Shalom,

I LOVE this "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin for today! SO POWERFUL!

Worship

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said . . . . — ACTS 13:2

This is the prayer of worship — ministering to the Lord.

It is true that God is concerned about us. He is interested in us, and wants to meet our needs, because He has told us to ask. But my personal observation is that too large a percentage of our praying is, “Give me, give me, give me.”

We need to take time in our individual prayer lives, in our gatherings, in our churches, to wait on God and to minister to the Lord. In this kind of atmosphere God can move. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost manifested Himself!

God made man for His own pleasure so He would have someone with whom to fellowship. He is our Father. We are born of God. No earthly parent ever enjoyed the fellowship of his children more than God enjoys the fellowship of His sons and daughters.

Take time to minister to the Lord: To pray. To wait on God. To tell Him how much you love Him. To praise Him. To thank Him for His goodness and mercy.

Confession: (Make up your own confession. Practice today’s lesson by ministering to the Lord.)

Let's be DOERS of the WORD and WORSHIP!!! Here is Hillsong with "For Who You Are:"

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Absoluteness Of Jesus Christ

He shall glorify Me. — John 16:14

The pietistic movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them; there is nothing about them that needs the Death of Jesus Christ, all that is required is a pious atmosphere, and prayer and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous, it did not cost the passion of God, it is not dyed in the blood of the Lamb, not stamped with the hall-mark of the Holy Ghost. It has not that mark on it which makes men say, as they look with awe and wonder – “That is the work of God Almighty.” That and nothing else is what the New Testament talks about.

The type of Christian experience in the New Testament is that of personal passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other type of Christian experience, so called, is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration, no being born again into the Kingdom in which Christ lives, but only the idea that He is our Pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is Saviour long before He is Pattern. To-day He is being despatched as the Figurehead of a Religion, a mere Example. He is that, but He is infinitely more; He is salvation itself. He is the Gospel of God.

Jesus said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,…He shall glorify Me.” When I commit myself to the revelation made in the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit Who begins to interpret to me what Jesus did and does in me subjectively all that Jesus Christ did for me objectively.

AMEN! Allow Your LIFE in JESUS be POWERFUL! HE IS! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

From our family to yours! Be THANKFUL! BE GRATEFUL! EVERY DAY!

 

Shalom,

Today's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional by Joseph Prince is a very good lesson for us! 

How Esther Obtained Favor

Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. Esther 2:15

When you know that you are greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved, you don’t have to depend on your self-efforts. Look at the story of Esther, for example.

When King Ahasuerus was looking for a new queen, the most beautiful women in the land were all brought into the palace. All the women were given the opportunity to adorn themselves with whatever they desired from the women’s quarters before they were brought for an audience with the king. But when it was Esther’s turn, she “requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised.”

And look at the results: “Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her,” and the king “loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:17)

While the other women grabbed the best garments, perfumes, and accessories to beautify themselves, Esther did not rely on her own abilities but submitted herself to Hegai, the official who had been appointed by the king to oversee the women. There was so much wisdom and humility in her decision. Can you see the beauty of Esther?

She did not trust in her own efforts. While the women tried to outdo one another by relying on their own efforts, Esther wisely submitted to the one person who would know the king’s preferences best, and the results speak for themselves.

This incident also demonstrates to us that Esther depended entirely upon the Lord’s unmerited favor. (When you depend entirely upon the Lord’s unmerited favor, you are trusting Him and in a position of rest.) Esther did not have to struggle. When she rested in the Lord and humbled herself, the Lord promoted her and exalted her above all the other beautiful women.

God resists the proud and gives unmerited favor to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). When you humble yourself and cease from your efforts to promote yourself, and depend on Jesus alone, the Lord Himself will be your promotion and increase. Like Esther, you will stand out in a crowd and obtain grace and favor with God and man.

Do you know why the story of Esther is so important? Read the details in the Book of Esther. Because Esther was promoted to become the queen, she was in a favored position to protect all the Jewish people in the kingdom from being killed. When the Lord promotes you, He gives you the influence to be a blessing to the people around you. There are no coincidences, only God-incidents. The Lord will bless you to be a blessing!

HALLEUJAH and AMEN! Make is YOUR goal to PLEASE HIM above all others and HE will cause you toa have favor where you need favor! Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Spirit-Filled

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. — EPHESIANS 5:18-20

“I just can’t thank God like I should,” some people have said.

You can if you follow Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:18-20, “. . . be filled with the Spirit . . . .” And just after giving this admonition to these Pentecostal people, Paul gives some ways to keep filled with the Spirit: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

An overflowing heart will be your testimony! Your cup will be full and running over! You will have a song in your heart!

“Giving thanks always for all things . . . .” Your heart is thankful. You give thanks for all of God’s blessings. You can even give thanks for every test. You don’t give thanks for what the devil has done, but you give thanks for the Word, for the opportunity to see God at work, and for the fact that you know God can make all things work together for your good.

Confession: I keep being filled with the Holy Spirit. I speak in the Spirit. I sing in the Spirit. I make melody in my heart to the Lord. And I am thankful.

AMEN! Let's take full advantage of ALL of the GIFTS that our Father has givn us in order for us to succeed in our individual calling and anointing! Let's be PLEASING to HIM! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

During this week of Thanksgiving today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a great reminder of where our hearts should be! 

A Great Plan

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. — GALATIANS 3:13

Part of the inheritance that Colossians 1:12-14 tells us we should be giving thanks to the Father for, is “. . . redemption through his blood . . . ” (verse 14).

What are we redeemed from? From the curse of the law. And what is the curse of the law? The only way to find out, is to go to the law and see what it says the curse is.

The term “the law,” as found in the New Testament, refers to the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. Reading there, we find that the curse, or punishment, for breaking God’s law is threefold:

1. Spiritual death (Genesis 2:17)

2. Poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

3. Sickness (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and Colossians 1:12-14 tells us to thank God for our redemption! We are to thank the Father for this great plan of redemption which He planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption which You planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate! Thank You because I am redeemed from death! Thank You because I am redeemed from poverty! Thank You because I am redeemed from sickness! Thank You, Father!

I hope that you will continually cultivate an 'attitude of gratitude'  to our wonderful GOD for all that He HAS done and all that He is about to do! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today we read Psalm 145. I am sharing the entire Psalm here because THIS is how you keep a nation on fire for GOD so that HIS WILL and PLANS and PURPOSES can be fulfilled!

Psalm 145
[A Psalm] of praise. Of David.
1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise].
2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate.
6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice.
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.
9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]!
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power,
12 To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.
17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.
20 The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

And lest you think that your place in this is not so important, remember that YOU ARE A MEMBER of the CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST and of His BODY! What YOU do has an effect on the whole body!!! Lets inspire eachother to remain close to HIM so that WE can be a part of changing our world for JESUS! Here is a song from UNITED from many years ago called "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read John 21 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to share the very last verse with you today!

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did. If they should be all recorded one by one [in detail], I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (have room for) the books that would be written.

HALLELUJAH!!! Do YOU know what that means? It means that we have only begun to know all there is to know about JESUS and what He said and did just in His life on earth! We have many more things to learn, for the Bible says this in 1 John 3:2:

2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is.

HALLELUJAH again! Let's look forward with great joy to that time, while we buy up every opportunity for obedience here and now! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Worship Activates Angels

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Psalm 34:7

Beloved, we have a resource that is greater than any attack the devil can launch against us. Would you like to know how you can activate angels in your life?

The most important key is worship. As you offer your praise to the Lord, the passage above tells us that’s when angels are most active. Our Lord Jesus defined “fear” as “worship” for us. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus responded by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13, which says, “You shall fear the LORD your God.” But He changed the word “fear” to “worship” and said to the devil, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God’” (Matthew 4:10).

Beloved, when you worship the Lord, His angels camp all around you, surrounding you to deliver you. If you are going through a difficult period in your life and are fearful, choose to worship Him. Fear fills our hearts when we are occupied with ourselves, but when we worship the Lord, we become occupied with Him, His beauty, and His goodness, and His angels surround us like a protective shield.

My ministry receives praise reports from people all over the world who, upon encountering His love for them personally through the preaching of the gospel, go on to be conscious of and full of thanksgiving for His goodness and grace upon their lives. Let me share with you a praise report from Sophia (who lives in Georgia, US), who’s also experienced the Lord’s intervention and protection.

Today, I read your devotional titled God’s Angels Are Watching Over You and was really encouraged. I recall an incident when my daughter and I were driving down the road behind an eighteen-wheeler when a vintage-looking car suddenly tried to get between our vehicle and the truck. I thought, “Why are you—” Right then, I heard a voice inside speak to me, asking me to be quiet. So I let the car squeeze in front of us. Immediately after I let the car in, one tire of the eighteen-wheeler blew. Surprisingly, the vintage car stayed in front of my car, taking the full impact of all the flying pieces of the exploded tire.

Once there were no more tire pieces coming from the truck, the vintage car returned to the left side of the road and drove off quickly. It then dawned on me that perhaps the driver of this car was an angel of the Lord. I was so encouraged to know that God protects us in these days and times!

Amen! When God gives His angels charge over you, they go ahead of you to guard and protect you from all sorts of danger. And yes, they may even choose to travel in vintage cars. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (KJV).

AMEN! Learn to put ALL of your faith, trust and confidence in JESUS! HE will ALWAYS come through for you when YOU stand on His Word! Here is Brandon Lake with "Miracle Child":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers goes right along with what I shared here yesterday! 

It Is Finished

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

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

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

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

HALLELUJAH! What JESUS did for us CANNOT be undone! Once you receive JESUS as YOUR LORD and PERSONAL SAVIOUR, then ALL of the promises of our new and better COVNENANT are YOURS! Find them! Meditate on them! BELIEVE THEM! Now RECEIVE them BY FAITH! HE is waiting on YOU to do so! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Todya's "From Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is another of my favoprites!

Recall God's Mercies

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

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

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

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

What are those benefits? Psalm 103 spells them out:

1. He forgives all your sins.

2. He heals all your diseases.

3. He redeems your life from destruction.

4. He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

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

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

7. He sets you free.

8. He makes known His ways to you.

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

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

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

AMEN! Remember that what JESUS accomplished FOR US on that cross was once for all! He is waiting for US now to grab ahold of those promises BY FAITH and refuse to do without what HE paid the ultimate price for us to have! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another of my favorites!

Thanksgiving

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

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

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

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

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

AMEN! I challenge you to take account of the blessings that YOU have received this year and THANK YOUR PROVIDER for all that HE has done! When you do, even more is on its way! You CANNOT outgive GOD! Here is Brandon Lake with "Too Good To Not Believe":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan I was most encouraged with Psalm 139:1-18:

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me.
2 You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off.
3 You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have beset me and shut me in—behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.
6 Your [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it.
7 Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me,
12 Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery].
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awoke, [could I count to the end] I would still be with You.

When you and I don't simply READ these words, but MEDITATE on them, we will see more clearly than we have ever seen before! We will understand more clearly than we have ever understood before! We will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit of the Living God more than we ever have before and we will be more equipped than we have ever been before to be DOERS of the WORD, receiving the rewards of the WORD in our lives! Here is Joshua 1:8 to remind us HOW to MEDITATE.

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

The word 'meditate' here is the Hebrew word 'hagah', which means to:To meditate, to murmur, to ponder, to speak, to utter, to muse. When we do this, we arre able to put this into practice, giving Holy Spirit something to work with to bring about our BLESSING in every area! Here is Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Sent Word

He sent his word, and healed them . . . . — PSALM 107:20

An unsaved uncle of mine once contacted my mother. He wanted her to get in touch with me so I would pray for his daughter, who was dying. I told Momma when he called back to tell him that I said my cousin would live and not die.

“Oh, son, have you heard from the Lord?” Momma asked. (She knew the Lord sometimes told me things.)

“Yes, I heard from the Lord. She will live and not die,” I assured her.

“Praise the Lord. That’s fine.”

“Yes, I heard from the Lord in Mark 11:23.”

“Oh,” she said, her voice dropping in disappointment.

People put more emphasis on some kind of manifestation than they do the Word. Don’t do that. Put the Word first.

When I told Momma again what to tell my uncle, she said, “Do you suppose it will work, Son?”

“Certainly, it will work! Will the multiplication table work? No one ever says, ‘I don’t know if I’ve got enough faith to work the multiplication table. If you’ll work the multiplication table, it will work. And if you’ll work Mark 11:23, it will work. It’s the Word that does it.’”

That’s where some miss it. They think they’re going to have to perform. No, God does it. All we’re to do is what the Word tells us to do.

Confession: God’s Word works. I act on it, and it works for me.

AMEN! Here are Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Still Human!

Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. — 1 Corinthians 10:31

The great marvel of the Incarnation slips into ordinary childhood’s life; the great marvel of the Transfiguration vanishes in the devil-possessed valley; the glory of the Resurrection descends into a breakfast on the sea-shore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.

The tendency is to look for the marvellous in our experience; we mistake the sense of the heroic for being heroes. It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but another thing to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, no one paying the remotest attention to us. If we do not want medieval haloes, we want something that will make people say — “What a wonderful man of prayer he is!” “What a pious devoted woman she is!” If you are rightly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the sublime height where no one ever thinks of noticing you, all that is noticed is that the power of God comes through you all the time.

“Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!” It takes Almighty God Incarnate in us to do the meanest* duty to the glory of God. It takes God’s Spirit in us to make us so absolutely humanly His that we are utterly unnoticeable. The test of the life of a saint is not success, but faithfulness in human life as it actually is. We will set up success in Christian work as the aim; the aim is to manifest the glory of God in human life, to live the life hid with Christ in God in human conditions. Our human relationships are the actual conditions in which the ideal life of God is to be exhibited.

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

AMEN! Remember, every GOOD thing about YOU came from HIM! Let's continue to bring GLORY to HIS NAME! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read John 13 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Look at verse 1:

[Now] before the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree.

Do you really understand what this verse is saying? JESUS KNEW what He was facing! He KNEW that He would be beaten, whipped and sourged, mocked, would have a 'crown' made with 3 inch long thorns smashed down upon His head, would have people around him taking his clothing, be nailed by His wrists and feet to a wooden cross, be forced upright with the cross dropped into a hole, be surrounded by many people who did not believe that He was Who He said He was. And THAT was NOT the worst! He KNEW that He would take upon Himself OUR sin! He would BECOME SIN with OUR SIN so that His FATHER, Who could not look upon sin, would have to turn His back on HIM! When JESUS said "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me" He was announcing the moment that OUR sin was put upon HIM! Why did He do that? LOVE!!! HE took upon HIMSELF what WE could NEVER atone for! HE became SIN with OUR SIN so that OUR SIN could be taken AWAY from US! HALLELUJAH! There IS no greater LOVE than THIS! 

I hope that YOU have received this FREE GIFT that JESUS so willingly gave! THAT is the SCOPE of HIS LOVE for YOU!!! Here is Hillsong with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. This lesson explains the prayer of agreement!

Agreement

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

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

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

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

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

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

It wasn’t. There was no agreement.

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

AMEN! I have heard it put this way: The prayer of agreement will only go as high as the lowest level of faith! This verse actually means: make a symphony together! Two (or more) people MUST be believing in faith for the same thing for it to actually be a prayer of agreement! The answer: KNOW the WORD and then find others who also KNOW the WORD and agree with them! GOD will do the rest! Here is Brandon Lake with "Too Good Not To Believe":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share my favorite verse from yesterday's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! 

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

We may have read it yesterday in our schedule, but this verse, and ALL of God's Word, is for EVERYDAY! Read it, meditate on it, speak it, DO it and then tell the world what GOD and HIS WORD have done for YOU! Here is Brandon Lake with "Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

OPEN THE FLOW

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

Disciplining the flesh. For many believers that phrase stirs memories of frustration and failure. They know it's important—the Word of God clearly teaches that. But they're not sure exactly how to go about it.

Some have given up, shrugging off such discipline as impossible. Others are still fighting stubbornly to get their flesh under control—and losing one battle after another.

But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, we can't afford to let it be that way. It will cost us too much.

You and I are blessed to be part of the generation that will see the signs and wonders which the prophets of old wished they could have lived long enough to see. We will witness the Spirit of God poured out upon all flesh. But sin hinders the Spirit's flow. And only as we rid ourselves of it will the power and glory of God be manifest through us. Only then will we experience the glorious things that are prophesied to take place in our generation.

So put your past failure behind you. Make up your mind that you're not going to let the sins of the flesh rob you of the glory of God. It is possible to step out of the sin you've struggled with so long and live under the Spirit's control. Look to Jesus...He will show you how.

AMEN! TRUST HIM! No one wants to see YOU blessed ,more than JESUS does! Here is Brooke Ligertwood and Brandon Lake with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I think that the devotional on The Spoken Word Church website is EXCELLENT!

Stay in the Center of Your Expertise

Even in your mother's womb you were given by God special gifts, talents and skills. What you enjoy doing the most is a clue to what God wants you to do with your life. Start today to build your daily agenda around this assignment.

"Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." (1 Corinthians 7:20)

AMEN! BE who GOD has called YOU to be! Here is Brandon Lake with "Talking To Jesus":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The Crux of the Real Gospel

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Galatians 3:5–6

We know that preaching, hearing, and believing the gospel are so important because they unleash God’s power to save us from every area of defeat in life. But how do we know if we are hearing the real gospel? What sets the true gospel apart from every other “gospel”?

To answer this question, let’s go to the book of Jude. Apostle Jude tells us to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). What is “the faith” here that the church is to contend earnestly for?

My friend, when you hear the word faith mentioned in the New Testament, it refers to “justification by faith”—how one is made righteous before God based solely on his faith in Christ Jesus. This is the crux of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why the gospel is called “good news” and this is what sets it apart from all the false gospels.

Unfortunately, what many preach today is hardly good news, because justification by faith has been subtly replaced with justification by works. Yes, they may tell you that you are saved by grace through faith, but then in the same breath they corrupt the simplicity of the gospel by saying that you stay saved or get blessed through works. You’ll also hear about all sorts of things that you need to do for God in order to be qualified through right living. Now, right living is certainly important, but that is not the gospel. Also, right living comes by believing right in the gospel.

The crux of the gospel is not right living or good works, but justification by faith. And the apostle Jude tells us to contend earnestly for this. That term is translated from one Greek word, epagonizomai, from which the English word agony is derived. In other words, epagonizomai literally means “to agonize for.” We are to agonize for the faith! We are to fight for the truth that we are justified by faith and not works. This is the real gospel.

What else does the Bible say about the gospel we are to preach? Romans 1:17 says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ ” What is supposed to be revealed in the gospel? Not our sins, as many are fond of preaching, but the righteousness of God! Only hearing about the grace of God and how we are righteous by faith in Christ will set us free from our struggles with sin, addiction, and bondage.

Romans 1:17 also tells us that this righteousness of God that we have in Christ is revealed from “faith to faith” and that the just “shall live by faith.” Can you see this powerful truth? It’s not this idea that once you are saved by grace through faith, you move on to works and watch your performance to maintain your salvation. Many Christians experience abundant joy when they are saved, only to lose that joy quickly when they are told, “Now that you’re saved, you need to work to please God in order to stay saved.”

No, my friend, it’s from faith to faith to faith to faith . . . all the way until we see Jesus face-to-face! This doesn’t mean that there is no place for good works or living a holy life. These are by-products of living from faith to faith. They will be evident in your life when you live believing that you are justified, made righteous, and blessed through faith in Christ. This is the good news that God’s Word exhorts us to fight for—righteousness by faith in Christ alone!

AMEN!!! So let's get IN FAITH and SPEAK FAITH and expect in FAITH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I am sharing from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional again because no one says it better!

Praying And Saying

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

Faith will work by saying without praying (notice Mark 11:23 doesn’t mention praying), but faith also works by prayer.

However, when you pray it, you still have to say (or confess) it.

Let me repeat that: Faith will work by SAYING it, or it will work by PRAYING it, but when you PRAY it, you still have to SAY it.

Mark 11:23 and 24 brought me off a bed of sickness many years ago. After I had prayed, then I began to say (not think) out loud in my room, “I believe that I receive healing for my body.” Then I specified each thing that was wrong with me: “I believe I receive healing for the heart condition. I believe I receive healing for this paralysis. I believe I receive healing for the incurable blood disease.”

And just in case I had missed anything, I concluded, “I believe that I receive healing from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.”

Within the hour every symptom of physical deficiency disappeared from my body, and I was standing on the floor beside the bed — healed!

Confession: What things soever I desire, when I pray, I believe that I receive them. I confess what I believe. I hold fast to my confession. And I never fail to receive them.

AMEN! Remember, YOU can have what YOU say! So start talking! Here is Brandon Lake with "Graves Into Gardens":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" deovtional by Kenneth E. Hagin is VITAL for walking and living in FAITH!

Feelings

. . . For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. — HEBREWS 13:5

A woman came up to me at the close of a service where I had taught on faith. She was crying almost hysterically. She said, “Brother Hagin, pray for me!”

“What is the matter?” I asked.

“It seems like the Lord has forsaken me!”

“What awful sin have you committed to make the Lord forsake you?”

“As far as I know, I haven’t done anything,” she said. “It just seems like the presence of the Lord is gone from me.”

“The Bible doesn’t say we walk by ‘seems like,’” I explained to her. “It says we walk by faith. And God’s Word says that the Lord will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

“I know that,” she cried, “but it just seems like He has.”

“You have more faith in ‘seems like’ than you have in the Bible.”

“But I know what I feel!” she said, almost angrily.

“Yes,” I said, “but I know my Jesus. Jesus said it, and I believe it. We cannot be concerned by what we feel.”

If you start believing right, thinking right, and talking right, it won’t be long until you’ll be feeling right!

Confession: Jesus will never leave me, nor forsake me. He said it. I believe it. And I say it.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Hard Fought Hallelujah!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

A Good Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMEN! DARE to be like Joshua and Caleb in evry area of YOUR life! KNOW the promises of God for every situation and then REFUSE to give in to fear and intimidation! GOD'S GOT THIS! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another very valuable lesson!

Evil Report

. . . We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature . . . giants . . . and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. — NUMBERS 13:31-33

Israel came out of Egypt and to the border of Canaan, to a place called Kadesh-barnea. From there they sent twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan. And the Bible says that ten of those spies brought back “an evil report.”

What is an evil report? It is a report of doubt. (A believer has no more business peddling doubt than he does peddling dope!)

God had already told the children of Israel that He had given them this land flowing with milk and honey. They acknowledged that it was, indeed, a land flowing with milk and honey. “BUT,” they complained, “there are giants in the land, and we are not able to take it!”

The children of Israel confessed what they believed. They believed they couldn’t succeed. Then they said, “We can’t.” And they received exactly what they said! Israel accepted the majority report — the evil report — and said they couldn’t take the land. And Israel got exactly what they said: God did not allow that generation to take the land.

Jesus said in Mark 11:23 that you will have whatever you say.

Confession: I refuse to be a doubt peddler. I refuse to have an evil report!

Make this committment in your life! REFUSE every evil report! What do I believe? I believe the report of the LORD! I hope that YOU will, too! Here is Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham with "Love of God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The blog has been spotty lately because I had to replace my computer. I am almost finished getting it set up, so I should be able to post every day again! Today I want to share this from Jerry Savelle Ministries!

A Fully Committed Heart

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV

Do you need God to show Himself strong on your behalf today? He has made a promise that He will deliver you if your heart is fully committed to Him.

The first commandment is to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (see Mark 12:30). God wants all of you, not just a part of you. He wants you to be fully committed to Him, not just 99% committed. Something significant happens in the spiritual realm when you give 100% to God, with no reservation.

Mark 4 talks about the desire for other things that can grow up around us and choke us. What is filling your mind today? Are you meditating on God and His Word, or are your thoughts on other things? When you make a decision regarding how to spend your time or your money, what influences the outcome? Is it what the Holy Spirit tells you or is it other things?

God is a good God and His plans for you are to give you a hope and a future (see Jeremiah 29:11). He will never withhold any good thing from you (see Psalm 84:11). The best decision you can ever make is to fully commit your heart to God and His plan for your life.

When you love God and your heart is fully committed, you will be able to yield completely to Him. When your heart is fully committed to Him, He is bound by His Word to show Himself strong on your behalf. He has promised to deliver you, and He will do it.

Confession: Lord, I fully commit my heart to you now. I will go anywhere You want me to go and do anything You want me to do. I give you permission to change me according to Your plan and purpose for my life. I am yours; do in me whatever You want to do.

AMEN! Now THIS is the kind of commottment that GOD is looking for! nWhy? Because this puts YOU inposition to receive His blessings and gives HIM the access He needs to bless others through you! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 122 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and every time I read this I am reminded of our trip to Jerusalem in 2010! 

Psalm 122

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!

2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!—

3 Jerusalem, which is built as a city that is compacted together—

4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed and as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

5 For there the thrones of judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]!

7 May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces!

8 For my brethren and companions’ sake, I will now say, Peace be within you!

9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek, inquire for, and require your good.

PRAY for the nation of Israel, GOD'S nation; and the city of JERUSALEM, GOD'S city! That is NOT a suggestion, it is a COMMAND from GOD! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!