Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is for YOU!

Spirit Walk

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. — ROMANS 8:1

Conscience is the voice of the human spirit.

Reason is the voice of the soul, or the mind.

Feeling is the voice of the body.

The Holy Spirit does not bear witness with our reasoning. The Holy Spirit does not bear witness with our feelings. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits.

I’m very careful about using the word “feeling.” When we sense the Presence of God in a service, people often say, “I felt it.” But we really don’t feel it physically so much as we sense it spiritually. So I am careful to differentiate between the two, because people slip into the feeling realm so easily. Then, when they feel good, they say, “Glory to God! Hallelujah! I’m saved! I’m filled with the Spirit! Everything is fine!” But when they feel bad, they get a long face and they say, “I’ve lost it all. I don’t feel like I did, so I must be backslidden.”

If we go by feelings, we’ll get into trouble. That’s why so many Christians are up and down, in and out. (I call them yo-yo Christians.) They don’t walk by their spirits. They don’t walk in faith. They go by their feelings.

Confession: I walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. I don’t follow feelings. I don’t follow reason. I follow the voice of my spirit, my conscience!

Because JESUS gave his own life for US, we can be assured that WE mean more to HIM than anything! Bask in that TRUTH and then get out and "Tell The World" with Hillsong!

Shalom in HIm!

Shalom,

Psalm 29 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today is all about JESUS! 

A Psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Give to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness or in holy array.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon many (great) waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits and flashes forth forked lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the hinds bring forth their young, and His voice strips bare the forests, while in His temple everyone is saying, Glory!
10 The Lord sat as King over the deluge; the Lord [still] sits as King [and] forever!
11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Our God IS GOD and there IS no other! Here is Hillsong  with "Deeper Waters":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Step Into the Light

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

As long as you live by the Word of God, you never have to be in the dark again. You never have to remain in confusion about which path to take. You never have to grope blindly along, struggling to find your own way.

Isn't that great? Isn't it exciting to know that the Word of God will give you all the light you need every day of your life if you'll allow it to?

Build your faith in that Word and renew your commitment to it as you make this confession today:

"Father, in the Name of Jesus, I commit myself to walk in Your Word. I recognize that Your Word is integrity itself—steadfast, sure, eternal—and I trust my life to its provisions.

"You have sent forth Your Word forth into my heart. I let it dwell in me richly in all wisdom. It does not depart out of my mouth; I meditate in it day and night so that I may diligently act on it. Your Word is an incorruptible seed, abiding in my spirit, and it's growing mightily in me now, producing Your nature, Your life.

"I thank You, Father, that Your Word is my counsel, my shield, my buckler, my powerful weapon in battle. It is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It makes my way straight before me, and I never stumble or fall for my steps are ordered by Your Word.

"I recognize the strategies and deceits of Satan and I put a stop to them by speaking Your Word out of my mouth in faith.

"I am confident, Father, that You are at work in me both to will and to do Your good pleasure. I exalt Your Word. I hold it in high esteem and give it first place in my life. I boldly and confidently say that my heart is fixed and established on the solid foundation—the living Word of God. Amen!"

AMEN! Trust HIM! Trust HIS WORD! NO ONE lives YOU more and HE will NEVER love you less! Here is Hillsong with "Come ALive":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 27 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE this one, too! Verse 1 says:

1 The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

When we have JESUS as our Lord and Saviour and Holy Spirit living IN us, we have NOTHING to fear! HE is ever ready to be our HELPER for anything we need! Then we see this in verses 4-8:

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. 6 And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].

When THIS is our attitude and our expectation, HE will not refuse! Time spent in HIS presence is the very best of times! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers has a very important lesson for KNOWING! 

The Way To Know

If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.… — John 7:17

The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do. Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey.

No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test over it. We disobey and then wonder why we don’t go on spiritually. “If when you come to the altar,” said Jesus, “there you remember your brother hath ought against you…don’t say another word to Me, but first go and put that thing right.” The teaching of Jesus hits us where we live. We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one second. He educates us down to the scruple. The Spirit of God unearths the spirit of self-vindication; He makes us sensitive to things we never thought of before.

When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don’t shirk it. If you do, you will become a religious humbug. Watch the things you shrug your shoulders over, and you will know why you do not go on spiritually. First go — at the risk of being thought fanatical you must obey what God tells you.

Here is Hillsong with "So Will I":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 25 is what we are reading today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. It is one of my favorites! I especially like the beginning! Verses 1-5:

[A Psalm] of David.
1 Unto You, O Lord, do I bring my life.
2 O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me.
3 Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.

The key to having the prayer in the first three verses answered is found in verses 4-5!

4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.
5 Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

If YOU will begin every study of the Word of God with the prayer found in these two verses, the Spirit of Almighty God WILL make the Word of God come alive to you and show you exactly how to walk it out in faith and confidence! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Show Me Your Ways":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Always on Guard

… Abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication…. — Acts 15:20

We must never forget that the devil is always on the prowl, waiting for us to drop our guard and fall asleep on the job so he can stealthily find an entrance into our lives. In our moments of lethargy and complacency, we are especially vulnerable. The enemy is constantly poised to exploit any perceivable weakness, and when he makes his move, it is often with devastating consequences. Therefore, we must perpetually remain on guard — diligent, wide-awake, and doing our part to protect ourselves from the evil lurking in the shadows.

Specifically, this means we must be vigilant about not exposing ourselves to environments that have spiritually negative consequences. An integral part of being vigilant is to stay away from places, events, and people that are detrimental to our spiritual lives.

For instance, this means:

Staying away from immoral films that stir carnal passions and arouse temptation.

Avoiding people who freely drink alcohol, since the situation could open a door for the enemy to lure you into a new bondage or one from which you’ve already been delivered.

Separating from “loose” Christians who have a lower standard of holiness and lack passion for God and the things of God.

The Bible makes it clear that it is our duty to avoid anything that is opposed to a life of holiness. By doing so, we fulfill our part in protecting ourselves from the evil in the world. This is our responsibility, and God expects us to fulfill it seriously.

Much like today, the early Church was literally surrounded on all sides by things that could easily lure new believers back into a life of sin. Pagan temples were one of the most prominent temptations in New Testament times, since these cult sanctuaries were central to life in the Roman Empire. Essentially functioning as “cultural centers,” temple grounds hosted numerous community events, including festivals, ceremonies, and even open marketplaces. However, these temples were also dark cesspools of demonic activity, idolatry, and fornication, which made it imperative for early believers to stay as far away from them as possible.

In Acts 15, we read that the early Church leadership convened in Jerusalem to discuss what to expect of new converts who abandoned paganism and came to Christ. After much deliberation, the council arrived at a decision, which Peter summarized in Acts 15:19-20: “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.”

Peter announced new converts should “…abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication….” The word “abstain” in this verse is the Greek word apecho, which means to deliberately withdraw from; to stay away from; to put distance between oneself and something else; or to intentionally refrain. The word “pollutions” is a translation of the Greek word alisgema, which depicts something that is defiled. Part of the activities of idolatry included “fornication.” This is from the Greek word porneia, the Greek word that was used to describe any sexual activity outside the context of God-ordained marriage.

The rites of idolatry were often connected to immoral sexual acts, which God condemned. These rituals were lewd, indecent, obscene, vulgar, degenerate, and profane. Therefore, it was essential for new believers to distance themselves from the environments where these things occurred because it had the power to infect, sicken, and nullify them spiritually. This is exactly where the devil wanted them to be, knowing that if he could get believers into that old environment again, he could possibly drag them back into bondage, dilute their spiritual power, and negatively affect their witness.

You see, most believers had been saved out of that immoral pagan lifestyle, and to return to a blatantly pagan environment for a social event was flirting with temptation. Roaming about a pagan temple with all its spiritually poisonous activities could ultimately bring ruin into their lives. To be in that environment certainly was not being diligent to protect themselves against the evil that is in the world. Early believers needed to stay away from these dark environments at all costs — even if all their friends and neighbors went there. It just wasn’t the place for Christians to be if they intended to remain spiritually free.

The spiritual leadership in Jerusalem made the decision, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we all need to be careful about the places, events, and people we allow in our lives. Those who belong to Christ do not need to deliberately expose themselves to films that cause temptation, hang out in bars where there is a strong temptation to drink, or spend time with “loose” friends who have adopted a worldly view that Christ opposes.

Is today’s Sparkling Gem a wake-up call for you to be more vigilant about where you go, what you do, and whom you spend time with? If nothing else, let the Holy Spirit speak to you about walking in greater spiritual freedom and holiness.

My friend, there are places, events, and people that are spiritually detrimental to your future. Rather than put yourself in jeopardy by allowing these things in your life, it is safer to put distance between them and yourself.

Since the devil is on the prowl, it is essential always to remain on guard — diligent, wide-awake, and doing our part to protect ourselves from the evil that is in the world. This means putting distance between ourselves and any individual, activity, or atmosphere that could contribute to our spiritual demise.

So I ask you today — are you sensibly putting space between yourself and detrimental places, events, and people that aren’t healthy for you? That was God’s requirement 2,000 years ago — and it is still what the Holy Spirit requires of you today!

AMEN! Here are Hillsong Kids with "This Is Living Now":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 23 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I like the footnote that accompanies it from my Study Bible program! 

A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Here is the footnote!

Psalm 23:5 It is difficult for those living in a temperate climate to appreciate, but it was customary in hot climates to anoint the body with oil to protect it from excessive perspiration. When mixed with perfume, the oil imparted a delightfully refreshing and invigorating sensation. Athletes anointed their bodies as a matter of course before running a race. As the body, therefore, anointed with oil was refreshed, invigorated, and better fitted for action, so the Lord would anoint His “sheep” with the Holy Spirit, Whom oil symbolizes, to fit them to engage more freely in His service and run in the way He directs—in heavenly fellowship with Him.

Let's remember THIS as we continue to run the 'race' that HE has set before US! Hebrews 12:1-2:

 1Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, 2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Run":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambrers is another powerful TRUTH about US!

Sanctification

Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us…sanctification. — 1 Corinthians 1:30

The Life Side.

The mystery of sanctification is that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly when by faith I enter into the realisation that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification. Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly.

The one marvellous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you.” It is His wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification, and imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God’s grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His word?

Sanctification means the impartation of the Holy qualities of Jesus Christ. It is His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity, His godliness, that is manifested in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him, and He manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. Imitation is on a different line. In Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and the mystery of sanctification is that all the perfections of Jesus are at my disposal, and slowly and surely I begin to live a life of ineffable order and sanity and holiness "Kept by the power of God."

AMEN! Never forget to remember that YOU are who GOD ALMIGHTY says you are! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is one I have read many times and it is still so powerful!

Learn To Listen

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come . . . he will shew you things to come. — JOHN 16:13

A minister friend of mine had three serious automobile accidents in less than ten years. People were killed in these accidents. His wife was almost killed, and the minister himself was seriously injured. Both he and his wife were healed by the hand of God. When he heard me teaching along these lines of listening to your spirit, the inward witness, he said, “Brother Hagin, every one of those accidents could have been avoided if I had listened to that inward intuition.”

Yet people will argue, “I just don’t know why those accidents happened to a good Christian. He’s a preacher.”

Well, he had to learn to listen to his spirit just like you had to learn to listen to yours.

People want to blame God and say that God did these things. But as this preacher told me, “If I had listened to the inward intuition I had that something was about to happen, I would have waited and prayed. Instead, I said, ‘I’m busy. I don’t have time to pray.’”

Many times, if we had waited on God when we had that inward witness, God would have shown us things, and we could have avoided problems. But let’s not moan and groan about our past failures. Let’s take advantage of our present opportunities, and make sure that we follow our inward witness in the future. Let’s learn to develop our spirit — and learn to listen to it, and then obey it.

Confession: I am becoming spirit-conscious. I am developing my spirit. And I am listening to it!

AMEN! Holy Spirit is more willing to lead, guide and direct us in every area of life than we are to seek and listen! Let's make it our determined purpose to ALWAYS check with Holy Spirit in every situation! Here is Hillsong with "Let The Peace Of God Reign":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Gateway To The Kingdom

Blessed are the poor in spirit. — Matthew 5:3

Beware of placing Our Lord as a Teacher first. If Jesus Christ is a Teacher only, then all He can do is to tantalise me by erecting a standard I cannot attain. What is the use of presenting me with an ideal I cannot possibly come near? I am happier without knowing it. What is the good of telling me to be what I never can be — to be pure in heart, to do more than my duty, to be perfectly devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair. But when I am born again of the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come to teach only: He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives are based on that disposition.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man — the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out Our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the paupers in spirit,” that is the first principle in the Kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility — “I cannot begin to do it.” Then Jesus says — “Blessed are you.” That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus Christ works.

AMEN! We ARE totally made new, in the image of Almighty God, the moment that we receive JESUS as LORD and personal SAVIOUR! THIS is SUPERNATURAL!!! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 19 is what we are reading today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verses 7-11 are powerful TRUTHS! 

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes. 9 The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward.

The exhortation? KNOW the WORD of GOD! SPEAK the WORD of GOD! DO the WORD of GOD! TRUST the WORD of GOD! Our declaration is found in verse 14:

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.

Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Inside Signals

Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? — JOB 38:36

God led us to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma, by an inward witness in the late 1960s. Our home had been in Garland, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, for seventeen years. And we had no plans to move. In fact, since our ministry was growing, I had it all planned just how we would turn our entire house into an office (we were operating the ministry out of our den and garage), and even how we could build additional facilities on our property, if necessary.

Then we went to Tulsa on business. A friend, in whose home we were staying, said to me, “Brother Hagin, you need to move to Tulsa. And I’ve got just the place for you! Brother T. L. Osborn’s old office building is for sale, and they’ve asked me to sell it. Come on, I want to show it to you.” (Several people had tried to buy it, but the deals always fell through, so the building was still empty.)

I wasn’t much interested, to tell the truth. But I thought, Just out of respect for my friend, I’ll go.

The minute I walked into that building, it was just like someone had rung a bell or set off a buzzer on the inside of me. Sometimes the inward witness is like that. A buzzer went off in my spirit — right down in my belly. It’s difficult to describe, but you just know it was inside, in your spirit. This was God confirming that He wanted this building for my ministry.

Confession: The Holy Spirit dwells in my spirit. Wisdom is in my inward parts. Understanding is in my heart. And I listen to my heart.

Holy Spirit deeply desires to lead, guide and direct YOU in all the affairs of life! So allow Him to do so! Spend time in His presence, expecting Him to do so! Then go and obey! Your life will be so BLESSED when you do! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presnece":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 17 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and these verses are especially appropriate for US, living in THIS time! Verses 1-8:

1 Hear the right (my righteous cause), O Lord; listen to my shrill, piercing cry! Give ear to my prayer, that comes from unfeigned and guileless lips. 2 Let my sentence of vindication come from You! May Your eyes behold the things that are just and upright. 3 You have proved my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and find nothing [no evil purpose in me]; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent (the paths of the destroyer). 5 My steps have held closely to Your paths [to the tracks of the One Who has gone on before]; my feet have not slipped. 6 I have called upon You, O God, for You will hear me; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech. 7 Show Your marvelous loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up against them. 8 Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings

When we pray God's Word back to Him, HE confirms that Word with signs, wonders and miracles!!! Mark 16:20:

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

SPEAK the WORD and watch the AUTHOR of that WORD caue it to come to pass! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

No Safer Place in the Universe

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. John 20:11–12

Do you know what Mary saw as she looked into the tomb? She saw the substance of the ark of the covenant.

Just as we saw that there were two cherubim or angels on the mercy seat, there were two angels sitting where Jesus had lain—one at the head and the other at the feet. It was an empty tomb that our Savior was laid in after He had paid the full price for our sins with His own blood.

Today, this tomb remains empty because all our sins are forgiven and our Lord is risen! Our hope, confidence, and assurance of salvation are found in the nail-pierced hands of our resurrected Savior.

The mercy seat is a picture of the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). That is where we want to be—at the throne of grace, under the protective covering of His feathers and His wings.

I want to encourage you with this praise report from Veronica, who lives in New York City.

A few nights ago my husband, Casey, and I were stuck in a traffic jam for five hours. So we put on a sermon by Pastor Joseph Prince titled The Secret Place Where You Find Protection and Long Life.

Later, we found out that a fatal accident had taken place just five seconds ahead of us before we got stuck. Five seconds. The Lord had protected us from the accident!

Today, Casey was again protected miraculously. It appeared that a driver had had a heart attack while driving and passed out. It led to a chain collision and all the cars in front of and behind Casey got hit. And the drivers were taken to the hospital.

Despite all this, Casey’s car was completely untouched. Everything happened so quickly that he had no time to react.

It was the Lord who protected him once again because that very morning, Casey was reading a devotional by Pastor Prince that drew Bible references from Psalm 91. . . . “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.”

Truly, there is no safer place in the universe than under the protective shelter of our Savior’s wings. What blessed assurance we can have today, knowing that even if destruction rages around us, there is always refuge and comfort in the Lord, our unfailing peace, protection, and supply.

I completely agree with Veronica that there is no safer place in the universe than under His wings, and I rejoice that the Lord’s protection over her and Casey is for us as well!

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

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

I have been on vacation for a few days and back posting today! I encourage you to take trips, even little ones! Get out of town and see places you've never seen and meet people you've never met! Here is today's "Faith Food" devotional from Kenneth E. Hagin!

Abundant Provision

. . . Let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. — PSALM 35:27

Here’s something else the Lord said to me during the vision I had in February 1959. It was not just for my benefit, but for yours too.

He said, “If you will learn to follow that inward witness in all areas of your life, I will make you rich. I will guide you in all the affairs of life— financial as well as spiritual. I’m not opposed to my children being rich. I am opposed to their being covetous.” (Some people think the Lord is interested only in their spiritual life — nothing else — but He’s interested in everything we’re interested in.)

The Lord has done for me exactly what He said He would do — He has made me rich. Am I a millionaire? No. That’s not what the word “rich” means. “Rich” means a full supply. It means an abundant provision. I’ve got more than a full supply. I’ve got more than an abundant provision. It’s because I learned to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit — and this guidance came to me by the inward witness.

God will make you rich, too, if you’ll learn to listen to the inward witness! Jesus said to me in that vision, “Now you go teach My people how to be led by My Spirit.”

Confession: The Spirit of God is leading me in all the affairs of life. He is leading me in spiritual matters. He is leading me in financial matters. And I am listening to the inward witness.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong again with "Desert Song" because "My God is the God who provides":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another great gauge for our personal lives - IN JESUS! 

The Spiritual Saint

That I may know Him. — Philippians 3:10

The initiative of the saint is not towards self-realisation, but towards knowing Jesus Christ. The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard, or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ. There is a reckless abandonment about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we shall realize Jesus Christ in every domain of life, and He will bring us back to the same point again and again until we do. Self-realisation leads to the enthronement of work; whereas the saint enthrones Jesus Christ in his work. Whether it be eating or drinking or washing disciples’ feet, whatever it is, we have to take the initiative of realizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our actual life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realised His relationship to the Father even in the most menial work. “Jesus knowing…that He was come from God, and went to God;…took a towel,…and began to wash the disciples’ feet.”

The aim of the spiritual saint is “that I may know Him.” Do I know Him where I am to-day? If not, I am failing Him. I am here not to realise myself, but to know Jesus. In Christian work the initiative is too often the realisation that something has to be done and I must do it. That is never the attitude of the spiritual saint, his aim is to secure the realisation of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances he is in.

AMEN! That IS our goal! The "prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus"! And this is our prayer found in "Desert Song" by Hillsong!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is EXCELLENT!!! I will not even try to expand upon it! Read, meditate and GO and DO!!!

The Spiritual Sluggard

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. — Hebrews 10:24-25

We are all capable of being spiritual sluggards; we do not want to mix with the rough and tumble of life as it is, our one object is to secure retirement. The note struck in Hebrews 10 is that of provoking one another and of keeping together — both of which require initiative, the initiative of Christ-realisation, not of self-realisation. To live a remote, retired, secluded life is the antipodes of spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The test of our spirituality comes when we come up against injustice and meanness and ingratitude and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritual sluggards. We want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of retirement. We utilise God for the sake of getting peace and joy, that is, we do not want to realise Jesus Christ, but only our enjoyment of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things are effects and we try to make them causes.

“I think it meet,” said Peter, “…to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” It is a most disturbing thing to be smitten in the ribs by some provoker of God, by someone who is full of spiritual activity. Active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work may be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The danger of spiritual sluggishness is that we do not wish to be stirred up, all we want to hear about is spiritual retirement. Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement — “Go tell My brethren.…”

Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 8 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Here is the entire Psalm!

To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] to a particular Hittite tune. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens. 2 Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!

THIS is WHO JESUS is to and for US! Now let's BE who HE says that WE are - for HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Will To Loyalty

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

Will is the whole man active. I cannot give up my will, I must exercise it. I must will to obey, and I must will to receive God’s Spirit. When God gives a vision of truth it is never a question of what He will do, but of what we will do. The Lord has been putting before us all some big propositions, and the best thing to do is to remember what you did when you were touched by God before — the time when you were saved, or first saw Jesus, or realised some truth. It was easy then to yield allegiance to God; recall those moments now as the Spirit of God brings before you some new proposition.

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” It is a deliberate calculation, not something into which you drift easily; and everything else is in abeyance until you decide. The proposition is between you and God; do not confer with flesh and blood about it. With every new proposition other people get more and more “out of it,” that is where the strain comes. God allows the opinion of His saints to matter to you, and yet you are brought more and more out of the certainty that others understand the step you are taking. You have no business to find out where God is leading, the only thing God will explain to you is Himself.

Profess to Him — “I will be loyal.” Immediately you choose to be loyal to Jesus Christ, you are a witness against yourself. Don’t consult other Christians, but profess before Him — “I will serve Thee.” Will to be loyal — and give other people credit for being loyal too.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another great, yet challenging, lesson!

All Noble Things Are Difficult

Enter ye in at the strait gate…: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way…. — Matthew 7:13-14

If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all noble things are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but the difficulty of it does not make us faint and cave in, it rouses us up to overcome. Do we so appreciate the marvellous salvation of Jesus Christ that we are our utmost for His highest?

God saves men by His sovereign grace through the Atonement of Jesus; He works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure; but we have to work out that salvation in practical living. If once we start on the basis of His Redemption to do what He commands, we find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not practised. The crisis will reveal whether we have been practising or not. If we obey the Spirit of God and practise in our physical life what God has put in us by His Spirit, then when the crisis comes, we shall find that our own nature as well as the grace of God will stand by us.

Thank God He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a glad thing, but it is also a heroic, holy thing. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is bringing many “sons unto glory,” and God will not shield us from the requirements of a son. God’s grace turns out men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not milk sops. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the noble life of a disciple of Jesus in actual things. It is always necessary to make an effort to be noble.

AMEN! And everything we do in obedience to God's Word is rewarded! In this life AND the next! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Made In Your Image":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional. This is SO good!

Up in Smoke

The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. James 3:5-6

Words. Use them right and they'll move mountains. Use them wrong and they can cause your entire life to go up in smoke.

"Now, Brother Copeland," you may say, "I find it hard to believe that major catastrophes can be caused by a few simple words. I just can't see the connection."

Look again at the phrase James used. "How great a matter a little fire kindleth!" Have you ever lit a few little pieces of kindling wood and set them in the fireplace beneath a stack of logs?

What happened?

Most likely, the fire began to spread first to one log then to another until finally you had a great big blaze going. After it was over, you couldn't go digging around in the ashes to find the kindling that started it all, could you? No! It would be burned. There would be no trace of it at all.

The tongue is like that. It first defiles the body, then sets on fire the whole course of nature with a blaze so great that it leaves no natural trace of its origin. The words that started it end up so deeply buried in the ashes that you'd never even know they were there.

So, don't ever underestimate the power of your words. I can assure you, Satan doesn't. He works constantly to get you to turn them in a negative direction. He'll fire darts of pain and sickness and discouragement at you just to get you to speak faithless words—words that will eventually send your life up in smoke.

Don't let him succeed. Instead, put out that fire by following the instructions in Ephesians 6:16. Do as the Apostle Paul says and "above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

Speak words of faith and stop the fire before it starts today!

AMEN!!! Here is Hillsong with a song I haven't heard in awhile called  "With Everything":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Matthew 4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan where JESUS taught his disciples how to use the WORD of GOD to resist the devil and make him flee! Verses:1-11:

1Then Jesus was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil. 2 And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made loaves of] bread. 4 But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary. 6 And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God. 8 Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them. 9 And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me. 10 Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve. 11 Then the devil departed from Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Find what the Word of God has to say about anything and everything that you are believing God for! HE desires for US to always stay in a position of readiness for when HE makes HIS own moves that the enemy has NO counter-moves for! We've GOT this because HE'S got US! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

One Of God’s Great Don’ts

Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil doing. — Psalm 37:8 (rv)

Fretting means getting out at elbows mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say “Fret not” but a very different thing to have such a disposition that you find yourself able not to fret. It sounds so easy to talk about resting in the Lord and waiting patiently for Him, until the nest is upset — until we live, as so many are doing, in tumult and anguish, is it possible then to rest in the Lord? If this “don’t” does not work there, it will work nowhere. This “don’t” must work in days of perplexity as well as in days of peace, or it never will work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work in anyone else’s case. Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on your relationship to God Himself.

Fussing always ends in sin. We imagine that a little anxiety and worry are an indication of how really wise we are; it is much more an indication of how really wicked we are. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried and He was never anxious, because He was not “out” to realise His own ideas; He was “out” to realise God’s ideas. Fretting is wicked if you are a child of God.

Have you been bolstering up that stupid soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God? Put all “supposing” on one side and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God.

AMEN! And we are NOT EVER 'without God"! Here is Hillsong with "At The Cross":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Living Word

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. — 1 JOHN 5:7

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . . . — JOHN 1:1,14

How can I make Jesus Lord of my life?

Jesus is the Living Word. And God has given us the written Word to unveil the Living Word to us.

Give the Word of God — primarily the New Testament — first place in your life. By doing so, you are putting Jesus first!

Let the Word of God govern your life. Let this Word be the Lord of your life. Let the Word dominate you. By doing so, you are really allowing Jesus to lord it over you — because Jesus and His Word are One.

We are living in an age when we need to get serious about spiritual matters, and we need to learn what the Bible has to say about love, life, home, marriage, and children.

Let the Word of God be your guide in life. When you do, you are making Jesus the Lord of your life. Then His written Word becomes the Lord of your life.

Confession: Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of my life. I allow Your Word to dominate me. I allow Your Word to have dominion over me; therefore, YOU are lording it over me. You are dominating me. You are the Lord of my life!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong again with the perfect saong for today! "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin through the Psalms again today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 1 is the perfact preface for the entire book! 

Psalm 1

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. 2 But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. 3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. 4 Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God]. 6 For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God’s will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).

The contrast here between the believer and the unbeliever is clear, plain and very serious! I hope that YOU line up with verses 1-3! A footnote in the Bible program I am using has this note from Charles Spurgeon!

Psalm 1:5 Charles Haddon Spurgeon (The Treasury of David) said, “Sinners cannot live in heaven. They would be out of their element. Sooner could a fish live upon a tree than the wicked in paradise.” The only way they will ever be able to endure heaven is to be born again and become new creatures with pure hearts able fully to enjoy the presence of God, His holy angels, and the redeemed.

AMEN! OUR responsibility is to represent JESUS to the world! Then pray that Holy Spirit will be able to get through to them with the importance of JESUS in their lives! Here is Hillsong with "I Desire Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional on The Spoken Word Church website is SO vital! 

Practice the E.H.A.H. System

Everything Has A Home. Your car belongs in the garage. Your dirty clothes belong in the hamper. Everything around you should have an assigned place.

Everything Has A Home. Insist on it. Make certain everything is returned to its assigned place. This explains the incredible secret of order. It is the secret of great productivity.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40)

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

When you and I have this type of order in our lives and in our homes, Holy Spirit will be better able to direct us clealy, plainly and simply in every step of every day! THIS is WELL PLEASING to our GOD! Let's get to it! Here is Hillsong with and older song called  "Everyday":

Shalom in Him!