Shalom,

Today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince is POWERFUL!

Salvation in the Name of Jesus

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:18

Psalm 91 ends with the power-packed verse, “With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”

Many years ago, the Lord opened my eyes to see that apart from the four names of God that are mentioned in the first two verses of Psalm 91, there is another name of God, a fifth name, concealed in the very last word of Psalm 91.

You see, in Hebrew, the word “salvation” is the word yeshua. And Yeshua is the Hebrew name of our Lord Jesus! Now, isn’t that beautiful?

This is what God was saying: “With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My Yeshua.” Long life is found in our Yeshua. You can know God as El Elyon, God Most High, as the Almighty Shaddai, as Jehovah, and even as Elohim, but the name that gives you full and utter confidence is the name Jesus!

It is not enough to know that God is all-powerful. It is more important you know that God is willing to use His power and might to save you!

That’s what our Lord Jesus did at the cross for you and me. He came and He showed us His salvation by sacrificing Himself on the cross for your sins and my sins. He died young that we may live long. And not just live long in this world.

At the cross, He purchased for us the gift of eternal life, paid for with His own blood. The moment you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your salvation in Him was sure and secure!

I grew up in a church where I was taught that when you sin, you will lose your salvation and have to get born again all over again. This erroneous teaching oppressed my mind day and night. The enemy incessantly attacked me with thoughts that I had lost my salvation.

As I was seeking the Lord for answers one day, He opened my eyes and pointed me to the above Scripture passage from 2 Timothy.

Just like that, when the truth of God’s Word came in, all the oppression left me. And every time the thought that I had lost my salvation reared its ugly head again, I would quote this verse, boldly declaring, “It is written, ‘And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.’”

Beloved, I highly recommend that you meditate on this Scripture. In this one verse you find the Lord’s protection and preservation unto eternity!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat Of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love today's devotional on The Spoken Word Church website!

Focus on Priorities

Let's pray this prayer together: Father, I set myself in agreement that the will of God shall be done today. In my government. In my local church. On my job. Within my home and family.

You see my written list of things to do. You know the people I am meeting today. Remove those who do not belong on my schedule. I speak to the north, the south, east and west and call forth from the shadows of my life those you have intended to be linked with me.

Father, your priorities are mine. Your will shall be done. I am led by your peace, filled with your joy and controlled by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)

Amen! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Fear Of God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read the shortest chapter in the Bible and a very powerful one! Psalm 117:

1 O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people! 2 For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

What a powerful promise! Let's learn to LIVE in this and rejoice continually! Here, to help you with that, is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The External Crush Of Things

I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. — 1 Corinthians 9:22

A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s noble man or woman amid a crowd of ignoble things. Never make this plea — “If only I were somewhere else!” All God’s men are ordinary men made extraordinary by the matter He has given them. Unless we have the right matter in our minds intellectually and in our hearts affectionately, we will be hustled out of usefulness to God. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no matter in them of God’s almighty grace, no matter of His mighty word. Paul’s whole heart and mind and soul were taken up with the great matter of what Jesus Christ came to do, he never lost sight of that one thing. We have to face ourselves with the one central fact — Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

“I have chosen you.” Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you. Here, in this College, God is at work, bending, breaking, moulding, doing just as He chooses. Why He is doing it, we do not know; He is doing it for one purpose only — that He may be able to say, “This is My man, My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can plant men on the Rock as He has planted us.

Never choose to be a worker, but when God has put His call on you, woe be to you if you turn to the right hand or to the left. He will do with you what He never did with you before the call came; He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.

AMEN! Every one who has received Jesus as Lord and Saviour has a God given assignment! Something that HE has equipped and prepared us for from before the foundation of the world! BE the BEST YOU for HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat Of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I found that today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" devotional by our partner, Rick Renner, is very informative!

What Is An Apostle

And He Himself gave some to be apostles…. — Ephesians 4:11 NKJV

When I was growing up, I was told there was no such thing as a living apostle. Our denomination taught that all the apostles died at the end of the “Apostolic Age” — along with miracles, signs and wonders, and gifts of the Holy Spirit! To my young mind, the term “apostle” belonged to a group of 12 legendary men who walked with Jesus 2,000 years ago. Once they died, that was the end of that!

But over the past decades, we have learned that much denominational teaching was wrong. Miracles, signs, wonders, and gifts of the Holy Spirit are still “alive and well.” Prophets, also previously considered relics of the past, are recognized and honored. No one would argue that the Church is also blessed with fiery evangelists, powerful pastors, and profoundly God-gifted teachers. But now — at the end of the age — it is finally being recognized that the apostolic gift still exists.

The apostolic gift has always been around, but the theology I grew up hearing wouldn’t sanction someone being called an apostle. To call someone an apostle seemed ludicrous and arrogant. Everyone “just knew” there was no such thing as an apostle — and to call a person by this name was almost considered a blasphemous insult to the first 12 apostles.

So thanks to our scholarly ancestors who read and spoke Latin, we reverted to calling apostles by the Latin name missionaries. But “missionary” is not a correct term in this context. The only reason we called apostles missionaries was the fear of retribution for calling them apostles, as they often should have been called.

I am not implying that everyone who is a missionary is an apostle. Some people are called to be missionaries — people who sense a need to go on a mission to help the work of God. This work is very beneficial and needful, but it does not in itself constitute an apostolic call. Often these are truly missionaries and not apostles — people sent by the local church or their denomination to help in some way on the mission field.

An apostolic call originates in a divine revelation and encounter with Jesus Christ. As Paul said, his calling was “…not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ….” (Galatians 1:1). These precious apostolic gifts may not have always been recognized as apostles, but they have always been present in the Church throughout history, and they are present and active in the Church in this hour. Ephesians 4:11-13 says that all the fivefold ministry gifts — including the apostle — will be present and active “till we all come in the unity of the faith….”

The Church of Jesus Christ cannot reach full maturity unless all of these Christ-given gifts are imparting their unique portions to the Church. Like the other fivefold ministry gifts, the gift of apostleship is an essential element to carry the Church upward to her destiny as a “…glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing…” (Ephesians 5:27).

But before we go any further into this teaching about the role of apostles in today’s world, let’s back up and study where this word apostle comes from. Today we’ll look at the Greek meaning of the word, and tomorrow we’ll look at the various historical usages of this word “apostle” in New Testament times. You may be very surprised to see the various ways this word was used and how they all had application to a New Testament apostle.

The Greek word for “apostle” is apostolos, which is a compound of the words apo and stello. The preposition apo means away, and the word stello means to send. When the two words are combined, they form the word apostolos, meaning one who is sent away. This Greek word appears 79 times in the New Testament. The root of apostolos is the word apostello, a word that appears no less than 131 times in the New Testament and more than 700 times in the Old Testament Greek Septuagint.

At first, it may seem that the definition of this word apostolos — one who is sent away — denoted one who had been dismissed, set aside, or rejected. However, this word didn’t refer to a person sent away in dishonor or disgrace. Rather, the word apostolos was a term of great honor that referred to a person who was personally selected, commissioned, and sent on an assignment on behalf of a very powerful government or individual. This person wasn’t merely sent off; he was empowered, invested with authority, and then dispatched to accomplish a special task.

So when we talk about apostles, we are discussing individuals who are appointed, empowered, invested with authority by the Lord, and then dispatched to do a special task. And their task is the establishing of the Christian community in places where it had not existed heretofore.

There is a lot for us to see on this subject, so tomorrow we’ll look more deeply at the historical meaning of the word “apostle.” I pray these Sparkling Gems will open your eyes to a greater understanding of this gift and how desperately we need this gift to be active in the Body of Christ today!

AMEN! I LOVE these devotionals! There is SO much information that helps make clear our personal Bible study! I hope you were blessed by this, too! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Know Your Covenant Rights in Christ

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6

I cannot emphasize enough how vitally important it is for a believer today to know that he is under the new covenant of God’s unmerited favor and no longer under the law. Many good, well-meaning, and sincere believers today are defeated by their lack of knowledge of the new covenant and all the benefits that Jesus has purchased for them at the cross.

“But Pastor Prince, we should not be looking at benefits when we believe in Jesus.”

I am glad that you brought up this point. Let’s look at what the psalmist thinks about this: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Psalm 103:1–5).

Beloved, this is the heart of God. He wants you to remember all the benefits that Jesus has purchased for you with His blood! It is His heart to see you enjoying every single benefit, every single blessing, and every single favor from Him in the new covenant of His grace.

Forgiveness of sin is yours. Health is yours. Divine protection is yours. Favor is yours. Good things and the renewal of youth are yours!

These are all precious gifts from the Lord to you, and it brings Him unspeakable joy when He sees you enjoying these gifts and succeeding in life. But it is the lack of knowledge of what Jesus has accomplished at the cross that has robbed many believers of enjoying these good gifts and benefits.

This reminds me of a story I read of a man who visited an impoverished old lady who was dying. As he sat next to her bed in the cramped confines of her dilapidated home, a single frame hanging on her spartan wall caught his attention.

Instead of a picture, the frame held a yellowed piece of paper with some writing on it. He asked the lady about that piece of paper and she replied, “Well, I can’t read, so I don’t know what it says. But a long time ago, I used to work for a very wealthy man who had no family. Just before he died, he gave me this piece of paper and I’ve kept it in remembrance of him for the past 40 or 50 years now.”

The man took a closer look at the framed contents, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Do you know that this is actually the will and testament of that man? It names you as the sole beneficiary of all his wealth and property!”

For close to 50 years, that lady had lived in abject poverty, working day and night to eke out a meager existence for herself. During all this time, she was actually the owner of a sprawling estate and enviable riches. However, her own ignorance had utterly robbed her of a life of wealth and luxury that she could have enjoyed.

It is a sad story, but what is even sadder is that this tragedy is played out every day in the lives of believers who do not realize the inheritance that Jesus bequeathed them when He gave up His life at the cross.

What we need today are not more laws to govern believers. What we need is a greater revelation and appreciation of Jesus and everything that He has done for us! In Hosea 4:6, God lamented, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Let’s not be numbered among these people. Instead, let us be a people who are full of the knowledge of Jesus, His person, His love, and His finished work.

Don't allow your ignorance to rob you anymore. Find out all about your covenant rights in Christ today!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle Ministries devotional!

Success Is a Decision

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 NKJV

Success begins with a decision to succeed. In turn, that decision will produce an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to do two things.

The first is to discover the spiritual laws relevant to your challenge. Simply put, this means to get wisdom: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV). The second is to diligently apply these laws and wisdom through to complete victory.

God’s will for you is success, but success doesn’t just happen. That’s why He shows you in His Word how to make things happen.

If you do not believe and act according to His Word, there is nothing He can do about it. However, when you do your part, He has to do His part. I like to say it this way: We get to do the easy part and God gets to do the impossible part.

For example, the Bible says, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26 NKJV). In other words, you can’t promote yourself; only God can make it happen. But you can make the decision to succeed by getting wisdom and then acting on the Word by choosing to become a servant.

When you make the decision to apply the Word of God to your situation, God promises that you will make your way prosperous and have good success.

Confession: I make the decision to succeed today. I make an unwavering commitment to do what it takes to get wisdom concerning the spiritual laws relevant to my challenge, and then to apply them through to complete victory.

AMEN! I LOVE this verse! THIS is the WAY to get the Word of God IN us in abundance! Let's GO! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Perfection Is Not Required

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

When I was a young Christian, I was a victim of a flawed, legalistic teaching based on a misinterpretation of the apostle Paul’s teaching on the holy Communion in 1 Corinthians 11:27–30:

“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.”

I was taught and warned, as perhaps you were, that if there was any sin in my life, including ones I didn’t know about or had forgotten to confess, that sin made me unworthy to partake of the holy Communion. I would bring judgment and sickness on myself, and I might even die before my time!

But how could I ever know if I was “worthy” enough? I was not living in sin or anything like that, but I knew that to God, sin is sin, and if anyone fails in even one area, he is counted guilty of all (James 2:10).

As a result, I was so fearful of the Communion I did not partake of it for many years. After all, I was no fool. Why would I risk it?

I was robbed of my inheritance because of well-meaning but erroneous preaching that put an invisible fence around what was meant to be a source of health and healing and a blessing for God’s people. A fence was put around it saying, “Don’t come near unless you are worthy.”

Don’t be robbed like I was.

This is what the Word of God says: Jesus’ blood has already been shed for us, and as believers, we are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are completely righteous and worthy not because we are perfect, but because He is perfect.

He paid the full price for the forgiveness of our sins, which alone makes us worthy. His sacrifice at the cross has fully qualified us to receive His healing and victory over sin and every kind of bondage that is robbing us of health and life.

AMEN! What GREAT GOOD NEWS this is! Refuse to be intimidated by a lying enemy who's only goal is to keep you FROM God! Here is Brandon Lake with "God Is Not Against Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Prescription for Life

If any one intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and...follow with Me. For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it...and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel's will save [it].  Mark 8:34-35, The Amplified Bible

When Jesus said those words, He wasn't just giving us a prescription for getting to heaven. He was telling us how to live a superior life right here on earth.

You see, there's a high life that we can live right here, right now. But to get in on it, we have to lay down the way of life that most of us are accustomed to. We may have to let go of the very things we've been trying so hard to latch on to. We have to set our hearts instead on doing what God wants us to do.

That's what Jesus did. He didn't live His life for Himself. He lived it completely for God. He did only what the Father told Him to do—and He lived in total victory.

It's time to realize that getting born again is not something we do just to miss hell. Our purpose is to please God—to lay down our lives in order to fulfill His desires. To be His special possessions in the earth and to do whatever He tells us to do. Our top priority is to give ourselves to Him and to live in communication with Him. To spend enough time with Him that we can hear His voice and respond in obedience.

Only when we do that will we be genuinely fulfilled. Only when we do that will we be able to live the high life we've been longing for.

Let's CHOOSE to live THIS LIFE as JESUS instruct us in His Word! THAT will TRULY be a LIFE worth LIVING! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin!

A Demand

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. — HEBREWS 11:6

God demands faith of us.

Now, if God demands that we have faith when it is impossible for us to have faith, then we have a right to challenge His justice. But if God places in our hands the means whereby faith can be produced, then the responsibility is up to us as to whether we have faith or not.

God has given us His Word, and He has told us that, “. . . faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

F. F. Bosworth, an authority on healing and the author of the classic Christ the Healer, said, “Most Christians feed their bodies three hot meals a day, their spirits one cold snack a week, and then wonder why they are so weak in faith.”

Confession: I will please my Heavenly Father. I will walk in faith. I will feed my faith regularly on the faith food God has put into my hands.

AMEN! THIS is the LEAST we can do for our Heavenly Father after all that HE has done for us! Here is Brandon Lake with "Turnaround":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Faith Food

But he [Jesus] answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. — MATTHEW 4:4

Here, Jesus is using a natural human term to convey a spiritual thought. He is saying that what bread, or food, is to the body, the Word of God is to the spirit, or heart, of man.

You can feed your spirit. You can feed your faith. God’s Word is faith food.

Smith Wigglesworth, the great English preacher under whose ministry fourteen people were reportedly raised from the dead, is called an apostle of faith. He said, “I never consider myself thoroughly dressed unless I have my New Testament in my pocket. I would as soon go out without my shoes as without my Bible!”

In Wigglesworth’s travels over the world, he stayed in many homes. People have reported that after each meal, even in restaurants, he would push back from the table, get out his Testament, and say, “We have fed the body; now let’s feed the inward man.” Then Wigglesworth would read something about faith, usually winding up giving a little faith message.

Confession: I live by every Word of God. I feed my faith. I feed my inward man. I feed on faith food — God’s Word!

AMEN! Let's LIVE as the people of FAITH that we are! Let's tell somebody about JESUS! With and without words! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

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

The Cross - Foolishness or the Power of God?

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto we which are saved it is the power of God.” — 1 Corinthians 1:18

Since Jesus rose from the dead, different people have responded differently to the preaching of the Cross. Some reject it, while others receive the message by faith and thus experience the power of God. Paul referred to this dichotomy of response when he wrote, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto we which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The word “foolishness” in this verse is from the word moria, which means foolish, stupid, or unintelligent and describes unacceptable behavior, thought, or speech. From this word moria, we derive the word moron. To the Greek and Roman mind, to believe in Christ and in His Cross alone as the way to salvation was the belief of a moron. This kind of exclusive and “narrow” behavior, thought, or speech was simply unacceptable. When confronted with the message of the Gospel, a pagan of that time would have forthrightly exclaimed, “It is stupid, unintelligent, and unacceptable to believe that Jesus is the only way to God.

Paul continued in First Corinthians 1:18, saying, “…Unto we which are saved it is the power of God.” The word “power” is the Greek word dunamis, which is most often used in ancient literature to depict military might or the ability to conquer. In fact, it is used 210 times in the New Testament to denote strength and conquering ability. For those who don’t believe in Jesus and have never experienced the delivering and conquering power of the Gospel, this message may seem to be foolishness. But those who have repented and have entered into covenant with Jesus Christ know the delivering, conquering power of these mighty words. It is no foolishness to the redeemed — it is the lifesaving power of God !

In the early days of the Church, the message of the Cross — backed with the power of the Spirit — produced life wherever it found open hearts to receive its eternal truth. It ignited new birth in the hearts of men, broke the yoke of spiritual bondage off of people’s lives, brought healing to bodies and minds ravaged by sickness and disease, and delivered people of defiling demonic influences from their previous pagan environment.

There was, there is, and there always will be wonder-working power in the message of the Cross. It may seem primitive or foolish to those who do not believe — but to those of us who are saved, this is the power of God unto salvation. For us, it is clear: There is salvation in no other.

Jesus is the only name given to man by which we can be saved (see Acts 4:12). The Cross is still the power of salvation to those who believe!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Key To The Master’s Orders

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest. — Matthew 9:38

The key to the missionary problem is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work, that is, not work as the word is popularly understood today because that may mean the evasion of concentration on God. The key to the missionary problem is not the key of common sense, nor the medical key, nor the key of civilization or education or even evangelisation. The key is prayer. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest.” Naturally, prayer is not practical, it is absurd; we have to realize that prayer is stupid from the ordinary commonsense point of view.

There are no nations in Jesus Christ’s outlook, but the world. How many of us pray without respect of persons, and with respect to only one Person, Jesus Christ? He owns the harvest that is produced by distress and conviction of sin, and this is the harvest we have to pray that labourers may be thrust out to reap. We are taken up with active work while people all round are ripe to harvest, and we do not reap one of them, but waste our Lord’s time in over-energised activities. Suppose the crisis comes in your father’s life, in your brother’s life, are you there as a labourer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? “Oh, but I have a special work to do!” No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s own, one who is not above his Master, one who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls to no special work: He calls to Himself. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,” and He will engineer circumstances and thrust you out.

AMEN! When we realize that God's #1 priority and desire is that ALL BE SAVED, we will become more sensitive to His leading and direction concerning OUR part in His great plan! 

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

So let's truly be about our Father's business and bring Him JOY! Here is Brandon Lake with "Graves Into Gardens":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Intimate Fellowship

But the one who is united and joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 AMP

Let me share with you something that I pray will cause your heart to be filled with such warmth as you see more and more of Jesus. The very word communion speaks of the relationship our Lord desires to have with us. The apostle Paul wrote:

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
—1 Corinthians 10:16–18

The word used for communion in the original Greek is the word koinonia, meaning “fellowship.” It also has the idea of an intimate participation, like the intimacy a husband and wife share when they say and do things no one else is privy to. Isn’t that beautiful?

Whenever you partake of the Communion, it’s a time of intimacy between you and the Lord. It’s a time you set aside to remember your heavenly Bridegroom, who loved you so much He gave Himself up for you (Ephesians 5:25). It’s a time you run to Him and lose yourself in His presence, and let His perfect love cast out every fear that may be eating at you.

He knows the secret fears of your heart as you look at the symptoms in your body. He knows the burdens that weigh you down as the doctors tell you about the long-term complications, side effects, and financial cost that treatment would entail. Run to Him, and cast all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns on Him, for He cares about you with deepest affection and watches over you very carefully (1 Peter 5:7 AMP).

As you take time to commune with Him and to remember Him through the holy Communion, do you know what happens? You become an intimate participator of the benefits of the body and the blood.

Just as those who ate of the sacrifices become “partakers of the altar” (1 Corinthians 10:18), when you eat the bread and drink the cup, you become a partaker of all Jesus accomplished at the cross. As you drink the cup, that is communion with and sharing in the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16 NASB). As you eat of the broken bread, you are participating in the body of Christ that was broken for you (1 Corinthians 10:16 NIV).

AMEN! There is No One Who LOVES YOU MORE than JESUS! Get used to HIS presence! HE is WAITING on YOU!!!

Here is Brandon Lake with Honey In The Rock:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 105 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I LOVE verses 1-5:

1 O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them.
3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity].
4 Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.
5 [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds that He has done, His miracles and wonders, the judgments and sentences which He pronounced [upon His enemies, as in Egypt].

Are YOU "earnestly remembering  the marvelous deeds He has done"? Meditate on these verses until they rise up big in you with all of the excitement and wonder His GOODNESS brings! Let YOUR expectation of His GOODNESS cause faith to rise and then TELL of HIS wonderful LOVE and GIVE Him at LEAST "A Thousand Hallelujahs" with Brooke Ligertwood!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is one of the most basic and powerful lessons on FAITH!

How Faith Comes

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

How does God give the sinner faith to be saved?

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

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

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

Confession: I listen to the Word of God. And faith comes to me.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat Of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am sharing the devotional from Jerry Savelle Ministries again today because this one is just as powerful as yesterday's! 

When In Adversity, I’ll Still Have Joy

When we refer to Apostle Paul, we think of his faith. We know that he was a great man of faith. But I believe that there is another characteristic about this man’s life that should be mentioned right alongside his faith, and that is his joy.

The people in Lamentations had lost many things. They had lost many possessions, confidence, stability, security, peace, and most of all JOY. They didn’t see anything in their lives to be joyful about. Lamentations 5:21 says, “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.”

What were they saying? In other words, God, we need some restoration in our lives. We’ve lost many things. There are many negative things happening in our lives. There is nothing positive that we can point at. And we’ve lost our joy. Our joy has withered away. Restore us, Lord.

Have you recently asked God for some restoration? Many times, we find ourselves needing restoration. Why? Because Satan is a thief. He comes to steal, to kill and to destroy your life (John 10:10). I’m sure he’s stolen some things from you. He may have stolen your marriage, your finances, your children, your job, your peace, your joy, your confidence. He is a thief out to destroy your life. And what you need is restoration.

You may be waking up in the middle of the night wondering where in the world you are going to get the money to meet that need. God, is it over? Is this as far as we go? What did I do to get into this kind of condition? God, have I sinned? Lord, what is going on here? The worst thing you can do is lose your joy. Joy is vitally important in the midst of adversity. Joy is a powerful force.

32But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Hebrews 10:32-34 KJV

The most important thing for you to do when Satan is trying to take everything you’ve got is maintain your joy. Don’t ever let him steal your joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). What you need most in the middle of a storm is strength to carry on.

If you have no joy, you have no strength. If you have no strength, then you can’t resist. If you can’t resist, then the devil will not flee. And if the devil doesn’t flee, then you will not win. Your victory is directly linked to your joy!

Declare: When I’m in adversity, I’ll still have joy in Jesus’ mighty name! Amen

AMEN! NEVER give up your God-given JOY!!! It is a vital source of STRENGTH!!! Here is Brandon Lake with "That's Who I Praise":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Jerry Savelle Ministries devotional for today is POWERFUL!

God’s Grace Is Sufficient

It makes no difference how you describe your situation, pushed to the wall, end of your rope, in over your head … God’s mercy is enough. God’s mercy is sufficient. If you are in over your head, then you need to call on God for a favor … Say, I need a favor today, Lord!

The favor of God is sufficient for whatever you are going through. In the Old Testament, in particular, when God’s people were facing impossible situations, they called on the mercy of God.

One example is found in Second Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel were totally outnumbered by enemy forces. They had very little hope. So, what did they do? They lifted up their hands and said, “God, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (verse 12).

They asked God for His mercy. What did God tell them to do? He told them to go and confront their enemies. He said to get the praisers and the singers out front and confront their enemies. He instructed them to stand in their presence and begin to say, “Praise the Lord. For the Lord is good and His mercy endureth forever” (2 Chronicles 20:21/Psalm 136:1).

That reveals to me that when you don’t know what to do, then praise always comes first. Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

Every time you declare your freedom, you are blowing a horn right in Satan’s ears. The blowing of the trumpet in Leviticus was symbolic of making a decree. When they heard that trumpet sound, they were making a profound statement in the spirit (decreeing their freedom). “ … The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

Every time you speak the Word of God, it is a sword coming out of your mouth. It is a trumpet being blown. No wonder the devil fights us so hard about confessing the Word.

Everything I have was obtained by confessing the Word of God. I am blowing my trumpet in the devil’s face and telling him, “You are not keeping me poor. You are not keeping me sick. You are not keeping me broke. You are not taking my marriage. You are not taking my children. I am the redeemed and I am saying so.”

It is time for you to blow your horn of freedom! Job 22:28 says, “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee.”

Begin to decree today that freedom is yours!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Health Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is VITAL for walking in divine health!

Don’t Give the Devil Permission

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. — PSALM 141:3

Here is an important scriptural principle that many dear Christians have never seen or realized yet: With your mouth, you’re either going to give God dominion over you or you’re going to give Satan dominion over you.

To be saved, you must confess the Lordship of Jesus. Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” You give Jesus dominion over you by confessing Him as your Lord. Then He begins to rule in your life.

However, when you confess Satan’s ability to hinder you, to keep you from success, to hold you in bondage, or to keep you sick, you are giving Satan dominion over you. He is the god of this world, and he’ll move right in, because you’ve permitted him to do so.

Many dear saints of God have opened the door to the devil ignorantly; they didn’t even realize they were doing it. But it’s still permission. Whether they’re knowledgeable or ignorant of what they’re doing, it’s still permission. Those who always talk sickness find that sickness dominates them.

Confession: I keep the door closed on the devil. I don’t allow him into any part of my life. I keep a watch on the words of my mouth, only speaking those things that bring glory and honor to God.

AMEN! Find out God's Word for every situation in life and refuse to speak anything else! Proverbs 18:20 says this:  A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].

WORDS and VITAL! Here is UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Pull Yourself Together

Yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. — Romans 6:13-22

I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot atone for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I can not make right what is wrong, pure what is impure, holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Have I faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made a perfect Atonement, am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The great need is not to do things, but to believe things. The Redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith upon it. If I construct my faith on my experience, I produce that most unscriptural type, an isolated life, my eyes fixed on my own whiteness. Beware of the piety that has no presupposition in the Atonement of the Lord. It is of no use for anything but a sequestered life; it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every type of experience by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the presupposition of the Atonement.

The Atonement of Jesus has to work out in practical, unobtrusive ways in my life. Every time I obey, absolute Deity is on my side, so that the grace of God and natural obedience coincide. Obedience means that I have banked everything on the Atonement, and my obedience is met immediately by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.

Beware of the piety that denies the natural life, it is a fraud. Continually bring yourself to the bar of the Atonement — where is the discernment of the Atonement in this thing, and in that?

Making JESUS your #1 priority puts you in position to LIVE life in this way! DO IT! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am sharing again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This was the very first devotional I ever used and it is still one of my very favorites! 

The Father Glorified

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

What a striking promise!

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

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

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

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

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

AMEN! Our ONLY reason for being here instead of being immediately with the Lord in Heaven is so that we can make JESUS known! Let's SHOUT HIS FAME as Hillsong put it so well several years ago! 

Shalom In Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this devotional from our partner, Rick Renner.

Our Partner In Prayer

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. — Romans 8:26-27

Today I want to continue talking to you about the Holy Spirit’s role and responsibility in your life in the area of prayer. Yesterday we looked at several truths about this subject contained in Romans 8:26. Now I want to address how the Holy Spirit can intercede for and through you when you’re grappling with your inadequacies in prayer.

I shared that the word “intercession” is the Greek word huperentugchano, which means to fall into with. This word “intercession” in the Greek conveys the idea of a rescue operation and paints the picture of a person who comes upon someone who has fallen into some kind of quandary. Upon discovering the trapped person’s dilemma, he swiftly swings into action to rescue and deliver the one who’s in trouble.

This word huperentugchano carries the idea of coming together in experience or meeting with. It can also mean to supplicate, which denotes a rescue operation in which one snatches and pulls a person out of imminent danger. So we could translate the phrase, “…the Spirit itself [Himself ] maketh intercession for us…” like this: “The Spirit Himself falls into our situation with us, meeting us in a common experience and rescuing us from our weakness.”

Now let’s look at the word “groanings” in this verse. It is the Greek word stenagmos, which means deep inward sighs and could be translated to vent. The picture this word paints is similar to a teapot of water placed on a stove. As you turn up the flame and the water begins to boil, the teapot lets out some steam and that little pot begins to whistle.

This Greek word stenagmos gives us insight into how this “intercession for us with groanings” takes place in us. We think our world is falling apart — that our fiery trial is so unbearable that we’re going to be consumed by the heat of that test. Of course, the devil stokes the fire in an attempt to convince us that we’re never going to walk free from that place of testing. And, indeed, we can begin to think it’s all over for us. But little do we know that as those flames are heating up, the Holy Spirit on the inside of us is getting angrier and angrier about the looming obstacle the enemy has placed before us. Then — suddenly — the Holy Spirit vents! The Holy Spirit sighs, and incredible prayers come rising up out of us. The Bible describes them as “groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Now what does this mean, “which cannot be uttered”?

First, I want to ask you — if someone stood before you and began groaning in agony, would you be able to hear him or her? All things being equal, yes, you would hear that person groaning.

There have been times in my life when I’ve gone before the Lord with a problem, and I’ve groaned so hard in prayer that although my prayer was uttered with my mouth, it was expressed without, or apart from, natural language or speech. In other words, I prayed with “groanings which cannot be uttered.”

We see an example of this in Jesus’ prayer life (see March 14), when He stood before Lazarus’ tomb and “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” (John 11:33). What Jesus was experiencing wasn’t just a matter of human emotions, but a deep, inward form of prayer when Jesus’ spirit hooked up with the Holy Spirit in a powerful, supernatural expression of the Father’s will.

These “groanings which cannot be uttered” can also refer to speaking, or praying, in other tongues. This phrase in the Greek simply indicates that what is uttered doesn’t make sense to the human mind. So, you see, this has nothing to do with silent thoughts or with silent groanings and sighings. Rather, the groanings in Romans 8:26 are supernatural utterances that proceed from your spirit and come forth from your mouth as the Holy Spirit rises up within you to lift you up and rescue you from your plight. This is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit as your Partner in prayer!

Second, the first part of this verse says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities….” As we saw yesterday, the Greek word for “helpeth” — sunantilambano — conveys this same idea of partnership and cooperation. In the midst of our weaknesses when we are inadequate to get the job done, the Holy Spirit comes and says, “Let Me grab hold of that hindrance with you, and you and I will push against it together until it is moved completely out of your way.” This is how prayer becomes a twofold partnership between you and the Holy Spirit. He does this thing with you — in fact, He can’t do it without you!

In the trials of life and the situations you find yourself in that seem impossible and overwhelming, you must participate with the Holy Spirit as He intercedes on your behalf. The Holy Spirit is in you — in your spirit — grabbing those problems along with you. The devil may turn up the heat, but, all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit begins to shove back and vent ! And like that teapot on a hot stove, as you’re praying, you might make some noise!

Romans 8:27 tells us how the Holy Spirit knows just what to pray to get the job done: “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The word “searcheth” here is similar to the Old Testament word “looketh” used in reference to God as He instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint a king from the household of Jesse (see 1 Samuel 16:1-10). After Jesse had called in his sons, Samuel looked at Jesse’s firstborn, Eliab, and said, “…Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him” (verse 6). However, God saw things differently: “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (verse 7).

As Samuel looked at each one of Jesse’s sons who had gathered before the prophet that day, the Lord said to Samuel, “No, it’s not him. He’s the wrong man for the job. You’re looking at outward characteristics, and you think you know what you want. But I look inwardly, at the heart.”

Both of these words “looketh” in First Samuel 16:7 and “searcheth” in Romans 8:27 indicate that God is looking for something that we wouldn’t think to look for. He looks beyond the surface — beyond what is shallow — right down to the need at the very deepest point.

The word “searcheth” in Romans 8:27 is translated from the Greek word ereunao, and it literally means to investigate, to examine, or to sift. It paints a picture of someone who’s going through stacks of material looking for something, so he carefully investigates, examines, and sifts through the materials as he searches for what he needs.

Verse 27 continues, “…He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit….” The word “spirit” in verse 27 is capitalized in the King James Version, but this word is not a proper noun in the Greek. You’d have to translate this Greek word in the context of the setting — and in this particular setting, the word “spirit” refers to the human spirit, not the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit who searches a person’s heart knows the “mind” of that person’s spirit.

Before we look at what the Holy Spirit knows about the mind of a person’s spirit, let’s look more closely at what it is He’s looking for as He “searcheth the hearts.” First, we know that He’s looking inward — within the heart — not outward, or just at the appearance of things. Second, we know He’s investigating and examining as He looks upon the heart. That’s how He knows the “mind” and the deepest, truest desires of a person’s human spirit.

Why do we need Someone to help us pray? Because we simply don’t know how to pray “as we ought” (verse 26)! For example, do you really know what the deepest desire of your heart is? Even if you think you know, could you agree that there’s probably a deeper desire of your heart than you’re even aware of right now? Well, the Spirit of God searches — investigates, examines, and sifts — through your heart for what He needs in order to pray for you. He looks for things you don’t even know to look for — things that, naturally speaking, you don’t have the ability to search out on your own. And He who searches the heart “…knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit…” (verse 27).

The word “mind” in this verse is translated from the Greek word that means frame of thinking. The Holy Spirit knows the mind of your spirit because He’s examining and sifting —investigating your heart to discover the will of God embedded deep within your innermost frame of thinking. The Holy Spirit is searching to see what your spirit desires or what dreams God has planted in your heart. And when He finds the deeply laid plans of God on the inside of you, He begins to pray about them according to God’s will.

Of course, you may already have a measure of understanding concerning some of those plans, but there’s no way you can instantly, automatically understand everything there is to know about them. But the Holy Spirit examines and investigates your heart and knows how to intercede effectually on your behalf regarding all that He finds there. Now you can see how valuable the Holy Spirit’s role is in your prayer life. This intercessory work has to be His responsibility because He’s the only One capable of accomplishing it!

Now let me ask you — have you ever been so perplexed by some challenge or dilemma that you said, “Lord, I don’t even know how to pray about this situation”? Are you facing difficulties right now at your workplace, in your business, in your family, or in your finances? Whatever situation you find yourself in, the Holy Spirit’s job is to fall into that situation with you and launch a rescue operation to deliver you out of confusion or danger and into the perfect will of God.

You may not know how to pray “as you ought,” but the Holy Spirit knows how to make intercession for you! He knows how to examine and investigate your heart until He takes hold of the frame of thinking of your spirit. You may be wondering, What am I going to do about this situation in my family? But the Holy Spirit knows just what the Lord wants to do. You may be concerned about a situation at work, and you’re asking, What about my job? Well, the Holy Spirit knows. Maybe you’re staring at a crossroads in your life, wondering which way to turn. The Holy Spirit knows!

I’m so thankful for the beautiful intercessory work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I can’t even recall all the times He has made intercession on my behalf to strengthen me in my weakness when I faced my own quandaries and crossroad moments and didn’t know what to do. And He wants to do the same for each one of us.

The Holy Spirit wants to help you pray about the deep, God-given desires of your heart. He knows better than you do what the plan of God is for your family, your job or business — and all the dreams He has placed in your heart. That means He knows about plans you may not yet be aware of. But the Holy Spirit hovers over those dreams and plans, and He knows the frame of thinking of all the secret places of your heart. Just ask, and the Holy Spirit will help you make the discoveries you need to know about your life and your future!

AMEN! This powerful PRAYER key has been my 'go to'  solution in every incident where I was at the end of my own wisdom in what to do, and even as a way to be in the presence of God without my mind interferring! Here is one of my favorite 'new to me' songs by Brandon Lake called "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another that I LOVE to meditate on!

Sufficiency

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament [New Covenant] . . . . — 2 CORINTHIANS 3:4-6

We aren’t ordinary people.

We’re tied up with Omnipotence.

We’re united with God Himself.

We’re carrying out God’s will here on the earth.

We’re the channels through whom God is pouring Himself out upon the world.

It is perfectly normal, then, that God should become our sufficiency — that His ability should become our ability.

Now we can better understand First Corinthians 3:9, “For we are labourers together with God . . . .” That’s fellowship with the Father! He supplies strength, wisdom, grace, and ability — the supernatural tools with which we work as able ministers of the New Covenant.

Confession: My sufficiency is of God, who makes me an able minister of the New Covenant. God is my sufficiency. He is my ability. I am a laborer together with God in carrying out His will upon the earth.

AMEN! No one in our lives desires for us to be MORE than healthy, happy, strong, prosperous, successful, powerful  and influential than our wonderful Elohim! That is the our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit of the Living God! AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!