Shalom,

I REALLY LOVE today's devotional from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith"!

Don't Play Dead

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

The Amplified Bible translates Matthew 11:12, "...a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion."

I want you to get violent today. Yes, violent, determined, zealous. I want you to get so committed to the things of God that you'll withstand any attempt to take them away from you.

Too many believers these days are like the Israelites. They're wandering around in a wilderness of defeat because there's an enemy in the promised land. They're being robbed of their rightful inheritance because they're afraid to fight him. They keep hoping that somehow they'll find a way in without using force. But they won't! You have to make demands where Satan and his associates are concerned.

When God sent the Israelites into Canaan, He said, "Send the armed men to go before you." They were to go up armed—ready for the fight. He knew they'd have to fight to take the land. He never promised them that they wouldn't. What He promised them was they'd win every time.

The same is true for you. You can't just lie down and play dead when you're dealing with the devil. He's not going to let go of any area of your life—of your health or your finances or anything else—without a fight. He's not going to give it up unless you force him.

Quit sitting there in the wilderness. Quit sitting there while the devil steals the blessings of God out from under you. You have God's permission and His power and His ability to take the land. Get violent enough to do something about it...today!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This message is one of the most important ones for you to be able to walk in faith, love, confidence and trust!

Unforgiveness

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. — MARK 11:25

Jesus had just made those marvelous, thrilling, amazing, astounding statements recorded in Mark 11:23 and 24. (And no one has ever yet plumbed the depths of those statements.)

But at the same time — at the same scene — and with the same breath — Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive . . . .”

If there is an air of unforgiveness about you, your faith won’t work! Your prayers won’t work!

Unforgiveness is the only hindrance to faith that Jesus ever mentioned. Therefore, the subject of unforgiveness must be of primary importance. (If my prayers and my faith don’t work, the area of unforgiveness would be the first place I’d examine in my life.)

However, I never permit unforgiveness about anyone to enter into my mind at all. I refuse to think about anything evil. I refuse to be resentful toward anyone. No matter what they have done to me — no matter what they have said about me — I will not permit it to affect me.

Confession: My prayers work. My faith works. I do not permit unforgiveness into my being. I refuse to have ought against anyone.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Clean":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I hope that you are enjoying reading the rest Psalm 119 through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today!  Are you finding the WORD of God referred to on every verse? Some are easy to find and others take a little more meditation, but it is ALL GOOD! And then we have this powerful TRUTH in 1 John 4:9-10:

9 In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him. 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.

And also this in verse 19:

19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

WE love GOD with HIS love that HE put into us by His Spirit at our NEW BIRTH! Do YOU find it hard to love others as HE loves you? Then you need to meditate on this untill you truly realize that it is with HIS LOVE that we CAN do this! And remember from 1 Corinthians 13:8 that "LOVE NEVER FAILS"!

Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "I Will Exalt You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read 1 John 3 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE these verses!

1 See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. 2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 3 And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).

WE ARE LOVED! Incredibly and powerfull LOVED! Rejoice in that fact and learn to walk in HIS love with others! One of the greatest ways to do that is to treasure the WORD of GOD! We also read the first half of Psalm 119 today and it is ALL about GOD'S WORD! I challenge you to read through and notate every reference to the WORD! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's lesson in Kenneteh E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

As Though They Were

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. — ROMANS 4:17

If Abraham believed according to what was spoken, exactly what was spoken? What did Abraham believe?

When Abram (as he was then called) was ninety-nine years old, the Lord said to him, “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee” (Genesis 17:5). Notice that God did not say, “I’m going to do it”; He said, “I have made thee.”

When God made Abraham that promise, Abraham was childless. But Abraham was told he was not to believe he was “going to be” (future tense) a father. (Those who are always “going to” get something never get it. It is the same with the ones who say, “I’m going to get saved sometime.” Or “I’m going to get my healing sometime.”)

No, faith is always present tense! Abraham had to believe he “was made” the father of many nations.

For, you see, faith calleth those things which be not as though they were. That’s what causes them to come into being!

Confession: Like my Heavenly Father, I call those things which be not as though they were. And they come into being! They’re mine. I have them now!

AMEN! Never doubt the promises you find in the Word of God! BELIEVE them and then SPEAK them over yourself, your family and your life! THAT is the FAITH WALK! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 117 is one of the reading in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! 

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!)

I hope that YOU obeyed this instruction today! PRAISE HIM! ALWAYS and FOREVER because NO ONE loves YOU more! We also read 1 John and some of the most powerful and exciting TRUTHS are also found here! Verse 5:

5 And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].

HE IS LIGHT and LIFE and LOVE! And it is ALL for US! Then verse 7:

7 But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

It is our priceless privilege to be able to have intimate fellowship with Almighty God becaue HE desires that! Make it YOUR determined purpose to increaase your fellowship with HIM! You riwll never regret that decision! And then this powerful promise in verse 9:

9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

This 'confession' means to acknowledge and admit the sin and then HE will wipe it all away! HALLELUJAH! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you the devotional from our partner, Jerry Savelle's, website!

STICK IT OUT

What is success to you today? How would you define it and how do you plan on achieving it?

I believe that true success is about striving to obtain everything that God has promised is yours, no matter how long it takes and no matter what kind of obstacles you might face. Success does not mean you never have problems; it means you know how to overcome them with the Word of God.

There is no such thing as a life on this planet without problems. We are always going to be confronted with adversity, trials, and tests of all kinds. It’s our attitude about these problems that will determine whether we fail or succeed.

Hebrews 10:35-36 in the New Living Translation says, “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, [no matter what happens]. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”

There is a reward promised to those who will not give up. There is a reward promised to those who will stick to it. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where people who quit are rewarded. It’s only those who develop staying power. THE MESSAGE says it like this, “So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.”

Just think about it. You have come too far to quit. You need to stick it out. You are not a quitter; you are a winner!

Confession: I will stick it out and stay with God’s plan so I will be there for the promised completion!

Amen! 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 SO good! 

The Viewpoint

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

The viewpoint of a worker for God must not be as near the highest as he can get, it must be the highest. Be careful to maintain strenuously God’s point of view, it has to be done every day, bit by bit; don’t think on the finite. No outside power can touch the viewpoint.

The viewpoint to maintain is that we are here for one purpose only, viz., to be captives in the train of Christ’s triumphs. We are not in God’s showroom, we are here to exhibit one thing — the absolute captivity of our lives to Jesus Christ. How small the other points of view are — “I am standing alone battling for Jesus”; “I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold this fort for Him.” Paul says — “I am in the train of a conqueror, and it does not matter what the difficulties are, I am always led in triumph.” Is this idea being worked out practically in us? Paul’s secret joy was that God took him, a red-handed rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive, and now that is all he is here for. Paul’s joy was to be a captive of the Lord, he had no other interest in heaven or in earth. It is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory. The Victor ought to have got us so completely that it is His victory all the time, and we are more than conquerors through Him. “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ.” We are enwheeled with the odour of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God.

AMEN!  Our God ALWAYS causes US to TRIUMPH!!! WHEN we put HIM first place in our lives and believe and act on HIS WORD! Hewre is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. These are such simple and powerful lessons on walking in the God kind of faith! 

Spirit Being

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 THESSALONIANS 5:23

You are a spirit.

You have a soul.

And you live in a body.

With your spirit you contact the spiritual world.

With your body you contact the physical world.

And with your soul you contact the intellectual world.

These are the only three realms you contact. There are no more.

Man is a spirit being who was created in the image of God, who is a Spirit. (See Genesis 1:26; John 4:24.)

You, too, are a spirit being. And it will help your faith to think like that, because faith is of the heart, or the spirit, or the inward man. (The terms “spirit” of man and “heart” of man are used interchangeably throughout the Bible.) Faith is not of the head. Faith is not of the body. Faith is of the heart!

Confession: I am a spirit. I have a soul. And I live in a body. I am a spirit being created in the image of God. With my spirit I contact God. With my spirit I believe God!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is VITAL for every born again believer to KNOW and UNDERSTAND! 

The Witness Of The Spirit

The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit.… — Romans 8:16 (RV)

We are in danger of getting the barter spirit when we come to God, we want the witness before we have done what God tells us to do. “Why does not God reveal Himself to me?” He cannot; it is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are in the road as long as you won’t abandon absolutely to Him. Immediately you do, God witnesses to Himself; He cannot witness to you, but He witnesses instantly to His own nature in you. If you had the witness before the reality, it would end in sentimental emotion. Immediately you transact on the Redemption and stop the impertinence of debate, God gives you the witness. As soon as you abandon reasoning and argument, God witnesses to what He has done, and you are amazed at your impertinence in having kept Him waiting. If you are in debate as to whether God can deliver from sin, either let Him do it, or tell Him He cannot. Do not quote this and that person, try Matthew 11:28 — “Come unto Me.” Come, if you are weary and heavy laden; ask if you know you are evil (Luke 11:13).

The simplicity that comes from our natural commonsense decisions is apt to be mistaken for the witness of the Spirit, but the Spirit witnesses only to His own nature and to the work of Redemption, never to our reason. If we try to make Him witness to our reason, it is no wonder we are in darkness and perplexity. Fling it all overboard, trust in God, and He will give the witness.

Amen!! We MUST learn to TRUST Holy Spirit to do what only HE can do as WE do what only WE can do! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Direction By Impulse

Building up yourselves on your most holy faith. — Jude 20

There was nothing either of the nature of impulse or of cold-bloodedness about Our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the line of our temperament, not along the line of God. Impulse is a trait in natural life, but Our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple. Watch how the Spirit of God checks impulse, His checks bring a rush of self-conscious foolishness which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulse is all right in a child, but it is disastrous in a man or woman; an impulsive man is always a petted man. Impulse has to be trained into intuition by discipline.

Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on the water is easy to impulsive pluck, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a different thing. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he followed Him afar off on the land. We do not need the grace of God to stand crises, human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes.

AMEN!  BE in constant fellowship with the One, True God Who lives in YOU by His SPIRIT! HE will NEVER let you down! Here is Hillsong with "Secret Place":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 111 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and THIS is my favorite verse!

10 The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever.

If we TRULY desire to be wise, then we MUST have reverence, respect and be in awe of HIM! When we maintain that attitude, then we WILL operate in the Wisdom of GOD in every situation! Make HIM your first priority every day and HE will continually reveal Himself to you! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Fear Of God" from her new album "Eight":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Unheeded Secret

My kingdom is not of this world. — John 18:36

The great enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the Systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation;…for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you,” a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives in the shop window. It is the innermost of the innermost that reveals the power of the life.

We have to get rid of the plague of the spirit of the religious age in which we live. In Our Lord’s life there was none of the press and rush of tremendous activity that we regard so highly, and the disciple is to be as His Master. The central thing about the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship to Himself, not public usefulness to men. It is not its practical activities that are the strength of this Bible Training College, its whole strength lies in the fact that here you are put into soak before God. You have no idea of where God is going to engineer your circumstances, no knowledge of what strain is going to be put on you either at home or abroad, and if you waste your time in over-active energies instead of getting into soak on the great fundamental truths of God’s Redemption, you will snap when the strain comes; but if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in God on the un-practical line, you will remain true to Him whatever happens.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in  Him!

 Shalom,

Still out of town so I am sharing another of my favorite praise and worship songs! From Hillsong (That’s The Power):

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom, 

I am out of town today so I am simply going to share one of my favorite praise songs with you! Hillsong with Every Breath”

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE this by Oswald Chambers from "My Utmost For His Highest":

Growing Faith

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly . . . . — 2 THESSALONIANS 1:3

God gets all believers started off equally with the measure of faith after they are born again. He doesn’t give one baby Christian more faith than He gives another. After we are born again, however, it is up to each one of us to develop the measure of faith that has been given to us.

Too many have done with their faith what the fellow did with his one talent: He wrapped it in a napkin, hid it, and didn’t use it.

Your measure of faith can be increased — it can grow. But you are the one who increases it — not God!

Your measure of faith can be increased by doing these two things: (1) Feeding it on the Word of God, and (2) Exercising it by putting it into practice.

Confession: God has given me the measure of faith. I will see to it that my faith grows exceedingly. I will feed my faith on the Word of God. I will exercise my faith — I will put it into practice. My faith is growing.

AMEN! USE YOUR "measure" of faith to grow up in the WORD and to grow IN faith! Remember ALWAYS: "Nothing is too difficult for You"

Here is Hillsong with "Stronger"!

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

This message from Oswald Chambers in "My Utmost For His Highest" is just what WE need to return to! 

The Key To The Missionary Message

And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. — 1 John 2:2

The key to the missionary message is the propitiation of Christ Jesus. Take any phase of Christ’s work — the healing phase, the saving and sanctifying phase; there is nothing limitless about those. “The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world!” — that is limitless. The missionary message is the limitless significance of Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, and a missionary is one who is soaked in that revelation.

The key to the missionary message is the remissionary aspect of Christ’s life, not His kindness and His goodness, and His revealing of the Fatherhood of God; the great limitless significance is that He is the propitiation for our sins. The missionary message is not patriotic, it is irrespective of nations and of individuals, it is for the whole world. When the Holy Ghost comes in He does not consider my predilections, He brings me into union with the Lord Jesus.

A missionary is one who is wedded to the charter of his Lord and Master; he has not to proclaim his own point of view, but to proclaim the Lamb of God. It is easier to belong to a coterie which tells what Jesus Christ has done for me, easier to become a devotee to Divine healing, or to a special type of sanctification, or to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Paul did not say — “Woe is unto me, if I do not preach what Christ has done for me,” but — “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” This is the Gospel — “The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!”

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "See The Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I have to share Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspiration" devotional! This is SO powerful!!! 

Presenting the Real God

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:1–3

There is so much wrong believing today about who Jesus is. I am asking you to throw out every idea, concept, and picture that you may have of a “religious” Jesus. Allow me to introduce the real Jesus to you, for this is where it all begins.

I’m not talking about the religious Jesus you may have heard about growing up, but the real Jesus who walked along the dusty streets of Jerusalem and upon the raging waters of the Galilee.

He was the one whom the sick, the poor, the sinful, the down and out, and the outcast instinctively gravitated to and felt at ease with. He was God in the flesh and He manifested God’s tangible love.

In His presence, those who were imperfect didn’t feel fearful of Him, or sense judgment or condemnation from Him. To those who sought Him for healing, restoration, and supply—no matter what their past or background—He always extended a loving, compassionate heart and hand to them and oversupplied their need.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, you don’t have to be “religious” to have access to God and His help. In fact, the less “religious” you are, the better. The real Jesus didn’t come to bring a new religion. He didn’t come to be served and waited upon. No, He came to serve, and serve He did.

The real Jesus created the universe with one command and orchestrated the paths of each planet so that none would collide. He had every right to demand service from those He created, yet He supplied service.

He bowed down and with His own hands washed the grime and filth from His disciples’ feet. Those same hands would later be pierced with coarse nails at the cross, and He would with His own blood wash us of the grime and filth of all our sins by taking them upon His own body. What a far cry from the condemning, judgmental, faultfinding God whom many have portrayed Him to be!

This is the true Jesus—totally unlike what many of us have been taught about God. He is willing and able to meet your need today and love you into wholeness.

HALLELUJAH and AMEN!!! I hope that YOU have found the REAL JESUS! I also hope that YOU are presenting the REAL JESUS to everyone you know! He IS the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE and the ONLY WAY to the Heaven of the Bible! Be a light in your world by showing off JESUS! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Shout Your Fame":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another simple, yet powerful key to wlaing in faith!

How Faith Comes

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. — ROMANS 10:17

How does God give the sinner faith to be saved?

Let me read along with you from Romans chapter 10, which talks about salvation and about getting faith to be saved. (My comments are in brackets.)

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach [Notice that God’s Word is called ‘the word of faith.’ That’s because it builds faith. It causes faith to come into the hearts of those who are open to it.]; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. . . . For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? [Now get this.] and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? . . . So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:8-10,13,14,17).

You cannot believe without hearing. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing what? The Word of God!

AMEN! POWERFUL! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "New Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 103 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! The entire Psalm is a testimony of the GOODNESS of GOD to HIS people! Look at verses 1-5:

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits— 3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

Meditate on just these few verses and you be overflowing with the JOY of the LORD! Now look at verse 7!

7 He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

Everyone can see the results of the ACTS of God! BUT, only those who spend time in intimate fellowship with HIM will come to know HIS WAYS! Thats means that we will get to know Him so well that we will recognize His voice and be aware of His presence while others will take no notice! But there is a CHOICE involved in this and it is NOT GOD'S! HE give US the free will to choose HIM! Or not! Even after being born again, we still must CHOOSE just how much we want to KNOW Him! Here is Hillsong with a favorite older song of mine! "I Surrender":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The subtitle under Psalm 102 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan says this:

A Prayer of the afflicted; when he is overwhelmed and faint and pours out his complaint to God.

We all have had moments when we were tempted to 'feel' inadequate, useless, not needed, unappreciated and not worthy. The line up above tells us that this Psalm is a prayer about those who are afflicted or overwhelmed! This Psalm has the psalmist pouring out his heart to God as he feels 'less than'! Less than enough! Less than anointed! Less than favored! Less than protected. I always found verse 6 to be very amusing! 

6 I am like a melancholy pelican or vulture of the wilderness; I am like a [desolate] owl of the waste places.

I can't say that I have EVER seen a 'regular' pelican, let alone a 'melancholy' one! BUT, not one thing, seems to be legitimate right now! I hope that YOU are beginning to find your place in God's scheme of things' for YOUR own life and them lives of your family! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I was really blessed with Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional!

Live Free From Fear

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. Psalm 91:1-3

Is it possible to live free from fear in this dangerous and unpredictable world? Yes, it most definitely is! Because protection is a solid promise of God.

But it's not a promise that's offered to just anyone. It is promised to those who abide in the Lord. To abide means "to dwell, to remain and to continue." To abide in the shadow of the Almighty is to live in continual union with Him, keeping His Word and obeying His voice. Those who abide in the Lord can live without dread of what the devil will do.

Let me make this clear though—God's promise of protection doesn't guarantee that the devil will leave you alone! It means that God will give you a way of escape every time the devil rears his ugly face at you.

If you are afraid of the dangers around you, spend more time in the Word and in prayer until your trust in God overcomes your fear. Draw closer to the Lord until you are abiding in the shadow of the Almighty and—no matter how dangerous this world becomes—He shall surely deliver you.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Fear Of God"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read Psalm 100! I LOVE this Psalm! It is our "call to praise, thanksgiving and worship"! 

A Psalm of thanksgiving and for the thank offering.

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! 3 Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.

Make sure thatYOU spend time every single day in praise, thanksgiving and worship and you will continue to grow more and more like JESUS every single day! Here is Hillsong with "Scandal of Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Father Glorified

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. — JOHN 14:13

What a striking promise!

When we are born into the family of God, the right and privilege to use the Name of Jesus is given to us by the New Birth. All authority vested in that Name is given to us so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

The Son was an outcast on the earth. He hung naked before the world and was crucified. But wherever the shame of the crucifixion has been preached, the might, power, and honor of His Name also has gone — shedding blessings upon the human race and bringing glory to God the Father.

Jesus’ Name is to take Jesus’ place upon the earth. All Jesus could do during His earth walk can now be done by every believer. Jesus is in that Name. Jesus is that Name. All Jesus was — all He did — all He is — all He will ever be — is in that Name now!

When we use Jesus’ Name, we bring onto the scene the fullness of His finished work at Calvary. By our use of that Name, the living, healing Christ is present — to the glory of God the Father!

Confession: I will use the Name of Jesus, as directed by His Word, to bring glory to God the Father.

AMEN! Your assignment - should you choose to accpet it - is to KNOW the the NAME of JESUS so that you can USE the NAME of JESUS as HE intended so that HE can do what only HE can do! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is a powerful revelations of just what JESUS did for US on the cross!

Reconciliation

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. — 2 Corinthians 5:21

Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong doing, it is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God. The Christian religion bases everything on the positive*, radical nature of sin. Other religions deal with sins; the Bible alone deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ faced in men was the heredity of sin, and it is because we have ignored this in our presentation of the Gospel that the message of the Gospel has lost its sting and its blasting power.

The revelation of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took upon Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took upon Himself the heredity of sin which no man can touch. God made His own Son to be sin that He might make the sinner a saint. All through the Bible it is revealed that Our Lord bore the sin of the world by identification, not by sympathy. He deliberately took upon His own shoulders, and bore in His own Person, the whole massed sin of the human race — “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin,” and by so doing He put the whole human race on the basis of Redemption. Jesus Christ rehabilitated the human race; He put it back to where God designed it to be, and anyone can enter into union with God on the ground of what Our Lord has done on the Cross.

A man cannot redeem himself; Redemption is God’s “bit,” it is absolutely finished and complete; its reference to individual men is a question of their individual action. A distinction must always be made between the revelation of Redemption and the conscious experience of salvation in a man’s life.

*positive: independent; unrelated to anything else.

Simply put, Jesus did not deal with our 'sins', He dealt with our sin nature that was inherited from Adam and Eve! NOW, we are no longer 'sinners' when we received JESUS as Lord and Saviour, but SAINTS who sometimes sin! You need to meditate on the WORD of GOD to realize just how very important that distinction is! Here is Hillsong wtih "Blown Away":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There are so many of the Psalms that are so uplifting and joyful! Today we read Psalm 97 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE it! 

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles and coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and darkness are round about Him [as at Sinai]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries round about.
4 His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.
7 Let all those be put to shame who serve graven images, who boast in idols. Fall prostrate before Him, all you gods.
8 Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced [in relief] because of Your judgments, O Lord.
9 For You, Lord, are high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil; He preserves the lives of His saints (the children of God), He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection].
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

And now here is an older praise and worship song based on this Psalm! Bob Fitts with "The Lord Reigns":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

ESTABLISHED IN THE WORD

He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. (Psalm 112:7-8 NKJV)

Psalm 112 is a word picture of those whose hearts are established in God’s Word: they are not afraid of evil tidings; they are not afraid of bad news; they are not moved by contradictory evidence; they are not moved by the woes and cares and pressures of this world; their hearts are fixed and settled, trusting in the Lord.

I want you to grasp this vital truth: as a believer, you can live in the midst of all the turmoil and pressures of this world without being shaken. You can live without fear when you choose to trust the Lord and establish your heart in God’s Word.

The established heart knows that—in every situation—God is more than able to meet every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). I am convinced this is the intention of the Father God for every believer.

The apostle Paul was established in the Word and it made him able to stand victoriously, more than a conqueror in any situation. You too can stand in the midst of any attack the enemy launches against you—demons, sickness, bondage, and even death itself—and declare, “I am not afraid because my heart is established in the Word; therefore I will see my desired victory over the enemy!”

Confession: Father, I choose to establish my heart in Your Word as I trust in You. I refuse to fear any evil tidings or bad news, choosing instead to believe You will turn every situation for my good and for Your glory.

AMEN! REFUSE fear and dare to believe the Word of God and all that HE says about YOU! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspiration" devotional!

Only Christ's Atonement Satisfies God

. . . if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 2:1–2

Today, Jews still observe Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. As the name suggests, it is a day set aside to make atonement for one’s sins. But for Christians, this beautiful feast points to Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. Because of His sacrifice, all our sins have already been perfectly atoned for. That is why, should we sin, we know that “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins.

Now, it does not say that if anyone repents, we have an Advocate with the Father. It says that if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father. The moment a child of God sins, straightaway, his Advocate, Jesus Christ, goes into action to pray for and protect him.

What about repentance then?

The word “repentance” is metanoia in the Greek, which means to change one’s mind. For example, you used to believe that Jesus was just a good man. Then one day, you repented and believed that He is the Son of the living God, who died for your sins and rose again on the third day, and you gladly took Him as your Savior.

Bible repentance is not this idea of hitting or punishing yourself to atone for your sins. Don’t turn it into a human work, like the man who went to a priest to confess his sins. When they were done, the priest asked the man, “By the way, what do you do for a living?” The man replied, “I’m a contortionist,” and proceeded to give a demonstration. Another man came along wanting to confess his sins. When he saw the contortionist all twisted up on the ground, he said, “If this is repentance, forget it!” and ran off!

My friend, there is no need to climb the Himalayas or whip your back bloody to atone for your sins. No amount of self-punishment or crying can atone for them. Your sins have already been punished fully in the body of Jesus. Only His finished work satisfies God. So change your mind and simply believe that Jesus alone is the propitiation for your sins!

AMEN!  JESUS has done it all! And HE is MORE than enough! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

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

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. — 1 CORINTHIANS 1:9

The highest honor God has conferred upon you is to be a joint-fellowshipper with God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit in carrying out God’s plan for the redemption of the human race.

By virtue of the New Birth, you became related to the Creator of the universe! You became God’s child. You have a relationship with Him. But relationship without fellowship is a lifeless thing. It’s like marriage without love or fellowship.

Fellowship with God is the mother of faith. And God has called you individually into fellowship with His Son.

Confession: God has called me into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. I will walk in fellowship and communion with Jesus. I will talk with Jesus. I will work with Jesus. I am a joint-fellowshipper with God the Father, with Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit in carrying out God’s great plan of redemption for the human race.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Every Breath":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom ,

Today's devotional from The Spoken Word Church website is so vital!

Keep Your Focus. The secret of success is concentration. The secret of failure is broken focus. The forbidden fruit distracted Adam and Eve. Delilah distracted Samson. Whatever takes your mind away from God’s assignment is an instrument of Hell. Examine your life. Honestly. Disconnect from every distraction. Fix your focus. Don’t let Satan ever get a foot inside your door. You are too close to victory to lose out now.

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” {Joshua 1:7}

AMEN! Never give up! Never give in! GOD is on YOUR side! Here is Hillsong with "All This Future":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin! A great way to start October!

The Same Spirit

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. — ROMANS 8:11

The term “mortal bodies” in this text does not refer to our resurrected bodies in the future; it refers to our mortal bodies now! (“Mortal” means death-doomed.) Our bodies will not be mortal in the grave. They are mortal now. The Spirit will not dwell in them then. The Spirit of God dwells in them now. Now is when we need our mortal bodies quickened by God’s Spirit which indwells us.

One of the reasons for the Holy Spirit’s indwelling our mortal bodies is to heal us of the diseases which are continually trying to attach themselves to us.

Healing is part of God’s plan or covenant for us today. Healing is part of His provision for His children — His Body — upon the earth.

If we could understand God’s plan of healing as we ought to understand it, the sick would simply be healed the moment sickness tried to touch them!

Confession: The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me. He lives in me. He quickens my mortal body. He heals my mortal body.

AMEN!!! It is our responsibility to leatn to understand the promises found in the Word of GOD! Dig into the Word for the purpose of understanding TRUTH and you will be amazed at the powerful understanding that WILL come! Here is Hillsong with "Highlands":

Shalom in Him!