Shalom,

Today we begin in Proverbs again in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Verses 1-7 of Proverbs 1 says this:

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, 3 Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, 4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth— 5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]— 6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles. 7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

As you go through this great Book, remember to mediate on the comparisons you will be seeing between the wise and the unwise! And never forget from, verse 7 above, that the Fear of the Lord is where Wisdom begins and continues! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan we read Psalm 150. I ALWAYS post this Psalm when we get to it twice a year because I LOVE it! 

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!)

What does this Psalm reveal to us? It reveals that there are a multitude of ways to PRAISE the LORD! The word "praise" is found 13 times in this Psalm and every one of them is the Hebrew word "halal". Strong's Concordance says: to be clear, to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to 'stultify' (which means ti make or appear to be foolish or ridiculous). Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says: to shine, to flash forth light, to boast, to be boastful, to glory, to act like a madman. Now, the question is, when was the last time that YOU actually did PRAISE THE LORD according to the REAL definition of the word? I challenge you to up your praise game! Make a conscious effort to REALLY be a DOER of this word in both your private PRAISE time AND in your Church service! HE is WORTHY of it ALL! HALLELUJAH! (Which literally means to Praise GOD)! Here is a fun new song to help you do so! Elevation Worship with "PRAISE":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers!

The Bounty Of The Destitute

Being justified freely by His grace… — Romans 3:24

The Gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the revelation which it brings is not palatable. There is a certain pride in man that will give and give, but to come and accept is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom, I will give myself in consecration, I will do anything, but do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God; we must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest blessing spiritually is the knowledge that we are destitute; until we get there Our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us if we think we are sufficient of ourselves; we have to enter into His Kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are rich, possessed of anything in the way of pride or independence, God cannot do anything for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is made effectual in us by the Holy Spirit; He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, which puts “the beyond” within, and immediately the beyond has come within, it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the domain where Jesus lives (John 3:5).

AMEN! There is NOTHING that we can EVER do to 'deserve' Heaven! BUT, JESUS already PAID the PRICE, IN FULL, for our SALVATION! Let's continue to BELIEVE and RECEIVE all that JESUS has paid for us to HAVE, HERE, IN THIS LIFE! And in eternity - WITH HIM! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Freedom":

Shalom  in  Him!

Shalom,

Today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan has us reading Psalm 148 and I LOVE this one, too! 

Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light!
4 Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.
6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over].
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps!
8 You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers and judges of the earth!
12 Both young men and maidens, old men and children!
13 Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven!
14 He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

So, what are you waiting for? PRAISE HIM!!! Here, to help you with THAT is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to shar the devotional from The Spoken Word Church website. THIS IS VITAL!

Honor Your Word

Truth is the most powerful force on earth. It cannot be changed. Be honest. Cherish your integrity. Keep your word. Never make a promise impossible to keep.

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” {Proverbs 22:1}

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "In Control":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Revelation 2 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. In his letter to the churches John had comendation for the Chuch at Ephesus, but in verse 4 he had this to say in correction to them:

4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

The MOST important decision that we must make as born again believers is to ALWAYS keep JESUS as out #1! Our first priority and out FIRST and BEST LOVE! Anything else cheats HIM of what He deserves from us and cheats US of all that HE has planned and purposed for us! Here are Hillsong Kids with a song that tells us what our priority SHOULD BE! "My Number One":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 145 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Here it is:

Psalm 145
[A Psalm] of praise. Of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise].
2 Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate.
6 Men shall speak of the might of Your tremendous and terrible acts, and I will declare Your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth [like a fountain] the fame of Your great and abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice.
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.
9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]!
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power,
12 To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.
17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.
20 The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) His holy name forever and ever.

I challenge you today, and every day, to be a DOER of the WORD with this Psalm! Make your own declarations of HIS GLORY and keep HIM ever alive in your mind and heart! HE will NEVER let you down! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tear The Roof Off":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share again today from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional. It is especially appropriate for this Thanksgiving Day!

Thank You, Father

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. — COLOSSIANS 1:12-14

The New Covenant tells us we should be giving thanks unto the Father because He has made us able to be partakers of something. Of what? “. . . Of the inheritance of the saints in light”!

The Amplified Bible translates verse 13 as, “[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness . . . .”

God Himself has delivered us from the control of Satan! Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of darkness. God’s kingdom is the kingdom of light. The Father has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us out from under the control and dominion of darkness. Satan has no control over us. He cannot dominate us.

And we are told to thank God for that!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for making me fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Thank You for delivering me out of the authority of darkness. Thank You for transferring me into the kingdom of Your dear Son — the kingdom of light.

I hope that this has been a very BLESSED Thanksgiving Day for you and your families! Meditating EVERY DAY on all that GOD has done for YOU will make certain that your life will be SO MUCH BETTER next Thanksgiving Day than it is right now! Here, to help you along on that path, is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith Food" devotional from Kenneth E. Hagin!

Purpose

. . . That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. — 1 TIMOTHY 2:2-4

God doesn’t tell us to do something just to fill up space in the Bible. He has a purpose in mind. We are to pray for those in authority so that we who are Christians may lead a quiet and peaceable life. God is concerned about us, and He will work on our behalf, even when those in authority are not Christians.

God’s ultimate purpose is that we be able to spread the Gospel freely. If we do not live under a stable government, the spreading of the Gospel is hindered. For example, times of political upheaval, war, travel restrictions, and other limitations hinder the spreading of the Gospel. Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). The devil will try his best to see that this is not accomplished. Therefore, we are exhorted to offer intercessory prayer, supplications, and the giving of thanks for those who lead our nation.

Confession: Father, I thank You for our leaders. I thank You because You hear and answer prayer, and because You are working on my behalf.

AMEN! When we pray according to God's Word and in the Name of JESUS, we KNOW that we HAVE the ANSWER!!! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong wtih "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambvers is one of my favorites! 

It Is Finished

I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. — John 17:4

The death of Jesus Christ is the performance in history of the very mind of God. There is no room for looking on Jesus Christ as a martyr; His death was not something that happened to Him which might have been prevented. His death was the very reason why He came.

Never build your preaching of forgiveness on the fact that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. It is untrue to Jesus Christ’s revelation of God; it makes the Cross unnecessary, and the Redemption “much ado about nothing.” If God does forgive sin, it is because of the Death of Christ. God could forgive men in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted to be Saviour because of His death. “We see Jesus…because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” The greatest note of triumph that ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ – “It is finished.” That is the last word in the Redemption of man.

Anything that belittles or obliterates the holiness of God by a false view of the love of God, is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ. Never allow the thought that Jesus Christ stands with us against God out of pity and compassion; that He became a curse for us out of sympathy with us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by the Divine decree. Our portion of realising the terrific meaning of the curse is conviction of sin, the gift of shame and penitence is given us; this is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the wrong in man, and Calvary is the estimate of His hatred.

AMEN! Never forget what JESUS has done for YOU! Here, to help you remember that is Brooke Ligertwood with another of my favorite songs! "Ancient Gates":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from our partners, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's, devotional "From Faith To Faith":

Recall God's Mercies

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

God is faithful. He's full of compassion. His mercies are new every morning. As a believer, you know all that. But simply knowing it is not enough.

For it to do you any good, you have to recall it. You have to remember it again and again in order to rekindle your hope and stir your faith.

So, make it a point to remind yourself of God's faithfulness every morning. Remind yourself of the benefits that are yours in Jesus.

What are those benefits? Psalm 103 spells them out:

1. He forgives all your sins.

2. He heals all your diseases.

3. He redeems your life from destruction.

4. He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

5. He satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6. He executes righteousness and judgment for you against oppression.

7. He sets you free.

8. He makes known His ways to you.

9. He gives you His grace and mercy in times of need.

Make it a point every morning to say those things out loud to the Lord. Stand before Him in prayer and recall His mercies to you. Keep it up and you'll be stronger in faith and more confident of God's love than you've ever been before.

Don't just settle for knowing God's blessings. Remember them every day and watch them come alive in you.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Thanksgiving

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. — PSALM 107:21-22

The forefathers of the United States set aside a day each year to offer thanks to God for His blessings on them in this new world. He had blessed them both spiritually and materially.

We should also offer thanksgiving to God for the spiritual and material blessings of life He has bestowed upon us. And we should thank God for His loving protection and care for us.

This Thanksgiving season, let’s look into God’s Word to see what He has to say about “the giving of thanks.” We’ll look into the New Testament, because we live under the New Covenant, to see what the New Covenant says we are to give thanks for.

Confession: I praise the Lord for His goodness. I sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. I thank Him for the spiritual and material blessings in life. I thank God for His protection and care.

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Thank You":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Daily Grace Inspiration" devotional by Joseph Prince! 

He Freely Gives

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32

Isaiah 53:5 tells us that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. Every stripe He bore as He was scourged was for our healing. And He willingly allowed stripe after stripe to rip into His body so you and I could be well. Don’t ever believe the enemy’s lie that God wants you sick or that He is not willing to heal you. At the cross, our Lord Jesus demonstrated once and for all that He wants you well.

The Bible even tells us that it pleased the Lord to “crush Him” (Isaiah. 53:10 NASB). I used to wonder how it could have pleased the Lord to crush His own Son. Then one day, the Lord showed me.

My wife, Wendy, and I had gone to a mall and the nearest parking lot we could find was quite a distance away. We did a lot of shopping that day and before we knew it, we had our hands full of shopping bags. By this time, our Jessica, who was a cherubic two-year-old then, was tired and wanted to be carried. I picked her up with one arm, and she was so exhausted she fell asleep on my shoulder almost immediately.

As we walked toward our car, I felt my arm go to sleep, and I realized the car was much farther away than I had thought. It felt like a million pins and needles were piercing my arm, and I knew I could stop the burning pain by simply putting Jessica down and making her walk the rest of the way. But she was sleeping so soundly and deeply, I could not bear to put her down. I loved her so much I was willing to “crush” my arm so my little darling could continue to sleep.

All of a sudden I began to understand how it could please God to crush Jesus, who is described in the same chapter as “the arm of the LORD” (Isaiah 53:1). It pleased the Lord to crush His only begotten Son because of His great love for you and me. That was the only way God could save us from sin and disease, and He willingly chose to give up His Son.

Today you can have full assurance God wants to heal you. The Bible tells us, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

God already gave us the best of heaven when He gave us His darling Jesus. What are our temporal needs when He has already given us a gift that is eternal? Whatever your needs are, whether it is financial provision or healing for your body, they are all lesser compared to the gift of His Son. How shall He not with Him also freely give them to you?

This makes me realize that we are actually doing our wonderful FATHER a great disservice when we don't freely and eagerly receive what HE has provided for us through His own SON! Let's step up our faith and BELIEVE and RECEIVE all that HE has provided for us, giving HIM even more GLORY!!! Here is Brooke Ligertwood  with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we read Psalm 138 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to share the whole Psalm with you today!

[A Psalm] of David.
1 I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! 3 In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self. 4 All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord, for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled]. 5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands.

Verse 2 has always been one of my very favorite verses! We KNOW that the Name of Jesus is higher than any other! BUT, we learn here that it is the Living Word of the Living God that makes the NAME so powerful! If you will mediate on this Psalm (Joshua 1:8 AMPC) asking Holy Spirit to teach you (Psalm 25:5) you will find your self walking in a greater degree of wisdom, understanding, Grace and power! Here is Here is Hillsong with "That's The Power":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 14 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I LOVE the Gospel of John and today verses 1-4 really stood out to me!

1 Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. 2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.

What wonderful promises we have in just these 4 verses! Remember that "let" means CHOICE! I decide in my life and YOU decide in yours whether or not we will allow troubles, situations, circumstances to affect our heart! JESUS sais DO NOT! So let's NOT! JESUS is even now busy preparing our places in Heaven! And then He sais: "I WILL COME BACK"! That's His PROMISE to us! So let's be busy running our race and fulfilling our calling so that when He dos return, He will be WELLL PLEASED with us! Then JESUS also promised THIS in verse 12!

12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

Before we inquire what the 'greater things' are, lets be busy doing the first things! Then verses 13-14 give another solemn promise from JESUS!

13 And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I Am], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. 14 [Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I Am]

So let's ask HIM for what He has promised in His Word that He will do! Then BELIEVE so that we can RECEIVE all that HE has promised! And then the BEST promise is in verses 16-17!

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever— 17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

HE DID THIS! On the Day of Pentecost, JESUS sent HOLY SPIRIT to infill every born again believer! Reread the book of Acts and see what HOLY SPIRIT did through them, and what HE desires to do through US! HALLELUJAH!!! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong with "Every Breath":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Andrew Womack's devotional!

Our Life Is Not Our Own

Luke 22:49 'When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?'

The Lordship of Jesus is one of the central themes of scripture. It is clear that many times the word 'Lord,' when referring to Jesus, is equivalent to the divine name 'Yahweh' or 'Jehovah.' To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge His deity (John 20:28).

What it means to give Jesus Lordship in our lives, is to recognize His right to rule in our lives, by right of creation (John 1:3) and right of redemption.

'For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's' (1 Corinthians 6:20).

One of the most damaging attitudes of our time is the exaltation of self over others. Personal rights have been promoted at the expense of others. This is not good for society and it is certainly not the way God expects His body to operate.

As Christians, we need to develop a continual awareness that our lives are not our own. We do not have the liberty to do as we please. We should present our body as a living sacrifice unto God, recognizing that this is just our reasonable duty to the one who gave His life for us (Romans 12:1).

The Lordship of Jesus should be the determining factor in every action of a Christian (Romans 14:7-10). Every thought and action should pass the test, 'Is this what my Lord Jesus wants me to do or think?' If the answer is not a definite 'yes,' then it shouldn't be done. 'Whatsoever is not of faith is sin' (Romans 14:23).

AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "A Thousand Hallelujahs":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

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

Agreement

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. — MATTHEW 18:19

You won’t be able to get someone healed if you’re believing that they will live, but they’re believing they will die! There’s no agreement there. When praying for others, it is important to get them to agree.

Usually, when someone comes to me with a prayer request, I say (if I can agree with it), “Let’s join hands now and agree. Listen while I pray, and agree with my prayer. Because if we both pray at once and we don’t pay attention to each other, you may be praying in one direction and I may be praying in another.”

Once a woman came for prayer for a financial need. I prayed, “Father, we agree concerning the one hundred dollars this family needs by the first of next month. We agree that by the first of the month they’ll have this extra one hundred dollars. You said that if two of you agree as touching anything they ask, it shall be done. We agree that it is done, and we thank You for it now, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”

I looked at the woman and asked, “Is it done?”

She started crying, “I hope it is,” she said.

It wasn’t. There was no agreement.

Confession: If there are two of us . . . and we’re on earth . . . and we agree as touching anything we ask in line with God’s Word . . . it shall be done for us of our Father in Heaven!

AMEN! BELIEVE this! RECEIVE this! Now tell everytone about it! And HIM! HALLELUJAH! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 134 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. 

A Song of Ascents.

1 Behold, bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, [singers] who by night stand in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift up your hands in holiness and to the sanctuary and bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]! 3 The Lord bless you out of Zion, even He Who made heaven and earth.

Remember that the "Songs of Ascents" were thought to be what the Israelites making their way to the Temple would sing as they made that ascent! Allow Holy Spirit to lead you in your own Song of Ascent as you rise into His presence! Remember Ephesians 6:6:

6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Here is Hillsong with a perfect song for that! "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible is found in John 10! Verse 10:

10 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).

BELIEVE this and then RECEIVE this for YOUR life! Notice that it says HAVE and ENJOY LIFE! THAT is GOD'S plan for US! Here is Hillsong with "You Are Life":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from our partner, Rick Renner, and his "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" devotional! 

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. — Revelation 1:13

When John received his vision of the exalted Christ while imprisoned on the island of Patmos, the elderly apostle took note of several prominent features of Jesus’ appearance. One such feature was His garment. In Revelation 1:13, he wrote that Christ was “…clothed with a garment down to the foot….” Today we will take a careful look at this phrase and see what it tells us about the Person of Jesus and why it matters to you as a child of God.

The word “clothed” is derived from the Greek word enduo, a term that referred to one who is dressed in a garment. But it must be noted that the Greek tense used in Revelation 1:13 implies that this particular garment was conferred upon Christ once and for all. He was given this garment by the Father and will be thus clothed forevermore. The Greek tense literally means Jesus was clothed; He is clothed; and He will always be clothed with this particular garment that reaches “down to the foot.”

The phrase “down to the foot” is a translation of poderes, a Greek word used only this one time in the entire New Testament. It describes a robe that flows all the way down to the ankles but leaves the feet exposed. The word poderes is also used seven times in the Old Testament Greek Septuagint to describe the attire of the high priest.

Perhaps the best example of this word poderes is found in Exodus 28, where God told Moses how to make “holy garments” for Aaron and his sons, who would serve as priests. The priestly garment was to be made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen. It was to reach down to the ankles, exactly like the robe Christ was wearing in John’s vision. For this reason, one symbolic meaning of the garment Jesus wore in John’s vision was to portray Him in His role as our Great High Priest!

Hebrews 3:1 (NKJV) declares that Jesus is the “High Priest of our confession.”

Hebrews 4:15-16 describes Jesus Christ as the High Priest who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, a truth that has been a comfort to believers throughout the In these verses, God calls each of us to come boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy and to find help in our time of need from Jesus, our High Priest. 

Hebrews 5:5-6 reveals that the office of High Priest was conferred upon Jesus and that His priesthood will remain “forever” after the order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:24 states that Jesus’ role as our Great High Priest is “unchangeable.”

The ministry of Jesus Christ as our High Priest is one of the most important themes of the New Testament. Jesus was clothed with priestly garments; He is clothed with priestly garments; and He will always be clothed with priestly garments — because He is forever the High Priest of our confession.

The way Jesus was clothed when He appeared to John sent an extremely important message to the apostle and to the Church at large. John was about to receive Jesus’ messages for the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia, some of which would contain correction and stern yet loving rebukes from Christ in response to wrong beliefs and behaviors that were emerging in these congregations. However, by appearing to John as High Priest, Jesus’ intercessory ministry was the prominent feature the apostle noticed before anything else. It proclaimed that Jesus was the Great High Priest who was praying for the churches.

We saw in the September 6 Sparkling Gem that Jesus revealed Himself in Revelation 1:5 first and foremost as the Prince and Supreme Sovereign of the kings of the earth. But in Revelation 1:13, He appeared as High Priest, thus affirming that He was standing in His priestly role, interceding for the churches He was about to discipline and correct. Before He appeared with feet of bronze, representing judgment, He appeared as the Great High Priest who was praying for them — that they might repent before He needed to apply His feet of judgment.

But John’s description of Jesus’ “garment down to the foot” also portrayed the intercessory ministry of Jesus, which will never change. This is an office that was once and for all conferred upon Christ and is unchangeable. Jesus was, is, and will always be interceding on behalf of the Church that He purchased with His own blood.

Hebrews 7:25 declares that Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Dressed in His high priestly garments, He sits in the holy presence of the Father and intercedes on our behalf.

That means Jesus is praying and interceding for you right now. So what is stopping you from coming to Him today with the needs and desires that are on your heart? Jesus was, is, and forever will be your Great High Priest. He is waiting for you to come boldly into His presence to present your needs and desires!

AMEN! Come BOLDLY into HIS presence! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!