Shalom,

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

Listen and Obey

If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. Deuteronomy 28:1 AMPC

Have you noticed some believers seem to walk in the fullness of God’s promised blessings on a continual basis while others, who love Him no less, seem to struggle through life, never quite walking in the freedom they desire?

I believe the difference in these two groups can be summed up with these three words: listen and obey. Walking in God’s blessing really is this simple, yet there are those who have never made the commitment to follow His instructions.

God wants to bless you and empower you to prosper in every area of your life!

· Spiritually

· In your mind and emotions

· In your body

· Financially

· In your relationships with others

As you listen diligently to the voice of your God and do what the Word tells you to do, blessings will overtake you. God will give you practical instruction on how to prosper in every area of your life if you will listen to Him. The Holy Spirit inside you will teach you and empower you to do what He says.

· He will teach you to have a dynamic and intimate friendship with the Father.

· He will teach you how to take care of your body.

· He will show you how to be a better worker, and He will cause you to be promoted.

· He will give you ideas and direction on how to manage your business.

· He will teach you how to get along with people and better understand others.

Listen to Him; He has the answer to your questions. Listen to Him; He will show you what to do and will give you the power to do it.

Confession: I will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord. As I hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and I am quick to obey, God’s blessings will come upon me and overtake me today.

AMEN!!! Who better to LISTEN to and OBEY that the ONE WHo created it all and us all?! Let's DO IT! Here is Brandon Lake with "God Is Not Against Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional because it is very appropriate!

The Dominant One

"…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galations 5:16).

I learned early in my Christian life to let my spirit, my inward man, dominate my outward man. So even as a teenage boy standing alone without the fellowship of other teenagers who believed like I did, I didn't have the problems some do.

If there was anyone in my Sunday school class who was saved besides me, I didn't know it. They would cuss, drink, attend worldly dances, and they were all mixed up with one another in sexual activities. They'd say to me, "Why don't you do those things?"

First, my conscience wouldn't allow me to do those things. Also, I'd reply to them, "I'm a new creature." And they would ask, "What's a new creature?" (That pretty well proved they weren't new creatures!)

You don't need to be preached to about do's and don'ts; just let your spirit dominate you. God will enlighten you through your spirit. Let the new man on the inside be the dominant one.

Don't let your body dominate you. Your body will want to keep on doing the things it's been doing, because your body hasn't been born again yet. Instead, walk by your spirit.

Confession: I walk by my spirit. I let my spirit dominate me. I let the new man on the inside be the dominant one. Therefore, I do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. I am not body-ruled; I am spirit-ruled.

When we live by our born again spirit influenced by the Spirit of God Who lives IN us, then it will be as natural as breathing for us to DOO THE RIGHT THING! It will not be a chore or a hard thing! Tyr it! You will soon see that this is the ONLY way to live this life! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

My encouragement for you today comes in the form of a new song just out that I LOVE by Brandon Lake called "That's Who I Praise".

THAT’S WHO I PRAISE Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I wanna dance like David, I want a faith like Paul
I wanna sing like Silas, tearing down those prison walls
I wanna face that fire, it won't burn me though
God's got my back, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
I wanna walk like Moses, right through the waves
One day I'll see that promised land, no longer slaves
Though the fear is talkin', no it can't take out my faith

[Chorus]
I'm gonna praise, I'm gonna praise
I praise the mountain moving, body raising, breaker of chains
Gonna praise, I'm gonna praise
I praise the Heaven seated, undefeated, highest of names
That's who I praisе, hey, that's who I praise, that's who I praise

[Verse 2]
I wanna gift likе Mary
I wanna break my vase
I wanna sleep like Daniel even in a lion’s cave
I’m gonna get that promise
Just like Jericho
Yeah I know what’ll make it fall

[Chorus]
I'm gonna praise, I'm gonna praise
I praise the mountain moving, body raising, breaker of chains
Gonna praise, I'm gonna praise
I praise the Heaven seated, undefeated, highest of names
That's who I praise, hey

I praise the God who's proven He can do impossible things
That's who I praise, hey, that's who I praise, that's who I praise

[Bridge]
He is the Lion of Judah, He is the Lamb that was slain
The only One's who worthy, worthy, worthy of all of His names
That's who I praise
He is the risen Messiah
He is the Ancient of Days
The only One's who worthy, worthy, worthy of all of His names
That's who I praise, oh

[Chorus]
So I'm gonna praise
I praise the mountain moving, body raising, breaker of chains
Gonna praise, I'm gonna praise
I praise the Heaven seated, undefeated, highest of names
That's who I praise, hey
I praise the God who's proven He can do impossible things
That's who I praise, oh, hey, that's who I praise
That's who I praise, that's who I praise

[Outro]
That's who I praise, that's who I praise
Mmm-mmm
I wanna love like Jesus
That kind of grace
I wanna live like I got no more precious time to waste
I'm going to give Him glory
With all my thanks
There is no greater, stronger, higher name
That's who I praise

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Do Not Deny My Faith!

I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and how thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith…. — Revelation 2:13

Today I want to encourage you from the words Jesus used to address the believers in the first century who were also experiencing pressure to bow to society and its demands. Christ commanded the early believers to remain faithful in the face of opposition. It is the same message that He is speaking to Christians today!

Early believers were bombarded daily with opportunities to deny their faith. Yet, even in the face of these immense external pressures, there was always a core group of steadfast individuals who refused to waver in their commitment to Christ — and the same is true today. This company of believers simply would not cave in to the unrelenting intimidation brought against them. It was for this reason that Jesus declared, “…and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith”

The words “hast not” in this verse are a translation of the Greek word ouk, which essentially means no. However, the form of the word used in this verse is an exclamatory word expressing a strong, emphatic no. Thus, we see that the King James Version does not carry the full weight of the message conveyed in the Greek text, which actually reads as if Christ raised the volume and tone of His voice in order to make a resounding proclamation of these early believers’ commitment.

Christ continued by saying, “thou…hast not denied my faith…” The word “denied” is the Greek word arneo, which is usually translated to deny, to disown, to reject, to refuse, or to renounce. This word arneo commonly referred to a person who had become unfaithful in a relationship and subsequently disavowed, forsook, walked away from, and washed one’s hands of that other person. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology offers insight into the reasons behind such a total rejection: “The motive for denial is usually fear of others, fear of suffering ridicule or persecution, or anxiety about what others will think.”

As persecution intensified during the latter years of the First Century, some believers chose to deny Jesus and abandon their faith in order to escape tribulation. Fear of other people’s opinions and ridicule, fear of persecution, and even fear of death were all factors that contributed to this decision. Jesus, however, chose not to address these defectors in Revelation 2:13. Instead, He raised His voice to affirm the faithful core who did not disavow Him in their time of struggle. When Jesus said, “…thou…hast not denied…,” He was essentially saying, “When you had the opportunity to break your vow and walk away, you did not do it.”

Notice that Christ specifically said, “thou…hast not denied my faith…” In the Greek text, there is an emphasis on this phrase “my faith” that reveals how Jesus truly feels about the message of the Gospel. These words are the Greek phrase ten pisten mou, which could literally be translated the faith of me. Of course, in English, the order of these words doesn’t make much sense, but in the Greek, this phrasing is deliberate and logical.

The first word in the phrase ten pisten mou is the word ten, which simply means the. This word is a definite article, which always points to something very specific. In this instance, it appears directly in front of the word pisten, which is the Greek word for faith. Therefore, when these two words are used in conjunction with one another, they denote a specific set of beliefs, a specific doctrine, a specific creed, or a specific faith. It clearly refers to the faith or the body of truth comprising the New Testament. It was this truth that Satan hated and wanted to destroy, and it was this truth that these dedicated believers refused to deny.

In order to convey how personally He feels about the faith, Jesus followed the word pisten (“faith”) with the word mou, which is the Greek word for “my.” Like its English counterpart, mou always denotes ownership and possession. When mou is used in conjunction with the phrase ten pisten, an accurate translation could read my faith, the faith that belongs to me, or the faith that I hold closely.

The Gospel not only comes from Christ, but it is also firmly in His possession. Jesus is the Originator, the Giver, and the ultimate Supervisor of the faith; therefore, it is incredibly precious to Him.

We are the recipients of the truth of the Gospel and its amazing benefits, but Christ is the One who paid for it with His blood to make it available. What One bleeds for, another lives for — and Christ shed His own blood for the truth of which we freely partake.

Even if the spirit of our age tries to lure us into modifying the message of the Gospel to pacify the shifting whims of our society, we must firmly proclaim the faith in its purest form. The faith didn’t originate with us, and we don’t have the right to modify it in any way.

You are destined to live as a shining light in the midst of a lost generation. But that destiny can only be fulfilled as you hold fast to the truth of Jesus Christ and refuse to compromise your stance or conform to the world, regardless of any pressure you face to do otherwise. THAT is something for you to think about — and to make a rock-solid decision about TODAY !

AMEN! Here is a reminder of those things to REMEMBER! Brandon Lake with "Graves Into Gardens":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Way To Know

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

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

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

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

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Fear Is Not My Future":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Obeying Conscience

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. — ACTS 23:1

It is interesting to go through the Epistles that Paul wrote to the Church and see what he said about his conscience. He always obeyed his conscience.

Once I heard some preachers questioning one of the top evangelists in the world. They asked him, “We know God called and anointed you to stand in this ministry — but is there something that you do from the natural standpoint that contributes to the success of your ministry more than any other thing?”

I listened intently to hear what he had to say. I knew he was a man of prayer, and prayer is important, but he didn’t mention prayer.

He answered, “Of course, God called me to be an evangelist. But you are asking what has contributed to my success from my standpoint. And the one thing I do that has contributed to my success more than anything else is: I always instantly obey my deepest premonitions.”

In other words, what this evangelist was saying was, “I always obey what my spirit tells me — what I get right down on the inside of me.”

Confession: The Holy Spirit is in my spirit. He communicates with me through my spirit. My spirit has a voice. I obey what my spirit tells me — what I get down on the inside of me.

Learning to be led by Holys Spirit is one of the MOST important things that a born again believer can do! HE will NEVER let you down! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we in 2 Chronicles 20 about what GOD did when the enemies came against King Jehoshaphat and the people! Verses 1-4:

1 After this, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2 It was told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. 3 Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord [yearning for Him with all their desire].

The Lord answered them in verses 14-17:

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 He said, Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.

Jehoshaphat believed the promise of the LORD and when it came time to go into the battle, he positioned the praisers in the front of the army! The results are found in verses 21-22:

21 When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were [self-] slaughtered;

The enemy was conquered by their faith in the Word of God and in their obedience to His instructions! Let's always do the same! Take our cares and situations to the LORD in prayer. Obey His instructions and then stand and see HIS SALVATION! Here is a great song for YOU to sing in the midst of YOUR battles, tests, trials and circumstances! Brandon Lake with "Praise" from His new live album "Tear Off The Roof - Live From The Holy City":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 23 again in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I have always made this Psalm my confession of faith in what HE has done for me, especially from the Classic Amplified Bible!

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

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake wtih "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Sanctification

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

The Life Side.

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

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

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

What a WONDERFUL TRUTH that we EACH must get inside of us in order to walk in the POWER of the GOSPEL, setting people FREE!  Here is Brandon Lake with "Graves Into Gardens":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

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

Nothing to Lose

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. Isaiah 3:10-11

Have you ever been afraid to give yourself totally to the Lord because you think you might be deprived of some pleasure in this life? Chances are, you have. That's because Satan is working overtime to convince you that he can really make your life worth living. But don't believe him for a minute. The real truth is, yielding completely to the Lord won't cost you anything that's worth having. It will only cause you to live life to its fullest!

Jesus' life on earth was a perfect example of a totally yielded life. He was a walking example of the benefits godly living brings. Everywhere He went, Jesus made the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk. He lived in perfect peace and absolute victory.

That all sounds pretty good to me. All He missed out on was the devil getting dominion over Him to steal, kill and destroy. In fact, the devil couldn't do anything to Him until, by the Father's will, He laid down His life. Until that time Jesus walked in total victory over the enemy.

Do you think you would miss out on a lot if you lived that way? Of course not! You can walk in that same anointing and power and glory of God that Jesus did.

Do you have to give up your whole life to do it? Yes! You have to trade your life for the life of God. You have to trade your sickness for His healing, your poverty for His prosperity, your anxiety for His peace, your sin for His salvation.

So why hesitate? When it gets right down to it, you really have nothing to lose.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Joseph Prince has this great devotional for today!

None Feeble

He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes. Psalm 105:37

Do you know what happened when the children of Israel ate the Passover lamb on the very first Passover night? That very night, God liberated the Israelites from severe oppression and freed them from the captivity of the Egyptians. But that wasn’t all.

The Bible also says there was none feeble among the six hundred thousand men who left Egypt on the night of the exodus (Exodus 12:37). But when you include the women and children, scholars estimate about two to three million Israelites were freed that night.

Out of these, none—not a single one—came out feeble!

Think about the backbreaking work the Israelites were forced to do and the beatings and whippings they suffered under their slave masters (Exodus 1:13–14 AMP), not to mention malnutrition from the poor diet they probably had to scrape together and the abject living conditions they must have faced. Despite years of harsh and severe labor they had to endure, there was not one who came out sick, not one who stumbled, not one who lacked strength or had mobility problems.

Do you think that in the natural, every single one in this nation of slaves could have been completely strong and healthy? Of course not. And among so many of them, I am sure there would have been elderly slaves as well. So how is it possible the Bible records that “none were feeble”?

I submit to you that something happened to their bodies on the night of the Passover as they ate the roasted lamb. I believe many among them were weak and sickly before the night of the Passover.

But something happened that reversed all the effects of repetitive stress injuries, muscle and ligament strains, incapacitating work injuries, age-related conditions, and infectious diseases that could have plagued the Israelites because of the conditions they lived under.

Something happened that night that caused them to supernaturally become healthy. The children of Israel were filled with divine strength for the journey ahead that God knew would be long, and I believe their youth was renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:5, Isaiah 40:31).

If that could happen for the children of Israel when all they had was a natural lamb (the shadow of the true Lamb of God that you and I have), how much more should we see our bodies healed, our strength rejuvenated, and every weakness reversed when we partake of the holy Communion?

We have the true Lamb of God, the substance and the reality of the shadow the Israelites believed in. How much more should we have none feeble and none sick among us!

AMEN! Here is Sarah Hart Pearsons with "It Is Finished":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin and it is a GREAT one!

Know-So Salvation

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. — 1 JOHN 4:12-13

I was born again as a teenager on the bed of sickness on April 22, 1933. Since that day, the thought has never occurred to me that I might not be saved.

Even as a young Christian, I would run into people who would say, “You’re not saved, because you don’t belong to our church.” Or those who would argue, “You’re not saved, because you haven’t been baptized our way.” And many others.

But none of it disturbed me. I laughed at it — because I had the inward witness. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit itself [Himself] beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” And I had the love: “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love . . .” (1 John 3:14).

I had the witness — and I had the love. That’s why I never doubted my salvation. I walked in love to the best of my ability, and I enjoyed the witness of God’s Spirit on the inside.

Confession: I have the witness. The Spirit Himself bears witness with my spirit that I am the child of God. I have the love. I know that I have passed from death unto life. God dwells in me. His love is perfected in me. I know I dwell in Him, and He dwells in me, because He has given me of His Spirit.

AMEN! learn to KNOW the Word of God and you will develop GREAT FAITH in the Word and all that HE has promised to do for YOU! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song" which gives us great confidence in what GOD has doe for US who have been born again! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin reminds us how to be truly led by the Spirit of God!

Inside Signals

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMEN! Holy Spirit delights to lead, guide and direct you every day so that you can continue to walk in the BLESSING of the LORD! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Unconscious Faith

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Galatians 5:6 KJV

I believe with all of my heart that as you come under grace and are delivered from the works of the law, faith will no longer be a struggle or barrier because you will walk with unconscious faith. You will not be wondering all the time, “Do I have enough faith?” You will see Jesus in His grace, and faith will just spring forth from the inside.

It is that simple. Everything that you receive from God, you receive by faith in His grace.

We walk by faith. We fight the good fight of faith. We are saved by faith, healed by faith, and made righteous by faith! The Christian life is a life of faith in God’s grace. The more of His grace we receive, the more faith springs forth.

Our problem in the past was that we put our faith in our own faith, and it didn’t work. We should put our faith in God’s grace and love, for today’s scripture says that faith works by love. This is not in reference to our own love, but to His love for us.

Faith is not trying to make something that is not already there happen. Faith is bringing out of the spirit realm what is already there, what is already true of you.

You do not confess that you are righteous in order to become righteous. You confess that you are righteous because you are already righteous!

But when you confess it, you become conscious of it. You sense it and it becomes powerful and real in your life. It is not having faith in faith. It is having faith in God’s goodness, in His grace.

Allow me to share with you a wonderful testimony my ministry received from Myra in Georgia. It describes how simply seeing God’s grace brings unconscious faith, rest instead of struggle . . . and amazing breakthroughs without any self-effort:

I used to be so painfully shy to the point that my mind would freeze. I would be overwhelmed by feelings of such intense embarrassment that my whole body would ache. To avoid those feelings, I learned to avoid certain situations or attach myself to certain people who could help me get through those trying moments.

Until I was forty-two, I thought there was nothing I could do about my condition. Then, I learned that I need not be stuck this way because that was not part of God’s plan for me.

I began to study the Word and did everything I knew and trusted God for a complete restoration. Over the next fourteen years, I made some progress, but I was frustrated and blamed myself because I did not know what else to do.

When I was fifty-six, I discovered the gospel of grace as I began watching Pastor Prince’s broadcasts regularly. I began to focus on Jesus and His finished work at the cross. While I was doing this, the Holy Spirit began to transform me.

Recently, when my husband and I visited a new church, the pastor asked all the visitors to stand to be welcomed. We stood and greeted those around us.

It was not until we had sat down that I realized I was feeling perfectly fine all that time. I did not mind standing with everyone looking at us—I was not embarrassed to be the center of attention and I was comfortable being greeted by and greeting those sitting closest to us.

I also realized that I’d not dreaded the thought of going to a new church or meeting new people. I did not spend time praying and preparing myself for the experience, nor did I ask my husband to stay close and help me through any awkward moments like I did in the past. The entire experience was painlessly “shy-free”!

I realized that I am becoming more stable and secure, and I am being transformed more and more into Jesus’ image without any struggle or frustration! Hallelujah! God’s ways are so much higher than ours!

My friend, I want to repeat this powerful truth: when you see His grace, God will see your faith. For Myra, faith for complete restoration was no longer a struggle filled with frustration when she saw Jesus and His finished work!

The same is true for you. Faith will spring forth unconsciously, and you will walk in true victory over every area of defeat in your life today!

This is SO true! Joseph Prince refers to it as 'Unconscious Faith'. I refer to it as the result of GOD having written HIS WORD on MY HEART! When I take in the Word of God I do NOT memnorize it! I MEDITATE on the Word (read Joshua 1:8 AMPC) and the WORD becomes a part of who I am - IN HIM! I hope that YOU will begin to trust in and act on HIS FAITH that comes from HIS WORD that YOU put inside so that HE can write it on YOUR HEART! Here is Brandon Lake with one of my new favorite songs "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan has us in Matthew 15. I want to look at verses 1-9:

1 Then from Jerusalem came scribes and Pharisees and said,
2 Why do Your disciples transgress and violate the rules handed down by the elders of the past? For they do not practice [ceremonially] washing their hands before they eat.
3 He replied to them, And why also do you transgress and violate the commandment of God for the sake of the rules handed down to you by your forefathers (the elders)?
4 For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely come to his end by death.
5 But you say, If anyone tells his father or mother, What you would have gained from me [that is, the money and whatever I have that might be used for helping you] is already dedicated as a gift to God, then he is exempt and no longer under obligation to honor and help his father or his mother.
6 So for the sake of your tradition (the rules handed down by your forefathers), you have set aside the Word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect].
7 You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said:
8 These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.
9 Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.

THIS is how JESUS responded to those who did not follow Him, yet constantly questioned Him! JESUS ALWAYS answered with the TRUTH of HIS WORD! They could not fool JESUS with their false piety and ignorance of HIS WORD! I encourage YOU to treasure your intimate fellowship with JESUS by HIS SPIRIT Who lives IN you as a born again believer! Here is Brandon Lake with "More":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Point Of Spiritual Honour

I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians. — Romans 1:14

Paul was overwhelmed with the sense of his indebtedness to Jesus Christ, and he spent himself to express it. The great inspiration in Paul’s life was his view of Jesus Christ as his spiritual creditor. Do I feel that sense of indebtedness to Christ in regard to every unsaved soul? The spiritual honour of my life as a saint is to fulfil my debt to Christ in relation to them. Every bit of my life that is of value I owe to the Redemption of Jesus Christ; am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His Redemption into actual manifestation in other lives? I can only do it as the Spirit of God works in me this sense of indebtedness. I am not to be a superior person amongst men, but a bondslave of the Lord Jesus. “Ye are not your own.” Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ. He says — “I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the Gospel of Jesus; I am free to be an absolute slave only.” That is the characteristic of the life when once this point of spiritual honour is realised. Quit praying about yourself and be spent for others as the bondslave of Jesus. That is the meaning of being made broken bread and poured-out wine in reality.

AMEN! All that I am and all that I have I owe to my LORD and SAVIOUR! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food"  devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is an excellent one!

Stop Light

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth . . . . — JOHN 16:13

For the three days prior to my vision of the Lord, I had been trying to write a letter to a pastor, confirming a date I was to hold for him. I’d get half a page written to him and then I’d tear it up and throw it in the wastebasket. The second and third days I did the same thing.

As the Lord sat by my bedside, He said, “I’m going to show you how the inward witness works so you won’t make the same mistakes you’ve made in the past. You see Me now sitting here talking to you. This is the prophet’s ministry in manifestation — and a manifestation of discerning of spirits [discerning of spirits is seeing into the spirit realm]. You hear Me talking to you. And I am bringing you, through the vision, a word of knowledge and a word of wisdom. I’m telling you not to go to that church. The pastor wouldn’t accept the way you minister. But I’m never again going to lead you this way. [And He hasn’t.] From now on, I’m going to lead you by that inward witness you’ve had all the time. You had a check, a hesitancy, on the inside. And that is the way I’m going to lead you.”

This inward check is like a stop sign. It’s like a red light — way down on the inside.

Confession: The Spirit of truth is come. He indwells me. He guides me. He is guiding me now.

AMEN!There is NOTHING like the WORD of GOD! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional from The Spoken Word Church website is a simple and very POWERFUL message for each of us! 

Pursue Your Miracle

Pursuit is the proof of desire. When you really want something, you are willing to reach for it. Miracles happen only to those who seek them. The blind man cried out to Jesus. The hemorrhaging woman pressed through the crowd to touch Jesus' garment. You, too, must be willing to put forth an effort. Use your faith in God's Word to get what you want from God.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."(Matthew 7:7-8)

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with the power song "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a powerful message from the Word of God!

Number One: Inward Witness

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself . . . . — 1 JOHN 5:10

The way God confirms the most important thing that can ever happen to you, is also the way God leads His children: by the inward witness.

The most important aspect of your life — becoming a child of God — is confirmed to you by God’s Spirit bearing witness with your spirit, that you have been born again (Romans 8:16). This will help you understand that the number one way God leads His children is through the inward witness.

That is almost always the way I am led. Yes, I’ve had revelations, and I’ve had God lead me in other ways, too. But most of the time, I am led by the inward witness.

And you can be too!

Confession: I am a child of God. I have been born again. I am born of the Spirit of God. God’s Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am a child of God. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. I am a child of God; therefore, the Spirit of God leads me. He is leading me now. I trust Him, the Greater One. He will rise up big in me. He will give illumination to my mind. He will give direction to my spirit, for I am a child of God. I am being led by the Spirit of God. And the Spirit of God leads me, first of all, through that wonderful inward witness.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Kids": 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am sharing again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional.

HOW TO BE LED BY HIS PEACE

I want you to know that when God becomes Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace, in your life, He doesn’t just soothe your emotions. He will lead you with His peace.

For example, you may be making some decisions at your work, for your children, or perhaps even where and when to travel for your vacation. Talk to Jesus about it. He will lead and guide you with His peace.

If there is peace from the Lord, go with that decision. If there is an absence of peace and you feel a sense of restraint, back away from it.

You will find that guidance from the Lord comes very easily when God manifests Himself as Jehovah Shalom. In His peace, decisions don’t feel forced and full of strife. In His peace, there is a rest. His peace will guide you supernaturally to be at the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

In Judges 6, the Midianites were terrorizing Israel day and night, destroying their crops and pillaging their livestock. The Lord assured Gideon, who was hiding from the Midianites, that He was with him and called him a man of valor, to which his response was: “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (Judges 6:13).

Doesn’t Gideon remind us of ourselves? Instead of hearing what the Lord had just called him, he began to complain. “Why has the Lord forsaken us?” Astoundingly, the Lord simply turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:14).

What? First, the Lord Jesus calls this man who is in hiding “a man of valor.” Now, He calls this complaining man, who is mad at God, to go in that might of his and save Israel? Shouldn’t it be, “Be gone from My presence, you stinking complainer, I must have found the wrong guy”?

I am so glad that the Lord is not like you and me. He always calls the things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:17).

And I believe that as you receive a revelation of how the Lord is the God of peace in your life, you may be fearful and complaining now, but like Gideon, God will send you to be a testimony of His protection. He will send you to all your friends, coworkers, and loved ones who are bound by fear, and He will use you to deliver them from fear!

AMEN! Here is Tauren Wells with "Take It All Back":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another vital lesson for us!

Look Inside

What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. — 1 CORINTHIANS 14:15

In every crisis of life, I’ve learned to look to my spirit inside of me. I’ve learned to pray in other tongues. And while I’m praying in other tongues, guidance comes up from inside of me, because my spirit is active when I pray in tongues. My mind is not active then; my spirit is active. And it is through my spirit that God gives me guidance.

Sometimes while I’m praying in tongues privately, I’ll interpret what I’ve said; and through the interpretation, I’ll get guidance. But this doesn’t happen most of the time.

Most of the time, while I’m just praying in tongues, from somewhere way down deep inside, the knowledge of what God wants me to do will rise up in me. (It’s difficult to explain spiritual things in natural ways, but I can sense something rising up within me.) It begins to take shape and form, and although I can’t always put it into words (because my understanding has nothing to do with it), I know exactly on the inside of me what direction I’m to take.

Confession: I listen to my heart. I look to my spirit inside me. I am spirit-conscious, because the Holy Spirit indwells my spirit. He gives direction to my spirit. He guides me through my spirit.

AMEN! THIS is what is needful for us to continue to grow up in the things of God and be effective inour individual minitries! Here is Brandon Lake with "Rest On Us":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 8 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and I want to share it HERE with you all!

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

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

I encourage YOU to "BE LIKE DAVID"! Praise the LORD for EVERY good thing that HE has done for YOU! And HE, being the GIVER that HE IS, will give you ALL GOOD THINGS! Here is Brandon Lake with ''Fear Is NOt My Future":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

Today I want to share this from Jerry Savelle Ministries! 

YOU ARE ABRAHAM’S SEED

And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29 NKJV

The biblical term “Abraham’s seed” refers in both the Old and New Testaments to those who have received righteousness (right standing before God) by faith.

When we receive righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ, we are called Abraham’s seed.

God made many promises to Abraham’s seed, and He established an inheritance for each and every one. This inheritance becomes available to each and every individual the moment he or she receives righteousness by faith.

To find out what belongs to you, read Deuteronomy 28. You’ll see that God promised you’ll be blessed coming in and blessed going out. You’ll be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. You’ll be blessed in everything you set your hand to do.

God said He would make you the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. He declared that when your enemy comes in one way, God will cause him to flee seven ways!

God loves you and wants you to enjoy the inheritance He has prepared for you. Determine today to study God’s Word and discover all the promises that are yours. And then, make the decision to receive all that is yours, giving glory to God.

Confession: Thank You, Father, for loving me enough to leave me a wonderful inheritance through my faith in Jesus, who made me righteous. As Abraham’s seed, I know I am a rightful heir to this inheritance, and I determine to discover and receive all that you have prepared for me.

AMEN! Dig into the Word of God to find out just what JESUS has provided for YOU! Meditate on those promises until you KNOW that you KNOW what belongs to YOU as a child of the LIVING GOD! Here is Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another vital and powerful lesson for us to use to grow up in the things of GOD!

A Well Of Water

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? . . . Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. — JOHN 4:10,11,13,14

Bible scholars know that water is a type of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Himself used water as a type of the Spirit. When Jesus told the woman at the well of Samaria that He was the Giver of living water, she got it confused with the water in the well — natural water.

Then Jesus said, “. . . the water that I shall give . . . shall be . . . a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

He was talking about the New Birth, the well of living water within the believer.

Confession: I have drunk the living water, and I thirst no more. I am born of the Spirit of God. God’s Spirit is in me. A well of water is in me springing up into everlasting life.

AMEN! Our GOD will ALWAYS lead us in the direction of HIS WILL for us so that HE can blewss OUR ob edience! Here are Brandon Lake and Phil Wickam with "Love Of God!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is EXCELLENT!

Up in Smoke

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

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

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

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

What happened?

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

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

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

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

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

AMEN! Remember that the world we know was created with WORDS! GOD'S WORDS! When WE speak HIS WORDS, we receive what His Word promises! So let's get busy! Here is Brandon Lake with "More" from his Coat of Many Colors album!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Do The One THing That IS Needful!

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41–42

Is it practical to be occupied with Jesus? Does it help you? Does it put food on the table? Does it prosper your finances? Does it make your physical body healthy? We know what it did for Peter—he walked on water. Now, let's take a look at what it did for Mary. You can find the story of Mary and her sister, Martha, in Luke 10:38–42.

Mary was seated at Jesus’ feet when the Lord came to visit them. Martha, the elder sister, was busy working in the kitchen, making sure that everything was in order and ensuring that there was enough food and drink for their guest. Who was Martha busy serving? Jesus.

And while Martha was frantically running in and out of the kitchen, what was her younger sister Mary doing? In the midst of all the busyness and activity, Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, beholding His beauty, beholding His glory, and hanging on to every word that proceeded from His lips.

While Mary was resting and drawing living water from Jesus, her sister Martha was restless, frantic, and stressed from serving Jesus. One sister was focused on serving, while the other was focused on receiving.

Look what happened after a while. Martha's stress from serving finally led to this outburst of frustration: "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me” (Luke 10:40). In one moment of anger, she blamed two persons: the Lord Jesus as well as her sister Mary.

Now, listen closely to Jesus’ response, and you may just find yourself in the Lord's description of Martha: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

This is an amazing response. In Middle Eastern culture, it was right for Mary to be in the kitchen preparing food and serving her guest. Now, it would have been a shameful thing for Mary to sit at Jesus’ feet and not help Martha if Jesus was just an ordinary guest.

But Jesus was no ordinary guest and Mary knew it. He was God in the flesh and the greatest way you can minister to God when He is in your home is to sit at His feet and keep drawing from Him! That is what delights our Lord.

When you come to Jesus to draw as much as you can from Him, He loves it. That is why Jesus was pleased with Mary. That is why He defended Mary’s action, saying, “One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part.”

What is the “one thing” that is needful? Is it to busy yourself in serving the Lord? Is it to be troubled about many things?

No, the one thing that is needful is for you to sit at Jesus’ feet and keep your eyes, ears, and heart on Him. One sister saw Jesus in the natural, needing her ministry. The other sister saw Him as God veiled in flesh with a fullness to draw upon.

Which sister do you suppose complimented Jesus and made Him feel like the God that He is? Mary. Martha obviously forgot that this God-Man multiplied loaves and fishes to feed a multitude. He has not come to be fed but to feed!

Unfortunately, sometimes, the hardest thing for us to do is to sit down! Sometimes, the most challenging thing we can do is to cease from our own efforts and rest solely on Jesus’ unmerited favor.

Often, we are like Martha—worried, busy, and troubled about many things. It can all be legitimate things that we are worried about. In Martha’s case, she was trying her best to serve the Lord. She ended up doing many things that day, but missed out on doing the one thing that was actually needful.

Believers who do that one thing that is needful are not worried about anything else. On the other hand, believers who fail to do that one thing end up being troubled about many things. Do you believe that only one thing is needful—to rest at Jesus’ feet and receive from Him?

Now, is it practical to just be occupied with Jesus? Absolutely. We find that later, in the Gospel of John, Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair to prepare Him for His burial (John 12:3–8).

On resurrection morning, some women came with ointment to anoint Jesus’ body, but it was too late then. They were doing the right thing, but at the wrong time. The Lord had already risen.

But Mary did the right thing at the right time. This shows us that when you do the one thing that is needful, you will end up doing the right thing at the right time, and God will cause all that you touch to be amazingly blessed.

Like Mary, choose to focus on the beauty, glory, and love of Jesus. Choose not to be troubled about many things or be constantly occupied with yourself. Like Peter, turn away from the storm and look at Jesus, and you will start walking above the storm.

Beloved, choose to focus on the Lord and rest in His finished work. As Jesus is, so are you in this world!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "One Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is very appropriate for Independence Day!

Lamp Of The Lord

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. — PROVERBS 20:27

One translation of this verse reads, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord.” To put it into modern speech, you would say, “The spirit of man is the light bulb of the Lord.”

What this scripture means is that God will enlighten us — He will guide us — through our human spirits.

However, Christians seem to seek guidance in every other way except the way God said it is going to come! They judge how God is leading by what their physical senses tell them; but nowhere does the Bible say that God will guide us through our physical bodies! They look at things from a mental standpoint; but nowhere in the Bible does God declare that He will guide us through our mentality, our intellect, or our minds!

God said that it is the spirit of man that is the candle of the Lord. So God will guide us through our spirits. God will guide you through your human spirit.

Confession: I am a spirit. I have a soul. I live in a physical body. My spirit is the candle of the Lord. God my Father is enlightening me through my spirit. God is guiding me through my spirit.

AMEN! WE can trust HIM ALWAYS! Here is Brandon Lake with "Rest On Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 2 is what we read today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and it is SO timely! Here is the entire Psalm:

1 Why do the nations assemble with commotion [uproar and confusion of voices], and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme?
2 The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say,
3 Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us.

How does ALMIGHTY GOD respond to them?

4 He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them].
5 He speaks to them in His deep anger and troubles (terrifies and confounds) them in His displeasure and fury, saying,
6 Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King [firmly] on My holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You.

8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like potters’ ware.

Then He has THIS to say to US! 

10 Now therefore, O you kings, act wisely; be instructed and warned, O you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverent awe and worshipful fear; rejoice and be in high spirits with trembling [lest you displease Him].
12 Kiss the Son [pay homage to Him in purity], lest He be angry and you perish in the way, for soon shall His wrath be kindled. O blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him!

AMEN!

Never forget to REMEMBER that OUR GOD IS GOD! The ONE and ONLY! His WORD is TRUTH, His PROMISES are SURE and His PLANS and PURPOSES for US are GOOD! Here is Brandon Lake with "Graves Into Gardens":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 1:1-3 is GREAT GOOD NEWS for those who belong to JESUS!

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. 2 But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. 3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

Let's make sure that JESUS is ALWAYS our #1! Here are Hillsong Kids from long ago singing "My #1"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I think that Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today is an excellent way to begin July!

The Lordship Of Jesus

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. — ROMANS 6:4

Some translations of Romans 10:9 read, “. . . if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart . . . thou shalt be saved.” That means you must confess Jesus as your Lord and acknowledge His lordship over your life in order to be saved.

The reason for this is obvious. We’ve been the servants and the subjects— as well as the children — of Satan, the enemy of God. We have belonged to the kingdom of the devil. Now we want to leave that kingdom and become “naturalized citizens” of God’s Kingdom. But before we can do this, we must swear allegiance to the new fatherland, so to speak. We must make an absolute, unconditional break with our old fatherland. So, the Bible says, we must confess Jesus Christ as Lord. He is the new Ruler of our intellectual life as well as our heart, or spiritual life.

Some want to have Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. They want Him as their Savior from hell, but they don’t want Him as their Lord and Ruler on earth. You can’t really have one without the other.

Confession: I walk in the newness of life. Jesus Christ is my Savior. Jesus is my Lord. Lord Jesus, I live in Your Kingdom now, and I acknowledge Your lordship over my life. I want to have Your will and Your way in every area of my life.

HALLELUJAH!!! Here, to celebrate this powerful TRUTH, is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!