Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food" devotional.

You Have Rights and Privileges

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

So many people may know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior and yet not know a thing in the world about their rights and privileges in Him. They don’t know who they are in Christ, because you’ll still hear them saying, “I’m so weak and unworthy.” No, they’re not!

If your spirit has been born again, you’ve become a new man in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). And God doesn’t make any unworthy creatures. You’re a new creature in Christ Jesus. You have the life and nature of God in you. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). You are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

You have been redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Colossians 1:13 says, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” You’re not in the kingdom of darkness. You’re in the Kingdom of light. Satan is not your lord or master. Jesus is your Lord and Master.

Therefore, sin and sickness and disease can no longer lord it over you, because they are not your lord. Jesus is your Lord. And He doesn’t have sickness and disease. He has health and healing.

Confession: I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. I have the life and nature of God in me. I have been redeemed from the hand of the enemy. I’m no longer in the kingdom of darkness. I’m in the Kingdom of light. Jesus is Lord of my life—and He has health and healing, not sickness and disease.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Andrew Womack's daily devotional. This is another vital message! 

Jesus Was God

John 1:1, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.'

Jesus was not just a man sent from God, He was God.

This is the most important statement of the New Testament. On this truth hangs all other truths.

If Jesus was only a man, then regardless of how good He was, His life could only provide a substitute for one other man. But since He was God, His life was worth more than every human life since creation. Indeed it was worth more than the sum total of the universe that He created.

Any compromise on this point will negate the work of Christ in our lives. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)! Yet this Almighty God came to dwell in a human body. He humbled Himself and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7).

Christ's humanity truly made Him one of us. He suffered the same temptations and pressures that we suffer (Hebrews 4:15). It was His divinity, however, that gave Him the power to save us to the max (Hebrews 7:25). We must never let His humanity blind us to the fact that Almighty God Himself became our friend (John 15:13-15). And we must never let His divinity blind us to the fact that He knows exactly how we feel and cares for us.

Let the Holy Spirit give you a true revelation of the deity and humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout this new year.

AMEN! When we truly realize Who JESUS was and is, then we will have full confidence that WE are who HE says we are, have what HE says we have and can do what HE says we can do! Believe it, receive it and never doubt it! His WORD is TRUTH! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "As I Am": 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share THIS from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan:

³⁸ Now while they were on their way, it occurred that Jesus entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha received and welcomed Him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [to lend a hand and do her part along with me]! ⁴¹ But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; ⁴² There is need of only one.  Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.

AMEN! My prayer for you is that you will consistently choose the RIGHT thing! The NEEDFUL thing! The GOOD thing! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle's devotional:

YOU ARE ABRAHAM’S SEED

And if you are Christ’s, the you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29 NKJV)

The biblical term “Abraham’s seed” refers in both the Old and New Testaments to those who have received righteousness (right standing before God) by faith.

When we receive righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ, we are called Abraham’s seed.

God made many promises to Abraham’s seed, and He established an inheritance for each and every one. This inheritance becomes available to each and every individual the moment he or she receives righteousness by faith.

To find out what belongs to you, read Deuteronomy 28. You’ll see that God promised you’ll be blessed coming in and blessed going out. You’ll be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. You’ll be blessed in everything you set your hand to do.

God said He would make you the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. He declared that when your enemy comes in one way, God will cause him to flee seven ways!

God loves you and wants you to enjoy the inheritance He has prepared for you. Determine today to study God’s Word and discover all the promises that are yours. And then, make the decision to receive all that is yours, giving glory to God.

Confession: Thank You, Father, for loving me enough to leave me a wonderful inheritance through my faith in Jesus, who made me righteous. As Abraham’s seed, I know I am a rightful heir to this inheritance, and I determine to discover and receive all that you have prepared for me.

AMEN! You and I are EXACTLY who GOD says we are in His Word! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek -Volume 2" by our partner, Rick Renner, is such a clear picture of the times in which we live and how God sees them!

LAST DAYS DECEPTION

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  2 Timothy 4:3-4

Today I’d like to talk to you about what the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy right after exhorting him to stay by his post, regardless of the external pressures that would try to bump him off course. There is a strategic sequence to Paul’s words that apply specifically to the believers of this generation.

Paul went on to describe the unique challenge that believers would face as a last-days deception occurs inside the Church. He wrote that at the end of the age — in the period just before Jesus returns — large numbers of people in the Body of Christ would be led astray.

Remember — the Holy Spirit didn’t tell us this to scare us, but rather to prepare us so we would not succumb to these devil-inspired tactics to affect the Church in the very last of the last days. That makes the message of these verses particularly significant for those of us born into this present-day generation of the Church.

Paul wrote, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The word “time” in verse 3 was translated from the Greek word kairos, which depicts a specific season. Paul said, “This specific season shall come.” The tense is futuristic, pointing to a season in the future, or to events that will occur in the very last part of the last days.

In this end-times season, the Holy Spirit said increasing numbers of people in the Christian community “…will not endure sound doctrine…” (verse 3). Even now, this is taking place as many are gravitating toward teaching and preaching that is more motivational and psychological than Bible-based.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t indicate how many will be pulled in this wrong direction, but the word “they” in the Greek language implies large numbers of people. According to Paul’s prophetic utterance, a portion of the last-days Christian community will simply no longer endure the sound teaching of Scripture. In fact, the word “endure” is the Greek word anecho, which denotes no ability to put up with or to have no tolerance for.

The words “sound doctrine” in Second Timothy 4:3 are very telling. The Greek word for “sound” is hugiaino, and it indicates something that is wholesome and healthy and that produces a healthy state of being. The word “doctrine” refers to the long-held teachings and tenets of the Christian faith.

Thus, the Holy Spirit foretold of a specific end-time season when a segment of the Christian community would not only lose their appetite for sound doctrine, but they would also actually develop a distaste for it. Instead, they would acquire a distinct taste for doctrine that is unwholesome, preferring a self-help style of teaching over the teaching of sound doctrine.

In Second Timothy 4:3, Paul forecasted a moment when large numbers of people will no longer have a stomach for sound doctrine. Instead, “…after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears….” The word “lusts” describes desires or whims. In other words, this part of the verse could be translated, “But after their own desires shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”

Paul unequivocally stated that a generation will arise in the very last days that will reject age-tested truth in favor of teaching that is more in step with the times. According to the Holy Spirit, teachers will appear on the scene in a specific kairos season to satisfy the hankerings of a generation that adheres to the world’s progressive approach. What these spiritual leaders teach will appeal to people’s emotions and intellect instead of to the deepest part of their being where actual transformation takes place. Because these teachers will speak what the crowds want to hear, they will enjoy great popularity among this audience of listeners.

In Second Timothy 4:3, Paul went on to say that this last-days generation will “heap” to themselves such teachers. The word “heap” is the future active indicative tense of the Greek word episoreuo, which points to piles of “teachers” who will appease an end-time audience with messages to suit them and the whims of the times.

Paul said that these teachers will satisfy the “itching ears” of the people. The words “itching ears” is used figuratively to depict a person (or a crowd of people) who wants to hear something new as compared to what he has already heard and known. Having his “ears” filled with some- thing he wants to be told is the only thing that relieves this “itching-ear” syndrome.

As a result of this strange period that will develop in the last part of the last days, Paul said many “…shall turn their ears away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:4). This “turning away from the truth” is the rejecting of absolute biblical truth — the time-tested interpretation of the Word of God.

Is it possible we are currently witnessing this turning away from truth that the Holy Spirit predicted nearly 2,000 years ago? Are we seeing in our own day an accommodating attitude toward the world that produces a brand of Christianity that melds into the environment around it?

Paul wrote that an erring end-time group would discard fixed truth and replace it with “fables” — the Greek word for fantasies. By using the word “fables,” Paul inferred that what this group of last-days orators taught would resemble fantasy. These teachers would substitute “fables” for the authentic teaching of the Bible that calls for repentance from sin and a change of behavior that is befitting God’s Word.

The craving and demand for these fanciful messages by those with “itching ears” will produce large numbers of newly fashioned teachers with restyled messages. The mixture of truth and falsehood these teachers deliver will eventually lead a large segment of people into a distorted perception of who the Christ of Christianity really is.

You might say, “Brother Rick, that sounds like a lot of really bad news.” But I need to tell you that in the haze of this deception that Paul prophesied about, another group of spiritual leaders will arise. Paul wrote about these leaders, calling them “…blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Since there also will be a group of believers emerging who will hold to the ageless Word of Truth and proclaim its timeless teaching, let’s make sure that is the group to which we belong! In spite of the difficulties these men and women may endure for proclaiming the Bible as utter truth, they will nevertheless stand firm, their feet solidly planted on the integrity of God’s Word.

That, my friend, is the group you want to be a part of in these end times!

As I said at the beginning of today’s Sparkling Gem, Paul forecasted that a time would come when a deception would occur inside the Church — in the period just before Jesus comes. Again, the Holy Spirit did not tell us this to scare us — but to prepare us, lest we fall into this trap ourselves. It is time for us to dig our heels deep into the truth of God’s Word, refuse to budge from its life-transforming truths, and do all we can to teach and proclaim it to those around us!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE the Bible passage that is part of our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! 

Expect Supernatural Intervention

Elisha and his servant were surrounded by Syrian soldiers. The servant, trembling with fear, cried, "Alas, my master! How shall we do?" Elisha answered, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." The servant's eyes were opened, and he saw the invisible army of angels supernaturally assigned to protect them. Expect the supernatural. Angels are assigned to you. Never underestimate the attentiveness of your Father. Nothing is ever as bad as it first appears.

"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." {Isaiah 40:29}

"And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." {2 Kings 6:17}

AMEN! NEVER doubt that the promises of God for His people are ALWAYS "YES and "AMEN"! Stand on His Word and SEE the manifestation of the Glory of God in YOUR life in order to reach others' lives with His TRUTH! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This one is on effectual prayer!

Effectual Prayer

. . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. — JAMES 5:16

Jesus who is righteous became your Righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). Your standing with God is secure. Therefore, you can stand in the Presence of God as though you had never done wrong! As though you had never sinned! Without a sense of condemnation, and without a spiritual inferiority complex! No wonder Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

When you know these powerful spiritual truths, you won’t have to run around to get someone else to do your praying for you. You’ll know that God the Father will hear you as quickly as He hears any other believer. Why? Because you have just as good a standing with God as any other Christian has. God doesn’t love one member of His Body more than another.

People sometimes think, If I could just get So-and-so to pray, his prayer would work. He’s a real man of God. No, that Christian may have learned how to take advantage of what belongs to him a little better than you have, but he’s not any more righteous than you are. And God won’t hear him pray any quicker than He will hear you pray.

Confession: I am the righteousness of God in Christ. Because I am righteous, God hears me when I pray. And my prayers avail much.

AMEN! Learn to have confidence in YOUR prayers as you pray the Word of God over every situation! When we pray the Word, we give HIM something to work with because we KNOW that Mark 16:20 is TRUTH! 

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 "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like the message in today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers!

The Missionary’s Goal

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem. — Luke 18:31

In the natural life our ambitions alter as we develop; in the Christian life the goal is given at the beginning, the beginning and the end are the same, viz., Our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him — until we all attain to the stature of the manhood of Christ Jesus, not to our idea of what the Christian life should be. The aim of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful, not to win the heathen; he is useful and he does win the heathen, but that is not his aim. His aim is to do the will of his Lord.

In Our Lord’s life Jerusalem was the place where He reached the climax of His Father’s will upon the Cross, and unless we go with Jesus there, we will have no companionship with Him. Nothing ever discouraged Our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned Our Lord one hair’s breadth away from His purpose to go up to Jerusalem.

“The disciple is not above his Master.” The same things will happen to us on our way to our Jerusalem. There will be the works of God manifested through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude and the rest will show gross ingratitude, but nothing must deflect us from going up to our Jerusalem.

“There they crucified Him.” That is what happened when Our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that happening is the gateway to our salvation. The saints do not end in crucifixion: by the Lord’s grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword is — I, too, go up to Jerusalem.

AMEN! Doing HIS WILL is our only calling! HE reveals the specifics of how we are to walk it out WHEN our will is to do HIS! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "World Outside Your Window":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Luke 4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Look at verses 13-21 from the Amplified Bible:

13 And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time. 14 Then Jesus went back full of and under the power of the [Holy] Spirit into Galilee, and the fame of Him spread through the whole region round about. 15 And He Himself conducted [a course of] teaching in their synagogues, being recognized and honored and praised by all. 16 So He came to Nazareth, [that Nazareth] where He had been brought up, and He entered the synagogue, as was His custom on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read. 17 And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], 19 To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]. 20 Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing [attentively] at Him. 21 And He began to speak to them: Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing.

This was what happened AFTER JESUS overcame the 40 days of temptation by the enemy! Notice especially verse 14! THIS is what happens when we spend time in HIS presence and in HIS WORD! WE go out full of and under the power of Holy Spirit, too! Keep yourself in fellowship with HIM, in HIS WORD and in prayer in the Spirit. Then you, too, will operate in HIS power that sets people free! This IS His plan and purpose for His Church! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE our devotional on The Spoken Word Church website! Such powerful TRUTHS presented in a very simple, straightforward way! Here is today's:

Talk Like a Victor, Not a Victim

Your words are signals. They can be like the fragrance of a rose or the odor of a skunk. They can attract or repel. Don't talk like a victim. It invites pity, but not partnership. Even in the animal kingdom the wounded are attacked, not assisted. Your words are continually educating others around you. Let them create a portrait of enthusiasm and faith.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." {Proverbs 18:21}

YOU and resposible for YOUR WORDS! I am responsible for MINE! When we are not happy with some of the results that we are seeing, let's take stock of wht is coming out of our veryown mouths! No one else can decide what WE say! THAT is always and only our responsibility! Tame YOUR tongue to only speak what you REALLY want to have happen, and then declare and decree it continally! You will soon find that when YOUR words line up with GOD'S WORD, then you will HAVE what you say and it will be GLORIOUS! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is SO good!

The Divine Rule Of Life

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. — Matthew 5:48

Our Lord’s exhortation in these verses is to be generous in our behaviour to all men. In the spiritual life beware of walking according to natural affinities. Everyone has natural affinities; some people we like and others we do not like. We must never let those likes and dislikes rule in our Christian life. If we “walk in the light,” as God is in the light, God will give us communion with people for whom we have no natural affinity.

The Example Our Lord gives us is not that of a good man, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect” — show to the other man what God has shown to you; and God will give us ample opportunities in actual life to prove whether we are perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. To be a disciple means that we deliberately identify ourselves with God’s interests in other people. “That ye love one another; as I have loved you…”

The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but Godlikeness: If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit Divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian is that the supernatural is made natural in him by the grace of God, and the experience of this works out in the practical details of life, not in times of communion with God. When we come in contact with things that create a buzz, we find to our amazement that we have power to keep wonderfully poised in the centre of it all.

AMEN! It is GOD'S LIFE, GOD'S LIGHT, GOD'S LOVE that others see in us when we walk in fellowship with Him by His Spirit Who lives in us! THAT is what will draw people to HIM! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

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

NO MORE CONDEMNATION

Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 AMP)

Guilt and condemnation are two of the primary weapons the devil uses in an attempt to drive a wedge between you and God so that he can separate you from the love of God.

Any time you feel bad about yourself and you cannot sense God’s presence, it may be that you have allowed condemnation into your heart. The devil is a liar who will say things like “you are such a failure … God will never forgive you for what you did … you deserve just what you got … you’ll never amount to anything.”

Those who live under this kind of guilt and condemnation will often cease to trust in the blood of Jesus as the only means to come to God and receive His love, His grace, and His acceptance. Their relationship with the Father is vulnerable to being reduced to one based partly on works instead of wholly on grace.

If you allow it, condemnation will cause you to focus on your failures. It will rob you of your confidence before God, making Him seem distant and cold. Tell the devil you will no longer accept his lies and condemnation. Choose instead to meditate on the grace of God and how loved and valuable you are to Him. Then rest in His grace, knowing that nothing will be able to separate you from the love of Christ.

Confession: I thank You, Father, than neither guilt nor condemnation can separate me from the love of Christ. I let go of all the lies of the enemy and choose now to draw near to You, to receive your love, your grace, and your mercy.

AMEN! Meditate on this until you reach a level of "know that you knw" that will silence the enemy and cause you to flow in the freedom from condemnation that JESUS provided for each of us! Here is Hillsong with "Every Breath":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you a very powerful devotional by Joseph Prince from his website! 

See Yourself Clothed in Jesus’ Righteousness

For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. Romans 10:3

Are you, like some believers today, still rather confused about the gift of righteousness you have received through Christ? Perhaps you’ve heard through conventional theology that although you were made righteous by grace (called “positional righteousness”), you now have to do right and keep the law to continue being righteous. (They call this having “practical righteousness.”)

My friend, this is something that Apostle Paul never taught! Today’s scripture declares that there is only one righteousness of God that we are to submit to. It is clear that Paul is against any teaching that says you have to merit or maintain your own righteousness. You are either righteous or you are not. There is no such thing as first having “positional righteousness” and then having to maintain that through “practical righteousness.” You are the righteousness of God in Christ, period!

There are many believers who are very sincere about keeping the law and establishing their own righteousness, but I’m sorry to say this: they are sincerely wrong. God’s way is by grace. Righteousness cannot be earned by good works. It can only be received as a gift. A gift is no longer a gift if you have to work for it. If I gave you a brand new, dazzling red Ferrari on the condition that you pay me US$20,000 every month until it is all paid up, is the Ferrari really a gift? Of course not! How can it be a gift if you have to pay or work for it? That is double-talk! So stop trying to earn God’s gifts with your own works. His gifts to us are without conditions attached and can only be received by faith.

Many believers are defeated today because they are trying to earn their own righteousness by their law keeping and good works. My friend, start believing that righteousness is a gift because of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross for you. All your sins—past, present, and future—have been washed away by His precious blood. You were completely forgiven the moment you received Jesus into your life. You will never be held liable by God for your sins ever again. You have been made as righteous as Jesus not through your behavior, but by faith in Him and His finished work on the cross (Philippians 3:9).

Perhaps you are saying, “But I didn’t do anything to become righteous!” That is exactly right. And Jesus did nothing to become sin. Being clothed with Jesus’ perfect righteousness is a gift that He purchased for you with His own blood! Therefore, righteousness before the Lord cannot be earned. Your righteous standing or right standing before Him can only be received as a gift. Today, your right to be righteous is a blood-bought right! There is nothing you can do that will make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do that will make Him love you less. He loves you perfectly and sees you clothed with Jesus’ righteousness.

My friend, you no longer have to live confused about your standing before God. Know that when God sees you today, He sees you clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. Use your faith to believe that God accepts you and sees you righteous, blessed, favored, and healed. See yourself as God sees you and begin to be set free from every pang of guilt, all forms of condemnation, and every kind of bondage and sin!

AMEN! Remember that everything that the Word of God says that JESUS did for you, as a born again believer is YOURS! Whether you walk in the BLESSING of it or not, it is still YOURS in the eyes of ALmighty God! Find out what belongs to YOU as a child of God and WALK IN IT! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 78:1-8 through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is a very important portion of Scripture!

1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old [that hide important truth]— 3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed. 5 For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make [the great facts of God’s dealings with Israel] known to their children, 6 That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children, 7 That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments 8 And might not be as their fathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.

What we teach and retell to our children is of utmost importance for their own personal walk with the Lord! Continue reading through the rest of this Psalm and remember just what the Word of God promises us as born again believers! Now EXPECT HIM to do exactly as He says He will do! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Divine Region Of Religion

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret. — Matthew 6:6

The main idea in the region of religion is — Your eyes upon God, not on men. Do not have as your motive the desire to be known as a praying man. Get an inner chamber in which to pray where no one knows you are praying, shut the door and talk to God in secret. Have no other motive than to know your Father in heaven. It is impossible to conduct your life as a disciple without definite times of secret prayer.

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions…” (Matthew 6:7). God is never impressed by our earnestness. He does not hear us because we are in earnest, but only on the ground of Redemption. God is never impressed by our earnestness. Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to the things about which we pray.

“Every one that asketh receiveth.” We pray pious blether, our will is not in it, and then we say God does not answer; we never asked for anything. “Ye shall ask what ye will,” said Jesus. Asking means our will is in it. Whenever Jesus talked about prayer, He put it with the grand simplicity of a child: we bring in our critical temper and say — “Yes, but…” Jesus said — “Ask.” But remember that we have to ask of God things that are in keeping with the God Whom Jesus Christ revealed.

AMEN! Prayer is our intimate fellowship with the Spirit of God! Don't let a moment go by without appreciating and acting on that! You will never be the same! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love today's reading in Isaiah 66:8-9! Here are the verses and then the fulfillment explained!

8 Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Or shall a nation be brought forth in a moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the [moment of] birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the womb? says your God.

The explanation:

Isaiah 66:8 Never in the history of the world had such a thing happened before—but God keeps His word. As definitely foretold here and in Ezekiel 37:21-22, Israel became a recognized nation, actually “born in one day.” After being away from their homeland for almost 2,000 years, the Jews were given a national homeland in Palestine by the Balfour Declaration in November, 1917. In 1922, the League of Nations gave Great Britain the mandate over Palestine. On May 14, 1948, Great Britain withdrew her mandate, and immediately Israel was declared a sovereign state, and her growth and importance among nations became astonishing.

GOD'S Word is TRUTH! ALWAYS and FOREVER! Believe it, Receive it, Learn it, DO it! Your life will never be the same! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

After reading this at Morning Prayer this morning I knew I had to share it here! From Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today:

FATHER

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. — JOHN 1:12-13

No truth in all the Bible is as far reaching as the blessed fact that when we are born again we come into the family of God! God the Father is our Father!

He cares for us! He is interested in us — each of us individually — not just as a group, or a body, or a church. He is interested in each of His children, and He loves each of us with the same love.

However, our Heavenly Father is not the Father of everyone, as some supposed. Jesus said to some very religious people, “Ye are of your father the devil . . .” (John 8:44). Yes, God is the Creator of all mankind, but a man must be born again to become His child. He is God to the world, but Father only to the new creation man.

God is your very own Father. You are His very own child. And since He is your Father, you can be assured that He will take a father’s place and perform a father’s part. You can be certain that as your Heavenly Father, God loves you, and He will take care of you.

Confession: I am born of God. I am born into God’s family. God the Father is my Father. I am His very own child. He is my very own Father. He loves me. He provides for me. He takes care of me.

BELIEVE this and RECEIVE HIM as your very own FATHER! Allow Him to do a father's part in every area of your life! Here is an older song from Hillsong called "Father of Creation":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

After Surrender – What?

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

Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the will; when that is done, all is done. There are very few crises in life; the great crisis is the surrender of the will. God never crushes a man’s will into surrender, He never beseeches him, He waits until the man yields up his will to Him. That battle never needs to be re-fought.

Surrender for Deliverance. “Come unto Me,…and I will give you rest.” It is after we have begun to experience what salvation means that we surrender our wills to Jesus for rest. Whatever is perplexing heart or mind is a call to the will — “Come unto Me.” It is a voluntary coming.

Surrender for Devotion. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.” The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, my self with His rest at the heart of it. “If you would be My disciple, give up your right to yourself to Me.” Then the remainder of the life is nothing but the manifestation of this surrender. When once the surrender has taken place we never need “suppose” anything. We do not need to care what our circumstances are, Jesus is amply sufficient.

Surrender for Death (John 21:18-19). “…another shall gird thee.” Have you learned what it means to be bound for death? Beware of a surrender which you make to God in an ecstasy; you are apt to take it back again. It is a question of being united with Jesus in His death until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.

After surrender — what? The whole of the life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Resurrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love the devotional for today from The Spoken Word Church website!

Face Your Problems Honestly

Don't blame others for what you have chosen to do. Don't blame others for the consequences of your choices. Never complain about what you permit. Your life is the result of your choices.

Name your weaknesses. Nobody else can do it. Nobody else will do it. Nobody else should have to do it. Your honesty will determine your victories.

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9)

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Never Walk Alone":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 72:17-19 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is a great example of meditation on the Word of God!

17 His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun [indeed, His name continues before the sun]. And men shall be blessed and bless themselves by Him; all nations shall call Him blessed! 18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone does wondrous things! 19 Blessed be His glorious name forever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen!

I hope that YOU are spending quality time in the Word of God! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this from our partners!

COME TO ME

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV)

Have you ever prayed something like this: “God, say something to me that will pull me out of this depression, this discouragement, this sense of hopelessness”?

According to Jesus, if the yoke you wear is not easy and light, it is not His yoke. Jesus wants to lift you up. He wants to deliver you and set you free from the weight of that depression, discouragement, worry, care—or whatever you may be carrying.

The Amplified translation of the scripture above says, “You will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls” (verse 29). In other words, you’re going to learn you can have joy in every situation; you’re going to have some fun.

When you come to Jesus, you will learn the truth about your situation. The truth is, when you stand on His Word, God will give you the victory.  With this revelation you will be able to walk through any situation with joy and hope, knowing that it will turn out for your good.

Confession: Jesus, I come to you today and release all of my burdens to you. I receive Your yoke and the rest and refreshment You promised. Father, thank You for loving me. You have already given me the victory in every situation, and I await the manifestation with joy.

Here are Hillsong Kids with World Outside Your Window!

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional. THIS is another very important message!

Exercise Your Rights

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Jesus came to earth and gave Himself as a sacrifice for sin in order to buy back for you everything that Adam lost. He came to destroy all the works of the devil...sickness and disease included. Once you receive Him as Lord of your life, all the rights and privileges God originally intended you to have (the right to things like fellowship with God, health and prosperity) are restored.

But you are the one who has to exercise those rights!

You see, the devil is an outlaw and even though Jesus has taken away his authority in the earth, even though he has no legal right to kill or steal from the children of God, he’ll do it anyway...as long as you’ll let him get away with it.

You must enforce his defeat by speaking the Word of God in faith. Act on His Word now. Demand that sickness and disease leave you in the Name of Jesus. Then refuse to back off that demand. Resist the devil with all you’ve got. He might fight you for a while, but sooner or later, he will have to flee from you!

AMEN! Such a vital TRUTH! Be a DOER of this word and watch Almighty God work for you! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For HIs Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another great lesson for every believer to gauge our walk of faith!

Do It Yourself

Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. — 2 Corinthians 10:5

Determinedly Discipline Other Things.

This is another aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul says, “I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ” (Moffatt). How much Christian work there is to-day which has never been disciplined, but has simply sprung into being by impulse! In Our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was not a movement of an impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s — “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” Then take ourselves — a vivid religious experience, and every project born of impulse put into action immediately, instead of being imprisoned and disciplined to obey Christ.

This is a day when practical work is overemphasized, and the saints who are bringing every project into captivity are criticized and told that they are not in earnest for God or for souls. True earnestness is found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that is born of undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not bringing every project into captivity, but are doing work for God at the instigation of their own human nature which has not been spiritualized by determined discipline.

We are apt to forget that a man is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation; he is committed to Jesus Christ’s view of God, of the world, of sin and of the devil, and this will mean that he must recognize the responsibility of being transformed by the renewing of his mind.

AMEN! Remember, Not MY will, Father, but YOURS! We will ONLY be rewarded in HEaven for what we did in this body in obedience to God's will and Word with the right attitude and motive! Make sure that you are daily in intimate fellowship with Holy Spirit so that He can freely lead you into all Truth and in the steps that HE desires for you to walk in! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense - Sometimes By Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In case you are looking for some GOOD news, here is Psalm 68:1 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today!

1 God is [already] beginning to arise, and His enemies to scatter; let them also who hate Him flee before Him!

AMEN! Our great God has systematically, step by step, exposed all of the evil perpetrated on our nation and people! Now look at the promise of verses 3-5:

3 But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice! 4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts—His name is the Lord—be in high spirits and glory before Him! 5 A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation.

I personally LOVE verse 11!

11 The Lord gives the word [of power]; the women who bear and publish [the news] are a great host.

Then we have THIS from verses 33-35:

33 [Sing praises] to Him Who rides upon the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, He sends forth His voice, His mighty voice. 34 Ascribe power and strength to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His strength and might are in the skies. 35 O God, awe-inspiring, profoundly impressive, and terrible are You out of Your holy places; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and fullness of might to His people. Blessed be God!

I hope that you spend time every day stirring up the promises of God in your heart as thought they have already happened and you are CELEBRATING!! Here is Hillsong with What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 67:1-3 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan.

1 In many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets, 2 [But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order]. 3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,

This is such a powerful picture of our LORD and SAVIOR! He IS the GREAT I AM! And He always will be! Here is Hillsong with "ALways Will":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love reading through the Bible every year with our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Today we read Psalm 66 and I want to encourage you to do this:

1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth; 2 Sing forth the honor and glory of His name; make His praise glorious! 3 Say to God, How awesome and fearfully glorious are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power shall Your enemies submit themselves to You [with feigned and reluctant obedience]. 4 All the earth shall bow down to You and sing [praises] to You; they shall praise Your name in song. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

HALLELUJAH! Singing and declaring PRAISES to the One, True, Living, Almighty God of the Bible puts YOU in position to know Him more and to hear His voice clearer! Make it a practice to speak to Him, sing to Him and LISTEN to Him! You will never be the same! Be a DOER of this powerful, wonderful Word of the Living God! In Mark 16 Jesus was giving last instructions to His followers before He ascending into Heaven. Verses 19-20 tell what we can expect to happen when we KNOW, SAY and DO His WORD! 

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God. 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! Let's commit to live our best life yet this year by obeying the WORD of GOD and spending more and more intimate fellowship with HIM! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Uncomplicated":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

His!

Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me. — John 17:6

The missionary is one in whom the Holy Ghost has wrought this realization — “Ye are not your own.” To say “I am not my own,” is to have reached a great point in spiritual nobility. The true nature of the life in the actual whirl is the deliberate giving up of myself to another in sovereign preference, and that other is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit expounds the nature of Jesus to me in order to make me one with my Lord, not that I might go off as a showroom exhibit. Our Lord never sent any of the disciples out on the ground of what He had done for them. It was not until after the Resurrection, when the disciples had perceived by the power of the Holy Spirit Whom He was, that Jesus said “Go.”

“If any man come to me and hate not…, he cannot be My disciple,” not — he cannot be good and upright, but — he cannot be one over whom Jesus writes the word “Mine.” Any one of the relationships Our Lord mentions may be a competitive relationship. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself; then says Jesus, you cannot be My disciple. This does not mean I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be “His.”

Our Lord makes a disciple His own possession, He becomes responsible for him. “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me.” The spirit that comes in is not that of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The secret of the missionary is — I am His, and He is carrying out His enterprises through me.

Be entirely His.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Indescribable":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

To encourage you about what GOD is about to do! Psalm 64 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today!

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; guard and preserve my life from the terror of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly, from the scheming of evildoers,
3 Who whet their tongues like a sword, who aim venomous words like arrows,
4 Who shoot from ambush at the blameless man; suddenly do they shoot at him, without self-reproach or fear.
5 They encourage themselves in an evil purpose, they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, Who will discover us?
6 They think out acts of injustice and say, We have accomplished a well-devised thing! For the inward thought of each one [is unsearchable] and his heart is deep.
7 But God will shoot an unexpected arrow at them; and suddenly shall they be wounded.
8 And they will be made to stumble, their own tongues turning against them; all who gaze upon them will shake their heads and flee away.
9 And all men shall [reverently] fear and be in awe; and they will declare the work of God, for they will wisely consider and acknowledge that it is His doing.
10 The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust and take refuge in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory and offer praise.

HALLELUJAH! Remember and never forget that OUR GOD is and always will be GOD ALMIGHTY! What HE says goes! Get ready and stay ready for what He is going to do next! DO YOUR PART! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey in the Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read THIS from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

Settled

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar . . . . — ROMANS 3:3-4

To establish a firm foundation for your faith, I suggest you adopt the following motto which I wrote in red ink in the flyleaf of my Bible many years ago.

The Bible says it.
I believe it.
And that settles it.

Determine to always do these two things: (1) Accept God’s Word for what it says, and (2) Walk in the light of what the Word says. Don’t try
to get around certain things or explain them away. Don’t try to read things into the Word just because you want to believe those things that way. Study the Word — and accept it just as it is written.

For example, the denomination I was reared in didn’t teach faith and healing. I was bedfast sixteen months as a teenager, and five doctors said I had to die. But I turned to the Word of God, and the more I studied, the more I saw that the Word is true. I declared, “I am going to walk in the light of what the Word says, regardless of church teaching, because the Word is God speaking to me today.” When I settled that issue in my mind, sixty percent of the battle was won: I was on the road to divine healing.

Confession: God’s Word is true. I believe God. I walk in the light of what the Word says, because the Word of God is God speaking to me today.

AMEN! THIS is how we receive the promises of God found in His Word! For ourselves, our families, your churches and our jobs! HE really desires that we walk in THE BLESSING! So let's DO IT! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Speaking Out in Faith

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak. 2 Corinthians 4:13

Do you know that as God’s child, you can speak positively into your negative situation and see it change for the better?

Let me show you some scriptures about faith and speaking that will help you. Romans 10:9 tells us that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. Our Lord Jesus also said, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).

Now, reread what the apostle Paul wrote in today’s verse. Do you notice a pattern here? Faith involves believing in your heart as well as speaking with your mouth. You and I, we are made in God’s image. When God first saw darkness, He didn’t say, “Gosh, it’s so dark.” What did God do? He called forth light by speaking. He said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).

In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus spoke to the storm and it subsided. He spoke to the fig tree and it withered. He spoke to the demons and they fled. He spoke to the sick and they were healed. He spoke to the dead and they lived.

Similarly, when we are faced with darkness in any area of our lives today, or trapped in a storm of challenges, let’s not be mired in looking at the problems and despairing. We should also call forth what we want to see! If we find ourselves caught in a dangerous situation, we should declare, “The Lord is my refuge and my fortress.” If there is a sickness in our body, we can call forth our healing by saying, “Thank You, Jesus, by Your stripes I am healed!” Start speaking forth your protection, your health, and your victory today!

AMEN!  SPEAK! Speak God's Word into every situation that you face and SEE His results! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!