Shalom,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this year be FILLED with the presence of GOD, the WIDOM of GOD, the POWER of GOD, the REVELATION of GOD. May HIS plans and purposes be mightily manifest in and through YOUR LIFE this year! Here is Hillsong with "You Are Life"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 31 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Over all of the years of reading this book at least twice a year I have come to have a much deeper understanding of what this woman really looks like! The description is NOT merely in the list of accomplishments and abilities. The key that I hope every born again woman would discover is that her worth is NOT in her accomplishments, but that her worth is in who GOD made her to be, who HE called her to be, who HE anointed her to be and who SHE CHOSE to be when she chose to obey His Word and be led by Holy Spirit! Not one of us is exactly like the other! GOD did NOT want clones, but born again, Spirit-filled individuals who carry out HIS will! When we do that, we WILL hear "Well done" even before we get to Heaven! Here is Brandon Lake with one of my favorites from his new album called "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website. This lesson is SO important!

Resurrect Hope in Someone Today

Hope is the expectation of favorable changes. Don’t permit someone you love to remain depressed and devastated by their present circumstances.

Remind them that Jesus Christ is still the Healer and Miracle Worker in every circumstance of life.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” (1 Peter 3:15)

One of the reasons that we are to continue in the Word of God is so that WE can be DOERS of the WORD, encouraging others to do the same! HIS WORD is the ANSWER for every question we can ever have! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Father’s Love

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. — JOHN 14:21-23

Two things are emphasized in today’s text:

1. Jesus said,“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them . . .” Keep in mind what Jesus’ commandments are. He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you . . .” (John 13:34). There’s no reason for you to worry about any other commandments. Walking in love sums up the whole business, because the Word of God says, “. . . love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). (If you keep Jesus’ commandments, you will have fulfilled the rest of the commandments.)

2. “. . . Shall be loved of my Father . . . .” If you walk in love, you are walking in God’s realm, because God is love. God’s very nature, because He is love, compels Him to care for us, protect us, and shield us!

Confession: I have Jesus’ commandments, and I keep them. I love others as God has loved me. I walk in love toward my brethren. I show my love for Jesus by keeping His love commandment. I am loved of the Father!

The most improtant TRUTH in today's lesson is that HE loves US! It is with HIS LOVE that WE are able to love others! Any way we look at it, every good thing in us and about us COMES FROM HIM! So let's live to please HIM and be a BLESSING to HIM and we WILL hear "Well done!" Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Where The Battle’s Lost And Won

If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord… — Jeremiah 4:1

The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world. The Spirit of God apprehends me and I am obliged to get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him. Until this is done, I lose every time. The battle may take one minute or a year, that will depend on me, not on God; but it must be wrestled out alone before God, and I must resolutely go through the hell of a renunciation before Him. Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there. If I say, “I will wait till I get into the circumstances and then put God to the test,” I shall find I cannot. I must get the thing settled between my self and God in the secret places of my soul where no stranger intermeddles, and then I can go forth with the certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity and disaster and upset are as sure as God’s decree. The reason the battle is not won is because I try to win it in the external world first. Get alone with God, fight it out before Him, settle the matter there once and for all.

In dealing with other people, the line to take is to push them to an issue of will. That is the way abandonment begins. Every now and again, not often, but sometimes, God brings us to a point of climax. That is the Great Divide in the life; from that point we either go towards a more and more dilatory and useless type of Christian life, or we become more and more ablaze for the glory of God — “My Utmost for His Highest.”

AMEN! The PROMISES in the WORD of GOD are FOR every born again believer! But ONLY those who FIND them, MEDITATE on them, BELIEVE them and ACT on them will EVER receive them! THAT is OUR PART! HE has ALREADY done HIS part! Let's get to it! HE GETS THE GLORY! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof", because THAT is the kind of FIGHT we must have IN US to receive all that GOD has promised! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to encourage you with our partner Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" devotional! 

Your Spiritual Diet

…Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. — Matthew 13:52

Are leftovers a part of your after-Christmas holiday tradition? After you read today’s Sparkling Gem, you may never look at leftovers the same way again!

When I was young, we always enjoyed a smorgasbord of leftovers each year after Christmas — which included turkey sandwiches smeared with lots of mayonnaise, warmed-up meatloaf spread with ketchup, and mashed potatoes covered with melted butter. Of course, we also had an array of leftover biscuits, cake, pie, and other desserts to choose from that hadn’t been consumed on Christmas Day.

The truth is, we had all kinds of leftovers the day after Christmas — and we sometimes had them for days after Christmas! But we eventually got tired of eating the same old thing, and it became time to clean out the refrigerator and start eating something fresh and new.

Oh, how my mother prepared for Christmas Day! When I was young, I didn’t appreciate all the food she prepared each year for Christmas; I simply consumed it. But now that our own family has grown so large — and I see what it takes to feed a small multitude — I have such gratitude for all the cooking my mother did for us when we were younger. And I’m so thankful to Denise and our daughters-in-law for the luscious meals they prepare for our Christmas celebrations. Even my son Paul jumps into the fray, smoking a lamb that is given to us by a church member each year at Christmas.

It takes time and effort to feed people — and to feed them food prepared from both old recipes and new recipes makes eating more interesting. Most everyone appreciates eating food prepared from old, tried-and-true recipes as well as trying foods that are new.

This makes me think of Matthew 13:52, where Jesus said, “…Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

Notice that in this verse, a scribe — or a teacher — is pictured as “bringing forth of out of his treasure things new and old.” The word “new” is from the Greek word kaina, and it refers to something absolutely new and previously untried. The word “old” is palaia, and it refers to that which is old and has existed for a long time. Although this verse is talking about teachers bringing forth new revelation versus old revelation, I like the example of leftovers and new recipes to further make this point.

There are some teachings, like good leftovers, that are always tasty and enjoyable — and a common staple around the dinner table. But there also comes a time when you want to eat something new. The good news is that the Kingdom of Heaven is full of wonderful established teaching — and it is also overabounding with new, fabulous teaching that you’ve never heard or tried before. A good teacher — like a good food-preparer — will bring out new and old recipes for a family to enjoy! Good “leftovers” are always enjoyable, but your spiritual taste buds will eventually cry out to eat something new!

I know from personal experience that as we give our attention to the Word of God, the Holy Spirit adds new insights to the old ones and causes our understanding of God and His Word to be marvelously expanded. I relate well to the scribe described in Matthew 13:52. Many of the Greek word studies you read in this book are old to me; yet so many of them are brand new. Often I think that I have unearthed every gem that can possibly be found in a particular verse of the New Testament. But then I study that same verse again, and the Holy Spirit wonderfully opens my eyes and illuminates my mind to show me truths that I previously didn’t see!

So let’s keep our minds and eyes open for the Holy Spirit to provide not only great leftovers, but also new teachings that we haven’t learned yet. Let us remain hungry for new teachings and new revelation from the Word of God that we’ve never attained to before. The old, familiar truths of Scripture are always healthy and good, but there is a cry in the spirit of man to know more, to attain more, and to taste new levels of the Lord’s goodness. So let’s enjoy the leftovers, but let’s also press forward to attain new truths in the spiritual feast the Lord has waiting for us. We must never forget Psalm 34:8, which says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good…”!

AMEN! I LOVE that every year that we go through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, Holy Spirit brings new revelation to add the wonderful Truths that we have already learned! Do YOU desire to learn more of the Word of God? The first step is to become a DOER of the Word that you already know! Then you can continue to build on as great foundation! Here, to inspire you in that, is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Merry Christmas everyone! My 'nugget' for you today is one of my favorite Christmas songs from Hillsong called "Born Is The King":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs 25:2 in our reading today has one verse that should be our foundational motivation for getting, and staying, in the WORD of GOD! 

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.

It is OUR responsibility to thoroughly search the Word of God to find out who HE says we are, what HE says we have, and what HE says we can do! Then walk in the LIGHT of what you learn! Prosperity in every area will follow!  Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

How Can I Personally Partake In The Atonement?

But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ. — Galatians 6:14

The Gospel of Jesus Christ always forces an issue of will. Do I accept God’s verdict on sin in the Cross of Christ? Have I the slightest interest in the death of Jesus? Do I want to be identified with His death, to be killed right out to all interest in sin, in worldliness, in self — to be so identified with Jesus that I am spoilt for every thing else but Him? The great privilege of discipleship is that I can sign on under His Cross, and that means death to sin. Get alone with Jesus and either tell Him that you do not want sin to die out in you; or else tell Him that at all costs you want to be identified with His death. Immediately you transact in confident faith in what Our Lord did on the Cross, a supernatural identification with His death takes place, and you will know with a knowledge that passeth knowledge that your “old man” is crucified with Christ. The proof that your “old man” is crucified with Christ is the amazing ease with which the life of God in you enables you to obey the voice of Jesus Christ.

Every now and again, Our Lord lets us see what we would be like if it were not for Himself; it is a justification of what He said — “Without Me ye can do nothing.” That is why the bedrock of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus. We mistake the ecstasy of our first introduction into the Kingdom for the purpose of God in getting us there; His purpose in getting us there is that we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Search My Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Ephesians 1 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and THIS from verses 16-23 is what I pray daily for friends, family and relatives! YOU can pray them for yourself by making it personal and for others by putting their names in this! POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE prayer according to the WORD of GOD! 

16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,
18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),
19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,
20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],
21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.
22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],
23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Turnaround":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have several wonderful promises in our reading today through opur Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Proverbs 22 has these!

6 Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.

12 The eyes of the Lord keep guard over knowledge and him who has it, but He overthrows the words of the treacherous.

Galatians 6 has this:

9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint

Commit yourself to be a DOER of God's Word and you WILL see HIS promised results! Here Brandon Lake with "More":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

A Little Bit of Heaven on Earth

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another...even as Christ forgave you. Colossians 3:12-13

Living in a home filled with the love and the peace of God Himself is almost like living in heaven right here on earth. We all know that's true. And we long to live in such a home. Yet, time and time again, we shortchange our families. We spend our kindest words and our most winning smiles on those beyond our front door.

Have you ever wondered why?

The answer is simpler than you might suspect. Spiritually speaking, your family is under attack. You see, it is not only one of your most precious gifts, when it's operating in harmony, it's one of your most powerful resources. Satan knows that even if you don't—and he's out to destroy it.

His battle plan is simple. He will do everything he can to create strife in your home. He'll stir up feelings of self-pity and jealousy. He'll encourage you to nurse resentments and harbor bitterness. And through it all, his purpose remains the same: to divide and destroy your home.

When God's people get in harmony with each other, miracles start to happen. Their agreement creates an atmosphere in which God's supernatural, miracle-working power is free to flow! So Satan is constantly tempting us to spoil that atmosphere, to foul things up by being at odds with each other. All too often we fall prey to his tactics simply because we don't realize just how dangerous strife really is. One close look at the Word of God will solve that problem, however. James 3:16 says, "Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

Don't open the door of your home to Satan by allowing your family the "luxury" of a few quarrels.

Stop the destruction before it starts. Anchor yourself to God's Word. Find out what He has to say about the power of agreement. Stop looking at your family from your own limited perspective and start seeing it as God sees it—as a powerhouse! That way you won't drift helplessly into an argument every time a gust of emotion blows through your home.

Determine right now not to let the devil have your family. Instead, pray for them, support them and love them. Bring them together, so you can all enjoy a little bit of heaven on earth.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Kids" because "You never let your kids down"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been using Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotionals for many years and I love going through them again! Here is today's:

Mediator

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. — 1 TIMOTHY 2:5

Man’s condition demanded an Incarnation — man had become spiritually dead with no approach to God. The Incarnation of Deity with humanity provided One who could stand as man’s Mediator. Equal with God on one hand and united with man on the other, this One could assume the obligations of man’s treason and satisfy the claims of Justice, thereby bridging the chasm between God and man.

God created man in His own image, just a little lower than Himself; so nearly like God that it was possible for God and man to become united for eternity in one individual! (When Christ became a man and took on a physical body in the Incarnation, He did so for eternity. Therefore, there is a God-man in Heaven today at the Father’s right hand as a result of the Incarnation.) It was possible for God and man to become united!

God can dwell in these human bodies of ours, God can impart His life and nature to our spirits. That’s what takes place at the New Birth: Spiritual death is eradicated from the spirit, and God gives man His life!

Confession: Today at the right hand of the Father there is a God-man, our Mediator, Jesus Christ. Jesus bridged the gap for me. He made it possible for spiritual death to depart from my spirit, and for God’s own life and nature to take its place in my spirit. Therefore, God now dwells in my spirit. God lives in me!

HALLELUJAH and AMEN! I hope that YOU will study on to REALLY KNOW and UNDERSTAND what these powerful TRUTHS mean for your life! Here is Brandon Lake with "More":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 19 in today's "Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan" and I am sharing some of the verses that really blessed me! 

8 He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good.

Then we have these verses:

20 Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. 21 Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.

And then another of my favorites is found in verse 23:

23 The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with [actual] evil.

This last verse is my favorite, BY FAR! The fear of the LORD does NOT mean to be afraid of Him1 It means to be in awe of HIM! To worship HIM, honor HIM and obey HIM! ANYTHING that HE tells us to do is for our benefit, so that HE can BLESS us and we can walk IN THE BLESSING! And we CANNOT be visited with ACTUAL EVIL!!! I believe that this means that even though we will deal with certain situations and circumstances, we will be protected in HIS PRESENCE, so that we can LAUGH at the enemy and all of his fruitless, useless, powerless, and empty threats! WE ARE who GOD SAYS WE ARE! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Dare to Take Your Place

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared...which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs. Titus 3:4,6-7

A covenant of grace. That's what you and I have with Almighty God. If you could truly grasp the significance of that, you'd never be the same again.

What exactly is a covenant of grace? It's a relationship of favor that gives you access to someone else's power.

An illustration of a covenant of grace is the covenant the old Sicilian "family" members have with the "godfather" of the "family."

In that group, a weak person might come in and ask the Don for a favor. The Don would say, "I will grant this favor and I will ask a favor of you, and when that time comes, I will collect it."

Once that was said, the weak person would become excited. Suddenly he knew he would no longer have this problem because anyone who tried to rough him up would now have to face the godfather, the one with all the power. Suddenly, that little guy's attitude would change. He would leave the presence of the head of the family in the full assurance that he didn't have a thing to worry about. He was no longer small and powerless in his own mind. He had gained favor (grace) with the powerful.

He'd walk out thinking, Everything is handled. All I have to do now is whatever the Don asks me to do—and the Don knows I don't have anything, so whatever he asks me to do, he'll provide the wherewithal to do it.

That's grace. God's willingness to enter in to blood covenant with you and give you everything He has in exchange for everything you have.

He took your sin to give you His righteousness. He took your sickness to give you His health. He took your poverty in order to meet all your needs according to His riches in glory. Whenever He asks you to do something, He provides everything you need to carry it out.

The great Jehovah, God of heaven and earth, is your Father God. Can you understand that? If you're under the blood of Jesus, you've been made a covenant child of the most powerful being in the universe.

Dare to take your place in the family!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Kids" because WE are all GOD'S KIDS! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I was really blessed with this from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional!

Bring Every Thought into Captivity

Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to many believers today, the enemy has launched malicious disinformation campaigns that have effectively enslaved them for years to low self-esteem, self-hatred, guilt, eating disorders, perversions, inordinate fears, and all kinds of crazy habits and addictions.

I want to expose the enemy’s lies and to help you see with pristine clarity the enemy’s deceptive and manipulative tactics. These lies will collapse like a house of cards the second you see your true identity in Christ.

Your weapons for this warfare are found in the truth of God’s Word, and they are mighty and have the power to overthrow and destroy every stronghold that has been built up through disinformation and wrong believing. And the way we can destroy these strongholds in our mind is by “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

When I was a young believer, I was taught that it was my responsibility to bring my every thought into obedience to Christ. I tried and struggled with that for years and ended up with more mental oppression, stress, and guilt than I had started with.

One day God opened my eyes and said to me, “Son, keep your focus and your thoughts always on the obedience of Christ, and that will be a powerful weapon to pull down the devil’s strongholds in your mind.” When He said that to me, it felt like the lights were suddenly switched on in my head.

So what does it mean to capture every thought to the obedience of Christ? Simply this: to focus on Jesus’ obedience to the Father at the cross, through which we were all made forever righteous the moment we believed in Him.

Can you see that our obedience today under the new covenant begins with choosing to believe that we are made righteous by Christ’s obedience at the cross? The apostle Paul describes our obedience as “obedience to the faith” (Romans 16:26)—believing right about what Jesus has done to make us righteous. And when we believe right like this, we will find His grace motivating and empowering us to think and live right.

God’s Word tells us, “The just [righteous] shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). You can say it like this: the righteous shall live by right believing. When you have right believing, you release the power of God to live right.

The next time you have negative thoughts, catch yourself and look toward the obedience of Christ. See the cross. See Jesus. See Him washing your mind with His precious blood.

When you believe the gospel, the true gospel that says you are righteous through Jesus’ obedience (Romans 5:19), you will have right living. The right results will follow.

My friend, the more you believe right that you have been made righteous and blessed through Christ’s obedience, the more you will see the fruit of obedience in your life. Praise Jesus for His marvelous grace!

HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child", which is who YOU are - IN HIM!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to encourage you today with two verses from Proverbs 16 as we read through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!

3 Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

When we TRUST HIM  enough to commit every area of our lives into His hands, HE will show up BIG TIME! In EVERY area! AND He causes His great PEACE to be upon us, our families and everything we lay our hands to will prosper! But we must BUILD that trust within ourselves by spending time in His Word, in prayer, in praise and worship and in intimate fellowship with HIM! JUST DO IT, then WATCH and SEE what our M IGHTY GOD will do! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

No Deposit—No Return

...Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.... He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:1, 7

Are you ready to face a crisis? Don't wait until one hits to find out. Prepare yourself now.

That's what a couple of my Partners did. They faced a situation that would have made many people panic. But when the crisis hit, their hearts were so deeply established on the Word of God that their first response was not one of fear but of faith.

What affected me most when I heard their testimony was one particular phrase they kept using:

No Deposit—No Return

What they meant by that was that if you don't take the time to deposit the Word in your heart now, it won't be there later when you really need it. You'll end up in a crisis with only doubt and unbelief instead of the faith and power you need to see you through. In a situation like the one this couple faced, that could be deadly.

You see, their 2-year-old son had suffered a fall that had cracked his skull and critically injured his neck. He had no feeling in his arms and legs and was unable to move. Yet as they rushed him to the emergency room, a great sense of peace rested on them. Rather than crying with fear, they prayed in faith and declared, "By Jesus' stripes, our son is healed!"

Sure enough, within hours, their boy was totally restored. Even the X-rays verified the fact that a miracle had taken place.

What's important to understand about that story is this: The victory was not won when the damage to that little boy's body disappeared. It was won all during the days and weeks and months before when his parents were listening to tapes and studying the Word and praying in the spirit. It was won because these people had spent time building a foundation on the Word so that when this storm came, they were able to stand.

Now is the time for you to build a rock-solid foundation! Don't wait around until you're faced with a crisis. Get the Word in your heart in abundance now, so when you really need it, it will flow out in power.

Remember: No deposit—no return.

Start making those precious deposits today!

AMEN! YOU are the ONLY ONE whi CAN do this in YOUR life! Here is Brandon Lake with another new song called "Kids":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 14 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Look at verses 6-8:

6 A scoffer seeks Wisdom in vain [for his very attitude blinds and deafens him to it], but knowledge is easy to him who [being teachable] understands. 7 Go from the presence of a foolish and self-confident man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. 8 The Wisdom [godly Wisdom, which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of [self-confident] fools is to deceive.

I LOVE the Book of Proverbs! Such simple, practical and TRUE Wisdom for all who will continue to meditate on these wo0nderful TRUTHS! Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional fromour Spoken Word Church website is short but powerful!

Abandon Abusive Friendships

There are four kinds of people in your life. Those who add, subtract, divide and multiply.

Those who do not increase you, inevitably will decrease you. It is the responsibility of others to discern your worth.

“Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” Proverbs 22:24-25

Be a blessing to everyone you come in contact with for THEIR good, to show them JESUS! BUT, do not let another person superced what GOD has told you to do! 

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "I'll Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

A Great Plan!

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. — GENESIS 3:15

Man fell.

But God had a plan — a great plan — redemption! God assumed the liabilities of man’s transgressions and redeemed him from Satan’s dominion. God had a plan to give life back to man. God’s plan allowed man’s nature to be changed back into harmony with God’s nature.

God cannot ignore man’s transgressions. Justice demanded that the penalty for man’s crime be paid — but man himself was unable to pay it. Therefore, because man couldn’t save himself, God had to provide a Redeemer.

No sooner had man fallen under the dominion of his enemy, Satan, than God began to speak forth His plan concerning the Coming One. This One, the seed of woman (for it was prophesied that a woman would give birth to a child independent of natural generation) would break Satan’s dominion over man! This One would set men free! This One would bruise the head of the serpent!

In Oriental languages, “bruising the head” means breaking the lordship of a ruler. When God spoke those words to Satan in Genesis 3:15, Satan had just come into the dominion meant to belong to man. But God spoke forth that his Wonderful Seed of woman would come to break Satan’s lordship.

Confession: Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption, which You planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate.

AMEN!  Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

COMFORT ONE ANOTHER

Blessed be God…who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
— 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I was a university freshman when my Grandmother Renner was hospitalized over the Christmas holiday with a heart condition and my wonderful Grandpa Renner — a man who had a strong impact on my life — was home alone for several weeks. Everyone in our family noticed that he had begun to act oddly during those weeks, but we simply attributed it to the medication he was taking for severe arthritis. He seemed to be thinking irrationally a lot, lost in the fog of his imagination while he was home alone and Grandma was in the hospital.

One day while I was home on holiday break, my father called me and said, “Grandpa doesn’t answer the phone, and he hasn’t been to the hospital to see Grandma today. She’s worried about him, and it’s not normal that no one has heard from him. Would you please meet me at your grandparents’ house so we can make sure that everything is all right?”

Without going into the details, I’ll tell you that everything was not all right. The house was locked, and since Grandpa was nowhere to be seen, we ventured into his beloved garage to see if he was doing something in there. It was there that we discovered that my grandpa had taken his life. I’ll never forget that moment, and the great grief that overwhelmed my father. However, in that moment, the Holy Spirit filled me with a tangible sense of His power so I could be a supernatural support to my father in that moment of intense grief and shock.

Dad stayed with Grandpa’s body and asked me to call our pastor. Within minutes, our pastor rang the doorbell to announce his arrival. Not long after that, medical workers arrived in an ambulance to examine my grandpa’s body and transport him to the morgue. As if that day had not already been difficult enough, Dad and I then had to go to the hospital to break the sorrowful news to Grandma. When we told her, she and Dad simply held each other and cried — a sight I shall never forget as long as I live.

That next year, we all dreaded Christmas because we knew that it would remind us of the previous year’s tragedy, and we knew that we would feel the absence of Grandpa and potentially live through the pain of those emotions all over again.

However, God was with us in a mighty and faithful way that Christmas season. His grace was simply upon us — comforting us and helping us move forward with no great, crushing grief. It was truly miraculous to see how God worked to help us through what could have been a very difficult time.

When I think of that heart-wrenching moment, my thoughts go to Second Corinthians 1:3 and 4, where Paul wrote, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

In verse 3, Paul called God the Father of “mercies.” This is the Greek word oiktirmos, which describes compassion, lament, or sorrow. It tells us that God completely understands and identifies with the suffering soul. The word “comfort” is paraklesis, which describes the encouragement, consolation, and comfort that one provides to another who is undergoing bereavement, hardship, or suffering. It is encouragement in a time of desperate need. When these words are used together, they tell us that God Himself comes to the assistance of those who are suffering difficulty, whether physical or emotional.

In verse 4, Paul continued, “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

The word “tribulation” in Greek is thlipsis, and it depicts a crushing pressure — far beyond what the normal human being could undergo or survive. It tells us that when Paul wrote these words, he was suffering immensely. But God “comforted” him — that is, God stood by Paul and gave him the strength he needed to go through the trial successfully. As a result, Paul was able to “…comfort them which are in any trouble.”

Perhaps there is nothing more powerful than a personal testimony, and Paul could testify that God had sustained him through a crushing period of his life. He had been “comforted by God” — God stepped forward to personally sustain and encourage Paul and assure him that he would make it through the end of his trial.

This is precisely what my family experienced when Grandpa Renner took his life. At the time, it felt crushing, debilitating, and so very painful. However, God stepped forward to personally strengthen us through that crushing ordeal. As a result, we are able to tell others that, regardless of what they might face or have to deal with in life, God will be with them and will sustain them to the end! He is the God of all comfort, and He is faithful to help us through each and every trial!

My prayer for you all is that you will trust the God of all comfort to comfort YOU in every sad and trying situation! He LOVES you more than you can now even comprehend and He is ever willing to show you so! Here is Brandon Lake with "God Is Not Against Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share fromour partner, Jerry Savelle's, devotional!

BE DETERMINED TO WIN

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV

So you’ve made the decision to believe and act on what the Word of God says about your situation. You’ve prayed in faith, believing you’ve received the promised outcome, but you don’t yet have it.

This is where determination comes in.

The Greek word for determination means a firmness of purpose. It also means to give definite aim or direction; an unwavering resolution, and to set a boundary. In other words, it’s time to become determined, to set a boundary, and then not compromise. Stay with the unwavering decision that you will agree with the Word and be made completely whole in every area of your life.

Either the Word of God is true or it isn’t. Either God can be trusted or He can’t. Well, the Word of God is true and He can be trusted—so why waiver?

Make a firm resolution in your heart and mind that you are not going to compromise. Decide that you are not going to be moved by what you see, feel, or hear. Make the determination right now that the only thing that is going to move you is God, and you will see the wholeness that is yours in Jesus Christ.

Confession: Father, I am determined to do Your will and live according to Your Word. My trust is in You alone, and I refuse to be moved by anything else. I hold on to my confidence, knowing that in due season I will receive all that You have promised me.

AMEN! After receiving JESUS as LORD and SAVIOUR, this is the  most important decision that you can make! Believing, receiving and acting on the Word of God will put you in position to walk in the BLESSING of the New Covenant! Here is Brandon Lake with "I'll Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, 

I was REALLY BLESSED by today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" from Joseph Prince's website! 

Rightly Divide the Word

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

When our Lord stood in the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the book of Isaiah, He proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord and stopped reading just before the words, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” In doing so He showed us how to rightly divide the Word of God as today’s scripture instructs us to do. He made it precisely clear that we are in the age of grace.

When you learn to rightly divide God’s Word, I believe that you will begin to see His grace, His love, and His security flood every area of your life. Let me share with you a precious testimony of restoration that illustrates this. Valerie, a lady from Illinois, shares:

'I became a believer almost twenty years ago and my life changed tremendously. Despite being saved, I felt that something was still wrong because I was repeatedly diagnosed with cancer—four times in all.

After my last relapse of cancer, I watched Pastor Joseph Prince on television and ordered his materials. The first thing I remember learning was that all of my sins have been forgiven! Before that, I was taught of the need to repent and receive forgiveness from God whenever I sinned. I also learned that God was not looking at my performance to accept me, love me, or bless me, but at Jesus’ finished work on the cross. What a deep blessing these truths were to my heart, body, and soul!

I became a partner with the ministry and today, I have all of Pastor Prince’s teachings and I meditate on them all the time. Now, my walk with the Lord is amazing! I no longer feel condemned or guilty and I am no longer walking in fear! I also have a revelation of Christ’s love for me and I have an intimate relationship with Him.

With God’s help, my finances have also improved. I am fifty-six years of age and I now have my first home! On top of all this, I am cancer-free, have witnessed salvations in my family, and am enjoying better relationships with my family members.

I can’t express in words how much Pastor Prince’s ministry has blessed my life. It is forever changed! My eyes have been opened to GOD’S GRACE and I will never go back to my old beliefs and ways of thinking.'

Isn’t it amazing that as Valerie began to learn how to rightly divide God’s Word, she began to experience God’s abundant restoration in quite literally every area of her life, that included an intimate relationship with Him, restoration of physical health, and blessed family relationships?

This is such an encouragement to my team and to me because preaching the gospel of grace is all about helping and lifting up God’s precious people. I am deeply humbled and grateful to be a part of this grace revolution that is transforming one life, one marriage, and one family at a time across the entire world. All honor, glory, and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ!

I hope that you were blessed by this testimoy, too, and that YOU will make it a top priority to 'rightly divide the Word of God'! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share another "Faith Food" devotional from Kenneth E. Hagin!

Long Life

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore. . . . With long life will I satisfy him . . . . — PSALM 91:14-16

“But, Brother Hagin,” someone said, “I knew a minister who was a wonderful man of God, and he died at age forty-two.”

That doesn’t mean I have to die young. I don’t know what that minister believed — but I know what I believe. And I know that the God who is more than enough said, “I will satisfy him with long life.”

Someone else will say, “That just means we’re going to live forever in Heaven.” No, even sinners are going to live forever. They’re going to live in one place, and we’re going to live in another. That scripture is referring to our enjoying long life here upon this earth.

A reading of Proverbs reveals that the Word of God says that doing certain things will lengthen your life, but doing certain other things will shorten your life. Ephesians 6:1-3 tells children to honor their parents, “That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Peter quoted the Psalms assuring us that these promises belong to us (1 Peter 3:10; Psalm 34:12).

Our promised lifespan is seventy or eighty years (Psalm 90:10). But don’t compromise. Don’t settle for anything less. And believe God for all you can!

Confession: Because I have set my love upon God, El Shaddai will satisfy me with long life. Unless the Lord Jesus Christ returns before I die, I will live out my years in service to God. I will live and work together with God in carrying out His will upon the earth.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof"! I desire to operate in THIS kind of FAITH, TRUST and CONFIDENCE!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share agin from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This has been my 'Go To' dcevotional for many years now and the simple, powerful teachings here have never lost their power! 

He Honors

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore . . . I will set him on high. . . . and honour him. — PSALM 91:14-15

I’d rather have God honor me than to have all the acclaim this world can offer.

The story is told that one day Napoleon was reviewing his troops when his horse began to buck. A young private stepped over, took the horse by the bridle, and quieted him down. Napoleon said, “Thank you, Captain.” And the private moved into rank of a captain. But the other officers shunned this young man. They had earned their rank, but his had been granted to him. Napoleon noticed this and called for a full, gala review of his army. He sat this young man on a horse by his side, and they rode out to the parade grounds together. The other officers then began to say, “That fellow’s a favorite with Napoleon.” And they began to court his favor.

The world may not know it, but the time is coming when they are going to find out that we are favorites with the King of kings and Lord of lords. And they’ll wish they had courted our favor. Jesus Himself said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). Jesus’ favor far outshines any that this world can bestow.

Confession: Because I have set my love upon God, He will set me on high. He will honor me. I am a favorite with the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am a favorite with the God who is more than enough!

AMEN! There IS no greater LOVE than HIS for us all! Let's be partakers of ALL that JESUS gave His life for! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Temple Of The Holy Ghost

Only in the throne will I be greater than thou. — Genesis 41:40

I have to account to God for the way in which I rule my body under His domination. Paul said he did not “frustrate the grace of God” — make it of no effect. The grace of God is absolute, the salvation of Jesus is perfect, it is done for ever. I am not being saved, I am saved; salvation is as eternal as God’s throne; the thing for me to do is to work out what God works in. “Work out your own salvation”; I am responsible for doing it. It means that I have to manifest in this body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mystically, but really and emphatically. “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” Every saint can have his body under absolute control for God. God has made us to have government over all the temple of the Holy Spirit, over imaginations and affections. We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to inordinate affections. Most of us are much sterner with others than we are in regard to ourselves; we make excuses for things in ourselves whilst we condemn in others things to which we are not naturally inclined.

“I beseech you,” says Paul, “present your bodies a living sacrifice.” The point to decide is this — “Do I agree with my Lord and Master that my body shall be His temple?” If so, then for me the whole of the law for the body is summed up in this revelation, that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

AMEN! WE are HIS and HE has the right to expect us to line up with HIS WORD and not our own feelings, thoughts or ideas! We are here on earth representing HIM! So let's do it well! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

He Answers

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore. . . . He shall call upon me, and I will answer him . . . . — PSALM 91:14,15

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. — JEREMIAH 33:3

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. . . . . — MATTHEW 21:22

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. — MARK 11:24

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you . . . ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. . . . . — JOHN 16:23,24

These are by no means all of the scriptures on the subject of prayer. But these scriptures alone are enough to set our hearts on fire. They’re enough to start us praying. Why? Because El Shaddai said to us, “I will answer.” The Almighty God — the One who is more than enough — has promised to answer those who set their love on Him!

Confession: I have set my love upon Almighty God; therefore, He answers me. I call upon Him, and He answers me. I ask, and He gives me. I seek, and He causes me to find. I knock, and He opens it to me. What things soever I desire, when I pray, I believe that I receive them, and God causes me to have them. Whatever I ask in Jesus’ Name, Almighty God gives me. My joy is full!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

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

Oh, What Joy!

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7

The moment you invited Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior, all your sins were forgiven—your past sins, your present sins, and your future sins. Once you are born again, you are in Christ. You do not have to try to get forgiveness. You have the forgiveness of sins through His blood, and this forgiveness of sins that you have is not according to what you have done, but according to the riches of God’s grace—His unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor!

The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). In other words, the punishment for sin is death. It also tells us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NIV). Blood is thus necessary for the forgiveness of sins. That is why even under the old covenant of law, sin was covered temporarily through the blood of sacrificial animals.

The good news of the gospel is that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven to earth and sacrificed Himself at the cross. His perfect, sinless blood provided forgiveness for all our sins. You and I cannot pay for our own sins, so He did it for us. Now, whosoever believes in Him will never die but will receive the gift of eternal life. Hallelujah!

My friend, notice how David describes the blessedness of a man whose sins are forgiven:

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” —Romans 4:7–8 NLT

Oh, what joy and what a blessing it is to receive the forgiveness of sins! Conversely, when believers start to question if they are truly forgiven, it leads to all kinds of insecurities, fears, and destructive bondages.

Fear and insecurity cannot exist in a healthy relationship with God. In a marriage relationship, for example, if a wife never feels secure in her husband’s love for her, she will never draw strength from or find joy in her marriage. Instead of thriving, that marriage will disintegrate over time. Similarly, our heavenly Father does not want us to live trapped in perpetual insecurity because we are never sure of our forgiveness.

Today, based on the Word of God, rejoice and thank God for the blessing of His forgiveness, so dearly paid for and so freely given to us. Let this truth of the gospel anchor and put strength in your heart, and drive away every fear and sense of insecurity.

AMEN! Learn from the Word of God what all JESUS has obtained for us through His death, burial and RESURRECTION! Now make it YOURS by believing and receiving! HE did it ALL for YOU! Here is Hillsong with "The Passion":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs give us the Wisdom of God for situations and also show us what happens when we forsake this Wisdom! Today we read Proverbs 3. Verses 1-6 tells us this:

1 My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you.
3 Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.
4 So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man.
5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Notice that we have a choice to makeconcerning the Word of God! ('Let' means we have a choice to do so or not!) When we DO verses 1, then verse 2 is the promised result! When we obey and DO verse 3, then we will be able to walk in verse 4! All through the Word of God we are presented with GOD'S Way and given the CHOICE to do it! OUR choices produce the results we will have. Let's make obeying God's Word our top priority and walk in all of the BLESSINGS that HE has promised! THIS blesses HIM! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really LOVE today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin! It isa all about our ALL SUFFICIANT GOD!

El Shaddai

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD; walk before me, and be thou perfect. — GENESIS 17:1

The original Hebrew of this Old Testament verse reads that God said, “I am El Shaddai.”

God was revealed to Israel by seven covenant names, one of which was El Shaddai — which literally means “the God who is more than enough,” or “the All-Sufficient One.”

It will help your faith to think of God as “the One who is more than enough!”

Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed Himself as El Shaddai — the God who is more than enough. For example, as God was bringing the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, Pharaoh’s soldiers went after them to recapture them and make them slaves again. On one side of the children of Israel was the wilderness; on the other side, mountains. The Red Sea lay before them. They seemingly were boxed in, but they looked to God — the God who is more than enough — and He divided the sea! He congealed the depths in the heart of the sea (Exodus 15:8)! He froze the waters! The waters stood up on each side like a wall, and Israel walked across to the other side. Our God is more than enough!

Confession: My Father is El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough. He’s more than any mountain to my right. He’s more than any enemy behind me. He’s more than any obstacle before me. He is my very own Father. And He is El Shaddai — the God who is more than enough!

HALLELUJAH and AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Calvary's Enough":

Shalom in Him!