Shalom,

Today I wanted to share from both "My Utmost For His Highest" and "Grace Inspirations", but then the blog would have been VERY long! Instead, I want to encourage you to check out Oswald Chambers' devotional, which speaks of our intimate fellowship with God and what that produces in us, and make whatever adjustments are necessary for YOU to walk in that victory! And here is Joseph Prince's devotional:

NOTHING CAN STAND UP TO GOD’S LOVE

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

The pastor of our Hokkien and Mandarin congregations, Pastor Mark, used to suffer from certain health problems before he became a Christian. His doctor told him that he had to be on medication for life. He also had a huge financial debt. But when he caught hold of the teaching that he is God’s beloved, he believed it totally. He also believed that nothing could be greater than God’s love for him.

Today, Pastor Mark is off medication and completely delivered from that debt. God caused him to triumph over his sickness and debt because he cannot be defeated when he knows that he is God’s beloved.

Tribulation, distress or persecution cannot stop your heavenly Father’s love from working on your behalf. His love for you is bigger and stronger than your financial woes, marital problems or health concerns. And when God’s heart of love moves for His beloved, He opens doors that no one can shut and He makes a way when there seems to be none.

Even during lean times, you will never find the righteous forsaken. King David said, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25) Can famine or recession stop God’s love from providing for His beloved? No! So don’t think to yourself, “I must provide for my family. If I don’t, who is going to take care of them? How are they going to survive?” God wants you to know that His love will continue to provide abundantly for you and your family.

What about deadly pestilences such as bird flu and mad cow disease, natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes, or terrorist bombings? My friend, these things cannot devour you because His love protects you. You will enjoy His protection when you know that you are His beloved.

Because God’s love is greater than all the evil put together, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. (Romans 8:37) We always win in the fight of life not because of our love for Him, but because of His love for us!

AMEN! Our great and mighty God never planned for us to be under the devil's thumb, but that WE should have him under our feet! JESUS provided all that is needed for us to walk in that realm of victory and blessing, IF! The if here is our choice! IF we will feed our faith concerning what HE has already done for us, THEN, as the underlined sentence above says, we WILL enjoy HIS supply in every area. AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "In God We Trust":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is something you really need to hear, and do!

Now Faith Is...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) 

This scripture gives us God's definition of faith. Notice that faith is present tense: It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

The New English Bible says, "Faith is giving substance to things hoped for." You see, hope doesn't have any substance. Hope has to be there, but faith is what gives substance to the things hoped for. 

How does faith give substance to the things you're hoping for? In Mark 11:23 Jesus said,

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; HE SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH.
(Mark 11:23) 

It is by believing in your heart and speaking with your mouth that you see those unseen things manifest before your eyes. 

Let's continue reading in Mark. "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (verse 24). Before you ever see something manifest on the outside, you have to "see it" on the inside first. This is faith - the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. 

I've preached Mark 11:23 and 24 so much that some people jokingly say that I wrote it! But I didn't. I got it out of the Bible. Jesus said it. And after sixty-five years, I'm still just as thrilled when I read it. Way down deep inside of me, in my spirit, something starts turning somersaults. That's when the Word of God works for you - when you get thrilled with it! 

Confession:

Faith gives substance to the things I'm hoping for. I need hope, but I also need faith. As I believe in my heart and speak out of my mouth, I shall have whatever I say.

AMEN! Are YOU ready to step up and out into the great 'unknown' (by YOU)! Dare to BELIEVE that God wants YOU prosperous, healed, successful and happy, and then go after all that God has promised with everything within you! Here is Hillsong with"Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's reading in Psalm 17 we see David crying out to the Lord in his time of need. Verses 6-8:

6 I have called upon You, O God, for You will hear me; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech. 7 Show Your marvelous loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up against them. 8 Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings

When YOU call on the Lord in YOUR time of need, do what David did here! He reminded himself that God had heard him before and he KNEW that God would hear him again! Remind yourself of past victories and answered prayer as you prepare to do the same! Go to sleep at night with these thoughts in mind, trusting that the ONE Who never sleeps will continue working on your behalf, all through the night! David says this in verse 15:

15 As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].

Now be a DOER of this verse!Continue to be in intimate fellowship with Him and YOU will find yourself waking up to HIS voice in fellowship with YOU! Remember, HE has NEVER failed you! And He won't start now! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince.

COMPASSION WITH ACTION

Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

My friend, there is no trial, difficulty or challenge we face today that our Lord Jesus cannot identify with. The moment we experience a trial, right there and then, because He “was in all points tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:15), He feels it too and is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.

Jesus’ compassion for you is the same compassion He felt for the widow at Nain when He saw the dead body of her only son being carried out of the city gate to be buried. (Luke 7:11–15) It must have been terrible for her to experience the death of her only son after having already experienced the death of her husband. What a horrible thought to be left all alone in the world with no means of support! When Jesus saw her, He was moved with compassion and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Now, some religious leaders might also be moved to approach her, but only to say, “Look sister, something is terribly wrong. Your husband died. Now, your only son has died. You must find out what is wrong. You better ask God what sin you have committed and repent. Or perhaps there is a curse in your life that needs to be broken.”

Isn’t it beautiful that Jesus did not extend more confusion or condemnation toward her? He only extended His compassion to her, telling her, “Don’t weep.” This same Jesus will also come to you when you are most distraught and say, “Don’t cry.”

And Jesus’ sympathy does not stop at “Oh, you poor thing! I am so sorry about what has happened to you.” No, His sympathy will move Him to give you the miracle you need in your life. That is why He raised the widow’s son back to life!

Beloved, rest in the truth that He who is seated at the Father’s right hand today understands what you are going through and sympathizes with your weaknesses. The compassion of Jesus toward you causes Him to breathe life into your dead situation and turn it around for your good!

The only thing I would like to change is when he refers Jesus' 'sympathy' . Sympathy is completely empty, powerless and empty. What JESUS has for this woman is COMPASSION! His compassion demanded action! THAT is our JESUS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Passion", because what JESUS did for US results in 'death to death and LIFE for me'!:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to follow up yesterday's blog with another from "Faith To Faith" for today. This one is by Kenneth Copeland and goes right along with yesterday's! 

Tap In to the Truth

When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. John 16:13

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. Not just enough truth to get by on. Not just an occasional truth to help us teach our Sunday school classes. All truth!

If you're a businessman, that means the Holy Spirit will show you how to increase your profits and reduce your expenses. If you're a mother, it means the Holy Spirit will show you how to settle arguments between your children. If you're a student, it means the Holy Spirit will show you how to excel in your classes.

In fact, if you know Jesus Christ and are baptized in the Holy Ghost, somehow inside you is the answer to every financial problem, every spiritual problem and every physical problem that exists. You have answers for problems you don't even know about yet!

Back during World War II, for example, the United States ran into some serious trouble. Their ships were being sunk by the enemy faster than they could build new ones, a process which at that time took a year.

In an effort to solve their dilemma, a method was devised by which a ship could be built in a single day. The problem was, the process involved building the ship upside down and, when the ships were turned upright, the welds would pop and the ship would come apart.

The problem was presented to a deeply spiritual man who was a famous industrialist at the time. "I'll find out how to do it," he said. And, sure enough, after days of prayer and fasting, God showed him the welding formula that would hold the ship together.

If you're facing a problem today, don't drag around trying to handle it on your own. Take Jesus at His Word and start asking the Holy Spirit to give you the knowledge you need to solve it. Put the wisdom of the ages to work on your job, in your family and in your world. Tap in to the truths He's placed in you.

AMEN! After recognizing the enemies tactics and dealing with him according to the Word of God, THEN we can take charge of every area of our lives by the Word of God and the leading, guidance  and direction of Holy Spirit! We are, of all people, MOST BLESSED! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Oceans: Where Feet May Fail":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

You are going to LOVE today's "Faith To Faith" by Gloria Copeland! Especially if you have had more than enough of the devil trying to have a say in your life! 

Discourage the Devil

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. Luke 6:22-23

Do you want to know how to depress the devil? Just follow the instructions in that last verse. When persecution comes, when friends or family criticize you because you lay hands on the sick and believe in healing, and when co-workers call you a fanatic because you love Jesus and aren't afraid to say so, rejoice! Shout hallelujah and leap for joy!

I tell you that will discourage the devil to no end. He's expecting that persecution to hurt you. He's expecting it to damage your faith, to wipe you out and to leave you in dismay.

I'm not saying you should enjoy the persecution itself. But you can learn to overlook the discomfort of those things by focusing your attention on the reward that's coming and the fact that Jesus said you are blessed.

The Apostle Paul certainly knew how to do that. He was an expert on rejoicing in the midst of persecution. Satan was constantly stirring up trouble for him. But do you know what he said about all that persecution? He said it was not even worth considering compared to the glory that was about to be revealed.

If Paul could rejoice in the midst of beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, imprisonment and almost every other kind of persecution, you can too!

Just do what he did. When he was told by the Holy Ghost that bonds and afflictions awaited him, he said, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

Don't get all caught up in what people think and what people say down here on earth. Get caught up in pleasing the Lord. Get caught up in finishing your course with joy. Get caught up in the glorious hope that's ahead. For that hope is enough to make anyone—under any circumstance—leap for joy!

AMEN and AMEN! Now back that all up with Hillsong UNITED and "Not Today"!

Shalom In Him!

Shalom,

I was going to share from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today, but then I saw THIS from the devotional on my PC Study Bible! The language is a little different than what we presently use, but the message is oh so vital!

"As it began to dawn, came Magdalene, to see the sepulchre." — Matthew 28:1

Let us learn from Mary Magdalene how to obtain fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Notice how she sought. She sought the Saviour very early in the morning. If thou canst wait for Christ, and be patient in the hope of having fellowship with Him at some distant season, thou wilt never have fellowship at all; for the heart that is fitted for communion is a hungering and a thirsting heart. She sought Him also with very great boldness. Other disciples fled from the sepulchre, for they trembled and were amazed; but Mary, it is said, "stood" at the sepulchre. If you would have Christ with you, seek Him boldly. Let nothing hold you back. Defy the world. Press on where others flee. She sought Christ faithfully—she stood at the sepulchre. Some find it hard to stand by a living Saviour, but she stood by a dead one. Let us seek Christ after this mode, cleaving to the very least thing that has to do with Him, remaining faithful though all others should forsake Him. Note further, she sought Jesus earnestly—she stood "weeping." Those tear-droppings were as spells that led the Saviour captive, and made Him come forth and show Himself to her. If you desire Jesus' presence, weep after it! If you cannot be happy unless He come and say to you, "Thou art My beloved," you will soon hear His voice. Lastly, she sought the Saviour only. What cared she for angels, she turned herself back from them; her search was only for her Lord. If Christ be your one and only love, if your heart has cast out all rivals, you will not long lack the comfort of His presence. Mary Magdalene sought thus because she loved much. Let us arouse ourselves to the same intensity of affection; let our heart, like Mary's, be full of Christ, and our love, like hers, will be satisfied with nothing short of Himself. O Lord, reveal Thyself to us this evening!

We have been asking more lately: "Lord, show us Your GLORY!" This is the attitude that it takes to have revealed to us those precious and priceless TRUTHS from the Word of the Living God! A casual Sunday church goer is never going to experience those deep things of God and the deep TRUTHS that are hidden in His Word FOR us! It takes a diligence and a 'determined purpose to go after them! How much do YOU desire to KNOW JESUS? I believe that there is improvement to be made in every one of us! Let's never be satisfied with just enough! Let's begin every day with a new quest to know Him! With that attitude, you will NOT be denied! AMEN Here is Hillsong with "Closer":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We know from the Word of God that His Word is TRUTH! John 17:17 says this:

17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

I also LOVE this from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! Psalm 12:6:

6 The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over.

His Word is PURE! Of course it would be, right? This just gives us another level of faith and trust! NOTHING can touch or change the Word of the Living God! I love it even more from The Passion Translation!

For every word God speaks is sure and every promise pure.
    His truth is tested, found to be flawless, and ever faithful.
    It’s as pure as silver refined seven times in a crucible of clay.

AMEN!!! There is NO darkness, NO lack, NO evil, NO QUESTION in the Word of God! ! When God says something, He means it! You can trust Him and every Word that He has spoken. Remember Numbers 23:19:

God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?

In order to develop that trust, though, we MUST spend time in the Word! That means we MUST be DOERS of 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.

AMEN! If you have been following The Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan with us, I know that you have been developing a love for this wonderful, powerful gift we have been given in the Word of God! It is coming alive to you and you are finding things that you never knew were in there, or had forgotten. I learn something new, or in a new way, every single day! My prayer for you is that you will, too! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Matthew 11:12 says this:

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].

This sounds at first like a negative thing, but it isn't, actually! This is a picture of a people who refuse to be denied the knowledge of the ONE in whom they have come to believe. This IS the attitude that each of us must have if we truly desire the deeper things of God! Wisdom and knowledge do NOT just fall on someone because they are born again, or because they go to church. It does not even just come because we listen to teaching or attend special meetings. It is a heart attitude that is required to gain this precious knowledge and understanding! Look at Paul's attitude in Philippians 3:10:

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection AMP

God has hidden the Wisdom and knowledge in His Word FOR us, not from us. But it takes nothing less than the attitude of Paul, going after it with everything that is within us, to obtain this precious knowledge so that we can walk in the fullness of our New (and better) Covenant! Let's get busy going after all that HE has provided for us, and then telling the world about the ONE Who provides it all! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with that very song! "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince!

ROUND-THE-CLOCK PROTECTION

Psalm 91:5–6 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

During World War II, German planes bombed London. Houses were leveled. But there was one that remained standing amidst the rubble. Its owner said that when she read Psalm 121:4, which says, “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep,” she told the Lord, “Lord, since You don’t sleep, then there is no point in both of us keeping awake. I will sleep while You keep watch.” And she did, while the Lord protected her and her house.

In 2005, terrorists attacked London’s public transport system. That day, a Singaporean girl found herself unexpectedly late for work and could not get to the train station in time to board her usual train. When she finally neared the station, she realized that it had been bombed just a few minutes earlier. Her mother, who worships in our church, believes that God protected her daughter that day.

God wants you to know that you have round-the-clock protection—“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”

He protects you from “the terror by night”, which could refer to evils such as rape, kidnap or murder. He promises you protection from “the arrow that flies by day”. This could refer to bullets from a crazy sniper, drive-by shootings or home-made rockets fired into your territory.

God also shields you from “the pestilence that walks in darkness”, referring to viruses which you cannot see. You don’t have to be afraid of deadly viruses lurking somewhere or wonder if some deadly disease is developing in your body.

God also doesn’t want you to be afraid of “the destruction that lays waste at noonday”, such as a tsunami hitting the beach resort you are at, or a bomb going off in the shopping mall you are in. You need not be afraid because God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, is watching over you 24 hours a day!

AMEN! Every time I get in my car to drive somewhere, I thank the Lord that In the Name of JESUS I will 'pass over to' wherever it is that I am traveling to! I thank Him for directing the flow of traffic so that I don't get caught up in it and for keeping the animals OFF of the roads that I am driving on! Pick up the charge for your own travel and believe the God of all provision to provide His promised protection for YOU! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "God Is Able":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I felt challenged by THIS from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers today!

The Spiritual Sluggard

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. — Hebrews 10:24-25

We are all capable of being spiritual sluggards; we do not want to mix with the rough and tumble of life as it is, our one object is to secure retirement. The note struck in Hebrews 10 is that of provoking one another and of keeping together — both of which require initiative, the initiative of Christ-realisation, not of self-realisation. To live a remote, retired, secluded life is the antipodes of spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The test of our spirituality comes when we come up against injustice and meanness and ingratitude and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritual sluggards. We want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of retirement. We utilise God for the sake of getting peace and joy, that is, we do not want to realise Jesus Christ, but only our enjoyment of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things are effects and we try to make them causes.

“I think it meet,” said Peter, “…to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” It is a most disturbing thing to be smitten in the ribs by some provoker of God, by someone who is full of spiritual activity. Active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work may be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The danger of spiritual sluggishness is that we do not wish to be stirred up, all we want to hear about is spiritual retirement. Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement — “Go tell My brethren.…”

I LOVE this challenge to be about my Father's business! HE has promised us this from John 10:10:

10 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).

BUT, that does NOT mean that we are to sit around with our feet up doing nothing! We should be starting every day with thanksgiving, praise and worship! Then with prayer, both in the Spirit and in our known language,  for others, leaders, our families and anyone else that Holy Spirit directs! Then we should be in a constant state of readiness to go or to do as Holy Spirit leads as part of our own personal Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5)! This life is so very short in the light of eternity. Let's make every second count! BE the LIGHT that someone still caught in the darkness is waiting for! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Do YOU know what true humility is? The definition for humility is accepting something you don't deserve! JESUS humbled Himself to take up the cross, become sin with our sin and sick with our sickness and disease! He humbled His sinless self to BECOME sin with MY sin, and yours! He did this so that WE could humble ourselves to accept what we did not deserve! His eternal LIFE! Look at Psalm 8 today and marvel and be in awe of who HE is, and who HE has made US to be! AMEN!

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

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

AMEN! I hope that YOU will spend the rest of today just meditating on the wondrous things that JESUS has done, IN us and FOR us! HALLELUJAH! There IS no greater LOVE and no higher NAME! JESUS! Here is Hillsong with "New Wine":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I would like to share THIS from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "Faith To Faith" devotional.

Protected by Love

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:44-45

Love your enemies...turn the other cheek...to most people that sounds like a pretty weak way to handle someone who's causing them trouble. But, the truth is, it's the most powerful way there is. It's the way Jesus did it—and His way never fails.

Do you remember when Jesus went back to Nazareth and the religious folks were angry with Him and wanted to push Him off a cliff? What happened? He just walked right past them, and no one could lay a finger on Him. Another time they decided to stone Him, and He didn't retaliate that time either. He just walked off. No one could touch Him.

When Jesus walked through that crowd, He wasn't afraid. He knew they couldn't hurt Him because He was walking in the love of God.

When Jesus said to turn the other cheek, He didn't mean for you to stand there and have your brains beaten out. He meant for you to stand there in love and in faith believing that the protecting power of God that accompanies that love would keep you safe. He meant for a man to swing at you and not be able to hit you!

The story of Nicky Cruz as recorded in David Wilkerson's book, The Cross and the Switchblade, is a perfect example of that. Nicky was reputed to be the most ruthless gang leader of his time. Yet, when David Wilkerson stood in front of him, telling him about Jesus, Nicky was totally unable to hurt him. He thrust his knife at David several times. But every time he did, David just said, "Nicky, you can cut me into a thousand pieces and every piece will still say, 'I love you and God loves you.'" Because of love, Nicky couldn't get his knife close enough to David to hurt him. A supernatural force always stopped it short.

"But I don't have that kind of love!"

Yes, you do. Romans 5:5 tells us that the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit. All you have to do is make the decision to be motivated by that love rather than your own human feelings.

My friend, love never fails! You don't have to be afraid of failure anymore. In fact, you don't have to be afraid of anything. If you're walking in the love of God, you're living the most powerful kind of life there is.

Walking in love is the key to walking in the fullness of the LIFE of God that is inside of us! We know that our faith will only work when we walk in love! (Galatians 5:6) It is this love that empowers our faith and give US staying power, so that we can stand strong and ever give up! We also know that love covers sin (1 Peter 4:8), so CHOOSE to walk in love with everyone you come in contact with! Remember, love NEVER fails (1 Corinthians 13:8)! Here is Hillsong with "Greatest of These":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food". He is speaking about the New Birth!

A Well of Water

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?  

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
(John 4:10-11,13-14)

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

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

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

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

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

Every person who receives JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour receives Holy Spirit, Who recreates our dead spirits into brand new spirits in the image of Almighty God! AND, He stays IN us! HE is that well of living water! Tomorrow's "Faith Food" will speak of the river  of living water that is the infilling of Holy Spirit! Tune in! You don't want to miss that powerful TRUTH! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really enjoyed Jerry Savelle's devotional for today!

FLOOD YOUR MIND!

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal.”

The most successful people in the world are those who have the ability to perceive what is possible even when it looks impossible. They look beyond the obstacle blocking their success and they recognize that through perseverance, they will ultimately be victorious.

You’ve got to be able to see beyond your circumstances right now. You have to develop the ability to see the impossible no matter what your mind is telling you. You have to cast down negative thoughts daily. When you wake up, the thoughts are going to be there. Shut them up. When you lie down at night, those thoughts will try to return. You have to look beyond what Satan is trying to tell you and see God doing the impossible in your life.

But, you must make a decision that you are going to do whatever it takes to win the battle in your mind – in your thought life. Wake up praising God. Let that be the first thing that comes out of your mouth. Shut the devil up just as soon as your eyes open.

Remember, you can’t cast down negative thoughts only, you have to replace them with the Word of God. You must flood your mind with the Word. Begin listening to faith-building messages while you’re getting dressed and while you’re driving to work. Faith comes by hearing the Word, and we know that our faith is what enables us to overcome the world (1 John 5:4).

The more you consume your mind with God’s Word, guard what comes out of your mouth and cast down every negative thought, the sooner you will be living a victorious life!

AMEN! A perfect success formula! Guard what goes in your eyes and ears! Let it always and only be Words of faith and power that you allow to stay! Meditate on the promises of God from His Word until they are so real to you that you can almost see them now! Then, get ready to tell the world about it! AND about HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Don’t Calculate Without God

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. — Psalm 37:5

Don’t calculate without God. 

God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the things we have calculated on without taking Him into account. We get into circumstances which were not chosen by God, and suddenly we find we have been calculating without God; He has not entered in as a living factor. The one thing that keeps us from the possibility of worrying is bringing God in as the greatest factor in all our calculations.

In our religion it is customary to put God first, but we are apt to think it is an impertinence to put Him first in the practical issues of our lives. If we imagine we have to put on our Sunday moods before we come near to God, we will never come near Him. We must come as we are.

Don’t calculate with the evil in view. 

Does God really mean us to take no account of the evil? “Love…taketh no account of the evil”.  Love is not ignorant of the existence of the evil, but it does not take it in as a calculating factor. Apart from God, we do reckon with evil; we calculate with it in view and work all our reasonings from that standpoint.

Don’t calculate with the rainy day in view. 

You cannot lay up for a rainy day if you are trusting Jesus Christ. Jesus said — “Let not your heart be troubled.” God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command — “Let not.…” Haul yourself up a hundred and one times a day in order to do it, until you get into the habit of putting God first and calculating with Him in view.

I like how he speaks of "putting on our Sunday moods"! Christianity is NOT a behavior pattern, a nice way of speaking and acting, or a set of rules and regulations so that we can be acceptable to people! True Christianity is having intimate fellowship with our Lord and Saviour, by His Spirit Who lives IN us! It is a lifestyle of living in His provision and doing what HE has instructed us to do! We are HIS ambassadors  in the earth. We are citizens of Heaven, representing on earth what living in Heaven looks like! Find out what is available to you as a born again believer. Now find out what is expected of you as HIS ambassador, a member of His family, of His body and of the CHURCH! Now, with all of the provisions of HEaven available to you, be about your Father's business! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light", which shows what we should be doing! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Matthew 3 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Look at verses 1-3:

3 In those days there appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the Wilderness (Desert) of Judea 2 And saying, Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness (shouting in the desert), Prepare the road for the Lord, make His highways straight (level, direct).

I love how the Amplified Bible defines what true repentance is! It is changing our thinking to agree with God! It is recognizing that when we differ from God, He is ALWAYS right! We need to find out  more of what the Word says so that we can think like Him! John the Baptist was sent, before JESUS entered His ministry on earth, to prepare the hearts of the people to be in position to receive HIM! When YOU pray, asking the LORD to send laborers into the lives of those you desire to see born again, filled with Holy Spirit, loving the Word and serving the lord, make sure that you also pray asking that their hearts be ready to hear and see! We KNOW that this prayer will be answered because we are asking for something that we  know is God's will for them! 1 John 5:14-15 tells us this:

14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

AMEN! Your love for them, along with your prayer and the witness of your life, works to prepare the way for JESUS, just as John's ministry did then! You are valuable! Never doubt your importance in Kingdom of God business! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "The Love Of God Can Do":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 3 is a Psalm of David. It was his response to the trouble he endured when his son, Absalom, tried to take the throne from him. David was human and made mistakes, as we all have, but it was said of David that he was a man after God's own heart! That did NOT mean that David was more like God than anyone else. It meant that David would always turn his eyes back to God, even when he missed it, and trust in the ONE Who had delivered him in the past. David expected that God would do so again! And again , and again, and again! WE CAN, TOO! Here is Psalm 3:

A Psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son.

1 Lord, how they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. 2 Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5 I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. 7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; May Your blessing be upon Your people. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

AMEN! Verse 8 is very interesting! "Salvation" here is the Hebrew word "yeshuw`ah. It means: something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, welfare. LORD is the Hebrew word "Yehovah", which is the Covenant Name for God, meaning: the Eternal Self-existing ONE! This was pointing ahead to JESUS, our Messiah Saviour, Lord, Deliverer, Healer, Rescuer, Protector, Provider, and everything else that we will ever need! AMEN! Make Psalm 3 your meditation for a few days and see what else Holy Spirit will cause you to know and understand! God's Word is POWERFUL, LIMITLESS, and HIGHER than any other! AMEN! Here is  Hillsong Worship with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love this time of year when we have gone half way through and begin again with Psalms in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 1:1-3 should be MOST exciting for every born again believer who puts God and His Word as their #1 priority! 

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

AMEN! Refuse to be caught up in the ways and the 'wisdom' of the world! Without reliance on the God of the Bible, they are hopeless, helpless and just plain WRONG about almost everything! Stop putting trust in the world's 'news' sources and get your info hot of the Holy Spirit press! HE will make sure you know everything you need to know to fulfill your own unique calling and anointing in the areas HE has called you to! Now go out there and celebrate that YOU are one of those BLESSED ones above! There is no better place to be than in the very center of God's will for your life! Blessings abound there and rewards are gathering for you in Heaven for THAT great day! AMEN Here is Hillsong with a new song that I like called "You Are Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince. He speaks of what the word 'hope' has become in our thinking! And how to change that wrong perception! 

HOPE THAT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT

Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Today, we express hope as if we can’t be sure what will really happen. We say, “I hope I will win that prize. I hope it won’t rain tomorrow. I hope everything works out well.”

But “hope” in the Bible is a confident and positive expectation of good. God wants you to have a confident expectation of good because as His child, He favors you. Because Christ is in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), you can expect the glory of God to shine into every area of your life, including your family, job, ministry, health and finances!

God’s Word says, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” You may have experienced disappointed hopes, but there is a hope that does not disappoint when you are conscious of how much God loves you. It is a hope that springs from the heart of God, who loves you very much.

It is interesting that the first mention of the Holy Spirit in the book of Romans is tied up with the love of God. The book of Romans is considered foundational for Christians. Could it be that the first thing the Holy Spirit wants to do is to establish in our hearts that God loves us? Many people think that the Holy Spirit has come to teach us about power. But the truth is that the Holy Spirit has come not to reveal the love for power, but the power of love!

My friend, you may have just lost your job. But if you can say, “Jesus loves me this I know,” you can also say, “I believe that I will get a better job tomorrow.” Your girlfriend may have just left you for your best friend. But because you can say, “Jesus loves me this I know,” you can also say, “I’ll meet a better girl.”

When you believe that God loves you, you will have a positive expectation of good. You will have a hope that does not disappoint. So be careful what you hope for because you are bound to get it!

AMEN! I love this! When we realize that or thinking has been wrong, and are willing to change it to agree with God's Word, we will begin to see ourselves the way God sees us. HIS perception is the only one that we want! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!