Shalom,

Today I want to share form Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS LIKE WIND

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. — Acts 2:2

Having grown up in Oklahoma, my family members were all well aware of the power of the wind. If atmospheric conditions were right, we’d hear the city sirens begin to blare — warning everyone to run for cover because severe winds or a tornado was imminent. At the sound of those sirens, I remember my mother commanding me to get off the porch and into the house to seek shelter. Running for cover was the last thing I wanted to do, because I loved watching how the low-level clouds would suddenly turn eerily dark. The latent power of wind simply mesmerized me. The fact that the wind could not be seen but could be felt — and the added fact that it was so unpredictable — made me want to stay on the porch so I could feel the wind in action.

But at my mother’s urging, I would eventually head for cover with the rest of the family, usually in a small, enclosed area of the house that could potentially withstand a hit, like a bathroom or closet. We’d shut the door and wait. When the sirens stopped blaring, that’s when we knew the storm had passed. Many times we emerged from our hiding place to find large tree limbs strewn across our yard that had been carried there from blocks away. Sometimes we would see huge trees that the wind had ripped up from their roots. Very often after these storms, we’d venture out to discover that roads were impassable because of debris — trees, limbs, and power lines that had been knocked down by the wind and scattered across the roads. Electrical sparks would spit fiercely into the air from where electrical lines had been severed, so we would drive around them or look for alternative routes until electric crews arrived to repair the fallen lines.

We’re all aware of the potentially destructive power of wind. But if properly harnessed, wind can also bring tremendous benefits. Think how much it would impact the world if there were no wind. The earth would be stagnant, stinking from pollution and from the normal decaying process that is occurring on the planet.

Just think how essential wind has been to the very development of civilization. For example, if there were no winds, exploration never would have occurred. Consider the great ships of the past that had no mechanical or nuclear energy to drive them, yet they glided across oceans with ease as their great sails caught the winds. The world was explored and conquered by men who “set sail” and traveled the globe, fueled by the force of the wind.

In fact, if no wind were blowing, there would be no movement. Windmill blades would never turn — and the production of materials would be slowed and diminished. Wind is essential for progress to be made. Without wind, we would be hundreds of years behind where we presently are in history.

Wind cannot be seen, but its effects can be felt and heard — just like the Holy Spirit. We cannot see Him, but we can feel the effects of His presence and His power. On the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:2 says, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Today I want us to look at the comparison of wind to the Holy Spirit in this verse to see what we can learn about why the Spirit came in this manner on the Day of Pentecost and what this means to you and me.

In Acts 2:2, 12 disciples were gathered in the Upper Room, waiting for the promise of the Father as Jesus had commanded them (see Acts 1:4). The Bible says that as they were waiting, “suddenly” there came from Heaven a certain sound. The word “suddenly” was translated from the Greek word aphno, which carries with it the idea that something took them off-guard and by surprise.

Acts 2:2 goes on to say, “…Suddenly there came a sound….” This phrase “there came” is a translation of the word ginomai, which in this case describes something very similar to the Greek word aphno — something that happens unexpectedly or that catches one off-guard.

The word “sound” in this verse is the Greek word echos. This is the very word that is used in Luke 21:25 to describe the deafening roar of the sea.

Verse 2 continues, “…A sound from heaven….” The phrase “from heaven” is from the Greek words ek tou ourano. The word ek means out, and tou ourano means of Heaven. This leaves no doubt that this sound had originated and emanated from Heaven itself.

Then Luke compared this sound from Heaven to a “rushing, mighty wind.” The word “rushing” was translated from the Greek word pheromones, the present-passive participle of phero, which means to be carried, borne, or driven and agrees with the idea of something borne or driven downward very loudly. When this sound from Heaven came, it was loud — so loud that the writer used the word “rushing” to describe what Jesus’ disciples heard that day in the room where they gathered.

Furthermore, the Greek text also uses the word biaias for “mighty,” a word that could be better translated as violent. Hence, this “sound” thundered like the roaring of a sea or a mighty wind that swept downward very loudly and violently.

The word “wind” itself comes from pnoe, which describes wind so loud that one may be tempted to cover his ears from the overpowering noise of it. This means when the Spirit was poured out, it was no quiet affair. It was loud, noisy, and violent — not violent in terms of destructive, but rather it was strongly felt.

Just as wind moves ships, empowers engines, drives windmills, and disperses pollution from the earth — when the Holy Spirit moved on the Day of Pentecost, He released power strong enough to transform 120 disciples into a mighty force for God!

When the wind of the Spirit blows upon a near-dead church, it can blow life back into that congregation again. When all of our organizing is done and is nearly perfect, yet we still lack power, it is the wind of the Holy Spirit that can blow strongly upon us and cause a vision or organization to come alive with the life of God.

If you are someone who desires a “quiet” relationship with God, I must warn you that when the Holy Spirit’s wind blows, it is rarely a quiet affair. It is usually noisy and attention-attracting — or as we’ve seen, it’s a powerful force that sweeps downward from Heaven like the roaring of the sea.

When God formed man, He formed him perfectly. But man had no breath in his lungs until God breathed the breath of life into him (see Genesis 2:7). Likewise, when the Church was assembled on the Day of Pentecost, it had no power until the Holy Spirit breathed into that assembly. When that loud “boom” exploded overhead in the room where they were gathered, the power of God came upon 120 disciples, and they became an empowered, mighty force in the earth as a result.

Wind is a good word to describe the power of the Holy Spirit. Change happens when winds blow — and when the Holy Spirit moves, He brings change like wind. Energy is produced by wind — and when the Holy Spirit moves in this manner, He supplies supernatural energy. He empowers us to do what we could not naturally do on our own. Oh, how we need the supernatural wind of the Holy Spirit!

AMEN! TRUST HIM! You CAN! Here is Hillsong with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to shgare again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations".

Are You Fully Awake?

Awake to righteousness, and sin not. 1 Corinthians 15:34 KJV

Perhaps you find yourself under a constant siege of condemnation because you have been wrongly taught that the Holy Spirit convicts believers of their sins. You believe that the condemnation you feel is a result of the Holy Spirit’s conviction when it actually originates from the accuser.

Rather than the Holy Spirit being your Helper, convicting you that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, that God will never abandon you even if you have sinned, you are left to struggle with sin, condemnation, and fear. It is time to “awake to righteousness.” As Pamela in Maryland discovered, when you do, oppression, bondage, and sin cannot maintain their hold in your life. Here is Pamela’s testimony:

{Dear Pastor Prince, at fifty-nine years of age, I was recovering from multiple fractures in my right ankle and fibula. In the first month, my mobility was severely limited and my physical condition weakened.

During that season of stress, I was oppressed and tormented by strong feelings of fear of abandonment and rejection, experiencing panic attacks almost daily. I was plagued by nightmares and became unable to sleep—due in part to pain medication, but also to the extreme anxiety. Some nights, all I could do was read the Bible until I was exhausted and finally able to sleep.

One day, I came across your television program and was “hooked.” Every day and evening, I watched your program, soaking up the words of life that you were speaking to my soul. I soon ordered one of your books.

For the first time in my life, I heard that it was not the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin, but my conscience. As I read through the book, it was like water to my soul. I read it through three times, each time getting more freedom and peace.

Now, at the age of sixty, I am healthier, happier, and freer than I have ever been in my life. I have been delivered from the stronghold of the fear of abandonment, neglect, and rejection that had oppressed me for most of my life. I have been able to forgive those who physically, emotionally, and sexually abused me, and to repent of my disrespect, self-hatred, bitterness, and resentment.

Today, I am confident that my heavenly Papa loves me, not because of anything I have or have not done, but because of what Jesus did for me. I am continuing to learn that I am completely accepted and righteous in His beloved Son, Jesus, who is altogether lovely, trustworthy, and gracious. Now, I spend my days loving Him and being loved by Him, and I am better able to bless and serve others. Thank you!}

Beloved, if you are struggling with condemnation, fear, and sin, the power to overcome is found in knowing that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. When the Bible says, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not,” it means that the more you realize that you are indeed righteous in Christ, and that you are righteous apart from your works, the more you will be empowered to live righteously.

Let this truth sink in and be set free by the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is your Helper, given by God to convict you of righteousness. You are the righteousness of God in Christ!

AMEN! Knowing who you are IN HIM will release you to BE who HE called, anointed and appointed YOU to be! The BEST YOU! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another valuable lesson in knowing who we are IN JESUS and how to live it out!

Walking In The Light Of Life

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. — JOHN 8:12

I began to see some truths about eternal life before our children were born. And I believed by the grace of God that I could walk in the light of eternal life. (If God tells me in His Word I can, then I can.) I knew walking in the light of eternal life would affect my children, and so I could predict how they would turn out. I also predicted how some of the babies born in our church around the same time would turn out. I could do that because I knew what sort of light their parents were walking in and how that would affect the children. I was right one hundred percent of the time.

People can have eternal life, but if they don’t walk in the light of it, developing themselves — if they don’t take advantage of that life and nature — things won’t turn out right in their lives. We have eternal life, but we have to appropriate it. We have to walk in the light of it.

Children should have the privilege of being born into homes where eternal life and the love of God are present. I’ve observed how children whose parents have this life and walk in the light of it respond to religious training. Such children have a fineness of spirit others do not have. They are easier to discipline, and they have keener intellects. Teenagers who receive eternal life and allow that life to dominate them are more mentally efficient afterwards than they were before they were saved.

Confession: God’s life is in me. That life is in the light, and it affects my development. I walk in the light of it. It affects my home!

AMEN! Find out what belongs to YOU as a born again child of the Living God, and then walk in it! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Philippians has always been my favorite of Paul's Epistles. Today we are reading chapter 4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Almost everyone is familiar with verse 4:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

Rejoicing is simply stirring up the joy (a fruit on the born again spirit) that is already in you. In order to do that effectively, we must first be doers of verse 6:

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

The result of that will be verse 7!

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

That great peace is beyond any earthly peace! One of the greatest promises in this chapter is found in verse 13:

13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

And all of this is made so much easier when our mindset is established by being doers of verse 8:

8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

When we fix our mind on JESUS and HIS WORD, then everything else in life will fall right into place!  The last promise I want to remind you of today is found in verse 19:

19 And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

LIBERALLY! That means an abundance, above and beyond the need, and it is all according to what HE has and not our need! Our God is a GOOD, GOOD GOD, and He is extravagant in His love and care of those who put Him first place! We have successfully meditated on this chapter and as we set ourselves to continue in obedience to Him, we WILL see the results promised here! Remember, He watches over HIS WORD to perform it! Jeremiah 1:12:

12 Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

 HALLELUJAH! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Always Now

We…beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. — 2 Corinthians 6:1

The grace you had yesterday will not do for to-day. Grace is the overflowing favour of God; you can always reckon it is there to draw upon. “In much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses” — that is where the test for patience comes. Are you failing the grace of God there? Are you saying — “Oh, well, I won’t count this time”? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you; it is taking the grace of God now. We make prayer the preparation for work, it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the exercise of drawing on the grace of God. Don’t say — “I will endure this until I can get away and pray.” Pray now; draw on the grace of God in the moment of need. Prayer is the most practical thing, it is not the reflex action of devotion. Prayer is the last thing in which we learn to draw on God’s grace.

“In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours” — in all these things manifest a drawing upon the grace of God that will make you a marvel to yourself and to others. Draw now, not presently. The one word in the spiritual vocabulary is Now. Let circumstances bring you where they will, keep drawing on the grace of God in every conceivable condition you may be in. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be humiliated without manifesting the slightest trace of anything but His grace.

“Having nothing…” Never reserve anything. Pour out the best you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful about the treasure God gives. This is poverty triumphant.

AMEN! Spend a little more time every day in intimate fellowship with HIM and you will see your life become much more interesting and full of LIFE! GOD'S LIFE! Here is Hillsong with "On Repeat":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Proverbs 25 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and two verses really stood out to me! First of all verse 2:

² It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.

WE, all born again beleivers, have been made priest and kings by our GOD! Look at 1 Peter 2:9:

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

And then Revelation 1:5-6:

5 And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, 6 And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it)

WE are the "kings" that Solomon is referring to in verse 2! Our GOD made us to be both priests and kings! It is passed time for US to step up our 'reign game"! Then verse 15:

¹⁵ By long forbearance and calmness of spirit a judge or ruler is persuaded, and soft speech breaks down the most bonelike resistance.

Shouting matches were never God's intended way for us to interact with unbelievers when presenting the GOOD NEWS! We see here that it is the 'soft answer' and the 'calm spirit that will ultimately reach people with the TRUTH! I hope that YOU will begin to see YOURSELF just as God sees you! 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.

FAVOR

Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. — DANIEL 1:9

I didn’t know anything about confession of faith when I was first saved as a teenager. But somehow my spirit impelled me to say these things. Second Corinthians 5:17 was a favorite scripture of mine. I would tell everyone I met, “I’m a new creature!” They’d reply, “What’s that?” And I would start preaching on it. Before I knew it, I’d have a crowd gathered around me right there on the street!

Every morning, as I walked to school, I made my confessions based on John 1:4 and Daniel chapter 1. Sometimes a bunch of us students took up the whole street as we walked along. They thought I was crazy, but I’d explain it to them as we walked along.

I would say, “Now, you see Daniel had favor with the prince of eunuchs (or, as we would call him in modern times, the dean of the college). And it was God who gave Daniel favor with him.”

Then I would say to God, “God, give me favor with every teacher. Thank You for it. It is mine.”

Confession: God, give me favor with [your teacher, your mate, your business associates, etc.]. Thank You for it. Favor is mine.

AMEN! Make your own confessions of faith from the promises in the Word of God! HE watches over HIS WORD to perform it in YOUR life! AMEN! 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."

Grieve Not The Holy Spirit

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. — Ephesians 4:30

Today I want to talk about grieving the Holy Spirit, which I am certain none of us wants to do. That’s why it’s so important for us to know what the Bible says about grieving the Holy Spirit — so we know how to avoid that pitfall! So let’s look at Ephesians 4:30, which says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

I want to especially draw your attention to the word “grieve” in this verse, which is the Greek word lupete. This was a word that described pain or someone that was wounded by someone else. It could be used to depict the emotions of a betrayed spouse — feeling deceived, lied to, misled, hurt, wounded, and abused. All of these portray the emotions of a spouse who has discovered that her or her mate has been unfaithful and feels very hurt, grieved, and wounded. The word lupete would describe all of those painful emotions.

We find the word lupete was used by Paul to describe how we affect the indwelling Holy Spirit when we embrace worldliness. There is no doubt as to what Paul was telling us. When we cease to make our relationship with the Holy Spirit the number-one priority in our lives and let other things take His rightful place, it hurts and deeply grieves Him. After all He has done for us, it is simply grievous to the One who dwells within us whenever we do anything to yield our hearts and souls to worldliness.

The Holy Spirit is the One who lives in us, leads us, guides us, teaches us, reminds us, comforts us, seals us, sanctifies us, empowers us, and works to produce the character of Christ in us. He has been sent to reveal the will of God, which is the mind of Christ and to give us the victory Christ won through the Cross and His resurrection. The Holy Spirit is here for us. That is why He was sent. Therefore, when we ignore Him, turn a deaf ear to Him, or consistently disobey what He nudges us to do, it grieves Him. It would grieve you, too, if you were the Holy Spirit.

But let’s be even more specific about what grieves the Holy Spirit. The verses preceding and following this one about grieving Him say to put away “lying” (v. 25), “let not the sun go down upon your wrath (v. 26), “neither give place to the devil” (v. 27), “steal no more” (v. 28), “let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (v. 29), and, finally, “let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (v. 31). All these things “grieve” the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, Paul was speaking to Christians when he wrote these verses. That means Christians were doing these things! They were lying, holding on to grudges, giving place to the devil, stealing, talking evil about one another, giving bitterness a place in their hearts, being angry, and having malice toward each other. No wonder the Holy Spirit was grieved!

The fact that Paul used the word “grieve” — the Greek word lupete — tells us that the Holy Spirit felt wounded by these believers. He felt like a spouse who was being dragged through the mud by an unfaithful mate. After doing all that He had done within them, how could they now give in to their flesh in such an ungodly manner?

We need to remember that Someone lives inside us whose name is the Holy Spirit. The reason He is called the Holy Spirit is that He is holy. Romans 1:4 actually calls Him “the spirit of holiness.” That is who He is, and that is what He has come to produce in our lives.

You would never think of throwing mud and garbage all over a beautiful cathedral. Your conscience wouldn’t bear the guilt of knowing that you had personally desecrated a finely decorated church building! Yet the temple of the Holy Spirit called you is much more valuable to God than a fine church building!

The Holy Spirit doesn’t live in buildings. He lives in each of us as believers. Yet in spite of this, we throw garbage into our lives and drag Him through the mud, never thinking of how it must grieve the Spirit of Holiness who lives inside us.

According to Ephesians 4, the sins that we find most difficult to resist are usually inward attitudes such as grudges, bitterness, anger, or malice. But we shouldn’t harbor these attitudes in our lives for even a minute, if for no other reason than because we know they grieve the Holy Spirit.

The next time you want to hold resentment in your heart toward someone, ask yourself the question, Is this attitude going to grieve the Holy Spirit in my life? If you simply make yourself more aware of the Spirit’s indwelling presence, it will help you change the way you think and live. It will most definitely help you think before you talk and act!

Remember that the Holy Spirit lives inside you. What you do in your life today, you do to Him as well. Where you go today, you take Him with you. When you go to the movies, He goes with you. What you look at on the Internet, He watches with you. When you choose to sin, you are dragging Him with you through that filth. Do you really want to grieve Him? Of course not! So make a decision today to never forget — the Holy Spirit lives inside you, and He deserves your utmost respect and honor in all you say and do!

AMEN! The more that we get to know Holy Spirit, the more real He will become to us! When that happens we will have REAL intimate fellowship with Him! That is key to living this wonderful, powerful Christian life! Here is Hillsong with "Where The Spirit of the Lord Is":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers covers something that has bothered me about the attitude of many people I know! 

The Undeviating Test

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. — Matthew 7:2

This statement is not a haphazard guess, it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give, it is measured to you again. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus says that the basis of life is retribution — “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the defects in others, remember that will be exactly the measure given to you. Life serves back in the coin you pay. This law works from God’s throne downwards (cf. Psalm 18:25-26).

Romans 2 applies it in a still more definite way, and says that the one who criticises another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act, He looks at the possibility. We do not believe the statements of the Bible to begin with. For instance, do we believe this statement, that the things we criticise in others we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy and fraud and unreality in others is because they are all in our own hearts. The great characteristic of a saint is humility — “Yes, all those things and other evils would have been manifested in me but for the grace of God, therefore I have no right to judge.”

Jesus says — “Judge not, that ye be not judged”; if you do judge, it will be measured to you exactly as you have judged. Who of us would dare to stand before God and say — “My God, judge me as I have judged my fellow men?” We have judged our fellow men as sinners; if God should judge us like that we would be in hell. God judges us through the marvellous Atonement of Jesus Christ.

AMEN! Refuse to put judgment on anyone! THAT is GOD'S job and HE does not need OUR help for this situation! Here is Hillsong with "From The Inside Out":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing again today from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" because this is justy SO good!

The Ministry Of The Interior

But ye are…a royal priesthood. — 1 Peter 2:9

By what right do we become “a royal priesthood”? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centred, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God. Until we get into a right relationship to God, it is a case of hanging on by the skin of our teeth, and we say — “What a wonderful victory I have got!” There is nothing indicative of the miracle of Redemption in that. Launch out in reckless belief that the Redemption is complete, and then bother no more about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ said — pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints, pray for all men. Pray on the realisation that you are only perfect in Christ Jesus, not on this plea — “O Lord, I have done my best, please hear me.”

How long is it going to take God to free us from the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves? We must get sick unto death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God can tell us about ourselves. We cannot touch the depths of meanness in ourselves. There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Christ Jesus. When we are there, then we have to pour out for all we are worth in this ministry of the interior.

I LOVE this! WE are only RIGHT in JESUS! Made right! Made NEW! By the precious BLOOD of JESUS! I pray that you will learn more every single day about who YOU are - IN HIM! Here is Hillsong witrh "Who You Say I Am":

Shlaom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is very thought provoking and we should each check our own lives and hearts to see just where we stand on this Word!

Have You Come To “When” Yet?

And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. — Job 42:10

The plaintive, self-centred, morbid kind of prayer, a dead-set that I want to be right, is never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is a sign that I am rebelling against the Atonement. “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer; I will walk rightly if You will help me.” I cannot make myself right with God, I cannot make my life perfect; I can only be right with God if I accept the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to resign every kind of claim and cease from every effort, and leave myself entirely alone in His hands, and then begin to pour out in the priestly work of intercession. There is much prayer that arises from real disbelief in the Atonement. Jesus is not beginning to save us, He has saved us, the thing is done, and it is an insult to ask Him to do it.

If you are not getting the hundredfold more, not getting insight into God’s word, then start praying for your friends, enter into the ministry of the interior. “The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.” The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer. Wherever God puts you in circumstances, pray immediately, pray that His Atonement may be realised in other lives as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now; pray for those with whom you come in contact now.

AMEN! Praying in the Spirit for others is a powerful weapon against the enemy who loves to spread discord among the Church Family! REFUSE to be sucked into that! Instead, turn it around on the enemy by praying for those who have meant harm for you! THAT will be seed well sown! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations":

Find Rest in the Father’s Love

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 NIV

Today, I want to share one simple but critical truth with you. Memorize this truth. Feed on it. Let it take root in your spirit and become an anchor in your life.

You will never be the same again. Are you ready? Here it goes:

As a child of God, no matter what happens in your life, your Father in heaven loves you dearly and nothing you do can ever change that.

Will you believe that today? Whether you are going through good times or facing challenging times, you need to know that your Abba loves you.

There is nothing that you can ever do to make Him love you more, and nothing that you can ever do to make Him love you less. Even—or perhaps especially—when you feel like you have failed, know that you will always be the apple of His eye. Always.

God loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). A love that is the same yesterday, today, forever. Feel your Daddy God enfolding you in His embrace right now. You are safe. You are utterly loved and completely accepted.

He loved you before you ever knew Him. His love for you has nothing to do with anything that you have done for Him. Nothing you do will ever affect His unwavering, unconditional love for you.

There is nothing for you to prove. You only need to rest and receive your Abba’s love. Let your life become established and grounded in a love that is so perfect that no challenge or adversity will be able to knock you down.

If you think that you’ve messed up, turn to your Father. In His loving arms you will find hope, security, and refuge from any storm.

I love how the apostle Paul puts it: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 37–39).

Beloved, there are no caveats or disclaimers when it comes to the love of your heavenly Father. The Bible plainly states that nothing shall be able to separate you from the love of your Father in heaven.

It’s an absolute declaration and promise. “Nothing” means nothing. As a believer, this means that even your mistakes, failings, and sins cannot separate you from the love of your Father. Hallelujah!

I LOVE this TRUTH! "Nothing" means NOTHING!!! NOT ONE THING! HALLELUJAH! What a pwoerful promise! Now run to YOUR "Secret Place" where you arre awars of HIS presence and hear His voice clearly! HE is waiting on YOU! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin Ephesians in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! I love this in verses 2-6:

2 May grace (God’s unmerited favor) and spiritual peace [which means peace with God and harmony, unity, and undisturbedness] be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! 4 Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. 5 For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]—  6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

A blessing and prayer for YOU, praise and worship for our great God with an explanation of His greatness! I also love, and use regularly, this prayer of Paul's in verses 16-23:

16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. 17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, 18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), 19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, 20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. 22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], 23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].

Use these prayers, placing the name of the person that you are praying for in place of  "you" and believe that HE will answer this prayer! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again rom Jerry Savelle's website devotional.

YOU ARE UNIQUE IN HIM

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV).

God created you with a unique personality. He gave you specific gifts and interests. His intention is that you express and live out everything He created you to be. However, to do this it is necessary that you first find out who you are in Christ.

Believers who are living out who they are in Christ will have certain things in common. They will walk in love, be extremely positive, and walk by faith.

However, not every believer was created to express Christ in them in exactly the same way. God never wanted us to be clones of anyone else. Take a look at your fingerprints; no one on the face of this earth has fingerprints like yours.

God made you a unique individual according to His plan and purpose. He carefully established your personality, talents, and interests. He gave you an assignment to pursue that would suit you perfectly and be fulfilling.

Only when you learn to walk in Him will you fully express the fullness of all that God has imparted to you, just as these heroes of the Bible did:

In Him, Joseph was an excellent administrator and national leader

In Him, Deborah received revelation that affected the destiny of a nation

In Him, Solomon was extremely wise and extremely rich

In Him, Abraham was a friend of God and a model father

In Him, Gideon was a mighty man of valor

When you learn to walk in Him, you will discover and fully express the fullness of all God has invested into you.

Confession: I am a child of God. In Him I walk by faith, knowing that I am His workmanship and I will accomplish the good works He has prepared for me.

I hope that you will develop great confidence in who GOD says you are! Find out what HE say in His Word and then dare to believe it! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am" because you can never hear this song or sing this song too much! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional. This on is really about doing that very thing! Giving OUR best because HE has already given HIS! 

What Do You Make Of This?

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.…I have called you friends. — John 15:13, 15

Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said — “I will lay down my life for Thy sake,” and he meant it; his sense of the heroic was magnificent. It would be a bad thing to be incapable of making such a declaration as Peter made; the sense of our duty is only realized by our sense of the heroic. Has the Lord ever asked you — “Wilt thou lay down thy life for My sake?” It is far easier to die than to lay down the life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling. We are not made for brilliant moments, but we have to walk in the light of them in ordinary ways. There was only one brilliant moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration; then He emptied Himself the second time of His glory, and came down into the demon-possessed valley. For thirty-three years Jesus laid out His life to do the will of His Father, and, John says, “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” It is contrary to human nature to do it.

If I am a friend of Jesus, I have deliberately and carefully to lay down my life for Him. It is difficult, and thank God it is difficult. Salvation is easy because it cost God so much, but the manifestation of it in my life is difficult. God saves a man and endues him with the Holy Spirit, and then says in effect — “Now work it out, be loyal to Me, whilst the nature of things round about you would make you disloyal.” “I have called you friends.” Stand loyal to your Friend, and remember that His honour is at stake in your bodily life.

AMEN! I choose to lay MY life down for HIS purposes, plans and GLORY! HE has already blessed me far beyond anything thatI can ever do for Him! But I desire to try! Here is Hillsong with "Take It All":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are reading Galatains 4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Verses 4-9 are very important!

4 But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, 5 To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons]. 6 And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father! 7 Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir by the aid of God, through Christ. 8 But at that previous time, when you had not come to be acquainted with and understand and know the true God, you [Gentiles] were in bondage to gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all [gods that really did not exist]. 9 Now, however, that you have come to be acquainted with and understand and know [the true] God, or rather to be understood and known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly and worthless elementary things [of all religions before Christ came], whose slaves you once more want to become?

Paul was scolding the Galatian church for not recognizing their sonship and acting like sons, but playing the part of mere slaves again! If we refuse to recognize who we are, we will never be able to walk in the light of that TRUTH! Then we will be rendered powerless by a lying enemy! Find out what the Word of God has to say about YOU and dare to believe it! Now let's get out there and act like it! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

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

FULL OF HIS GOODNESS

For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 33:4-5 NKJV).

Never doubt that God is a good God, and He loves you more than you could possibly imagine.

God doesn’t measure out small portion of goodness towards you; He isn’t stingy. God’s goodness comes in great quantity. He loves to pour out His great goodness in quantities that are exceeding abundantly above all you could ask or think.

The Scripture tells us the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Full means there’s no space for more. Think about a glass of water; when it’s full to capacity, you can’t add more.

If the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord, then His goodness toward you is unlimited. God’s goodness is infinitely beyond any need or want you might have. In other words, God can’t get any “gooder.”

God’s goodness is an expression of His love, which is never ending. It is impossible for you to get to the place where God says, “Sorry, you’ve received too much of My goodness; this is where it ends.” No! The Bible says, “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever” (2 Chronicles 5:13 NKJV).

God is a good God. He and His inexhaustible goodness cannot be separated. Anywhere God is, His goodness will be there too. So, no matter where you are or what you may be facing, you can count on God’s righteousness and justice because the earth is full of His goodness.

Confession: God’s goodness toward me is unlimited. I choose to take my eyes off of my circumstances and focus instead on the goodness of God that fills the earth and is unending.

When we REALLY believe that our God is GOOD, we will never asllow fear to stop us again! Meditae on the goodness of God and refuse to allow the lies of the enemy to throw you off your faith! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Good Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. We are reading it every day after Morning Prayer and this one is excellent!

Restoring The Soul

He restoreth my soul . . . . — PSALM 23:3

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. — ROMANS 12:1-2

Writing to born-again, Spirit-filled Christians in Romans 12, Paul tells them to do something with their bodies and their minds. Man’s spirit is born again at the New Birth, but he still has the same body and the same soul. He is to present his body to God, and he is to see to it that his mind is renewed.

The Hebrew word translated “restoreth” in Psalm 23 and the Greek word translated “renewed” in Romans 12:2 have just about the same meaning. For example, a valuable, antique chair which looks like a wreck can be restored. Afterwards it’s still the same chair, but it has been renewed. A man’s spirit is never restored; it’s born again, or recreated. But his soul is restored when his mind becomes renewed with the Word of God.

The greatest need of the Church today is for believers to have their minds renewed with the Word of God. It is the Word of God that restores souls, renews souls, and saves souls!

Confession: I see to it daily that my mind is renewed with the Word of God. Therefore, I am not conformed to this world. My mind is renewed to think like God thinks.

AMEN! Renew your  mind daily with the Word of God and KNOW that you are thinking like God thinks! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The devotional on The Spoken Word Church websute is SO good again today!

Begin a Good Habit Today

Decide to change. Do it now. Make a change in something you do every day. You will never really change your life until you can change something you do daily.

Choose to develop the habits of champions. Start a new one today.

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

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Alive In Us":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 11 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. The entire chapter is SO good! Here are just a few of the encouraging TRUTHS found here! Verses 5-6:

5 The righteousness of the blameless shall rectify and make plain their way and keep it straight, but the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness. 6 The righteousness of the upright [their rectitude in every area and relation] shall deliver them, but the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity and greedy desire.

Then we have verses 20-21:

20 They who are willfully contrary in heart are extremely disgusting and shamefully vile in the eyes of the Lord, but such as are blameless and wholehearted in their ways are His delight! 21 Assuredly [I pledge it] the wicked shall not go unpunished, but the multitude of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be delivered.

And verses 27-28:

27 He who diligently seeks good seeks [God’s] favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him. 28 He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough.

And finally verses 30-31:

30 The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men—he gathers and receives them for eternity]. 31 Behold, the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be recompensed on earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner!

Those who have received JESUS as LORD and SAVIOUR have been made RIGHTEOUS with HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! SO let's operate as the RIGHTEOUS and walk in all of the promised blessings that come with that, knowing that all of the promises for those who have, and continue, to do evil SHALL also be fulfilled! OUR GOD is seeing to it all! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a song that calls us all to make sure that we are surrendered continually to HIS Word and HIS will! "Resurrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share fromThe Spoken Word Church website devotional!

Examine Success Habits of Champions

Great men have great habits. Daily habits. That is what separates them from the masses. Men do not really decide their futures. They merely decide their habits. Then, their habits decide their future. Read biographies of champions. The secret of their success is always hidden in something they do daily.

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." {Daniel 6:10}

Take inventory of YOUR habits! KEEP the good ones, STOP the bad ones and allow Holy Spirit to lead you into new and better ones! Therein lies true success! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Deeper Waters":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read Proverbs 9. Verse 9 gives an important prerequisite for obtaining Wisdom!

9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning.

The very first wise decision that we can make is to desire Wisdom! Wisdom is only for those who belong to God by their choice. Then we see this in verses 10-11:

10 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding. 11 For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased.

Getting Wisdom is the goal. The fear (reverence and awe) of the Lord puts us in position to even be able to recieve Wisdom. Acting on the Wisdom that we receive (being a DOER of the WORD) causes the BLESSING of the Lord to be manifest inour lives! I hope that YOU desire WISDOM more than any earthly blessing! When you do, the blessings follow! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Sure Thing":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

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

Our Choice

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith. — PHILIPPIANS 1:21-25

Paul is talking here about physical death. Of course, the real Paul, the inner man, is not going to die. He’s going to go on living either way: departing and being with Christ, or abiding in the flesh.

Paul said he hadn’t decided yet. “I’m in a strait,” he said, “between the two. I want to go on and be with Christ, which is far better.” (If Paul had just said it would be better, that would have been wonderful, but he said it’s even better than better!) Then he said, “Yet I know to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” If Paul was present in the flesh, he could teach and minister to these people. That was more needful for them.

Notice that Paul is making the choice. He didn’t say, “I’m going to leave it up to God, and whatever God chooses, I will accept.”

We have more to do with deciding to live or die than we have thought!

AMEN! Find out first of all what the Word of God has to say about any and every subject that you face! Then act on it immediately! You will never regret taking this action! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle's devotional! THIS is EXCELLENT!

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF!

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV)

Do not allow discouragement and despair to rob you of the wonderful future God has prepared for you. It doesn’t matter how severe or distressing your situation might be right now, the pain you may be experiencing does not entitle you to just give up. You can’t give up. Instead, you must encourage yourself.

You do this by turning to the Word of God. Open your Bible and read it. Get those faith-building audio messages off the shelf and listen to them again. Go back and re-read books that will strengthen you. Don’t wait for someone with a special anointing for encouragement to come along. Encourage yourself!

Pick yourself up out of your distress, stand in front of your mirror, and say to yourself, “You can either stay distressed or you can be of good cheer. Which is it?” If your head drops, pull it back up and say, “No, that’s the wrong choice. You’re going to be of good cheer. You’re not going to let this situation destroy you.”

Reach down into your spirit and begin to draw on the faith that abides within, saying, “You’re not going to give up. You’re not a quitter, you’re a born winner. You’ve been born again with the very nature of God. You are not defeated. The battle is not even yours, it’s the Lord’s. But the victory is yours!”

Confession: If God is for me, who can be against me? I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to quit. I’m a born winner. I am born again with the life and nature of God. I am victorious and I have the victory in every situation.

AMEN! The very worst thing that we can do is to STAY discouraged! The enemy will ALWAYS TRY to steal our joy, courage, consistency, dreams, goals and vision! NEVER give him place! Encourage yourself with the Word of God and by reminding yourself of the goals and visions that Holy Spirit has placed within you! Now get up, get going and WIN! Here is Hillsong with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from 

Work Out What God Works In

Work out your own salvation. — Philippians 2:12-13

Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a disposition which renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord is presented to the conscience, the first thing conscience does is to rouse the will, and the will always agrees with God. You say — “But I do not know whether my will is in agreement with God.” Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. The thing in you which makes you say “I shan’t” is something less profound than your will; it is perversity, or obstinacy, and they are never in agreement with God. The profound thing in man is his will, not sin. Will is the essential element in God’s creation of man: sin is a perverse disposition which entered into man. In a regenerated man the source of will is almighty. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” You have to work out with concentration and care what God works in; not work your own salvation, but work it out, while you base resolutely in unshaken faith on the complete and perfect Redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposed will to God’s will, God’s will is your will, and your natural choices are along the line of God’s will, and the life is as natural as breathing. God is the source of your will, therefore you are able to work out His will. Obstinacy is an unintelligent “wadge” that refuses to be enlightened; the only thing is for it to be blown up with dynamite, and the dynamite is obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Do I believe that Almighty God is the source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.

AMEN! Dare to keep on believing God no matter what things look like! HE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!!! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional! This is SO good!

Continue in God’s Grace

Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:3

How were you first impacted by Jesus? Was it through the law or was it His grace in your life that touched your heart? We all began our relationship with the Lord because we were impacted by His love and grace. Let us then continue in that grace.

Paul warned the Galatians against turning back to the law after beginning in grace. He said, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace [unmerited favor] of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6–7).

Paul takes this very seriously. He calls any gospel apart from the gospel of grace (God's unmerited favor) a perversion. Attempting to be justified by the works of the Ten Commandments is a perversion of the gospel of Christ.

Paul asked the church in Galatia point-blank, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh [self-effort]?" (Galatians 3:2–3).

Paul was saying to them, "You began by believing in His grace, why are you now depending on your works? That is foolishness! You should be continuing in His unmerited favor!” These are strong words by Paul.

Don’t start with grace and end up with the law. Don’t start with the new covenant, only to turn back to the old covenant! There are those who say that they are not justified by the law, but believe that they should keep the law for sanctification. My friend, both justification and sanctification come by our faith in Jesus' finished work alone.

When you are established in the new covenant of grace, you will experience a tremendous sense of confidence and security in Christ. When your confidence is in His unmerited favor and not your performance, you will not feel as if you are constantly jumping in and out of His favor and acceptance.

It is unfortunate that some believers have put themselves back under the old covenant without realizing it. Sometimes, they feel that God is on their side, but at other times, they feel that God is far away from them. Sometimes, they feel that God is satisfied with them, but at other times, they feel that God is angry with them.

All these feelings are based predominantly on their own evaluation of how they have performed, how they feel about themselves, and not how God sees them. Because there is no new covenant scriptural basis for such evaluations, they end up arbitrarily deciding if they are deserving of God’s blessings and favor in their lives or not, when in fact, they actually have access to His blessings all the time, simply because of Jesus and His finished work at the cross.

Today, think, talk and act knowing that it is not about you or your works—it is about Jesus and Him alone, and step out into His blessings for you!

AMEN! Learn to live every day in an attitude of grateful thanksgiving for all that JESUS has provided for you, here, in THIS life, AND in the life to come! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

The message in today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is one of the very best ever!

The Never-Failing God

For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. — Hebrews 13:5

What line does my thought take? Does it turn to what God says or to what I fear? Am I learning to say not what God says, but to say something after I have heard what He says? “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

“I will in no wise fail thee” — not for all my sin and selfishness and stubbornness and waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never fail me? If I have listened to this say-so of God’s, then let me listen again.

“Neither will I in any wise forsake thee” . Sometimes it is not difficulty that makes me think God will forsake me, but drudgery. There is no Hill Difficulty to climb, no vision given, nothing wonderful or beautiful, just the commonplace day in and day out — can I hear God’s say-so in these things?

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing, that He is preparing and fitting us for some extraordinary thing by and by, but as we go on in grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in the present minute. If we have God’s say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways.

AMEN! Learn to trust inthe LORD and every Word that HE says! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another very inspiring one!

The Secret Of The Lord

The secret ["friendship,"] of the Lord is with them that fear Him. — Psalm 25:14

What is the sign of a friend? That he tells you secret sorrows? No, that he tells you secret joys. Many will confide to you their secret sorrows, but the last mark of intimacy is to confide secret joys. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys, or are we telling God our secrets so continually that we leave no room for Him to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God, then we find that God wants to get us into relationship with Himself, to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so wedded to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer — “Thy will be done” — that we catch the secrets of God? The things that make God dear to us are not so much His great big blessings as the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us; He knows every detail of our individual lives.

“…him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.” At first we want the consciousness of being guided by God, then as we go on we live so much in the consciousness of God that we do not need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing any other will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified God guides us by our ordinary choices, and if we are going to choose what He does not want, He will check, and we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never reason it out and say — “I wonder why I shouldn’t?” God instructs us in what we choose, that is, He guides our common sense, and we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually saying — “Now, Lord, what is Thy will?”

AMEN! As we increase our intimate fellowship with HIM, communicating with HIM will become just like breathing! VITAL and CONSTANT! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense":

Shalom in Him!