Shalom,

Today we read Isaiah 55 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and one of my very favorite verses! Verse 11:

11 So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

We know from John 17:17 that God's Word is TRUTH! Which means that anything contrary to His Word is NOT! So, our instruction in every situation is to speak the Word! When we do that, we give God something to work with! What work is that? CONFIRMING the Word! Mark 16:20:

20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

But speaking the Word does not mean just randomly saying something, it involves much more than that. We are told this in Joshua 1:8:

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

Mediating on the Word of God allows Holy Spirit to reveal the Word to us, bringing knowledge and understanding, along with the Wisdom necessary to act on it. When we do, THEN God can confirm it and bring it to pass in our lives. THAT is when His Word, that will NOT return to Him void, will manifest in OUR lives! We have the choice to make every day. Will we choose to believe, receive and act on God's Word or not? WE will have the result of our choices. I choose the Word! How about YOU? Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The Word of God SHOULD be our FIRST and FINAL authority! John 17:17 tells us that God's Word IS TRUTH! If it does NOT line up with God's Word, then it is NOT Truth, no matter how REAL it may appear! God's Word is POWERFUL to produce what He intends for it to produce! Hebrews 12 says in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan say this:

12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

AMEN! Hebrews 12  goes on to say this in verses 14-16:

14 Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]. 15 For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. 16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

AMEN! JESUS has left us all so very well equipped to handle anything and everything that we face! He has called us MORE than CONQUERORS (Romans 8:37)! When we come into His presence boldly to receive the help that we need, HE shows us the way through! HE knows the problem AND the solution! AMEN! Trust Him! Here is Hillsong with "Here's To The One":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is excellent!

OVERCOMER

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11).

Because Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), he will try to exercise authority over you in this life. He will try to dominate you. He will try to keep you from walking in your redemptive rights.

But you can overcome the devil every time, no matter what the test. You can overcome him because of the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony!

You simply have to know what the blood has bought for you: deliverance from the power (authority) of darkness (Satan), and translation (by virtue of the New Birth) into the kingdom of light. Then you have to add your testimony to that knowledge.

Stand your ground. Confess what the blood of the Lamb has wrought. Thank God, there is power in the blood! But the power in the blood won't just work automatically - you have to add your testimony to it.

Confession: I am an overcomer. I overcome the devil in every confrontation; he never overcomes me. I overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of my testimony.

AMEN! For so long believers thought that they had to beg God to deliver them, when all this time we have access to everything we need as members of God's family, Covenant partners with Him and members of His body! Find out what belongs to YOU as a born again child of the Living God! Meditate on those TRUTHS until they become real to YOU. Then begin to declare and decree GOD's will for your life! HE will confirm that (Mark 16:20)! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I AM":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is an excellent exhortation to every born again believer! 

Fountains of Blessings

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. —John 4:14

The picture our Lord described here is not that of a simple stream of water, but an overflowing fountain. Continue to “be filled” (Ephesians 5:18) and the sweetness of your vital relationship to Jesus will flow as generously out of you as it has been given to you. If you find that His life is not springing up as it should, you are to blame— something is obstructing the flow. Was Jesus saying to stay focused on the Source so that you may be blessed personally? No, you are to focus on the Source so that out of you “will flow rivers of living water”— irrepressible life (John 7:38).

We are to be fountains through which Jesus can flow as “rivers of living water” in blessing to everyone. Yet some of us are like the Dead Sea, always receiving but never giving, because our relationship is not right with the Lord Jesus. As surely as we receive blessings from Him, He will pour out blessings through us. But whenever the blessings are not being poured out in the same measure they are received, there is a defect in our relationship with Him. Is there anything between you and Jesus Christ? Is there anything hindering your faith in Him? If not, then Jesus says that out of you “will flow rivers of living water.” It is not a blessing that you pass on, or an experience that you share with others, but a river that continually flows through you. Stay at the Source, closely guarding your faith in Jesus Christ and your relationship to Him, and there will be a steady flow into the lives of others with no dryness or deadness whatsoever.

Is it excessive to say that rivers will flow out of one individual believer? Do you look at yourself and say, “But I don’t see the rivers”? Through the history of God’s work you will usually find that He has started with the obscure, the unknown, the ignored, but those who have been steadfastly true to Jesus Christ.

AMEN! Now when he speaks of relationship, he is actually referring to FELLOWSHIP! Nothing can change our relationship with JESUS once we are born again as new creations in Christ, members of His family, His body and His bride! But many things, choices, decisions can affect our FELLOWSHIP with Him. When we allow that to happen, WE hinder the flow of those living waters! Refuse to be tricked by the enemy to ignore your intimate fellowship with your Lord and Saviour! Let those living waters flow from you to everyone you come in contact with! That IS why we are here, after all! AMEN! Her is Hillsong with "No Reason To Hide":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I grew up not knowing much at all of the Word of God, but I loved what I knew of God! My heart ached when I saw people throw away copies of the New Testament that we had been given at a school assembly, until I realized that the group sponsoring the event had expected such a thing and the 'garbage cans' that kids were using to dispose of something that they didn't want were actually containers to keep these precious New Testaments FROM being thrown away! They simply carried them back for another event! I 'felt' this sorrow inside, even though I had never read the Bible at all! My mom gave me a Bible of my own when I graduated and my brother made me a beautiful wooden case to keep it in! I was SO happy, though I didn't really understand much of what I would read. Seven years later, when I received JESUS as my Lord and personal Saviour, the Word of God became REAL to me! What a day THAT was! I have never let go of the Word of the Living God which IS TRUTH, the ONLY TRUTH! That is one of the reasons that I love our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan so much! It takes us chronologically through the Word of God in one year, while reading Psalms and Proverbs and the four Gospels twice! If you would like one, contact us through our website (link to the left) or simply use the one posted there daily! Today we begin in Hebrews and I LOVE that this first chapter leaves no doubt Who JESUS is! I am going to post the entire chapter here from the Amplified Bible (classic edition):

1 In many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,

2 [But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].

3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,

4 [Taking a place and rank by which] He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did [God] ever say, You are My Son, today I have begotten You [established You in an official Sonship relation, with kingly dignity]? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son?

6 Moreover, when He brings the firstborn Son again into the habitable world, He says, Let all the angels of God worship Him.

7 Referring to the angels He says, [God] Who makes His angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire;

8 But as to the Son, He says to Him, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness (of justice and straightforwardness).

9 You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and You have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity). Therefore God, [even] Your God (Godhead), has anointed You with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and beyond Your companions.

10 And [further], You, Lord, did lay the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of Your hands.

11 They will perish, but You remain and continue permanently; they will all grow old and wear out like a garment.

12 Like a mantle [thrown about one’s self] You will roll them up, and they will be changed and replaced by others. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end nor come to failure.

13 Besides, to which of the angels has He ever said, Sit at My right hand [associated with Me in My royal dignity] till I make your enemies a stool for your feet?

14 Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation?

I LOVE this in particular from verses 3-4:

3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high, 4 [Taking a place and rank by which] He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs.

AMEN! JESUS IS God Almighty! He IS the Saviour of ALL who will call on His Name TO be saved! Have you? WILL you? Visit our website to learn more and listen to this song from Hillsong Worship which declares His glorious Name! "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 66 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Look at verses 1-4:

1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth; 2 Sing forth the honor and glory of His name; make His praise glorious! 3 Say to God, How awesome and fearfully glorious are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power shall Your enemies submit themselves to You [with feigned and reluctant obedience]. 4 All the earth shall bow down to You and sing [praises] to You; they shall praise Your name in song. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Make His praise glorious! We are to be continually praising our God for all that he has already done for us, and all that He is GOING to do! AMEN! Then in Mark 16 in our Bible Reading Plan for today, we read verses 15-20:

15 And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]. 16 He who believes [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned. 17 And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; 18 They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).

These are also God's promises to those who will obey His Word and the leading of Holy Spirit! Meditate on these Truths until they become so real to you that doubt doesn't have a chance! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "King Of Kings":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional is one of the very best! Today's is especially good! 

The Word

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

"I just don't have any faith," some Christians say. "I've prayed and fasted for faith, but I just don't have any."

Asking for faith will never produce faith. Why not? Because faith doesn't come by asking; faith comes by hearing. By hearing what? The Word of God!

Having to encourage Christians to have faith means that the Word of God has lost its reality in their lives. None of the New Testament Epistles encourage believers to have faith.

Why not? Because the Epistles were written to the Church. And its individual members are actually born into the family of God. Believers have received the Holy Spirit as their Teacher, Guide, and Comforter. And the measure of their faith will be the measure of their knowledge of the Father - and their knowledge of their privileges.

Simply study the Bible and get acquainted with your Heavenly Father. Walk in the closest possible fellowship with Him. Become familiar with your privileges as His child.

As you become one with the Word, and the Word becomes one with you, you will become mighty in faith.

Confession: As I study the Word of God, I am becoming one with it. I am feeding upon it; I am hearing it; and faith is coming to me.

AMEN! We have all been given a 'measure' of faith in order to believe the Gospel and be saved! But after that, we are expected by God to GET faith for every area of life FROM the Word of God! Spend time meditating (Joshua 1:8 AMPC) on the Word of the Living God and then EXPECT Him to confirm HIS WORD with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:20)! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with a great older song called "Free":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

Today's Psalm 64 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is excellent for such a time as THIS! 

Psalm 64

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; guard and preserve my life from the terror of the enemy.

2 Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly, from the scheming of evildoers,

3 Who whet their tongues like a sword, who aim venomous words like arrows,

4 Who shoot from ambush at the blameless man; suddenly do they shoot at him, without self-reproach or fear.

5 They encourage themselves in an evil purpose, they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, Who will discover us?

6 They think out acts of injustice and say, We have accomplished a well-devised thing! For the inward thought of each one [is unsearchable] and his heart is deep.

7 But God will shoot an unexpected arrow at them; and suddenly shall they be wounded.

8 And they will be made to stumble, their own tongues turning against them; all who gaze upon them will shake their heads and flee away.

9 And all men shall [reverently] fear and be in awe; and they will declare the work of God, for they will wisely consider and acknowledge that it is His doing.

10 The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust and take refuge in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory and offer praise.

As a born again believer in the Kingdom of God, and as a Constitutional Conservative American in this present world, I find great encouragement in the above Psalm! Our president has been hampered at every turn, first by extensive campaign and voter fraud by some running against him, and then by corrupt officials, government 'leaders', a main stream media who are sadly lacking in true journalists and by a outside influences from other countries. BUT, we have GOD's Word on it! The underlined verses above are OUR promise from the God of the Bible! Stand strong on the Word and refuse to be moved by what you see and hear around you. Focus on the promises of our new and BETTER Covenant and you WILL SEE the glory of God manifest! Get yourself ready to be not only an observer, but a bold and aggressive DOER of the Word of God! You will NOT be disappointed AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We who are born again, having received JESUS as our Lord and Saviour, have a BETTER Covenant with Almighty God than the Jewish people under the Old Covenant had! Ours is based on better promises than they had! SO, if we read something great in the Old Testament, like the promises in today's reading in Psalm 63 through our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, we KNOW that we have AT LEAST those good promises, and maybe MORE! Psalm 63:

Psalm 63

A Psalm of David; when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. 2 So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. 4 So will I bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

5 My whole being shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips 6 When I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches. 7 For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice. 8 My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek and demand my life to ruin and destroy it shall [themselves be destroyed and] go into the lower parts of the earth [into the underworld of the dead]. 10 They shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a prey for foxes and jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; everyone who swears by Him [that is, who binds himself by God’s authority, acknowledging His supremacy, and devoting himself to His glory and service alone; every such one] shall glory, for the mouths of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

If David had reason to bless the LORD with all that was within him, WE HAVE MORE! Learn to remember HIM as you lay your head down to sleep, and meditate on His Word and all that He has already done for you! Give HIM thanks at all times, and you will find that your trying times will go by faster and your rewards will be more evident! HE will lead, guide and direct you, moment by moment, and day by day! COUNT on it! COUNT on HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense (Sometimes By Step)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 62 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. I believe that this one is going to be a real blessing to someone today! Or many someones!

Psalm 62

To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun [Ethan, the noted musician, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of David.

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved.

3 How long will you set upon a man that you may slay him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? 4 They only consult to cast him down from his height [to dishonor him]; they delight in lies. They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

5 My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him. 6 He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. 7 With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God! 8 Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

9 Men of low degree [in the social scale] are emptiness (futility, a breath) and men of high degree [in the same scale] are a lie and a delusion. In the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Trust not in and rely confidently not on extortion and oppression, and do not vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

11 God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God. 12 Also to You, O Lord, belong mercy and loving-kindness, for You render to every man according to his work.

There will ALWAYS be people who do not want to hear the Message that God has commissioned us to share! When people fail to appreciate you, or even when they give you problems, REMEMBER where YOUR help comes from! Use Psalm 62 to remind yourself of this valuable and powerful TRUTH! AMEN! And also ALWAYS remember that God's Word will NOT return void! The seed that you have sown is being continually brought up to those you have shared with and others whom you do not even yet know! Keep watering that seed with your prayer and, if not before, on REWARDS DAY in heaven you will see just how much was accomplished when you THOUGHT that nothing happened! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Echoes (Till We See The Other Side)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 61 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is a Psalm of David who was one of the very best worshipers! 

1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting; lead me to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me]. 3 For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary. 4 I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; let me find refuge and trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5 For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name. 6 May You prolong the [true] King’s life [adding days upon days], and may His years be to the last generation [of this world and the generations of the world to come]. 7 May He sit enthroned forever before [the face of] God; O ordain that loving-kindness and faithfulness may watch over Him! 8 So will I sing praise to Your name forever, paying my vows day by day.

I like The Passion Translation for this Psalm, too!

61 To the Pure and Shining One
A song for the guitar by King David

1 O God, hear my prayer. Listen to my heart’s cry.
2 For no matter where I am, even when I’m far from home,
I will cry out to you for a father’s help.
When I’m feeble and overwhelmed by life,
guide me into your glory, where I am safe and sheltered.
3 Lord, you are a paradise of protection to me.
You lift me high above the fray.
None of my foes can touch me
when I’m held firmly in your wrap-around presence!
4 Keep me in this glory.
Let me live continually under your splendor-shadow,
hiding my life in you forever.
Pause in his presence
5 You have heard my sweet resolutions
to love and serve you, for I am your beloved.
And you have given me an inheritance of rich treasures,
which you give to all your lovers.
6 You treat me like a king, giving me a full and abundant life,
years and years of reigning,
like many generations rolled into one.
7 I will live enthroned with you forever!
Guard me, God, with your unending, unfailing love.
Let me live my days walking in grace and truth before you.
8 And my praises will fill the heavens forever,
fulfilling my vow to make every day a love gift to you!

We all have moments when we feel weary and may even be tempted to give up and quit. WHEN we do, THIS is the response we should have! Call on the ONE Who loves you MOST! There IS no greater LOVE than HIS! Holy Spirit within you, as a born again believer, will comfort you, encourage you, exhort you and lead you on to victory IF you refuse to quit! Instead, praise God with all that is within you, as David did, and watch HIS favor flow! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Whole Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin! This has always been one of my favorites!

Giving the Word First Place

"Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors" (Psalm 119:24). 

When the crises or tests come, too many Christians say, "What are we going to do now?" 

The crises of life come to us all. But if you are Word-oriented, the first thing you will think about is, "What does the Word say about it?" 

I pastored nearly twelve years, and I found that churches have problems just like families do. They have discipline problems, financial problems, and so forth. 

I never discussed church problems with the people, because the more you talk about problems, the bigger they seem to get. But sometimes my deacon board would talk about church problems, and sure enough, the more they talked about them, the bigger the problems seemed to get. 

Then one of the deacons would look at me and say, "Oh, Brother Hagin, what in the world are we going to do?" 

I'd smile and say, "We're going to act like the Bible is true!" 

Making that little statement would cause those deacons to sigh with relief. "It is true, isn't it," they'd say. "Sure it is," I'd say. 

It's amazing how things would straighten out when we acted like the Bible is true! 

Confession: Lord, thy testimonies are my counselors. I put them first. I put God's Word first. I act like it's so. 

AMEN! It IS True! John 17:17 Tells us this:

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

God's Word IS Truth and WE can KNOW it, IF we follow on to know it! I hope that YOU will make it YOUR 'determined purpose' to really KNOW JESUS, know the Father and know Holy Spirit, INTIMATELY! Every aspect of your life will change for the better when you have and maintain intimate fellowship with the God of the Bible! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is very good and also very important!

Sublime Intimacy

Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, thou should see the glory of God? — John 11:40

Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your commonsense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture heroically on Jesus Christ’s statements when the facts of your commonsense life shout “It’s a lie”? On the mount it is easy to say — “Oh, yes, I believe God can do it”; but you have to come down into the demon-possessed valley and meet with facts that laugh ironically at the whole of your mount-of-transfiguration belief. Every time my programme of belief is clear to my own mind, I come across something that contradicts it. Let me say I believe God will supply all my need, and then let me run dry, with no outlook, and see whether I will go through the trial of faith, or whether I will sink back to something lower.

Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict. What is your faith up against just now? The test will either prove that your faith is right, or it will kill it. “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me.” The final thing is confidence in Jesus. Believe steadfastly on Him and all you come up against will develop your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith, and the last great test is death. May God keep us in fighting trim! Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.

We also just read Mark 9 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. It is in this chapter that we find the three disciples who went with JESUS up the mountain and saw Him transfigured before their eyes! They were enveloped in the glory of the Lord. BUT, then they had to come back down the mountain to the rest of the world and had to deal with situations and circumstances! If we make certain that we are having intimate fellowship with HIM every day, then we can have great confidence that we know Him and His voice, and that we will NOT be led astray! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Like Incense (Sometimes By Step)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I have mentioned a lot on this blog the TRUTH that it is not enough to just hear the Word of God, but we must meditate on it so that we can DO it! Joshua 1:8 and James 1:22-24:

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. 23 For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like.

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin speaks of this is the context of receiving healing from the Lord and His Word:

Doing Philippians 4:6

"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God" (Philippians  4:6 AMP). 
A minister once came to me for advice. There were many storms in his life, and I felt sorry for him. He couldn't eat or sleep. 

Just to sympathize with him wasn't enough, so I had to read Philippians 4:6. "But everyone doesn't have the faith you have," he told me. "Yes, but they have the same Bible," I replied, "and it's a matter of practicing the Word." 

Then I showed him how to practice the Word: I read a verse aloud and then told the Lord, "Your Word is true, and I believe it." When I first started practicing this verse, I believed I could make my requests known to God, but it was hard for me to believe I could keep from fretting. However, God won't ask us to do something we can't do. So when God said not to fret, this means we can keep from fretting. 

So I say aloud, "I refuse to fret or have any anxiety about anything." Then I bring my requests to the Lord and thank Him for them. This quiets the troubled spirit the devil tried to make me have. If the devil tries to get me to worry again, I simply go back, reread this verse, and keep claiming it. 

Confession: I am a doer of Philippians 4:6! 

AMEN! I hope that YOU will put this into practice today! Find what the Word of God has to say about healing, or any other situation that you are facing. Now meditate (read, study, ponder, imagine, speak (to yourself and others) until this Word of TRUTH become so real to you. Now begin to DO what Brother Hagin demonstrated above and YOU will begin to have the powerful, supernatural results that you desire! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is VITAL for both KNOW and DO for the born again believer! 

Refusing to Fret

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). 

The Amplified translation of this verse begins, "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything…." 
Christians usually practice only part of this verse—the part that says to pray. But if we practice that part and not the part about not having anxiety, we're not practicing the Word. We're not being a doer of the Word. 

First, God's Word says, "Do not fret…." If you're going to fret and be anxious, it won't do you any good to make requests. Your prayers will not work. 

I read a story years ago about a man, his wife, and grown son, who were in a field chopping cotton. The son wasn't quite right mentally. Storm clouds appeared, and it began to thunder, but the old man wanted to continue working. 

Then the lightning became bad. The family began to run for shelter. When it looked as though they weren't going to make it, the parents fell to their knees and began to pray. "Come on, Ma and Pa," the boy cried. "A scared prayer ain't no account." 

There's much truth to that. That's what the Spirit of God is saying through Paul. So, when you pray, "Be careful for nothing…." 

Confession: I do not fret or have any anxiety about anything. 

AMEN! Make sure that YOU are being a DOER of this Word, and not just a hearer! Hearers of the Word receive NOTHING until they also DO what the Word says! Put the Word of God to work in YOUR life by acting on it, giving HIM something to work with! {Mark 16:20} Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Good Grace":

Shalom  in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 56 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Verses 9-13 are some of my favorites for encouraging myself in the Lord, just as David did! :

9 Then shall my enemies turn back in the day that I cry out; this I know, for God is for me. 10 In God, Whose word I praise, in the Lord, Whose word I praise, 11 In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12 Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render praise to You and give You thank offerings. 13 For You have delivered my life from death, yes, and my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life and of the living.

Psalm 56 is speaking of David's thoughts when he was in the presence of the Philistines in Gath. The vows that he is speaking of are his own vows to God in verses 3-4:

3 What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. 4 By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me?

So David was giving God the praise for delivering him. I encourage myself with verses 9-10! I KNOW that God is ALWAYS for me! He is NEVER against me! So, I put my complete trust and confidence in HIM to deliver ME out of every situation, scheme, strategy and trick of the enemy! There is no place for 'fear of man' when we have and operate in the FEAR of the LORD! When we hold HIM in the highest place and exalt HIM for WHO HE IS! Then I can be assured that I AM who HE says I AM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with that very song to encourage YOU to encourage yourself with HIS TRUTH! AMEN! 

Shalom in Him!