Shalom,

Today I want to share with you from Rick Renner's devotional on hearing from God. It is a little long, but it addresses a mind set that many people have that God sometimes willfully holds out on us when we desire to know the Truth! 

God’s Five Guarantees!

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.— James 1:5

Have you ever asked someone a question that you knew he or she could answer, but instead of being helpful with a clear response, that person skirted the issue and answered indirectly? In these situations, it may have appeared that the person was hiding his knowledge to retain a sense of control by keeping you in the dark. What an unpleasant experience, especially when you know that the person could just simply answer you!

This is the way many people wrongly perceive God. They know that He has the answers to their questions, but often they don’t believe He will actually answer them. In their minds, He dangles the answer before them and then jerks it back out of reach just as they attempt to take hold of it. They think this is the way God keeps people on their knees in a humbled position of supplication. But in fact, James 1:5 gives us five guarantees that God does not act like this at all!

As we saw yesterday, God isn’t offended or upset when you ask Him for clarification on the issues you’re facing in life. In fact, He encourages you to come alongside Him and ask for the answers you lack. If you meet this requirement of drawing near to Him, pulling right up alongside His heart, James 1:5 says that God will answer you liberally. He’ll play no games with you once you meet this one condition when you ask.

James wrote that God “…giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” In this verse, we find five guarantees that God makes to those who seek answers to their questions.

We are guaranteed that God “giveth.”

We are guaranteed that God gives “to all men.”

We are guaranteed that God gives “liberally.”

We are guaranteed that God “upbraideth not.”

We are guaranteed that answers “shall be given” to the one asking.

Let’s look at each one of these five guarantees.

James 1:5 guarantees that when we ask for wisdom and we meet God’s condition of drawing close to Him, God will “give” us the answers we are falling short of. The Greek word used for “giveth” is didontos, a form of didomi, which means I give. But in this Greek case, the grammar does not describe the random, occasional act of God, but rather the regular behavior of God. In fact, the entire Greek phrase is tou didontos theou and is literally translated the giving God. Hence, God is not one who holds out on us when we need wisdom or information. He is, in fact, the giving God — one who is reputed for habitually giving answers to those who meet His conditions.

James 1:5 guarantees that God gives “to all men.” This removes the uncertainty that God may answer some and not If God’s condition has been met — that is, if we have drawn near to His heart and come closely alongside Him — He will answer us, because each of us fits into that phrase “all men”!

James 1:5 guarantees that God gives to all men “liberally.” This is the Greek word haplos. It denotes something that is bountiful. It actually portrays one who gives copiously, amply, extravagantly, generously, lavishly, liberally, plentifully, or richly. This is a person who has an open hand, as opposed to one who keeps a closed fist. Hence, God doesn’t dangle the bait before us and then quickly jerk it out of our reach. If we have met His conditions and pulled up alongside His heart, He reaches down with an open hand to give the answer we seek — and He gives us the answer bountifully.

James 1:5 guarantees that God “upbraideth not.” This is a translation of the Greek phrase me oneididzontos. The word me is emphatic for not, while the word oneidodzontos is a form of the word oneinidzo, which means to berate, to censure, to correct, to rebuke, or to scorn. In other words, God is not going to get upset with you if you ask Him for answers. He will never berate, censure, correct, rebuke, or scorn you when you come alongside Him to receive wisdom.

James 1:5 guarantees that answers “shall be given” to the one who is seeking them and who has fulfilled God’s conditions. The Greek tense used for “shall be given” makes this verse a pr Even if you don’t know the answer right now, the answer that you seek will be given to you!

James 1:5 conveys this idea in the Greek:

“If you are short on the answers you need, insistently ask God for them. But God first requests that you come alongside Him. That is the one request He makes before He will provide the answers you seek Him for. God is the giving God. He is known for habitually answering those who seek answers from Him, and when He answers, He does so lavishly and with 

So now you can rest assured that GOD is always speaking to reveal Himself and His Word to you! If you feel that He is not, then you have simply found a place where YOU are getting 'bad reception' and you need to make whatever moves are needful in your own person life to get you to where you can hear HIM, easily and completely! CHOICES. Make your WISE! Here is Hillsong with "So Will I":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Galatians 5:6 tells us this:

6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love.

The Amplified Bible is even clearer!

6 For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

Why is walking in love so important? Well we see here that our faith doesn't work without it! Love is what energizes our faith! But, more importantly, JESUS instructed us to love! Mark  12:30-31 says this:

30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. 31 The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Because this instruction is so important, I wanted to share today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin with you!

Love Arises

"Love is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly" (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). 

It's always flesh that is boastful, haughty, conceited, arrogant, inflated with pride, rude, and unmannerly. And by an act of your own will, you can decide not to give in to these fleshly temptations. You can decide rather to walk in love—to walk in the Spirit. 

The battle is there between your human spirit and your flesh. But the Bible says, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). 

Decide to allow your spirit to dominate. When the temptation comes, stand still a moment and begin to speak the Word of God. Begin to say, "I am born of love. I will allow the love of God within me to dominate."  And the love of God will rise up big within you! 

Confession: I am a love person. Therefore, I am not boastful or vainglorious. I do not display myself haughtily. I am not conceited—arrogant and inflated with pride. I am not rude. I am not unmannerly. I do not act unbecomingly. I act in love. 

AMEN! Here, to help reinforce this for you, is Hillsong with "Greatest Of These":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The message that I have been getting from Holy Spirit for quite some time now is that we who know the Word of God and are daring to stand on it MUST spend MORE time in intimate praise and worship of our One, True God! We have already been given everything we need to SUCCEED! Now we must accept and receive what our Father has already done in us, for us and through us, and then worship Him with everything that is in us! AMEN! That attitude of continual gladness and joy will minister to more people than anything we could personally say or do! Let's get to it and be found, when He comes, giving God glory continually! AMEN! Here is the perfect place to start! Psalm 47!

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 O clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy! 2 For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5 God has ascended amid shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne. 9 The princes and nobles of the peoples are gathered together, a [united] people for the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

AMEN! Don't stop now! Here is Hillsong with "Praise Him":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to look at Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food" devotional!

The Importance of God's Word

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-22)

Knowing the written Word of God for yourself is very important. I've had people attend my meetings who were there every single service, but they didn't bring their Bibles. Now I didn't tell them, but I knew that if I could get them to bring their Bible one time so they could see for themselves what God says, they would receive their healing.

I remember one fellow in particular. He had been in twenty-one services, yet still failed to receive his healing. I said to him, "Bring your Bible." 
He responded, "Well, the only time I take my Bible to church with me is on Sunday morning." 

I said, "Bring it with you." I knew he wouldn't accept what I was saying if I just told him, because he thought certain scriptures read a certain way. And they didn't read the way he thought. 

One night he brought his Bible and followed me in reading the scriptures. Before I finished my lesson, he jumped up and said, "I just can't wait. I'll receive right now." And he received his healing! 

Someone might say, "What if you couldn't have gotten him to bring his Bible?" He wouldn't have received. The Bible is God's Holy Book. The Bible is God speaking to us. Do you want God to speak to you? The Bible is God speaking to you. 

Confession:  The Bible is God speaking to me. I attend to God's Word by reading and studying my Bible. I keep His Word before my eyes, and I incline my ears unto it.

I LOVE this! There is POWER in the Spoken Word of God, BUT, We cannot speak over our lives what we do not know! Keep digging deep in to the Word of God and into His presence and you will never be disappointed! You will also be well on your way to walking in divine health and healing! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today everyone in the world is speaking of LOVE! The problem with the world's idea of love, though, is that it is basically very selfish! We have a natural tendency to love those who love us or act lovely to us. God's love, which is SO much higher than man's love, chose to love us when we were VERY unlovely! Romans 5:8 tell us this:

8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

JESUS died for ALL! Every single man, woman and child has the opportunity to accept and receive JESUS as LORD and personal SAVIOUR! John 3:14-17:

14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], 15 In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! 16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 

The only thing that JESUS demands after we receive Him as Lord and Saviour, is that we love HIM with everything within us, and then that we love each other with the very same love with which HE loves us (Mark 12:30)! You CAN do this! Count on Holy Spirit within you to help you cast down those thoughts and imaginations from the enemy that tell you that it is hard to do (2 Corinthians  10:5)! Remember, it is NOT by might or by power, but by the Word of God and Holy Spirit! AMEN (Zechariah 4:6)! So spread the LOVE today, but make it God's love! The love that NEVER fails! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share something that was recently given to me. This is Psalm 63, but from The Passion Translation!

Thirsting for God

 For the Pure and Shining One
King David’s song when he was exiled in the Judean wilderness
¹ O God of my life, I’m lovesick for you in this weary wilderness.
    I thirst with the deepest longings to love you more,
    with cravings in my heart that can’t be described.
    Such yearning grips my soul for you, my God!
² I’m energized every time I enter
    your heavenly sanctuary to seek more of your power
    and drink in more of your glory.
³ For your tender mercies mean more to me than life itself.
    How I love and praise you, God!
⁴ Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart.
    My arms will wave to you like banners of praise.
⁵ I overflow with praise when I come before you,
    for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else.
    You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.
^6–7 I lie awake each night thinking of you
    and reflecting on how you help me like a father.
    I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow,
    offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!
⁸ With passion I pursue and cling to you.
    Because I feel your grip on my life,
    I keep my soul close to your heart.
⁹ Those who plot to destroy me shall descend into the darkness of hell.
¹⁰ They will be consumed by their own evil
    and become nothing more than dust under our feet.
¹¹ These liars will be silenced forever!
    But with the anointing of a king I will dance and rejoice
    along with all his lovers who trust in him.

The challenge here is to read this Psalm and then DO it! As you do, there will be a change in your intimate fellowship with HIM! As you worship Him with this, the sound of HIs voice within you will become louder and clearer! If we will all do this, then our Worship Services will be like those that are taking place in Heaven at all times! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Love So Great":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 43 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Look at verses 3-5:

3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling. 4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy; yes, with the lyre will I praise You, O God, my God! 5 Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.

You know, and we have shared many times on this blog, that we are not to merely read or memorize the Word of God, but we are to MEDITATE on it, day and night! Joshua 1:8:

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.

Why do we meditate? Because when we do, we give Holy Spirit something to work with so that He can give us the revelation of what the Word of God means, and how each of us, individually, can put it into practice in our lives! And THEN, says Joshua 1:8, we will make our way prosperous and have good success! God's promises always require a choice on our part! Not let's look again at Psalm 43:3-5, but let's look at it from The Passion Translation, which is the result of someone else's mediation! 

Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak!
    Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth!
    Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path,
    showing the way into your burning presence,
    into your many sanctuaries of holiness.
4 Then I will come closer to your very altar
    until I come before you, the God of my ecstatic joy!
    I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart,
    to you, my God, my magnificent God!
5 Then I will say to my soul,
“Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed,
    for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me.
    Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.”
    Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!

Not everything from every translation is completely accurate, but when you are a student of the WOrd, you can trust Holy Spirit to show you what to take and treasure and what to simply move on from! The thing that really stuck out to me from this selection this:

 I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart,
    to you, my God, my magnificent God!

I LOVE the thought that there is a harp playing inside of my heart that brings up the high praises of God when I sing to Him, in both English and in Spirit! Meditate on that the next time YOU praise and worship HIM! Ask Holy Spirit to reveal to you how your 'harp' sounds and help you to use it!I KNOW that God placed music inside each of us so that we can praise and worship Him in Spirit and in TRUTH! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "O Praise The Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince for today!

JESUS IS WILLING, BE HEALED!

Matthew 8:3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”…

Do you know that it is God’s will for you to be healed? In fact, Jesus always healed the sick who came to Him. The blind, lame, maimed, mute, deaf and demon-possessed—He healed them all! (Matthew 8:16)

The Bible says that he who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. (John 14:9) You want to see what God is like? Look at Jesus! He never gave sickness to anybody. You never find Jesus looking at a person, a fine specimen of a man, and saying, “Come here. You are too healthy. Receive some leprosy!” In fact, when a leper came to Him for healing, Jesus, full of compassion, told the leper, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

Unfortunately, there are some Christians who say, “It is God’s will for me to be sick. God has some purpose, some mysterious purpose for my situation. It is all part of His divine plan and we shall all know in the sweet by and by, the reason why!” But these same people go to their doctors to get well. They take their medication and rest. Why do they do that if they really believe that God wants them sick? Doesn’t make sense, does it?

Come on, what makes perfect sense is this: God wants you well. He wants you whole. His will is for you to be healed! In fact, He is so willing that He took all your sicknesses and diseases upon His own body, so that you don’t have to suffer them today! He allowed Himself to be beaten and scourged, so that by His scourging—by His stripes—you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) Since He has already suffered the sickness on your behalf, why should you suffer it today?

So my friend, if you are sick, know that God did not give you the disease. Read every healing miracle that Jesus did in the Gospels and see how Jesus is the Lord who heals you. (Exodus 15:26) Hear His gracious words, “I am willing, be healed,” and know that they are as much for you today as they were for the leper!

Refuse to let anyone steal from you what God has so freely given! Don't argue with those who do not believe! Simply move on and continue to speak God's Word and Will over your own body, and pray for laborers to reach those who disagree! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Lost Are Found":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love to share insights from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan on this blog. It seems that I learn something new every time through! There are other days, however, when one of the devotionals that I read has a message that is so current and vital that I am led to share it right away. Other times, like today, one of the devotional segments says something in a little different or unique way that I believe will be of help to some who may not have really grasped the truth of it yet! Today I am sharing Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations". I encourage you to make use of these devotionals in your own personal, daily study! It will enrich your Bible Study immensely! Here is today's message:

THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Most people, when they desperately want something, will say things like, “I am dying for that piece of cake!” Few will say, “I am living for that piece of cake!”

What is worse is that we are quick to mention death when things go wrong. We Singaporeans are quick to say things like, “Die lah! Die lah!” at the drop of a hat. Nobody says, “Live lah! Live lah!”

Yet, the truth is that every word you speak has power — to build or destroy hopes and dreams, to restore or cause loss, to heal or break the spirit, to bring delight or despair, to bless or curse — for God’s Word says that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

So stop lining your words up with the negative circumstances. Instead, start lining your words up with God’s Word and release the power of His Word to work for you.

For example, instead of speaking lack and poverty, say, “God’s Word tells me that the good things are already here. I therefore pronounce my life blessed. I pronounce my life successful. I pronounce my life great. Darkness and gloom, poverty and sickness, defeat and depression, will not be in my life!”

Instead of speaking sickness and death, say, “I will live long. I will not die young. Jesus died young for me so that I can live long for Him. I am the righteousness of God in Christ and God’s Word declares that no evil befalls the righteous. So no evil will come on me now and in the future!”

Instead of speaking fear over your children, say, “God’s Word declares that the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Therefore, my children are delivered from every curse, every power of darkness and every evil. In the name of Jesus, I call forth a great, bright and blessed future for my children!”

God wants you to have a life filled with good days and an abundance of every good thing. So say, “In the name of Jesus, I command blessings, favor, health, provision, protection, dominion and power to fill my life!”

AMEN! The Word of God says that we have to be satisfied with the results of the words of our own mouths (Proverbs 18:20)! It also promises that when God's Word is in us in abundance, and we obey that Word, that WE can ask what WE will, and it WILL be given to us (John 15:7)! So, let's get the Word and the promises in it, into our hearts in abundance! Meditate on that Word until it becomes SO real inside of you that doubt finds no place! THEN speak what YOU want, and HE will see to it that it comes! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

When the Disciples were going out preaching the Gospel, JESUS was working from heaven doing His part! Look at Mark 16:20:

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).

JESUS waited for them to speak His Word so that He COULD confirm His Word! That is exactly what JESUS Himself did during His ministry! Remember that He said that He only said and did what He saw and heard from the Father? (John 12:49; John 5:19-20) THAT is what we are supposed to be doing, too! Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" for today addresses this very thing! 

Keeping His Word

"I am watching over my word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:12). 

You may be certain that if you accept God's Word and act on it, He is watching over that Word to make it good in your life. All you need to do is to act on the Word. It is very important that you learn this simple little lesson. 

Acting on the Word is not struggling. It is not crying. It is not praying. It is simply acting on what God has spoken, and that brings results. 

Several years ago, after I had spent hours struggling and praying about finances and healing for my family, I lay exhausted on the altar of a church. Once I was finally quiet, the Lord could speak to me. 

"What are you doing?" He asked. 

"I came out here to pray through," I said. 

"What do you mean by 'pray through?'" 

"I guess I was going to pray until I had some kind of feeling or a witness that these needs are met. I'm 365 miles from home. I thought I would know somehow when my children were healed and our financial needs were met." 

"Isn't My Word sufficient for you? You are not acting like My Word is so," the Lord said. "In fact, you're acting as if it were not so. You're acting as though you think if you pray long enough and loud enough, you might eventually talk Me into the notion of not being a liar and of keeping My word." 

Confession: I believe God. And I act like I believe Him! 

AMEN! So, stop acting like God is a LIAR! Dare to believe that He said exactly what He meant, and MEANT exactly what He said! Now begin to say those same things about yourself and your life! Then HE will finally have something to confirm for you! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in  Him!

Shalom,

I want to share "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince today! 

RIGHT BELIEVING PRODUCES RIGHT LIVING

Luke 19:8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. He was despised because he was a deceitful man, cheating people of their money and resorting to false accusations to get what he wanted.

One day, Jesus visited him. The Bible makes no mention of Jesus rebuking him for his dishonest lifestyle the whole time they were together. Instead, Jesus showed him grace and honor by spending time with him. Before long, Zacchaeus stood up and declared to Jesus that he would restore fourfold to anyone he had taken from illegally, and would even give half of his goods to the poor.

A moment with Jesus completely changed Zacchaeus’ heart. A moment with grace in person—without accusations, condemnation or judgment—caused such an inward transformation that in a short time, Zacchaeus was doing outwardly what was right and in a measure no man would have expected of him!

Many people want to live right. Their concern with right living makes them focus on themselves and the things they struggle with. But it is right believing that produces right living. If you are trying to break free from an addiction that has bound you for many years, believe that Jesus loves you so much that at the cross, He paid the price for you to be completely free from any addiction. Believe that by His stripes you are healed and delivered.

One member in our church had a smoking addiction. But each time he lit up a cigarette, he would believe that God was not judging or condemning him, and that he was still the righteousness of God in Christ. One day, he woke up impressed by the Spirit that that day would mark the start of a smoke-free life. Expecting to be assaulted by the usual cravings to smoke, he prayed this throughout the day: “Thank You, Jesus, for by Your stripes I am healed.” Before he knew it, the day passed without him lighting up or suffering any withdrawal pangs! And since then, he has been totally free of this addiction.

Today, if you want to experience right living, find out what Christ has done for you and what you have in Him—and believe it!

I LOVE this! So many times we have wanted to monitor the lives of those who have received JESUS as Lord and Saviour to 'see' if their commitment was sincere. The TRUTH stated above is vitally important to know, for ourselves and for those we minister to! Each born again believer MUST come into their very own commitment to the LIFE that the Lord our God has called us to! There will be NO ability for the Grace of God to operate in an individual's life unless they/we draw near to HIM voluntarily, and with a purpose of heart that agrees with our Father's wonderful plans for us! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with''Here Now":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom, Today I want to share from Jerry Savelle's website devotional!

WORDS: THEY MATTER!

Words play an such important factor in determining whether or not you will live in the fullness of the blessing or not. And if you want to live in the fullness of the blessing, then you need to begin to confess it with your mouth.

Why is it so important to confess with your mouth that you live in the fullness of the blessing? Why do you need to agree with God? Because what you say out of your mouth matters. God knows it and the devil knows it. That is why the devil has worked so hard to deceive us into believing that what we say doesn’t matter. Remember that saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never heart me.” The truth is that words can hurt you. The Bible even says they can bring death.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

If you are going to agree with God that you are living in the fullness of the blessing, then you can’t agree with the devil (by speaking your circumstances) at the same time. That’s called mingled seed (Leviticus 19:19).

I am not saying to pretend that negative things are not happening. I am not saying to just pretend that your electric bill isn’t due or that your mortgage isn’t due. I am not saying to pretend that sickness and disease do not exist or that marital problems don’t exist. What I am saying is that pretending is not faith. Faith doesn’t pretend. Faith believes. Faith attacks. And faith is now.

No matter what you are going through, your situation does not change the Word of God. What will change your situation is when you get your words in line with THE Word, and THE Word says that you are blessed and highly favored!

AMEN! Our God has provided for everything we will ever need under our new and better Covenant with Him, sealed by the blood of JESUS! We not only must study to find out what all belongs to us as a result of the Covenant, but we MUST order our conversation to reflect ONLY and EVER what we REALLY desire from God! There is POWER in the Spoken Word! SO, use it wisely! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Acts 9:1-2:

Meanwhile Saul, still drawing his breath hard from threatening and murderous desire against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 And requested of him letters to the synagogues at Damascus [authorizing him], so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way [of life as determined by faith in Jesus Christ], he might bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem.

So this was the Saul that we looked at yesterday! His hatred for all who called on the Name of JESUS. and then spoke to others about Him, were at the very top of Saul's 'hit list'! Today we see just how quickly the Spirit of God can change the heart of a person when they come in contact with the LORD of lords! Verses 3-5:

3 Now as he traveled on, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him, 4 And he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me [harassing, troubling, and molesting Me]? 5 And Saul said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.

Saul KNEW that this was a godly encounter because He called Him Lord! Then JESUS Himself introduced Himself to Saul, who had been blinded by the Light of His countenance! JESUS told Saul to go into the city (Damascus) and wait. Now the story gets SO exciting! JESUS spoke to a man  in the city named Ananias to go and lay hands on Saul. Of course by now Ananias had heard all about Saul from others! He voiced his concerns to JESUS, but JESUS said THIS to Ananias in verse 15:

15 But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel;

You know the rest of the story, how Ananias called Saul brother, explained how the LORD JESUS had sent him there to lay hands on Saul so that he may regain his sight and be filled with Holy Spirit! How could Saul be filled with Holy Spirit when Holy Spirit was ONLY given to born again believers? Because at the moment of his encounter, Saul had recognized that this was JESUS, and called Him LORD! He WAS born again! HALLELUJAH! Verse 18 tells us this:

18 And instantly something like scales fell from [Saul’s] eyes, and he recovered his sight. Then he arose and was baptized,

I want to share one more thing with you about this, though! Something else happened to Saul at that moment that would set the course for Saul's (Paul's) entire ministry! In the Hebrew language, every name has meaning! When Rachel named Benjamin 'Ben-oni' , which means 'son of my sorrow', Jacob named him Benjamin instead, which means 'son of the right hand'. He did NOT want his son to bear a sorrowful, negative name for all of his life! So, knowing that every Hebrew knew the meanings of the names they heard, we can realize that at the moment of his introduction, Saul KNEW that Ananias meant "Grace of God"! For a little more fun, check out Paul's introduction to every Epistle that he wrote to the churches! You will see that the main thrust of Paul's ministry was presenting the Grace of God to everyone he encountered, because he, himself, had a life-changing encounter with the Grace of God! He would never forget that message! HALLELUJAH! now WE should never forget it either! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Acts 8 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Look at verses 1-4:

 And Saul was [not only] consenting to [Stephen’s] death [he was pleased and entirely approving]. On that day a great and severe persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (special messengers). 2 [A party of] devout men with others helped to carry out and bury Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul shamefully treated and laid waste the church continuously [with cruelty and violence]; and entering house after house, he dragged out men and women and committed them to prison. 4 Now those who were scattered abroad went about [through the land from place to place] preaching the glad tidings, the Word [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God].

When Stephen was stoned to death by the mob, the above verses tell us that Saul was not only in favor of them doing this, but he was pleased by it! Not only that, but Saul then went out himself persecuting, harassing, cruelly and violently treating and arresting the believers that he came in contact with. He sought out those whom he could treat this way. That gives us a pretty grim picture of the man that Saul was BEFORE he had a personal encounter with JESUS! I hope that you will keep this in mind in your own personal dealing with people you encounter. Left to ourselves, every person is evil! BUT, surrendered to JESUS, ANYONE can become a vital minister of the Gospel of GRACE! AMEN! Follow the leading of Holy Spirit so that you stay sensitive, and obedient, to His leading and YOU may end up being the next 'Ananias' in someone's life! (That account is in tomorrow's reading!) Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Alive":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers will take some meditation to fully understand, but the message is SO important! And challenging! 

The Overmastering Majesty Of Personal Power

For the love of Christ constraineth us. — 2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul says he is overruled, overmastered, held as in a vice, by the love of Christ. Very few of us know what it means to be held in a grip by the love of God; we are held by the constraint of our experience only. The one thing that held Paul, until there was nothing else on his horizon, was the love of God. “The love of Christ constraineth us” — when you hear that note in a man or woman, you can never mistake it. You know that the Spirit of God is getting unhindered way in that life.

When we are born again of the Spirit of God, the note of testimony is on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But the baptism of the Holy Ghost obliterates that for ever, and we begin to realize what Jesus meant when He said — “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me.” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do — that is an elementary witness — but “witnesses unto Me.” We will take everything that happens as happening to Him, whether it be praise or blame, persecution or commendation. No one can stand like that for Jesus Christ who is not constrained by the majesty of His personal power. It is the only thing that matters, and the strange thing is that it is the last thing realised by the Christian worker. Paul says he is gripped by the love of Christ; that is why he acts as he does. Men may call him mad or sober, but he does not care; there is only one thing he is living for, and that is to persuade men of the judgment seat of God, and of the love of Christ. This abandon to the love of Christ is the one thing that bears fruit in the life, and it will always leave the impression of the holiness and of the power of God, never of our personal holiness.

We often times major on what we can do to please Him, when all that He REALLY desires is for us to obey the ONE commandment! Mark 12:29-30:

29 Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength.

When we are completely given over to loving HIM with everything within us, obedience to His Word, His ways and His will becomes second nature to us! We will have such a strong confidence in our oneness with Him that we WILL be doing the works that He did, and all of the glory will go to Him! I hope that as you begin to see this clearly, you will be able to simplify your life and your expectations of yourself, and simply rest IN HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "In Control":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Hebrews 8:6 tells us this TRUTH!

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

WE have a new and better Covenant than the Jewish people had. The Amplified Bible is great for this!

But as it now is, He [Christ] has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is as much superior and more excellent [than the old] as the covenant (the agreement) of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent) is superior and more excellent, [because] it is enacted and rests upon more important (sublimer, higher, and nobler) promises.

Remember! Ours is BETTER! Now look at some of the promises that Israel had under THEIR Covenant! Today's Psalm 34:7-11:

7 The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers. 8 O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him. 9 O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear. 10 The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord. 

When Israel met the conditions of their Covenant with God, then HE blessed them beyond measure and all of the other nations of the world took notice that Israel's God IS GOD! AMEN! THAT is what the Church of JESUS the Christ SHOULD be doing! We should be showing off our God and His Word and His mighty works so that the world may SEE and not just HEAR that our God IS GOD! AMEN! Here is another OT promise that WE can take, also! Verse 22:

22 The Lord redeems the lives of His servants, and none of those who take refuge and trust in Him shall be condemned or held guilty.

Here is Hillsong with "His Glory Appears":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today is another vital step for the born again believer to make if they want to get free and stay free! Remember that John 8:31-32 says this:

31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

KNOWING the Truth is NOT a matter of simply reading the Word of God. KNOWING comes from studying (2 Timothy 2:15), meditating (Joshua 1:8 AMP) and then doing (James 1:22) the Word! Faith Food for today gives us another Scripture that we must DO, or OBEY, in order to walk free! 

Casting

"Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). 

"Casting the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully" (1 Peter 5:7 AMP).

Some people seem to take comfort in thinking that God knows and He understands, while they continue to hold on to their cares. And they never get free from them. 

It's not enough to know that God understands and cares. If you want to be free from your cares, you must do what God said to do about them: You must cast all of your cares, all of your concerns, all of your anxieties, and all of your worries upon the Lord, because He cares for you. 

This isn't something you do every day. It's a once-and-for-all proposition that enables you to get rid of your cares - it puts them over into God's hands. 

I've done that. God has my cares. He's figured it all out, and He's working it all out. And I'm shouting while He's doing it! God is doing the work, and I'm shouting.

Confession: I cast the whole of my care - all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns, once and for all on God. 

WHEN we do this, THEN we will be in position for HIM to take that care and deal with those situations! Brother Hagin said that this is a once and for all obedience, but if YOU are prone to cast them,, and then try to take them back, you may have to renew your casting as often as is necessary to seriously LEAVE them there! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we are reading Acts 4 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. The disciples who had gathered in the Upper Room have all been filled with Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues! The crowd who were present at the time heard them and knew that something powerful and wonderful had happened! In this chapter, there is powerful evidence of another sort that Peter, who had denied JESUS on the night that He was arrested, is a new man with a new spirit and a new Anointing! Peter and John have been arrested for preaching the resurrection of JESUS from the dead. Verses 8-12 reveal this brand new man!

8 Then Peter, [because he was] filled with [and controlled by] the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and members of the council (the Sanhedrin), 9 If we are being put on trial [here] today and examined concerning a good deed done to benefit a feeble (helpless) cripple, by what means this man has been restored to health, 10 Let it be known and understood by all of you, and by the whole house of Israel, that in the name and through the power and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, [but] Whom God raised from the dead, in Him and by means of Him this man is standing here before you well and sound in body. 11 This [Jesus] is the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the Head of the corner [the Cornerstone]. 12 And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved.

So what was the result of this bold preaching by Peter, who before would not even admit that he even knew JESUS? Look at verse 13:

13 Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

These men had so much boldness that they even defied the orders not to speak again in the Name of JESUS! Verses 19-20:

19 But Peter and John replied to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must decide (judge). 20 But we [ourselves] cannot help telling what we have seen and heard.

I encourage you to read the rest of this chapter again and see just what the local church is to be about! We are to go out and fulfill our personal ministry of preaching the Gospel during the week, wherever we are appointed, and then return to church whenever services are to report, rejoice, refresh, recharge, regroup and be resent out as mighty missiles into the world again. We CANNOT make it successfully without being fully engaged in the local church that HE has called us to and planted us in! When we DO that, then there is no limit to what HE can accomplish through each of us individually , and all of us corporately! LET'S GO! We've got nothing to lose and an abundant entry into Heaven to gain! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Go":

Shalom in Him!