Shalom,

Today I want to shrwe with you Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

Knowledge And Skill

As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. — DANIEL 1:17

“. . . God gave them knowledge and skill. . . .”

God gave Daniel and the other three Hebrew children, knowledge and all skill.

Eternal life is the nature of God. You’ve got God’s nature in you. Know that! Believe that! Confess that! Then that nature will begin to dominate you!

Learn to walk in the light of life. Learn to put that life into practice in your being. Walking in the light of that life will enhance your entire personality, and will increase your intelligence.

Confession: I am a new creation. I am born again. I am a new creature. I have the life and nature of God in my spirit. That life is the light of men. I purpose to walk in the light of life. God’s life is in me. God’s knowledge is in me. God’s skill is in me. God’s ability is in me. God’s wisdom is in me. He is instructing me. He is leading me. I am a child of God. The Spirit of God in me is leading me. I’ll follow His leading. I’ll walk in the light of life.

AMEN! Now NEVER forget all that JESUS has done for YOU! Now go out and BE  the LIGHT in YOUR WORLD! Here is Brandon Lake with "Graves Into Gardens":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 24 inour Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and I want to share verses 3-4:

3 Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], 4 And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

We have learned so far in Proverbs that WISDOM is the most important thing! Wisdom, simply put, is the proper USE of knowledge! So make sure that you are gainging knowledge first of all from the Word of God and then from whatever other important area you need knowledge in. Now trust Holy Spirit to give you the WISDOM to use that KNOWLEDGE properly! Then you will have true success! And I will say about you as Paul said today in Philippians 1:6:

6 And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Kids":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

As Jesus Is Today, So Are You!

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17

It is wonderful to know that God does not measure and judge you based on your performance today. Instead, He looks at Jesus, and as Jesus is, that is how He sees you. His Word declares that “love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

As new covenant believers, we do not have to fear the day of judgment simply because all our sins have been completely judged at the cross, and as Jesus is, so are we! Notice that it does not say that “as Jesus was on earth, so are we in this world.” That would have been amazing enough because during Jesus’ ministry on earth, healing, blessings and abundance followed Him everywhere He went.

Yet, that is not what the Word says. What it says is, “as Jesus is” (notice the use of the present tense). In other words, as He is right now, so are we in this world.

What a powerful revelation! Just consider where Jesus is today. The Bible tells us:

He [God] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. —Ephesians 1:20–23

Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand today, in a position of power and authority. If I were you, I would take some time to meditate on this passage because the Bible tells us that as Jesus is, so are we right now, in this world.

Meditate on how as Jesus is “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named,” so are we! See it in God’s Word for yourself. See yourself as Jesus is, far above every principality and power, far above every disease and physical condition, far above every kind of fear, depression and addiction, and begin to reign over every negative situation in your life today!

AMEN!

Notice that this does NOT say that we ARE JESUS, but that we are AS HE IS. We are seated IN HIM in Heavenly places, but we are NOT HIM! There is only ONE JESUS, SAVIOUR, REDEEMER, DELIVERER, HEALER! But WE enforce what HE accomplished as HIS representatives! Let's be about our FATHER'S business and not our own! Our rewards will come from what we do in THIS life in obedience to the WORD of GOD by the SPIRIT of GOD! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The Undeviating Test

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. — Matthew 7:2

This statement is not a haphazard guess, it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give, it is measured to you again. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus says that the basis of life is retribution — “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the defects in others, remember that will be exactly the measure given to you. Life serves back in the coin you pay. This law works from God’s throne downwards (cf. Psalm 18:25-26).

Romans 2 applies it in a still more definite way, and says that the one who criticises another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act, He looks at the possibility. We do not believe the statements of the Bible to begin with. For instance, do we believe this statement, that the things we criticise in others we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy and fraud and unreality in others is because they are all in our own hearts. The great characteristic of a saint is humility — “Yes, all those things and other evils would have been manifested in me but for the grace of God, therefore I have no right to judge.”

Jesus says — “Judge not, that ye be not judged”; if you do judge, it will be measured to you exactly as you have judged. Who of us would dare to stand before God and say — “My God, judge me as I have judged my fellow men?” We have judged our fellow men as sinners; if God should judge us like that we would be in hell. God judges us through the marvellous Atonement of Jesus Christ.

AMEN! Let's leave the judging up to Almighty God and just keep doing OUR part in spreading the Gospel! Here is one of my favorite new songs by Brandon Lake called "Nothing New":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I love Proverbs 21:30-31 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! 

30 There is no [human] wisdom or understanding or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord. 31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and victory are of the Lord.

No matter how much evil has gone on in this nation in the last several years, the WISDOM that comes from GOD alone is already working on HIS retribution, recovery, rewards for the GODLY and vengeance against the evil and evildoers! Just stay in HIS presence, in HIS WORD and in FAITH and WE will see the GLORY of GOD revealed on our behalf! HALLELUJAH! Here to encourage you is Brandon Lake and Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock"! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Have You Come To “When” Yet?

And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. — Job 42:10

The plaintive, self-centered, morbid kind of prayer, a dead-set that I want to be right, is never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is a sign that I am rebelling against the Atonement. “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer; I will walk rightly if You will help me.” I cannot make myself right with God, I cannot make my life perfect; I can only be right with God if I accept the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to resign every kind of claim and cease from every effort, and leave myself entirely alone in His hands, and then begin to pour out in the priestly work of intercession. There is much prayer that arises from real disbelief in the Atonement. Jesus is not beginning to save us, He has saved us, the thing is done, and it is an insult to ask Him to do it.

If you are not getting the hundredfold more, not getting insight into God’s word, then start praying for your friends, enter into the ministry of the interior. “The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.” The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer. Wherever God puts you in circumstances, pray immediately, pray that His Atonement may be realised in other lives as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now; pray for those with whom you come in contact now.

AMEN! PRAY! Then PRAISE because our GREAT GOD ALWAYS answers the PRAYERS of HIS PEOPLE! Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Discover What Grace Can Do

And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33

Most of us don’t have any idea what grace really is. Oh, we know some basic facts about it. We know we were saved by it (Ephesians 2:8). But we don’t even begin to understand the real power it can release in our lives now, today!

If you want to get a picture of what grace can really do, look at what happened to the early Christians in Acts 4. They’d been threatened by the religious leaders of Jerusalem and commanded not to speak or teach anymore in Jesus’ Name. So, they were praying about the situation.

Roughly, what they said was this, “Now Lord, we’ve been threatened, but we aren’t about to quit preaching and go hide out under some religious rug. Just turn the power up, give us boldness, and we’ll go on.”

Do you know what happened as a result of that prayer? Verse 33 tells us, “Great grace was upon them all.”

Great grace. Grace so powerful that when those believers received it, the whole building shook. Grace so great it enabled the apostles to work “many signs and wonders...among the people” (Acts 5:12).

That one story alone should be enough to convince you that grace is not just some abstract, spiritual state of mind. Grace is real. It’s powerful. It provides the supernatural power to make things happen!

Now, do you want to know something really exciting? The Bible says that same grace that was available to the early Church in Jerusalem is available to anyone who’s ever sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Thank God, that means you and I qualify!

If the devil’s been threatening you lately, follow the example of those early Christians. Get in prayer and say, “Lord, I don’t care what the devil and his bunch say, I’m not going to back down. I’m going to keep on talking and living by faith—and I’m going to do it boldly. So, just turn up the power!”

I guarantee, if you’re sincere about it, He’ll do it; and you’ll begin to discover what grace is really all about.

AMEN! Learn to TRUST completely in the integrity of the WORD of the LIVING GOD! Here is Hillsong with "From Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this from Jerry Savelle's Daily Devotional:

 THE PRESSURE OF TRIALS

If you have been under the pressure of a trial, it is important that you do not blame the trial on God. God is not the author of trials or heaviness of spirit. Jesus came to bring you abundant life—it is Satan who is out to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

James 1:13 tells us that temptations, tests and trials are brought on by Satan, not God. Satan is the tempter; he is the one who brings condemnation to you. He is the one that brings the heaviness, not God.

God wants you to know that because Jesus was your substitute, you can endure anything Satan brings against you. If you will follow the instructions in His Word, you will come out on the other side of that trial like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did: untouched, unharmed and totally protected. That is when you bring glory to God – when you are a winner.

God is not glorified when His children are beaten down, beggarly, and suffering. Even though Satan will bring situations to you and try to steal the Word of God out of your heart, you can bring glory to God when you take His Word and resist the devil until he flees (James 4:7).

You are a testimony that God’s Word works. You are more than a conqueror through Him. You bring glory to God because you approach every situation knowing that Jesus was your substitute and that He has already given you the victory.

Confession: Thank you Jesus for abundant life! I refuse to blame God for the trials in my life. I will stand on His Word and see the victory in every area of life!

Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

Helping Others To Life

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life [zoe] through his name. — JOHN 20:30-31

Jesus did many things that are not recorded in John’s Gospel, or in the other Gospels. But the things that are recorded in the Gospels are recorded for a purpose. What is this purpose? : “That whosoever believeth in him [Jesus] should not perish, but have eternal life [zoe]. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life [zoe].”

The object is that we might receive eternal life!

As a Christian, you need to know how to help others receive eternal life. The first step is to get them to read or hear what is written in the Gospels so they may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that as the Son of God, He has made spiritual life available to spiritually dead men.

John 3:15 and 16 shows us how:: “That whosoever believeth in him [Jesus] should not perish, but have eternal life [zoe]. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life [zoe].”

Confession: I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And, believing, I received zoe through His Name. I shall never perish. I have zoe. I have the life of God — I have the nature of God — abiding in me.

AMEN!  Make this YOUR TRUTH by meditating on this until it becomes so realy to you that doubts will not be able to stay! Here is Brandon Lake with "Nothing New":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

What Do You Make Of This?

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.…I have called you friends. — John 15:13, 15

Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said — “I will lay down my life for Thy sake,”  and he meant it; his sense of the heroic was magnificent. It would be a bad thing to be incapable of making such a declaration as Peter made; the sense of our duty is only realized by our sense of the heroic. Has the Lord ever asked you — “Wilt thou lay down thy life for My sake?” It is far easier to die than to lay down the life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling. We are not made for brilliant moments, but we have to walk in the light of them in ordinary ways. There was only one brilliant moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration; then He emptied Himself the second time of His glory, and came down into the demon-possessed valley. For thirty-three years Jesus laid out His life to do the will of His Father, and, John says, “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” It is contrary to human nature to do it.

If I am a friend of Jesus, I have deliberately and carefully to lay down my life for Him. It is difficult, and thank God it is difficult. Salvation is easy because it cost God so much, but the manifestation of it in my life is difficult. God saves a man and endues him with the Holy Spirit, and then says in effect — “Now work it out, be loyal to Me, whilst the nature of things round about you would make you disloyal.” “I have called you friends.” Stand loyal to your Friend, and remember that His honour is at stake in your bodily life.

Here is Brandon Lake with "Count 'Em":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to use Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional! 

Divine Nature

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: thatby these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. — 2 PETER 1:4

When you became a child of God, God imparted His own nature — eternal life — to you. This life, this nature, this being, this substance of God, instantly changed your spirit.

You passed from spiritual death — the realm of Satan — into life, which is the realm of God (1 John 3:14). You passed from the dominion of Satan into the dominion of Christ.

When you received eternal life, the satanic nature passed out of you. The corruption from which you have escaped is spiritual death, the satanic nature (2 Peter 1:4).

The satanic nature passed out of you, not theoretically, but actually. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, “. . . old things are passed away . . . .” And God’s nature came into you.

Now you are a partaker of God’s divine nature — the nature of God — the life of God!

Confession: God’s life is in me. God’s nature is in me. God’s ability is in me. God’s wisdom is in me. For me to fail, God would have to fail. And God can never fail! I am a partaker of His divine nature.

Here is Brandon Lake with "Adoption Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Proverbs 14 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verse 6 shows the difference between someone who is serious about knowing JESUS more and one who is not!

⁶ A scoffer seeks Wisdom in vain [for his very attitude blinds and deafens him to it], but knowledge is easy to him who [being teachable] understands.

I hope that you will ALWAYS be a wise learner and never a blinded scoffer! Here is Hillsong with KNow You Will:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional.

Getting There

Come ye after Me. — Mark 1:17

Where the Selective Affinity Dies and the Sanctified Abandon Lives

One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of temperament. We make our temperament and our natural affinities barriers to coming to Jesus. The first thing we realize when we come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatever to our natural affinities. We have the notion that we can consecrate our gifts to God. You cannot consecrate what is not yours; there is only one thing you can consecrate to God, and that is your right to yourself (Romans 12:1). If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you. God’s experiments always succeed. The one mark of a saint is the moral originality which springs from abandonment to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing wellspring of original life all the time; the Spirit of God is a well of water springing up, perennially fresh. The saint realizes that it is God Who engineers circumstances, consequently there is no whine, but a reckless abandon to Jesus. Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as He is with you.

If you abandon to Jesus, and come when He says “Come,” He will continue to say “Come” through you; you will go out into life reproducing the echo of Christ’s “Come.” That is the result in every soul who has abandoned and come to Jesus.

Have I come to Jesus? Will I come now?

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I was really blessed to read Jospeh Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" deovtional!

Time and Chance

The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11

I want you to know how you can have “time and chance” happen to you—where you find yourself blessed because you’re at the right place at the right time. Let me show you what the original Hebrew language reveals about how this can be your reality.

The Hebrew word for “time” is the word eth, meaning time or season. The Hebrew words for “chance happen” are pega qarah. Together with eth, they present a picture not of random occurrences, but “right happenings” that are dependent on the Lord’s orchestration.

It’s unfortunate that the word “chance” is used in the English translation. When you read “time and chance happen to them all,” it gives the impression of random happenings, occurrences that happen as if by “luck.”

But if you study the root of the word pega in the Scriptures, you’ll see it is from the word paga, which actually means to make intercession or pray. Let me introduce to you at this point a principle of Bible interpretation called the law of first mention. When you are studying a word, look at the first time it appears in the Bible. There is a lot of spiritual truth and significance in the first occurrence of the word in the Bible.

Applying this principle to the word paga, we see in the Bible that the first time it is used is in Genesis 23:8 (NIV), where it means “intercede.” The same word is also used in Isaiah 53:12 where it says the Lord “made intercession for the transgressors”.

The other Hebrew word, qarah, is often used in other parts of the Bible to explain God-ordained happenings. So “chance happen” should more accurately be translated as “prayed opportunities” or “prayed happenings.”

When you have eth and pega qarah combined here, it speaks of right-time, right-place happenings, or of being at the right place at the right time, doing the right thing as a result of prayer.

What an amazing blessing to possess, which is simply triggered by coming to our loving Father in heaven and expressing our dependence on His protection over us and our families. I want this blessing activated every day, don’t you?

AMEN! I certainly do! How about YOU? Here to further encourage you in GOD'S ways is Brandon Lake and Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

My favorite nugget for today is found in the devotional on The Spoken Word Church website! 

Name the Habits You Most Desire

Take a sheet of paper. List those habits that make men unusually successful. Be honest. Specify those habits that could apply to your life and help you achieve your goals.

Target one new habit this week. Now, believe that God will help you achieve it.

"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." {John 16:23-24}

Here are Brandon Lake  and Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Heart Hunger

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. — JOHN 6:35

Before Adam sinned, he walked and talked with God. Adam had fellowship with God.

But when Adam fell, his spirit became estranged, or separated, from God.

Since that day, in the life of every person born into this world, there is a heart hunger — a spirit hunger.

This heart hunger causes men to seek something to satisfy it. Some look to worldly possessions. Some look to false religions of this world. Yet nothing can satisfy this heart hunger but God.

Although this heart hunger may have driven a man to all kinds of things, it ends when he finds Jesus Christ. When he becomes acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ and receives eternal life and is born again, he becomes the child of God. Man then has a relationship with God! He can fellowship with God! His heart hunger is satisfied!

Confession: I come to Jesus. Therefore, I shall never hunger. I believe on Jesus. Therefore, I shall never thirst. I am related to God. He is my Father. I have fellowship with Him. My heart is satisfied!

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Grace Is Enough

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me. 2 Corinthians 12:7

The devil has used the traditional teaching of Paul’s thorn in the flesh to talk believers out of the blessings of God for years, to try to convince us to settle for everything from sickness to sin—and to do it of our own free will.

It is perhaps the most destructive and the most widely accepted misinterpretation of Scripture that exists in the Body of Christ today. I’ve gone into countries to preach to people who hardly had any knowledge of the Word at all and still I have found that somehow they’d been taught about Paul’s thorn.

And most of them have been taught wrongly.

Tradition says that God gave Paul the thorn in the flesh. What’s more, tradition makes the “thorn” into some great mystery. But the Scripture doesn’t say that at all!

It says that the thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan. Not God—Satan! The thorn was quite literally just what Paul says it was—a “messenger sent from Satan.”

You see, everywhere Paul went, he preached the gospel and every time he preached, he destroyed a little more of Satan’s kingdom. So, Satan sent a messenger, an evil spirit, to stop him.

When Paul sought the Lord concerning this thorn (look at 2 Corinthians 12:8-10), God didn’t answer Paul in the negative. God said, “My grace (or, My favor) is enough. It is sufficient for you. For My strength is made perfect in your weakness (inability to produce results)” (W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

In other words, when Paul didn’t have enough human strength to overcome, God’s miracle-working power was sufficient for him. It enabled him to be an overcomer in spite of his weakness.

Don’t allow the devil to talk you out of your victory. Throw tradition aside and dare to believe the Word of God. Fight the fight of faith, and just like the Apostle Paul, you will see the salvation of the Lord!

AMEN! Find out what God's Word says about EVERYTHING in your life and learn to walk in ALL that HE has provided for you! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!

Our Choice

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith. — PHILIPPIANS 1:21-25

Paul is talking here about physical death. Of course, the real Paul, the inner man, is not going to die. He’s going to go on living either way: departing and being with Christ, or abiding in the flesh.

Paul said he hadn’t decided yet. “I’m in a strait,” he said, “between the two. I want to go on and be with Christ, which is far better.” (If Paul had just said it would be better, that would have been wonderful, but he said it’s even better than better!) Then he said, “Yet I know to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” If Paul was present in the flesh, he could teach and minister to these people. That was more needful for them.

Notice that Paul is making the choice. He didn’t say, “I’m going to leave it up to God, and whatever God chooses, I will accept.”

We have more to do with deciding to live or die than we have thought!

Confession: The real me is an eternal spirit being.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest":

The Greatest Source of Power

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do… —John 14:13

Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point— the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him.

However, I must take the time to realize what this central point of power is. Am I willing to give one minute out of every hour to concentrate on it? “If you abide in Me…”— that is, if you continue to act, and think, and work from that central point— “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). Am I abiding? Am I taking the time to abide? What is the greatest source of power in my life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work for God? It should be none of these— what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord. It is not on what we spend the greatest amount of time that molds us the most, but whatever exerts the most power over us. We must make a determination to limit and concentrate our desires and interests on the atonement by the Cross of Christ.

“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do….” The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and what appears to be his free choices are actually God’s foreordained decrees. Is this mysterious? Does it appear to contradict sound logic or seem totally absurd? Yes, but what a glorious truth it is to a saint of God.

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share this teaching from Bob Yandian! 

Are You a Plodder?

Colossians 1: 7 “As you also learned from Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf.”

Have you ever heard of Epaphras?  He was the pastor of the church at Colosse.  We are not told the size of his congregation, the number of satellite locations he has, or the attendance in his youth group.  We do not know if he had a cell group program or a traditional Sunday School. This is what churches are known for in our day.  We are only told one thing, he was faithful.  His name was not known well in the ancient world.  If Paul would not have mentioned him, we probably would never have heard of him.  It didn’t seem to matter to Epaphras, he remained faithful.

One Step At A Time

A faithful person is a plodder.  A plodder keeps moving each day, driven by the Word of God and the personal integrity in their heart.  We are told we will reap in due season if we don’t faint.  A plodder is one who will not faint.  He never has and never will give up.  Unlike many others, he does not gain great amounts of ground at one time.  Yet, when others have given up, thrown in the towel, the plodder is still going.

When I attended Bible School I was one of 35 students who graduated.  I was the only one who did not have a ministry position to fill. All 34 of the other students had sent out resumes and were accepted into pastorates and missions organizations, or their itineraries were already full to speak at churches. I continued to work at my job, study the Word, and teach my class at church. During the next ten years, my life changed drastically with God increasing my call. I ended up as a teacher and finally the dean of instructors at Rhema Bible Training Center. I was also prepared in my heart for the call to pastor.  God had already spoken to me.  I went back for our ten-year reunion at the Bible School I had attended and was surprised to find less than ten graduates were still in the ministry. So many excited students had left for the work of God, but most had dropped out of the race.

Finishing Is More Important Than Starting

Many begin a race.  Beginning is the easy part.  Finishing is difficult.  Many who begin with a flash will never make it.  They bask in the limelight of popularity, but when the popularity diminishes, so does their stamina.  The plodder draws from the wells of inspiration he has in his own heart.  He has developed a personal relationship with God and will continue whether anyone stands with him or not.  He knows that God will never leave or forsake him.

Examples of Plodders

It is said that at the time Billy Graham first entered the ministry, he was one of four who were well known.  He was also considered the least likely to succeed because he was not as fiery of a speaker as some, and not as handsome and charismatic as others. Yet, Billy Graham outlasted them all. He built his ministry on character, not Bible knowledge, anointing, or spiritual gifts.  It is not that all of those characteristics are not important, they are just not as important as faithfulness.  Another word for a faithful minister is a plodder.

By the time Paul wrote 2nd Timothy, he mentioned that all who began with him had forsaken him at his first trial (2 Timothy 4:16).  By the time his death sentence was given, only Timothy and Luke were with him.  In prison, waiting to be executed, he asked Timothy to bring the scrolls and parchments of the Word (2 Timothy 4:13).  Plodders may be hurt by those who leave their side in the ministry, but they draw their strength to continue from the everlasting Word of God.

Even Jesus saw all of his disciples forsake him during his trial.  Only John returned and stood by him at the cross.

The important thing is not who starts, but who finishes.  Finishing is much more difficult.  That is why many are at the starting line, but only a few cross the finish line.  God is not so interested in how many begin with Him.  He is more interested in how many finish.  This is reserved for the plodder.  Remember, the one who won the race was the tortoise, not the hare. Your due season is coming, don’t give up!

AMEN! This is one of the greatest lessons we can learn! God has called us, anointed us and appointed us, each of us INDIVIDUALLY, to do what HE has planned for us to do from before the foundation of the world! Be one who will never give up and never give in to the pressure of the enemy to quit! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tournaround":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we are looking again at Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional!

Jehovah Shalom Is Your God

Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15:33

I’m sure you want the Lord to manifest Himself as the God of peace when you are fearful. So let’s go deeper into what the “God of peace” means.

Don’t forget that Paul was Jewish, so when he said “the God of peace be with you,” he was saying “Jehovah Shalom be with you.” “Jehovah Shalom” is Hebrew for “the God of peace.” Now, the first appearance of the name Jehovah Shalom is in the Old Testament story of Gideon in Judges 6.

As we read Gideon’s story, we discover that the Midianites terrorized Israel day and night, descending upon them like a swarm of marauding locusts and destroying their crops and pillaging their livestock. Fearful of their cruel enemies, the Israelites hid in dens and caves in the mountains.

It is no wonder Gideon was petrified and hid himself at the bottom of an abandoned winepress to thresh the measly stalks of dry grain he had somehow managed to scavenge. He was bound by fear and overcome by all the news of terror that surrounded him.

In the midst of Gideon’s fear, “the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’” (Judg. 6:12).

When you find the expression “the Angel of the LORD” in the Old Testament, it usually refers to our Lord Jesus in His preincarnate state. Jesus Himself appeared to Gideon when he was in the pit of fear and called him a mighty man of valor. Isn’t that amazing?

Are there moments when you feel besieged by fear? When you hear reports of terror or exposure to some virus, do you feel fearful and anxious? Has fear driven you into hiding? The truth is, regardless of how you feel, when our Lord Jesus looks at you right now, He sees you as a mighty man or mighty woman of courage.

Isn’t it amazing how our Lord looks at us? It’s not how we see ourselves that defines us; it is how our Lord Jesus sees us that defines us. That’s why we read His Word. We read it to discover what His Word says about us. My friend, no matter what state you are in right now and how messed up your life might be, the Lord Jesus sees the best in you.

He sees your potential, your gifting, your call, and your destiny to do great things in this life! And as the ending of Gideon’s story shows, He will guide you and cause you to be a testimony of His protection as you trust in Him and see yourself and your situations through His eyes

AMEN! Here is Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I simply want to share a favorite Worship song with you! Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Man Of The Heart

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the HIDDEN MAN OF THE HEART, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet SPIRIT, which is in the sight of God of great price. — 1 PETER 3:3-4

No one knows what you look like! They may think they do, but they don’t. You — the real you — are a hidden man. You are a spirit; you have a soul; and you live in a body (1 Thess. 5:23). What people see is only the “house” you live in.

I’ve heard ministers quote two-thirds of First Peter 3:3 and say that women shouldn’t fix their hair and shouldn’t wear gold. But if that’s what Peter meant, then women shouldn’t wear clothes, either! Because if Peter told women not to plait their hair and not to wear gold, then he also told them not to put on apparel. (Apparel is clothing.)

No, Peter is really saying — probably because women are more prone to do this — “Don’t spend all of your time on your hair, on your clothes, and on the outward man. See to it, first of all, that the hidden man of the heart — that’s the spiritual man, the real man, the inward man — is adorned with a meek and a quiet spirit.”

Confession: I am a spirit. I am a child of the Father of spirits. I have a soul. And I live in a body. I see to the adorning of the real me — the hidden man of the heart.

AMEN! Now DARE to BELIEVE that YOU are exactly who JESUS says that you are! Here is Brooke Ligertwood and Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

The secret [“friendship,” rv] of the Lord is with them that fear Him. — Psalm 25:14

What is the sign of a friend? That he tells you secret sorrows? No, that he tells you secret joys. Many will confide to you their secret sorrows, but the last mark of intimacy is to confide secret joys. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys, or are we telling God our secrets so continually that we leave no room for Him to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God, then we find that God wants to get us into relationship with Himself, to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so wedded to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer — “Thy will be done” — that we catch the secrets of God? The things that make God dear to us are not so much His great big blessings as the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us; He knows every detail of our individual lives.

“…him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.” At first we want the consciousness of being guided by God, then as we go on we live so much in the consciousness of God that we do not need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing any other will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified God guides us by our ordinary choices, and if we are going to choose what He does not want, He will check, and we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never reason it out and say — “I wonder why I shouldn’t?” God instructs us in what we choose, that is, He guides our common sense, and we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually saying — “Now, Lord, what is Thy will?”

Here is Brandon Lake with "Coat Of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

 Shalom,

Today I want to share the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website because it is SO vital to our continued growth IN HIM!

Screen Doubters. Screen doors prevent obnoxious insects from entering your home. You must assertively screen out people who are carriers of the virus of doubt and unbelief. Boldly protect your ears and life from absorbing talk that does not edify and build.

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get behind me, Satan: you are an offence unto me: for you savour not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. {Matthew 16:23}

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. {Galatians 5:9}

We MUST remember that was goes into our eyes and ears WILL affect how we think and act! THAT will affect our results in life, whether for good or bad! Let's make sure it's ALL GOOD! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Not Today!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's reading for our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we have Psalm 150, one of my very favorite Psalms, John 10:10, one of my very favorite Scripture Promises! 

John 10:10 AMPC  The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Now THAT is a promise to get excited about! How do we show our appreciation? Psalm 150!

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!
2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!
3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes!
5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Here is one of my very favorite new worship songs by Brandon Lake called "Praise You Anywhere":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really like today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin! 

More Than Conquerors

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

If God’s Word had just told us we were conquerors, it would have been enough — but it tells us that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.

Rather than saying, “I’m defeated,” rise up and say what the Bible says about you. Say, “I am a conqueror!”

It may not seem to you that you are a conqueror, but your confession of it because of what you see in God’s Word will create the reality of it in your life.

Sooner or later you will become what you confess!

You will not be afraid of any circumstances, if you make the right confession.

You will not be afraid of any disease, if you make the right confession.

You will not be afraid of any conditions, if you make the right confession.

You will face life fearlessly, as a conqueror!

Confession: In all things I am more than a conqueror through Him that loves me. I am not afraid of any circumstances. I am not afraid of any disease. I am not afraid of any condition. I face life fearlessly, a conqueror! I am a conqueror! In fact, I am more than a conqueror!

AMEN! Remember, we, who have received JESUS as LORD and SAVIOUR, are exactly who HE says we are! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional.

Undisturbed Relationship

At that day ye shall ask in My name….The Father Himself loveth you. — John 16:26,27

“At that day ye shall ask in My name,” i.e., in My nature. Not — “You shall use My name as a magic word,” but — “You will be so intimate with Me that you will be one with Me.” “That day” is not a day hereafter, but a day meant for here and now. “The Father Himself loveth you” — the union is so complete and absolute. Our Lord does not mean that life will be free from external perplexities, but that just as He knew the Father’s heart and mind, so by the baptism of the Holy Ghost He can lift us into the heavenly places where He can reveal the counsels of God to us.

“Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name…” “That day” is a day of undisturbed relationship between God and the saint. Just as Jesus stood unsullied in the presence of His Father, so by the mighty efficacy of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we can be lifted into that relationship — “that they may be one, even as We are One.”

“…He will give it you.” Jesus says that God will recognize our prayers. What a challenge! By the Resurrection and Ascension power of Jesus, by the sent-down Holy Ghost, we can be lifted into such a relationship with the Father that we are at one with the perfect sovereign will of God by our free choice even as Jesus was. In that wonderful position, placed there by Jesus Christ, we can pray to God in His name, in His nature, which is gifted to us by the Holy Ghost, and Jesus says — “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.” The sovereign character of Jesus Christ is tested by His own statements.

HALLELUJAH! WE have such a tremendous place of power and authority IN JESUS under our NEW and BETTER COVENANT! Let's determine to walk in it well! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear Off The Roof":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 147 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and verse 1 says this:

¹ Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God, for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate.

Our instructions? PRAISE THE LORD! Verses 3-11 tell us why!

3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].
4 He determines and counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!
8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
9 He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens that for which they cry.
10 He delights not in the strength of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.

AMEN! He IS exactly Who the Word says He is! We can count on it! Another interesting TRUTH that we find in today's reading comes in John 7:5:

⁵ For [even] His brothers did not believe in or adhere to or trust in or rely on Him either.

We here about this in Brandon Lake's song "Coat of Many Colors":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional because this is one that I pray and declare every time I travel ANYWHERE! 

Travel Safety

And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. — MARK 4:35

Jesus got into a ship with His disciples and said, “Let us pass over unto the other side.” And that settled it! Jesus did not say, “Let us go halfway and sink.” Therefore, when a storm arose and Jesus’ disciples were frightened, He rebuked them, saying, “How is it that you have no faith?”

At a Full Gospel Business Men’s convention, a woman asked me to pray for her. She said, “I’m a nervous wreck. It just scares me to death to travel by plane. I actually become sick with fright. I’m not going to attend any more conventions, even though I love to, because I’m so afraid to fly.”

“You don’t have to be afraid,” I replied. “And really, you don’t even have to pray about it. All you have to do is get on the plane and say, ‘Let us pass over to Los Angeles or Chicago or wherever.’ And the plane can’t go down. Then you can do just what Jesus did: You can go to sleep, knowing the plane is going to get there, because you have spoken in faith.”

I saw this woman at several conventions afterwards. She told me, “It works just like you said. I get on board the plane and say, ‘Let’s go over to the other side.’ Then I lie back, relax, and praise the Lord. I’m really enjoying flying now.”

Confession: Wherever I travel, I can say, “Let us pass over to the other side” — and I will have what I say!

AMEN!

Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":

Shalom in Him!