration, no being born again into the Kingdom in which Christ lives, but only the idea that He is our Pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is Saviour long before He is Pattern. Today He is being despatched as the Figurehead of a Religion, a mere Example. He is that, but He is infinitely more; He is salvation itself. He is the Gospel of God.

Jesus said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,…He shall glorify Me.” When I commit myself to the revelation made in the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit Who begins to interpret to me what Jesus did and does in me subjectively all that Jesus Christ did for me objectively.

AMEN! We (Christians) are NOT following a concept, idea, formula, list of rules, or religion! WE are children of the Most High God, citizens of Heaven, partakers of a NEW and BETTER Covenant! Let's start REALLY acting like it! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with"Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Psalm in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is a great one!

1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, praise Him in the assembly of His saints! 2 Let Israel rejoice in Him, their Maker; let Zion’s children triumph and be joyful in their King! 3 Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the [single or group] dance; let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre! 4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory. 5 Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands, 7 To wreak vengeance upon the nations and chastisement upon the peoples, 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, 9 To execute upon them the judgment written. He [the Lord] is the honor of all His saints. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Our God LOVES us! In fact, verse 4 tells us that He takes pleasure in us! He is happy with us! He is satisfied with HIS work IN us! We find great FAVOR in His presence! Dare to believe thisd and to seek our intimate fellowship with the ONE Who loves YOU! MOST and BEST! AMEN! Verse 5 tells us th sing our praises to HIM even before we get out of bed! HALLELUJAH! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Let's let HIM know how grateful we are! Let's PRAISE HIM! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Every Breath":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom

I love today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers! 

The Consecration Of Spiritual Energy

By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. — Galatians 6:14

If I brood on the Cross of Christ, I do not become a subjective pietist, interested in my own whiteness; I become dominantly concentrated on Jesus Christ’s interests. Our Lord was not a recluse nor an ascetic, He did not cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in an other world. He was so much in the ordinary world that the religious people of His day called Him a glutton and a winebibber. Our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual energy.

The counterfeit of consecration is the conscious cutting off of things with the idea of storing spiritual power for use later on, but that is a hopeless mistake. The Spirit of God has spoiled the sin of a great many, yet there is no emancipation, no fullness in their lives. The kind of religious life we see abroad today is entirely different from the robust holiness of the life of Jesus Christ. “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” We are to be in the world but not of it; to be disconnected fundamentally, not externally.

We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual energy. Consecration is our part, sanctification is God’s part; and we have deliberately to determine to be interested only in that in which God is interested. The way to solve perplexing problems is to ask – “Is this the kind of thing which Jesus Christ is interested in, or the kind of thing the spirit that is the antipodes of Jesus is interested in?”

When WE set JESUS as our #1 priority, then we allow HIS, by His Spirit, to do the work IN us that only HE can do! THAT is what makes OUR taking up HIS yoke EASY and LIGHT! Let's be DOERS of the Word that we DO know and keep learning more! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Resurrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to encourage you with a portion of Psalm 147 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Verses 1-12:

1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God, for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate.

2 The Lord is building up Jerusalem; He is gathering together the exiles of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].

4 He determines and counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names.

5 Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless.

6 The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!—

8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.

9 He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens that for which they cry.

10 He delights not in the strength of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of a man.

11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!

Notice in particular verse 6! HE, meaning the GOD of all the universe, will lift US up as long as we stay humble and attentive to Him! AND, a very vital part of this promise, HE will cast down the qicked so that they can NO LONGER lord it over YOU! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Today I want to share THIS from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace" devotional:

Thanksgiving Can Raise the Dead!

. . . And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me . . . John 11:41–42

After Jesus had said these words, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And the man who had been dead for four days came out of his tomb!

This is one of the greatest miracles that Jesus performed. Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus raised him to life. Wouldn’t you agree that death is indeed an extreme problem? Having no money in the bank, being sick and losing your job, bad as they are, are not as bad as being dead!

But what I want you to see is this: If Jesus, in the most extreme of problems, shows us that the solution is still, “Father, I thank You,” then how much more should we thank God in the midst of the less serious problems we face. If thanksgiving can raise the dead, then let us give thanks in spite of the negative circumstances and we will see victory.

Unfortunately, we tend to do the opposite—murmur and complain. But murmuring and complaining only magnify the problem. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is the language of faith which pleases God. I am not saying that we give thanks for the problems we have. No, we thank God that He is our answer and that He has already given every blessing to us (Ephesians 1:3).

“But Pastor Prince, what I have is so little.”

My friend, thank God for the little you have and it will multiply. Jesus thanked His Father for the five barley loaves and two small fish, a little boy’s lunch, and they were multiplied to feed more than five thousand people with twelve baskets full of leftovers (John 6:8–13)! And notice that when the Holy Spirit talked about this event again, He specifically mentioned the Lord giving thanks—“the place where they ate bread after the LORD had given thanks” (John 6:23). The Holy Spirit seemed to be more pleased with the act of giving thanks than the miracle of multiplication or the twelve baskets full of leftovers.

Beloved, the more you thank God, the more you please Him. What little you have will be multiplied and whatever is dead in your life will be raised to life!

AMEN! Be THANKFUL! ALWAYS! Here is Hillsong with "Surrounds You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love the devotional on our Spoken Word Church website for today! It is EXCELLENT! 

Don't Waste Time

Time is precious. It is life itself. When you waste your time, you are wasting your life. Managing your time wisely is one of the most important keys to financial prosperity.

Keep a written list of your daily tasks. Link each task to a specific time. This creates order, the accurate arrangement of things. It is the power key to productivity.

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." {Ephesians 5:16}

When YOU count your time as precious, you will begin to have supernatural Wisdom inorder to properly use time! THAT is how our Father intends for us to operate! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers REALLY made me stop and think about my own mindset!

Distraction Of Antipathy

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly piled with contempt. — Psalm 123:3

The thing of which we have to beware is not so much damage to our belief in God as damage to our Christian temper. “Therefore take heed to thy spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” The temper of mind is tremendous in its effects, it is the enemy that penetrates right into the soul and distracts the mind from God. There are certain tempers of mind in which we never dare indulge; if we do, we find they have distracted us from faith in God, and until we get back to the quiet mood before God, our faith in Him is nil, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is the thing that rules.

Beware of “the cares of this world,” because they are the things that produce a wrong temper of soul. It is extraordinary what an enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention from God. Refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life.

Another thing that distracts us is the lust of vindication. St. Augustine prayed – “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” That temper of mind destroys the soul’s faith in God. “I must explain myself; I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything; He left mistakes to correct themselves.

When we discern that people are not going on spiritually and allow the discernment to turn to criticism, we block our way to God. God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.

What we focus out thoughts and attention on will determine our effectiveness in every area! Focus on God's Word and the still small voice of Holy Spirit within us and we will make right choices and decisions! Here is Hillsong Worship with a new song called "All To Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this very powerful selection from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace" devotional found on his website!

Worship Activates Angels

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Psalm 34:7

Beloved, we have a resource that is greater than any attack the devil can launch against us. Would you like to know how you can activate angels in your life?

The most important key is worship. As you offer your praise to the Lord, the passage above tells us that’s when angels are most active. Our Lord Jesus defined “fear” as “worship” for us. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus responded by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13, which says, “You shall fear the LORD your God.” But He changed the word “fear” to “worship” and said to the devil, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God’” (Matthew 4:10).

Beloved, when you worship the Lord, His angels camp all around you, surrounding you to deliver you. If you are going through a difficult period in your life and are fearful, choose to worship Him. Fear fills our hearts when we are occupied with ourselves, but when we worship the Lord, we become occupied with Him, His beauty, and His goodness, and His angels surround us like a protective shield.

My ministry receives praise reports from people all over the world who, upon encountering His love for them personally through the preaching of the gospel, go on to be conscious of and full of thanksgiving for His goodness and grace upon their lives. Let me share with you a praise report from Sophia (who lives in Georgia, US), who’s also experienced the Lord’s intervention and protection.

Today, I read your devotional titled God’s Angels Are Watching Over You and was really encouraged. I recall an incident when my daughter and I were driving down the road behind an eighteen-wheeler when a vintage-looking car suddenly tried to get between our vehicle and the truck. I thought, “Why are you—” Right then, I heard a voice inside speak to me, asking me to be quiet. So I let the car squeeze in front of us. Immediately after I let the car in, one tire of the eighteen-wheeler blew. Surprisingly, the vintage car stayed in front of my car, taking the full impact of all the flying pieces of the exploded tire.

Once there were no more tire pieces coming from the truck, the vintage car returned to the left side of the road and drove off quickly. It then dawned on me that perhaps the driver of this car was an angel of the Lord. I was so encouraged to know that God protects us in these days and times!

Amen! When God gives His angels charge over you, they go ahead of you to guard and protect you from all sorts of danger. And yes, they may even choose to travel in vintage cars. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (KJV).

AMEN! WORSHIP is ALWAYS the first and best choice! Here is Hillsong Worship with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is one of the most powerful of all!

It Is Finished

I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. — John 17:4

The death of Jesus Christ is the performance in history of the very mind of God. There is no room for looking on Jesus Christ as a martyr; His death was not something that happened to Him which might have been prevented. His death was the very reason why He came.

Never build your preaching of forgiveness on the fact that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. It is untrue to Jesus Christ’s revelation of God; it makes the Cross unnecessary, and the Redemption “much ado about nothing.” If God does forgive sin, it is because of the Death of Christ. God could forgive men in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted to be Saviour because of His death. “We see Jesus…because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” The greatest note of triumph that ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ – “It is finished.” That is the last word in the Redemption of man.

Anything that belittles or obliterates the holiness of God by a false view of the love of God, is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ. Never allow the thought that Jesus Christ stands with us against God out of pity and compassion; that He became a curse for us out of sympathy with us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by the Divine decree. Our portion of realising the terrific meaning of the curse is conviction of sin, the gift of shame and penitence is given us; this is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the wrong in man, and Calvary is the estimate of His hatred.

AMEN! There is simply no way to accurately measure the LOVE that our Father God, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit have for us! The price paid FOR us is beyond what we can even imagine! Yet JESUS WILLINGLY went throguh it all so that WE will NEVER have to! Now THAT is LOVE! TRUE LOVE! Here is Hillsong with "The Passion":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 141:1-4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, especially verse 3, is something that I pray often!

1 Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me. Give ear to my voice when I cry to You. 2 Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 3 Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. 4 Incline my heart not to submit or consent to any evil thing or to be occupied in deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

My sincere desire as a minister of the Gospel is to ONLY speak what Holy Spirit wants me to speak, so I do pray that before every time that I minister! Then we have John 18 where I want to look at verses 19-24:

19 Then the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue and in the temple [area], where the Jews [habitually] congregate (assemble); and I have spoken nothing secretly. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard [Me] what I said to them. See! They know what I said. 22 But when He said this, one of the attendants who stood by struck Jesus, saying, Is that how You answer the high priest? 23 Jesus replied, If I have said anything wrong [if I have spoken abusively, if there was evil in what I said] tell what was wrong with it. But if I spoke rightly and properly, why do you strike Me? 24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Notice what Jesus replied to those who struck Him for His answer to the high priest! I LOVE this! Especially their response to what He said! NOTHING! They had no answer because they KNEW that He spoke the TRUTH! We see something similar happening now where people are so upset when we speak the TRUTH that they attack, slander, harass and try to intimidate those who speak! THAT is the sure sign that they KNOW the TRUTH and are rejecting it! Refuse to be intimidated by TRUTH deniers! Continue to BE where GOD wants you to be, DOING what GOD wants you to do and SPEAKING what GOD wants you to SPEAK! HE will reward you openly while THEY watch and see! HALLELUJAH! MAYBE they will finally see and believe the TRUTH and be set free! Here is Hillsong with one of my favorite songs from Psalm 141 called "Like Incense: Sometimes By Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read John 17 and these verses explain some of the Father's plan for us!

15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. 18 Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And so for their sake and on their behalf I sanctify (dedicate, consecrate) Myself, that they also may be sanctified (dedicated, consecrated, made holy) in the Truth. 20 Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, 21 That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.

I LOVE finding out these TRUTHS that expose the lies of the enemy and emphasize just how much our Father cares about US, our well being, our calling and anointing and positioning! Here, to help further with that, is Hillsong Worship with "Resurrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love this from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional for today!

Do You Know What to Ask For?

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Mark 10:51

All of us know what it's like to go round in circles. To pray our way through one financial disaster only to be met by another. To receive healing for one illness just in time to be knocked off our feet by the next.

Oh, we try. We pray. We exercise our faith. But we keep getting caught in the same old problems over and over again. Why? Because all too often, we don't actually know what it is we need to be praying for.

I can almost hear your reaction. "Believe me, Brother Copeland, that's not my problem. I know what I need. It's getting that need met that's got me running in circles."

That's what most other folks think too. So they spend all their time working on getting. They waste their energy praying for things they don't really need and asking for things they don't really want. Then they wind up going nowhere fast.

Look with me at Mark 10, and I think you'll see what I mean. Blind Bartimaeus sat by the roadside begging when Jesus passed by. "And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.... And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way" (verses 47, 50-52).

Now I want you to think about something for a moment. In the light of what the Scriptures tell us, how many needs did Bartimaeus have? Did he have just one? No! He wasn't simply a blind man, he was a beggar. He probably had more problems than you could shake a stick at, and all those problems would have seemed like legitimate needs to Bartimaeus. But it was sight he needed. If he could obtain his sight, all the rest would fall into line.

He knew that. So, when Jesus said, "Bartimaeus, what do you want Me to do for you?" he knew exactly what to ask for and he got it.

Jesus is just as available to you today as He was to Bartimaeus. He's just as willing to meet your need. The question is, do you really know what to ask for?

Think about that. Pray about it. Let the Lord Jesus open your eyes and show you what you really need. If you do that, your prayers will take on a whole new power. Instead of hitting around at the edges of your problems, they'll go straight to the heart—and solve them. And you won't have to waste your life running in circles anymore.

AMEN! Our Father did NOT leave us helpless! HE has provided in His Word for EVERYTHING that we will EVER need! FIND OUT! Then pray in faith and BELIEVE that you RECEIVE when you pray! Now REJOICE fot eh answer has come! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Sent Word

He sent his word, and healed them . . . . — PSALM 107:20

An unsaved uncle of mine once contacted my mother. He wanted her to get in touch with me so I would pray for his daughter, who was dying. I told Momma when he called back to tell him that I said my cousin would live and not die.

“Oh, son, have you heard from the Lord?” Momma asked. (She knew the Lord sometimes told me things.)

“Yes, I heard from the Lord. She will live and not die,” I assured her.

“Praise the Lord. That’s fine.”

“Yes, I heard from the Lord in Mark 11:23.”

“Oh,” she said, her voice dropping in disappointment.

People put more emphasis on some kind of manifestation than they do the Word. Don’t do that. Put the Word first.

When I told Momma again what to tell my uncle, she said, “Do you suppose it will work, Son?”

“Certainly, it will work! Will the multiplication table work? No one ever says, ‘I don’t know if I’ve got enough faith to work the multiplication table. If you’ll work the multiplication table, it will work. And if you’ll work Mark 11:23, it will work. It’s the Word that does it.’”

That’s where some miss it. They think they’re going to have to perform. No, God does it. All we’re to do is what the Word tells us to do.

Confession: God’s Word works. I act on it, and it works for me.

Here is Hillsong Worship with a great new song called "Resurrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read John 14 in our Spoken Word Bible ReadingPlan and I LOVE verses 1-4:

1 Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. 2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.

We do KNOW the WAY! It is, always has been and always will be by and through the BLOOD of JESUS! JESUS Himself said as much in verse 6:

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

Jesus also said THIS in verse 15:

15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.

And then He sais THIS in verses 16-17:

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever— 17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

AMEN! We ARE, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Let's honor Him with this song from Hillsong Worship called "Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Psalm 136:1-9 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today we are instructed to "give thanks" to the Lord and why: because HIS mercy and loving-kindness toward US are FOREVER!

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever—
4 To Him Who alone does great wonders, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;
5 To Him Who by wisdom and understanding made the heavens, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;
6 To Him Who stretched out the earth upon the waters, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;
7 To Him Who made the great lights, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever—
8 The sun to rule over the day, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

And we end with verse 26:

26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

The message is strong! We are to give thanks to HIM! ALWAYS! At all times and FOR all the GOOD things that He has done and for Who He IS! If you haven't yet, begin to thank Him more and more and you will find that your entire outlook will change, your attitude will be mmore positive and grateful and you will see His favor operating in your life more than ever before! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share another "Faith Food" devotionasl from Kenneth E. Hagin!  This one is all about the Prayer of Agreement!

Agreement

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

You won’t be able to get someone healed if you’re believing that they will live, but they’re believing they will die! There’s no agreement there. When praying for others, it is important to get them to agree.

Usually, when someone comes to me with a prayer request, I say (if I can agree with it), “Let’s join hands now and agree. Listen while I pray, and agree with my prayer. Because if we both pray at once and we don’t pay attention to each other, you may be praying in one direction and I may be praying in another.”

Once a woman came for prayer for a financial need. I prayed, “Father, we agree concerning the one hundred dollars this family needs by the first of next month. We agree that by the first of the month they’ll have this extra one hundred dollars. You said that if two of you agree as touching anything they ask, it shall be done. We agree that it is done, and we thank You for it now, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”

I looked at the woman and asked, “Is it done?”

She started crying, “I hope it is,” she said.

It wasn’t. There was no agreement.

Confession: If there are two of us . . . and we’re on earth . . . and we agree as touching anything we ask in line with God’s Word . . . it shall be done for us of our Father in Heaven!

AMEN! One of the strongest prayers we can pray is the prayer of agreement! Those agreeing must be on the same level of faith in God's Word in order to agree! Find those who believe the Word of G od and His promises as much as you do and you will have a powerful 'prayer partner'! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Hope of the Ages":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read Psalm 134 and verses 1-2 are a great place to start in praising HIM!

1 Behold, bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, [singers] who by night stand in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift up your hands in holiness and to the sanctuary and bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]!

With all that is within YOU, praise HIM! That will put you in  position to receive what you need and desrie from Him like nothing else can! In John 11:28 we see something that has always made me a little sad! This was when Lazarus had died and Jesus went later, knowing what He would accomplish there! When Martha spoken to Jesus she told Him that she really believed that if He had come sooner, her brother would not have died! She said that she believed that Jesus was truly the Messiah, but then she went to her sister Mary and said this:

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, privately whispering to her, The Teacher is close at hand and is asking for you.

Now Jesus may very well have asked for Mary, but these Scriptures do NOT reveal that! My thought is that Martha had no confidence in her own relationship with JESUS, but she believed that Mary had a real 'in' with Him because she has spent so much time listening to His teaching. One thing that has meant the very most to me in coming to know JESUS more and  more each day is the TRUTH that He does NOT love any one of us more than the other! Now some of us may try His patience where others may be more pleasant for Him to be around, BUT HE LOVES US ALL EQUALLY! NEVER allow the devil to convince you that you are not 'good enough' to be in the presence of the Lord your GOD! HE said that WHOSOEVER chose to come to HIM, He would NEVER cast out! YOU are SO valuable to HIM! He DIED to give you HIS LIFE! There IS no greater LOVE than that! Here is Hillsong Worship with a new song that reflects just how very much YOU mean to HIM! "Surrounds Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share two things with you today from my meditation of our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! First of all this from Psalm 133:

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body]. 3 It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].

This is speaking of unity that comes from seeing each other as precious and valuable, as God sees each one of us! THAT is unity, not always agreeing on everything, but honoring and respecting each other. Then we have this very important revelation of the Father's plan for us and His WILL! John 10:10:

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

This shows the great contrast between the enemy and our GOD! Never doubt that your Heavenly Father wants ONLY good for you! Dare to believe and expect the overflow in your life! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Grace Inspirations" devotional from Joseph Prince's website, is outstanding!!!

Jesus, Be the Center

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

I love how in Luke 24, the Holy Spirit intricately records for us the meeting that Jesus had with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus on the very first day of His resurrection. With heavy hearts, grieved and shell-shocked, they talked about how Jesus, whom they greatly esteemed, had been taken by the religious leaders, condemned to death, and crucified.

Read the full story and notice how the two disciples were caught up with their own understanding of the events that had transpired and with their thoughts about the redemption of Israel. As a result, they were downcast, disappointed, and depressed. This is what happens when the truth about Jesus is absent from our minds.

The disciples had hoped that Jesus would be the one who would redeem Israel. To them, Jesus was simply a means to an end. They were more consumed with Israel’s redemption than with the Redeemer Himself. No wonder they were depressed! Jesus can never simply be a means to an end, no matter how noble that end may be. We need to be occupied with Him and allow everything to revolve around Him as He takes center place in our lives.

The disciples were downcast because they didn’t believe in what God’s Word had prophesied about Jesus’ suffering and resurrection. If they had believed and understood that the events in the last three days were all orchestrated by God and that the cross was His grand redemption plan to save all men, they would have been rejoicing with faith, love, and hope. They would have been greatly anticipating their reunion with the resurrected Christ instead of being so inward-looking and discouraged. But because of their wrong beliefs, they had become disillusioned and were mentally defeated.

If you are feeling fearful, anxious, or depressed today, do a quick check. What’s on your mind? What’s your heart occupied with? Are your thoughts filled with faith in Jesus, the Shepherd of your life, or are they filled with apprehensions about the future, fears about your current situation, and excessive self-introspection? Give Him center place by believing that He is the answer to everything you need in life, and begin to walk in a new measure of His peace, joy, and liberty.

AMEN!!! BELIEVE! Then NEVER STOP believing! SOMEONE is waiting on YOUR WORDS! Speak HIS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Secret Place":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from the devotional on The Spoken Word Church website! It is short, but very powerful!

Reach for Prosperity

You will never possess anything you are unwilling to pursue. It is good to pursue good health, happiness and financial blessings. Your heavenly Father wants you to experience all these blessings.

Get ready today to launch the greatest chapter you have ever known. Prosperity.

"Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers." (3 John 1:2)

Our Heavenly Father WANTS us to prosper in every area! This only happends, however, when our souls propser by meditating on the Word of God! Joshua 1:8 says this:

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

Let's be DOERS of this great WORD and bring joy to our Father! Here is Hillsong with "All To Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,  

Today's "Faith Food" deovtional by Kenneth E. Hagin contains one of the most valuable lessons in walking by faith!

Praying And Saying

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. — MARK 11:24

Faith will work by saying without praying (notice Mark 11:23 doesn’t mention praying), but faith also works by prayer.

However, when you pray it, you still have to say (or confess) it.

Let me repeat that: Faith will work by SAYING it, or it will work by PRAYING it, but when you PRAY it, you still have to SAY it.

Mark 11:23 and 24 brought me off a bed of sickness many years ago. After I had prayed, then I began to say (not think) out loud in my room, “I believe that I receive healing for my body.” Then I specified each thing that was wrong with me: “I believe I receive healing for the heart condition. I believe I receive healing for this paralysis. I believe I receive healing for the incurable blood disease.”

And just in case I had missed anything, I concluded, “I believe that I receive healing from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.”

Within the hour every symptom of physical deficiency disappeared from my body, and I was standing on the floor beside the bed — healed!

Confession: What things soever I desire, when I pray, I believe that I receive them. I confess what I believe. I hold fast to my confession. And I never fail to receive them.

We must meditate on the Word of God so that we KNOW what belongs to us as a child of the living God! But then we MUST speak what the Word says is ours if we ever want to walk in it! In the end, we will have what WE say! So SPEAK THE WORD! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace" that you can find on his website! This is SO inspiring!

It Is All About Seeing Jesus

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Proverbs 4:20–22 NLT

I want to begin this day by asking you this question: amid all the different things you hear clamoring for your attention every day, are you hearing messages that are full of the good news of Jesus? This is so important because it is the basis of your walking in peace of mind and heart, and life and healing in your body.

The true ministry of any new covenant Bible teacher or preacher is to unveil Jesus to you and qualify you by the blood of Jesus. He or she does not come to unveil your faults or bring your sins to remembrance to disqualify you from entering God’s presence and enjoying His blessings. That is what an old covenant preacher does. In the Old Testament, the widow of Zarephath said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance . . . ?” (1 Kings 17:18).

The enemy, our accuser, wants you to be conscious of yourself and keeps telling you to look at your every wrong deed and thought. My friend, don’t play his game. Turn away from his accusations and from yourself, and see Jesus. God is not judging you today based on you. He has placed you in Christ, and He sees the excellence, beauty, and perfection of Jesus when He looks at you.

The devil wants you self-conscious. God wants you Jesus-conscious. It is in your best interest to find out as much as you can about Jesus—who He is, His titles, His official glories, all that He possesses—because all that He is, God has set to your account. You are a joint heir to all that He has and all the inheritance that is due to Jesus is yours as well (Romans 8:17)!

The law is all about you looking at yourself. The new covenant of grace is all about you seeing Jesus. The Pharisees committed large portions of the Word of God to memory and yet they could not see the Word of God in the flesh, standing before them. We should not be interested in just accumulating Bible knowledge. We should be opening the Scriptures to see more of Jesus. Some people think that if they knew Hebrew and Greek, they would understand the Bible better. Well, the Pharisees knew Hebrew and that did nothing for them. What we need is for the Holy Spirit to unveil to us revelations and hidden gems about Jesus and His finished work.

Very often, when Jesus and His grace are not our focus, we find ourselves wandering in the desert of legalism and becoming discouraged and disillusioned with life as a believer. This was something Raymond, who lives in Australia, went through after becoming a believer when he was twelve. He was brought up believing that God would smite him if he did not keep the law perfectly. At the age of fifteen, he stopped going to church and reading the Bible as he felt that it was all too hard. But over the years, he never stopped believing that Jesus is the Son of God. At the age of fifty-four, Raymond kept a promise he made to his father to return to church. It was there that Raymond was introduced to my ministry, and this was his response to receiving the message of grace:

When I heard about what Jesus had accomplished for me at the cross, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. For the first time in my life, I felt so close to my Savior and all I could do was cry and say, “You are awesome, Jesus!” over and over again. I know that I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ through His perfect finished work on the cross and that as Jesus is in heaven, so am I in this world. So every time I go through a trial, I just ask myself, “Is Jesus defeated by this in heaven? No. Well, neither am I here on earth.”

I have learned to bring Jesus into every situation quickly so that I can rest in His unmerited and undeserved grace and love. Because God is with me, it does not matter what things look like in the natural as God is above all of it. I have learned to trust Jesus and tap into His love and wisdom daily. He is faithful and will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. I can truly say I have experienced the superabundance of God’s grace.

I know now that God had never forgotten me even though I turned away from Him. God answered my dad’s prayer and now his entire family serves the Lord! Hallelujah, praise Jesus!

Beloved, your enjoying peace, joy, and victory in this life is all about seeing Jesus, because from Him comes every supply and provision—His grace, His love, His righteousness, and His forgiveness. Keep focusing on His grace and love for you and I promise you, your life will be transformed beyond your wildest imagination.

AMEN! This is SO powerful and SO much needed for believers today in the world inwhich we are living! Make sure that you are spending the time to have intimate fellowship with Holy SPirit Who will reveal JESUS to you more clearly and plainly every day! Here, to help with that, is Hillsong Worship with "Hope of the Ages":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share another great lesson from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

A Good Report

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. — NUMBERS 13:30

And Joshua . . . and Caleb . . . spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. — NUMBERS 14:6-9

Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who had a good report. They didn’t deny that giants were in Canaan; they simply added that the children of Israel would be able to overcome the giants.

“We are well able to overcome them,” they said, “for the Lord is with us!” That was their good report.

Similarly, we believers must not stick our heads in the sand like ostriches and deny that problems and difficulties exist in our lives. Yes, the “giants” are there — but we are well able to overcome them, because the Lord is with us!

When you face the giants of life, don’t have a negative confession. Don’t talk doubt and have an evil report. Faith always has a good report!

Confession: I am well able to overcome the giants in my life — because the Lord is with me! Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.

AMEN! We CAN DO all things through HIS mighty power, love, Wisdom and Grace! Here is Hillsong Worship with a new song called "Never Walk ALone":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share our partner Jerry Savelle's devotional!

GOD HEARS YOUR PRAYERS

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. (Psalm 34:15 NKJV)

Because of your righteousness in Christ, you can stand in the presence of God as though your sin had never occurred. You can stand in the presence of God without a sense of fear, guilt, or inferiority. You can stand in the presence of God because you are righteous. Jesus made you righteous, and there isn’t anything Satan can do about it.

The Bible says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16 NKJV). The Amplified translation says the prayer “makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” This is what happens to a righteous person when he or she prays—and you are that righteous person. God’s eyes are upon you, He hears you, and your prayers are powerful.

When you pray, heaven stands to attention. When you pray, all the angels are on alert. When you pray, God declares, “That’s one of mine. That one is righteous. Let the prayer be answered!”

Confession: Father, I believe all of heaven stands to attention when I pray. I boldly come before You in faith today, knowing you will answer my prayer.

AMEN! Stir up YOUR confidence in the promises of the Word of God! You ARE who HE says you are and you can do what HE says you can do! IN HIM! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Never Walk Alone":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 126 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today is another of the Songs of Ascents. 

1 When the Lord brought back the captives [who returned] to Zion, we were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal]. 2 Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. 3 The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad! 4 Turn to freedom our captivity and restore our fortunes, O Lord, as the streams in the South (the Negeb) [are restored by the torrents]. 5 They who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing. 6 He who goes forth bearing seed and weeping [at needing his precious supply of grain for sowing] shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

AMEN! As we continue to walk in obedience to the Word of God as led by the Spirit of God, we will cause othjers to SEE the LIGHT! Here is Hillsong with a new song called "Hope of the Ages":

Shalom in  Him!

 Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is an excellent message!

The Authority Of Reality

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. —James 4:8

It is essential to give people a chance of acting on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual, you cannot act for him, it must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message ought always to lead a man to act. The paralysis of refusing to act leaves a man exactly where he was before; when once he acts, he is never the same. It is the foolishness of it that stands in the way of hundreds who have been convicted by the Spirit of God. Immediately I precipitate myself over into an act, that second I live; all the rest is existence. The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will.

Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it, not necessarily physically, but in will. Record it, with ink or with blood. The feeblest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is emancipated the second he acts; all the almighty power of God is on his behalf. We come up to the truth of God, we confess we are wrong, but go back again; then we come up to it again, and go back; until we learn that we have no business to go back. We have to go clean over on some word of our redeeming Lord and transact business with Him. His word “come” means “transact.” “Come unto Me.” The last thing we do is to come; but everyone who does come knows that that second the supernatural rush of the life of God invades him instantly. The dominating power of the world, the flesh and the devil is paralysed, not by your act, but because your act has linked you on to God and His redemptive power.

AMEN! It is acting on the Word of God that causes that Word to come alive to us! It is also the gauge of whether we REALLY believe or not! Be a DOER of the Word of God today and see the understanding of the Word become more profound! THAT's hwo it works! GOD's WAY! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin again in the Gospel of John with our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Here are verses 1-5:

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

First of all we see the TRUTH that GOD was ALWAYS here! We see the our GOD is the Living WORD! We see that all of creation came about through God's Word! He, the WORD, JESUS, was present through all time! He left Heaven to be born as a human being in order to live as we live so that HE could pay OUR PRICE for SIN and WE could have HIS payment credited to our account! JESUS never STOPPED being GOD, He just never operated as God while He was ministering on the earth! There is only one place to find these TRUTHS! The WORD of GOD! Dig in and allow Holy Spirit, Who is the personal TEACHER of all believers, teach YOU just what all of this means to YOU, in YOUR life! Then praise HIM with Hillsong and "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Jude in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to share these verses with you to encourage you! First of all verses 20-21:

20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; 21 Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—[which will bring you] unto life eternal.

These instructions, when acted on, will put you, and keep you, in position to succeed in all that you do and to continue to be lead by the Holy Spirit of the Living God! Then verses 24-25 are to be our continual attitude throughout every day!

24 Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]— 25 To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).

There is NO ONE like our GOD! Give Him praise continually! The highest form of prayer to the Most High GOD! Here is Hillsong with "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we receive some instructions for prospering and being blessed! Psalm 122:6-9:

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]! 7 May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces! 8 For my brethren and companions’ sake, I will now say, Peace be within you! 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek, inquire for, and require your good.

And then 3 John 2 tells us what the Lord our God thinks about our prosperity!

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

The secret to prosperity in every area of life is SOUL PROSPERITY! How does our soul prosper? By feeding on the Word of God! That means reading, meditating (speaking, pondering), and doing!.  Joshua 1:8 give us the key!

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

AMEN! The Word of God gives us instructions for success in every area of life! Dig in and find them! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!