Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" deovtional for today continues on with the theme of who WE are IN CHRIST!

Taking Your Place

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. — COLOSSIANS 3:1,2

The elevation of the believer to be seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father took place potentially at the resurrection (Ephesians 2:5,6). Meditate on this passage until it becomes real to you. Remember, every heavenly blessing is yours (Ephesians 1:3). But you have to take your place there to enjoy them. The believer whose eyes have been opened to his throne rights in Christ may: (1) Accept his seat, and (2) Begin to exercise the spiritual authority that seating confers on him.

The devil bitterly resents our entrance into his domain. He has been used to exercising authority and ruling over someone’s life, so he will concentrate his forces against us when we come into these mighty truths. And no truth encounters such opposition as the truth of the authority of the believer!

The only place of safety is to be seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above all principality, power, might, and dominion. If the believer abides steadfastly, by faith, in this place, he cannot be touched by the enemy. So take your seat in heavenly places and keep it!

Confession: I set my affection on heavenly facts. I keep myself mindful that I am seated with Christ in heavenly places far above the enemy!

THIS is how GOD sees us! THIS is how HE is expecting us to act! Like we are TRULY seated IN HIM with all of the authority of Heaven within us, upon us and working through us! We ARE to represent JESUS in this earth as members of His Body, His Church and His BRIDE! Learn to forget your past and to put your confidence in the ONE Who is EVEN NOW continuing to work HIS good work IN YOU! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

From our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today I want to share Psalm 108:1-6:

A song. A Psalm of David.

1 O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast, in the confidence of faith); I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with my glory [all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image]! 2 Awake, harp and lyre; I myself will wake very early—I will waken the dawn! 3 I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; and I will sing praises unto You among the nations. 4 For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great and high as the heavens! Your truth and faithfulness reach to the skies! 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth. 6 That Your beloved [followers] may be delivered, save with Your right hand and answer us! [or me]!

Take time today to REALLY express your praise, thanksgiving anf worship to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! HE is the ONE Who loves YOU with His everlasting LOVE and will newver give up on you! Now, the choice is yours! Have YOU received JESUS, Who is the ONLY WAY to the Father, as YOUR personal Lord and Saviour? He desires to give you HIS everlasting LIFE! BELIEVE and RECEIVE! Here are Hillsong Kids with "My Best Friend":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share a very important message from "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland.

No Offense

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10

Whenever you find yourself stumbling into failure or sin, check your love life. Sit down with the Lord and ask Him to show you if you’re in strife with anyone or if you’ve taken offense. If you have, the devil can come in and trip you up.

As a preacher, I’ve seen that happen countless times. I’ll be preaching about something and some believer will get upset with me about it. He’ll decide I’m wrong and go off in a huff—and first thing you know, he’s in trouble.

Mark 4:17 tells us the devil uses those kinds of offenses to steal the Word from our hearts. He causes us to get crosswise with each other. Then he’s able to pull the plug right out of us and drain the Word like water from a bucket.

Don’t ever let that happen to you. If you hear a preacher or another believer saying something that rubs you the wrong way and you catch yourself getting offended say, “Oh no you don’t. You’re not stealing the Word out of me, you lying Devil.” Then get right down on your knees and repent before God.

Search the Word and listen to the Spirit within you and find out what you should do. If you still feel what that person said to you was wrong, pray for him.

Remember, taking offense never comes from God. He says we’re to be rooted and grounded in love. So reject those feelings of offense. Give yourself to that person in love and in prayer. You’ll be able to walk right on through that situation without ever stumbling at all.

AMEN! Remember that Love NEVER fails (1 Corinthians 13:8)! The choice to walk in love at all times will put you over the top in every situation! Here is Hillsong with "You Are Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's devotional from The Spoken Word Church website is very appropriate for today!

Remember Seasons Change

Attacks don't last forever. People change. Weather changes. Circumstances change. So, don't be discouraged today. Expect supernatural and dramatic changes.

Tomorrow is coming. Your future is unlike any yesterday you have ever known.

"For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalms 30:5)

AMEN! Especially for the born again believer, factsd are ALWYS subject to change by the TRUTH which IS the Word of God! John 17:17:

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Find out what the Word of God has to say about each and every situation that you face. Spend time meditating on that Word until faith rises up in you, then declare that Word in the Name of JESUS! Facts will begin to change and the TRUTH will manifest! NEVER GIVE UP when you have God's Word on it! HE confirms His Word with signs, wonders andf miracles (Mark 16:20)! Count on it! Here are Hillsong Kids with "As The World Shakes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have been loving our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, but I have also been very blessed to be going once again through Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotionals at Morning Prayer! Today's is an expecially good reminder of our authority that comes from being IN CHRIST!

Paralyzed

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. — HEBREWS 2:14

. . . That He might paralyse him that held the dominion of death, That is the Adversary. — HEBREWS 2:14 (Rotherham)

Jesus put to naught the hosts of darkness! He paralyzed their deathdealing power! And when Jesus met John the Revelator on the Isle of Patmos, Jesus said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:18).

Keys represent authority. Jesus conquered Satan and stripped him of his authority. Jesus was the Master of all hell!

But Jesus did not conquer Satan for Himself. He conquered him for us. It was as though you and I personally had met Satan and had conquered him, stripped him of his authority, and stood as master over him.

Confession: Jesus is my Head. Jesus is Lord over all. Jesus conquered Satan for me. Jesus stripped Satan of his authority over me. In the eyes of Heaven, hell, and this universe, it was as though I personally had met Satan and had conquered him, stripped him of his authority, and stood there as master over him. Therefore, in Christ Jesus, I am more than a conqueror. I am a holder of authority. I stand as master over Satan and all his cohorts!

AMEN! I am, WE are, the holders of the authority that JESUS possesses over all the power of the enemy, and HE commissioned us to use it! Let's be DOERS of THAT Word and get the job done that HE has assigned us to do, running our races well and finishing our individual courses so that we can surely look forward to hearing "WELL DONE"! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website:

See the Big Picture

Nothing is ever as it first appears. Pain passes. Adversity passes. Look beyond your current hardships. Something incredible is being produced.

The resurrection followed the crucifixion. Promotion follows adversity. So, get your eyes on the bigger picture.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" (2 Corinthians 4:17)

AMEN! What wonderful, godly advice this is for the times in which we find ourselves living today! Make sure that YOU are being a faithful DOER of this Word and instruction so that you will be prepared and right on time for the great things that our wonderful GOD is about to do on our behalf! How DO we prepare? One great way is to be continually in the Word, begining with the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! There is ALWAYS something timely, encouraging and 'spot on' for our lives in each day's reading! Today we began with Psalm 104:1-4:

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty— 2 [You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent, 3 Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His ministers.

Begin with praise, thanksgiving and worship to remind YOURSELF how GREAT your God is! Then declare those things that His Word promises are YOURS as a born again, Spirit-filled believer in JESUS! Fully expect the God of the Bible to fulfill and confirm HIS WORD with signs, wonders, miracles, blessings, anointing and FAVOR! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan has us in Psalm 103! Verses 1-5 say this:

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits— 3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

We are instructed to NOT FORGET all of the wonderful benefits that we have simply for trusting in the God of the Bible! THESE are all Old Testament promises to the people of God! WE have an even better covenant that is based on even better promises than they had because WE are now members of the family of God and of the CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST! If these wonderful promises belonged to them, HOW MUCH MORE do they belong to us now! AMEN! We have the right and the opportunity to have intimate fellowship with God through Holy Spirit Who lives IN US! Verse 7 tells us THIS:

7 He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

Because Moses had fellowship with God, God could reveal to him things that the rest of the people would never understand. WE can choose to be like Mose! Or not! The final instructions in this Psalm are found in verses 20-22:

20 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word. 21 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!

AMEN! BLESS THE LORD! By doing so, we put ourselves in position to have the secret things of God revealed to us so that we can know Himbetter and obey Him more! Remember: OBEDIENCE brings BLESSINGS! Here is Hillsong with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Rick Renner's devotional from his "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2".

Miracles Catch People’s Attention!

And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. — John 6:2

Today I want to talk to you about miracles and the effect that God’s power has on people’s lives. Throughout our many years of ministry, Denise and I have seen countless miracles, and we learned long ago that miracles always have a profound effect on people! Let me relate to you an example that occurred in the early years of our ministry abroad just after the breakup of the Soviet Union in the year 1991.

During those tumultuous times, that entire region of the world was facing many serious economic struggles. Food supplies were rare; gasoline was almost nonexistent; and medicines and medical supplies were in short supply. Well-trained doctors could diagnose a patient’s sickness, but people remained untreated because no medications were available. In fact, even basic medications such as aspirin were a treasure because they were so hard to obtain.

In the midst of this dismal state of affairs, Denise and I announced on television that we were going to hold a series of miracle services in Riga, Latvia. These would be our first meetings in Latvia, and we wanted to facilitate a powerful demonstration of God’s power in this city. For two weeks prior to those big meetings, we broadcast advertisements for the miracle services many times a day on television. We had no idea what kind of effect the commercials would have, but we prayed that people would come to the meetings to hear the Gospel, receive a miraculous touch from God, and come to personally know Jesus Christ.

The long-anticipated day finally arrived, and we drove to the city to begin our series of meetings. When we arrived at the large rented auditorium, thousands of people were already in line, waiting to get into the building for the meeting. As Denise and I stood on the stage and looked out over the audience in that large hockey arena, we were stunned to see nearly 8,000 people! Many of these were sick people who had no means of obtaining desperately needed medicines and had therefore turned to the power of God as their only hope for physical healing.

Night after night, we saw mighty miracles occur before our eyes. Blind eyes were opened; epileptics were healed; and deaf ears were unstopped. And the greatest miracle of all was the hundreds of people who came forward to give their lives to Jesus at the conclusion of the meetings each night! By the end of that week, more than 7,000 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord. Then on the last night of those meetings, we witnessed one of the greatest miracles we have ever seen in our ministry.

Nineteen years earlier, a man in that crowd had become paralyzed from the waist down after falling from the roof of a house. On the first day of the meetings, we saw this man as he hobbled toward the stage on his crutches to give his life to Jesus. On the second day of the meetings, he came to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. On the fourth day, he showed up at the local swimming pool where we were baptizing people, and he was water-baptized. If nothing else happened, his life had already been completely transformed by the power of God.

But on the last night of the meetings, just as we closed the final service, I heard a noise to my left and turned to see what the commotion was all about. This paralyzed man had released his faith and thrown his arms into the air — and as his crutches hit the ground, the lower part of his body had come alive! Now he was standing with no crutches to hold him up.

Because of where the man was seated, the entire crowd turned to watch as he began to take his first steps in nineteen years. He took one step, then another, and then another — and with each step, he moved faster and faster. Soon he was running back and forth all across the front of the vast crowd that was gasping with shock at the miracle they were witnessing. The entire crowd saw this miracle take place!

After that remarkable event, I gave an invitation for the lost, and more people gave their lives to Jesus Christ that night than in any of the other services. Years later, people still recall that amazing miracle, and as a result of that miracle and the other miracles that took place during those meetings, multitudes believed in Jesus. Many of these people hadn’t previously believed in the existence of God at all, but because of these miraculous demonstrations, they gave their lives to Jesus Christ!

God has always used miracles to attract people to Jesus Christ. Many such examples can be found in Scripture, but one of the greatest demonstrations of this truth is recorded in John 6:2, which says, “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.”

The word “great” in this verse is a translation of the Greek word polus, which refers to a great numeric quantity. This tells us that the crowd following Jesus was really huge. In addition, the Greek word for “multitude” is ochlos, which always describes a massive crowd. By using these two words back to back, John was emphasizing that the crowd following Jesus wasn’t simply large — it was an enormously massive group of people!

This verse goes on to tell us that this group of people “followed” Jesus. The Greek word used here denotes continuous, unbroken action. Taking this into account, the first part of this verse could be translated, “And a great multitude kept on following and following and following him.…” You see, there was something about Jesus’ ministry that attracted these throngs of people. They didn’t want to be away from Him, not even for a moment! They just kept on following and following and following Him everywhere He went!

Why was this massive multitude following Jesus? The verse tells us: “…because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The word “because” is the word hoti, and it points to the reason the crowd was following Jesus. It says they were following Him “…because they saw his miracles.…”

I want you to look at the word “saw” in this verse. This word means to be a spectator, to notice, or to watch in full detail. Just as one would sit and watch a play from a seat in the theater, this crowd watched intently to see every miracle Jesus was performing. Like spectators in a theater who are mesmerized by an amazing show, they didn’t want to miss one act in this supernatural performance, so they followed Jesus to get a close-up look at the miracles that were constantly occurring in His ministry.

The verse goes on to say, “…They saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The word “miracles” used here actually comes from the Greek word semeion. In the Greek world of the First Century AD, this word semeion signified the official written notice that announced the final verdict of a court, the signature or seal applied to documents to guarantee their authenticity, or a sign that marked key locations in a city.

Taking this into account, we find these miracles were the final verdict or proof that God was with Jesus. When that crowd saw the miracles, they knew those supernatural acts were God’s stamp of approval on Jesus’ ministry. These superhuman deeds were the guarantee that Jesus was anointed by God. The miracles He performed were like signs that declared, “God is here! 

You are in the right place!” They were comparable to a signature or a seal that authenticated and guaranteed that God was with Him. That’s why these followers didn’t want to be away from Jesus. They knew Jesus had the stamp of God’s approval!

John 6:2 even gives us an idea of what kind of miracles primarily caught the attention of the crowd. It says, “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The words “he did” come from the Greek word poieo, which often conveys the idea of creativity. This is important because in this context, poieo gives the suggestion of creative miracles. The use of this Greek word implies that extraordinary miracles of a creative nature were regularly occurring and that these miracles in particular were catching the attention of the crowd.

Furthermore, John recorded that Jesus was healing those who were “diseased.” The word “diseased” comes from the Greek word astheneo. This word doesn’t refer to people with minor ailments such as the common cold; rather, it depicts people who are physically frail or feeble due to some bodily condition. Their physical condition is so serious that it has rendered them unable to move about freely. These were feeble, frail, broken people.

However, when Jesus walked the earth, He carried the anointing to heal the sick — and He regularly healed people who were physically frail or feeble due to some bodily condition. The health of these people had deteriorated to the point that they had become weak and frail — but once Jesus touched them, they were restored to health!

Taking all these words into consideration, an interpretative translation of John 6:2 could read:

“A massive multitude continually followed Jesus because they were constantly seeing the mighty signs He was performing on those who were sick. Those whose health was so deteriorated that they were physically frail were recipients of these mighty deeds that authenticated the fact that God was with Jesus!”

Those who followed Jesus during His ministry on this earth knew that something wonderful was always happening. People’s lives were being changed; their health was being restored; and their purpose in life was being renewed. Jesus was the best thing that had ever happened to every person who ever came in contact with Him!

And Jesus is still the best thing that has ever happened to every person who comes in contact with Him today! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), so why don’t you go ahead and believe for miracles to start working in your life as they did in Jesus’ life? When people see those miracles and experience the power of God, it will open their hearts to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Miracles will get their attention, and then you can tell them about Jesus!

Think of the profound effect that a single miracle would have on your circle of friends and the people you know. God wants to work through you! As a believer, you are anointed and commissioned to lay hands on the sick, and you have the right to expect to see those sick people get well. That’s God’s promise in Mark 16:18, so boldly claim it by faith and reach out to let His power operate through you to others!

Having witnessed so many miracles in our ministry, I want to encourage you to believe God for miracles in your own life and in the lives of those around you. When people see and experience the power of God, it makes them want to follow Jesus, just like the crowds who followed Him in John 6:2. Miracles are God’s way of shouting, “I am here and I love you!”

It is sad that many people think Jesus’ miracle-working power is only a thing of the past, because He is the same today as He was then. He is both able and willing now to do the same things He did when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus hasn’t changed. He wants to touch, heal, and restore people. That’s why I want to encourage you to make room in your life for Jesus to perform His miracle-working, life-changing ministry through you!

I hope that YOU are ready to see miracles by the mighty power of God as YOU speak His Word and minister to people! EXPECT THEM! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Shadow Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is PERFECT for what we have been facing in these last few weeks!

Your Domain

For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). — ROMANS 5:17 (Amplified)

In the time when Paul wrote this, kings reigned over certain countries or domains.

You are to reign in your domain too. This doesn’t mean you’re to reign and rule over other people, but you’re to rule and reign in your life, your dominion. You’re to rule and reign over circumstances, poverty, sickness, disease — everything that would hinder. You’re to reign because you have authority!

How do you have it? Through the One, Jesus Christ.

Don’t let the devil cheat you out of the blessings God intended you should have. God never intended that you should be poverty stricken and destitute. He didn’t intend that the devil should rule and reign over your family and dominate them. Just get angry at the devil. Tell him, “Take your hands off of my children! You’ve got no right here. I’m ruling over this domain!” If he says anything about it, quote him Romans 5:17.

Confession: I reign in my domain. I have the authority to do so. I reign by the One, Jesus Christ. The enemy cannot rule over my family. He cannot rule over me!

AMEN! I am completely finished listening to any reports on this virus sent from the pit of hell to do harm! I have been given the authority to speak God's Word over every situation that I face in life and I have HIS promise to confirm HIS Word with signs and wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! If you are a born again believer, then YOU have this same authority, right and RESPONSIBILITY to do likewise! AMEN! Let's get busy with GOD'S business! Here is Hillsong with one of my favorite songs to stir myuself up to get up and "GO"!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is another excellent lesson that if heeded will cause us to walk in victory in every area of life!

Cast Out Devils

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils . . . . — MARK 16:17

The very first sign Jesus said would follow any and every believer was: “. . . In my name shall they cast out devils . . . .”

Jesus wasn’t talking necessarily about casting the devil out of people who are demon-possessed. Jesus was simply saying that in His Name believers would have authority over the devil. They would break the power of the devil over their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. They would be free from the enemy, because they would exercise authority over him.

Notice again that Jesus didn’t say a word about praying to God or Jesus to do something about devils. Jesus said that believers would do it. Believers will cast out devils. Believers would speak with new tongues. Believers would lay their hands on the sick and they would recover.

Don’t pray that God would lay hands on the sick — you do it! And don’t pray that God would cast out the devil — you do it!

Confession: I am a believer, and this sign follows me. In Jesus’ Name, I cast out devils. I keep them out of my path. I break the power of the devil over my life. I break the power of the devil over the lives of my loved ones. I walk free of the enemy, because I exercise authority over him.

AMEN! WE have the responsibility, as the BODY of CHRIST, to carry out the will of the HEAD of the BODY! WE are on the earth and HE is on the throne! Let's learn to be more active DOERS of the WORD so that HE can confirm the Word with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 99:1-3 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today is EXCELLENT!!!

1 The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble [with reverential fear]! He sits [enthroned] above the cherubim, let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them confess and praise Your great name, awesome and reverence inspiring! It is holy, and holy is He!

There is NO god like OUR GOD! He IS the ONE and ONLY GOD! He alone is worthy of ALL glory, honor and praise! When we spend time every day meditating on HIS greatness, HIS love, HIS mercy, HIS compassion, HIS protection, HIS provision, HIS plans and HIS purposes for us, who belong to HIM, there is no room anywhere, and at any time, for fear, worry, anxiety, guilt or any other negative influence in our lives. WE are here for a GODLY plan and purpose and we must refuse to give the enemy any place! Make it YOUR 'determined purpose', like Paul (Philippians 3:10 AMP) to KNOW HIM. When we do, the TRUTH shines so bright that the lies and deception of the enemy are plainly exposed! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a very old song called "Everyday":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share "My Utmost For His  Highest" by Oswald Chambers again today! 

His Resurrection Destiny

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? —Luke 24:26

Our Lord’s Cross is the gateway into His life. His resurrection means that He has the power to convey His life to me. When I was born again, I received the very life of the risen Lord from Jesus Himself.

Christ’s resurrection destiny— His foreordained purpose— was to bring “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). The fulfilling of His destiny gives Him the right to make us sons and daughters of God. We never have exactly the same relationship to God that the Son of God has, but we are brought by the Son into the relation of sonship. When our Lord rose from the dead, He rose to an absolutely new life— a life He had never lived before He was God Incarnate. He rose to a life that had never been before. And what His resurrection means for us is that we are raised to His risen life, not to our old life. One day we will have a body like His glorious body, but we can know here and now the power and effectiveness of His resurrection and can “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Paul’s determined purpose was to “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).

Jesus prayed, “…as You have given Him authority over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him” (John 17:2). The term Holy Spirit is actually another name for the experience of eternal life working in human beings here and now. The Holy Spirit is the deity of God who continues to apply the power of the atonement by the Cross of Christ to our lives. Thank God for the glorious and majestic truth that His Spirit can work the very nature of Jesus into us, if we will only obey Him.

JESUS had a destiny to fulfill, and so do each and ever one of US! We are HIS ambassadors from Heaven to earth! We are to reveal the Father's will and His plans and puposes to all who are interested in knowing HIM more! Don't get caught up in doctrines and denominations! KNOW the True and Living God personally and He will continue to lead, guide and direct you according to HIS perfect plans for YOU! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "New Wine":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

First I want to encourage you with these verses from Psalm 97 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan!

9 For You, Lord, are high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil; He preserves the lives of His saints (the children of God), He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection] 12 Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

I hope that you are contimuing to REJOICE in the Lord in the midst of all that is going on, because HE is busy working all things out for OUR GOOD (Romans 8:28)! Now here is a great lesson from today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers!

Why Are We Not Told Plainly?

He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. — Mark 9:9

Say nothing until the Son of man is risen in you — until the life of the risen Christ so dominates you that you understand what the historic Christ taught. When you get to the right state on the inside, the word which Jesus has spoken is so plain that you are amazed you did not see it before. You could not understand it before, you were not in the place in disposition where it could be borne.

Our Lord does not hide these things; they are unbearable until we get into a fit condition of spiritual life. “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” There must be communion with His risen life before a particular word can be borne by us. Do we know anything about the impartation of the risen life of Jesus? The evidence that we do is that His word is becoming interpretable to us. God cannot reveal anything to us if we have not His Spirit. An obstinate outlook will effectually hinder God from revealing anything to us. If we have made up our minds about a doctrine, the light of God will come no more to us on that line, we cannot get it. This obtuse stage will end immediately [when] His resurrection life has its way with us.

“Tell no man….” — so many do tell what they saw on the mount of transfiguration. They have had the vision and they testify to it, but the life does not tally with it, the Son of man is not yet risen in them. I wonder when He is going to be formed in you and in me?

We are to preach the Gospel of Salvation to the world! The lost! Teaching of the Word is only for those who have been born again and have the a new nature and the Spirit of Almighty God living IN them too teach them what this Word means! Until then they are completely unable to understand the Word because the Word can only be understood by the born again spirit! 1 Corinthians 2:14:

But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated

YOU, as a born again believer CAN understand, but it takes a diligent study and mediatioon of the Word for the layers on understanding to begin and to grow! There will NEVER be a time in this life when we have learned all there is to know! Maybe not even for all eternity! Let's start if your haven't already and continue if you have! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I am loving the current Psalms that we have been going through in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! They are such encouragement and instruction during these trying times we have been going through! When we keep our focus on GOD and HIS WORD, then everything else will fall into place and we will have much more confidence as HE leads, guides and directs us every stepp of the way through! AMEN! Here is all of Psalm 96!

1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless (affectionately praise) His name; show forth His salvation from day to day.
3 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be reverently feared and worshiped above all [so-called] gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come [before Him] into His courts.
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; tremble before and reverently fear Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations that the Lord reigns; the world also is established, so that it cannot be moved; He shall judge and rule the people righteously and with justice.
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all the things which fill it;
12 Let the field be exultant, and all that is in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy
13 Before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge and govern the earth! He shall judge the world with righteousness and justice and the peoples with His faithfulness and truth.

AMEN! Giving the LORD praise, thanksgiving and worship IN every situation allows HIM to WORK IN every situation FOR US! And then in our reading in Luke for today we see again the Parable of the Sower! The key verse for us in this is verse 11:

11 Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.

What WE do after we have honored the Lord with our praise, thanksgiving and worship is to sow the Word of God into those situations! We SOW the WORD by SPEAKING! Find out what God promises us inHis Word for the particular situation or circumstance that you are facing. Meditate on it according to Joshua 1:8 until the understanding of it becomes clear to you. THEN speak that Word with boldness and confidence, fully expecting GOD to confirm HIS WORD with signes, wonders, and miracles! HE is waiting on YOU! LET'S GO! Here is Hillsong UNITED with another of my favorite older songs called "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin contains one of my very favorite of his testimonies of faith!

Edge Of Authority

. . . And they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. — MARK 4:38,39

A tornado arose one spring day in Texas. Most people had gone into their storm cellars. We didn’t have one. I was bedfast and almost totally paralyzed anyway. I became fearful. If the tornado were to strike, it would strike my corner room first, because the wind was coming from that direction. The house would cave in right where I was!

In desperation, and without thinking whether or not I could do it, I said, “Dear Lord, I’m Your child. When those disciples were about to sink, they awakened You and said, ‘Carest thou not that we perish?’ And You did care. You awoke and rebuked the wind. I know You don’t want me to perish, but I can’t get out of here. I’m here on this bed, and this wall is about to blow in on top of me. So I now rebuke this storm in Jesus’ Name!”

As fast as you’d snap your fingers, the storm stopped. It grew calm. I rejoiced. I didn’t know then the great truths about the believer’s authority. I had gotten to the edge of it and had exercised it without really knowing what I had done. But God wants us to get the revelation of the truth of His Word so we can understand what belongs to us and use it in our lives.

Confession: I will get the revelation of the truth of God’s Word and understand and use what belongs to me.

AMEN! THIS is OUR responsiblity! We have been given all of the promises in the Word of God that belong to us as bonr again believers, members of God's family and of the  Body of Christ! Now it is up to us to grab ahold of these promises, meditate on His Words and make them our own! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love THIS from Jerry Savelle's website devotional for today!

RESHAPE YOUR THOUGHTS

If you are ever going to experience God’s best then you are going to have to get rid of your mental blocks. You can actually shape a better future for yourself by reshaping your thoughts now.

Jeremiah 29:11 (The Amplified Bible) says, “For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”

Notice how God’s thoughts are connected to your future. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that if you think the same thoughts as He thinks then your future will match His plan?

When God speaks a word into your spirit, He expects you to make it your most dominant thought. Get up thinking about it and go to bed thinking about it. Think about it throughout the day. Never let it out of your mind.

If you’re believing for healing in your body, then the Word says:

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

Imagine that Word coming to pass in your life. Cast those thoughts down that try to say you’ll never be healed of this sickness or disease. Talk about your healing. Confess your healing. Stand on the promises of God for your healing and never give up.

If you’re believing for restoration in your marriage and family, then confess Joel 2:25: “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm…”

Imagine God restoring the years back to you. If you can conceive it in your mind and in your heart, then you’ll eventually have it. Think about God healing your family. Imagine peace and happiness in your home. Talk about it. Believe it. Confess it.

Deuteronomy 6:7, 9 says: “ . . thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. . . . and thou shalt write them . . .”

What was God saying to them? Simply this: “Let My words be the controlling force in your life – think about them, talk about them, and do them.”

Confession: I will let God’s Word be the controlling force in my life. I will line my thoughts with His thoughts so my future will match His plan for my life.

AMEN! WE speak words into our lives every single day! What are YOUR wordsw saying? Are they saying something that you WANT to have, or what it appears that you have? Change your THINKING to agree with GOD's Word, which is TRUTH (John 17:17)! Then change your SPEAKING to reflect that TRUTH! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The very best thing that I read today came from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Psalm 93:

1 The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is robed, He has girded Himself with strength and power; the world also is established, that it cannot be moved. 2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up the roaring of their waves. 4 The Lord on high is mightier and more glorious than the noise of many waters, yes, than the mighty breakers and waves of the sea. 5 Your testimonies are very sure; holiness is becoming to Your house, O Lord, forever.

AMEN and AMEN! The real ANSWER to all that is happening in the world righ tnow is THIS! Psalm 150:6 says this:

6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Are YOU breathing? Then PRAISE THE LORD! With every breath, let's PRAISE THE  LORD! Why? Because He is WORTHY of ALL of our praiser, thanksgiving and worship! AND because HE SAID SO! Something glorious happens inside when we obey the Word of the Lord with willingness! Let's pick up our praise, thanksgiving and worship and show all of our enemies that our God is on the throne and JESUS IS LORD! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Echoes (Til We See The Other Side)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is one that is especially real to ME! 

The Glory That’s Unsurpassed

…the Lord Jesus…has sent me that you may receive your sight… — Acts 9:17

When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ. His entire life and preaching from that point on were totally consumed with nothing but Jesus Christ— “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and soul except the face of Jesus Christ.

We must learn to maintain a strong degree of character in our lives, even to the level that has been revealed in our vision of Jesus Christ.

The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others. The overruling passion of his life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you get the feeling that he is truly a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22).

Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.

I have found that whatever captivates my mind is what I spend the most time thinking about - constantly! My greatest desire is that my heart will be single focused on JESUS and HIS plan for my life, which will always include sharing HIS life with others! When I DO that, I find that my enjoyment of every other thing in my life increses, with great joy! I hope that you have found, and learned to maintain, your intimacy with the KING of all kings and the LORD of all lords! Here is Hillsong with "Through It All":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the very best posts that one of my friends shared on facebook to day was Psalm 91, from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, with the encouragement to 'make it personal'! THAT is what we, as born again beleivers should be doing with every promise from the Word of God! HERE is Psalm 91! 

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.

8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,

10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

My exhortation to you today is the same as my friend's! Make it personal! Put YOUR name in this! In other words, OWN IT! It's all yours, after all! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!