Shalom,

Today we begin in Proverbs again in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verses 1-7 of Proverbs 1 says this:

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, 3 Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, 4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth— 5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]— 6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles. 7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

As you go through this great Book, remember to mediate on the comparisons you will be seeing between the wise and the unwise! And never forget from, verse 7 above, that the Fear of the Lord is where Wisdom begins and continues! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read Psalm 150. I ALWAYS post this Psalm when we get to it twice a year because I LOVE it! 

Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!
2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!
3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes!
5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

What does this Psalm reveal to us? It reveals that there are a multitude of ways to PRAISE the LORD! The word "praise" is found 13 times in this Psalm and every one of them is the Hebrew word "halal". Strong's Concordance says: to be clear, to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to 'stultify' (which means ti make or appear to be foolish or ridiculous). Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says: to shine, to flash forth light, to boast, to be boastful, to glory, to act like a madman. Now, the question is, when was the last time that YOU actually did PRAISE THE LORD according to the REAL definition of the word? I challenge you to up your praise game! Make a conscious effort to REALLY be a DOER of this word in both your private PRAISE time AND in your Church service! HE is WORTHY of it ALL! HALLELUJAH! (Which literally means to Praise GOD)! Here is a fun new song to help you do so! Elevation Worship with "PRAISE":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Bounty Of The Destitute

Being justified freely by His grace… — Romans 3:24

The Gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the revelation which it brings is not palatable. There is a certain pride in man that will give and give, but to come and accept is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom, I will give myself in consecration, I will do anything, but do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God; we must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest blessing spiritually is the knowledge that we are destitute; until we get there Our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us if we think we are sufficient of ourselves; we have to enter into His Kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are rich, possessed of anything in the way of pride or independence, God cannot do anything for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is made effectual in us by the Holy Spirit; He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, which puts “the beyond” within, and immediately the beyond has come within, it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the domain where Jesus lives (John 3:5).

AMEN! There is NOTHING that we can EVER do to 'deserve' Heaven! BUT, JESUS already PAID the PRICE, IN FULL, for our SALVATION! Let's continue to BELIEVE and RECEIVE all that JESUS has paid for us to HAVE, HERE, IN THIS LIFE! And in eternity - WITH HIM! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Freedom":

Shalom  in  Him!

Shalom,

Today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan has us reading Psalm 148 and I LOVE this one, too! 

Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light!
4 Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.
6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over].
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps!
8 You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers and judges of the earth!
12 Both young men and maidens, old men and children!
13 Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven!
14 He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

So, what are you waiting for? PRAISE HIM!!! Here, to help you with THAT is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to shar the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website. THIS IS VITAL!

Honor Your Word

Truth is the most powerful force on earth. It cannot be changed. Be honest. Cherish your integrity. Keep your word. Never make a promise impossible to keep.

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” {Proverbs 22:1}

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "In Control":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Revelation 2 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. In his letter to the churches John had comendation for the Chuch at Ephesus, but in verse 4 he had this to say in correction to them:

4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

The MOST important decision that we must make as born again believers is to ALWAYS keep JESUS as out #1! Our first priority and out FIRST and BEST LOVE! Anything else cheats HIM of what He deserves from us and cheats US of all that HE has planned and purposed for us! Here are Hillsong Kids with a song that tells us what our priority SHOULD BE! "My Number One":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 145 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Here it is:

Psalm 145
[A Psalm] of praise. Of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise].
2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate.
6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice.
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.
9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]!
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power,
12 To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.
17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.
20 The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

I challenge you today, and every day, to be a DOER of the WORD with this Psalm! Make your own declarations of HIS GLORY and keep HIM ever alive in your mind and heart! HE will NEVER let you down! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear The Roof Off":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share again today from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. It is especially appropriate for this Thanksgiving Day!

Thank You, Father

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. — COLOSSIANS 1:12-14

The New Covenant tells us we should be giving thanks unto the Father because He has made us able to be partakers of something. Of what? “. . . Of the inheritance of the saints in light”!

The Amplified Bible translates verse 13 as, “[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness . . . .”

God Himself has delivered us from the control of Satan! Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of darkness. God’s kingdom is the kingdom of light. The Father has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us out from under the control and dominion of darkness. Satan has no control over us. He cannot dominate us.

And we are told to thank God for that!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for making me fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Thank You for delivering me out of the authority of darkness. Thank You for transferring me into the kingdom of Your dear Son — the kingdom of light.

I hope that this has been a very BLESSED Thanksgiving Day for you and your families! Meditating EVERY DAY on all that GOD has done for YOU will make certain that your life will be SO MUCH BETTER next Thanksgiving Day than it is right now! Here, to help you along on that path, is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Purpose

. . . That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. — 1 TIMOTHY 2:2-4

God doesn’t tell us to do something just to fill up space in the Bible. He has a purpose in mind. We are to pray for those in authority so that we who are Christians may lead a quiet and peaceable life. God is concerned about us, and He will work on our behalf, even when those in authority are not Christians.

God’s ultimate purpose is that we be able to spread the Gospel freely. If we do not live under a stable government, the spreading of the Gospel is hindered. For example, times of political upheaval, war, travel restrictions, and other limitations hinder the spreading of the Gospel. Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). The devil will try his best to see that this is not accomplished. Therefore, we are exhorted to offer intercessory prayer, supplications, and the giving of thanks for those who lead our nation.

Confession: Father, I thank You for our leaders. I thank You because You hear and answer prayer, and because You are working on my behalf.

AMEN! When we pray according to God's Word and in the Name of JESUS, we KNOW that we HAVE the ANSWER!!! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong wtih "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambvers is one of my favorites! 

It Is Finished

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

The death of Jesus Christ is the performance in history of the very mind of God. There is no room for looking on Jesus Christ as a martyr; His death was not something that happened to Him which might have been prevented. His death was the very reason why He came.

Never build your preaching of forgiveness on the fact that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. It is untrue to Jesus Christ’s revelation of God; it makes the Cross unnecessary, and the Redemption “much ado about nothing.” If God does forgive sin, it is because of the Death of Christ. God could forgive men in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted to be Saviour because of His death. “We see Jesus…because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” The greatest note of triumph that ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ – “It is finished.” That is the last word in the Redemption of man.

Anything that belittles or obliterates the holiness of God by a false view of the love of God, is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ. Never allow the thought that Jesus Christ stands with us against God out of pity and compassion; that He became a curse for us out of sympathy with us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by the Divine decree. Our portion of realising the terrific meaning of the curse is conviction of sin, the gift of shame and penitence is given us; this is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the wrong in man, and Calvary is the estimate of His hatred.

AMEN! Never forget what JESUS has done for YOU! Here, to help you remember that is Brooke Ligertwood with another of my favorite songs! "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from our partners, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's, devotional "From Faith To Faith":

Recall God's Mercies

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

God is faithful. He's full of compassion. His mercies are new every morning. As a believer, you know all that. But simply knowing it is not enough.

For it to do you any good, you have to recall it. You have to remember it again and again in order to rekindle your hope and stir your faith.

So, make it a point to remind yourself of God's faithfulness every morning. Remind yourself of the benefits that are yours in Jesus.

What are those benefits? Psalm 103 spells them out:

1. He forgives all your sins.

2. He heals all your diseases.

3. He redeems your life from destruction.

4. He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

5. He satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6. He executes righteousness and judgment for you against oppression.

7. He sets you free.

8. He makes known His ways to you.

9. He gives you His grace and mercy in times of need.

Make it a point every morning to say those things out loud to the Lord. Stand before Him in prayer and recall His mercies to you. Keep it up and you'll be stronger in faith and more confident of God's love than you've ever been before.

Don't just settle for knowing God's blessings. Remember them every day and watch them come alive in you.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Thanksgiving

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. — PSALM 107:21-22

The forefathers of the United States set aside a day each year to offer thanks to God for His blessings on them in this new world. He had blessed them both spiritually and materially.

We should also offer thanksgiving to God for the spiritual and material blessings of life He has bestowed upon us. And we should thank God for His loving protection and care for us.

This Thanksgiving season, let’s look into God’s Word to see what He has to say about “the giving of thanks.” We’ll look into the New Testament, because we live under the New Covenant, to see what the New Covenant says we are to give thanks for.

Confession: I praise the Lord for His goodness. I sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. I thank Him for the spiritual and material blessings in life. I thank God for His protection and care.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Thank You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Daily Grace Inspiration" devotional by Joseph Prince! 

He Freely Gives

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32

Isaiah 53:5 tells us that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. Every stripe He bore as He was scourged was for our healing. And He willingly allowed stripe after stripe to rip into His body so you and I could be well. Don’t ever believe the enemy’s lie that God wants you sick or that He is not willing to heal you. At the cross, our Lord Jesus demonstrated once and for all that He wants you well.

The Bible even tells us that it pleased the Lord to “crush Him” (Isaiah. 53:10 NASB). I used to wonder how it could have pleased the Lord to crush His own Son. Then one day, the Lord showed me.

My wife, Wendy, and I had gone to a mall and the nearest parking lot we could find was quite a distance away. We did a lot of shopping that day and before we knew it, we had our hands full of shopping bags. By this time, our Jessica, who was a cherubic two-year-old then, was tired and wanted to be carried. I picked her up with one arm, and she was so exhausted she fell asleep on my shoulder almost immediately.

As we walked toward our car, I felt my arm go to sleep, and I realized the car was much farther away than I had thought. It felt like a million pins and needles were piercing my arm, and I knew I could stop the burning pain by simply putting Jessica down and making her walk the rest of the way. But she was sleeping so soundly and deeply, I could not bear to put her down. I loved her so much I was willing to “crush” my arm so my little darling could continue to sleep.

All of a sudden I began to understand how it could please God to crush Jesus, who is described in the same chapter as “the arm of the LORD” (Isaiah 53:1). It pleased the Lord to crush His only begotten Son because of His great love for you and me. That was the only way God could save us from sin and disease, and He willingly chose to give up His Son.

Today you can have full assurance God wants to heal you. The Bible tells us, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

God already gave us the best of heaven when He gave us His darling Jesus. What are our temporal needs when He has already given us a gift that is eternal? Whatever your needs are, whether it is financial provision or healing for your body, they are all lesser compared to the gift of His Son. How shall He not with Him also freely give them to you?

This makes me realize that we are actually doing our wonderful FATHER a great disservice when we don't freely and eagerly receive what HE has provided for us through His own SON! Let's step up our faith and BELIEVE and RECEIVE all that HE has provided for us, giving HIM even more GLORY!!! Here is Brooke Ligertwood  with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 138 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to share the whole Psalm with you today!

[A Psalm] of David.
1 I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! 3 In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self. 4 All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord, for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled]. 5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands.

Verse 2 has always been one of my very favorite verses! We KNOW that the Name of Jesus is higher than any other! BUT, we learn here that it is the Living Word of the Living God that makes the NAME so powerful! If you will mediate on this Psalm (Joshua 1:8 AMPC) asking Holy Spirit to teach you (Psalm 25:5) you will find your self walking in a greater degree of wisdom, understanding, Grace and power! Here is Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 14 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I LOVE the Gospel of John and today verses 1-4 really stood out to me!

1 Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. 2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.

What wonderful promises we have in just these 4 verses! Remember that "let" means CHOICE! I decide in my life and YOU decide in yours whether or not we will allow troubles, situations, circumstances to affect our heart! JESUS sais DO NOT! So let's NOT! JESUS is even now busy preparing our places in Heaven! And then He sais: "I WILL COME BACK"! That's His PROMISE to us! So let's be busy running our race and fulfilling our calling so that when He dos return, He will be WELLL PLEASED with us! Then JESUS also promised THIS in verse 12!

12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

Before we inquire what the 'greater things' are, lets be busy doing the first things! Then verses 13-14 give another solemn promise from JESUS!

13 And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I Am], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. 14 [Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I Am]

So let's ask HIM for what He has promised in His Word that He will do! Then BELIEVE so that we can RECEIVE all that HE has promised! And then the BEST promise is in verses 16-17!

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever— 17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

HE DID THIS! On the Day of Pentecost, JESUS sent HOLY SPIRIT to infill every born again believer! Reread the book of Acts and see what HOLY SPIRIT did through them, and what HE desires to do through US! HALLELUJAH!!! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong with "Every Breath":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Our Life Is Not Our Own

Luke 22:49 'When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?'

The Lordship of Jesus is one of the central themes of scripture. It is clear that many times the word 'Lord,' when referring to Jesus, is equivalent to the divine name 'Yahweh' or 'Jehovah.' To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge His deity (John 20:28).

What it means to give Jesus Lordship in our lives, is to recognize His right to rule in our lives, by right of creation (John 1:3) and right of redemption.

'For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's' (1 Corinthians 6:20).

One of the most damaging attitudes of our time is the exaltation of self over others. Personal rights have been promoted at the expense of others. This is not good for society and it is certainly not the way God expects His body to operate.

As Christians, we need to develop a continual awareness that our lives are not our own. We do not have the liberty to do as we please. We should present our body as a living sacrifice unto God, recognizing that this is just our reasonable duty to the one who gave His life for us (Romans 12:1).

The Lordship of Jesus should be the determining factor in every action of a Christian (Romans 14:7-10). Every thought and action should pass the test, 'Is this what my Lord Jesus wants me to do or think?' If the answer is not a definite 'yes,' then it shouldn't be done. 'Whatsoever is not of faith is sin' (Romans 14:23).

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Agreement

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. — MATTHEW 18:19

You won’t be able to get someone healed if you’re believing that they will live, but they’re believing they will die! There’s no agreement there. When praying for others, it is important to get them to agree.

Usually, when someone comes to me with a prayer request, I say (if I can agree with it), “Let’s join hands now and agree. Listen while I pray, and agree with my prayer. Because if we both pray at once and we don’t pay attention to each other, you may be praying in one direction and I may be praying in another.”

Once a woman came for prayer for a financial need. I prayed, “Father, we agree concerning the one hundred dollars this family needs by the first of next month. We agree that by the first of the month they’ll have this extra one hundred dollars. You said that if two of you agree as touching anything they ask, it shall be done. We agree that it is done, and we thank You for it now, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”

I looked at the woman and asked, “Is it done?”

She started crying, “I hope it is,” she said.

It wasn’t. There was no agreement.

Confession: If there are two of us . . . and we’re on earth . . . and we agree as touching anything we ask in line with God’s Word . . . it shall be done for us of our Father in Heaven!

AMEN! BELIEVE this! RECEIVE this! Now tell everytone about it! And HIM! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 134 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. 

A Song of Ascents.

1 Behold, bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, [singers] who by night stand in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift up your hands in holiness and to the sanctuary and bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]! 3 The Lord bless you out of Zion, even He Who made heaven and earth.

Remember that the "Songs of Ascents" were thought to be what the Israelites making their way to the Temple would sing as they made that ascent! Allow Holy Spirit to lead you in your own Song of Ascent as you rise into His presence! Remember Ephesians 6:6:

6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Here is Hillsong with a perfect song for that! "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible is found in John 10! Verse 10:

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

BELIEVE this and then RECEIVE this for YOUR life! Notice that it says HAVE and ENJOY LIFE! THAT is GOD'S plan for US! Here is Hillsong with "You Are Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from our partner, Rick Renner, and his "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" devotional! 

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. — Revelation 1:13

When John received his vision of the exalted Christ while imprisoned on the island of Patmos, the elderly apostle took note of several prominent features of Jesus’ appearance. One such feature was His garment. In Revelation 1:13, he wrote that Christ was “…clothed with a garment down to the foot….” Today we will take a careful look at this phrase and see what it tells us about the Person of Jesus and why it matters to you as a child of God.

The word “clothed” is derived from the Greek word enduo, a term that referred to one who is dressed in a garment. But it must be noted that the Greek tense used in Revelation 1:13 implies that this particular garment was conferred upon Christ once and for all. He was given this garment by the Father and will be thus clothed forevermore. The Greek tense literally means Jesus was clothed; He is clothed; and He will always be clothed with this particular garment that reaches “down to the foot.”

The phrase “down to the foot” is a translation of poderes, a Greek word used only this one time in the entire New Testament. It describes a robe that flows all the way down to the ankles but leaves the feet exposed. The word poderes is also used seven times in the Old Testament Greek Septuagint to describe the attire of the high priest.

Perhaps the best example of this word poderes is found in Exodus 28, where God told Moses how to make “holy garments” for Aaron and his sons, who would serve as priests. The priestly garment was to be made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen. It was to reach down to the ankles, exactly like the robe Christ was wearing in John’s vision. For this reason, one symbolic meaning of the garment Jesus wore in John’s vision was to portray Him in His role as our Great High Priest!

Hebrews 3:1 (NKJV) declares that Jesus is the “High Priest of our confession.”

Hebrews 4:15-16 describes Jesus Christ as the High Priest who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, a truth that has been a comfort to believers throughout the In these verses, God calls each of us to come boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy and to find help in our time of need from Jesus, our High Priest. 

Hebrews 5:5-6 reveals that the office of High Priest was conferred upon Jesus and that His priesthood will remain “forever” after the order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:24 states that Jesus’ role as our Great High Priest is “unchangeable.”

The ministry of Jesus Christ as our High Priest is one of the most important themes of the New Testament. Jesus was clothed with priestly garments; He is clothed with priestly garments; and He will always be clothed with priestly garments — because He is forever the High Priest of our confession.

The way Jesus was clothed when He appeared to John sent an extremely important message to the apostle and to the Church at large. John was about to receive Jesus’ messages for the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia, some of which would contain correction and stern yet loving rebukes from Christ in response to wrong beliefs and behaviors that were emerging in these congregations. However, by appearing to John as High Priest, Jesus’ intercessory ministry was the prominent feature the apostle noticed before anything else. It proclaimed that Jesus was the Great High Priest who was praying for the churches.

We saw in the September 6 Sparkling Gem that Jesus revealed Himself in Revelation 1:5 first and foremost as the Prince and Supreme Sovereign of the kings of the earth. But in Revelation 1:13, He appeared as High Priest, thus affirming that He was standing in His priestly role, interceding for the churches He was about to discipline and correct. Before He appeared with feet of bronze, representing judgment, He appeared as the Great High Priest who was praying for them — that they might repent before He needed to apply His feet of judgment.

But John’s description of Jesus’ “garment down to the foot” also portrayed the intercessory ministry of Jesus, which will never change. This is an office that was once and for all conferred upon Christ and is unchangeable. Jesus was, is, and will always be interceding on behalf of the Church that He purchased with His own blood.

Hebrews 7:25 declares that Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Dressed in His high priestly garments, He sits in the holy presence of the Father and intercedes on our behalf.

That means Jesus is praying and interceding for you right now. So what is stopping you from coming to Him today with the needs and desires that are on your heart? Jesus was, is, and forever will be your Great High Priest. He is waiting for you to come boldly into His presence to present your needs and desires!

AMEN! Come BOLDLY into HIS presence! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another great one!

Believing First

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. — MARK 9:23

There is just a shade of difference in what you believe when you say it, and when you pray it.

Look again at Mark 11:23 and 24. Jesus didn’t say, “Just believe.” He told us exactly what to believe. Faith by saying is: “. . . believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass . . .” (verse 23). When you are believing that those things which you say shall come to pass, then that means they haven’t come to pass yet. But keep on believing that those things you said — be sure you’ve said it — shall come to pass. I always keep saying right in the face of contradictory circumstances, “It shall come to pass.” What will happen then? “. . . He shall have whatsoever he saith.” Sooner or later you shall have it!

Faith by praying is: “. . . when ye pray, believe that ye receive them . . .” (verse 24). When you pray. Not after you pray. Not next week. But when you pray — that very moment — believe. Believe what? Believe that you receive your requests. Begin to say, “I believe that I receive.” And what will happen? “. . . Ye shall have them!”

Yes, the having will come, but the having doesn’t come first. Believing comes first; then the having follows.

Confession: I am a believer. When I pray, I believe that I receive. When I say, I believe that what I say shall come to pass.

AMEN! ONLY BELIEVE! Believe GOD'S WORD and HIS PROMISES! HE will make it come to pass! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Fear of God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share the devotional from our Spoken Word Church website for today! This is fantastic!

Sing Aloud Your Prayers

Few have discovered this golden secret. Singing changes the climate and atmosphere. Stores even play it in the background during shopping hours. There is a reason for it.

Do something different today. Sing out your prayer requests to God. You will be amazed at the joy and enthusiasm that rises within you.

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” {Ephesians 5:19}

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” {Colossians 3:16}

I LOVE the Word of God put into song! We whether we pray, decree or sing the WORD of GOD, it is ALWAYS the right thing to do and powerfully effective for our lives! I hope that YOU will put this into practice! You will be SO glad you did! Here is Hillsong with "All To Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I really loved Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspiration" devotional!

You Have Been Forgiven Much

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Luke 7:47

Let’s look at Luke 7:36-50 to see what Jesus said about the forgiveness of sins. Simon, a Pharisee, had invited Jesus to his house. While Jesus was seated at the table in Simon’s house, a woman came to Him. She began to weep and she washed His feet with her tears. Then, she wiped His feet with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with fragrant oil.

When Simon saw this, he said to himself, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

Even though Simon did not speak aloud, it is interesting that Jesus answered him by posing this question to him: “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” Jesus said to him, “You have rightly judged.”

Then, Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

The woman loved Jesus much because she knew that she was forgiven much. In actuality, no one has been forgiven little. We have all been forgiven much. As for this woman, she knew it. So the most “dangerous” thing about this doctrine of complete forgiveness of sins is that you will fall in love with Jesus and end up effortlessly fulfilling the greatest commandment: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:36-38). Hallelujah!

If you think that you have been forgiven little, then you will love little. But when you know the truth of how much you have been forgiven, you will love Jesus much! Knowing how much you have been forgiven is the secret to loving Jesus! In other words, you will only love Jesus much when you experience His lavish grace and unmerited favor in forgiving you of all your sins—past, present, and future. But His grace is cheapened when you think that He has only forgiven you of your sins up to the time you got saved, and after that point, you have to depend on your confession of sins to be forgiven.

God’s forgiveness is not given in installments. Don’t go around thinking that when you confess a sin, He forgives you only for that sin. Then, the next time you sin, you need to confess your sin again for Him to forgive you again. Such is the kind of belief that cheapens His grace. And the result of this is that because you think that He has forgiven you little, you will end up loving Him little, and deprive yourself of running to Him and seeing Him help, deliver and prosper you.

Beloved, with one sacrifice on the cross, Jesus blotted out all the sins of your entire life! Don’t cheapen His unmerited favor with your own imperfect efforts to confess all your sins. Accord this gift that Jesus has given you the value that it deserves by fully receiving and experiencing His unmerited favor today!

AMEN! This is SO powerful!!! Every good thing about us comes from and because of JESUS! Don't ever lose the awareness of that TRUTH! The more you keep yourself aware, the more your love for HIM will grow!!! Here is Hillsong with with a song that will remind us of this! "Search My Heart". One of the lines says "Without You I am nothing!" Now THAT is Truth!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

A Good Report

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. — NUMBERS 13:30

And Joshua . . . and Caleb . . . spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. — NUMBERS 14:6-9

Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who had a good report. They didn’t deny that giants were in Canaan; they simply added that the children of Israel would be able to overcome the giants.

“We are well able to overcome them,” they said, “for the Lord is with us!” That was their good report.

Similarly, we believers must not stick our heads in the sand like ostriches and deny that problems and difficulties exist in our lives. Yes, the “giants” are there — but we are well able to overcome them, because the Lord is with us!

When you face the giants of life, don’t have a negative confession. Don’t talk doubt and have an evil report. Faith always has a good report!

Confession: I am well able to overcome the giants in my life — because the Lord is with me! Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.

AMEN! YOU ARE when you are IN HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I really love "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers!

Programme Of Belief

Believest thou this? —John 11:26

Martha believed in the power at the disposal of Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been present He could have healed her brother. She also believed that Jesus had a peculiar intimacy with God and that whatever He asked of God, God would do; but she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s programme of belief had its fulfilment in the future; Jesus led her on until her belief became a personal possession, and then slowly emerged into a particular inheritance — “Yea, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ….”

Is there something like that in the Lord’s dealings with you? Is Jesus educating you into a personal intimacy with Himself? Let Him press home His question to you — “Believest thou this?” What is your ordeal of doubt? Have you come, like Martha, to some overwhelming passage in your circumstances where your programme of belief is about to emerge into a personal belief? This can never be until a personal need arises out of a personal problem.

To believe is to commit. In the programme of mental belief I commit myself, and abandon all that is not related to that commitment. In personal belief I commit myself morally to this way of confidence and refuse to compromise with any other; and in particular belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ, and determine in that thing to be dominated by the Lord alone.

When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me — “Believest thou this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing, and I am staggered that I was so stupid as not to trust Him before.

AMEN! ONLY BELIEVE! Believe what? Believe the Word of the Living God and what HE has to say abvout Who JESUS is and who WE are - IN HIM! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "King of Kings":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES

This is a key the Lord shared with me about positioning ourselves for walking in the fullness of the Blessing: LOOK FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY YOU CAN TO SOW TOWARD IT.

You can’t have a harvest without sowing. Harvests don’t just happen. They are the results of sowing. And if you want manifestations of the fullness of the blessing in your life, then you MUST sow toward that.

The entire earth revolves around this principle. Genesis 8:22 says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest … shall not cease” (AMPC). The whole earth revolves around the principle of sowing and reaping. The world calls it cause and effect. For every action, there is a reaction.

When God first introduced Himself to Abraham in Genesis 12, He told Abraham that He would bless him. God promised to Abraham and his seed:

I will bless you.

I will make you a blessing.

I will make your name great.

I will make a nation out of you, and

Through you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

Did Abraham wait until all of the promises of God for his life were manifested before he started sowing? No, he did not. God was talking about these promises in Genesis 12, 13, and 14.

In chapter 15, Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes of all. This is the first mention of tithing in the Bible. What was Abraham doing? He was not only giving God tithes of all, but he is also sowing toward the fulfillment of the promises that God had given him. Once again, the promises that God gave Abraham haven’t been fulfilled yet.

Over the years, I have learned to follow that example. And if you want to live in the fullness of the Blessing, then let me encourage you to begin to look for every opportunity that you can to sow toward the fulfillment of it. If you do, you won’t be disappointed.

I can tell you without any reservations that God has never let me down and He’ll do the same for you! Amen.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read 3 John 2 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and verse 2 tells us everything we need to know about how our Father desires for US to be BLESSED! 

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

HE has set us up to be BLESSED and to live IN the BLESSING! Never doubt that God wants you to be BLESSED! iIf something is lacking, it is NEVER GOD'S DOING! It is OUR responsibility to find out what He has promised in His Word, meditate on it according to Johsua 1:8 AMPC and the ACT on those instructions! NEVER QUIT BELIEVING! God doesn't! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

What I Say

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; HE SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH. — MARK 11:23

Let’s examine what Jesus said in today’s text: “. . . and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe [that is, believe in his heart] that those things which he saith shall come to pass . . . .” Those things that you say are your words — your confessions — and those words give you power over demons, disease, and circumstances.

What is it Jesus says you shall have? What you believe for? No. Many people think, If I believe strongly enough, it will come to pass. But at the same time, they are talking unbelief, so what they are asking for cannot come to pass!

Jesus did not say, “He shall have whatsoever he BELIEVETH”; He said, “. . . he shall have whatsoever he SAITH.”

For you do receive what you say. If you’re not satisfied with what you have in life, then check up on what you are saying — what you are confessing. All you have and all you are today is a result of what you believed and said yesterday!

Confession: I believe in my heart. I believe in my words.

AMEN! So clear and simple! SO VERY POWERFUL! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is a powerful reminder to us!

Authority And Independence

If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments. —John 14:15 (RV)

Our Lord never insists upon obedience; He tells us very emphatically what we ought to do, but He never takes means to make us do it. We have to obey Him out of a oneness of spirit. That is why whenever Our Lord talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an IF — you do not need to unless you like. “If any man will be My disciple, let him deny himself”; let him give up his right to himself to Me. Our Lord is not talking of eternal positions, but of being of value to Himself in this order of things, that is why He sounds so stern (cf. Luke 14:26). Never interpret these words apart from the One who uttered them.

The Lord does not give me rules, He makes His standard very clear, and if my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without any hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love some one else in competition with Him, viz., myself. Jesus Christ will not help me to obey Him, I must obey Him; and when I do obey Him, I fulfil my spiritual destiny. My personal life may be crowded with small petty incidents, altogether unnoticeable and mean*, but if I obey Jesus Christ in the haphazard circumstances, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God, and when I stand face to face with God I shall discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed. When once God’s Redemption comes to the point of obedience in a human soul, it always creates. If I obey Jesus Christ, the Redemption of God will rush through me to other lives, because behind the deed of obedience is the Reality of Almighty God.

*mean: as used here, something or someone ordinary, common, low, or ignoble, rather than cruel or spiteful.

AMEN! Whatever wo do in obedience to God and His Word is rewarded! Here in this life AND much more in the next! Here is Hillsong with "Bless God and Every Chance I Get":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2":

END TIME ADVICE

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. — 2 Timothy 4:5

Today I want to give you some end-time ministry advice — advice that is very pertinent for the present times. You might want to go back and review what we discussed in the September 26 Sparkling Gem, because it is foundational to what I will share with you today. As we saw, the Holy Spirit prophesied in Second Timothy 4:3-4 that doctrine would change in the last days.

The Holy Spirit inspired these writings in Second Timothy 4 to prepare us for what lies ahead, much of which is already happening right now. He told us that when it comes to our stance on the infallible, incorruptible Word of God, we should be dedicated to correct interpretation and to teaching and preaching that is done with the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is very important instruction for us in a day when people are abandoning the sound teaching of doctrine. Regardless of what others do, we must decide that we will remain clear channels for the truth, even if it means we must put up with accusations that we are too traditional and stuck in the past. This is God’s command to us.

Then Paul wrote in verse 5, “…Make full proof of thy ministry.” The Greek word for “full proof ” is plerophoreo, which simply means fulfill. Paul was urging Timothy to complete his ministry and bring it to its fullness. Although Paul was addressing Timothy directly, he was also talking very specifically to us — to those who would be alive at the end of the age. I believe this refers to our generation, and it certainly explains why we see so much nonsense going on in the world around us concerning the way people think and believe. This kind of deluded thinking and believing has even crept into the Church.

The pure preaching of doctrine is often replaced today with motivational speaking — nice, uplifting messages. In fact, the majority of people in modern congregations are ignorant of the most elementary aspects of New Testament doctrine. And very often, those who occupy the pulpits — although they may be masterful communicators and rate highly among motivational speakers — are equally uneducated in basic Bible principles. Many of those who do know the Bible don’t preach it as strongly as they once did because it’s not as popular as other types of messages. The result of this compromise is a drift from the Holy Scriptures. And this drift continues, seemingly unabated, while the doctrinal vacuum in the Church is being filled with motivational messages and “new-and-improved” church-growth programs. Yet when everything is said and done, only the Bible has the power to permanently transform a life.

Friend, the Bible has not changed. It’s still sharper than any two-edged sword (see Hebrews 4:12), and it’s still the answer for everyone, whether it’s in written form or on your computer or smart phone! The Bible is still the Word of God that has His very breath infused within it. And if you’ll take it into your heart and release it, it will put you on your feet again. It will heal your body, deliver your mind, and bring peace and order to your children and your household!

So much of what “creeps” into your home today is just a treadmill of information designed to keep you in a continual state of learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (see 2 Timothy 3:6-7). So if I could leave you with some valuable end-time advice today, it would be to continue in the truth you know — found in God’s holy, infallible, incorruptible Word.

You can rest assured that the Word of God is, has been, and always will be unchanging, and it will produce fruit in you if you will abide in it. God’s Word will perfectly equip you to stand strong, unfaltering, and unwavering in the days that lie ahead. Your part is simply to abide in His truth and continue in that which you have learned from Him.

AMEN! The WORD of GOD is TRUTH! The only TRUTH! So get into it, learn it, love it, speak it, DO it and share it! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom  in Him!