Shalom,

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

My Joy . . . Your Joy

That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. — John 15:11

What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. “I delight to do Thy will.” Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happenings, not in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had. The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of this world, said Jesus, will choke God’s word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the shows of things. All that God has done for us is the mere threshold; He wants to get us to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim Who Jesus is.

Be rightly related to God, find your joy there, and out of you will flow rivers of living water. Be a centre for Jesus Christ to pour living water through. Stop being self-conscious, stop being a sanctified prig, and live the life hid with Christ. The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes. The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it.

AMEN! Pay close attention to the thoughts that you think, because they WILL become words that you speak and thing you will do! Maintain intimate fellowship with Holy Spirit, learning something new about Him every day!

Here is Hillsong with "From The Inside Out":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another important aspect of walking in faith!

Giving The Word First Place

Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors. — PSALM 119:24

When the crises or tests come, too many Christians say, “What are we going to do now?”

The crises of life come to us all. But if you are Word-oriented, the first thing you will think about is, “What does the Word say about it?”

I pastored nearly twelve years, and I found that churches have problems just like families do. They have discipline problems, financial problems, and so forth.

I never discussed church problems with the people, because the more you talk about problems, the bigger they seem to get. But sometimes my deacon board would talk about church problems, and sure enough, the more they talked about them, the bigger the problems seemed to get. Then one of the deacons would look at me and say, “Oh, Brother Hagin, what in the world are we going to do?”

I’d smile and say, “We’re just going to act like the Bible is true!”

Making that little statement would cause those deacons to sigh with relief. “It is true, isn’t it,” they’d say. “Sure it is,” I’d say.

It’s amazing how things would straighten out when we acted like the Bible is true!

Confession: Lord, thy testimonies are my counselors. I put them first. I put God’s Word first. I act like it’s so.

AMEN! Put the Word of God first place and believe that, as John 17:17 tells us, is is TRUTH! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "All This Future":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is a great look at faith!

Sublime Intimacy

Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? — John 11:40

Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your commonsense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture heroically on Jesus Christ’s statements when the facts of your commonsense life shout “It’s a lie”? On the mount it is easy to say — “Oh, yes, I believe God can do it”; but you have to come down into the demon-possessed valley and meet with facts that laugh ironically at the whole of your mount-of-transfiguration belief. Every time my programme of belief is clear to my own mind, I come across something that contradicts it. Let me say I believe God will supply all my need, and then let me run dry, with no outlook, and see whether I will go through the trial of faith, or whether I will sink back to something lower.

Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict. What is your faith up against just now? The test will either prove that your faith is right, or it will kill it. “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me.” The final thing is confidence in Jesus. Believe steadfastly on Him and all you come up against will develop your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith, and the last great test is death. May God keep us in fighting trim! Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.

AMEN! Faith come from spending time in the Word of God! Hearing, meditating, speaking and declaring the WORD of GOD! Put your faith to work and watch HIM confirm His Word for you! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional.

Abide in Jesus

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. John 15:6

If I were to ask you to make a list of a hundred things you need to do to please the Lord today, you could do it, couldn’t you? In fact, you probably have so many spiritual “dos” and “don’ts” cluttering up your mind that you’d hardly know where to start.

But you can relax. I’m not going to suggest you make a list of them. Instead, I’m going to help you simplify things by giving you only one: Abide in Jesus.

The one thing you’re truly responsible for is your union with Him. If you keep your union and fellowship with Him intact, everything else will be taken care of.

“But Gloria, I’m facing some big problems right now. My life’s turned upside down. I’m so rushed I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. I don’t have time to fellowship with the Lord today.”

That’s when you need to do it the most! You need to maintain your union with the Lord particularly when the storms of life come. I know that’s often not easy to do. Whether the storm is a sickness in your body or financial problems or family strife, the temptation will be to settle your attention and your mind on that problem. You won’t even want to think about anything else.

That’s what the devil planned on. That’s the reason he sent that storm in the first place. To distract you from fellowshiping with God. To draw your attention away from your union with Him.

Don’t fall into the devil’s trap. Instead, keep your thoughts and affections trained on the Lord. As you do that, the force of faith will begin to flow out of you. And that flow will repel every form of darkness. It will bring you in triumph through every storm.

Fellowship with Jesus today.

AMEN! The most important decision we can ever make after receiving JESUS as Lord and Saviour is to spend intimate time with Him every single day! Holy Spirit, Who is our TEACHER will teach us of JESUS and HIS WORD! Our LOVE AFFAIR with JESUS is our MOST i,portant relationship! WORK ON IT! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share wqith you our devotional on The Spoken Word Church website! I LOVE this!

Plan on Supernatural Protection

Every day of your life, Satan will make attempts to destroy you. The story of Job illustrates this. You are not capable of totally protecting yourself. You will require supernatural interventions. Plan on supernatural protection daily. It is one of your rewards for hourly obedience.

"But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries." {Exodus 23:22}

We should EXPECT and DECLARE supernatural protection, provision and safety over ourselves and our loved ones! When WE speak HIS WORD, then JESUS confirms that Word with signs, wonders and miracles! {Mark 16:20} Here is Hillsong with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we will be looking at " My Utmost For Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

Are You Ever Disturbed?

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. — John 14:27

There are times when our peace is based upon ignorance, but when we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When Our Lord speaks peace, He makes peace, His words are ever “spirit and life.” Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “My peace I give unto you” — it is a peace which comes from looking into His face and realizing His undisturbedness.

Are you painfully disturbed just now, distracted by the waves and billows of God’s providential permission, and having, as it were, turned over the boulders of your belief, are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren? Then look up and receive the undisturbedness of the Lord Jesus. Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. If you allow anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you, you are either disturbed or you have a false security.

Are you looking unto Jesus now, in the immediate matter that is pressing and receiving from Him peace? If so, He will be a gracious benediction of peace in and through you. But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get. We get disturbed because we have not been considering Him. When one confers with Jesus Christ the perplexity goes, because He has no perplexity, and our only concern is to abide in Him. Lay it all out before Him, and in the face of difficulty, bereavement and sorrow, hear Him say — “Let not your heart be troubled.”

AMEN! NEVER let your HEART be moved from considering JESUS! HE is the answer for every situation! Here are Hillsong Kids with "My Best Friend":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love reading through the Bible every year with our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! You can follow along on our website, or order your own. Today I want to share a few of the verses that stand out to me this time through! Psalm 55:22-23:

22 Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). 23 But You, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in, lean on, and confidently rely on You.

THIS is a PROMISE to us! Count on it! Count on HIM! Mark 5:24-29:

24 And Jesus went with him; and a great crowd kept following Him and pressed Him from all sides [so as almost to suffocate Him]. 25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, 28 For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health. 29 And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment.

This woman was expected to stay away from people, and when she came near people was expected to yell: "UNCLEAN" so others would stay away from her. Her faith in what JESUS could, and would, do was so strong that she made her way into the middle of this crowd of people who "pressed Him from all sides" until she could touch his clothes! She believed! She SAID! She DID! She RECEIVED! Then this happened:

33 But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.

HALLELUJAH! NEVER allow fear, which is a spirit, an evil spirit, to keep YOU from acting on God's Word! When we speak HIS WORD, HE will confirm it with signs, wonders and miracles! Mark 16:20:

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Falling from Grace

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4 KJV

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “fallen from grace”? Today, when someone sins, ministers say that the person has “fallen from grace.” Yet, interestingly, when the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he never told the Corinthians that they had fallen from grace despite all their sins.

Today’s scripture gives us the true definition of “falling from grace.” It tells us that to fall from grace is to fall into the law, that is, to try to be justified by obeying the law. Notice from here that grace is the high ground. In other words, when you are under the law, you have fallen from your high ground of grace. In the same way the mercy seat in the ark of the covenant is positioned above the Ten Commandments, so falling from grace is to go back to the Ten Commandments.

I want you to know what the Scriptures really say about falling from grace so that you don’t rob yourself of the power to reign in life. When you fail, don’t have this idea that you have “fallen from grace” and then try by your own efforts to get back into “the good graces” of God. No, God’s grace cannot be merited, earned, or deserved. It can only be received. And you become a good receiver of His grace that empowers you to reign in life when you come to the end of yourself—to the end of your own efforts to save yourself. When you see your need for Jesus and receive and rest in His finished work (especially when you have failed), that is when God’s undeserved favor—His saving grace—is unleashed in your life.

Miriam, who lives in Texas, found this to be so true in her life:

Pastor Prince, I was a believer for a long time but was very frustrated in my Christian walk because I was not living a victorious life. I was angry at the church, angry at God, and questioning what this life in Jesus Christ was about. I was also angry with my family, particularly my son for his rebellious behavior. According to the teachings I’d received and what I was doing to obey them, everything was supposed to be smooth going.

I started taking early morning walks and pouring my heart out to God. I told Him how frustrated I was and asked Him to show me where I’d gone wrong. I also told Him that I couldn’t love my son for what he was. I asked God to love my son, because even though I couldn’t, I knew He could.

I gave Him all my anger and started to see improvements in those areas where I had struggled. I told God I just wanted to live the life Jesus came to give me, because I didn’t believe Jesus went through the horrible death for me to live a defeated life.

Shortly after that, I read a book of yours and realized that I was living under a mixture of law and grace. I began learning to keep my eyes on Jesus’ finished work and to rely on Him for the kingdom life. No one had ever taught me the grace of our Lord Jesus and the love given to us by Father God through the finished work of His Son, and I had never understood what living a new creation life in Christ Jesus was.

I’ve since learned that it’s not about my trying to believe or my trying to be good to earn God’s grace. I’ve learned that it’s a free gift, and my response now is always, “Thank You, Father God, for loving me so much and giving me this abundance of Your grace and the free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ.” Your teaching of the grace of our Lord Jesus has changed my focus to see Jesus’ love and finished work. My heart’s desire is to be the light in the world, representing Jesus in spirit and in truth, and to be transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit from the inside out! And praise God, my relationship with my son has been restored because I allowed Father God to love him. Now, I always see my son through His eyes.

My friend, just as Miriam did, it is time for you to come out of mixture, confusion, and defeat. It’s time to break free from the crippling grip of all that has held you back. How? By falling into the arms of grace. Grace is the high ground that God wants you standing upon. Only the grace of God has the power to get you out of the cycle of sin and failure. The good news is, you can embrace the undeserved, unearned, and unmerited favor of our Lord today and begin to have dominion over sin!

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey in the Rock":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

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

Prayer Choice And Prayer Conflict

When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father which is in secret. — Matthew 6:6

Jesus did not say — “Dream about thy Father in secret,” but “pray to thy Father in secret.” Prayer is an effort of will. After we have entered our secret place and have shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray; we cannot get our minds into working order, and the first thing that conflicts is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is the overcoming of mental wool-gathering. We have to discipline our minds and concentrate on wilful prayer.

We must have a selected place for prayer and when we get there the plague of flies begins — This must be done, and that. “Shut thy door.” A secret silence means to shut the door deliberately on emotions and remember God. God is in secret, and He sees us from the secret place; He does not see us as other people see us, or as we see ourselves. When we live in the secret place it becomes impossible for us to doubt God, we become more sure of Him than of anything else. Your Father, Jesus says, is in secret and nowhere else. Enter the secret place, and right in the centre of the common round you find God there all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong  with "Secret Place":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is especially good!

No Consolation Prize

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4

I talk a lot about faith. But there’s another force that goes along with it that’s just as important. It’s patience—the ability to stand fast on the Word of God even when your victory seems slow in coming.

Patience is not automatic. It won’t go to work unless you let it go to work. So many people don’t understand that. They somehow think faith and patience will go to work for them without their help. They just let the devil tear their lives apart and then they say silly things like, “Well, I guess God sent that trial to strengthen my faith.”

Don’t you ever get caught saying that!

In the first place, James says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God...” (James 1:13). And in the second place, that trial isn’t going to make your faith stronger. In fact, it’ll destroy it if you’ll let it.

If I were to give you a set of weights, would that set of weights make you any stronger? No. As a matter of fact, if you dropped one of them on your foot, you could end up painfully weaker. It’s what you do with them that counts, right?

Well, the same thing is true when you run into some kind of trying circumstance the devil’s brought your way. If you just lie down and let it run over you, it will damage you. But if you’ll let patience have her perfect work, if you’ll remain consistently constant, trusting in and relying confidently on the Word of God, you’ll end up perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

“Wanting nothing.” That phrase alone should convince you that patience is no consolation prize. It’s a first-rate power that will put the promises of God within your reach. It’s a force that will make a winner out of you.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "All This Future":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

“Do not remember the former things, nor 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 road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43: 18-19 NKJV).

Regardless of what may have happened in your past, God has a plan and purpose for your life—and it lies in your future. Even if the path before you appears to be dry, barren, and filled with obstacles, God will make a way for you to fulfill His call. All you have to do is believe Him for the impossible.

Forget about the past, and don’t limit God. Your past doesn’t have anything to do with what God has in store for you in the future. That’s why Paul said, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV).

God wants to do a new thing in your life. And if He wants to do a new thing, my advice is to let Him do it! Look at each new day as another opportunity for God to do extraordinary things in your life. Expect God to do the very things that you could not previously do. Expect those things that people say are rare occurrences to become the norm in your life.

So, stop thinking about the past and allow your thoughts to come into agreement with God’s thoughts: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

Confession: I will no longer focus on my past, but will forget what lies behind and set my sights on the future God has for me. God is doing new things in my life, and I will greet each new day with the expectation of His manifest peace, favor, and goodness in my life.

AMEN! Our GOD is already doing those new things in our lives, and He wants to do evern more! HALLELUJAH! Are you READY? Here is Hillsong with that very song! "Ready Or Not":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this devotional from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith".

When Someone Does You Wrong

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19

Someone’s done you wrong! Sooner or later it happens to all of us. Somewhere along the way, we all get hurt or cheated or lied to or abused.

It’s as predictable as it is painful. Yet when it happens most of us find ourselves strangely unprepared. In our outrage, we often cry out to God against the one who wronged us. We ask for justice, or even vengeance, and end up making things tougher on everyone involved—including ourselves.

If that’s been true of you, it’s time you found out how you can put the power of God to work for you the next time someone does you wrong.

Step one: Identify the enemy! Right here’s where the majority of us make our biggest blunder. We mistakenly identify our enemy as the person who hurts us. Don’t waste your energy ranting and raving or plotting and scheming against people who cause you pain. They’re simply under the devil’s influence. Aim your spiritual ammunition at the right target. It’s the devil who’s behind it all. Go after him!

Step two: Fire! Once you’ve pointed your spiritual guns in the right direction, fire! Hit the devil fast and furiously with the Word of God. Use the Name of Jesus and the power that’s been given you as a believer and bind the devil from doing you any further harm in that area. Then move on to the next and most important part of this spiritual battle.

Step three: Pray the prayer of intercession. In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus gives us these instructions: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.”

Crying out for the vengeance of God to strike like a lightning bolt when someone does us wrong isn’t acting like our Father. Remember, God has great, great mercy. Not just for me and you, but for everyone!

The devil will probably think twice before he bothers you again. Next time someone causes you pain, put the power of God to work for you. Identify the real enemy. Hit him hard with the authority you’ve been given as a believer. Then pray the prayer of intercession.

AMEN! THESE are WINNING WAYS! Walk in them! Here is Hillsong with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Self-consciousness

Come unto Me. — Matthew 11:28

God means us to live a fully-orbed life in Christ Jesus, but there are times when that life is attacked from the outside, and we tumble into a way of introspection which we thought had gone. Self-consciousness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of the life in God, and self-consciousness continually produces wrestling. Self-consciousness is not sin; it may be produced by a nervous temperament or by a sudden dumping down into new circumstances. It is never God’s will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him. Anything that disturbs rest in Him must be cured at once, and it is not cured by being ignored, but by coming to Jesus Christ. If we come to Him and ask Him to produce Christ-consciousness, He will always do it until we learn to abide in Him.

Never allow the dividing up of your life in Christ to remain without facing it. Beware of leakage, of the dividing up of your life by the influence of friends or of circumstances; beware of anything that is going to split up your oneness with Him and make you see yourself separately. Nothing is so important as to keep right spiritually. The great solution is the simple one — “Come unto Me.” The depth of our reality, intellectually, morally and spiritually, is tested by these words. In every degree in which we are not real, we will dispute rather than come.

AMEN! We must believe what the Word of Almighty God says about US! When you have that knowledge, and stand on it, then nothing cann by any means hurt you! TRUST HIM! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "You're Indescribable":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the greatest lessons I have learned since being born again is found in today's Spoken Word Church website devotional! 

Learn to Listen

Somebody knows something you do not know. That information may be invaluable. You have to listen to receive it. Something inside you may want to scream out for attention. You have a longing to be heard. Restrain yourself. Learn to listen. Remember, God talks. How often? As often as you need help.

"A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:" {Proverbs 1:5}

AMEN! Be WISE by feeding continually on the Word of God! Not simply reading, but meditating, which allows Holy Spirit to teach us how to act on the Word in our own individual lives. Acting on the Word brings greater understanding of the Word, which is Wisdom, and causes us to be able to be led by Holy Spirit so that we can have the results that God intends! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Best Friends":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 47 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I am sharing the entire Psalm again because it is SO good! 

1 O clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy!
2 For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
5 God has ascended amid shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne.
9 The princes and nobles of the peoples are gathered together, a [united] people for the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

THIS is OUR GOD! Learn of Him and then remind yourself every day just how WONDERFUL, POWERFUL, TRUSTWORTHY, FAITHFUL, LOVING, and PRESENT He always is toward His people! PRAISE Him with all that is within you, and then do it all over again! Remember, He LIVES IN the praises of HIS people! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "This Is Our God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share two things with you from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! First of all, here is all of Psalm 46 because every verse is SO good! 

To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah, set to treble voices. A song.
1 God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas,
3 Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning].
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations and wonders in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire.
10 Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

This entire Psalm is an encouragement to us to never forget all that our GREAT GOD has done in us and for us! HE will never sleep or slumber! We will NEVER catch Him unawares or unable! Have faith, trust and confidence that the God of the Bible will BE and DO exactly as His Word says He will! COUNT ON IT! COUNT ON HIM! Here is Hillsong with "God Is Able":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin!

Perception

Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. — ACTS 27:9-10

Paul didn’t say, “I’ve got a revelation,” or “the Lord told me,” or “the Lord revealed it to me.” He said, “I perceive.” This was just an inward witness that he had. He perceived something spiritually.

A family of seven went out to eat. The children’s food had already arrived at the table when the father suddenly said, “Let’s rush home. I just have a perception that we should go.” When they arrived, they found that a fire had started in their house. They were able to put it out. If we would become more spirit-conscious, many things could be averted.

“Well, God did that. He had some purpose in it,” people will say. No, we miss it because we don’t listen. If the sailors had listened to Paul, they could have saved the ship and all the merchandise.

God is not an enemy of man; He is trying to help us. He is not working against us; He is working for us.

Confession: The Spirit of the Lord is in me to help me. He is working for me. I perceive His direction and His help spiritually. I am spirit conscious.

AMEN! When we truly believe this, we will go through every moment of life unafraid! GOD will do what He said He will do! We can count on Him! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Know You Will":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Some of the very best advice came today via our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! 2 Timothy 2:15-16 tells us this:

15 Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. 16 But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.

What does God approve of us doing? STUDYING the WORD of GOD! When we do that, taught by Holy Spirit, the enemy will not be able to stop us and our GOD will be well pleased! Here is Hillsong with "All This Future":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began 2 Timothy in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and verses 6-7 really stood out to  me!

6 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

I love two things about this passage. Paul is reminding Timothy that WE are the ones who must stir up what God, by His Spirit, has imparted to us! And then he goes right on and reminds us how NOT to give in to fear! We HAVE the SPIRIT of Almighty God living IN us, but WE must pay attention and CHOOSE to renew and remind our minds daily what the TRUTH is! We can't refuse the lies of the enemy until we KNOW that TRUTH of the WORD of GOD! Let's make it our determined purpose to know it, and HIM, more every single day! The enemy has no trick that can stand up against the WORD of the LIVING GOD! Here is Hillsong with "Your WORD":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom, 

Today's devotional on our Spoken Word Church website is one of my favorites! 

Schedule Intimate Moments with God. 

You make appointments with your doctor, your lawyer, your boss. Why not schedule a one hour appointment daily with God? Do it every day at the same time. This helps create rhythm in your life. You will hear what you have never heard before. You will discover what you have never known before. You will become what you have always wanted to become.

"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}

If we truly want to grow up in the things of God, we MUST pursue this intimate felloowship with Holy Spirit! He IS 'Christ IN us, the HOPE of GLORY'! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

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

EXTRA ORDINARY MIRACLES

And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them (Acts 19:11-12 NKJV).

In the scripture above, the Amplified Bible translates special miracles as “unusual and extraordinary miracles.” In other words, these miracles were not the norm.

When clothing that touched Paul’s body was placed on people who were sick or demon possessed, those people were made whole and delivered. That was not the norm; it was an extraordinary occurrence. Paul had always experienced miracles in his ministry, but then he entered into a new dimension of miracles that had not happened to him before.

I’ve had miracles in my life and ministry, but I hear God saying, “I’m going to do miracles in the days ahead that you’ve never before seen done quite this way.” Of course, every miracle is extraordinary, but God is saying, “The way I’ve performed the miracles you’ve seen is not the only way I can perform them. I’m going to show you new ways in the days ahead.”

Brother Oral Roberts once sat in my home and described a service he held under his big tent. Suddenly, the anointing of God swept through the place healing every sick person and delivering every demon-possessed person. Brother Roberts never laid his hands on anyone as the Shekinah glory of God filled that tent. Everyone just fell on the floor, and when they got up they were healed!

Brother Roberts went on to say God had visited him and told him these extraordinary occurrences of healing and miracles were coming back to the Body of Christ. I believe God is going to do extraordinary miracles in the days ahead, the likes of which we’ve never seen before.

Will you take part in this new season of extraordinary miracles?

Confession: As a member of the Body of Christ, I confess that I am entering a new season of extraordinary miracles. I expect to see God move in ways I’ve never seen before as He pours out His goodness, His favor, and His love upon me and all those who will stand in faith on His Word.

I am entering a new season of extraordinary miracles. I expect to see God move in ways I've never seen before as He pours our His goodness, His favor, and His love upon me and all those who will stand in faith on His Word! To supplement MY confession, I am sharing again Hillsong Worship's "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is a very great encouragement to every born again believer! Look at verses 1-5!

1 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. 3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord. 4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods. 5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered.

Remember to thank HIM every day for all that He has done and praise Him for Who He is and what He is about to do! Live a life of expectant hope and eager anticipation for the fulfillment of HIS WORD to YOU! That attitude increases our capacity to receive all that He has planned for us! And it is ALL GOOD! Here is Hillsong with "Surrounds Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Waiting On Go

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. — ISAIAH 40:31

Except for that one time when I got fleeced, I never missed it when I made a change in churches or ministry.

“What did you go by — a fleece?”

No, I went by what the inward witness said. If I had to, I would wait awhile before God. If I had to, I would wait all night long or I might fast a day or so — not that fasting will change God. It won’t.

God never changes. He’s the same before I fast, while I fast, and after I fast. But fasting changes me. The time I would have spent eating, I prayed and waited on God. I would spend more time in the Word. Then my spirit man would become dominant.

So I waited until I knew on the inside of me what God wanted me to do. And I never got fleeced again.

Confession: My spirit is the candle of the Lord. He guides me. He enlightens me. He leads me through my spirit. He leads, first of all, by the inward witness. He also leads by the still, small voice. He is leading. He is guiding. He is directing. I am Spirit-led, Spirit-taught, and Spirit-guided.

AMEN! Learn to be led by the Spirit of Almighty God and you will never live a life of fear and uncertainty again! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you again from Jopseh Prince's website devotional "Daily Grace". This is SO good!

He Satisfies You with Long Life

“With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” Psalm 91:16

This is the final but, I think, most important verse in Psalm 91! If you ever had any doubt that God desires for you to live a long, good life, let this verse be your answer. You may be battling with a health condition right now, but by faith let’s hold fast to this verse together. In Jesus’ mighty name, I see you healed, healthy, and whole. I see you strong in Christ and ready to take on any giant that is ahead of you.

One of my favorite pictures of long life is found in the biblical character Caleb. When he was eighty-five years old, he said, “I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war” (Joshua 14:10–11).

The faith picture here of long life is not just in terms of quantity—the number of days—but also quality—health and strength. Caleb remained as strong at eighty-five as he was when he was forty-five. Which means in the last forty years in the harsh wilderness, his strength, youth, and vigor didn’t diminish. There was no leaking, no receding, and no fading away of his strength!

If perhaps you think that Caleb was just talking big, look at what he said next: “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:12).

At 85, Caleb was ready to fight with giants to gain possession of a mountain! And Caleb did as he said! Read the evidence for yourself: “Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel” (Joshua 14:14).

You were impressed when a teenage shepherd boy picked a fight with one giant named Goliath? We should be completely blown away by this eighty-five-year-old, who took on a whole mountain packed with giants! Caleb was zealous for the Lord’s glory. As far as he was concerned, there was unfinished business because the Lord had promised them the mountain forty years ago.

My personal belief is that his biological clock stopped ticking and he basically stopped aging because he kept his eyes not on himself, but on the promises of the Lord. As you meditate on and find strength in God’s promises, the same can happen for you!

AMEN! We have talked about Caleb lately at The Spoken Word Church, too! What an amazing tesitmony that was! As an older person now myself, I am fully expecting to stay strong, healthy and full of vitality my entire time here on earth! Remember that the Greater One lives IN us by His Spirit! There is no lack IN HIM! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan contains some of my favorite verses and prtions of Scripture! Psalm 37 is filled with great verses! Verses 1-2:

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness (that which is not upright or in right standing with God). 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Don't watch the news if it causes you to be cast down, worried, in fear or agitated! Whatever the enemy is doing in the earth today, WE must concentrate on what our GOD says HE will do! The above verses assure us that evil ldoers WILL be dealt with properly by the ONE Who watches over us! Verses 3-6 are also very encouraging! 

3 Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. 6 And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday.

The underlined portions of the above verses show OUR part! When WE do OUR part, GOD will ALWAYS do HIS! HALLELUJAH! Continue reading through the rest of Psalm 37 tofind more treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge! Be a DOER of the Word that you see and expect the results that HE promises! Do this same thing every time you read the Word of God and you will find yourself operating in mmore WIsdom than you ever did before! Our God IS GOD! The ONE and ONLY! Here is Hillsong with "God One and Only":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I hope that YOU get as much from our daily Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan as I do! I learn something new or fomr a new angle everytime through! In today's Psalm 36 I love this from verses 7-10:

7 How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. 8 They relish and feast on the abundance of Your house; and You cause them to drink of the stream of Your pleasures. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. 10 O continue Your loving-kindness to those who know You, Your righteousness (salvation) to the upright in heart.

AMEN! Our GOD is SO good! BELIEVE what the Word of God says about HIM, and also BELIEVE what the Word of God says about YOU! Here are more instructions for us! 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5:

3 Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one]. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do the things which we suggest and with which we charge you. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ and in waiting for His return.

HALLELUJAH! The Word of God and the Spirit of God are both working FOR US to bring us to a place of maturity in the Word and Spirit so that WE will be a blessing and a light to all those wecome in contact with! Let's get to it! Our world is waiting for us! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "World Outside Your Window":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace" devotional on his website! 

Selah Moments

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:1–3

As you read what happened to David as he cried out to God in the verses above, notice the selah in the psalm. You will find such “selah moments” throughout David’s psalms. That means David paused . . . and listened.

In those moments, David turned his eyes from his troubles and looked to his God. In those moments, I believe he remembered afresh that he did not have to fight his battles because the Lord of hosts fought for him (1 Samuel 17:45–47). He remembered afresh the God who had delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, the God who overcame Goliath without sword or spear. And as he looked to the Lord, he strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6), and that’s when things started to change.

Change came when he shifted his focus away from his painful and dire circumstances and allowed himself to be absorbed instead in the grace of the Lord, when he paused and tuned in to what the Lord was encouraging him with on the inside. I believe that in those few moments of meditating on God’s goodness and mercy, he heard the Lord say to him, “David, why are you worried about all these people coming against you? I am your shield. I am the glory and the lifter of your head.” That was what brought about David’s turning point in the situation. God’s comfort came to David as he chose to selah.

Does it seem like your enemies have increased and many are rising up against you? Have you been getting one bad report after another from the doctor? Maybe they have found a lot more to be concerned about than you were previously aware of. And now your heart is heavy because it feels like maybe even God can’t help you.

At times like this, do what David did. Selah. Pause and choose to run to the Lord in the presence of your enemies.

When David came back to the psalm, his enemies were still there. But he could rise up and declare, “But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

In your selah moments with the Lord, you will find your turning point and victory. Don’t remain discouraged. Don’t run away from Him. Run to Him and worship Him.

I LOVE this message! As I read through the Bible in my Classic Amplified version, I often see these words: "SELAH (pause and calmly think of that)". Make sure that you are taking 'Selah' moments all through your study so that you are not simply reading, but mediating (pause and calmly think of that!). Meditation puts YOU in that WORD and that WORD in YOU! Then you will see and do, and receive the promised results! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I was really blessed by Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional.

The Brave Comradeship Of God

Then He took unto Him the twelve. — Luke 18:31

The bravery of God in trusting us! You say — “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing in me; I am not of any value.” That is why He chose you. As long as you think there is something in you, He cannot choose you because you have ends of your own to serve; but if you have let Him bring you to the end of your self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him to Jerusalem, and that will mean the fulfilment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.

We are apt to say that because a man has natural ability, therefore he will make a good Christian. It is not a question of our equipment but of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a question of natural virtues of strength of character, knowledge, and experience — all that is of no avail in this matter. The only thing that avails is that we are taken up into the big compelling of God and made His comrades (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-30). The comradeship of God is made up out of men who know their poverty. He can do nothing with the man who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not out for our own cause at all, we are out for the cause of God, which can never be our cause. We do not know what God is after, but we have to maintain our relationship with Him whatever happens. We must never allow anything to injure our relationship with God; if it does get injured we must take time and get it put right. The main thing about Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the atmosphere produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to look after, and it is the one thing that is being continually assailed.

RELATIONSHIP! THAT is why JESUS came to this earth, lived as a man without sin, laid down His life for ours and rose again from death so that we can have that hope, too! So that we can fellowship with HIM! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "All Of My Best Friends":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Praise His Goodness 

Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1 NKJV).

Praise flows easily when you believe in your heart that God can and will work all things together for your good. So, if you know the situation is going to work out for your good, what’s the point in letting it get to you? The fact that God is going to turn your situation around is grounds to praise Him right now!

God loves it when you praise Him, despite what you see, feel, or hear. He loves it when you trust in His goodness and love towards you, even when it looks like things are going from bad to worse.

You may ask, “Why did this happen to me?” Perhaps you’ve said, “I never expected things to turn out this way.” There’s no point in trying to figure things out with your mind when, in truth, God is a good God and all His plans and purposes for you are only good.

Victory over your circumstances comes when you refuse to lean on your own understanding. Victory comes when you trust in God with all your heart, believing without a shadow of doubt that He will fulfill His promise to satisfy you with goodness (see Psalm 65:4). Praise is the natural outflow of true faith in God’s love.Praise honors God Praise lets the world know your trust is in the love of your heavenly Father
Praise affirms your reliance on God’s faithfulness and commitment to you
Praise guards your mind from the torment of human reasoning
Praise protects your emotions from the oppressive spirit of heaviness
Praise refreshes your revelation of God’s love and mercy towards you
Praise keeps you focused on, and flowing in, the goodness of God

Regardless of the circumstances you may be facing today, take the time to praise God. When you do, He will fully satisfy you with His goodness.

Confession: I trust in my heavenly Father and His never-ending love for me. I believe His plans and purposes for me are for my good. Right now I declare my praise and thanks to the Lord, whose mercy endures forever!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love these verses from Psalm 32 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! 

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

I AM BLESSED because the Lord does NOT impute iniquity on me! HE sees all of my sins where they are and where JESUS left them! In the pit of hell where JESUS fought and WON, defeating FOREVER the enemy of our souls! Dare to believe that you ARE exactly who JESUS says you are! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Since my traveling is to Colorado, I want to share THIS "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin because it is SO appropriate! 

Mountain And Valleys

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

I hear people talk about being in the valley, and then on the mountain, and then back in the valley again. To tell the truth about it, I don’t know what they’re talking about. I’ve been saved since 1933, and I’ve never been anywhere but on the mountaintop!

You don’t have to get down in the valley. People talk about their “valley experiences.” I’ve never had any valley experiences. Oh, yes, there have been tests and trials — but I was on top of the mountain, shouting my way through it all, living above it. Praise God!

You see, those who say they’re in the valleys are looking at life from the natural standpoint — from the physical. They are trying to get a spiritual answer from the physical — and you just can’t do that.

Years ago, when I came among Pentecostal people after having been a Baptist, I’d hear them talk about “going through the valley.” And when I didn’t know what they were talking about, they’d look at me and say, “Your time’s a-coming!” Thank God, it never has arrived!

No! Get off the negative and get on the positive side of life — and you won’t have any valleys. You’ll always be on the mountaintop!

Confession: Thanks be to God, who ALWAYS causes me to triumph in Christ! I ALWAYS triumph! I live on the mountaintop!

AMEN! Keep looking up and expect the Word of the Living God to be continually working on your Behalf, IF you belong to HIM! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Mountain":

Shalom in Him!