Shalom,

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

BE A CHEERFUL GIVER

Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (that is, He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver.... And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, The Amplified Bible

Some people say you need to “give till it hurts.” Don’t you believe it. God doesn’t want gifts given in pain. He wants gifts given in joy! In fact, those are the only kinds of gifts that please Him.

That’s why He tacked His promise of abundance onto His command about cheerful giving. The two are connected.

Cheerful, full of faith, even hilarious giving—that is the key that unlocks the treasure house of God. Have you ever seen a group of people give that way? I have. I’ll never forget it. I was at a camp meeting years ago when offering time turned into a spontaneous, supernatural celebration. Ken was singing Bread Upon the Water, and the people were just dancing their way down the aisles to give their money. The joy in that place was glorious. Great healings and miracles were done that night.

But what stood out to me above all was how joyously and hilariously the people brought their offerings to God. The offering wasn’t extracted from them like a dentist extracts teeth. It was brought forth gladly.

The concept of “giving till it hurts” didn’t come from God. He’d rather you give 10 dollars with that kind of joy than 20 dollars grudgingly. In 2 Corinthians 8:11-12, the Apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to give with eager willingness. Eager willingness. That’s what God looks for!

If you haven’t given that way in the past, make a firm commitment to start. Repent for the times you’ve given grudgingly. Then spend some serious time with God and His Word in your prayer closet, so when you give again, you can give from a willing heart.

Put the “pain” of giving behind. Become “a cheerful, (joyous, ‘prompt to do it’) giver,” and believe me, your blessings will abound!

AMEN! And the Classis Amplified Bible adds this to the end of verse 7 from above: [whose heart is in his giving].

Here is Brandon Lake with "More", because we CANNOT outgive GOD! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

He Keeps His Word

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. — ISAIAH 55:10-11

Isaiah 55:11 is a verse you should continually use in prayer. It is the very backbone of the prayer life. No word that has gone forth from God can return to Him void.

God said, “. . . I will hasten my word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:12). A marginal note in the King James version reads, “I will watch over my word to perform it.”

God will make His Word good if you dare to stand by it!

The greatest answers to prayer I have received came when I brought God’s Word to Him and reminded Him of what He had to say.

Praise God, He keeps His Word!

Confession: God’s Word shall not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish that which God pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto God sent it. I bring God’s Word to Him in prayer. And God makes it good. He keeps His Word. And I receive the benefits.

AMEN! The WORD of GOD is FINAL AUTHORITY! Make the Word of God your top priority in study and meditaion and you will find that your enitre life will change for the better! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are in Joshua 7-8 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, but I missed Joshua 1-2 the other  day and I want to look at verse 8 today!

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

AMEN!Meditate over and over again on the Scripture passage above! Now let it become a part of you and truly LIVE! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Secret to Solomon’s Wisdom

Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours? 1 Kings 3:9

Let’s take a look at the life of Solomon. When Solomon became king, he was only a young man of about 18 years old and had big shoes to fill as David's successor to the throne. Solomon was not filled with wisdom when he first ascended the throne but he was clearly very earnest.

He went to Mount Gibeon, where the tabernacle of Moses was, to offer a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord. At Mount Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (2 Chronincles 1:7).

Now, think about this for a moment. What would you have asked for if you were in Solomon’s position? Solomon did not ask for riches. Neither did he ask to be honored by all men. Instead, he told the Lord, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?" (2 Chronincles 1:10).

The Bible records that Solomon’s request “pleased the Lord” (1 Kings 3:10) and the Lord replied, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king—wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like” (2 Chronicles 1:11–12).

The Book of 1 Kings tells us that Solomon told the Lord, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” So when Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge, he was asking for an understanding heart.

Let’s go deeper. The word “understanding” here is the Hebrew word shama, which means “to hear intelligently.” In other words, Solomon had asked for a hearing heart—one that hears from and flows with the leading of the Spirit of God, who leads us into all truth (John 16:13). You need a hearing heart for God's wisdom to flow through you in every aspect of your life!

I believe that the same request that pleased the Lord then still pleases Him today. God is pleased when we ask Jesus for wisdom. To ask Him for wisdom is to put ourselves in a posture of trusting and depending on His unmerited favor. Only the humble can ask Jesus for wisdom and a hearing heart.

Although Solomon only asked for wisdom, the Lord added “riches and wealth and honor” to him. Too many people are chasing riches, wealth, and honor, not realizing that they come through the wisdom of Jesus.

Even if someone were to come into sudden wealth, without the wisdom of Jesus to manage it, the money would be squandered away. But with the wisdom of Jesus, you won’t only be blessed, you will also be able to hold on to the blessings in your life.

Jesus makes you safe for good success that produces lasting and abiding fruit from generation to generation!

AMEN! Find, from the Word of God, what belongs to YOU as a child of God! Now refuse to settle for anything less! HE is expecting US to know WHO WE ARE - IN HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today I want to share this devotional from Jerry Savelle Ministries website!

 OUR DISTINGUISHING MARK

Walking in love should be the distinguishing mark of a believer. We represent Christ to the world. The world needs something to see before they can believe. That is why God wants us to walk in love.

The world can’t see Christ, but they can see you. If they see something in you that they don’t have, then there’s a strong possibility that they will want what you’ve got.

The world is controlled by sense knowledge … knowledge that is gained through the five physical senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. The world has to see something before they can believe it.

That is the reason why Jesus gave us a distinguishing mark, something that can be seen – and that is LOVE. You represent Jesus. What people see in your life is the image that they will have of Christ. If you are walking in love, then they will be drawn to Him.

Think about the word “Christian.” It means like Christ. You and I are to be like Christ. We are to walk in His love. But if we are selfish, self-centered, moody, or jealous, then they are going to think that is what Christ is like. But if we walk in love and if we are willing to go the extra mile with people, then they are going to think that this must be the way Jesus is.

The world will never see the love of God until believers demonstrate it in their lives. You can quote John 3:16 to them all day long, but if they never see God’s love operating in you, then they will never become persuaded to follow Him.

When the love of God is flowing through you, then the world can’t help but notice!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "World Outside Your Window":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is SO important to understand!

THE SUPREME CLIMB

Take now thy son,…and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. — Genesis 22:2

Character determines how a man interprets God’s will (cf. Psalm 18:25-26). Abraham interpreted God’s command to mean that he had to kill his son, and he could only leave this tradition behind by the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify his faith in no other way. If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break us from those traditions that misrepresent Him. There are many such beliefs to be got rid of, e.g., that God removes a child because the mother loves him too much — a devil’s lie! and a travesty of the true nature of God. If the devil can hinder us from taking the supreme climb and getting rid of wrong traditions about God, he will do so; but if we keep true to God, God will take us through an ordeal which will bring us out into a better knowledge of Himself.

The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter to what belief he went contrary. Abraham was not a devotee of his convictions, or he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you will remain true to God, God will lead you straight through every barrier into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself; but there is always this point of giving up convictions and traditional beliefs. Don’t ask God to test you. Never declare as Peter did — I will do anything, I will go to death with Thee. Abraham did not make any such declaration, he remained true to God, and God purified his faith.

AMEN! I have always hated the idea that some people have that the God Who gave His Son to die for us, would make us sick on purpose! Sickness, disease, corruption, poverty are all works of darkness that the enemy has been able to put on people because they have not known or have forgotten than GOD IS GOOD! He does not have sickness and disease to 'give'! There is NONE in Heaven! THIS is GOD'S will: 

JOHN 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).

AMEN! Now let's celebrate HIM and HIS WORD with this from Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake called "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

INSTANT IN SEASON

Be instant in season, out of season. — 2 Timothy 4:2

Many of us suffer from the morbid tendency to be instant “out of season.” The season does not refer to time, but to us. “Be instant in season, out of season,” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would do nothing for ever and ever. There are unemployables in the spiritual domain, spiritually decrepit people, who refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.

One of the great snares of the Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say — “Now I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, God will take care you are not. Those times are the gift of God entirely. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously inspired. If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.

Here is Brandon Lake with "Jesus Be Praised":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Meditate on Psalm 113 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and you will never lack in reasons to PRAISE JESUS! 

1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever
3 From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
4 The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high,
6 Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth!
7 [The Lord] raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill,
8 That He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people.
9 He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Blinded

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

No man in his right mind would speed down the highway at 100 miles an hour past flashing red lights and signs that said, "Danger! Danger! Bridge Out!" But a man who was drunk or on drugs would.

Likewise, no man in his right mind would go through life and plunge off into eternity and hell, lost. But people do it. The devil has them doped and blinded.

In the case of my Brother Dub's salvation, I realized it was the devil who had bound Dub and was keeping him from being saved. So I said, "Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I break your power over my brother Dub's life, and I claim his deliverance and salvation."

We do not have control over human wills, but we do have control over evil spirits that bind and blind men. I'm convinced this is an area we're going to know more about and take advantage of in the future.

Confession: The god of this world will not blind the eyes of my loved ones, because I will take the Name of Jesus and break his power over them!

AMEN! KNOW your enemy! KNOW YOUR COVENANT with GOD! Now celebrate your VICTORY over anything and everything that the enemy will TRY to hit your with! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Fear Of God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

CHOOSE TO LET IT GO!

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. — Colossians 3:13

Every day we encounter opportunities to get upset with people about something they did or said. If we let down our guard and indulge in these urges, we will live in a continual state of frustration and strife, and our spiritual lives will suffer dramatically. Sometimes it can be very difficult to convince our minds to overlook a perceived slight, forgive the offender, and move on with our lives. However, the Bible offers us a powerful strategy that can be used to cultivate peace in our relationships: We must learn to extend grace to others and to realize that humans act human.

In Colossians 3:13, the apostle Paul wrote, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” This verse specifically outlines how we are to respond to people in our lives who disappoint or upset us. And since life is filled with disappointments, it’s important for us to understand exactly what Paul meant when he wrote these words.

Paul began with the phrase, “Forbearing one another….” This word “forbearing” is from the Greek word anechomai, which means to endure one another, to put up with one another, or to have tolerance of one another. It is the opposite of acting intolerant or being short-tempered with other people. At some point along the way, we all become frustrated with our friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. In those moments, the most Christ-like attitude to demonstrate may be to simply show forbearance and let it go. That doesn’t mean we have to compromise or ignore an obvious problem; however, it does mean that sometimes taking the higher road means shutting our mouths and letting go of the offense or disappointment.

That’s why Paul said in this verse that sometimes forbearing or putting up with the people you interact with in life is the highest road you can take. So when your flesh gets offended or you find yourself wanting to nitpick someone about what you perceive to be his or her failures, take some time to get quiet before God and ask Him what to do. It may be that His highest will in that situation is for you to simply show forbearance and let go of the matter. Although loving confrontation is needed at times, it is not always the right course to take.

Paul went on to say, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another….” The word “forgiving” comes from the word charis, the Greek word for grace. It carries the idea of wholeheartedly forgiving, freely forgiving, or readily forgiving. This is a step beyond simply being forbearing; it requires our response to go to the next level as we choose to freely and wholeheartedly forgive with no restraints and no strings attached. Just as God has extended His grace to us so many times by freely forgiving us of our sins against Him, now the Holy Spirit instructs you and me to extend forgiveness to those who have wronged us or offended us.

In the latter part of this verse, Paul relayed the core of his message, saying, “…If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” The word “quarrel” is a Greek word mamphe, which means a complaint or grievance against someone and usually depicts a complaint that is backed with solid evidence.

Perhaps someone failed to do what you expected him to do or acted in a manner that was below your expectations of him. Regardless of what you perceive that this person did wrong or what “quarrel” you have with him, the Bible commands you to forgive “even as Christ forgave you.” Isn’t that what Christ did for you?

It’s difficult for me to imagine why any of us would refuse to forgive someone else for a perceived offense in light of how graciously God has forgiven us. Certainly we are all guilty or worthy of blame! How could we ever forget that it was for our dreadful sin that Jesus died on the Cross? Jesus bore unspeakable suffering by taking on punishment He didn’t deserve — and He did it freely for us.

Now Paul urged us, “…As Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” You and I didn’t deserve the forgiveness we received, but God forgave us anyway. He forgave us for all we have done in the past, and His mercy is so boundless that He continues to forgive us in the present when we ask for forgiveness. Now we who are forgiven have a responsibility to forgive.

So if you’re having a day filled with opportunities to get upset with people and you feel yourself sliding into a state of frustration and strife, take a moment to pause and meditate on the truths of Colossians 3:13. When you remember how much you’ve been forgiven by Christ — and by others whom you’ve deliberately or accidently wronged in the past — you’ll realize you don’t have a right to stay upset with anyone!

AMEN! CHOOSE, every day, to walk in LOVE, for LOVE NEVER FAILS! Here is Hillsong Young And Free with "Real Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share with you again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional that can be found on his website! 

Already Beloved, Already Qualified

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 NLT

I received an awesome testimony from twenty-five-year-old Nathan from New York, who grew up with no father figure in his life except a man whom his mother married and who beat him regularly from the time he was three. Nathan struggled with his identity, his addictions, and his anger. But his turning point came when he learned that his Daddy God loves him. He wrote:

I heard a sermon of yours about being God’s beloved. I had never heard someone speak about Jesus as someone who died for my sins because He loved me so much. I thought there was no way anyone would die for me if they knew what I’d done. But the love I felt as I listened was something I’d never experienced before.

I had to know more, so I bought your book Destined To Reign, and the Lord’s words through your book changed my life . . . I’ve dropped every bad habit—everything—in my past and have given myself to the Lord Jesus Christ. Every day seems new to me, and I see life in a different light now. I know that I have a Father in heaven who loves and accepts me. I know that He hears my prayers and won’t be slow to answer them.

In the same way, I pray you will have a revelation that you are right now loved by the Father and close to His heart. That your Daddy God always hears your prayers and is more than able and willing to lift you out of every dark pit and set you in His love and light.

Right now, I want you to do something: close your eyes and just say, “Daddy.”

That’s a prayer right there. In fact, that’s the deepest, most intimate prayer you can pray. Call upon your Daddy God because He loves you and cares for you. You never did anything to make Him fall in love with you. And beloved, there is nothing you can do, nothing you could have done, that will ever take away His love for you.

I want you to know today that as a child of God, you don’t need to qualify for His love in any way. You are already His beloved. You may feel that you are far away from Him, but your Father sees you. He has been watching and waiting for you to come home, ready to sprint toward you to embrace you. He wants to lavish His love and kisses on you, over and over again.

You don’t need to earn your Daddy’s love. ALL that He has is already yours. He’s not asking you to serve Him in order to earn His blessings. ALL that He has, He has already freely and unconditionally given to you.

He gave up His only Son to die an agonizing death on the cross for the chance that you might one day accept His love. So come. Come to the Father. Come with all your failings, with all your brokenness, with all your inadequacies.

Come as you are. As you realize that you are the object of His love, I pray that whatever is negative or destructive will be flushed out from your life and you will experience breakthrough after breakthrough like never before.

AMEN! What is JESUS saying? "JUST COME!" Here is Hillsong with "Every Breath":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is one that you MUST know! 

Taking Your Place

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. — COLOSSIANS 3:1-2

The elevation of the believer to be seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father took place potentially at the resurrection (Ephesians 2:5-6). Meditate on this passage until it becomes real to you. Remember, every heavenly blessing is yours (Ephesians 1:3). But you have to take your place there to enjoy them. The believer whose eyes have been opened to his throne rights in Christ may: (1) Accept his seat, and (2) Begin to exercise the spiritual authority that seating confers on him.

The devil bitterly resents our entrance into his domain. He has been used to exercising authority and ruling over someone’s life, so he will concentrate his forces against us when we come into these mighty truths. And no truth encounters such opposition as the truth of the authority of the believer!

The only place of safety is to be seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above all principality, power, might, and dominion. If the believer abides steadfastly, by faith, in this place, he cannot be touched by the enemy. So take your seat in heavenly places and keep it!

Confession: I set my affection on heavenly facts. I keep myself mindful that I am seated with Christ in heavenly places far above the enemy!

We MUST know WHO we are IN HIM! When we do, the enemy will have NO SUCCESS in his tricks, schemes, plots, lies and traps against us! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

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

Read the Stories of Champions

People are different. Some are losers, some are champions. Study the champions. Meditate on the biblical accounts of David, Abraham, Joseph and the apostle Paul. Read the biographies of great men.

Readers become leaders. Read, read, read.

"Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." {Hebrews 11:33-34}

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 107 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verses 8, 15, 21 and 31 all say the same thing! 

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

THIS is apparently something that we MUST do in order to walk in the fullness of the glorious COVENANT that we have with Almighty God! And even more so for us, who have been given a BETTER COVNENANT, based on even better PROMISES! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! SO, let's SHOW UP and SHOW OFF our GREAT GOD! Here is Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock", which speaks of HIS PROVISION! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional again today because this is another powerful TRUTH that every believer needs to KNOW so that we can WALK IN IT! 

The Agent: God

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. . . . Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him . . . . — COLOSSIANS 2:10,12-13

Notice the expression “through the faith of the operation of God.” Jesus was quickened (made alive) by the faith of the operation of God — and we were made alive at the same time. It was God who raised Jesus from the dead. It was God who gave Jesus a Name above every name. It was God who blotted out “the handwriting of ordinances” against us, took it out of the way, and nailed it to His Cross (Colossians 2:14). It was God who stripped the powers of darkness of their authority and handed it to the Son (Colossians 2:15). And it was God who quickened us “together with Him.”

In the mind of God, legally speaking, it was when Jesus was quickened and made alive, that we were recreated. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus . . .” (Ephesians 2:10). This fact of our re-creation becomes a vital reality in our lives when we are individually born again (made new creatures).

Raised with Christ! Quickened with Him! Seated with Him (Ephesians 2:4-6)!

Confession: Through the faith of the operation of God, I was quickened together with Christ and was seated with Him in heavenly places.

HALLEUJAH!!! We are now in a position of authority over the enemy and he CANNOT run roughshod over us IF we refuse to allow it! KNOW who you are - IN HIM! KNOW what you have - IN HIM! KNOW what YOU can do - IN HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Paralyzed

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. — HEBREWS 2:14

. . . That He might paralyse him that held the dominion of death, That is the Adversary. — HEBREWS 2:14 (Rotherham)

Jesus put to naught the hosts of darkness! He paralyzed their deathdealing power! And when Jesus met John the Revelator on the Isle of Patmos, Jesus said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:18).

Keys represent authority. Jesus conquered Satan and stripped him of his authority. Jesus was the Master of all hell!

But Jesus did not conquer Satan for Himself. He conquered him for us. It was as though you and I personally had met Satan and had conquered him, stripped him of his authority, and stood as master over him.

Confession: Jesus is my Head. Jesus is Lord over all. Jesus conquered Satan for me. Jesus stripped Satan of his authority over me. In the eyes of Heaven, hell, and this universe, it was as though I personally had met Satan and had conquered him, stripped him of his authority, and stood there as master over him. Therefore, in Christ Jesus, I am more than a conqueror. I am a holder of authority. I stand as master over Satan and all his cohorts!

AMEN!!! KNOW who YOU are when Your are IN HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 104 in today's "Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan". Here is a portion!

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty— 2 [You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent, 3 Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His ministers. 5 You laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever. 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. 8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which You appointed for them. 9 You have set a boundary [for the waters] which they may not pass over, that they turn not again to deluge the earth.

THIS IS OUR GOD! And THIS is the song that reveals this TRUTH! Hillsong with "This Is Our God" with subtitles:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 103 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and these verses really stand out to me!

17 But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children’s children— 18 To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts]. 19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word. 21 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!

We MUST develop a constant fellowship with Holy Spirit in order to really grow in faith and in the knowledge and understanding of the Word of God! Put HIS WORD in you consistently and HIS WORD and HIS WILL will be carried out in your life! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another excellent lesson!

MORAL DOMINION

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

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

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

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

AMEN! Meditate dailoy on WHO HE IS and that HE IS IN YOU! Your life will never be the same when this powerful TRUTH gets inside of you! Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Your Domain

For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). — ROMANS 5:17 (Amplified)

In the time when Paul wrote this, kings reigned over certain countries or domains.

You are to reign in your domain too. This doesn’t mean you’re to reign and rule over other people, but you’re to rule and reign in your life, your dominion. You’re to rule and reign over circumstances, poverty, sickness, disease — everything that would hinder. You’re to reign because you have authority!

How do you have it? Through the One, Jesus Christ.

Don’t let the devil cheat you out of the blessings God intended you should have. God never intended that you should be poverty stricken and destitute. He didn’t intend that the devil should rule and reign over your family and dominate them. Just get angry at the devil. Tell him, “Take your hands off of my children! You’ve got no right here. I’m ruling over this domain!” If he says anything about it, quote him Romans 5:17.

Confession: I reign in my domain. I have the authority to do so. I reign by the One, Jesus Christ. The enemy cannot rule over my family. He cannot rule over me!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I have been led to share again my first post on this blog from September 27, 2007! This explains very well why I say Shalom as the greeting, welcoming you all to this blog, and then again to close! 

The meaning of the word "Shalom"
By David Silver

The Hebrew word SHALOM is understood around the world to mean peace. But peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word SHALOM. Here in Israel, even though we don't have much in the way of peace, we use the word SHALOM on a daily basis. We use it to greet people with, and we use it to bid farewell to people. However, SHALOM means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.

Strong's Concordance 7965 - Hebrew Shalom ..... A word study in the New King James version for SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.

Shalom comes from the root verb Shalam meaning to be complete, perfect and full. In modern Hebrew the obviously related word Shelem means to pay for, and Shulam means to be fully paid.

Sar SHALOM (Prince of Peace) is one of the descriptive names the Bible uses to indicate the ministry and personality of the Messiah: Isaiah 9:6 - The Son of God is completely perfect in all things.

So in essence, when you speak out the word SHALOM - you are not only proclaiming peace, but all the above meanings of the word over that person - that's a mighty blessing!!!

Remember what the word of God says - "there is life or death in the power of the tongue".

We recently heard someone on a Christian TV program say: "No wonder the Jewish people are so blessed, because every time they say Shalom to one another, they are also allowing the full meaning (see above) of SHALOM to be pronounced over them. He humorously proceeded to say that this greeting word would be much more beneficial to the American people if they greeted each other with SHALOM instead of their usual "Hi" or "Howdy" greeting. As Josie and I adapted to life in Israel, we adapted to the SHALOM habit over the "Hi" habit....As Messianic Jews, we are called to bless you and we take that very seriously, by praying for you and by greeting you with SHALOM. Therefore, from now on, when we or someone says SHALOM to you, you should receive it as a tremendous blessing. And bless them back with a hearty SHALOM!

"Numbers 6:24-26: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His face upon you and give you SHALOM. In the name of SAR SHALOM - the Prince of Peace.

(The above was borrowed from OUT of ZION Ministries.)

So say Shalom to everyone you want to bless today! You will really be a blessing to them!

Here, to celebrate this wonderful and powerful SHALOM is Brandon Lake with "More":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share another great lesson from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional!

The Father’s Correction

For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:12 NLT

Let me teach you how to test every doctrine, teaching, and scriptural interpretation. Just ask yourself—how is our Lord Jesus valued in this teaching?

Does it make you want to worship, praise, and glorify the Lord Jesus with your life? Or does it put more value on you and what you have to perform? Does it cause you to be centered on and occupied with the person of Jesus? Or does it cause you to be centered on and occupied with yourself and whether you have failed or succeeded?

Pastor Prince, are you saying that performance is unimportant?

Absolutely not! I am sharing with you that the key to performance comes by the power of His love, grace, and unmerited favor in your life! You will be able to perform when you know you are perfectly loved.

Look at children who are bold, confident, and secure. They come from families that are full of love and affirmation. Families that free them to succeed. These children are not afraid to fail and they stand out in the crowd because they dare to be different for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They dare to say no to the influences of the world. They are not ashamed when their peers mock their Christian values. At the same time, in an environment of love, grace, and affirmation, the child’s parents are also able to discipline, correct, and guide the child in learning to make good decisions for himself without crushing his spirit.

Some people have the erroneous idea that when you are under grace, there is no correction and every and anything goes. There are those who argue that if we are indeed always highly favored by the Lord, then there is no need for Him to correct and to discipline us.

My dear friend, let me help you understand it from the perspective of a parent. When my kids do something wrong, Wendy and I certainly correct and discipline them. But in our hearts they are always loved and favored by us even when they have failed and even while being corrected by us.

Why? Simply because they are our children! No matter how they perform, we will always love them and they will always be favored in our hearts.

How highly favored they are to us is a matter of their identity, not their performance. It is based on who they are and whose they are, not what they have or have not done.

In the same way, our state of being loved and favored by our Father in heaven is a result of our identity as the sons and daughters of God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. We can call God our Father and God can call us His children because of what Jesus has done on the cross on our behalf!

As we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, He will correct, discipline, and guide us. But it is vital for you to know that our Lord will never correct us with tragic accidents, sicknesses, and diseases.

Today’s scripture says, “For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.” In other words, the Lord corrects those whom He highly favors, just as an earthly father would correct a child he loves.

Would a father correct a child in whom he delights by inflicting pain and suffering on that child? Of course not!

In the same way, our heavenly Father corrects us not by inflicting pain and suffering but with His Word (2 Timothy 3:16). Correction may come through the preaching of His Word, or through godly leaders whom He surrounds you with in a local church, leaders who love you and who care enough to speak into your life.

The truth is, when people know that their heavenly Father loves them, they can receive correction and discipline with gratitude and humility. That is why it is so important for every child of God to experience the grace revolution—to become established in His perfect love and anchored in His unconditional grace toward them.

Grace imparts to us the power to perform and to live a life above defeat. Grace is the key to holiness.

AMEN! It is such a powerful privilege to BE a CHILD of GOD! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional. This has been another favorite over the years! ALWAYS a good teaching fromthe Word of God and ALWAYS timely! 

Leave the Past Behind

...But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. Philippians 3:13

Failures and disappointments. Aches and pains from the past that just won’t seem to go away. Most of us know what it’s like to suffer from them but too few of us know just what to do about them. So we limp along, hoping somehow they’ll magically stop hurting.

But it never happens that way. In fact, the passing of time often leaves us in worse condition—not better. Because, instead of putting those painful failures behind us, we often dwell on them until they become more real to us than the promises of God. We focus on them until we become bogged down in depression, frozen in our tracks by the fear that if we go on, we’ll only fail again.

I used to get caught in that trap a lot. Then one day when I was right in the middle of a bout with depression, the Lord spoke up inside me and said:

Kenneth, your problem is you’re forming your thoughts off the past instead of the future. Don’t do that! Unbelief looks at the past and says, “See, it can’t be done.” But faith looks at the future and says, “It can be done, and according to the promises of God, it is done!” Then putting past failures behind it forever, faith steps out and acts like the victory’s already been won.

If depression has driven you into a spiritual nose dive, break out of it by getting your eyes off the past and onto your future—a future that’s been guaranteed by Christ Jesus through the great and precious promises in His Word.

Forget about those failures in the past! That’s what God has done (Hebrews 8:12). And if He doesn’t remember them any more, why should you?

The Bible says God’s mercies are new every morning. So if you’ll take God at His Word, you can wake up every morning to a brand-new world. You can live life totally unhindered by the past.

So, do it! Replace thoughts of yesterday’s mistakes with scriptural promises about your future. As you do that, hope will start taking the place of depression. The spiritual aches and pains that have crippled you for so long will quickly disappear. Instead of looking behind you and saying, “I can’t,” you’ll begin to look ahead and say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me!”

AMEN!!! REFUSE to give the enemy one more second of your time! Instead, invest in YOU by feeding on the WORD of GOD and become STRONG with HIS STRENGTH! Here is one of my new favorite songs called "Miracle Child" by Brandon Lake. It is all about who WE are now that WE are IN JESUS!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional from our partner, Jerry Savelle, is POWERFUL!

If God Is For You.

When I first left brother Copeland’s organization in the ‘70s, and Carolyn and I launched out into our own ministry, we hit the ground running! I had been in my own ministry for about two years when we experienced a mountain of financial problems. The devil knocked the props right out from under us. Up to that point, we hadn’t struggled financially. Our ministry was young, but it was flourishing. But things started looking pretty bad. Suddenly, it seemed like our whole ministry was going to come crashing down.

As I was in my bedroom praying about this, fear kept trying to rise up on the inside of me. The devil told me, “You failed in your business, and you’re going to fail in your ministry. You always get up to this point and then you hit rock bottom. You did it in business and you’re going to do it in ministry.”

I am telling you that fear tried to grip me through these negative thoughts, but I knew enough about the Word to cast down those imaginations. But just as soon as I would cast them down, they would come back again. So I kept on rebuking them, and I kept praying in the Holy Spirit, but I kept hearing the devil calling me a failure. “You’re a failure! This is as far as you’re going to go. I’m going to take everything you’ve got.” He kept going on and on and on.

But, at some point, he called me a failure one too many times.

Suddenly coming out of me was this righteous indignation, and I knew it wasn’t just my voice but the voice of the Holy Spirit. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You want to talk about failure, let’s talk about you, Satan!” The Holy Spirit, through me, started telling the devil how he got kicked out of heaven; how he was defeated at the Cross; and how he was stripped of the keys of death, hell, and the grave. And then I’ll never forget this, I said, “Now, Satan, we’ve talked about your failure, now let’s talk about your future! That ain’t too bright either! You’re headed for the Lake of Fire. And guess where I’m headed?” I’m headed for victory!

I came out of that room with a shout in my heart and confidence in My God’s ability to see me through. And let me tell you what, God met my financial need during that season, and He’s been doing it ever since. And He wants to do the same for YOU!

Why did I tell you that story today? Because I want you to get tired of the devil calling you a failure. I want you to get tired of the lies that he is trying to get you to believe. It’s time for you to get mad at the devil and tell the devil about all his failures. Quit listening to him talk about yours. You are not a failure! You are a child of the Most High God. You have God Almighty on your side! And if God be for you, who can be against you?

Confession: “If God is for me, nobody can be against me. I am a child of the Most High God!”

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Collision Of God And Sin

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

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

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

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

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

HALLELUJAH! WE HAVE A SAVIOUR! His NAME is JESUS! And THIS is HIS SONG! "Man of Sorrows" by Hillsong:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been out of town on a much needed mini vacation! I will be back at it beginning tomorrow! For today, here is one of my very favorite songs by Brooke Ligertwood called "Fear Of God":

Shalom in Him!