Shalom,

I will be continuing to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional up until Christmas Day this week because he speaks of the TRUTH of the incarnation so simploy and clearly! 

That We Might Be Sons

But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:4-7).

The object of the Incarnation was that man might be given the right to become a child of God (John 1:12).

Man could become a child of God only by receiving the nature of God; therefore, Christ came that man might receive eternal life (John 10:10; 1 John 5:11-12).

And man could receive eternal life only after he had been legally redeemed from Satan's authority (Colossians 1:13-14).

Confession: God sent forth His Son to redeem us, that we might become sons of God. I have received Christ; therefore, I have life. I am a son of God. And because I am, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into my heart, crying, "Abba, Father." I am no more a servant; but a son. I am an heir of God through Christ.

AMEN! He IS Who the Word of God says He is! and WE are who the Word of God says we are! Dare to BELIEVE and dare to RECEIVE all that God has already planned for you to walk in! Be the LIGHT in your world and SHINE! Here is Hillsong with "Whole Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We're continuing with Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional leading up to Christmas because he covers this mounmental occasion so very well!

He Came To Save

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
The first step in redemption was Christ's identification with our humanity. This took place in His Incarnation. Christ was made flesh (John 1:14). Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same...."

But at the time of His Incarnation, Jesus did not partake of the nature that reigned in the spirit of man. Had He done so then, He would have been spiritually dead during His earthly ministry! Then He could not have pleased the Father by doing His own will. No, His identification with the spirit nature of man didn't take place until His crucifixion.

There God actually made Jesus Christ to become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sin nature itself was laid upon Jesus Christ until He became all that spiritual death had made man. In the mind of God, it was not Jesus Christ who hung on the cross; it was the human race who hung there. Therefore, each of us may say with Paul, "I was crucified with Christ."

Confession: Because Jesus came to save me from my sins, I can claim Galatians 2:20, which says: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

AMEN! The more we understand about JESUS, His birth, ministry, death and resurrection, the more we will come to know and understand who WE are - IN HIM! Here are Hillsong Kids with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share again today from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional! This is SO on point in explaining God's point of view of US! 

Mediator

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

Man's condition demanded an Incarnation - man had become spiritually dead with no approach to God. The Incarnation of Deity with humanity provided One who could stand as man's Mediator.

Equal with God on one hand and united with man on the other, this One could assume the obligations of man's treason and satisfy the claims of Justice, thereby bridging the chasm between God and man.

God created man in His own image, just a little lower than Himself; so nearly like God that it was possible for God and man to become united for eternity in one individual! (When Christ became a man and took on a physical body in the Incarnation, He did so for eternity. Therefore, there is a God-man in Heaven today at the Father's right hand as a result of the Incarnation.) It was possible for God and man to become united!

God can dwell in these human bodies of ours, God can impart His life and nature to our spirits. That's what takes place at the New Birth: Spiritual death is eradicated from the spirit, and God gives man His life!

Confession: Today at the right hand of the Father there is a God-man, our Mediator, Jesus Christ. Jesus bridged the gap for me. He made it possible for spiritual death to depart from my spirit, and for God's own life and nature to take its place in my spirit. Therefore, God now dwells in my spirit. God lives in me!

AMEN! This GOD-MAN is loves YOU with an everlasting love! He will lead each of us to and through each victory and success, and bring GLORY to His Name in the process! HALLELUJAH! Here are  Hillsong Kids with "Made In Your Image":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to continue today to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional because there is such good, solid, straight forward TRUTH in it!

Incarnation

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1,14).

Webster defines Incarnation as "The union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ."

Incarnation was the only solution to the human problem - the only hope for mankind to be reunited with God. Any religion that denies the Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth is false!

This Eternal Being, called Emmanuel - God with us, or Jesus the Christ - is here called the Word. The Word existed in the beginning. The Word was with God - with God in fellowship, in purpose, working with Him. God made the worlds through the Word (Hebrews 1:2; John 1:3).

And this Eternal Being was God! He possessed the same nature. He existed in the same form and on an equality with God (Philippians 2:6).

And this Being became flesh! The Word became a man and dwelt among us. He became human - as much a man as if He'd never been anything else, yet He did not cease to be what He had been. The Word made His home among us, and we beheld the glory of God (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).

Confession: Jesus came and dwelled in flesh so that I might be eternally reunited with the Father. Jesus became like me, so that I could become like Him. I will walk in the reality of what the Incarnation made possible for me. I am reunited with my Father!

I hope that you will make the above confession over yourself every day until this becomes so real to you that you will never again doubt who YOU are IN HIM! Here to help you with that is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There really is no better way to share this CHRISTmas message than to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional on it!

Humility

"Who [Christ Jesus], being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:6-8).

Christ has always existed in the form of God. But He emptied Himself and took the form of a bond servant, being made in the likeness of men.

This suggests a distinct operation of God totally different from natural generation: A miracle. First, God took Christ from the Godhead in Heaven - and then He placed Christ in the womb of a virgin to be united with flesh in a unique conception.

"Therefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me" (Hebrews 10:5).

God prepared a body - a special body - for this Being called the Son of God. In the Incarnation, Christ became a man!

Confession: Thank You, Jesus, for emptying Yourself and being made in the likeness of men. It was our only hope. Thank You for humbling Yourself and becoming obedient unto death; yes, even the death of the cross. And thank You, Father, for highly exalting Him, and for giving to Him the Name which is above every name. At that Name my knee does bow, and my tongue does confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-10).

AMEN! And He did it all so that WE could legally belong to HIM as His very own children with HIS Spirit living IN US! HALLELUJAH! There is no one like our GOD! And as His children, let's sing this with Hillsong Kids called "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is one of my favorites because it presents TRUTHS on just who JESUS is! One of my very favorite Christmas songs is one that came out about the time that I was born again. It's called "I Know Now Who He Was". Through this teaching, you will, too! 

For Further Meditation

"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Colossians 1:19).

The Word of God plainly teaches that our Redeemer is divine. These divine offices are ascribed to Him:

Creator (Colossians 1:16)
Mediator (1 Timothy 2:4-5)
Head of the Church (Colossians 1:16-24)
Savior (2 Peter 3:2)
Judge (2 Timothy 4:1)
Preserver (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Life-Giver (John 10:28)
Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36)
Resurrection and Life (John 11:25).

Divine character is ascribed to Christ. Ordinary men are sinners by nature, but Christ Jesus is not an ordinary man. He is:

Holy by Birth (Luke 1:35)
Righteous (Isaiah 53:11)
Faithful (Isaiah 11:5)
Truth (John 14:6)
Just (John 5:30)
Guileless (1 Peter 2:22)
Sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Spotless (1 Peter 1:19)
Innocent (Matthew 27:4)
Harmless (Hebrews 7:26)
Obedient to God (Hebrews 5:8-10)
Obedient to Earthly Parents (Luke 2:51)
Zealous (John 2:17)
Meek (Matthew 11:29)
Lowly in Heart (Matthew 11:29)
Merciful (Hebrews 2:17)
Patient (Isaiah 53:7)
Long-Suffering (1 Timothy 1:16)
Compassionate (Matthew 15:32)
Benevolent (Acts 10:38)
Loving (John 15:13)
Self-Denying (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Humble (Philippians 2:5-11)
Resigned (Luke 22:42)
Forgiving (Luke 23:34)

Confession: Jesus Christ is worthy. Thank God for this Worthy One. Thank God for this Divine One. Thank God that One who is the Creator would come to earth from glory to be the Mediator, the Head of the Church, the Savior, the Judge, the Preserver, the Life-Giver, the Lord and Savior. And thank God, this Worthy One is my Lord.

AMEN! SO very thankful! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM", because Who He is makes US who we are! IN HIM!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There are five verses in Proverbs 16 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan that I really love. 

³ Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

⁷ When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁹ A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

¹⁶ How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

²⁰ He who deals wisely and heeds [God’s] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord—happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.

There is so much TRUTH, POWER and WISDOM in these verses! Remember that God's Word is His will, and also that it is ALWAYS God's will to to fulfill His promises to His people! 

AMEN! Here are Hillsong Kids with "As The World Shakes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 15 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and verse 32 is SO clear and powerful! 

32 He who refuses and ignores instruction and correction despises himself, but he who heeds reproof gets understanding.

The Word of God is what the our Father God uses to instruct, correct and train us! By the Spirit of God Who lives in us, the Word is brought to life and made personal and intimate to us individually. He IS our personal Teacher, and He teaches the WORD. To refuse or ignore His teaching and training puts us in the worst possible position for any type of success or victory! That's why this verse says that those who do so dispise themselves! "Despise", according to the  Dictionary, means: to loathe, to reject, to revile, to disdain, to repudiate, to neglect, to undervalue, to scorn or to detest! THAT is what we REALLY think about ourselves when we refuse to learn and grow and change! DON'T be one who refuses the wonderful and very personal teaching that comes directly fromthe heart of the living God! AMEN! Here also is verse 33, which is directed to those of us who refuse to refuse instruction! We DESIRE to walk in the wonderful and matchless Wisdom of the One, True God! 

33 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

AMEN! Let's make it our determined purpose to ALWAYS stay teachable and a DOER of the Word of God! TRUE SUCCESS! Here is Hillsong with "Look To The Sun":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Proverbs 14 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today we have THIS in verses 26-27:

26 In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge. 27 Reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.

The Book of Proverbs mentions the "Fear of the Lord" as the very beginning, or first part, of WISDOM! That means that without operating in the Fear of the Lord, we will NOT operate in Wisdom! Exactly what IS the "Fear of the Lord"?  In this instance we are looking at the Hebrew word "yir'ah", which  means: reverence, respect and awe! When WE operate at that level, there is NOTHING that the enemy can successfully do to us that can stop us! And then in verse 30 we see this:

30 A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

Many doctors will tell you that this is SO TRUE and very vital to know! Stress can be a killer! BUT, the good news is that JESUS told us how to deal with this in 1 Peter 5:7:

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.

We MUST cast those cares, not just AWAY, but altogether on HIM! AMEN! Because HE cares for YOU! Here is Hillsong with "Good Grace":

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

Today we read Proverbs 13 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I want to share a few verses with you today! First verse 3:

3 He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

There are very many verses in the Word of God that warn us to guard the words of our mouth. This is one of them! Guard your own mouth so that you never speak out something you do not want! No matter what the 'evil report' may be, God's report is ALWAYS LIFE! 1 John 5:14-15 tell 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

Proverbs 13:9 says this:

9 The light of the [uncompromisingly] righteous [is within him—it grows brighter and] rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked [furnishes only a derived, temporary light and] shall be put out shortly.

Never forget that though YOU may not 'see' it or even be aware of it, the Spirit of God is indwelling, and, if they ask Him and believe, infilling, every born again, Spirit filled believer in JESUS! The LIGHT of His LIFE within you shines forth brightly! People KNOW that there is something different about you, and they want to knnow more! Be ever ready to give a WORD of GOD answer when anyone asks you about the JOY that they see shining from YOU! AMEN! Now verse 20:

20 He who walks [as a companion] with wise men is wise, but he who associates with [self-confident] fools is [a fool himself and] shall smart for it.

ALWAYS  choose to walk with the wise! Fools can be found around every corner and in every area, but the WISE are the ones we should CHOOSE to spend time with! We all need encouragement and the WISE are the best source! AMEN! And now the last one I want to share today is verse 22:

22 A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up.

THIS day is coming upon us! Get and keep yourself READY! AMEN! Here Are Hillsong Kids with "This Is Living":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Our devotional for today on The Spoken Word Church website is worth sharing again here!

Send Someone a Signal that they Matter

Everyone needs reassurance of their worth. Remind yourself throughout today that each person you meet has encountered waves of criticism, condemnation and inferiority. You can change this. Your words of reassurance can be like water on their seeds of hope.

"The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." (Isaiah 50:4)

Notice that the Scripture above says that "The Lord God hath given me".  It is the LORD Who gives us the Wisdom and the Word to speak to others to comfort, counsel, exhort, restore, refresh and encourage them! We share the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation with the lost, but we also are to be a Light Bearer to the Church, which means the individual members of it! HE will give us what is necessary to lift them up and He will also give others what is necessary to minister to me in MY times of need! Let's buy up every opportunity to BE THE LIGHT in our world! Our GOD is waiting to confirm His Word that we speak with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! Here are Hillsong Kids with "We Came To Meet With You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share THIS from Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations".

DIVINELY ARRANGED, BEAUTIFULLY TIMED

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time…

Nothing happens to you by accident when you have God in your life. Even a “chance” meeting with someone is part of His plan to set in motion His blessings in your life.

Such was the divinely arranged meeting of the Shunammite woman and Prophet Elisha. It led to the prophet pronouncing over her the blessing of a miracle child even though she was barren and her husband was old (see 2 Kings 4:8–17). A few years later, it was this friendship with the man of God, which saw her through a crisis when her son fell seriously ill and died—Elisha raised her son back to life (see 2 Kings 4:18–37).

When God is the one orchestrating the events in your life, neither lack nor danger nor destruction can affect you. When famine hit the land, the Shunammite woman’s family did not suffer because through Elisha, God had told them to leave the land. They went to the land of the Philistines and dwelt there throughout the seven years of famine (see 2 Kings 8:1–2).

God can place you at the right place at the right time, even through your daily decision-making. The Shunammite woman returned to Shunem after the famine had ended. She then decided to appeal to the king of Israel for help to regain her house and land, which had been illegally acquired by others during her absence. This decision brought her before the king on the same day that Elisha’s servant Gehazi was in audience with the king.

The king wanted to hear all about the miracles performed by Elisha. This gave the Shunammite woman the opportunity to share firsthand with the king how Elisha had raised her son from the dead. The thrilled king then ordered the restoration of her house and land, including all the proceeds of the field from the day that she had left until then (see 2 Kings 8:3–6). The Lord had timed and set up everything beautifully for her!

Beloved, God can also make all things beautiful in its time for you. As you involve Him in your daily life and trust His love for you, you too will see Him lead and place you at the right place at the right time to enjoy His blessings.

AMEN! Such a great encouragement for us to NEVER quit! Remember that GOD is ALWAYS watching and at work on our behalf! 2 Chronicles 16:9:

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. 

"Blameless" here can better be tranlsated "wholehearted" as in the Complete Jewish Bible! Keep your heart always trusting in the ONE Who love you MOST and BEST! He will NEVER let you down! Here is Hillsong with "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to again share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional! THIS is WHO WE ARE! IN HIM!

Crowned With Glory

When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands…. (Psalm 8:3-6 AMP)

God did not create man for death! Death, sin, sickness, hatred, revenge, and all such tragedies reflect conditions on earth that had no place in the original plan of the Creator. Man was created instead for joy, happiness, and peace!

Man was designed for eternal fellowship with God. He was created in God's very image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). He was created for joy, happiness, and peace. And he was created to give God pleasure (Revelation 4:11).

God gave man a place in His creation second only to Himself, with dominion as far reaching as the universe itself (Psalm 8:3-6; Genesis 1:26-28). Adam was the master of himself, of creation, and of Satan. Adam did not have to yield to sin - he had a choice.

Confession: I will do what I was designed to do; I will fellowship with God. I will give Him pleasure. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So I will walk in faith. I will not be dominated by sin, sickness, fear, and doubt, or anything else that is of the devil. I choose to walk with God.

AMEN! Never forget that YOU are exactly who GOD says you are! When YOU arre IN HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Here is today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:This is a fundamental TRUTH that every born again believer MUST know in order to really grow in the Word of God and to trulyy understand our Salvation and the New and better Covenant that we now have through the Blood of JESUS CHRIST! 

The Impartial Power of God

By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14

We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “… there is no other name…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.

God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "At The Cross":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE to do word studies and share my thoughts on our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, but sometimes the authors of the devotionals that I like say it so well that I just MUST share it with you all! Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is a no nonsense approach to the Word of God conerning health and healing! 

Long Life

"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore...With long life will I satisfy him..." (Psalm 91:14,16).

"But, Brother Hagin," someone said, "I knew a minister who was a wonderful man of God, and he died at age 42."

That doesn't mean I have to die young. I don't know what that minister believed - but I know what I believe. And I know that the God who is more than enough said, "I will satisfy him with long life."

Someone else will say, "That just means we're going to live forever in Heaven." No, even sinners are going to live forever. They're going to live in one place, and we're going to live in another. That scripture is referring to our enjoying long life here upon this earth.

A reading of Proverbs reveals that the Word of God says that doing certain things will lengthen your life, but doing certain other things will shorten your life. Ephesians 6:1-3 tells children to honor their parents, "That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." Peter quoted the Psalms assuring us that these promises belong to us (1 Peter 3:10; Psalm 34:12).

Our promised lifespan is 70 or 80 years (Psalm 90:10). But don't compromise. Don't settle for anything less. And believe God for all you can!

Confession: Because I have set my love upon God, El Shaddai will satisfy me with long life. Unless the Lord Jesus Christ returns before I die, I will live out my years in service to God. I will live and work together with God in carrying out His will upon the earth.

AMEN! I don't personally believe that Psalm 90:10 is actually referring to a limit on the years of our lives, but THAT is a teaching and discussion for another day! The main point today is that we do NOT have to settle for less than God's very best! And WE get to decide to believe God for that! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I REALLY love today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers! It puts the responsibility for God's people walking in His promises right where it belongs!

“My Rainbow in the Cloud”

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. —Genesis 9:13

It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.

Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God— a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22).

When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.

AMEN! The only change that I would make, is that developing a 'relationship' with God happens INSTANTLY at the New Birth! We are MADE New Creations, members of God's family and heirs of God! THAT is 'relationship' and we have a new one! What he is referring to here is not relationship, but continuing in FELLOWSHIP with Him! We can be born again, and living under the New (and better) Covenant, but if we are not in intimate fellowship with JESUS, then we will never be in position to actaully walk in the benefits of this wonderful New Covenant! SO, if you have a relationship with JESUS in the New Birth, then continually develop your FELLOWSHIP with Him so that you can produce the results that He is looking for in YOU! AMEN!Here is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His  Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another great reminder to us!

The Temple Of The Holy Ghost

Only in the throne will I be greater than thou. — Genesis 41:40

I have to account to God for the way in which I rule my body under His domination. Paul said he did not “frustrate the grace of God” — make it of no effect. The grace of God is absolute, the salvation of Jesus is perfect, it is done for ever. I am not being saved, I am saved; salvation is as eternal as God’s throne; the thing for me to do is to work out what God works in. “Work out your own salvation”; I am responsible for doing it. It means that I have to manifest in this body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mystically, but really and emphatically. “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” Every saint can have his body under absolute control for God. God has made us to have government over all the temple of the Holy Spirit, over imaginations and affections. We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to inordinate affections. Most of us are much sterner with others than we are in regard to ourselves; we make excuses for things in ourselves whilst we condemn in others things to which we are not naturally inclined.

“I beseech you,” says Paul, “present your bodies a living sacrifice.” The point to decide is this — “Do I agree with my Lord and Master that my body shall be His temple?” If so, then for me the whole of the law for the body is summed up in this revelation, that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

AMEN! What are YOU allowing to go on in YOUR temple? We have the final authority over our lives! We  must make the wise choices in order to lead our best life here! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light", because that IS who we are - IN HIM! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from oneof our partners! Jerry Savewlle has this devotional on his website!

SUCCESS IS A DECISION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMEN! The CHOICE is OURS! So CHOOSE WELL! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have a quote that comes up often on The Spoken Word Church website: "The only preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today." THIS is SO true! Another great quote from the website is this: "There is no substitute for paying attention." THAT brings us to today's SWC Bible Reading Plan and Proverbs 4! Verse 1 says this:

Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain and to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, and interpretation [of spiritual matters].

Paying attention when we are in the presence of the Lord is vital for growing in the things and the Word of God! Whether we are praying in the Spirit, studying and meditating on the Word by ourselves, hearing the Word of God taught by someone else, or simply in fellowship with like-minded believers, PAYING ATTENTION is paramount to actually GETTING anything to be able to put into practice. If you have trouble paying attention, Proverbs is a very good tool because it give short simple TRUTHS that we can act on immediately! One commentary calls thyem 'pithy maxims'. "Pithy" is defined as: brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible. A 'maxim' is defined as: an expression of a general truth or principle, a rule of conduct. So, these verses are short, concise and hold a world of TRUTH! Let's look at verses 5-6:

5 Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you.

The very first and sixth words are: GET! That seems so obvious, but there are very many people who never even get started in finding Wisdom! So starting at "GET" is a great place! Verses 7-8 tell us WHY we MUST do this! 

7 The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation). 8 Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her. 9 She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you.

Getting Wisdom from God and His Word SHOULD be the #1 priority of every born again believer! Getting Wisdom and acting on it will put us in position to receive all that our Father has given us and called us to! Let's make it a 2020 'DETERMINED PURPOSE' to be in the Word, and acting on it, more than any time before. Not only will WE be in a great position to receive, but we will be a great witness and testimony of all the GOOD that God has for HIS CHILDREN! AMEN! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is a great reminder to us that our God IS GOD! And ANYTHING is possible with HIM!

More Than Enough

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies..." (Joshua 10:13).

We see El Shaddai with Israel in Canaan's land. (And incidentally, Canaan is not a type of Heaven. It couldn't be. In Heaven there won't be battles to fight, cities to take, or enemies or giants to overcome - they're here in this world. No, Canaan is a type of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and our rights and privileges in Christ Jesus.)

When Israel ran into difficulty in Canaan, Joshua, their leader, spoke to the Lord. And God stopped the whole universe because a man of God prayed! God can do that - He's the God who is more than enough!

All through the Old Testament, we see El Shaddai moving in the lives of men and women, prophets, priests, and kings. But He's not just the God of yesterday; He's the God of now! He didn't identify Himself as "the God who was more than enough," or "the God who will be more than enough."

Too often we relegate everything back to the past, saying, "Oh, it was wonderful back when God did such things," or to the future, saying, "When we all get to Heaven, everything will be wonderful." No, things will be different here and now if you will trust in this God who is more than enough!

Confession: I believe God. I trust in God now. He is more than enough today! He is more than enough to overcome any situation I could face. He is more than enough for me.

AMEN! Here is an older song by Hillsong called "All Things Are Possible"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is very important for every believer to fully grasp!

The Law and the Gospel

Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. —James 2:10

The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “…sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!

The Law was given so that we would KNOW that we could NEVER keep it in our own human strength! It is ONLY by the Blood of JESUS that we ever qualify to be children of God! But when we DO receive JESUS as our Lord and personal Saviour, then we are made NEW and COMPLETE - IN HIM! THAT is what the New Birth is all about! Thank You, JESUS, for this most precious GIFT! Merry CHRISTmas season everyone! Here is Hillsong with one of my favoreite CHRISTmas songs! "We Have A Saviour":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin reading again in Proverbs today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE it! There is SO much Wisdom available for the finding and using in this book! Look at Proverbs 1:1-6:

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ² That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, ³ Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, ⁴ That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth ⁵ The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly] ⁶ That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.

These are some of the wonderful reasons why the Lord our God gave us this book! He desires that we KNOW Wisdom, DISCERN and COMPREHEND His Word, RECEIVE the instruction that is necessary to grow and to develop into the strong leaders that He desires for us to be! AS you go through these great chapters, make sure that you are  not simply reading, but that you are STUDYING for the purpose of DOING what the Word says to do. THEN you will see the Word and the rewards of obedeince to it come alive and powerful and aactive in your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagain is a great reminder of what it actually takes to WIN the victory ion every area! 

Midnight Praise

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them" (Acts 16:25).

Singing, praising, and thanksgiving all go together.

Paul and Silas had been beaten with many stripes, cast into prison, and their feet put in stocks. But at midnight they prayed and sang praises to God—aloud. The other prisoners heard them!

Most people in similar circumstances would have griped and complained. If they had been like some modern Christians, Silas would have said, "Paul, are you still there?" And Paul would have answered, "Where else would I be?"

Silas would have complained, "I'll tell you, my poor back is hurting so bad. I don't understand why God let this happen to us. He knows we've tried to serve Him and do our best!"

That kind of praying would have gotten Paul and Silas further in—instead of out! God didn't have them thrown in jail; the devil did. But there's truth and instruction here to help us in our midnight hour—the hour of test, of trial—when the storms of life come. That's the time to pray, praise, sing, and give thanks to God!

Confession: I praise and thank God at all times. I never have a "poor old me" attitude. I keep an attitude of praise at all times.

AMEN! We ARE, of all people, MOST BLESSED! Continue to praise JESUS for the ANSWER in every situation and He will ALWAYS come through for you! Here is Hillsong with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Happy and very Blessed Thanksgiving to you all! Today we are giving thanks for the MOST precious GIFT ever given! John 3:16-18:

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. 18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]

There is NO greater GIFT than the GUFT of Eternal Life given by the One True God to EVERY person who will BELIEVE and RECEIVE Him! Thank You, JESUS! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

While you are preapring to celebrate Thanksgiving with family, friends and realtives, take the time to thank the ONE Who loves us most and best and Who has done the most for us! JESUS! Psalm 148:12-14:

12 Both young men and maidens, old men and children! 13 Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven! 14 He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Here is Hillsong with "Thank You":

Verse 1 Thank You for Your kindness Thank You for Your mercy Thank You for the cross Thank You for the price You paid Verse 2 Thank You for salvation Thank You for unending grace Thank You for Your hope Thank You for this life You give Chorus There is no one like You There is no one like You God All my hope is in You Jesus, Jesus Verse 3 Thank You for Your promise Thank You for Your favour Thank You for Your love Everything You’ve done for me Bridge To Your Name We give all the glory To Your Name We give all the praise You’re alive Our God everlasting Let Your face shine on us

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations" devotional found on his website. 

CREATION CAN’T BUT REDEMPTION CAN!

John 9:7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

When Adam sinned and fell, everything about creation fell. Yet, people today are still putting their trust in creation. For example, they try to become healthy by eating what is called the “Eden diet”—vegetables and no meat. They are acting as if creation did not fall. They also forget that there are people who eat well and exercise regularly, and still drop dead in the prime of their lives!

Thank God that what creation cannot do, redemption can and did. Jesus demonstrated this when He spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva and put it on a blind man’s eyes (see John 9:6–7). Now, it is certainly unusual to put clay on a blind man’s eyes because he would become doubly blind!

So why did Jesus do that?

He was demonstrating to us that all our body parts come from the ground and that because creation is fallen, the work of creation cannot open a blind man’s eyes. But the work of redemption can! That is why He sent the blind man to the pool of Siloam. The word “Siloam” means “Sent,” referring to the sent one, Jesus. When the blind man washed his eyes in the pool of the sent one, he received supernatural healing for his eyes.

Beloved, when we go to Jesus, the sent one who came to redeem us with the price of His blood, and we rest in His finished work, we will receive the miracle we need. If we believe that by His stripes we are healed (see Isaiah 53:5), we will have greater health than those who trust in creation.

Jesus was sent to redeem us from every curse that came upon creation with the fall of Adam (see Galatians 3:13). He has redeemed us from sickness, pain, sorrow, depression, poverty and even death. The world may know Him as the Creator. But today, we know Him as our Redeemer. Where the work of creation cannot save us, His work of redemption can and has!

AMEN! he IS Jehovah Rappha to us! The LORD Who HEALS us! HALLELUJAH! And the LORD Who has already provided for anything and everything that we will ever need! Let's run into His presence and receive His wonderful help in every time of need! He DELIGHTS in giving us the VICTORY! In HIS own way! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!