Shalom!

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is another very timely and appropriate message!

Do Ye Now Believe?

By this we believe…Jesus answered…, Do ye now believe? — John 16:30-31

“Now we believe.” Jesus says – “Do you? The time is coming when you will leave Me alone.” Many a Christian worker has left Jesus Christ alone and gone into work from a sense of duty, or from a sense of need arising out of his own particular discernment. The reason for this is the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. The soul has got out of intimate contact with God by leaning to its own religious understanding. There is no sin in it, and no punishment attached to it; but when the soul realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and produced for himself perplexities and sorrows and difficulties, it is with shame and contrition he has to come back.

We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus much deeper down, to get into the habit of steadily referring everything back to Him; instead of this we make our commonsense decisions and ask God to bless them. He cannot, it is not in His domain, it is severed from reality. If we do a thing from a sense of duty, we are putting up a standard in competition with Jesus Christ. We become a “superior person,” and say – “Now in this matter I must do this and that.” We have put our sense of duty on the throne instead of the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to walk in the light of conscience or of a sense of duty, but to walk in the light as God is in the light. When we do anything from a sense of duty, we can back it up by argument; when we do anything in obedience to the Lord, there is no argument possible; that is why a saint can be easily ridiculed.

AMEN! When we do what is mentioned above, we turn our Christianity into religion! When we maintain our intimate fellowship with HIM through the Spirit of Almighty God Who lives IN us, THEN we are operating in HIS realm and the Kingdom of God has free reign in our lives! Let's DO that! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE when I read something that causes me to take a REAL look at myself and how I have been thinking and speaking. Is my thinking and speaking in line with the WORD of GOD? Or is my thinking lacking in the TRUTH? Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers causes us to do just that!

The Impoverished Ministry Of Jesus

From whence then hast Thou that living water? — John 4:11

“The well is deep” – and a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! Think of the depths of human nature, of human life, think of the depths of the “wells” in you. Have you been impoverishing the ministry of Jesus so that He can not do anything? Suppose there is a well of fathomless trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes and says – “Let not your heart be troubled”; and you shrug your shoulders and say – “But, Lord, the well is deep; You cannot draw up quietness and comfort out of it.” No, He will bring them down from above. Jesus does not bring anything up from the wells of human nature. We limit the Holy One of Israel by remembering what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past, and by saying – “Of course I cannot expect God to do this thing.” The thing that taxes almightiness is the very thing which we as disciples of Jesus ought to believe He will do. We impoverish His ministry the moment we forget He is Almighty; the impoverishment is in us, not in Him. We will come to Jesus as Comforter or as Sympathizer, but we will not come to Him as Almighty.

The reason some of us are such poor specimens of Christianity is because we have no Almighty Christ. We have Christian attributes and experiences, but there is no abandonment to Jesus Christ. When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying – “Of course He cannot do any thing,” and we struggle down to the deeps and try to get the water for ourselves. Beware of the satisfaction of sinking back and saying – “It can’t be done”; you know it can be done if you look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness is deep, but make the effort and look away to Him.

AMEN! JESUS! He IS ALMIGHTY GOD! He is OUR ALMIGHTY GOD! Our ALMIGHTY SAVIOUR, REDEEMER, DELIVERER, PROVIDER, LORD, GOD AND KING! Let's EXPECT that what He has promised, He is also able (and willing) to perform! Ephesians 3:20:

Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]

HALLELUJAH! THIS is our GOD! Here is Hillsong with that song!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

WISDOM TO WIN

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering … James 1:5-6 AMP)

God always has a way to get you out of trouble and into the victory He has planned for you. This victory comes through the wisdom, knowledge, an understanding you need in your situation.

So how do you tap into this wealth of wisdom? Wisdom is received from God exactly the same way anything else is received from God: by asking in faith.

First, meditate on the promise found in James 1:5 until you know in your spirit that God is going to give you the wisdom you need. Then, simply ask Him for it and believe from that moment that you have received all the answers and understanding you need for the situation. Even if you still feel confused or uncertain, thank God for giving you the wisdom you asked for.

If the answer you need isn’t apparent two seconds after you ask, don’t waiver. Rest in the fact that God has answered your request. As you continue to thank Him and read His Word, the answers you need to get you out of that trouble will certainly come.

Confession: Father, I come to you in faith today, asking for the wisdom I need to obtain victory in my situation. I refuse to waiver as I thank you for the wisdom you have promised to so liberally give to me. I receive it now in Jesus’ name.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word" where Wisdom comes from!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Choice Is Yours

Choose you this day whom ye will serve. Joshua 24:15

Choosing to side with God's Word is a continual challenge. It's not something you do just once. It's a process of choosing to believe and act upon the Word of God over and over in every circumstance.

That's what everyone has to do. Years ago I decided I was going to choose Jesus. Since then I've had to choose Him again and again in situations every day. I've chosen Him as my Lord and Savior. I've chosen Him as my Healer. I've chosen Him as my Financier. I've chosen Him as head of my household. I've chosen Him as head of this ministry. And I still have to choose Him moment by moment.

Sometimes that choice gets tough, but God has promised it will never get too tough. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, He says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able." What the Lord is saying is that He will not allow you to be subjected to a temptation you're unable to overcome. With every temptation, He'll make a way of escape. He'll always make sure you have a choice.

The devil doesn't come tempt you while God is off somewhere else, unaware of what is happening to you. The Spirit of God is constantly there with you, providing you with the way to overcome. In other words, God matches even the toughest temptations with the weapons and power you need to conquer them. He always makes it possible for you to choose life.

So choose to walk in love. Choose to walk by faith. Choose to live by the Word. Jesus is the Way! Choose Him!

AMEN! This is so important for us to know and to do! We will be faced with choices every day of our lives! Making it YOUR determined purpose to ALWAYS choose JESUS! Here are Hillsong Kids with one of my favorites! "My Best Friend":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Delight Of Sacrifice

I will very gladly spend and be spent for you. — 2 Corinthians 12:15

When the Spirit of God has shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, we begin deliberately to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests in other people, and Jesus Christ is interested in every kind of man there is. We have no right in Christian work to be guided by our affinities; this is one of the biggest tests of our relationship to Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, not fling it away, but deliberately lay my life out for Him and His interests in other people, not for a cause. Paul spent himself for one purpose only – that he might win men to Jesus Christ. Paul attracted to Jesus all the time, never to himself. “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” When a man says he must develop a holy life alone with God, he is of no more use to his fellow men: he puts himself on a pedestal, away from the common run of men. Paul became a sacramental personality; wherever he went, Jesus Christ helped Himself to his life. Many of us are after our own ends, and Jesus Christ cannot help Himself to our lives. If we are abandoned to Jesus, we have no ends of our own to serve. Paul said he knew how to be a “door-mat” without resenting it, because the mainspring of his life was devotion to Jesus. We are apt to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which emancipate us spiritually. That was not Paul’s motive: “I could wish my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren” – wild, extravagant – is it? When a man is in love it is not an exaggeration to talk in that way, and Paul is in love with Jesus Christ.

WE are called to be like JESUS and to lay OUR lives down for OUR FRIEND! Our "FRIEND" is JESUS! When we decide to REALLY lay our lives down for JESUS, HE will return and restore that life, better than before! Choose to believe the WORD of the LIVING GOD rather than ANY person's opinion! HE will lead, guide and direct you to the very BEST path for you! You can count on it! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. THIS message is powerful! 

Fear Not

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. — MATTHEW 14:27

God never comes with a message of fear. You can start in the Old Testament and trace all the way down through the New, and you will see that every time God manifested Himself to people, or sent angels or Jesus Himself, they always came with the message, “Be not afraid! Fear not!”

Fear doesn’t come from God. It comes from the devil. And Christians, including preachers and teachers, have no business going around putting fear into people.

We hear so much fear preached: Fear of sickness and disease; fear of what’s going to happen in the world; and fear of the devil. The way some people preach about demons causes people to be afraid. I preach about the devil and demons, too, but I preach that we’ve got authority over them. I preach that we should always remember, in all our encounters with the devil, that He’s a defeated foe.

Fear is not the message of the Church. Faith is the message of the Church. Good cheer is the message of the Church. “Be not afraid” is the message of the Church.

Confession: I am of good cheer. I am not afraid. I fear not. That is the message of God my Father to my heart. It is also His message to others. Therefore, my message to others is: Faith and good cheer. Be not afraid. Fear not!

AMEN!!! Here is Hillsong with "Not Today!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Exodus 15-16 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Exodus 15:1-2:

1Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider or its chariot has He thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Moses began to sing of the triumph of our God over Pharaoh and his armies! Verses 1-20 contain the entire song of praise that Moses gave! Then Miriam took up the praises in verses 20-21:

20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing. 21 And Miriam responded to them, Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously and is highly exalted; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.

And the people were SO excited, and stayed exited and full of faith because their GOD took them through the terrible trial victoriusly! Right? Wrong! Verses 22-24 tells a different story!

22 Then Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea and they went into the Wilderness of Shur; they went three days [thirty-three miles] in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its waters for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah [bitterness]. 24 The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

They murmered against the very one who led them out of Egypt where they were in bondage! God saved them again in verse 25 and then gave them a promise! Then in chapter 16 we see that at the first sign of trouble the people forgot all about the GOD Who had provided for them and promised to do so and beganm to murmer against Moses again! WE can be guilty of the same behaviour if we do not remember to maintain a grateful, thankful heart by recounting our blessings and thanking HIM for every GOOD thing in our lives! Make that YOUR determined purpose and you will never lose faith and hope again! Here are  Hillsong Kids with "As The World Shakes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Behold the Lord

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Inside, you're perfect—born again in the image of Jesus Himself. But outwardly do you find yourself falling frustratingly short of that perfection? Is there a solution? Yes! The secret lies in "the renewing of your mind."

Romans 12:2 tells us that, if you'll renew your mind, you can actually be "transformed." That word transformed is translated from the Greek word from which we get the term metamorphosis. It's used in Scripture in two other places.

One of those places is when Jesus was transfigured on the Mount as He spoke with Moses and Elijah. The other is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18. It says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Changed, transformed, transfigured! Those are powerful, exciting words, and they describe what will happen to you as you spend time beholding the Lord in the Word and in prayer. As you spend time renewing your mind, your outer being will be transformed in much the same way as a caterpillar is changed into a butterfly. Instead of conforming to the image of the world, you'll begin to conform to the image of the reborn spirit within you which is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Take time to get away from the world and study God's Word. Meditate on it and let it change you from the inside out. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind and release the beautiful spiritual butterfly that's living in you!

AMEN! Such good WORD! Spending time in God's Word brings revelation to us so that we can be obedient to Him and reap the rewards of obedience! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this powerful message from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace" devotional:

Unveiling the Value of Jesus

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. John 12:3

Our Lord Jesus loved to frequent Bethany where He could be among His closest friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Bethany was a home away from home for our Lord. There, His friends loved Him, honored Him, and truly valued His presence. On His part, He cherished their company dearly, and always felt comfortable and relaxed with them.

Six days before He gave Himself up to be crucified, He gathered His friends together in Bethany, which was about two miles away from Jerusalem. They had prepared a feast in His honor, but their reunion was overshadowed by the looming Passover, which was less than a week away. His friends understood to some degree what the Lord intended to do, and their hearts were heavy because they cared deeply for Him.

As our Lord Jesus was eating, Mary brought out a jar of spikenard, a very costly fragrant oil. So costly, in fact, that it was worth a whole year’s wages. But it wasn’t the hours she had toiled to earn the oil that Mary thought about as she cradled the jar in her hands.

It was Jesus. It was her Lord.

She had come prepared to worship Jesus and her heart overflowed with a love that could not be expressed in words as she drew near to Him. Gratitude and adoration welled up inside her as she knelt quietly beside Him.

Not sparing a drop of her exquisite tribute, she anointed the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. And the entire house was filled with the opulent fragrance of her worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Upon witnessing this lavish and extravagant gesture, one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot, lashed out indignantly, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5).

The sad reality is this: Judas could tell the value of the oil straightaway, but he couldn’t see the value of our Lord Jesus. He is like so many people today who know the value of real estate, commodities, and publicly traded companies in the stock market, but not the value of our Lord Jesus.

Mary understood the value of our Lord implicitly. Because she esteemed Jesus so greatly, anointing Him with her most valuable possession was simply an outward representation of just how much she loved, valued, and cherished our Lord Jesus inwardly.

What Judas Iscariot saw as waste, Mary saw as worship. To her, the person of our Lord Jesus was priceless.

Have you ever been told that reading the Bible is a waste of time? That serving and being engaged in your local church is a waste of time? That bringing your tithes to your church is a waste of money? My dear reader, there will always be such accusatory voices in the world. Why? Because these voices do not understand the value of our Lord Jesus.

I am so glad that you appreciate the value of our Lord Jesus, which is why you are taking time to read this devotional that is all about the person of Jesus. The grace revolution is all about unveiling the value of Jesus. When you know the value of Jesus, Who He is, what He has done, and what He is still doing in your life today, you will experience a grace revolution in your life.

You will begin to live above every defeat, sin, addiction, fear, doubt, and challenge in your life when you have a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus and keep receiving teaching that is full of the abundance of His grace and the gift of righteousness. Value our Lord Jesus accurately in your life and you will be unstoppable.

I hope that YOU will value JESUS above everyone and everything in your life! When you do, everyone and everything in your life will be more blessed than you ever imagined! Here is Hillsong with "You Are More":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Love Gauge

. . . Love . . . is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. — 1 CORINTHIANS 13:5 (Amplified)

Here is the love thermometer — the love gauge! It’s very easy to find out whether or not you’re walking in love. When you begin to take account of the evil done to you, you’re not walking in love. As long as you walk in God and stay full of the Holy Spirit, you won’t take account of the evil done to you.

Through the years when unjust things have happened to me, people have told me, “I wouldn’t take that. I wouldn’t put up with that — not me!” But I just kept my mouth shut and never said a word, smiled, and stayed happy. Why, I wouldn’t take time to deny it if they claimed I’d killed my grandma! I’d just keep shouting, “Hallelujah! Praise God! Glory to God!”

I suggest you walk in love, too, toward those who treat you in an evil manner. If you walk in love regardless of suffered wrongs, you’ll come out on top in the long run!

However, some people will regard your attitude as a weakness. Even ministers have told me, “There must be a weakness in your character; you never take up for yourself.” No, it’s a strength! Love never fails.

I simply refuse to hold any resentment in my heart against anyone.

Confession: I am a love person. Therefore, I am not touchy, fretful, or resentful. I have no resentment in my heart toward anyone.

Galatians 5:6 tells us our faith works by LOVE! 

For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

Check YOUR love walk daily! You never want to get OUT of love and cause your faith to stop working for you! Always remember that WE love with HIS LOVE! Here is Hillsong with "Love On The Line":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional. What he covers today can be so common to each of us because we are HUMAN! 

The Initiative Against Despair

Rise, let us be going. — Matthew 26:46

The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say – “It is all up now, it is no use trying any more.” If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair, and Jesus Christ comes and says – “Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing.” Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.

There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said – “Arise and do the next thing.” If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.

Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.

AMEN! NEVER wallow in failure and regrets, but get yourself up and move on to what GOD has for you NOW! I LOVE this Scripture that Jerry Savelle has shared many times from Micah 7:8:

8 Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.

Never allow the enemy to hold you back from what GOD has next! Here is Hillsong with an encouraging song for you! Oceans! Remember, our feet MAY fail, but GOD will NOT! HALLELUJAH! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional from Joseph Prince's website is a great one!

Come Under His Wings of Mercy and Grace

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge. Psalm 91:4

It is wonderful when the Lord delivers you from the snare of the fowler. But Psalm 91 tells us that God wants us to step into something even better. Verse 4 goes on to say, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.” There are so many powerful truths hidden in this simple line!

The Old Testament was written predominantly to the Jewish people, who would understand words such as “His wings” and “feathers” as pointing to the ark of the covenant, namely the cherubim on top of the ark.

Of all the furniture pieces in the temple, the ark was the most holy. It was placed in the Holy of Holies and typifies our Lord Jesus Christ. It was made of incorruptible wood and overlaid with gold. The wood represents His incorruptible and sinless humanity, while the gold speaks of His perfect divinity and deity. Our Lord Jesus was one hundred percent man and yet one hundred percent God.

The lid of the ark of the covenant, where you find the cherubim, was hammered out of one solid piece of gold. It is called kapporeth in Hebrew and is usually translated as “mercy seat.” To understand the significance of the mercy seat, we have to understand the contents within the ark of the covenant.

Three items were placed inside the ark of the covenant: the stone tablets on which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments, a golden pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that had budded. The three items typify man’s rebellion—man’s rejection of God’s holy standards, man’s rejection of God’s provision, and man’s rejection of God’s appointed leadership.

God took these symbols of man’s rebellion and failure, placed them in the ark of the covenant, and covered them with His mercy seat. It’s a beautiful picture of His unmerited favor over our lives, of how mercy triumphs over judgment.

This is the secret place where God wants you and me to live each day—not under the claws of judgment, punishment, and condemnation, but under His wings of mercy, grace, and favor. This is the place of intimacy with our Lord Jesus; this is the place of divine protection.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional on The Spoken Word Church website (link on the left) is another great one! 

Acknowledge Your Limitations

Don’t play God. Know your weaknesses. Admit your mistakes to God. Confess your sins, your selfish decisions which displease God. Then forget them. Utilize the strength of others. Humility is accepting things you do not deserve. It is recognizing personal limitations and resting in the power of God to compensate.

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” {Romans 12:3}

We are NOT to think of OURSELVES more highly than we ought to! So how ARE we to see and think of ourselves? We are to agree with GOD and HIS WORD about just who WE are - IN HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is what I want to share with you today!

A Proven Success

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet....for this my son...was lost, and is found. Luke 15:21-22, 24

Prove yourself. In today's world, that's what you constantly feel you have to do, right? On the job, among friends, even at home you're always working to win the approval you need. Working to convince those around you that you deserve the salary, the friendship and even the love they give you.

Is there any escape?

You better believe there is! It's called grace. Unearned and undeserved favor and acceptance. And there's only one place you can find it—in the heart of God Himself.

There's no better picture of God's grace in action than in the story of the prodigal son. Few of us today can really feel the impact of that story like those first Jewish listeners Jesus told it to. You see, by their standards the prodigal son had committed some of the most despicable acts possible. He'd not only taken advantage of his father and spent his inheritance in riotous living, he'd left the nation of Israel and made covenant with a foreigner—a pig farmer! That was as low as you could get.

In their eyes, that boy's rebellion was so serious his father's only recourse was to disown him.

But that's not what this father did! He welcomed his repentant son home with open arms. He offered him grace—unmerited favor—that was based on the father's love rather than the son's performance.

Next time you catch yourself struggling to make up to God for something you've done wrong, working to win His approval, let the story of the prodigal son set you free. Let it remind you that, in spite of your sins, your Father has received you with open arms. He's put a robe of righteousness on your back and His signet ring on your hand. He's put the shoes of sonship on your feet!

Do you feel unworthy of all that? Sure you do. You were unworthy of it. But God hasn't based His relationship with you on your worthiness. He's based it on His love and on Jesus' worthiness. You don't have to struggle to prove yourself to Him. As far as He's concerned, you're a proven success.

I LOVE this! We must KNOW how God REALLY sees us before we can ever have the boldness to DO what the Bible says we are to do! Find out who GOD says you are and then dare to walk, talk and act like it's true! Because it IS! EVERY WORD! Here is Hillsong with "Bright As The Sun":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

In keeping with the theme of Valentine's Day, here is Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today!

Love Atmosphere

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. . . . If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. — 1 JOHN 4:7-8, 12

Husbands and wives need to let the love of God dominate them — and not just natural human love — because natural love is so shallow.

Christians have an advantage over other people. Not only can they love their spouse with natural affection, but they can add to it divine love which never seeks its own, but always seeks the other’s welfare.

In all the years of our marriage, my wife and I have walked in love. I never consider myself or what I want; I consider what Oretha wants. I never want to be self-seeking; I always want to put her first. And Oretha reciprocates. We always try to outdo one another in love. And how blessed it is! Praise God! Our home is like Heaven on earth.

A troubled person who had visited us once said, “When I visit in your home, it’s like heaven. You can feel a presence there the minute you go into the house.”

We create atmospheres in our homes.

Confession: I will walk in divine love toward those I love. I will let the unselfish love of God pour through me to them, creating an atmosphere of love!

AMEN! LOVE is our one commandment under our new and better Covenant with Almighty God! Love HIM first and with everything that is within us, and then love others as HE has loved us! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Real Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 44 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. The first 8 verses are a real encouragement to us with our nation in the place that it has been in for the last few years. It is an encouragement to NOT sit still, but to speak God's Word over this nation, pray for God's plans and purposes to be done and HIS VICTORY to be shown and known by all! 

1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us [what] work You did in their days, in the days of old. 2 You drove out the nations with Your hand and it was Your power that gave [Israel] a home by rooting out the [heathen] peoples, but [Israel] You spread out. 3 For they got not the land [of Canaan] in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance [did it], because You were favorable toward and did delight in them. 4 You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel). 5 Through You shall we push down our enemies; through Your name shall we tread them under who rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in and lean on my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7 But You have saved us from our foes and have put them to shame who hate us. 8 In God we have made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Remind yourself, and God (not that He ever forgets, but so that YOU do not and because THIS is PRAISE!) of all that HE has done. Speak, proclaim and decree what GOD has revealed is HIS WILL for this nation and for all of HIS people! Now praise Him, worship Him, thank Him and adore Him for all that HE is about to do! This will help to keep your faith level high as HE is working behind the scenes to accomplish it all! Now go read Acts 16 and see how Paul and those with him handled persecution as they brought the Word of Life to those who asked him to do so! When WE are willing to give it all for the Gospel of LIFE through JESUS, then we will begin to see outstanding and extraordinary manifestations of HIS presence, His power, His GLORY and His 'I WILL'! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin speaks to us of our most important commandment from JESUS to walk in LOVE!

The Love Law

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another — JOHN 13:34

God’s family is a love family.

And the love law of the family of God is, “. . . That ye love one another; as I have loved you . . . .”

How did God love us? Did He love us because we deserved it? No. God loved us while we were yet unlovely. God loved us while we were yet sinners! (And think about this: If God loved us with so great a love while we were yet sinners and unlovely — when we were His enemies— do you think He loves us any less now that we are His children? No, a thousand times no!)

Love is the only commandment of the love family. If you love another person, you won’t steal from him. If you love someone, you won’t kill him. You won’t covet his house. You won’t tell a lie about him. Therefore, divine love is the fulfilling of the law.

Since love is the law of the family of God, one step out of love is a step into sin. If you’ve made such a step, repent and get back into walking in love. To fellowship with your Father, to walk with God, to walk in God’s realm, you must walk in love — for God is love.

Confession: I love others as Christ loved me. Love is the law I am under. I walk in love. Therefore, I have fellowship with my Father Who is love.

AMEN! Let's commit to walk in love more than ever before this year. Every love seed sown is destined to be multiplied back into our livves in so many powerful ways! Remember 1 Corinthians 13:8!

8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

Here is Hillsong Kids with "We Came To Meet With You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is an extrordinarily good!

Is Your Mind Stayed on God?

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. —Isaiah 26:3

Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant’s life. If you have never used your mind to place yourself before God, begin to do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to Him and be saved (see Isaiah 45:22).

Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with all that happens in nature— the rising and the setting of the sun, the shining of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in service to God.

“We have sinned with our fathers…[and]…did not remember…” (Psalm 106:6-7). Then prod your memory and wake up immediately. Don’t say to yourself, “But God is not talking to me right now.” He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

AMEN! We ALWAYS have a part to play in receiving God's very best, here, in THIS life! The promises of God in His Word are powerful and meant for US to stand on! Make YOUR stand on the Word of God today and refuse to ever back down! GOD HIMSELF is waiting for YOU to declare, decree and proclaim all that HE has promised so that HE can fulfill them! Here is Booke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock" :

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

RESIST OPPRESSION

You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, so you will not be afraid. You will be far from destruction, so it won’t come near you. (Isaiah 54:14 GW)

Don’t ever allow yourself to fall for the devil’s trap of yielding to discouragement. Once he has you trapped, his plan is to then take you to a place of feeling hopeless and oppressed.

The moment you recognize a spirit of heaviness coming upon you, take immediate action against it. The Bible says God has given “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV). What can you praise God for? Regardless of how you may feel, you can praise Him for who He is:

He is the God of love

He is the faithful and merciful God

He is the God who delivers

He is the God who never fails

He is the God who will never forsake you

Thank God for everything you can think of. For the specific times He’s come through for you in the past; for sending His Son, Jesus, to die for you; for His favor and blessing on your life.

Praise and thanksgiving will change your perspective of your circumstances; they will change how you feel. Praise and thanksgiving will move your focus from the seeming impossibility of your problem to the overwhelming sufficiency of your God.

As you praise and thank God for who He is, oppression will flee as courage, strength, and hope rise up within you.

Confession: I refuse to yield to a spirit of heaviness, discouragement, or oppression. I choose instead to thank You, Lord, for who You are and all You’ve done for me. You are more than enough, Your are faithful, and You are at all times good to me.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin! This is on of my favorites!

Keeping His Word

. . . I am watching over my word to perform it. — JEREMIAH 1:12 (NASV)

You may be certain that if you accept God’s Word and act on it, He is watching over that Word to make it good in your life. All you need to do is to act on the Word. It is very important that you learn this simple little lesson. Acting on the Word is not struggling. It is not crying. It is not praying. It is simply acting on what God has spoken, and that brings results.

Several years ago, after I had spent hours struggling and praying about finances and healing for my family, I lay exhausted on the altar of a church. Once I was finally quiet, the Lord could speak to me.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“I came out here to pray through,” I said.

“What do you mean by ‘pray through’?”

“I guess I was going to pray until I had some kind of feeling or a witness that these needs are met. I’m 365 miles from home. I thought I would know somehow when my children were healed and our financial needs were met.”

“Isn’t My Word sufficient for you? You are not acting like My Word is so,” the Lord said. “In fact, you’re acting as if it were not so. You’re acting as though you think if you pray long enough and loud enough, you might eventually talk Me into the notion of not being a liar and of keeping My word.”

Confession: I believe God. And I act like I believe Him!

AMEN! The question that YOU need to ask YOURSELF is "Do I believe God?". Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you from Jospeh Prince's "Daily Grace" devotional from his website! 

Come As You Are to Jesus

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. Psalm 30:11

My friend, you are favored and accepted by God today because of His unmerited favor. Even if your life is a mess, He can take your mess and make it into something beautiful. Come to Him just as you are.

Years ago, one of my church members suddenly stopped coming to church for a long time. I met up with him to find out how he was doing and to see if everything was alright. He was very honest with me and told me that he was going through a lot of problems in his marriage and that he was now addicted to alcohol. Then, he said this: "Let me get my life right, then I will come back to church.”

I smiled and asked him, “Do you clean yourself before you take a bath?” I could tell from his expression that he was taken aback by my question, so I told him, “Come as you are to the Lord. He is the bath. He will cleanse you. He will get your life in order for you and He will cause every addiction to lose its hold on you. You don’t have to use your own efforts to clean yourself before you take a bath!”

I am glad to share that this precious brother soon returned to church and Jesus turned his life around. Today, he is happily married, blessed with a beautiful family, and is one of my trusted, key leaders. That is what the Lord does when you come to Him as you are and allow Him to love you into wholeness. He will make all things beautiful in your life.

There are many people today who are like this brother. They want to get their lives together by themselves before they come to Jesus. They are under the impression that they need to make themselves holy before they can step into God’s holy presence. They feel like they are being hypocrites if they don't sort out their lives first before coming to church.

Nothing could be further from the truth. You will never be able to make yourself holy enough to qualify for God’s blessings. You are made holy, righteous, and clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, and it is His righteous standing that qualifies you—nothing more and nothing less.

So stop trying to clean yourself before you go to the Lord. Come to Jesus with all your mess, all your addictions, all your weaknesses, and all your failures. God loves you just as you are.

However, He also loves you too much to let you stay the same. My friend, when you come to Jesus, He becomes your “bath.” He will wash you clean, whiter than snow! Jump into the bath today and allow Jesus to make you perfect, righteous, and holy in God’s eyes!

HALLELUJAH! It is GOD'S job to do the work in us when we give our lives to Him! Refuse to allow the enemy to keep you away from all that God has for you! Here are Hillsong Kids with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Andrew Womack's daily devotional!

God's Idea Of Greatness

Luke 3:20, '....he shut up John in prison.'

John spent 30 years preparing for a six month ministry, followed by one and a half years in prison before he was beheaded. Many people would not consider his life very successful, yet Jesus said John was the greatest man who was ever born (Matthew 11:11).

John's greatness didn't lie in his own success, but in the success of another. John stirred up the hearts of an entire nation in expectancy of their Messiah. The ministry of Jesus owed much of its success to the work of John. John had prepared a people to meet their God (Malachi 3:1).

In our celebrity conscious society, few people want to be the backup singer or the announcer who introduces the main speaker. We have adopted a mentality that unless we are in the limelight we have failed. That's not the way the Lord looks at things.

When the Lord passes out rewards in heaven, we may be shocked to see how He evaluates greatness. Many people who did not receive recognition while on earth will shine like the stars in eternity. The Lord will judge our works on what sort they were and not what size they were (I Corinthians 3:13).

AMEN! We are each called to run the race that HE has set before us! We will ONLY be rewarded for what we did in this life in obedience and with the right attitude and motive! Let's make every day count towards building God's Kingdom here on earth while HE takes care of preparing our eternity with Him! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Keneth E. Hagin is another powerful lesson and encouragement to DO what is pleasing to our Father!

Strengthened

. . . The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? — PSALM 27:1

. . . Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. — ROMANS 9:33

The language of faith says, “I can do all things in Christ. The Lord strengthens me. I cannot be conquered. I cannot be defeated. If a natural force comes against me, it can’t defeat me, because there aren’t enough natural forces in all the world that could conquer the Christ who dwells within me!

“Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world. I am fortified from within. I’ve learned how to put Christ to work for me and in me. I have, dwelling in me, the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead! I have God’s wisdom, strength, and ability in me. I’m learning how to let that wisdom govern my intellect. I’m letting God speak through my lips. I’m daring to think God’s thoughts after Him.

“He is the strength of my life, whom shall I fear? God has made me greater than my enemies. God has enabled me to put my heel on the neck of weakness, fear, and inability. I stand and declare that whosoever believeth in Him shall not be put to shame. Therefore, I cannot be put to shame.”

AMEN! Meditate on these promises and FAITH will rise higher than ever before in your heart! Let's BELIEVE JESUS  means what His Word says! Now let's EXPECT His will to be carried out in our lives! For HIS honor and glory! Here is Hillsong with "What The Lord Has Done In Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2 by Rick Renner is excellent!

What Does Patience Look Like?

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. — Hebrews 10:36

People often throw in the towel and quit when they don’t see results as quickly as they want. I am amazed at how short-lived some people’s faith really is. If their prayers for healing aren’t answered immediately, they allow their flesh to convince them, for example, that it is God’s will for them to be sick. Or if they sow their finances and believe for a financial harvest but don’t see that harvest in a matter of months, they are tempted to think that everything they have been taught concerning prosperity must be a lie. The problem is that these Christians want quick “microwave answers” to problems that probably took some time to develop. They need to give their faith time to work!

Most people quit before their faith has time to fully work. These folks need a good dose of patience to go along with their faith! You see, faith and patience are partners. You need both to receive the promises of God. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

The word “patience” comes from the word hupomene, which is a compound of the words hupo and meno. The word hupo at the beginning means under, and meno means to stay or to remain. When you put these two words together, the Greek word means endurance or to stay under. It is the picture of a person who is under a heavy load but has resolved that to stay put in that one spot, regardless of how hard or heavy that load gets.

This person is thoroughly committed to maintaining his position. He will stay in that spot as long as it’s necessary for him to achieve victory. He is intent on standing by his commitment, regardless of the cost he must pay. Nothing can sway or move him to change his mind. He is not going to relinquish his territory! I call this “bulldog faith.” It is a faith that manifests as a tough, resistant, persistent, obstinate, stubborn, tenacious spirit that refuses to let go of what it wants or believes.

If you haven’t done well in the past at standing firm in your faith against the pressure of the enemy, don’t feel condemned. Just receive this as an encouragement from the Lord to get back up and go for it again! To experience a breakthrough regarding a difficult situation or trap that you’ve struggled with for too long, you must take a bold stance of faith and then stand still.

Yes, it may take time for your answer to manifest. Just because your request is in accordance with God’s will, the answer doesn’t always quickly come to pass without a hitch. There’s a devil out there that doesn’t want you to experience God’s will for your life. You also have your own flesh to deal with, and flesh loves comfort — it does not like a challenge. Your faith may need to grow. God wants you to come to a higher level in the process of receiving the answer to your prayer. You need to renew your mind so you can “…ask in faith, nothing wavering…” (James 1:6).

Faith has focused desire. It knows what it wants. It doesn’t vacillate. It never moves. Faith stands still in one spot. So make your bold confession of faith: “God, this is what I want. This is Your revealed will for my life, and I’m not moving until I receive the fulfillment of it!” You must have this type of patience if you intend to beat the devil at his game and successfully do what God has called you to do. Endurance is absolutely essential if you intend to stay in the fight until your enemies are under your feet and you emerge victorious.

Believe me, friend, when this kind of patience is working in your life, it’s not a matter of if you’ll win — it’s just a matter of when you will win. So keep your arms of faith wrapped around that promise, dig in your heels, and refuse to be moved!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Seasons":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

God Loves You Perfectly

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5:8–9

God is a God of forgiveness. He knows you perfectly and still loves you perfectly. We are slaves to the idea that if someone sees our flaws, they won’t love us anymore. Well, while that may be true in human relationships, God is not like that.

God sees all our imperfections, failings, and flaws on Jesus at the cross. Our sins and ugliness do not turn Him off. In fact, to Him they are occasions to demonstrate His grace and forgiveness through the blood of His Son, who has removed all our sins efficaciously at Calvary.

So don’t be embarrassed about your flaws, mistakes, and imperfections. God knows your weaknesses better than you do, and He loves you just the same. His Word reminds us that Jesus is not someone “who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.” Instead, Jesus was tempted in all points, yet He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

He understands every temptation and every trial that you are going through. He is not disappointed with you, and He is not waiting for you to live up to a set of dos and don’ts before He forgives and loves you. The Bible says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8–9).

Did you get that? When did God love you?

That’s right, when you were still a sinner. Before you even knew Him, when you were still in sin, He already loved you. How much more today, when you have been cleansed by Jesus’ blood and made righteous! Having received Jesus’ righteousness, you are righteous forever. Even when you fall into sin, your sins don’t make you a sinner again.

When you fall short today, you are still the righteousness of God. This is because your righteousness comes from Jesus. In the same way that a beautiful butterfly cannot morph back into a caterpillar, once you have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus, you cannot morph back into a sinner. Knowing your righteous identity in Him then gives you the power to overcome every sin, every addiction, and every bad habit!

HALLELUJAH! NEVER doubt God's LOVE for YOU! He proved it by sending JESUS! Now grab ahold of just who YOU are - IN JESUS! Now learn to walk in that with all boldness and confidence! Your Father God is waiting on YOU to do so! Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share our partner Rick Renner's devotional from Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2.

What Is Godly Sorrow and What Is It's Purpose

For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not be to repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.  2 Corinthians 7:10

When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, he addressed many problems that existed in the congregation at Corinth, including strife, ambition, and drunkenness. However, the most notorious problem was an act of immorality by a brother in the church who was committing fornication with his father’s wife (see 1 Corinthians 5:1).

Paul was so stunned by this blatant act of immorality that he told the Corinthians that this kind of immorality didn’t even exist among unbelievers — an amazing statement considering he was writing to the church located in Corinth, a city that was known worldwide as a citadel of some of the most vile sexual perversions in human history. In this city, the goddess Aphrodite was worshiped, and moral decadence was widespread. Yet inside the Corinthian congregation was a type of fornication so revolting that it couldn’t even be found on the sex-laden streets of Corinth!

When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, he rebuked them for various acts of carnality that were raging in their midst. In fact, out of all Paul’s epistles, his first letter to the Corinthians was the harshest, sternest, and most severe. The Corinthian church also had many wonderful attributes, including a great number of spiritual gifts that were in manifestation. Paul himself had started this church, and from its inception, God’s grace had been poured out on these believers in a powerful way. Paul loved this congregation, and he didn’t want to see his work in Corinth jeopardized. Therefore, he adamantly urged these believers to take immediate action against these spiritually poisonous activities before the whole church was contaminated.

It is clear in reading Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians that this congregation took Paul’s orders very seriously. They must have been embarrassed and saddened by the fact that Paul had to rebuke them, because the apostle told them, “…I made you sorry with a letter…” (2 Corinthians 7:8).

The word “sorry” is from the Greek word lupeo, which describes pain or grief. Apparently Paul’s first letter caused the Corinthian congregation to feel deeply pained and grieved. Paul knew this had been their response so he went on to tell them, “…I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry.…” Twice in Second Corinthians 7:8, Paul acknowledged that they had been embarrassed and pained by the previous letter he sent them.

However, Paul continued in Second Corinthians 7:9 by saying, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner….” When Paul said, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry…,” the word “sorry” is again from lupeo. Therefore, an interpretative translation of the first part of this verse could read, “I don’t rejoice because I caused you to feel pain and grief….”

Paul went on to say that he was glad they “…sorrowed to repentance….” The word “sorrowed” is once again from the same Greek word lupeo, denoting pain or grief. The word “repentance,” however, is metanoeo, the word for “repentance” that refers to a complete, radical, total change. It is a decision to completely change or to entirely turn around in the way that one is thinking, believing, or living. By using this word metanoeo, Paul revealed that the Corinthians didn’t just listen to his earlier message — they heeded it completely and made the decision to change. In fact, they had obeyed him so entirely that they had experienced a total transformation, making them unrecognizable from the sinful condition for which Paul rebuked them in a previous epistle. Thus, the entire phrase in Second Corinthians 7:9 could be interpreted, “I don’t rejoice that I caused you to feel pain and grief, but I do rejoice that my letter made you want to change….”

Paul went on to elaborate: “…For ye were made sorry after a godly manner….” This phrase “godly manner” in Greek is kata theon. In the context of this verse, it could be translated “your pain was in response to God’s dealing with you.” The Holy Spirit had used Paul’s eariler epistle to prick their hearts, and Paul was quick to acknowledge this. Although the sorrow the Corinthian believers felt may have been initiated by his letter, the truth was that their hearts felt pained because God’s Spirit was dealing with them about the sinful activities going on in their midst. Thus, the verse could be rendered, “I don’t rejoice that I caused you to feel pain and grief, but I rejoice that my letter made you want to change. Your pain was your response to God’s dealing with you….”

Paul continued in Second Corinthians 7:10 by saying, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” When Paul wrote about “godly sorrow” in this verse, the Greek actually reads he gar kata theon lupe, which could be translated: “…the pain you feel in response to God dealing with you….” The word “worketh” is from the Greek word ergadzomai, meaning to work or to produce, and as we saw earlier, the word “repentance” comes from the word metanoeo. Finally, the word “salvation” is a translation of the Greek word soterion, which can mean salvation in the eternal sense, but in this context refers to deliverance from their past carnality.

When all these words are taken together as one complete phrase, the first part of Second Corinthians 7:10 could be interpreted:

“The pain you feel in response to God dealing with you has produced a real change and deliverance….”

The Corinthian believers were prompt to respond to God’s dealings with them. In fact, they acted so swiftly and seriously to obey Paul’s instruction that in his next letter to them, the apostle declared, “For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (v. 11).

Not wanting to grieve the Holy Spirit any longer, the believers in Corinth had moved with indignation and fear to purge themselves of sin and carnality. This was proof that genuine repentance had occurred in their lives, for as we have seen, true repentance produces an indisputable transformation of one’s behavior. The change in the Corinthian church was evidence enough for Paul to say they were now completely “clear” in the matters where they had previously been wrong! They had been completely exonerated!

Have you ever felt sorrow because of a sin you committed that grieved the heart of God? Did you allow that sorrow to do its full work in you and produce a desire to change within your heart? Or did you merely brush it off and thereby resist God’s dealings with you?

If we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and listen to His voice, we will hear Him speak to us when we do something that grieves the heart of God. In that moment, we have a choice: We can harden our hearts and turn a deaf ear to God’s Spirit, or we can allow the Holy Spirit to deal deeply with us and produce a desire in us to never transgress in that particular way again. God is willing to work in us and with us, but we must have hearts that want to positively respond to His dealings, as the Corinthians exhibited so well.

If God’s Spirit has been trying to deal with you, can you honestly say that you’ve allowed a godly sorrow to have its full effect in you, thereby producing a strong desire to change and to never fail in the same way again? Regardless of what you have done, God offers you forgiveness, and He will give you the strength needed to enact powerful, permanent change in your life if your heart is truly repentant. It’s up to you!

AMEN! Make sure that you are obeying 1 John 1:9 and acknowledging sin when it happens, and so receiving that "cleansing from all unrighteousness" that is promised to those who do! Here is Hillsong with "Surrounds Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotionall by Kenneth E. Hagin has always been one of my favorites! 

Casting

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. — 1 PETER 5:7

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. — 1 PETER 5:7 (Amplified)

Some people seem to take comfort in thinking, God knows and He understands, while they continue to hold on to their cares. And they never get free from them.

It’s not enough to know that God understands and cares. If you want to be free from your cares, you must do what God said to do about them: You must cast all of your cares, all of your concerns, all of your anxieties, and all of your worries upon the Lord, because He cares for you.

This isn’t something you do every day. It’s a once-and-for-all proposition that enables you to get rid of your cares — it puts them over into God’s hands.

I’ve done that. God has my cares. He’s figured it all out, and He’s working it all out. And I’m shouting while He’s doing it! God is doing the work, and I’m shouting.

HALLELUJAH! Make this a "once-and-for-all" decision, BUT, IF you find yourself taking those cares back, then CAST THEM AGAIN! And again and again and again until you truly believe and realize that HE has them! THEN you will be and stay truly free! Here is Hillsong with "Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

One of the most freeing verses in the New Testament is 1 John 1:9! 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. KJV

We know as born again believers that JESUS paid the price for our sin by becoming sin with our sin on the cross. Some believers say that we don't even have to confess our sin anymore, but the verse above is in the Epistles, the letters of instruction for the  churches! What trips these believers up is that they do not understand what the word "confess" means! It is the Greek word "homologeo" which means to assent, to acknowledge, to admit. It also means to declare, assent, covenant when referring to our declarations of faith in the Word of God and the promises of God. In the Scripture above it simply means to recognize the sin (our selfish decision to do things our own way instead of God's way) and to RECEIVE His forgiveness that is already ours! When we do this, acknowledge and receive, the enemy can no longer hold it over you to intimidate you! What JESUS already dealt with does not have to be dealt with again, except to BELIEVE and RECEIVE! Now when we look at Psalm 32 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, we see what David was doing, and WE have an even better Covenant, based on better promises, than David had! Our sin is no longer covered, but obliterated! HALLELUJAH!!! 

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.

5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]—then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Make sure that you are recognizing when you miss it, acknowledging it, receiving the forgiveness that is continually available to you and FORGIVING youself and FORGETTING it! Move on in joy and peace KNOWING what JESUS has already done for you! HALLELUJAH! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!