Shalom,

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

Interest Or Identification?

I have been crucified with Christ. — Galatians 2:20

The imperative need spiritually is to sign the death warrant of the disposition of sin, to turn all emotional impressions and intellectual beliefs into a moral verdict against the disposition of sin, viz., my claim to my right to myself. Paul says — “I have been crucified with Christ”; he does not say, “I have determined to imitate Jesus Christ,” or, “I will endeavour to follow Him,” but, “I have been identified with Him in His death.” When I come to such a moral decision and act upon it, then all that Christ wrought for me on the Cross is wrought in me. The free committal of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the chance to impart to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.

“…nevertheless I live….” The individuality remains, but the mainspring, the ruling disposition, is radically altered. The same human body remains, but the old satanic right to myself is destroyed.

“And the life which I now live in the flesh,…” not the life which I long to live and pray to live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” This faith is not Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith that the Son of God has imparted to him — “the faith of the Son of God.” It is no longer faith in faith, but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the Son of God.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Jerry Savelle Ministries devotional!

The Counterfeit

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:16-17 NKJV

The term counterfeit refers to something that was made in imitation, so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine. Therefore, a counterfeit cannot be considered a counterfeit unless it is identical in appearance to the real thing.

A counterfeit $20 bill looks and feels like a genuine $20 bill, but in reality it is a worthless scrap of paper. Although your five physical senses may assume it is genuine, the truth of the matter is that it’s a fake, a deception, a lie. The only way to determine whether a $20 bill is genuine or counterfeit is to inspect it closely and put it through certain tests.

Just as a $20 bill must be tried to determine its authenticity, so must every perceived blessing be tried. If you have been praying for something in particular, and that something appears on your doorstep, do not welcome it into your house without first testing it. When you have been standing in faith for a while, it can be easy to accept an apparent manifestation without first checking it out with the Word and with your inner witness.

The devil has no power over you. The only way he can gain access to your life is by deceiving you. He oftentimes does this by presenting you with a counterfeit answer to prayer so that you will accept something that is designed to steal, kill, or destroy in some area of your life. To do this, he has to come to you with something you are eager to have.

The only way to see through the devil’s deception is to judge it against the Word and the Spirit. If the enemy has brought anything that is a counterfeit into your life, the Word of God will expose it for what it is. If it is a counterfeit, you will not have peace in your spirit.

Inspect every gift closely and put it through these two tests. The Word and the Spirit will alert you to counterfeits. By accepting only the good and perfect, you will keep yourself from the harmful and destructive. You will ensure that every gift is a true blessing from your heavenly Father.

Confession: I declare that every good and perfect gift comes from my heavenly Father. I will not be deceived by the enemy, who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. By testing every gift by the Word of God and by the Spirit, I will walk in God’s favor and blessing all the days of my life.

AMEN! Our GOD only gives us GOOD GIFTS!!! Here is Brandon Lake with "Plans":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 78 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and these verses really stood out to me!

Psalm 78
A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Asaph.

1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old [that hide important truth]—
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed.
5 For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make [the great facts of God’s dealings with Israel] known to their children,
6 That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children,
7 That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments
8 And might not be as their fathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.

Lets be DOERS of these verses, especially verse 4! THAT is how we raise the next generation of powerful believers who change their world! Here is Brandon Lake with "I Know A Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is Step 4 from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on receiving from God!

Step 4: Tell It

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. — PSALM 105:1-2

Step 4: Tell it. This woman, “. . . knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth” (Mark 5:33). Not only did Jesus hear her, but the whole crowd heard her. Jesus said to me concerning this step, “Tell it so that others may believe it and receive it.”

There is a difference between this step and the first step. The first is, Say it. This fourth step is Tell it.

The woman said what she believed. Then, after she received, she told what had happened to her.

1. Say it.
2. Do it.
3. Receive it.
4. Tell it.

I asked Jesus, when He gave me these steps, “Are You telling me that any believer, anywhere, can write a ticket of victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil?”

“Emphatically, yes,” Jesus answered. “And if they don’t do it, it won’t be done. They’ll be wasting their time to pray that I will give them the victory. They’ll have to write their own ticket.”

Confession: I give thanks unto the Lord. I make known His deeds among the people. I sing unto Him. I sing psalms unto Him. I talk of all His wondrous works!

AMEN! HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is Step 3 for receiving from God from Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food" devotional!

Step 3: Receive It

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? — MARK 5:29-30

Jesus knew that power had gone out of Him. At that time, Jesus was the only representative of the Godhead at work upon the earth. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). In that day, to get to where the power was, you had to go where Jesus was. Today, the Holy Spirit in the Person of the Godhead is at work upon the earth. He is everywhere present — and wherever the Holy Spirit is, there is power.

Nuclear bombs release radioactivity into the atmosphere — a power that can neither be seen nor felt, but a power that is both dangerous and deadly. However, there is a power working upon the earth this moment that is neither dangerous nor deadly; a power that is good, that heals, and that sets men free — the power of the Holy Spirit!

Jesus said to me when He gave me these four steps, “Power is always present everywhere. Faith gives it action, or puts it to work, or uses it.”

This woman’s faith caused the power to flow from Jesus into her. With our faith, we can plug into the power of God that is everywhere present, and we can put that power to work for us!

Confession: I recognize that God’s power is everywhere present. And I know how to plug into that power and put it to work for me. Faith is the plug.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong and Benjamin William Hastings with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is step 2 from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on receiving from God!

Step 2: Do It

What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond. . . . some one will say, “You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions. . . .” You notice that his [Abraham’s] faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected. — JAMES 2:14,18,22 (Weymouth)

Step 2: Do it. It wouldn’t have done that woman with the issue of blood any good to have said, “If I may but touch His clothes I shall be whole,” if she hadn’t acted on what she said.

Jesus said to me in that vision, “Your actions defeat you, or they put you over. According to your actions, you receive, or you are kept from receiving.”

That’s important. Read it again.

The Book of James is written to believers. James said, “What doth it profit, my brethren.” Most people think James was writing about salvation, but he was writing to people who were already saved, pointing out that faith without corresponding actions won’t work. It is a great mistake to confess faith in the Word of God and, at the same time, contradict your confession by wrong actions. Actions must correspond with your saying and believing in order to receive from God.

This woman said, “If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole,” and then she acted on that — and she received!

Confession: My actions line up with God’s Word. My actions put me over. By my actions I receive from God!

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am going to be sharing Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for the next 4 days because he has a 4 part lesson for us to learn! 

Step 1: Say It

For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. . . . And he [Jesus] said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. — MARK 5:28,-29, 34

The Lord Jesus Christ gave me a sermon during a vision in 1953. He told me to get pencil and paper and to write down 1, 2, 3, 4. Then He said, “If anyone, everywhere, will take these four steps, or put these four principles into operation, they will always receive whatever they want from Me, or from God the Father.”

The steps Jesus gave me are simple. They are (1) Say it; (2) Do it; (3) Receive it; and (4) Tell it. Jesus used the healing of the woman with the issue of blood to illustrate these four steps.

Step 1: Say it. What was the woman’s first step toward being healed? “For she SAID . . . .” Jesus told me, “Positive or negative, according to what the individual says, that shall he receive. This woman could have made a negative statement instead of a positive one. She could have said, ‘There’s no use. I’ve suffered so long. All the best doctors have given up on my case. I might as well go ahead and die.’ And that would have been what she received. But she made a positive statement — and it came to pass.”

What this woman said was her faith speaking.

Confession: I have what I say. I speak positively — and I receive accordingly. What I say is my faith speaking. And what I say makes me whole.

AMEN! Our Father is waiting for US to speak His WOrd over our lives in every area so that HE can fulfill it! Here is UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Obstacles

. . . And much people followed him [Jesus], and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years. . . . When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. — MARK 5:24-25, 27

To receive her healing, this woman had a number of obstacles to overcome. In her religious tradition, a woman with an issue of blood was considered in the same category as a leper. She was not supposed to mingle in public. If anyone came close to her, she was to cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” In fact, the women in ancient Israel didn’t have the same rights and privileges to mix freely in public that most women in the modern world have.

You could say that a multitude of people stood between this woman and her healing. Public sentiment and her own religious teachings stood between her and getting to Jesus. But she overcame all obstacles. She got into the very midst of the crowd, and she reached through to touch Jesus’ clothes.

This woman didn’t pray that God would overcome the obstacles; she did something about them herself! You, too, will have to do something about the obstacles that confront you. Too many people expect God to do everything, leaving no part for them to play in receiving His blessings. But we do have a part to play. Receiving from God is a faith proposition.

Confession: I am a believer. I am not a doubter. I have faith. I am an overcomer. No obstacle to the blessings of God can stand in my way. I overcome all obstacles by faith in God’s Word!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Remember The Miracles":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Living by Faith—It's a Lifestyle

Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  2 Timothy 2:3

Times of hardness are inevitable. You need to know that. It's true that we've been redeemed from the curse, and there's nothing Satan can do to reverse that, but he is going to challenge you on it.

So don't be surprised when things get tough. Times will come when you have to stand strictly by faith, when you'll have to speak and act as though what God says is true even when you can't feel it or see it happening around you. There will be times when everything looks terrible. That's when you must endure hardness as a good soldier.

So many people hear the word of faith about healing or prosperity and they think, Hey! I'm going to try that. Then when the hard times come, they give up and cave in.

Let me warn you, living by faith is not something you try. It's a lifestyle. You do it when it's hard. You do it when it's easy. You do it all the time because you're not doing it just to get in on the benefits. You're doing it because you know that faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).

Things may get a little rough at times, but let me assure you, you'll always come out on top if you endure hardness as a good soldier. If you refuse to faint and fall away, you will have the victory. The only defeated Christian is the one who quits!

Remember that with our GOD, the ANSWER is always there BEFORE the problem! Never give up! Never give in! Your GOD is MORE than ABLE to deliver you in every situation! Here is Benjamin William Hastings and Hillsong with "That's The Power"! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Beyond The Common

Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: “Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish! For I will work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.” Acts 13:40-41 NKJV

When Paul spoke these words to a group of worshipers in Antioch, citing the words written by the prophet Habakkuk (see Habakkuk 1:5), he was referring to the recent death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was clearly the most extraordinary demonstration of God’s love and goodness the world had ever seen.

Although God’s love has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 5:5), God continues to look for opportunities to pour out His love and goodness in many other extraordinary ways. However, we oftentimes limit Him by setting our expectations only on what is common in our lives.

The word common means general, ordinary, familiar. It can also mean mediocre or inferior quality. On the other hand, one of the meanings of the word extraordinary is beyond the common method and beyond the common course of things.

God is saying, “What once was rare is going to become the norm.” I believe things that were once rare—breakthroughs in finances, in healing, and in the restoration of relationships—are going to become the norm. God said He is going to do a work that will be so marvelous, so wonderful, and so extraordinary that some people will not be able to believe it, even if it is clearly described to them in detail.

Now is the time to stretch our faith, stretch our imagination, and think bigger than we’ve ever thought before. Now is the time to believe beyond the common, and see God pour out His love and goodness in extraordinary ways!

Confession: I choose to raise my vision and my expectations above what is common in my life. I declare that what was once rare will become the norm as I see breakthroughs in every area of my life. I expect God’s marvelous work in my life to manifest, and I believe that I receive it now!

AMEN! Be it unto us according to the Word of God! Here is Brandon Lake with "God Is Not Against Me":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's devotional from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inpirations"!

Been Toiling All Night?

The goodness of God leads you to repentance. Romans 2:4

Famished and fatigued from working all night at sea and catching nothing, Peter and his crew of fishermen carried their fishing nets to shore as the golden sun rose over the Galilean horizon. As they began washing their nets, large numbers of people began to throng the waterfront. Then Peter saw the man everyone was crowding to see.

Before Peter knew it, this man headed in his direction and got into his boat! He then gestured to Peter, and Peter and his crew instinctively grabbed their nets and went back into the boat. The man smiled warmly at Peter and asked if Peter could push the boat out some distance from the shore.

By this time, the waterfront was blanketed with people eager to hear this man speak. Peter turned to his seasoned crew and instructed them to push the boat out. The crew responded swiftly to their captain and watched as the man sat down by the edge of the boat and began teaching the multitudes gathered on the shore.

When he was done speaking, he turned to Peter and requested that Peter and his men launch out into the deep and let down their nets for a catch. The request stung Peter’s heart and he explained to the man that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. Nevertheless, he was willing to comply with the man’s request.

Peter found himself wondering, What would a carpenter from Nazareth know about fishing? Peter had been fishing in these waters since he was a youth and knew the most opportune time to fish—definitely not this late in the morning!

As the boat reached the deep waters, Peter just went through the motions and cast one net into the water. One net, he thought, was enough to prove his point that there simply weren’t any fish to be caught!

Had it been anyone else—anyone but this man who carried himself with quiet authority and a warm friendliness—he would have scoffed at the request. But this man . . . something in his voice and carriage just made Peter acquiesce to his request more readily than his head knew why and despite every instinct telling him nothing was going to happen.

What happened next stunned Peter.

It was as if the net suddenly became a fish magnet! Massive schools of large tilapia rushed into the net from every direction, straining its capacity until it began to tear as Peter and his men began to haul up this unprecedented load of fish.

The amazed and frantic fishermen quickly hollered to their friends in another boat to come and help them. Now two boats were lined up side by side, with both crews hauling fish into their boats. The men worked furiously, loading onto the boats the thrashing fish with their silver scales glistening in the sun . . . until both boats were so full of fish that they began to sink!

Blown away by what he was witnessing, Simon Peter knelt before Jesus and proclaimed, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8).

Let me ask you this question: which came first—Peter’s repentance or God’s blessing? Under the new covenant of grace, God blesses you first, and His blessings, favor, and overflowing love lead you to repentance!

Peter and his crew of mariners had toiled painstakingly all night and caught nothing. Then, when Jesus stepped for the first time into his boat, Peter’s business suddenly experienced a surge beyond his wildest imagination.

Today, the same thing can happen to you in your career, family, or health, as you open your heart to receive the Lord’s goodness and love.

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

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is EXCELLENT!

Fruit Of The Mouth

A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. — PROVERBS 18:20

You won’t get the blessings of God just because you believe.

You don’t get saved, healed, or get answers to prayer just because you believe.

Most Christians think that is the case, but it isn’t what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that you must believe and you must say something.

For example, in order to be saved, Romans 10:9 and 10 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.” Notice it doesn’t say you’ll be saved just because you believe. The very next verse says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION.”

Jesus didn’t conclude Mark 11:23 by saying you’d have whatsoever you believed. He concluded it by saying, “. . . he shall have whatsoever he SAITH.”

Faith is always expressed in WORDS! The words that you speak — not just on Sunday, in church, or when you pray, but the words you speak in your everyday life, at home, with your friends, and on your job — determine what you have in life.

Confession: I purpose that I shall speak only according to God’s Word!

AMEN! CHECK your own confessions, your WORDS! Train yourself to speak ONLY what God's Word says about you and your life! Here is UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Fatih Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another GREAT one! 

Overcoming Faith

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. — 1 JOHN 5:4

I may be in the world, but I am not of the world. I am of God. My citizenship is in Heaven. And while I am in this world, I have the Greater One living in me. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Who is in the world? The devil. He’s called the god of this world in Second Corinthians 4:4.

What is in the world? Sin. But the Greater One in me is greater than sin. The Greater One conquered sin.

What else is in the world? Sickness. It’s not of God. It doesn’t come from Heaven. There’s no sickness up there. Sickness is of this world. But the Greater One in me is the Healer.

What else is in the world? Trouble. Adverse circumstances. Seeming impossibilities. But when I’ve faced such things, I’ve just remembered who is on the inside of me and what the Bible says. I didn’t even have to pray about it. I just looked that circumstance right in the face and laughed as I said, “If I don’t make it over you, I’ll make it around you. If I don’t make it around you, I’ll make it under you. If I don’t make it under you, I’ll make it through you, because the Greater One is in me!” Even while I laughed, that circumstance ran off and hid!

Confession: I am born of God. And by releasing my faith in words through my mouth, I overcome the world!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am REALLY looking forward to THIS  from Psalm 67 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!

Psalm 67

To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song.
1 God be merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us—Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!—
2 That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You [turn away from their idols] and give thanks to You, O God; let all the peoples praise and give thanks to You.
4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples fairly and guide, lead, or drive the nations upon earth. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
5 Let the peoples praise You [turn away from their idols] and give thanks to You, O God; let all the peoples praise and give thanks to You!
6 The earth has yielded its harvest [in evidence of God’s approval]; God, even our own God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall reverently fear Him.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood  with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Undaunted Radiance

Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. — Romans 8:37

Paul is speaking of the things that might seem likely to separate or wedge in between the saint and the love of God; but the remarkable thing is that nothing can wedge in between the love of God and the saint. These things can and do come in between the devotional exercises of the soul and God and separate individual life from God; but none of them is able to wedge in between the love of God and the soul of the saint. The bedrock of our Christian faith is the unmerited, fathomless marvel of the love of God exhibited on the Cross of Calvary, a love we never can and never shall merit. Paul says this is the reason we are more than conquerors in all these things, super-victors, with a joy we would not have but for the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.

The surf that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surf-rider the super joy of going clean through it. Apply that to our own circumstances, these very things – tribulation, distress, persecution, produce in us the super joy; they are not things to fight. We are more than conquerors through Him in all these things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. The saint never knows the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation,” says Paul.

Undaunted radiance is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can alter. The experiences of life, terrible or monotonous, are impotent to touch the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful (Wonderful, Powerful) Name It Is!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Andrew Wommack's devotional!

Knowing God Is Our Greatest Treasure

Matthew 6:21, 'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.' 

If isolated from the rest of God's Word, there are some scriptures that could be interpreted to mean that having money or wealth is wrong. However there are other scriptures that speak of riches as a blessing. The harmony between these two apparently opposite positions is that money is neither good nor bad. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil, and many have committed the sin of loving money who don't even have a dime (1 Timothy 6:10)! The love of things (covetousness) is idolatry, and this is what Jesus is addressing.

Because it is so easy to lust after money and the things it can provide, the Lord established a system whereby prosperity is a by-product of putting God first. As Matthew 6:33 states, 'But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.' We should no more reject the blessing of prosperity than we should covet it, which is idolatry.

The reason for not laying up treasures on this earth is so that we will not have our hearts drawn away from the things of God. A key to success in the Kingdom of God is singleness of purpose. We don't have the capacity to do our best in two areas at the same time. If we will simply put God and His Kingdom first in every area of our lives, He will add to us all the wealth that we need. What is more valuable or important than knowing Him?

AMEN!!! KNOWING JESUS is the MOST wonderful thing in all of this life! Here is Brandon Lake with "Plans":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a VERY important lesson!

Atmosphere

In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found. . . . Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. — PROVERBS 10:13, 24:3-4

Spiritual things are created by words. Even natural, physical things are created by words! God, who is a Spirit, said, “Let there be an earth,” and there was an earth. Jesus said, “. . . whosoever shall SAY . . . shall have whatsoever he SAITH” (Mark 11:23,24). Atmospheres are created with words.

For example, if you go into a room where fish has been fried, the fish smell is still in the atmosphere. And if you go into a room where harsh words have been spoken, they also linger in the atmosphere. The air is heavy with them.

Children brought up in an atmosphere of wrong words become warped. They fail in life, because right words were not spoken to them.

Why is it that some children grow up strong and go out in life’s fight and win? It’s because the right kind of words were spoken in their home! Words make children love an education. Words bring children to church.

Confession: I create the very atmosphere around me with my words. I speak words of wisdom — God’s words. I speak words of faith — God’s words. I speak words of love — God’s words. And the chambers round about me are filled with precious and pleasant riches!

WORDS are POWERFUL! Make sure that YOUR words line up with GOD'S WORDS! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek" devotional by Rick Renner is SO exciting for us!

For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what has thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
— 1 Corinthians 4:7

In the January 17 Sparkling Gem, I wrote about the feeling of inferiority that once tried to rule my life. If you are struggling with inferiority, I encourage you to go back and read that teaching again. However, today I want to address an issue at the opposite end of the spectrum — a spirit of superiority. When a person has this attitude, he feels he is spiritually superior to other people because of giftings, experience, social or economic status, or position in the church. But regardless of the reason a person feels superior to others, make no mistake — this attitude is absolutely unacceptable for a Christian.

In First Corinthians 4:7, we find that an attitude of spiritual snobbery was beginning to surface in the church of Corinth. This spirit of superiority was so prevalent that it had begun to permeate the entire Corinthian congregation. Paul responded with a sharp rebuke, saying, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what has thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

From its very beginnings, the church at Corinth had experienced an amazing amount of supernatural grace, which had manifested in a variety of ways. However, one way it had especially manifested was in the gifts of the Spirit that operated in their congregation. In fact, Paul even told them, “So that ye come behind in no spiritual gift…” (1 Corinthians 1:7), implying that the Corinthians had a greater measure of spiritual gifts operating in their midst than any other New Testament church. The phrase “come behind” is a translation of the Greek word hustereo, which means to be behind, to fall short of, or to be inferior. Thus, this verse could be translated, “You fall behind no one else in respect to spiritual gifts…” or “You are not inferior to anyone when it comes to spiritual gifts.…” In modern language, it could read, “When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit, you are second to none!”

The Corinthian believers were aware of their unique status as a congregation, and they allowed it to go to their heads. Essentially, they developed a superiority complex and a snobbish attitude concerning their spirituality as compared to other churches. That is why Paul reminded them in First Corinthians 4:7, “…What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

When Paul wrote “…why dost thou glory…,” he was referring to believers in Corinth who were boasting of themselves and putting others down who didn’t share their same spiritual experiences. In Greek, this word “glory” is kauchaomai, which means to boast of oneself, to uplift yourself, to imply that you are better than others, or to speak so highly of yourself that you derogatorily imply others are less than you. It can simply be translated to vaunt, and it conveys a pride that says, “I am better than you.” It is the very word that Paul used in First Corinthians 13:4 when he said, “Charity [that is, agape love] vaunteth not itself…” (see September 11 in Sparkling Gems 1). In other words, people who are motivated by love do not go around boasting about themselves in a way that leaves others feeling inferior!

It is important to note that the problem in the church of Corinth did not stem from the gifts of the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit don’t foster pride. The problem was the character of the Corinthian believers, which needed to be dealt with by God!

Paul’s rebuke to the Corinthian believers tells us that we have no right to be prideful about our spiritual experiences. When you and I have been blessed by God with an extraordinary supernatural experience or knowledge of spiritual matters that exceeds that of many others, we should strive to demonstrate humility. We must not carry ourselves with an air of superiority, thinking we are better than others because they haven’t had our experience or attained to our level of knowledge. We must remember that everything we have, we received from God. We did nothing on our own, so we really have no reason to gloat about it as though we did! If we’ve really received something special from God, we need to show only humble gratitude for His gift.

Have you ever known a person who was snobbish toward other believers because of his great spiritual experiences or spiritual knowledge? To me personally, it’s a huge turn-off. The root of that superior attitude isn’t what the Holy Spirit has done in him; rather, it’s just a sign that He needs to do more in him!

So don’t get offended if you know someone like this. Just pray for that person — and pray for yourself, too, so that you never fall into the trap of acting like you’re better than others!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Nothing New":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Defeat Your Giant

Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 1 Samuel 17:26

You may be facing a giant today. He may be a giant of sickness or failure, of financial shortage or another kind of trouble. But don’t let him scare you. You have a secret weapon. A weapon that once turned a shepherd boy into a bear-busting, lion-killing, giant-slaying champion. That weapon was a blood covenant with Almighty God.

Back in David’s day, circumcision was the sign of that covenant. So, when he called Goliath uncircumcised, David was saying: “This guy may be a giant; he may be strong; but he has no covenant with God and that’s why I will defeat him.”

Just like David, you, too, have a covenant. But yours is better. You see, the covenant David had, offered a wealth of blessings to those who kept it, but it also included curses for those who broke it.

Yours doesn’t. Yours is a new covenant that Jesus bought with His own blood. It doesn’t depend on your ability. It depends on Him and what He has already done. He has done it all! All you have to do is believe it and receive it.

Right now, read Deuteronomy 28:16-68. That’s a list of the curses Christ has freed you from. You might even call it a list of the giants Jesus has already slain for you. It contains every diabolical thing the devil could ever use to destroy you.

Read them and rejoice. Those are the things God has healed you of and delivered you from!

Don’t let any giant intimidate you. You have a blood covenant with Almighty God. There’s no uncircumcised circumstance on the face of this earth that can take your victory away from you.

HALLELUJAH! Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song" which speaks to what belongs to us as GOD'S OWN CHILDREN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

God Can Turn Your Evil Day into Good Days

Rest from their enemies . . . sorrow to joy . . . mourning to a holiday. Esther 9:22

Today, many Jews still celebrate the feast of Purim. The name Purim is derived from “the lot” which a Gentile, Haman, cast concerning the fate of the Jews when they were in Persia under King Ahasuerus.

Haman, the villain in this story in the book of Esther, hated the Jews and sought to exterminate them. He got King Ahasuerus to allow him to issue a decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar. But God used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai, both Jews, to turn the tables on Haman and save the Jews.

Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for Mordecai! Then, the king allowed Queen Esther and Mordecai to issue a counter-decree to allow all the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar!

So instead of the Jews being exterminated on that fateful day, their enemies were destroyed! God turned an evil day for the Jews into good days. He turned their mourning into rejoicing and gave them victory over their enemies.

My friend, God can do the same for you today. He only wants you to remain in your position of rest in Christ. You see, because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross, you are seated in heavenly places in Christ, far above every principality and evil assault the devil can throw at you (Ephesians 2:6).

Just as Mordecai sat within the king’s gate and refused to stand up and bow to Haman, let’s not “bow” to the devil by being persuaded to move from our position of rest in Christ. Don’t allow him to get you worried, frantic, and doing things to save yourself.

Queen Esther was also in a position of rest before Haman was executed (Esther 7). She was seated on a couch as Haman pleaded with her for his life. While doing so, he accidentally fell over the couch where the queen was. The king, thinking that Haman was assaulting his queen, sent him to the gallows!

Beloved, remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Turnaround":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's devotional from Jerry Savelle Ministries!

Grace Will Give You What You Don’t Deserve

For by grace you have been saved [blessed, healed, delivered, made whole] through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV (brackets added by author)

The biblical definition of grace is unmerited favor. It is something you didn’t earn; it is the gift of God. So when you see the word grace in your Bible, you can accurately interchange it with the word favor.

God’s grace, His unmerited favor, is simply God giving you something you don’t deserve. The Bible says, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5 NKJV). 

Simply put:

Grace makes a way for God to bless you in life—regardless of your merits.
Grace will give you what you did not earn.
Grace will qualify you for what you do not qualify for.
Grace will give you what you do not deserve.

Have you ever wondered why some believers are more blessed than others? Is it because of their spiritual performance, the hours spent reading the Word, praying, and fasting? No! They are blessed because they actually believe God has justified them. And they’ve received His grace, knowing that grace will give them what they don’t deserve.

Confession: Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have been saved by the grace of God. I did not earn this grace. It is a precious gift that has given me what I don’t deserve: God’s favor, blessing, health, and wholeness—spirit, soul, and body.

AMEN! Here is UNITED with "On Repeat" which speaks about God's GRACE!:

Shalom in Him!