Shalom,

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

Heedfulness v. Hypocrisy In Ourselves

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. — 1 John 5:16

If we are not heedful of the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other folks are failing, and we turn our discernment into the gibe of criticism instead of into intercession on their behalf. The revelation is made to us not through the acuteness of our minds, but by the direct penetration of the Spirit of God, and if we are not heedful of the source of the revelation, we will become criticizing centres and forget that God says — “…he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.” Take care lest you play the hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right before you worship God yourself.

One of the subtlest burdens God ever puts on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning other souls. He reveals things in order that we may take the burden of these souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them, and as we intercede on His line, God says He will give us “life for them that sin not unto death.” It is not that we bring God into touch with our minds, but that we rouse ourselves until God is able to convey His mind to us about the one for whom we intercede.

Is Jesus Christ seeing of the travail of His soul in us? He cannot unless we are so identified with Himself that we are roused up to get His view about the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so whole-heartedly that Jesus Christ will be abundantly satisfied with us as intercessors.

AMEN! BE the LIGHT in YOUR world! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth and Gloris Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional!

Dig In To Your Covenant

This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. 1 Corinthians 11:25, The Amplified Bible

New Covenant. It's a familiar phrase to most of us. But do we really know what it means?

No we don't. Because if we did, every one of us would be faith a giant. Instead of struggling, "trying" to believe the promises of God, we'd be like Abraham: "Strong in faith...fully persuaded that, what [God] had promised, he was also able to perform" (Romans 4:20-21).

That's the kind of confidence that welled up in Abraham when God cut the covenant with him. It was an inferior covenant to ours, made with the blood of animals. Yet it transformed a doubting Abraham into the very father of faith. Why? Because, Abraham understood the significance of it.

He knew that entering into the covenant of blood meant you were totally and forever giving yourself away to someone else. Once you did it, nothing would ever be exclusively yours again. All that you were, all that you had or ever would have became the equal property of your covenant partner.

During the covenant ceremony in Abraham's day, the partners exchanged coats, each one giving their authority to the other. They exchanged weapons as a way of saying, "Your enemies are now my enemies. I'll fight your fights as if they were my own." They walked through the blood of slain animals, pronouncing their loyalty to one another, even to the death.

When God made covenant with him, Abraham knew there was no longer any room for doubt. God had proven how intensely He desired to be God to him. He'd given him everything He had and bound Himself to Abraham in a relationship that could not be dissolved. Abraham comprehended the gravity of a covenant agreement. It convinced him once and for all that God's promises could be trusted. It became an anchor to his soul.

Do you want to be a faith giant like Father Abraham? Then dig in to the covenant you have with God. Study it out in the Word. Let the Holy Spirit show you what really happened when Jesus became the sacrifice that ratified your covenant with God. Let Him show you what it meant when He gave you His Name (John 16:23), His authority (Matthew 28:18-20), His armor and weapons (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Once you realize what Jesus actually meant when He said, "This is the New Covenant established in My blood," your life will never be the same again.

AMEN! Our GOD is a Covenant making and a Covenant KEEPING God! Find out what belongs to YOU as a result of OUR new and BETTER COVENANT! Meditate on these TRUTHS until they become more real to you thatn any circumstances you face! THIS is GOD'S plan for us! Here is Hillsong with "Remembrance":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Our Lord’s Surprise Visits

Be ye therefore ready also. — Luke 12:40

The great need for the Christian worker is to be ready to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience is. The battle is not against sin or difficulties or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in work that we are not ready to face Jesus Christ at every turn. That is the one great need, not the facing our belief, or our creed, the question whether we are of any use, but to face Him.

Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. It is not service that matters, but intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This will give our life the attitude of child-wonder which He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious (that is, using religion as a higher kind of culture) and be spiritually real.

If you are looking off unto Jesus, avoiding the call of the religious age you live in, and setting your heart on what He wants, on thinking on His line, you will be called unpractical and dreamy; but when He appears in the burden and the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. Trust no one, not even the finest saint who ever walked this earth, ignore him, if he hinders your sight of Jesus Christ.

Making a daily appointment for intimate fellowship with JESUS in YOUR 'Secret Place' will keep you in position for any of HIS 'suddenlies' or 'surprise visits'! That really is the KEY to hearing His voice and walking in His ways! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense (Sometimes By Step)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to continue today with Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on the authority of the believer in Jesus!

Source

Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. — LUKE 10:19 (ASV)

Authority is delegated power.

Its value depends on the force behind the user.

Jesus said, “I have given you authority.” Who gave it? Jesus did. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God manifested in the flesh! That means that God said it. Therefore, God said “I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.”

(Serpents and scorpions represent demons and evil spirits and the power of the enemy.)

God Himself is the Power, the Force, behind this authority. The believer who is fully conscious of divine authority can therefore face the enemy without fear or hesitation.

Behind the authority possessed by the believer is a Power far greater than the power that backs our enemies. And those enemies are compelled to recognize that authority!

No wonder John says, “. . . greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Confession: I am a believer. Jesus has given me authority. God has given me authority. God Himself is the Power behind this authority. And this authority God has given me is over all the power of the enemy.

Let's ALWAYS remember that the authority that we are to operate in is GOD'S! And HE has given it to US to use against all the wiles, tricks, strategies, schemes, lies and oposition of the devil! USE IT! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is one of my very favorites and has been since the first time I read it over 40 years ago! 

Whom Resist

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith . . . . — 1 PETER 5:8-9

In 1942, I had a battle with symptoms in my body. I prayed, appropriated the promises of God, and stood my ground. But at times it looked like I wasn’t going to make it.

One such night I had a dream. I dreamed another man and I were on some kind of a parade ground. It was like a football field. There were stands on either side. As we walked along talking, suddenly the man looked back and yelled, “Look!” and he started running. I turned and saw that two ferocious lions were almost upon me. I ran about two steps. Then I hollered to the other man, “You’ll never make it! You can’t outrun them!” I stopped still, turned around, and faced them. I was trembling. My flesh was covered with goose pimples. But I said, “I stand against you. I refuse to budge in the Name of Jesus Christ.” The lions stopped, came right up to me, sniffed around my feet, and just trotted off. I awoke, and First Peter 5:8 came to my mind. I knew my physical battle was won. I received healing immediately. I had almost run, but I stood my ground. I had used my authority.

Confession: I resist the devil steadfast in the faith. I stand my ground. I use my authority. And the devil runs from me as if in terror.

AMEN! Remember that the devil is nothing to you but a defeated foe! His only weapon is the LIE and he tries with everything within him to get us to believe something contrary to the Word of the Living God! REFUSE HIM! Give him NO PLACE! He is a LIAR and the father of all lies! To help you remember how to treat him, here is Hillsong with "Not Today"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is a very important message for those who want to continually draw closer in intimate fellowship with Almighty God!

Vision By Personal Purity

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. — Matthew 5:8

Purity is not innocence, it is much more. Purity is the outcome of sustained spiritual sympathy with God. We have to grow in purity. The life with God may be right and the inner purity remain unsullied, and yet every now and again the bloom on the outside may be sullied. God does not shield us from this possibility, because in this way we realize the necessity of maintaining the vision by personal purity. If the spiritual bloom of our life with God is getting impaired in the tiniest degree, we must leave off everything and get it put right. Remember that vision depends on character — the pure in heart see God.

God makes us pure by His sovereign grace, but we have something to look after, this bodily life by which we come in contact with other people and with other points of view; it is these that are apt to sully. Not only must the inner sanctuary be kept right with God, but the outer courts as well are to be brought into perfect accord with the purity God gives us by His grace. The spiritual understanding is blurred immediately the outer court is sullied. If we are going to retain personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean there are some things we must scorn to do or to think, some legitimate things we must scorn to touch.

A practical way of keeping personal purity unsullied in relation to other people is to say to yourself — That man, that woman, perfect in Christ Jesus! That friend, that relative, perfect in Christ Jesus!

Realize that though our born again spirits are PERFECT, in the image of Almighty God, we stilll have a flesh nature that must be controlled by our soul, which consists of our mind, emotions and will. As we continually renew our mind with the Word of God and spend time in fellowship with Him by Holy Spirit in us, we will become more and more like Him! We will NOT be perfect until we are with Him! 1 John 3:2-3 tells us this:

2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 3 And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).

So, maintian your fellowship with HIm and get to know HIM more every day! As you do this, and continue to share His TRUTH, you will become more and  more like JESUS and you will BE the LIGHT in your world! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

From our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today I want to exhort you with this from Romans 12:1-2:

1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

We MUST stand out as lights in this dark world so that the HOPE that is within US can be seen by others who do not yet have this HOPE! Let them see JESUS! Then I want to encourage you with these verses from Psalm 84!

1 How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God.

4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; they will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]!

HALLELUJAH! There is no greater blessing than getting to really KNOW ther LORD our GOD more intimatel every single day! REJOICE in HIM, AND in who HE made YOU to be! We are, of ALL peoploe, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have just two reminders for you from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! The first is an encouragement as you go through Numbers that you do NOT become lazy and skip over the various times each tribe is named and the numbers given (not today, but throughout the entire book). What we will learn from this is that our God is very exact and extremely efficient! He does not, and will not, forget even one of the hairs that have ever been on your head! EVERYTHING that He has promised in His Word He WILL DO for YOU, IF you will remember and remind Him and refuse to be without it! The other reminder is found in Psalm 83:18. It is the reminder that our God desires that ALL people be saved! Some will not choose Him, but it will not be because of HIM! THIS verse tells us His reason for all that He does! 

18 That they may know that You, Whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.

AMEN! BE the LIGHT in your world for JESUS! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan covers Romans 10 and THIS is what our emphasis is to be in these days! Verses 8-13:

8 But what does it say? The Word (God’s message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach, 9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. 11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed. 12 [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith]. 13 For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.

SALVATION! This is God's greatest gift to mankind! Whosoever will BELIEVE and RECEIVE will spend eternity in the presence of God and all of this life with the Spirit of Almighty God living IN US! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Look To The Son":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read this in "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:

The Burning Heart

Did not our heart burn within us? — Luke 24:32

We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions; then we have to learn to keep the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything. It is the dull, bald, dreary, commonplace day, with commonplace duties and people, that kills the burning heart unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

Much of our distress as Christians comes not because of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test as to whether we ought to allow an emotion to have its way is to see what the outcome of the emotion will be. Push it to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something God would condemn, allow it no more way. But if it be an emotion kindled by the Spirit of God and you do not let that emotion have its right issue in your life, it will react on a lower level. That is the way sentimentalists are made. The higher the emotion is, the deeper the degradation will be if it is not worked out on its proper level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many things inevitable as possible, let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay on the mount of transfiguration, but we must obey the light we received there; we must act it out. When God gives a vision, transact business on that line, no matter what it costs.

AMEN! It is up to US to maintain our intimate fellowship with the ONE Who loves us MOST and BEST! Mediating on the WORD of GOD is the very best way to do so!  Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I thought that today's devotional on Andrew Womack's website was very enlightening! I hope that you do, too!

God Or Man Pleasers

John 5:43-44, 'I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?'

This is in reference to the fact that Jesus came in the power and authority of His father to point men to Father God. Jesus existed before His advent on this earth in the form of God and was equal with God. Yet, He humbled Himself and became a servant while here on earth (Philippians 2:6-8).

He did not come to promote Himself but to give His life to provide the way to the Father (John 14:6). In the same way, the Holy Spirit does not exalt Himself, but points all men unto Jesus. Jesus came, meek and lowly, totally submitted unto and seeking only to please the Father.

This is radically different from the way so called 'great men' present themselves. The Roman Caesar of Jesus' day proclaimed that he was God and demanded worship. Lesser leaders ruled by exalting themselves over the people they governed; but, Jesus showed us that 'whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many' (Matthew 20:26-28).

If we are concerned about what people think in an attempt to gain their approval (or honor), we will never take a stand in faith for anything that might be criticized. This one thing has probably stopped as many people from receiving from God as anything else. You cannot be a 'man-pleaser' and please God at the same time. Commit your all to Him - every thought, word, and deed.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. We have been reading about God's plan for getting answers that we need. The 4 step method for receiving what we need from God is: SAY IT, DO IT, RECEIVE IT, TELL IT! Her is an examploe from the Word of God! 

The Prodigal

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father . . . . — LUKE 15:17-20

Jesus gave me this example from the New Testament of these four principles being followed.

Notice that the first thing the prodigal son did was, he said it!

Then, he did it. He climbed out of that hog pasture, and he started down the road toward home.

Next, he received it. His father saw him coming afar off, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. His father said, “Bring the robe and put it on him. Bring the ring and put it on his finger. Bring shoes and put them on his feet. Kill the fatted calf.”

Then they had a celebration and told it.

Confession: I know that God will do anything I believe Him to do which is in line with His Word. And I know how to write my own ticket with God. First, I say it. Next, I do it. Then, I receive it. Finally, I tell it!

AMEN! Let's become DOERS of this and be telling everywhere about our GOOD, GOOD GOD! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace" deovtional. This is SO good!

God Will Never Be Angry with You

“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:9–10

A warning is issued in 1 Peter 5:8—“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” I know that a lion roars to intimidate and to bring fear, but I used to wonder what kind of fear the devil tries to instill in the believer.

We must let the Bible interpret the Bible. We can’t base our interpretations on our denominational backgrounds or our experiences.

One day, I was reading Proverbs 19 when I came across verse 12: “The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.” Who is the king that this verse refers to? It is our Lord Jesus!

So when the devil goes about like a roaring lion, he is trying to impersonate the King. He is trying to make you feel as if God is angry with you.

Every time you hear preaching that leaves you with a sense that God is angry with you, guess what? You have just been roared at!

But know this, beloved: God will NEVER be angry with you ever again. He only has to tell us this, but He wanted us to be so sure that He swore in His Word that He would never be angry with us again.

Today’s verses are from Isaiah 54, which is right after the famous messianic chapter of the sufferings of Christ in Isaiah 53. Therefore, Isaiah 54 is spelling out the triumphs and spoils of His sufferings.

Do you know why God will never be angry with us again? It is because of what Christ has accomplished for us!

On the cross, God poured out all His anger on the body of His Son. Jesus exhausted all the fiery indignation of a holy God against all our sins, and when all of God’s judgment of our sins had been completely exhausted, He shouted, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

And because our sins have already been punished, God, who is a holy and just God, will not punish us today when we believe in what Christ has done. God’s holiness is now on your side. His righteousness is now for you, not against you. You are His beloved, in whom He is well pleased because of Jesus' finished work!

The next time the devil tries to rob you of your sense of being beloved by making you think that God is angry with you, just ignore him. Ignore him when he says, “How can you call yourself a Christian?”

You are a righteous, accepted, and beloved child of God! When you believe this, you will have the confidence to face every challenge with boldness, knowing that you have God’s unmerited favor on your side!

AMEN! Never forget who YOU are - IN JESUS! He paid the highest price so that YOU can be who HE called you to be! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers presents a check that we each must make, daily, of our own heart attitude towards the things and purposes of God!

Shall I Rouse Myself Up To This?

Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. — 2 Corinthians 7:1

“Having therefore these promises.” I claim the fulfilment of God’s promises, and rightly, but that is only the human side; the Divine side is that through the promises I recognize God’s claim on me. For instance, am I realizing that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, or have I a habit of body that plainly will not bear the light of God on it? By sanctification the Son of God is formed in me, then I have to transform my natural life into a spiritual life by obedience to Him. God educates us down to the scruple.* When He begins to check, do not confer with flesh and blood, cleanse yourself at once. Keep yourself cleansed in your daily walk.

I have to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit until both are in accord with the nature of God. Is the mind of my spirit in perfect agreement with the life of the Son of God in me, or am I insubordinate in intellect? Am I forming the mind of Christ, Who never spoke from His right to Himself, but maintained an inner watchfulness whereby He continually submitted His spirit to His Father? I have the responsibility of keeping my spirit in agreement with His Spirit, and by degrees Jesus lifts me up to where He lived — in perfect consecration to His Father’s will, paying no attention to any other thing. Am I perfecting this type of holiness in the fear of God? Is God getting His way with me, and are other people beginning to see God in my life more and more?

Be serious with God and leave the rest gaily alone. Put God first literally.

*Down to the scruple: to the smallest item.

AMEN! The choice to be a DOER of the Word and the Will of God is ALWAYS ours! HE will not choose for us! Make it your determined purpose to be a DOER od the Word and keep yourself in position to be continually pleasing the Lord! Here is Hillsong with "So Will I":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I was really blessed with Jospeh Prince's "Daily Grace" devotional!

We Don’t Have All the Answers

“I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. Hosea 2:15 NLT

Maybe you are going through a difficult valley. Maybe you are disappointed with God because you have lost a loved one or because you have been battling that medical condition year after year.

I want to encourage you not to ask, “Why?” Asking why will only lead you on a downward spiral into depression. Don’t ask, “Why did this happen to me?” Don’t ask, “Why is my child not healed even though I have trusted You for years?” or “Why is my loved one going through one tragedy after another?”

The fact is, in this fallen world, we don’t have all the answers. One day, we will receive our new bodies, where the corruptible will put on incorruption, and the mortal will put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53). But until then, I recognize that sometimes bad things happen and I don’t know why.

But what I do know is this: God is a good God. He loves us, and He is never behind any pain we go through. Our faith in Him is not based on our experiences; it is based on the unchanging, eternal Word of God, which cannot lie.

Even when things didn’t go the way you wanted them to, don’t remain in your disappointment. The devil wants you to get angry with God and to give up on His promises. But keep believing that God is for you and not against you.

Even if the enemy has destroyed something in your life, and even if years have been lost as you waited for the manifestation of your healing, or the days of your youth have been stolen from you, keep believing that God can restore to you what you have lost (Joel 2:25, Job 33:25).

My friend, “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Keep on looking to the Lord for your breakthrough. And if you find that you are too tired to believe anymore, I pray that this promise will carry you through:

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. —Isaiah 40:31

AMEN! Remember always that with God ALL THGINGS ARE POSSIBLE! Never quit believing the promises in the Word and never stop listening for your leading, guidance and direction from Holy Spirit! GOD IS FAITHFUL if we refuse to quit! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have been going through Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional this year and today's is a lesson that I remember every time we go through it, and it is VITAL!

Step 2: Do It

What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond. . . . some one will say, “You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions. . . .” You notice that his [Abraham’s] faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected. — JAMES 2:14,18,22 (Weymouth)

Step 2: Do it. It wouldn’t have done that woman with the issue of blood any good to have said, “If I may but touch His clothes I shall be whole,” if she hadn’t acted on what she said.

Jesus said to me in that vision, “Your actions defeat you, or they put you over. According to your actions, you receive, or you are kept from receiving.”

That’s important. Read it again.

The Book of James is written to believers. James said, “What doth it profit, my brethren.” Most people think James was writing about salvation, but he was writing to people who were already saved, pointing out that faith without corresponding actions won’t work. It is a great mistake to confess faith in the Word of God and, at the same time, contradict your confession by wrong actions. Actions must correspond with your saying and believing in order to receive from God.

This woman said, “If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole,” and then she acted on that — and she received!

Confession: My actions line up with God’s Word. My actions put me over. By my actions I receive from God!

AMEN! After hearing and hearing the Word of God, meditating on it, speaking it, and then proclaiming it over our lives, the next VITAL step is to step out in obedience, as the woman above did, and DO IT! THEN we will see the results that we desire to see! Others will see, Jesus will be glorified and WE will be set free! HALLELUJAH! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Ask, Seek, Knock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 74 in our Spoken Word Bible Readng Plan for today,  a great reminder for US (the Church) as we see with natural eyes what is going on all around us! 

12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13 You did divide the [Red] Sea by Your might; You broke the heads of the [Egyptian] dragons in the waters. 14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan (Egypt); You did give him as food for the creatures inhabiting the wilderness. 15 You did cleave open [the rock bringing forth] fountains and streams; You dried up mighty, ever-flowing rivers (the Jordan). 16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have established the [starry] light and the sun. 17 You have fixed all the borders of the earth [the divisions of land and sea and of the nations]; You have made summer and winter. 18 [Earnestly] remember how the enemy has scoffed, O Lord, and reproached You, and how a foolish and impious people has blasphemed Your name.

NEVER FORGET TO REMEMBER all that our GREAT GOD has ALREADY done for us! Do you REALLY think that He has been taken by spurprise by all of the evil doings of the enemy? NO! HE has already moved to get everything in place for OUR GREAT DELIVERACNE! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "The Greatness of Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. Because his writings were from another time, the language and phraseology is sometimes a little harder to understand. That means that I have to spend momre time meditating on just what he is saying. I LOVE that! Anytime that we spend really thinking about what we are reading or hearing, knowledge comes and Wisdom with it! See what YOU receive from this!

Obedience

His servants ye are to whom ye obey. — Romans 6:16

The first thing to do in examining the power that dominates me is to take hold of the unwelcome fact that I am responsible for being thus dominated. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because at a point away back I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because I have yielded myself to Him.

Yield in childhood to selfishness, and you will find it the most enchaining tyranny on earth. There is no power in the human soul of itself to break the bondage of a disposition formed by yielding. Yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust (remember what lust is: “I must have it at once,” whether it be the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind), once yield and though you may hate yourself for having yielded, you are a bond-slave to that thing. There is no release in human power at all, but only in the Redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One Who can break the dominating power viz., the Lord Jesus Christ. “He hath anointed me…to preach deliverance to all captives.”

You find this out in the most ridiculously small ways – “Oh, I can give that habit up when I like.” You cannot, you will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you yielded to it willingly. It is easy to sing – “He will break every fetter,” and at the same time be living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. Yielding to Jesus will break every form of slavery in any human life.

AMEN! Ultimately WE decide who we give our allegiance to! When I say "I choose Jesus!", then I have the responsibility to find out what HE desires of me! Obedience to His Word and His Spirit brings me to a place of being pleasing AND useful to Him! It does not change His LOVE for me, which NEVER changes, but it DOES increase my usefulness to Him! AND increases my future rewards! I LIKE those choices! I hope that you do, too! Here is Hillsong with "So Will I":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin has vital information on walking in healing and health through the Word of God!

God’s Medicine

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

A marginal note in a good reference Bible will show that the last phrase of the above text can read “and medicine to all their flesh.” This means that God has “prescribed” His words for our healing and for our health!

But medicine, even in the natural, won’t do any good unless you take it according to directions. You could go to a doctor, get a prescription, have it filled, take it home, set it on your bedside table — and still grow steadily worse! You could call the doctor and complain, “I don’t understand it. I paid good money for this prescription, but I’m getting worse.” The doctor might ask, “Are you taking your medicine according to the directions?” “Well, no, but I’ve got it right here in the bottle at my bedside.” The medicine won’t work just because it’s in the bottle. You’ve got to get it in you!

And God’s medicine (your Bible) won’t work just because you have it on your bedside table. But it will work if you’ll get it down on the inside of you — into your heart, or spirit. And not just by reading it and forgetting it; but by meditating upon it until it becomes a part of your inward man.

Confession: I hide God’s words in the midst of my heart. They are life to me. They are medicine to my flesh!

AMEN! TAKE THE MEDICINE! GOD'S medicine, according to the directions in the Word of God! Meditate (Joshua 1:8 AMPC) until the Word comes alive to you! Then WALK in it! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today I want to share from our partner, Rick Renner's, "Sparkling Gems From The Greek Volume 2". THIS is YOU! 

YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. — Matthew 5:15

Once while in Israel, I took a break from the speaking schedule at a conference we were conducting to enjoy a quick visit to a local archeologist’s office and take a look at ancient oil lamps he had collected throughout the years. I eagerly waited for him to pull those rare lamps out of a box so I could examine them, but I had no idea how many of them he had collected. There were scores of them — and he let me know that this was just the tip of the iceberg compared to the large collection he had put away in storage.

When he saw the surprised look on my face, he immediately began to explain how the soil of Israel is loaded with archeological relics, including ancient oil lamps. “There are so many of these in the ground that you can just about dig anywhere and find an oil lamp,” he said.

I asked, “After thousands of years have passed, I thought these would be pretty rare, so why are there still so many of them still being found?”

He answered, “These lamps were the only source of light in the ancient world. As you can see, these lamps aren’t very large. If a person really wanted to light his house or building, he had to use a lot of these lamps. That’s why there are still so many of them scattered in the dirt throughout the land of Israel.”

I reached out to take one of the lamps in my hand. The archeologist told me, “That’s a Herodian lamp that dates to the time of Jesus.” It was small, formed of clay, shaped to hold oil, and had a small opening at the end of the spout where a wick could be inserted into the base of the lamp to soak up oil. In ancient days when it was time to light the lamp, fire was put to the wick. As long as oil was supplied to the base of the lamp, it would keep burning and giving light.

Today that Herodian lamp sits on my desk in Moscow — and every time I stop to look at it, my mind goes to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:15. He said, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”

The word “candle” in this verse gives the impression of a wax candle like we use today, but during the days when Jesus walked the earth, there were no wax candles such as the ones we use. This word “candle” is an unfortunate translation of the Greek word luchnos, a word that refers to an oil lamp exactly like the ones I just described. A literal translation of this verse should read, “Neither do men light an oil lamp and put it under a bushel.…”

In this text, Jesus was exhorting the disciples — and us — to let our light shine before men so we can influence the world around us. He used the example of an oil lamp to make His point, so before we proceed any further, I believe we should delve deeper to see why Jesus used an oil lamp and why this imagery is such a perfect illustration of us!

Oil lamps were made of clay and were very fragile. In fact, they were so fragile that they could be broken by a mere squeeze of the hand holding them. Even in Jesus’ day, these oil lamps had to be handled carefully lest they break, the oil spill out, and the light be lost.

Now do you see why Jesus used oil lamps to depict you and me? Although our bodies are a miracle created by God, like the oil lamps in this illustration, we are made from the clay of the earth and we are very fragile. The real miracle is that God would choose to put His Spirit inside us. That is why the apostle Paul wrote about it with such wonder in Second Corinthians 4:7. In that verse, he said, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels….”

The example Paul gave in this verse is not exactly the same as the oil lamps in Jesus’ illustration, but the point is precisely the same. In this verse, Paul used the Greek word ostrakinos when he referred to us as being “earthen vessels.” The word ostrakinos describes easily broken pottery made of inferior materials. Shoddy, deficient, substandard pottery is exactly the kind of “earthen vessels” Paul had in mind when he wrote Second Corinthians 4:7. He used the illustration of cheaply made pottery to epitomize us. That explains his amazement that God would place His Spirit in us! Think of what a miracle it is that God would place His Spirit inside you and me!

The lamps in Jesus’ illustration were fragile oil lamps, yet they contained oil that empowered the light. In the Old and New Testaments, oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Just like the oil in the lamps to which Jesus referred, God has placed His Spirit in us. Although at times we feel fragile, as long as we yield to the Lord, He continually resupplies us with enough of the Holy Spirit’s oil to keep us burning through the night so we can give light to those who are in darkness around us. We have a continual supply of the oil and the fire of the Holy Spirit!

But in Matthew 5:15, Jesus told us, “Neither do men light a candle [i.e., an oil lamp], and put it under a bushel.…” What did He mean when He spoke about putting a lamp under a “bushel,” and what is a “bushel”?

The word “bushel” is the Greek word modios. It refers to a jar or container that was used to measure grain. To put a lamp under a jar or container where there is no oxygen would obviously put out the light. Do you see what a powerful statement Jesus was making? He was driving the point home that it makes no sense to light a lamp and then put it under a bushel where no one can see it. Why would anyone want to do that? Furthermore, putting a lamp under a bushel where there is no oxygen would be sure to smother the light.

By using this example, Jesus strongly admonished us to keep our gifts, talents, and influence out in the open where they can be seen, where they can grow, and where they can provide light to other people.

Why would God give you gifts to benefit others and then have you hide them where no one can see them or appreciate them? God never intended for you to conceal your gifts or to hide your influence. He wants your light to shine brightly!

Maybe you’ve seen yourself as being inferior, or maybe the devil has assaulted your self-image and tempted you to wrongly believe that you have nothing to offer. Perhaps you have felt that you fall short in comparison to others whose gifts and talents shine especially bright. But if you’ve kept your gifts and talents under wraps, you may be shocked to discover how gifted and talented you really are and how much potential influence is inside you just waiting to be tapped. You just have to give yourself the opportunity to shine!

It’s time for you to quit hiding in the shadows! God put His Spirit and supernatural abilities inside you — and that truth alone should bring you out into the open! His Spirit in you is a rich reservoir of oil that will burn long and burn brightly. You have what it takes to be a success!

But for you to be the phenomenal success and influence God knows that you can be, you have to be willing to quit putting yourself down. And then you have to choose to step out of the shadows! It’s time for you to come out from under that bushel where you’ve been hiding and let the Holy Spirit light your wick with a fire that will make you shine for Him! As long as you are willing to keep yielding to the Holy Spirit, He will keep filling and supplying you with enough oil to burn long and burn strong so you can be a source of light and illumination to many people all the days of your life on this earth.

What a waste of time it is for you to buy into the devil’s lies and badger yourself with thoughts that you have nothing to offer! God’s Spirit lives in you, and if you’ll dare to let Him do it, He will burn so brightly in your life that you will become an illuminating force to people all around you. But if you refuse to bring your gifts and talents out from under wraps, no one will ever know what God has put in you. And if you neglect those God-given endowments too long, eventually they will begin to diminish, just like a fire that eventually goes out for lack of oxygen.

So why don’t you make the decision today to get out of the box of insecurity and complacency that has contained you? Stop telling yourself you’re not as good or talented as others, and start using what God has given you for His glory! As you press into Him and put your wick down deep into the oil of the Holy Spirit, you’ll become so saturated with His presence that you’ll begin to burn brighter and brighter for Jesus. Just let your gifts flow, and become the influence He intended you to be! Believe me, friend, you’ve got everything it takes!

As born again belivers, we have the Spirit of Almighty God living IN US! We HAVE what it takes! Or better sdaid, we have WHO it takes! IN US! We CAN DO all that HE has called, anointed and appointed us to do! So let's get to it! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. I have used this devotional many times over the last 42 years and I still keep coming back to the timeless TRUTH shared here!

Saying The Same Thing

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession [confession]. — HEBREWS 4:14

The Greek word translated “profession” here is translated confession elsewhere in the King James Version. The literal Greek meaning of this word is to speak the same thing. So instead of saying, “Let us hold fast our confession” we could say, “Let us hold fast to speaking the same thing.” Notice that words are involved here.

The thing that defeats many people is that they have a double confession. One time they confess one thing, and the next time they confess something else.

For example, they may say to you, “Yes, the Lord is my Shepherd, and I shall not want. According to Philippians 4:19, my God shall supply all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus — and I’m believing God to supply my needs.”

But when they leave you and meet someone else, their mind may revert back to their problems, so they’ll say, “We’re not doing so good. We can’t pay our phone bill. We’re going to have to take the phone out. And it even looks like we’re going to lose our car . . .”

What about that first confession they made? It was nullified by the second.

Confession: I make my mouth do its duty. I see to it that I speak in line with God’s Word. Then I hold fast to my confession.

Refuse to nullify your own confession (profession) of FAITH! God'w Word is TRUTH and you must stand on it! ALWAYS! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There is an excellent message in today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional from our partners, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland!

Watch Your Language

In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. Proverbs 10:19, The Amplified Bible

We believers need to start watching our language! We need to quit throwing words around like they weren't important and start using them like our lives depended on it--because, according to the Word of God, they do! (Proverbs 18:21).

Too many of us have what Proverbs 19:1 calls a perverted mouth. Having a perverted mouth means more than lying and using profanity. It means having a disobedient mouth. It means saying things that are out of line with the Word of God.

All of us have done that at one time or another. We'll say, for instance, that we're believing God for our healing and then we'll turn right around to someone and make a statement like, "This pain is about to kill me!"

That's perverted! It's backwards from what God's Word says.

"Oh well, Brother Copeland, I know I said that, but it's not really what I meant."

Listen, the world of the spirit doesn't operate on what you mean. It operates on what you say. Mark 11:23 tells us that "whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

Take note. That verse didn't say you shall have whatsoever you mean. It says you'll have what you say. It's what you say that counts.

Now, I'm not suggesting you should be tied up in knots all the time worrying about what your next phrase might be. Just use the wisdom God has given you. Train your mouth to be obedient to His Word. Then, when you need it most, you'll find that Word dwelling richly in you.

AMEN! OUR WORDS are VITAL to OUR WELL BEING! Make sure that YOU are saying what you REALLY want, and then stand by it! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin had this to say in today's "Faith Food" devotional! 

Overcoming Faith

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. — 1 JOHN 5:4

I may be in the world, but I am not of the world. I am of God. My citizenship is in Heaven. And while I am in this world, I have the Greater One living in me. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Who is in the world? The devil. He’s called the god of this world in Second Corinthians 4:4.

What is in the world? Sin. But the Greater One in me is greater than sin. The Greater One conquered sin.

What else is in the world? Sickness. It’s not of God. It doesn’t come from Heaven. There’s no sickness up there. Sickness is of this world. But the Greater One in me is the Healer.

What else is in the world? Trouble. Adverse circumstances. Seeming impossibilities. But when I’ve faced such things, I’ve just remembered who is on the inside of me and what the Bible says. I didn’t even have to pray about it. I just looked that circumstance right in the face and laughed as I said, “If I don’t make it over you, I’ll make it around you. If I don’t make it around you, I’ll make it under you. If I don’t make it under you, I’ll make it through you, because the Greater One is in me!” Even while I laughed, that circumstance ran off and hid!

Confession: I am born of God. And by releasing my faith in words through my mouth, I overcome the world!

AMEN! LEARN the WORD of the Living God! HEAR the WORD! BELIEVE the WORD! SPEAK the WORD! DO the WORD! and then EXPECT the promises of the WORD to manifest in your life! Here are Hillsong Kids with "As The World Shakes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Relinquished Life

I am crucified with Christ. — Galatians 2:20

No one is ever united with Jesus Christ until he is willing to relinquish not sin only, but his whole way of looking at things. To be born from above of the Spirit of God means that we must let go before we lay hold, and in the first stages it is the relinquishing of all pretence. What Our Lord wants us to present to Him is not goodness, nor honesty, nor endeavour, but real solid sin; that is all He can take from us. And what does He give in exchange for our sin? Real solid righteousness. But we must relinquish all pretence of being any thing, all claim of being worthy of God’s consideration.

Then the Spirit of God will show us what further there is to relinquish. There will have to be the relinquishing of my claim to my right to myself in every phase. Am I willing to relinquish my hold on all I possess, my hold on my affections, and on everything, and to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ?

There is always a sharp painful disillusionment to go through before we do relinquish. When a man really sees himself as the Lord sees him, it is not the abominable sins of the flesh that shock him, but the awful nature of the pride of his own heart against Jesus Christ. When he sees himself in the light of the Lord, the shame and the horror and the desperate conviction come home.

If you are up against the question of relinquishing, go through the crisis, relinquish all, and God will make you fit for all that He requires of you.

AMEN! SIN is no longer the problem! WHO will we give our whole heart to? THAT is the question! Will we lay down our own desires for HIS? Every born again believer must ask THEMSELVES that question! Then follow through on what we know to do! There is no greater joy than being WHERE God wants us to be, doing WHAT He wants us to do! TRUE SUCCESS! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website again! This is SO good!

You Can Determine Any Future You Want

You will never leave where you are, until you decide where you would rather be. The day you make a decision about your life is the day your world will change. Move decisively toward the goals you have established. Intolerance of your present situation creates your future.

"Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." {Isaiah 43:18-19}

WE decide IF we will follow God's plans and purposes for our lives! Obedience is the key to successfully running our race and completing our course! 1 Corinthians 9:24-26:

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. 25 Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither. 26 Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.

Nevery give up! Never give in! Our GOD will see us through and we WILL run victoriously, bringing GLORY to HIM! Here is Hillsong with "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we have Psalm 65 and here are a few of my favorite verses this time around! We start out with this describing this Psalm and I LOVE it!

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A song.

David would sing this! I hope that are learning to or have learned to sing your own praises to the King of all kings! He is SO worthy, and singing causes us to connect with Him on a more personal level! Stir up that JOY that was placed inside of you by the Spirit of God at your New Birth! Begin with verse 1!

1 To You belongs silence (the submissive wonder of reverence which bursts forth into praise) and praise is due and fitting to You, O God, in Zion; and to You shall the vow be performed.

TRUE reverence of the Lord WILLL cause you to burst forth in praise! Try it! Then verses 4-8  show us how that looks!

4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You choose and cause to come near, that he may dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple. 5 By fearful and glorious things [that terrify the wicked but make the godly sing praises] do You answer us in righteousness (rightness and justice), O God of our salvation, You Who are the confidence and hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far off on the seas; 6 Who by [Your] might have founded the mountains, being girded with power, 7 Who still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples, 8 So that those who dwell in earth’s farthest parts are afraid of [nature’s] signs of Your presence. You make the places where morning and evening have birth to shout for joy.

Did you notice that "fearful and glorious things accomplished by GOD and celebrated by US cause the enjemy to be TERRIFIED, but US to sing praise! HALLELUJAH! Then verses 9-13 show how our GOD responds to the praises of HIS people! 

9 You visit the earth and saturate it with water; You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide them with grain when You have so prepared the earth. 10 You water the field’s furrows abundantly, You settle the ridges of it; You make the soil soft with showers, blessing the sprouting of its vegetation. 11 You crown the year with Your bounty and goodness, and the tracks of Your [chariot wheels] drip with fatness. 12 The [luxuriant] pastures in the uncultivated country drip [with moisture], and the hills gird themselves with joy. 13 The meadows are clothed with flocks, the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy and sing together.

Our PRASIES give God access to our lives to pour more BLESSINGS, that bring more PRAISES! What a wonderful and glorious cycle! Let's continually cultivate THAT! God is GLORIFIED! WE are BLESSED! And the world will KNOW WHO HE IS! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Crown The Year":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the "Daily Grace" devotional from Joseph Prince's website.

Only Good Gifts

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

As a father, it always pains me to see my children unwell. My firstborn daughter, Jessica, is all grown up now, but I remember how it broke my heart to see her bawling when she was suffering from viral fever as a baby.

I remember cradling her in my arms and praying over her as I paced around her room the whole night. I sponged her feverish body over and over again. As long as she was sick, I could not rest.

I hated the fever that was causing my baby to convulse in pain. I would have done anything to alleviate her discomfort. If I could have taken her fever in my own body so she would not have to go through the pain, I would have gladly done so.

What I feel when my children are unwell is only a microcosmic reflection of what our heavenly Father feels for us when we are unwell. He wants us brimming with health and life. He hates sicknesses and diseases because of what they do to us.

But the difference is this: He was able to take our sicknesses, and He put them on Jesus’ own body as He hung on the cross, so that we would not have to suffer them. The Bible tells us: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17).

Why did our Lord Jesus do that? Because He loves us so much. He could not rest until He had secured our salvation, our health, and our wholeness. Finally, when He had borne every sin, every disease, and every infirmity upon His own body, He cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and rested.

The Bible shows us this clearly: God is a good God. He is our loving heavenly Father. That is why I cannot understand why there are those who teach that God sometimes uses sickness to teach us a lesson or that we need to “pray hard” for His healing.

Can you imagine any earthly father inflicting suffering on his own child? Must you be persuaded to alleviate your child’s pain?

There are even some people who claim that it is sometimes God’s will for us to be sick. But when their own children fall sick, they do everything within their power to ensure their children recover. If it were really God’s will for us to be sick, seeking recovery would be deliberately trying to get out of God’s will!

My friend, reject anything that even remotely suggests that God uses sickness and suffering to teach us something. Our Father is full of grace and mercy and wants us to be healthy, provided for, and protected from every evil occurrence, sickness, and disease!

AMEN! Our God is GOOD! And ONLY GOOD! Here is Hillsong with "Good Grace":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom, 

Today I really like Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest"!

Could This Be True Of Me?

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself. — Acts 20:24

It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the commonsense basis.

What do I really count dear? If I have not been gripped by Jesus Christ, I will count service dear, time given to God dear, my life dear unto myself. Paul says he counted his life dear only in order that he might fulfil the ministry he had received; he refused to use his energy for any other thing. Acts 20:24 states Paul’s almost sublime annoyance at being asked to consider himself; he was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Practical work may be a competitor against abandonment to God, because practical work is based on this argument – “Remember how useful you are here,” or – “Think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.” That attitude does not put Jesus Christ as the Guide as to where we should go, but our judgment as to where we are of most use. Never consider whether you are of use; but ever consider that you are not your own but His.

This is SO good! We are NOT our own! We were bought with a very HIGH price! The BLOOD of JESUS! We owe it to HIM, and to ourselves, to commit to BE all that HE has designed, called, anointed and appointed each one of us to be! BE the LIGHT in YOUR world! Here is Hillsong with "In Christ Alone":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I have to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional again! Today's is vital for raising Godly children!

Well Of Life

The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life . . . . — Proverbs 10:11

Immediately after the birth of our son and daughter, I took those little ones into my hands and said, “Lord, I thank You for this child. Because I know the Bible, I realize it is my responsibility to train up this child in the way it should go, and when it is old, it will not depart from it.

“I realize Your Word says to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and I’m going to do that. I know that children are taught in two ways: By precept and by example. So I’m going to live right in front of this child. I will set the right example. Then, too, I know that you can have what you say, so I say over this child that it will grow up strong physically, without sickness and without disease; it will be alert mentally; and stalwart spiritually.”

Our children grew up without sickness and disease. I never prayed a prayer that they would be saved. I never prayed a prayer that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. But both were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit at an early age.

Children are a product of words!

Confession: According to the New Testament, in Christ I am righteous. Therefore, my mouth is a well of life. I speak words of life concerning others as well as myself!

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

Shalom in Him!