Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E, Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This devotional is one of the best that I have ever read and I find myself going over it so many times! 

Prayer Fruit

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. — JOHN 15:7-8

“If ye abide in me . . . .” If we are born again, we do abide in Christ. If Jesus had said that and that alone, we would have had it made, but He continued, “. . . AND my words abide in you . . . .”

Jesus’ words abide in us in the measure that they govern our lives — in the measure that we act upon them.

If Jesus’ words abide in us, we are bound to have faith, because the Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). It would be impossible for Jesus’ words to abide in someone and that person not have faith!

Unbelief and doubt are a result of ignorance of the Word of God. If we live the Word, then when we come to pray, that Word dwells in us so richly that it becomes Jesus’ Word on our lips. It will be as the Father’s words were on the lips of Jesus.

Confession: I abide in Christ. And His words abide in me. I hide His words in my heart. I believe them. I pray them. When I come to prayer, the Word that dwells in my heart becomes God’s Word on my lips, and it cannot return to God void. It will accomplish what it promises!

AMEN! Pay attention especially to the confession here! "I" abide in Christ! "I" hide His Word in my heart! "I" believe the Word! "I" pray the Word! "I" Speak HIS WORD out of MY MOUTH and HE sees to it that it comes to pass! HALLELUJAH! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom

Today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read Psalm 119:1-88. Tomorrow we will read the final 88 verses of this powerful Psalm! The entire Psalm is all about the WORD of GOD! See if YOU can find that as you read it! Here in verses 1-6 we begin to see the emphasis!

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God’s revealed will). 2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart. 3 Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. 4 You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently. 5 Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]! 6 Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.

Make the Word of God YOUR priority and you will see and understand the ways of the LORD more than ever before! You will be able to become a more consistent DOER of the WORD, gettting HIS results! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 118 in our Spoken Word Bible ReadingPlan for today and one thing stands out over everything else! The first 4 verses say this:

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
2 Let Israel now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
3 Let the house of Aaron [the priesthood] now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
4 Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

Do you get the picture here? The MERCY and LOVING-KINDNESS of the LORD our GOD ENDURES FOREVER!!! That means that it is never ending! And just in case, by the end of reading this Psalm, we forget that, verse 29 reminds us:

29 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

HALLELUJAH! WE can count on HIM! ALWAYS! Here is Hillsong with "From The Inside Out":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you the shortest chapter in the Bible! We re reading Psalm 117 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and it is only two verses! 

1 O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people! 2 For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Now THIS is an excellent opportunity for each of us to take an accounting of our praise, thanksgiving and worship of and to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! EVERY GOOD thing in our lives comes by and through HIM! EVERY BAD thing does NOT come from HIM, BUT He ALWAYS provides for us a WAY out of these circumstance so that WE can conintue, with great expectation, our lifestyle of praise, thanksgiving and worship! LET'S GO! And here is Hillsong with that very song! "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Daily Grace Inspiration" devotional from Joseph Prince's website is SO powerful! 

Pursued by God

But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar...Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:4–7

I encourage you to read the remarkable story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. Considered a woman with a shady past, she was gossiped about in her village and probably shunned for being a home wrecker, a “stealer of husbands.”

Now, hers is not a fictional story. She was a real person, just like you and me. Her problems and pain, like many of ours, were real and hounded her every day . . . until she encountered a very real Savior!

Despite the custom of the Jews of that day to avoid any contact with the Samaritans, whom they perceived as spiritually inferior, John records that as Jesus was traveling from Judea to Galilee, “He had to go through Samaria” (John 4:4 NLT).

Pause with me and think about these words for a moment: Had to. Needed to. Must. Words that speak not just of necessity but underscore a steady resolve and even urgency! Jesus had deliberately scheduled a divine appointment with the woman at the well, though she knew nothing about it.

We know from the account that this ostracized, lonely woman had a life-transforming conversation with Jesus at the well. But make no mistake—it wasn’t she who sought out Jesus to talk to Him. It was the Savior who pursued the one whom others shunned.

Do you know that He is still doing that today? Do you have a past that you are ashamed of? Are you struggling to overcome something that you know is destroying you? Do you feel all alone and that no one understands the pain you are going through?

I want you to know that Jesus hasn’t changed. As He was for the Samaritan woman, the loving Savior is still your very present help in your time of need (Psalm 46:1).

He knows the suffering, shame, and struggles you are going through right now. And even if what you are going through is a consequence of bad life choices and mistakes of your own doing, He doesn’t abandon and forsake you. No—a thousand times, no!

He goes out of the way to have a personal appointment with you, to restore and rescue you. The fact that you are reading this right now is a confirmation that Jesus is reaching out to you with His love, grace, and forgiveness.

Talk to Him as the woman did. Taste and touch His grace and compassion for you as she did. And like her, discover Jesus’ forgiveness, freedom, and strength to walk into a bright new future.

HALLELUJAH! Remember that once you are born again, receiving JESUS as your LORD and SAVIOUR, there is NOTHING in all of this world that can EVER separate YOU from HIS LOVE! Romans 8:35-39:

35 Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? 36 Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, 39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a powerful reminder of OUR responsibility concerning the Word of God and answered prayer! 

Limiting God

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. . . . . — PSALM 78:41

Can you limit God? The Bible says Israel did. And we have limited Him.
We have limited God with our prayer life.

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, said, “It seems God is limited by
our prayer life. He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks
Him to do it.”

Why is that?

God made the world and the fullness thereof. Then God made man and
gave him dominion over all the works of His hands. Adam was made
the god of this world. However, Adam committed high treason and sold
out to Satan. Then Satan became the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).

God didn’t just move in and destroy Satan. If He had, Satan could have
accused God of doing the same thing he had done. But God devised a
plan of salvation. And He sent His Son, whom Satan could not and did
not touch, to consummate that plan. Through Jesus, God redeemed
mankind!

Now authority has been restored to us through Jesus Christ — and
when we ask God, then He can and will move. That is why it seems He
can do nothing unless someone asks Him to do it.

Confession: I take my place in prayer. I join forces with my Father in carrying out His will upon the earth!

AMEN! Let's be "about our Father's business" and be a BLESSING to HIM! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 114 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE this! 

Psalm 114

1 When Israel came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became [God’s] sanctuary (the Holy Place of His habitation), and Israel His dominion.
3 The [Red] Sea looked and fled; the Jordan [River] was turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.
5 What ails you, O [Red] Sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
6 You mountains, that you skip like rams, and you little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

THIS is a reminder of many of the wonderous things that our GREAT GOD has done FOR HIS PEOPLE! NOW, this is all of us who have received JESUS as LORD and SAVIOUR! He has done SO many wonderous things for US, too! Don't neglect to celebrate every single blessing that HE has given TO us and accomplished FOR us! THAT will keep you in an "Attitude of Gratitude" which keeps you READY for whatever GOD is going to do NEXT! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website because it is such an important lesson!

Avoid Victim Mentality

Any wounded animal attracts attack. Weakness is an invitation to bullies. So, don’t talk nor think like a victim of your circumstances.

You are more than a conqueror. Act like it. Talk like it. Think like the champion you are. The love of God is keeping you today.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:35-37)

Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here, in Psalm 112, from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, is what God's Word has to say about those who fear the Lord!

1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. 2 His [spiritual] offspring shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Prosperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 Light arises in the darkness for the upright, gracious, compassionate, and just [who are in right standing with God]. 5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. 6 He will not be moved forever; the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord. 8 His heart is established and steady, he will not be afraid while he waits to see his desire established upon his adversaries. 9 He has distributed freely [he has given to the poor and needy]; his righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) endures forever; his horn shall be exalted in honor. 10 The wicked man will see it and be grieved and angered, he will gnash his teeth and disappear [in despair]; the desire of the wicked shall perish and come to nothing.

BLESSED, HAPPY, FORTUNATE and TO BE ENVIED is the person whi chooses the Fear of the LORD over the fear of man or any other thing! BLESSED! BEYOND MEASURE! That's US! IF we choose this! I DO! How about YOU? Here is Hillsong with "All This Future":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

I really like today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers! Here it is:

Now Don’t Hurt The Lord!

Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? — John 14:9

Our Lord must be repeatedly astounded at us — astounded at how un-simple we are. It is opinions of our own which make us stupid; when we are simple we are never stupid, we discern all the time. Philip expected the revelation of a tremendous mystery, but not in the One Whom he knew. The mystery of God is not in what is going to be, it is now; we look for it presently, in some cataclysmic event. We have no reluctance in obeying Jesus, but it is probable that we are hurting Him by the questions we ask. “Lord, shew us the Father.” His answer comes straight back — “There He is, always here or nowhere.” We look for God to manifest Himself to His children: God only manifests Himself in His children. Other people see the manifestation, the child of God does not. We want to be conscious of God; we cannot be conscious of our consciousness and remain sane. If we are asking God to give us experiences, or if conscious experience is in the road, we hurt the Lord. The very questions we ask hurt Jesus because they are not the questions of a child.

“Let not your heart be troubled” — then am I hurting Jesus by allowing my heart to be troubled? If I believe the character of Jesus, am I living up to my belief? Am I allowing anything to perturb my heart, any morbid questions to come in? I have to get to the implicit relationship that takes everything as it comes from Him. God never guides presently, but always now. Realize that the Lord is here now, and the emancipation is immediate.

AMEN! Our GOD is a NOW GOD! He is ALWAYS present with us as HE lives IN us, by His Spirit! We are, of all people, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong with "Every Breath":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a great yet simple explanation of the Armor of God that is available to every born again believer!

The Armor

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. — EPHESIANS 6:13

The message of the armor tells us how to take our place and maintain it against the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18).

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth . . . .” The girdle of truth is a clear understanding of God’s Word. It holds the rest of the armor in place like a soldier’s belt.

“. . . And having on the breastplate of righteousness.” The breastplate has two meanings: (1) Jesus is our righteousness, so we put Him on; (2) The breastplate represents our active obedience to the Word of God.

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” This is faithful ministry in proclaiming the Word of God.

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” This is complete safety by faith in the blood. No power of the enemy can penetrate the blood!

“And take the helmet of salvation . . . .” This is the covering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“. . . The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” All other parts of the armor are for protection (defense); this one is to be used offensively against the enemy.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . .” You’ve got on the armor. Now you’re ready for the prayer fight.

Confession: (Confess yourself in the armor. Say, “I stand therefore, having my loins girt about with truth . . . ,” and so forth.)

AMEN! Here are Hillsong with "On The March":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is a very vital warning to us to not become to complacent in our walk with God!

Is It Not In The Least Likely?

For Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. — 1 Kings 2:28

Joab stood the big test, he remained absolutely loyal and true to David and did not turn after the fascinating and ambitious Absalom, but yet towards the end of his life he turned after the craven Adonijah. Always remain alert to the fact that where one man has gone back is exactly where any one may go back (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). You have gone through the big crisis, now be alert over the least things; take into calculation the “retired sphere of the leasts.”

We are apt to say — “It is not in the least likely that having been through the supreme crisis, I shall turn now to the things of the world.” Do not forecast where the temptation will come; it is the least likely thing that is the peril. In the aftermath of a great spiritual transaction the “retired sphere of the leasts” begins to tell; it is not dominant, but remember it is there, and if you are not warned, it will trip you up. You have remained true to God under great and intense trials, now beware of the undercurrent. Do not be morbidly introspective, looking forward with dread, but keep alert; keep your memory bright before God. Unguarded strength is double weakness, because that is where the “retired sphere of the leasts” saps. The Bible characters fell on their strong points, never on their weak ones.

“Kept by the power of God” — that is the only safety.

Remember that it is the little foxes that spoil the vines (Song of Solomon 2:15)! We are always on the alert during a big crisis, but it is very often the little nuisances that can very easily turn into something very serious because they get us off our guard! Here are Hillsong Kids  with a song that will help you keep perspective! "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 108 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to share verses 1-5 with you here!

A song. A Psalm of David.
1 O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast, in the confidence of faith); I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with my glory [all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image]! 2 Awake, harp and lyre; I myself will wake very early—I will waken the dawn! 3 I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; and I will sing praises unto You among the nations. 4 For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great and high as the heavens! Your truth and faithfulness reach to the skies! 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth.

I encourage you to step up your praise life! Remember that HE inhabits the praises of HIS people {Psalm 22:3}. I also encourage you to try being a doer of verse 2 and awaken the dawn! Now I know that many of you are not able to do this all of the time, but we can all do so at least once in awhile! You will find that doing things like this will cause your intimate fellowship with HIM to become a deeper and more profound! Remember that YOU are the high priest of your own temple and have the right and privilege of being in HIS presence whenever you choose! HALLELUJAH! We are, of all people, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong with another of my favorite songs called "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

We read Psalm 107 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I LOVE the message of this Psalm and the examples given to us! Look first at Verses 1-3:

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary, 3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the [Red] Sea in the south.

Notice that it is THE LORD Who ALWAYS delivered HIS people WHEN they called on HIM! Now notice what happened to these people even AFTER God had delivered them - time and time again! They wandered from Him, they rebelled against Him, some sat in darkness, others acted foolishly. But when they came to their senses they did this:

6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.

How did the Lord respond? He led them out of darkness! He sent His Word and healed them! He led them in the right way! He supplied their needs! He ALWAYS found ways to BLESS them - WHEN they repented (changed their thinking to agree with HIM) and called on HIM again! And HE is the same GOD now as He has ALWAYS been! Our cry?

8 Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

There is ALWAYS peace, love, joy, wisdom and comfort in the presence of the LORD! Meditate on this Psalm often this week and allow Holy Spirit to point out areas in your life where you may have neglected the Word of God and REPENT! Then call on the Name of the Lord for yourself and then PRAISE HIM for His GOODNESS, His LOVINGKINDNESS, and His WONDERFUL WORKS in YOUR life! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Power of God’s Word

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow. Hebrews 4:12

The Bible declares that the Word of God is the opposite of death—it is living and powerful. No wonder our Lord Jesus, when explaining the parable of the sower, tells us that when the sower sows the Word, “Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15).

Did you notice that the enemy comes immediately? Jesus was referring to the seeds that “fell by the wayside,” but the principle I want you to see is that the enemy wants to steal the Word from our hearts because he does not want you to “believe and be saved” (Luke 8:5, 12).

The devil knows that if you receive the Word and believe it, you will be saved. This is why he will do all he can to stop the Word of God from taking root in your heart. He knows that if it stays long enough, it will be your victory and his defeat!

The word used for saved in the original Greek is the word sozo, which means “to save one from injury or peril; to save a suffering one from perishing, for example, one suffering from disease; to make well, heal, restore to health.”

The enemy knows how potent the Word of God is. Do you?

No matter what channel you use to spend time in His Word, make sure you are well watered with the Word. As you keep yourself drenched and watered with the Word of God, I believe you will unconsciously and effortlessly get stronger and stronger, healthier and healthier.

While the healing you are believing for may not be immediate, believe that it is on its way. If you have been waiting for a while for your healing and you are feeling discouraged, let this promise from God strengthen you:

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” —Isaiah 55:10–11

God’s Word of healing is so powerful that it will not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish His purpose. Maybe you have partaken of the Communion, and you have prayed, but nothing seems to be happening. You may even feel like you are just going through the motions because discouragement has set in. What do you do?

Keep on watering the seed of the Word of God with the rain of His Word. Don’t give up. The harvest is coming! 

AMEN! Refuse to allow the world or the enemy to keep you from partaking of ALL that Jesus provided for you by His sacrifice! All of Heaven is waiting for you to WIN! Let's GO! Here is Hillsong with that song! "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here are some simple instructions for every one of us to keep in mind from Psalm 105:1-4:

1 O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples! 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them. 3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity]. 4 Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.

Make these things a high priority in your life and you will come to know and understand the mind of the LORD your God and you will be more sensitive to Holy Spirit than ever before! Now listen, hear and obey the Word of God and you will walk in great blessings of abundance! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Here are Hillsong Kids with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing again today from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. Today's is again so very powerful for us to know and to wlak in!

Stripped

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of themopenly, triumphing over them in it. — COLOSSIANS 2:15

And the hostile princes and rulers He shook off from Himself, and boldly displayed them as His conquests . . . . — COLOSSIANS 2:15 (Weymouth)

The Bible teaches us here that Jesus put Satan to naught and He triumphed over him. Another translation reads, “He stripped him.” What did He strip Satan of? His authority over man.

When Jesus put Satan to naught and stripped him of his authority, it was you in Christ who did the work. Christ acted in your stead — in your place. He did it for you.

What Christ did was marked to your credit. He did it as your substitute. (He did it in your place, and God marked it to your credit as though you were the one who did it!)

No, we’re not bragging about what you are in the flesh. (You don’t amount to much in the flesh.) We’re talking about who you are in Christ.

You can say, “In Christ, I conquered Satan. I stripped him of his authority. And when Jesus arose from the dead, I arose with Him!”

Confession: Christ Jesus satisfied the claims of Justice against me. He paid the penalty of sin for me. He stripped the hosts of darkness of their authority over me. Satan, therefore, has no dominion over me!

AMEN! NO DOMINION! He has NO say in your life! Speak the Word of God over every are of your life and your family! THIS is what JESUS died to give us! Let's walk in it! Here is Hillsong with "You Are Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share againfrom Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional because it speaks so clearly and simply of what JESUS did for us!

Firstborn From The Dead

Who [his dear Son] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. — COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

Although He is coequal with the Father, the eternal Son of God accepted a subordinate place and undertook the task of reconciling the world to God through the blood of His Cross.

For this purpose, Jesus yielded Himself to death (Matthew 27:50). When Jesus was made to be sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), He was turned over by God to spiritual death, which is separation from God. This occurred when that heartbreaking cry fell from Jesus’ lips, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” Jesus’ spirit was delivered up for our offenses, that He might be raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). It was the wisdom of the Father that yielded Jesus, the Righteous One, to death, that our debt might be paid, and Jesus might become THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD!

Confession: Thank You, Jesus, for dying for my sins. Thank You, Jesus, that You paid my debt so that I might be free!

HALLELUJAH! Every year that we spend in the Word of God and in fellowship with Holy Spirit brings us more and more knowledge and understanding of how very much JESUS accomplished for US and what that means in our lives! I hope that you will dig in even deeper now and find out who you REALLY are - IN HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Jesus, What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is EXCELLENT!!!

Moral Dominion

Death hath no more dominion over Him…in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. — Romans 6:9-11

Co-Eternal Life. Eternal life was the life which Jesus Christ exhibited on the human plane, and it is the same life, not a copy of it, which is manifested in our mortal flesh when we are born of God. Eternal life is not a gift from God, eternal life is the gift of God. The energy and the power which was manifested in Jesus will be manifested in us by the sheer sovereign grace of God when once we have made the moral decision about sin.

Ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost — not power as a gift from the Holy Ghost; the power is the Holy Ghost, not something which He imparts. The life that was in Jesus is made ours by means of His Cross when once we make the decision to be identified with Him. If it is difficult to get right with God, it is because we will not decide definitely about sin. Immediately we do decide, the full life of God comes in. Jesus came to give us endless supplies of life: “that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Eternal Life has nothing to do with Time, it is the life which Jesus lived when He was down here. The only source of Life is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The weakest saint can experience the power of the Deity of the Son of God if once he is willing to “let go.” Any strand of our own energy will blur the life of Jesus. We have to keep letting go, and slowly and surely the great full life of God will invade us in every part, and men will take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus.

AMEN! My favorite satement here is this: Eternal life is not a gift from God, eternal life is the gift of God. This is a perfect way to say it! HE has given of Himself so that each and every one who believes on JESUS can have the same SPIRIT Who raised JESUS from the dead living inside of us! POWERFUL! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" by Joesph Prince! 

Don’t Confuse Faith with Emotions

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Some years ago, the wife of one of my key leaders was diagnosed with a cyst in her womb that the doctors said had to be removed by surgery. She was told they might even have to remove her whole womb. Of course, this couple was very affected by the news. I met with them to pray with them and to partake of the holy Communion.

Honestly, I didn’t feel any faith when I prayed for them. In fact, I felt quite helpless. But I heard the Lord telling me to rest. I heard Him telling me not to even try to use faith and to simply rest in His faith. So I simply said, “Growth, I curse you to your roots in Jesus’ name. Be plucked out by your roots and be thrown into the sea.” At the same time, I also prayed the Lord would cause her youth to be renewed like the eagle’s.

A few days later, she had a final scan before her surgery. And guess what? Her gynecologist said the whole growth had simply disappeared and that it was a miracle! But the Lord didn’t stop there. Her monthly period had actually stopped for some time, but soon after I prayed for her, it returned. The Lord had renewed her womb and her youth. Hallelujah!

I felt no faith when I prayed for her, but her healing was not dependent on what I felt about my faith. Don’t look at your own faith and think, I don’t have enough faith for the breakthrough I need. Faith is nothing more than looking to Jesus.

There were only two individuals in the Gospels whom Jesus described as having “great faith”: the centurion who believed Jesus only had to speak a word and his servant at home would be healed (Matthew 8:5–13) and the Syro-Phoenician woman to whom Jesus said, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:21–28).

And neither of them was conscious of their own faith.

Do you want to know what they were conscious of? They were conscious of Jesus. They saw Him as the One who was faithful and powerful. They had a great estimation of His grace and goodness. And as they saw Him in His grace, He saw them in their faith!

Don’t worry about whether or not you have enough faith. Just look to Jesus. Spend time in His presence. Watch or listen to sermons that are full of Jesus. When you touch Jesus, you touch faith because He is the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:2). The Bible declares He is faithful, and He will not allow you to go through more than what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He will carry you through!

AMEN! Our GOD desires for each of us to receive all that HE paid for! Dare to BELIEVE that everything promised in God's Word belongs to you NOW! Dare to RECEIVE everything that belongs to YOU because YOU belong to JESUS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Moral Divinity

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. — Romans 6:5

Co-Resurrection. The proof that I have been through crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a decided likeness to Him. The incoming of the Spirit of Jesus into me readjusts my personal life to God. The resurrection of Jesus has given Him authority to impart the life of God to me, and my experimental life must be constructed on the basis of His life. I can have the resurrection life of Jesus now, and it will show itself in holiness.

The idea all through the apostle Paul’s writings is that after the moral decision to be identified with Jesus in His death has been made, the resurrection life of Jesus invades every bit of my human nature. It takes omnipotence to live the life of the Son of God in mortal flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot be located as a Guest in a house, He invades everything. When once I decide that my “old man” (i.e., the heredity of sin) should be identified with the death of Jesus, then the Holy Spirit invades me. He takes charge of everything, my part is to walk in the light and to obey all that He reveals. When I have made the moral decision about sin, it is easy to reckon actually that I am dead unto sin, because I find the life of Jesus there all the time. Just as there is only one stamp of humanity, so there is only one stamp of holiness, the holiness of Jesus, and it is His holiness that is gifted to me. God puts the holiness of His Son into me, and I belong to a new order spiritually.

We must stop TRYING to "be like JESUS" and simply spend time in HIS presence! This intimate fellowship with JESUS is what gives HIM place to change us, from one degree of glory to another, making US more 'Christlike'! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

Today I want to share another of my very favorites from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

Flee From You

. . . Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. — JAMES 4:7

Every passage in the New Testament that deals with the devil always instructs you and me to do something about the devil. New Testament believers are never told to pray that God would do something about the devil!

In James 4:7 “you” is the understood subject of the sentence. “You resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Notice it’s not, “Pray to God for Him to do something about the devil.” Nor is it, “Pray that Jesus won’t let the devil get you.”

Also notice that the Bible doesn’t say, “When you feel like it, you can resist the devil, and it will work for you.” No. Whether you feel like it or not, the authority still belongs to you. You can’t feel authority; you just exercise it!

I once sensed in my spirit that there was special significance about the word “flee” in James 4:7. In a huge dictionary I found the definition that seemed to fit what my spirit called for: “To flee: to run from as in terror.”

Act on James 4:7. Don’t just consider it as a fairy tale, but as the Word of God, which is to be acted upon. If you’ll act on it, the devil and all his cohorts will run from you as in terror!

Confession: I resist the devil according to God’s Word. The devil runs from me as in terror. He’s scared to death of Jesus Christ — so he’s scared to death of me!

AMEN! KEEP him running in TERROR away from you by standing strong on the WORD of GOD, by the anointing of the SPIRIT of GOD! THAT is "all the power you need"! Here is HIllsong with an older song called "All The Power You Need"! Except we noe know that WE have all the power we need because WE have HIM! JESUS, with all of His POWER, lives IN US by HIS SPIRIT! HALLELUJAH!!!

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

I loved reading Psalm 98 from our Spoken Word Bible ReadingPlan today!

1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him. 2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations. 3 He has [earnestly] remembered His mercy and loving-kindness, His truth and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have witnessed the salvation of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes, sing praises! 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world, and those who dwell in it! 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy. 9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge [and rule] the earth; with righteousness will He judge [and rule] the world, and the peoples with equity.

HALLELUJAH! NEVER forget that OUR GOD REIGNS!!! He reigns now from Heaven THROUGH His people! He WILL REIGN when He returns to earth WITH His BRIDE after the Tribulation! In ALL things OUR GOD REIGNS and WE must EXPECT His rule and reign to manifest through OUR prayer, praise, and obedience to HIS WORD! Allow HIM to operate THROUGH YOU to show Himself  to a world that is seeking and searching, even if they refuse to admit it! Let's keep ourselves prepared to be used as HIS vessels of FIRE and GLORY! Here is Hillsong with "Lord Send Revival":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share our devotional from The Spoken Word Church website!

Analyze Adversity. There are four ways to respond to a crisis. Maximize it. Minimize it. Advertise it. Analyze it. Maximizing is to exaggerate the crisis. Minimizing is to understate the crisis. Advertising is to tell the whole world about it. Analyzing is extracting useful information from it. Crisis is merely concentrated information. Adversity is simply your enemies’ reaction to your progress. Taking the time to analyze it will benefit you.

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also has set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.” {Ecclesiastes 7:14}

I hope that you will look clearly at every area of your life through the filter of the Word of God and by the direction and instruction of Holy Spirit! THEY will NEVER lead you wrong! Here are Hillsong Kids with "You Know Me":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Collision Of God And Sin

Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree. — 1 Peter 2:24

The Cross of Jesus is the revelation of God’s judgment on sin. Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was a superb triumph in which the foundations of hell were shaken. There is nothing more certain in Time or Eternity than what Jesus Christ did on the Cross: He switched the whole of the human race back into a right relationship with God. He made Redemption the basis of human life, that is, He made a way for every son of man to get into communion with God.

The Cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The whole meaning of the Incarnation is the Cross. Beware of separating God manifest in the flesh from the Son becoming sin. The Incarnation was for the purpose of Redemption. God became incarnate for the purpose of putting away sin; not for the purpose of Self-realization. The Cross is the centre of Time and of Eternity, the answer to the enigmas of both.

The Cross is not the cross of a man but the Cross of God, and the Cross of God can never be realized in human experience. The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God, the gateway whereby any individual of the human race can enter into union with God. When we get to the Cross, we do not go through it; we abide in the life to which the Cross is the gateway.

The centre of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The Cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened — but the crash is on the heart of God.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with yet another powerful song of God's protection, provision and safety! "Oceans -Where feet may fail"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This lesson is on exercising our God-given authority! 

Edge Of Authority

. . . And they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. — MARK 4:38-39

A tornado arose one spring day in Texas. Most people had gone into their storm cellars. We didn’t have one. I was bedfast and almost totally paralyzed anyway. I became fearful. If the tornado were to strike, it would strike my corner room first, because the wind was coming from that direction. The house would cave in right where I was!

In desperation, and without thinking whether or not I could do it, I said, “Dear Lord, I’m Your child. When those disciples were about to sink, they awakened You and said, ‘Carest thou not that we perish?’ And You did care. You awoke and rebuked the wind. I know You don’t want me to perish, but I can’t get out of here. I’m here on this bed, and this wall is about to blow in on top of me. So I now rebuke this storm in Jesus’ Name!”

As fast as you’d snap your fingers, the storm stopped. It grew calm. I rejoiced. I didn’t know then the great truths about the believer’s authority. I had gotten to the edge of it and had exercised it without really knowing what I had done. But God wants us to get the revelation of the truth of His Word so we can understand what belongs to us and use it in our lives.

Confession: I will get the revelation of the truth of God’s Word and understand and use what belongs to me.

AMEN! THIS is how our Lord Jesus intends for us to operate! In HIS authority, by HIS Word and in HIS Name! When we do this, HE has something to work with! Mark 16:20 says this: 

And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Out of town today! Sharing another of my favorite songs again with you! Brooke Ligertwood with “ A Thousand Hallelujahs”: 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

I am traveling for a couple of days so will be sharing a favorite nugget for the day and one of my favorite songs with you each day this week! Here is a vital TRUTH for you! 

When we have learned the process of faith for receiving healing, we have learned how to receive everything else God promises us in His Word. - F. F. Bosworth

THIS is TRUTH! Let’s learn to LOVE IT! Here is Hillsong with “Secret Place”:

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Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

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

Under Our Feet

"And set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 1:20-23).

The Church is the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the Body of Christ.

Now for a question: Where are the feet? Are they in the head, or are they in the body? They're in the body, of course.

Look again at today's text. It describes positionally where we are seated.

God has put all things under Christ's feet. Christ's feet are in His Body. Therefore, all things have been put under our feet!

What are the "all things" Paul is talking about? Principalities, powers, might, and dominion. In other words, all the power of the enemy is under our feet!

Someone has said that if we have anything to say to Satan, we should write it on the bottoms of our shoes!

Confession: I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. I am a member in particular of the Body of Christ. All the power of the enemy is under my feet!

AMEN! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED to belong to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty GOD of the BIBLE! Here is Hillsong with "":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

God So Loved Us

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” Psalm 91:14

What qualifies you for God’s protection?

I ask this question because I have heard many ministers whose teachings make it seem like you have to qualify for God’s blessings. They make it sound like God blesses you only if you are able to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

This also applies in the area of your protection. When they read, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him”, they conclude that God’s protection is dependent on us fulfilling the condition of loving the Lord perfectly.

Unfortunately, such teaching robs you of the faith to believe God for divine protection over yourself and your loved ones. Anything that is dependent on our efforts is on a shaky foundation, because no matter how “good” a Christian we think we are, our love for the Lord will fail.

That is precisely why God sent His Son. He knew that man would never be able to fulfill all His commandments. In sending His Son, He was saying to us, “I know you can’t, so let Me love you with all My heart, all My mind, and all My strength.”

Therein lies the beautiful love story we call the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God SO loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to save and ransom us. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled all the requirements of the law. Today, even when our love for Him wavers, even when we fail, He still delivers us from evil!

One Scripture that beautifully encapsulates the crux of the new covenant of grace is 1 John 4:10: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [the atoning sacrifice] for our sins.”

I pray that your heart will be anchored on this revelation. The emphasis of the new covenant is God’s love for you, not your love for God.

Am I saying that your love for God is unimportant? Of course not. What I am saying is that our love for Him will always waver, but His love never fails.

The Bible declares that “the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases” (Lamentations 3:22 ESV). I am so grateful that we are under the new covenant of God’s amazing grace, where we can depend on His unconditional, unchanging, and irrevocable love for us!

THIS is such a vital TRUTH that we MUST know and understand and truly believe in order to walk in the fullness of all that JESUS has provided for us! THEN we will truly BE the LIGHT in our world to others who need HIM! Here are Hillsong Kids with "I Give You My Hallelujah!":

Shalom in Him!