Shalom,


Today's reading in Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food is very good and very important for believers to understand!


Heart Hunger
June 10, 2012

"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! 

When we realize that THIS is the condition of every person we come in contact with who has NOT received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Savior, then we can better understand the way they react to us. We then can be led by the Spirit of God to speak the RIGHT things, the NEEDFUL things, to them! Only HE knows what it will take to get through to each person! He did for you! Amen! Let's practice being led by the Spirit every day so that WE can affect the eternity of those we meet! Here to encourage you in this is an older song from Hillsong called "Sing Of Your Great Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Proverbs 9:10-11 is the prerequisite for walking in the Wisdom of the Word of God:


10 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding. 

11 For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased. AMP

The "reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord" means to put HIM first and foremost in our lives. Is HE the most important person in your life right now? He MUST be in order to walk in the fullness of the promises found in His Word! Remember the commandment that Jesus gave in Matthew 22:37-39?

37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).  [Deut 6:5.] 

38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. 

39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. AMP

It is not even possible to love others as we love ourselves without the Wisdom that comes from God alone! In order to obtain that Wisdom, we must first of all love HIM! If we truly love Him most of all, praise and worship should flow like a river from our innermost being! THEN we can know and understand His Word so that we can act on it and receive the results that HE intends for us to have! THEN we will prolong our lives here on earth and they years of those loves will be filled to the full with God's richest and best! let's DO IT! Amen! Here to encourage you is Hillsong with "God One And Only":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Yesterday we read the prayers of Jesus of Nazareth that He prayed for His disciples, AND for us (John 17:20), before He went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Today we see this in John 18:1-6:

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which He entered, and his disciples.  2 And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples.  3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.  4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?  5 They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, stood with them.  

6 As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground.  KJV

The Amplified Bible says this:

1 HAVING SAID these things, Jesus went out with His disciples beyond (across) the winter torrent of the Kidron [in the ravine]. There was a garden there, which He and His disciples entered.  2 And Judas, who was betraying Him and delivering Him up, also knew the place, because Jesus had often retired there with His disciples.  3 So Judas, obtaining and taking charge of the band of soldiers and some guards (attendants) of the high priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.  4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was about to befall Him, went out to them and said, Whom are you seeking? [Whom do you want?]  5 They answered Him, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus said to them, I am He. Judas, who was betraying Him, was also standing with them.  6 When Jesus said to them, I am He, they went backwards (drew back, lurched backward) and fell to the ground. AMP

Do you remember what God told Moses that he should say if people wanted to know the Name of his God? Look at Exodus 3:13-15:

13 And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them?  14 And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you!   15 God said also to Moses, This shall you say to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has sent me to you! This is My name forever, and by this name I am to be remembered to all generations.  AMP

Vine's Expository Dictionary says this about "I AM", which is the Hebrew word "hayah":

 Ex 3:14, where God tells Moses His name. He says: "I am [hayah] that I am [hayah]." Since the divine name Jehovah or Yahweh was well-known long before (cf. Gen 4:1), this revelation seems to emphasize that the God who made the covenant was the God who kept the covenant. So Ex 3:14 is more than a simple statement of identity: "I am that I am"; it is a declaration of divine control of all things (cf. Hos 1:9) (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

Do you see? HE IS! That is all that we really need to know! Now in John we see that Jesus had just declared in His prayer (John 17) that He and the Father are ONE and that WE are to be ONE in THEM! Here He uses the Name that Moses was to use: I AM! What happened when Jesus declared His Name to them? They fell to the ground under the power of God! WE have been given that Name to use in every area of our lives in order to bring the benefits of our Covenant into our natural realm. Study the Name of Jesus and all that is promised to those who are "in Him" and those who use His Name! Meditate on these Truths until they become REAL to you, then begin to USE the Name! HE will get all the glory and WE will reap the benefits and blessing here, in this life! Amen! Here is Hillsong  with "For Your Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


I really love how Proverbs 7 and John 17 are both included in the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! Proverbs 7:1:

1 MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them. 2 Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. AMP

This instruction is for us to make the Word of God our final authority and to give attention and obedience to it! John 17:17 tells us why this is so very important!

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

The Truth of God's Word is what separates us from the influences of the world, the flesh, and the devil! We are also told in John 8:31-32 that it is KNOWING the Word that brings freedom to our lives!

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

Then John 15:7 tells us that the way to pray with authority is to LIVE in the Word!

7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.  

AMP

I think the Word of God is of VITAL importance! What do YOU think? Here is Hillsong with "Salvation Is Here". Remember that salvation means deliverance in every area and realm of life! Thank You, Father, for Your Word!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Last day of vacation! Here is "Go" by Hillsong United:

Now GO and fulfill HIS plan for YOUR life! Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Ole, Ole!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Enjoying my vacation! Here is another favorite song! Hillsong United with "The Difference":

Have a most blessed day and BE the DIFFERENCE for someone today!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


I am on vacation for a couple of days and will just be sharing some of my favorite songs! Here is Hillsong with "Unending Love":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


The Faith Food Devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin for today is worth sharing!


Man of the Heart
June 3, 2012

"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 Pet. 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. 

This really goes right along with what we looked at yesterday in seeking and searching for Wisdom from His Word! As we do that, we are changed from the inside out (Romans 12:2)! Here is Hillsong with "From The Inside Out":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Proverbs 2:1-6:


 ¹MY SON, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you,

    ²Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it];

    ³Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

    ⁴If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures,

    ⁵Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God.

    ⁶For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Notice how much of this is OUR choice! It is OUR responsibility to meet the conditions for the promises of God to be fulfilled in our lives! It takes diligence, faithfulness and patience to walk in this! I must receive his Word. I must treasure the Word. I must pay attention to the Word. I must go after the Word. I must ask for Wisdom. I must seek and search the Word! No one can do it for me and no one can do it for YOU! Make it YOUR determined purpose today to SEEK HIM! He WILL be found by you, when you seek Him with your whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13 AMP)! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "I Live To Know You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


We begin Proverbs again today in the Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Here, from verses 2-5 of Proverbs 1, is what God desires us to receive from this book and all of His Word!

²That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, ³Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, ⁴That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth-- ⁵The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]-

I really like the Amplified Bible for this passage because it mentions things like "skillful" Wisdom and "discipline" of wise thoughtfulness. I like to say that our purpose for studying the Word of God is so that we can have a "working knowledge" of it. The Word of God will do no good in your life unless you act on it! I believe that is what "skillful Wisdom" is! Then we MUST be prepared to be diligent and disciplined in our approach to the Word of God! Remember, it is NOT the Truth that sets you free, but KNOWING the Truth! Here is the New Living Translation that is very good, too:

2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young. 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance

Make it YOUR determined purpose today to learn something new from the Word every day, and then to act on it immediately! Notice that it is the WISE who will hear and increase in learning! SO, BE WISE! Amen! Here are a couple of photos to inspire you!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 150 needs no introduction or explanation, just ACTION! 


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


So, are you breathing? Then you KNOW what to do! John 10:10 is a verse that will help you get into a praising frame of mind!


¹⁰The 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).

 THAT is the life that the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible desires for us to live on this earth! Amen! Here is an old song from Hillsong that will never really be out of date! it is called  "Everything That Has Breath":


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 149 is all about praising the LORD again! I LOVE these Psalms!  There are so many ways, and so many reasons, to praise HIM! Verse 1 says to praise Him with a new song:


¹PRAISE THE Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, praise Him in the assembly of His saints!


Verse 3 says to praise Him with music and dance:


    ³Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the [single or group] dance; let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre!


Verse 4 tells us how the LORD feels about our praise:


  ⁴For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory.


"Pleasure" is the Hebrew word "ratsah", which means: to be pleased with, to accept favorably; to be delighted with. I KNOW that you, as a born again believer in Jesus of Nazareth, desire to bring delight to HIM! SO, praise Him! Verses 5-9 tell us how to, when to, and the results of, praising HIM!

  ⁵Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. ⁶Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands, ⁷To wreak vengeance upon the nations and chastisement upon the people ⁸To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, ⁹To execute upon them the judgment written. He [the Lord] is the honor of all His saints. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

In John 9:4-5 Jesus says this before healing the man who had been blind from birth:

⁴We must work the works of Him Who sent Me and be busy with His business while it is daylight; night is coming on, when no man can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the world's Light.

Now that Jesus is seated in Heaven, WE are to be the Light in this world! One of the ways that are Light shines brighter is through praise and worship! When we become people of consistent praise, our countenance changes and others SEE the Light of His Life shining through us! THAT is what leads them to ask us about the Hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15)! BE the LIGHT! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "For Your Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 148:1-6 tells us that all of Heaven praises the LORD!


¹PRAISE THE Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights!

    ²Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts!

    ³Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light!

    ⁴Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens!

    ⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.

    ⁶He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over].

They are instructed to, and do, praise the LORD forever because HE created THEM! Then all of earth is instructed in verses 7-14:

   ⁷Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps!

    ⁸You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders!

    ⁹Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars!

    ¹⁰Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!

    ¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers and judges of the earth!

    ¹²Both young men and maidens, old men and children!

    ¹³Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven!

    ¹⁴He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

He is worthy of ALL praise, thanksgiving and worship simply because of WHO HE IS, even if He had done nothing for us! But He HAS wonderfully blessed us and continues to do so when we receive Him as LORD! Spend today improving your praise and worship life! you will increase your capacity to see, hear,  understand and receive even more that He has ALREADY blessed you with (Ephesians 1:3)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Hear Our Praises":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 147:1 says this:


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


I LOVE how this says "praise is appropriate"! Do you think so? OF COURSE it is! He IS the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, after all!  I also really like verse 2:


    ² The Lord is building up Jerusalem; He is gathering together the exiles of Israel.


WE need to continue to pray for the peace and prosperity of the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, for OUR benefit! This puts US in position to continue to be blessed by God! HE is looking out for them! God has set His plan in motion concerning this nation and there is no devil from hell that will ever stop it! AMEN! And the last verses I want to share today are verses 7-8:

  ⁷Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!--

    ⁸Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.

I have been SO very blessed this year by the wonderful artistry of God in the skies! HE put those clouds there! HALLELUJAH! Here are a couple of my favorite pictures of this:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


I am going to share today's devotional from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers in it's entirety today because it is so good!

. . . tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high —Luke 24:49

The disciples had to tarry, staying in Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost, not only for their own preparation but because they had to wait until the Lord was actually glorified. And as soon as He was glorified, what happened? “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). The statement in John 7:39 — “. . . for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified”— does not pertain to us. The Holy Spirit has been given; the Lord is glorified— our waiting is not dependent on the providence of God, but on our own spiritual fitness.

The Holy Spirit’s influence and power were at work before Pentecost, but He was not here. Once our Lord was glorified in His ascension, the Holy Spirit came into the world, and He has been here ever since. We have to receive the revealed truth that He is here. The attitude of receiving and welcoming the Holy Spirit into our lives is to be the continual attitude of a believer. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive reviving life from our ascended Lord.

It is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit that changes people, but the power of the ascended Christ coming into their lives through the Holy Spirit. We all too often separate things that the New Testament never separates. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience apart from Jesus Christ— it is the evidence of the ascended Christ.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit does not make you think of time or eternity— it is one amazing glorious now. “This is eternal life, that they may know You . . .” (John 17:3). Begin to know Him now, and never finish.

Everything that the Holy Spirit was sent into the earth to do, He is STILL doing today! The gifts of the Spirit are as necessary today as they have ever been! As long as we are still on this earth, living in these earthly bodies, we NEED the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives! It is only when "that which is perfect" comes, and THAT would be JESUS, that we will no longer need this precious and very valuable Gift! If YOU have never been filled with the Spirit, check out more about this on our website (link at the left) and then prayer THIS prayer:


Father, I am Your child. I desire to be filled with Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives me the utterance. By faith, I receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. As I lift my hands to praise You, I fully expect to speak in my heavenly prayer language. Amen.


Here is Hillsong with "Church On Fire". Let's BE THAT!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 145:1-5 (AMP):


 ¹I WILL extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. ²Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever. ³Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable. ⁴One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. ⁵On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate.


The sub-heading for Psalm 145 says: "[A Psalm] of praise. Of David. David may have written this and I'm sure he sang it, but the reason that this Psalm is included, by God, in His Word, is because this is something that EVERY believer should be doing! Make this Psalm your own personal declaration and expression of praise and worship to Him! Verses 10-12 say this:

   ¹⁰All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]! ¹¹They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, ¹²To make known to the sons of men God's mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

THAT should be our purpose in whatever we do!  What will HE do? Verses 19-20:

¹⁹He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. ²⁰The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.

So I will do verse 21:

 ²¹My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

   

How about YOU? Here is Hillsong with "All Of My Days":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 144:1-2 give us a great perspective on how the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible desires for us to operate and how He wants us to view Him!


 ¹BLESSED BE the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight-   ²My Steadfast Love and my Fortress, my High Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in Whom I trust and take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.


The Amplified Bible is very accurate here because the Hebrew word for "strength" is "tsuwr", which means: a rock or a rocky wall. He is our firm foundation! He "teaches", the Hebrew word "lamad", which means: to instruct, but also to goad! He pushes us to press on and to know and to do more than we thought we were capable of! What is He teaching? He teaches our hands, representing power, to war. We use HIS power to do the supernatural battle against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12)! He also teaches our fingers, representing creativity, to fight. We use the creative techniques of the Holy Spirit to fight specific, individual battles! This is like hand-to-hand combat! And through all of this, HE is Who we look to for the ultimate deliverance! Thank YOU, Jesus, for the VICTORY! AMEN! Here is an older song by Hillsong called "Great In Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Most of us are very familiar with John 3:3. Here are a few different translations for your study!

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. KJV

3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God. AMP

3 “Yes, indeed,” Yeshua answered him, “I tell you that unless a person is born again from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.  CJB

3 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."  New Living Translation 

3 Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to — to God's kingdom." THE MESSAGE

All pretty similar! The message here is that unless we experience the New Birth by receiving Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Savior, we cannot "see" the kingdom of God. This is the Greek word "oida" which means: to have seen or perceived; to know; to have knowledge of. The kingdom of God is a method or mode of living that relies completely on the resources of Heaven that we, as members of the family of God and the body of Christ, have exclusive access to! Are YOU born again? If not, pray THIS prayer, from your believing heart, and become a member of God's family!


Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen. 


Now you can check out our website (link on the left) and find out more! Check out this blog from the beginning will help you, too! Contact us for more information! In the meantime, here is Hillsong with "Break Free":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Although I prefer to stick to the straight-up Word of God, devotionals can be helpful tools to remind us of the Word or to direct our thoughts. I have found that many times the Holy Spirit will use these to confirm something that He has already been speaking to me!  How can He time something that has already been written to coincide with my specific need? Because HE IS GOD! Amen! The selection today from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" is a simple, but very effective reminder not to allow the cares of this world to choke out the LIVING Word of God!

. . . do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on —Matthew 6:25

Jesus summed up commonsense carefulness in the life of a disciple as unbelief. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will squeeze right through our lives, as if to ask, “Now where do I come into this relationship, this vacation you have planned, or these new books you want to read?” And He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.

“. . . do not worry about your life . . . .” Don’t take the pressure of your provision upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is unbelief; worrying means we do not believe that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never anything but those details that worry us. Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the Word He puts in us? Is it the devil? No— “the cares of this world” (Matthew 13:22). It is always our little worries. 

Our Father God desires for us to lead a life totally free from the cares of this world, so cast every care on Him and, instead, spend more time in praise, thanksgiving and worship! praise is the highest form of prayer because it declares to all who hear that you truly do believe His Word! Here to help you with that is Hillsong United with the medley "Freedom Is Here/Shout Unto God":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


John 1 is one of the most powerful chapters in the Word of God! This reveals Who Jesus is, where He came from and why He came, so plainly and clearly! Verses 1-5 (AMP):


 ¹IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. ²He was present originally with God. ³All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. ⁴In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. ⁵And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].


Then verses 9-12, 14:

  ⁹There it was--the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. ¹⁰He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him]. ¹¹He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him. ¹²But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--  

¹⁴And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.

God the Son was in Heaven with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. They planned the great plan of our salvation and, at the proper time, He left His glory in Heaven and came to be born as a human being without an earthly father. The perfect combination of God (100%) and man (100%)! He paid the price and bridged the gap by becoming sin with OUR sin, so that He could redeem us from the control of the enemy and release us from the penalty of sin! HALLELUJAH! Here are these same verses in the Wuest Translation and the New Living Translation:


Wuest:
1 1-5 In the beginning the Word was existing. And the Word was in fellowship with God the Father. And the Word was as to His essence absolute deity. This Word was in the beginning in fellowship with God the Father. All things through His intermediate agency came into being, and without Him there came into being not even one thing which has come into existence. In Him life was existing. And this aforementioned life was the light of men. And the light in the darkness is constantly shining. And the darkness did not overwhelm it.


9-10 He, the aforementioned Word, was the light, the genuine light which enlightens spiritually every man as it comes into the universe. In the universe He was, and the universe through His intermediate agency came into existence, and the world of sinners did not have an experiential knowledge of Him. 11-13 Into the midst of His own possessions He came, and His uniquely-owned people did not take Him to themselves. But as many as appropriated Him, He gave to them a legal right to become born-ones of God, to those who place their trust in His name,   14 And the Word, entering a new mode of existence, became flesh, and lived in a tent [His physical body] among us. And we gazed with attentive and careful regard and spiritual perception at His glory, a glory such as that of a uniquely-begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

NLT:
1 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him.  4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, 
and His life brought light to everyone.  5 The light shines in the darkness, 
and the darkness can never extinguish it.


9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize Him. 11 He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. 12 But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 

14 So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

AS you allow yourself to meditate on the great love of the One, True God that would cause this wonderful plan to be put into action, you should NEVER doubt Him or His Word ever again! Obey Joshua 1:8 and meditate on this Word, day and  night, and it will rise so big within you that doubt, fear, guilt, worry, condemnation will have no place! Amen! I like this picture!

Shalom in Him!