Mon.’s Devo - The Last Day

Read: Malachi 3:1-4:6; Revelation 22:1-21; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 31:25-31
I love how the end of the Old Testament and the end of the New dovetail. The Old ends with the promise of the Messiah’s first coming and the New ends with the promise of his second. Malachi tells us that God’s messenger will come first to prepare the people’s hearts for the Messiah. We know this person to be John the Baptist. Jesus would come as a refiner’s fire and a launderer’s soap to purify the priests and their sacrifices. He was coming to judge their sins and their worship.
Jesus did all of these things while he was on earth. He confronted the religious leaders of his day with the truth of the law, not their man-made laws. He was not afraid to stand up and proclaim the truth.
Malachi ends with describing Jesus’ second coming. The messenger he will send before that day will be the prophet Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers. He will turn the heart of the Jewish people back to their founding fathers of the Old Testament and teach them Jesus in the Old Testament.
In Revelation we are in heaven with John being shown the river of life. It is the opposite of the lake of fire. It will flow from the throne of God and bring life and healing to the nations. Those who have washed their robes through repentance will have the right to eat of the tree of life that the first Adam was forbidden to eat. Now will be the acceptable time for eternal life.
Lord, may we be clothed with strength and dignity and be able to laugh at the days to come because we trust in you. May our works praise you.

Sun.’s Devo- The New Heaven and the New Earth

Read: Malachi 1-2:17; Revelation 21:1-27; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 31:10-24
It may be hard for us to fathom but Esau stands for Satan’s kingdom on earth and Jacob stands for God’s kingdom on earth. Esau despised his inheritance that God had for him so Jacob went after it. God blessed Jacob because he had a desire to build his kingdom. God cursed Esau and his heritage. Esaus’ descendants were Edom and they wanted to rebuild their kingdom. God said he would destroy it if they did. Edom had no honor or reverence for God or his priests. Edom had claimed to worship the Lord but they brought the maimed and blind animals to God.
God had said that his name would be great among the Gentiles but they had profaned his name and his table. They had good animals but kept them for themselves.
In Chapter two, God addresses Israel’s priests who didn’t give God glory. The priests were suppose to be teaching God’s laws but instead they had added to and subtracted from God’s laws and made laws that were impossible for the people to keep. The priests were unjust, took bribes and showed favoritism.
They were putting their first wives away dealing deceitfully with them. They were not giving them a writ of divorcement so they had no legal obligation to provide for them. Also, if they did marry, they caused them to commit adultery because they were still legally married. Jesus addressed this very sin in Matthew 5:31, 32.
God told them that he was weary in their crying out for justice when they called evil, good.
Finally, the end will come. The new heaven and the new earth will appear and the new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven in all its glorious splendor. Pain and tears will be done away with and there will only be rejoicing for the elect. The unbelieving sinners will be receive their inheritance also. They will be thrown into the lake of fire.
The temple of the Lord is described in all it’s glory and majesty. There will be no more sun or moon because the glory of the Lord will be the light and Jesus will be the lamp. The gates will stay open and nothing impure will ever enter it only those whose names were written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Lord, help us to be a wife of noble character to you and to our husbands on earth.

Sat.’s Devo - The Day of the Lord

Read: Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 20:1-15; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 31:8-9
When I think of “the day of the Lord”, I forget that a day to the Lord is as a thousand years. This is not all happening in a single day…it is happening over a space of time. We also know that we will not be on the earth to experience this but new believers will. This “day” will be unlike any other time. Here are some of the things it tells us of this time.
1. Jerusalem will be divided and half of the people will be taken and the other half left
2. God’s feet will stand on the Mt. Of Olives and it will be split in two forming a valley which will form a cross.
3. God will come with the saints from heaven.
4. There will be no light, cold or frost.
5. There will be no daytime or nighttime.
6. There will be light at evening time. (Look at number 4 and 5 ??? )
7. Living water will flow from Jerusalem to the east and to the west.
8. God will be the king over the whole earth.
9. The area around Jerusalem will become a desert, but Jerusalem will be raised up never to be destroyed again.
What happens to the people who fought against Jerusalem sounds like a good zombie movie. Their wealth will be collected and given to God’s people. The survivors will come to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles or their desert land will not get any rain the next year.
Jerusalem will be cleansed of all her idolatry and the name of the Lord will be the only name they worship.
In Revelation, we see this same “day”. Satan is locked up during this time. The martyrs come to life and live during this day. When this “day” is over, Satan will be released to deceive the nations and gather them for the battle. He will be defeated and thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and the false prophet where they will be tormented day and night.
God will sit on the throne of judgment and open the books of remembrance and reward the deeds of the saints and punish the deeds of the wicked. Then he will open the Book of Life and sentence the wicked to the lake of fire and sentence the saints to eternal life.
Lord, your plan is amazing and true. May we serve you faithfully to the end.

Fri.’s Devo - The Last War

Read: Zechariah 12:1-13:9; Revelation 19:1-21; Psalm 147:1-20; Proverbs 31:1-7
When all the nations come against Jerusalem, she will be unmovable. It will be so powerful that the other nations will be afraid and have to confess that it is because the Lord is with her. The leaders of Judah will become the powerful ones that consume their enemies. Judah is a picture of the believers in Jesus. They will be saved first, then the people who live in Jerusalem. God will fight against all the nations who fought against Jerusalem. The Jews as a nation will have their eyes opened to see that Jesus is their Messiah and they will weep at the revelation that for years they rejected their Savior. God will cleanse them of their sins and take away the name of the idols of their land. The prophets who prophesied lies will repent or be hurt by their own families.
In Revelation, the harlot which is the Roman Catholic Church is judged. All of heaven worshipped the Lord on his throne. Then a grew multitude joined him who were the bride who was dressed in linen. These are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Jesus rides in on a white horse. His name is Faithful and True. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood and wearing many crowns. He has a name written on him that no-one knows but himself and a name that we do know - The Word of God. The armies of heaven follow him in white linen and out of Jesus’ mouth is a sharp sword. On his thigh is written Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Another angel orders all the birds in the second heaven to come and fight with them to eat the spoils of the war. The beast will be captured also with the false prophet and thrown into the lake of fire. The rest will be killed and the birds will eat their flesh.
Notice that we won’t have to fight this fight, God and his army will fight the war. We will be enjoying the feast of the Lamb.
Lord, your plan is awesome and beyond our imagination. Thank you for your mighty works and your grace toward your people.

Thurs.’s Devo - Judgment on God’s Enemies

Read: Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Psalm 146:1-10; Proverbs 30:33
Zechariah pled with the people to ask God, not their idols and false prophets, to bless their fields and give them rain. God was extremely angry with the shepherds who were suppose to be feeding the people with the bread of truth, but instead were teaching them to follow false gods.
God said that from Judah (the redeemed) would come the cornerstone which is the truth of the Messiah. From the redeemed would come the tent peg which holds up the tabernacle - the walls of salvation. From the redeemed would come the battle bow which knows how to shoot the arrows of the Word of God. From the redeemed would come every ruler because they would be the head and not the tail. When they gather together they will trample the enemy because God would be with them. God would scatter them across the earth then bring them back from Egypt and Assyria and bring them to Gilead and Lebanon. Gilead and Lebanon speaks of eternity and being made white. God told Zechariah to pasture and feed the ones that were marked for slaughter. He told him to take two rods and name one Beauty and one Bands. He was to break Beauty to break the covenant God had with all the people of both Israel and Judah. Then he broke Bands which was the covenant between Israel and Judah. The three shepherds he cut off in one month were the prophet, priest and king.
Zechariah was paid thirty pieces of silver for his prophecy and he threw it to the potter’s field. One day, Israel would reject the Messiah and pay the same price for his blood. It would also go to buy the potter’s field to pay for people who couldn’t afford to pay for their burial.
Then he spoke of the false prophet that would rise up in the end. He would not visit the oppressed, nor heal the broken, or care for the fatherless, or feed the poor, but he will take the best of the land and tear in pieces the weak. Woe to the leaders of the believers who don’t stay by their people. His end will be cursed.
Revelations gives the last call for the righteous people to come out of Babylon and be saved because judgment is about to fall. When she does, all the earth will look in awe and fear. The economy of the whole earth will be shaken. Babylon’s destruction will be permanent and quick.
Lord, you watch over your people and frustrate the ways of the wicked. We praise you!

Wed.’s Devo - Overcoming the Beast

Read: Zechariah 9:1-17; Revelation 17:1-18; Psalm 145:1-21; Proverbs 30:32
God gave Zechariah a word against Hadrach which he said would rest upon Damascus. Hadrach means “the privy chamber” or the bathroom. God also brought a word against Tyre and Sidon. They were very wealthy ports that brought exports from all over the world into the land. Along with the exports of goods they had also brought in all the gods of other nations and embraced them. God proclaimed that foreigners would occupy their land. This land was taken in the Crusades by Richard the Lionhearted.
In verses 9 till the end, Zechariah speaks of both of Jesus’ comings. He will come riding on a donkey bringing righteousness and salvation and break the power of Satan’s bow. He will also free prisoners from death and restore twice what was stolen by the thief.
In verse 14, he begins talking about Jesus’ second coming to earth. He will come with the sound of the trumpet and save his people and take them to heaven.
In revelation we have the rest of what will happen on earth once we have left. The harlot will arise which is the false religion of the day which will come from the Roman Catholic Church in Rome. She will be powerful, rich and have much status. Kingdoms will rise and fall during that time and in the end the beast will arise and make war against the Lamb. His faithful and chosen followers will be with Him when he overcomes the beast because he is the Lord of Lords and King of kings. Rome will fall and its false religion because the beast will want all the power. In the next chapter we will read how all heaven will rejoice when this happens.
Lord, awaken your people to see that salvation is here and it is now the time to repent.

Tues.’s Devo - The Seven Bowls

Merry Christmas! I pray you have a wonderful day of family and joy!
Read: Zechariah 8:1-23; Revelation 16:1-21; Psalm 144:1-15; Provers 30:29-31
The Bible speaks of Israel and Zion which are not the same in meaning. Israel includes the whole righteous and unrighteous people group, but Zion represents the city of the redeemed. Zechariah speaks of a day when He will return to his chosen people of Zion and dwell with them in the City of Truth. Then the mountain of the Lord which is an allegory for the Church will be called Holy. God would turn their fortunes from fear and lack to blessing and plenty. They would go from fasting to feasting. Their name would be restored.
In Revelation, the only ones left on the earth to experience God’s judgment are the unrighteous or the new converts. The bowls of God’s wrath will be poured out on them. The first judgement will be painful sores for those who have the mark of the beast. With the second bowl, the sea will turn to blood and kill everything in the sea. The third judgment is the rivers and springs will become blood also because they shed the blood of God’s people. In the fourth judgment the sun will become so hot it scorches the people that refused to repent and glorify God. The fifth angel’s bowl will be poured out on the throne of the was and his kingdom will be plunged into darkness. Still men will refuse to repent and call out to God. The sixth angel will pour out his bowl on the Euphrates and it will dry up so the kings will be able to come from the East. Then the dragon, the beast and the false prophet will be possessed to preform miraculous signs to deceived the nation. They will cater the kings of the world for the last battle at Armageddon. The seventh bowl will be poured out with lightning and thunder and a severe earthquake that will split Rome into three parts. The mountains will be made flat and the whole earth will be shaken and changed. Huge hailstones will fall from heaven. It will be the end.
Lord, thank you that you tell us the end from the beginning. Thank you that you will rescue your people before you pour out your wrath on the earth. Help us to be witnesses in these last days so that we can bring the harvest in.

Mon.’s Devo - The Wrath of God

Read: Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; Proverbs 30:24-28
Zechariah follows Revelation with the red, black, white and dappled horses. They are the four spirits of heaven which are on their way to Babylon, Medo-Persia, Egypt and Rome. In Revelation, God told the church at Laodicea to buy gold tried in the fire. Zechariah was told to take the gold and silver from the exiles who had arrived from Babylon. These are ones who were tried in the fire of trials and persecution. With this gold and silver, God will make a crown for Jesus (Joshua) also called “the branch”. He will build the temple of the Lord. He will be both king and priest.
Zechariah asked the Lord if he should fast in the fifth month since it was the month that Jerusalem’s walls were broken down and the house of the Lord burned down. God answered that they hadn’t fast for him but for themselves. Instead, God wanted them to judge fairly and show true compassion on the widow, the fatherless, the poor, and their brothers. They were not doing any of these things so God had scattered them across the face of the earth and Jerusalem had become a desolate place.
In Revelation we see the end of God’s wrath and the victorious ones who survived the Great Tribulation given their harps and singing the song of the redeemed. The seven angels were given the bowls of God’s wrath which would be poured out on the earth. All of God’s people have been taken from the earth at the last rapture at Roshashanna and the only ones left are the wicked stubborn people who refused to repent. They will endure the wrath of God.
Lord, your plan is perfect. Help us to walk in your ways today.

Sun.’s Devo - The Two Olive Trees

Read: Zechariah 4:1-5:11; Revelation 14:1-20; Psalm 142:1-7; Provers 30:21-23
It is amazing how Revelation and the prophets saw the same things. Zechariah saw the same two olive trees and lamp stand in heaven that John saw in Revelation 11. It is a word to Zerubbabel that he was not going to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem in his own strength, but this was a direct edict from heaven. God wanted him to put on earth what was in heaven and he was going to use Zerrubbabel to do it. Zechariah spoke to the mountain opposing him and told it it would become level ground. When the capstone would be brought out heaven would shout, “God bless it, God bless it.”
In contrast, a curse would come to curse the thief and the house of everyone who swore falsely by God’s name. The curse would destroy them and their house. God’s house would remain. Their wickedness would be taken to Babylon and set there. This is the abomination of desolation.
In Revelation we read about the 144,000. The rapture has taken the church, but when we go, this great number of Jews will realize what had happened and become ardent believers in Jesus. The four thunders are sounded. With the first thunder, the 144,000 are raptured. The second is sounded and the whole earth is brought to judgment and given one last chance to repent. The third sounds with the judgment on the beast and anyone who worships him or his image. The fourth comes with a reaping of the earth. They are thrown in God’s great winepress of his wrath where they are trampled on and their blood is spilt on the earth.
In God’s yearly cycle, there are three harvests. The first occurs around Passover. That is the first harvest when the wheat is harvested and will be the first Rapture of the Church. The second harvest happens at Pentecost which will be the 144,000. The last harvest happens at the end of the year at Roshashana when Jesus will return with a trumpet blast. That will be at the end of the ages. We will return with Jesus on our horses.
Lord, may the church be virgins with plenty of oil in their lanterns.

Sat.’s Devo - The Measuring Tool

Read: Zechariah 2:1-3:10; Revelation 13:1B-18; Psalm 141:1-10; Proverbs 30:18-20
Zechariah met a man with a measuring tool sent to measure the Body of Christ or Jerusalem. The measuring tool is God’s grace poured out through the blood of Jesus. Jerusalem was to be a church without walls or boundaries and God would be it’s protection around it. It would stand in the court of God to be a witness against Satan who had accused it day and night. Jesus, our High Priest will stand as a defense against Satan in the court of heaven and be given back his robe of righteousness and turban of purity. These are his vestments of authority the new High Priest of heaven. The associates with Jesus were symbolic of things yet to come meaning the church members yet to come. The stone had the seven eyes of the Spirit of God in Isaiah 11:2 (wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, the fear of the Lord and the spirit of all of them.
In Revelation, John sees a beast coming out of the sea of humanity. This beast raises up ten nations lead by seven leaders to do his work. One of the leaders has a fatal wound that is healed causing the world to follow him. This leader will wreck havoc on the Church and blaspheme the name of Jesus and God.
It will be a great time of persecution and tribulation for the true saints of God. Another leader will arise to align with the first. He will cause the earth to worship the healed leader who will do miracles to deceive the world. The world will be ordered to worship the healed leader and take his mark on their hand or forehead. The mark will be the number of his name which is 666. Many men throughout history have had the number of their name be 666 but this will be the last and most vicious. The church will be gone by this time but the new believers will have to endure this time. God will be their fortress and safe tower.
Lord, prepare us to be overcomes and leave a legacy in your name.

Fri.’s Devo - The Woman

Read: Zechariah 1:1-21; Revelation 12:1-13:1A; Psalm 140:1-13; Proverbs 30:17
Zechariah gave his prophesy two months after Haggai finished his prophecy. The exiles had returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the altar and began the rebuilding of the temple but the Samaritans had opposed them. They were able to get an edict to make them stop building for about 12 years. During this time the people had lost hope and gotten turned away to other things like building their own houses. Zechariah encouraged them to repent and return to God because he had great plans to bless them. He saw the same riders that John saw in Revelation. First he saw a rider on a red horse with a speckled horse behind him. He also saw the four horns in Revelation which stand for the four kingdoms that opposed Jerusalem. They are Persia. Assyria, Greece and Rome. The last kingdom will be the kingdom of Christ. God will send carpenters to terrify the four horns. How interesting that Jesus came as a carpenter to teach others his trade of creating beauty from ashes.
To understand Revelation, you have to understand that God uses all creation to speak his mysteries. Chapter 12 is demonstrated in the heavens. On September 23 of 2017 the constellations told this story of Revelation 12. The Jewish calendar starts in September with Virgo and ends Leo. Jesus came born of a virgin and rose a lion. In September of 2017 the constellation Virgo showed four planets aligned with Jupiter in the womb of Virgo for nine months. Virgo had five stars on her head and the moon was under her feet. God speaks in the sky so everyone can see. He has always used the sky to draw his pictures. He used the sky to point the astrologers of the day to the place where Jesus was born. He used the sky to sing to the shepherds in the field. He is writing on the wall of heaven so everyone has a chance to see if they are looking up.
This is also a depiction of Satan being hurled to earth when he tried to usurp God’s throne in heaven before time. One thing is for sure: “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
Satan is after everyone who bears Christ in their inmost being. We are all the woman who is rescued by the eagle of the Holy Spirit when the persecution gets too much.
Lord, surely we will praise your name!

Thurs.’s Devo - Being Fruitful

Read: Haggai 1:1-2:23; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 30:15-16
Thurs.’s Devo - Being Fruitful 12-20-18
Read: Haggai 1:1-2:23; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 30:15-16
God sent Haggai with a word for Zerubbabel and Joshua about what time they were living in. Zerubbabel was a Jew but his name means “seed of Babylon”. Joshua (“God saves”) was the High Priest. They had been telling the people that it wasn’t time yet to build the Lord’s house and God sent Haggai to tell them that it was now time to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. God reminded them that they had left Him to satisfy their own selves and build their own houses. He had not blessed their efforts to be prosperous and comfortable. Instead of their labor bringing fruit, it had been in vain. They worked hard to have nothing. God encouraged them that he was with them to prosper them in what he had for them to do and that was to return to Jerusalem and build his house. He explained to them that staying in Babylon was making them less godly and their influence was not making the Babylonians more righteous. God wanted them to remember how unfruitful they were in Babylon because when they moved home, they would be very fruitful. He reminded Zerubbabel that he had chosen him for this task and he would be with him and bless him. It would not be his might that accomplished this, but God’s spirit in him.
In Revelation, we read that during the Tribulation, the temple of Jerusalem will be given back to the Jews for a time. Then the ungodly Gentiles will take it over. God will raise up two extraordinary witnesses just like Zerubbabel and Joshua who will be his witnesses and do miraculous things like Moses and Elijah did. They will be martyred and their bodies left unburied to be gawked at and their death celebrated. After 3 and a half days, they will come back to life and rapture to the heavens while the world looks on.
I listened to about 6 different Youtube videos on what different end time scholars believed the two witnesses to be. All of Revelation is symbolic so they have to symbolize something. I believe they symbolize the spirit of Enoch and Elijah, the two angels that met Abraham on their way to destroy Sodom, the two angels on the ark of the covenant, the two angels that came to tell Mary that she would bear the Messiah in her womb, and Gabriel and Michael. The Bible is layered so one thing stands for many things. We will understand more and more as we get closer to the day.
Then God will immediately send an earthquake and 7,000 will be killed in the earthquake. The survivors will have the fear of God fall on them. This is the second woe.
The seventh trumpet sounds and we see what is going on in heaven. The 24 elders fall on their faces worshipping God giving thanks for God’s victory over the enemies of the earth. They are thankful that now God is taking over the earth. Then God’s temple in heaven was opened and the glory of his tabernacle is seen.
Lord give us clarity as to what we are to be doing today. Help us to be fruitful in the work of our hands.

Wed.’s Devo - No More Delay

Read: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 30:11-14
Zephaniah means “treasured of Jehovah” or “the Lord has hidden”. Zephaniah gives us his genealogy back four generations to king Hezekiah, who was a good king. Zephaniah is given a word about the Great Day of the Lord at the end of time. His word is for all who had refused to soften their hearts to the Lord He referred to them as those clothed in foreign apparel not robed in white roves like the godly will wear.
God will search out the land with this light to find hearts that have sinned against him and refused to repent. Judgement and curses will be their’s.
In Chapter Two he calls them to repent before the decree of judgment is issued. God names Moab, Ammon and Nineveh at the top of his list to destroy because they arrogantly lived in ease feeling invincible when they were just lambs waiting slaughter.
God will stand up and testify for the godly nations. He will destroy all who oppressed his people and gather them and bring them home.
We see this same picture in the seventh angel in Revelation. He is God standing on the earth saying there is no more delay in his prophesies. It is time to fulfill the last ones of them because the end is near.
God is saying to his people - no more delay in what he has promised us. It is time for God to act and it is time for his promises to be fulfilled on the earth. So, we can expect to see prayers answered speedily and promises we have been standing on for years to be fulfilled. It is an exciting time to be on the earth.
Thank you, Lord, for your promises. They are “yes” and “amen”.

Tues.’s Devo - Justice!

Read: Habukkuk 1:1-3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 30:10
Justice is a high priority to the Lord. He is very concerned about how we treat one another. During the days of Habakkuk, justice was being perverted so God was raising up the Babylonians to bring judgment on the whole earth. They would bring violence and devastation.
God tells Habukkuk to write down this prophecy because it was not for their time but for the end of time. He speaks of an anti-christ who would gather all the nations to himself and take all the people of the earth captive. During that time, the righteous would live by their faith. Habakkuk sings his prayer for his nation in Chapter Three. He prays that in the midst of God’s wrath that he would remember he is merciful. He gives the people a song to sing to encourage them and teach them what God is about to do. In the midst of famine, they can rejoice because God will allow them to go to high places with Him.
In Revelation, we have the fifth angel sounding the trumpet for war. Some think it is speaking of the Gulf War where the Iraqi’s set fire to over 700 of the largest oil wells of the earth in the deserts of Kuwait. Smoke entered the atmosphere blocking the sunlight for three months. Suddam Hussein’s name means “Destroyer” or “Abaddon” in Hebrew. He started a battle with the United Nations which is still under turmoil today. I think that God gives us types all along the way. There is a astroid predicted to hit earth in 2029 which would have this same affect but would affect one third of the world instead of one third of the Middle East. It would hit exactly 2,000 years after the death of Jesus on the cross. That sounds significant to me!
The sixth angel sounded a trumpet that released four angels who were bound at the great river Euphrates. These leaders of four nations would kill a third of mankind. The four nations that border the Euphrates are Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. They will command an army of 200 million soldiers. This will be the last war and in the middle of the war the Abomination of Desolation will be set up and the Great Tribulation will begin. Even in the midst of such turmoil, the people will refuse to give up their idolatry and evil ways. God’s justice will prevail.
Lord, thank you for your justice. May it prevail on the earth today.

Mon.’s Devo - The First Four Trumpets

Read: Naum 1:1-3:19; Revelation 8:1-13; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 30:7-9
Nahum means “comforted”. He was an Elkoshite which means “of the gathered” of God. He was called to comfort the remnant of God. He was also sent to curse the strongman over the city of Nineveh. Nineveh means “offspring of ease”. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrians and it was known for its wealth and sin. Jonah had been sent to this city and it repented for a while but had fallen back into its same sins. Now they would be destroyed and God would not relent this time. The Assyrians were known for their savagery and torture on their captives. The whole world had feared their name and been harshly affected by them so this should have been good news to Judah and Israel.
In Revelation, the Lamb opened the seventh seal and all heaven went silent for thirty minutes. Then, the angel took the censer off the altar of incense and hurled it to the earth and the first angel sounded its trumpet. With each of the trumpets, a new curse was released on the earth. The trumpets are sounded before major wars. They tell what happened during that time. The first trumpet describes WW1 where 8 million people were killed. The second describes WW11 where one third of the ships were sunk. The third describes Chernobyl which contaminated 33% of Europe and West Asia’s water supply. The fourth describes the falling of the Berlin wall and the Red Scare.
The all-knowing God knows the end from the beginning and was able to show the future events to John for our benefit. We just have to have eyes to see. Our comfort is in the fact that God will protect the oil and the wine. Death is not our enemy, Satan is and he is poweless against the army of God and the saints of God. We have nothing to fear.
Lord, thank you for your great love and peace that you give to your children. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil for you are there with us and your comfort us.

Sat.’s Devo - The Seals

Read: Micah 1:1-4:13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 30:1-4
We have one more prophet saying the same thing that the other prophets have all said. Micah got a word for Samaria, the capital of Israel and Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. Because both were the places of worship and both had been turned over to idolatrous worship and sin, they would both be brought to nothing. Micah listed the infractions against them. They planned iniquity and plotted evil on their beds. When judgment came, they would call out to the Lord and he would not listen to their cries until their sentence was over. Then, in the last days, God will reestablish his temple on the temple mount and their will be peace on the earth. A great harvest will be reaped from the earth and the wealth of the wicked will be the Lords.
In Revelation, the six seals were opened. Each seal coincided with that church age. The first seal opened with a rider on a white horse who had a bow with no arrow. He was given a crown but his goal was to conquer. All the riders of the first three seals stand for the spirt of the antichrist. He began as a teacher who taught the false doctrine of the Nicolatians. This was the enemy of the first church age and all the church ages to come. The next horse was red and power was given to him to take peace from the earth. He had a great sword. This was the age where Constantine made Christianity the world religion and enforced his religion on the people. The pope stood as the false prophet of the ages. The third seal opened with a black horse and his rider held a pair of balances in his hand. The spiritual food and money was measured out in meager amounts to the people. But the true church still had the oil of the Holy Spirit and the Wine. On the earth during that time there were many wars and famines. The fourth seal was opened with its rider riding a pale horse. His name was Death and Hell was with him. Constantine gave the false church power over to politics and religion. We find that the false doctrine is revealed as death which leads to hell not heaven. He is the mixture of the first three horses.
The fifth seal opens with the souls of the martyrs of the Reformers that gave their lives for the truth. The fifth seal coincides with the Church of Philadelphia which was the only church that wasn’t rebuked. The sixth seal opens tribulation on the earth. We have been living through this for a while. We refer to them as birth pains. They are to awaken the Bride to her identity. The Bride will be taken before the Great Tribulation begins.
Lord, help us to have discernment in these last days.

Fri.’s Devo - Heaven and Earth

Read: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation :1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27
Jonah was from a town three miles from Nazareth. God asked him to go to an Assyrian capital to preach repentance to it. The Assyrians had been brutal enemies of Israel and Jonah understood a little about God’s nature. He knew that he was merciful and that if he was sending him to preach to the city of Nineveh it must be because they were going to listen. He probably had a strong opinion about the Assyrians and had no desire to see them prosper or repent so he chose to run from God.
God chased him down and had him killed in the belly of a whale. Then God resurrected a more repentive and obedient Jonah who finally agreed to preach to Nineveh. Just as Jonah feared, Nineveh repented and God relented on his judgment making Jonah look like a false prophet.
From Nineveh’s perspective, Jonah looked like their god, Dagon, come to life. Dagon was half fish, half God so when Jonah was vomited up on the shore from the body of the whale, the people who saw it were awed thinking their god had come to visit them. This got their attention and they were ready to hear anything Jonah had to say.
Jonah got mad at God, so God used a vine and a worm to teach Jonah that a hundred and twenty thousand unlearned people were more important to him than Jonah’s reputation or opinion.
In Revelation, John saw God on the throne with a sealed scroll that no one in heaven was worthy of opening. In much glory, Jesus stepped forward and took the scroll because he was worthy to open its seals. The elders and the four creatures worshipped the lamb singing and offering the incense made of our prayers.
It is amazing how linked the earth is to heaven and vice versa. The things we do on earth help operate heaven and the things they do in heaven influence earth. Our prayers are so important to keeping the incense of heaven burning. We are totally dependent on what happens in heaven and they are affected by our response.
Lord, may our praise and worship fuel your ministry in heaven and on earth.

Thurs,’s Devo - The Door is Open

Read: Obadiah 1:1-21; Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 132:1-18; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 29:24-25
Obadiah was sent to prophesy against Edom because they watched Israel be destroyed and they didn’t fight for them. Instead they laughed at their misfortune and sat smugly in their houses thinking they were glad it wasn’t happening to them. They took advantage of Israel in their time of need, so the same thing would happen to them. The house of Edom would become nothing and God would build up the house of Jacob. One day Edom’s kingdom would be Israel’s kingdom and all the kingdoms would be the Lord’s.
In Revelation, the church ages were all over (which is where we are right now). John was shown an open door and an invitation saying to come up here. He was shown the throne of God, the seven lamps which are the seven spirits of God and a sea of glass. In the center of the throne were the four living creatures that Ezekiel and Daniel saw. Twenty-four elders fell down in worship of God on the throne.
Every thing about God is layered and has multiple meanings. For example, the seven lamps stand for the seven church ages and also the seven spirits of God mentioned in Isaiah 11:2 - the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. The seventh spirit was the Lord himself which had all the others. The four living creatures represented the four gospels, the four main kingdoms of the earth, the four ministries of Christ and probably many other things. There message was that God is holy and eternal.
I assume the twenty-four elders represent the twelve disciples and the twelve tribes of Israel which embodies the whole body of believers throughout time. They have to represent people who have been redeemed because they are the only ones who have a crown to throw at Jesus feet.
God is inviting us to come visit heaven. The door is open.
Lord, it is so exciting to think about the day time will be over and we will throw our crowns at your feet. Everything we do is for you. May we experience heaven as we live on earth.

Wed.’s Devo - Philedelphia and Laodicea

Read: Amos 7:1-9:15; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 29:23
God showed Amos his choices of judgment on Israel: locusts or fire. Each time Amos cried out that it was too harsh and Jacob would not survive, so God relented. God showed Amos a plumb line. The plumb line stood for God’s standard. He told Amos to tell Israel that their high places would be destroyed and their sanctuaries ruined and that God was going to move against the house of Jeroboam.
One of the priests of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam about what Amos was prophesying. The priest ordered Amos to leave Israel and go prophesy in Judah. Amos explained that it wasn’t his desire or family lineage to be a prophet; he was a shepherd. But, God had chosen him to prophesy to Israel, then he went on to tell them that Jeroboam’s wife would be reduced to having to prostitute herself on the streets for money. Jeroboam would be taken to a pagan country where he would die and the land of Israel would be divided and its people scattered.
Amos went on to prophesy the dark ages where it would be so dark and there would be no revelation or word from the Lord. Then God would restore the tabernacle of David - the real worship of the Lord. He prophesied into the day Israel would come back to their land and God’s spirit would be poured out on his people.
The last two churches of Revelation were Philadelphia and Laodicea. Philadelphia means “brotherly love” and it was the missionary church and spanned from 1750-1900. During this time many dictators ruled the world who took authority over the church and every other aspect of people’s lives. They were mostly atheists and used organized religion to control the people. The true church went to homes and the simplicity of the gospel. God raised up great men during this time like Adoniram Judson, David Livingstone, Jonathan Goforth, John and Charles Wesley, Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards and many other missionaries who spread the gospel across the world. There were two great factors which caused a great move of God during this time. The first was the invention of the printing press where the Bible was put into the hands of the people. The other was the fact that they took the Bible literally - they believed what it said. God gave them an open door and gave this church no rebuke only encouragement and applaud.
The next church was the total opposite: Laodicea. This church is the Apostate Church or the People’s Church. It started in 1900 and ended a few years ago… maybe 2012. At the beginning of this age, God poured out his spirit in a little church in Los Angeles, California. It began the Charismatic movement which swept across the United States. It was a revival of the gifts of the spirit. This was happening to the true church. At the same time anti-christs were springing up like Adolf Hitler who waged a holy war against God’s people the Jews. There has always been a false church and the true church. The false church has programs and activities, but no power. God’s recommendation to them was to repent and buy the true gold of wisdom and godly treasures from God.
Lord, help us not to be distracted by things that don’t matter and stay true to what is eternally worthy.

Tues.’s Devo - Thyatira and Sardis

Read: Amos 4:1-6:14; Revelation 2:18-3:6; Psalm 130:1-8; Proverbs 29:21-22
God explained all the ways he had used to call his people back to him. He gave them famine, drought, blight, mildew, and plagues, yet they continued oppressing the poor and crushing the needy. God gave them over to worship their idols and sin.
Judgment was coming for sure but God was still giving them one more chance to repent before it came. He gave them a vivid picture of what judgment would look like and let them know that their wealth would not be able to spare them from it.
In Revelation, God described the fourth church, Thyatira. It is known as the “Papal Church” and ruled from 590-1517. These days were also called the “Dark Ages” when the churches light was almost snuffed out. Muslim armies were trying to take over the world, so kingdoms were in constant war and confusion. Because of all the invasions, education was greatly affected and illiteracy became widespread. This made it easy for the people to be deceived. The papacy became owned by wealthy Roman families who assassinated any pope that opposed them and appointed ones that would do what they wanted.
The church became divided between the Orthodox Church of the East and the Catholic church in the West. The church organized charity and education but their doctrine was based on law and philosophy. Morality declined. Thiritira was commended for her deeds, their love for mankind (the church built hospitals and cared for the poor), and their faith. Some of the faithful during this time were John Wycliffe and John Huss. They were burned at the stake for trying to translate the Bible into the language of the common people.
The next church was Sardis which was the “Dead Church Reformed”. Sardis means “escaping ones” which represent the ones that came out of slumber and awoke to truth. God used Martin Luther to wake up the church to the truth that “the just shall live by faith, not by works.” He sparked the Protestant Reformation. Many denominations began during this time as men rose up to preach new doctrines out of God’s Word. They brought the simplicity of the gospel to the common people.
God commended the ones who had not fallen to the apostate doctrine of the popes but had kept their hearts pure. They will be dressed in white and their names will remain forever in the Book of Life.
Lord, may we walk in the light and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mon.’s Devo - The First Three Churches

Read: Amos 1:1-3:15; Revelation 2:1-17; Psalm 129:1-8; Proverbs 29:19-20
Amos was a prophet to Israel over 700 years before the birth of Christ. He spoke out against the seven neighbors of Israel who had either done evil to Israel or other nations. God is sovereign over all the earth. He punishes nations according to their dealings with others but he punishes Israel according to their dealings with Him.
These seven nations were Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Moab, Judah, and Israel. The longest indictment came against Israel. They had treated the poor unfairly and denied justice to the oppressed. They had made Nazarites drink wine and refused to allow the prophets to prophecy.
John spoke the words of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. He saw the angels of the seven churches. The first lamp stand was called Ephesus which represented the first church age. Ephesus was known as the Apostolic church since the apostles led this age which started at the Pentecost of Acts 2 and lasted till 100 A.D. The angel or messenger of the church was Paul. During this time the church grew, but persecution also escalated especially during Nero’s reign. The church was commended for its perseverance and its hatred of the false doctrines of the Nicolaitans, but rebuked for leaving their first love, Jesus.
The next church was Smyrna which was described as the “Persecuted Church”. It represented the age of 100-313 A.D. During this age religion became very liturgic and ritualistic. Bishops and Presbyters were elected to lead the church and rules were made. Polycarp was a bishop that was martyred for Christ starting a flame of persecutions. Many were killed as gladiators and all manner of torturous ways. Gnosticism was started during this time which had to do with knowledge and mystical experience. They believed that Jesus was no the Son of God in human form. Timothy warned the church not to fellowship with them. This church was encouraged of their eternity. They were poor in the world’s standards but rich in God.
Pergamum was the “Indulge Church or State Church. Pergamum was a city totally given over to Greek idols. This age was from 312-606 A.D. Christianity became the state religion according to Constantine and worship became very ritual and ordered. The worship of Mary, making the sign of the cross, the rosary, mass, purgatory, services in Latin, worship of angels and saint and prayers for the dead started during this time. The church became rich and powerful in the natural but poor and week in spirit. The doctrine of Balaam was their sin - receiving money for spiritual gifts. The doctrine of Nicolaitians grew making the leadership stronger and the laity weaker. God promised hidden manna to those who remained true to him.
Lord, thank you for your sovereignty.

Sun.’s Devo - Weapons of War or Harvest

Read: Joel 1:1-3:21; Revelation 1:1-20; Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 29:18
Joel challenges the elders to look around and see where they are. They are right in the middle of judgment of their sins. It was a time to repent, fast, and mourn. The harvest was destroyed as well as the land. When they repent, God will come and restore. Then it will be a time to rejoice and be glad. The land will once again bring forth a harvest and God’s Spirit will be poured out like rain. Then it will be time to turn on their enemies and triumph. Joel told them that they will beat their plowshares into swords and their pruning forks into spears. Their instruments of harvest will become instruments of warfare. They will bring revenge on the enemies of God.
This is all a picture of end time judgement and the last battle of Armegeddon. Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 both talk about the day after this that we will beat our swords back into plowshares and our spears back into pruning hooks. Their weapons of war will once again become weapons of harvest.
The earth goes through this cycle over and over as God’s people turn from him then turn back. It is important to know the season we are in. I believe we are in the cycle of turning our swords into weapons of harvest. There are multitudes of people in the valley of decision and it is God’s desire that all repent and come to the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Revelation that John saw was to reveal Jesus to his Church and tell them what was to come. It is what the Old Testament is to the Jews - it is the history of the Church from the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 to the end of time. It is a history book in code. The seven churches are all Greek churches since the Bride is a Gentile Bride full of people from all nations and tribes, not just Jews. Each church stands for a different time period and tells about the problems and successes in the church at that time. The churches are depicted as lamp stands because they are the light of the world in their generation. We are the light of the world in our generation.
Lord, let your light shine through us that we might be instruments of harvest.

Sat.’s Devo - Jude

Read: Hosea 10:1-14:9; Jude 1:1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 29:15-17
Israel had spread its prostitution of idols to the whole nation. Jeroboam had built two golden calves in Israel, one in Ephraim and one in Dan. Ephraim had become the most powerful tribe and was the seat of adultery. God was going to judge and bring down their idol worship until they sought him with all their hearts. Israel was God’s wayward child that he loved. They had chosen to rebel and worship Baal instead of him. In all their sin, God was still compassionate. He promised that one day they would return to him and he would settle them in their own homes.
Ephraim had become very rich and had build beautiful houses but they would be reduced to living in tents. The guilt of her sins had been stored up and kept on record. Judgment was coming and the only hope was repentance.
God knew they would not repent then but he also knew that over time, Israel would repent and know that God’s ways are right. Then he would heal them and love them.
It seems like every writer of the New Testament warned the church not to be deceived by the false teachers and Jude is no exception. Jude was one of Jesus’ brothers. He reminds us of the angels who overstepped their authority and left heaven to have sex with women on earth. They are in chains in darkness awaiting the Day of Judgement. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah ended in a huge fire that was a picture of what judgement will look like on the earth. These are pictures of what will happen to the false teachers who teach the church not to believe Jesus came to earth as God’s son to save the world. These teachers refuse to be in submission to authority, live lives of immorality and slander celestial beings. I find it interesting that both the angels and the Sodomites sinned in having sex with beings outside God’s law. We are seeing this rampantly in our world now. The other sin that these false prophets and teachers did was to take money for their spiritual gifts.
The antidote for deception was to pray in the spirit and to keep yourself in God’s love as you patiently wait for God to come. Our commission is to walk in truth and teach the truth. We are to have mercy on those who doubt but help save them from the judgement to come.
Thank you Lord, that you are able to keep us from falling. May your glory, majesty, power and authority reign on the earth through your Church.

Fri.’s Devo - The Truth

Read: Hosea 6:1-9:17; 3 John 1:1-14; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14
Hosea speaks very cryptic. He knows that Judah and Israel are being judged and punished for their sins but God’s ultimate plan was to restore them. He speaks in days saying that after two days he will revive us and on the third day he will restore us that we might live in his presence. He is speaking of millennials. Israel is now in that third day of God reviving them and revealing himself to them once again.
God explained that he sent his prophets to tell them the error of their ways. They thought they could do something like offer sacrifices and burnt offerings instead of give him their heart. God has never wanted anything from us but our hearts. He reminded them that every time he blessed them and prospered them they turned from him. Their sin had mounted up like a mountain and now they would reap what they sowed. They had been incapable of purity and sown the wind. Now they would reap the whirlwind. They had sought the council of their enemies before the counsel of God. They would return to Egypt and Assyria and there they would die with no heritage or home.
What a contrast from Hosea to Third John. John commends the Church for being faithful and walking in the truth. They were full of love and didn’t seek the help of pagans.
John mentions and contrasts two people by name: Diotrephes and Demetrius. Diotrephes loved to be first, gossiped maliciously about the leaders of the church and refused to welcome his fellow brothers. He also tried to keep others who wanted to receive them and put them out of the church.
In contrast, Demetrius was loved by all and loved the truth. He was commended by John and the leadership.
John encouraged his people to imitate good and not evil.
Lord, help us to be like Demetrius who loved the truth and the Body of Christ.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Sin of Israel

Read: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11
Hosea rebuked the people of Israel because there was no truth, mercy or knowledge of God in the land. Because of this, the land was full of killing, stealing and committing adultery and God would have to destroy it. The more Israel increased in number and wealth, the more wicked and godless it had become. They worshipped their idols at Gilgal and Bethel (4:15). Bethel means “house of God” but they had turned it into Beth Aven which means “house of wickedness”. They had a spirit of prostitution in their heart.
When Ahaz was king, the Syrians had come against Israel. He hired the Assyrians to help him instead of asking God for help. The Assyrians could not help Israel. She didn’t need military deliverance, she needed spiritual deliverance.
Judah had not done much better than Israel in her sin. Judah would be punished also, just not as severely because her sin was not as deep. God’s judgment was not to hurt them, but to punish them so that they would repent and seek him. Then he could heal them. That is always God’s heart.
In Second John, John was dealing with teaching the people about being hospitable to the traveling teachers to the churches. Some of them were true teachers and some of them were false teachers teaching false doctrine. He wanted to teach them how to discern the difference. He wanted them to have true love, but not without discernment. A true teacher would teach that Jesus came in the flesh to the earth. If one came teaching otherwise, they were not to invite them into their houses because they were false teachers. To have Jesus is to have the Father also.
Lord, help us to learn from Israel’s mistakes and stay humble as a people and as a nation.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Love

Read: Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8
Hosea lived 50 years after Daniel began his ministry. He gives the four kings that he prophesied during in the southern kingdom of Judah and the one of the northern kingdom of Israel. During that time the people enjoyed peace, prosperity, but collapse was in the future. The leaders were corrupt, family life was disfunctional, immorality was widespread and there was much racial tension and poverty. The people had a form of worship mixed with idolatry and darkness. Hosea came to the scene to bring the people back to God with a message of love and grace.
Hosea was commanded to let his life be a picture of the way God was dealing with his children. He was to marry a prostitute and have children with her. He married Gomer which means “completion” because God was showing them the whole picture. Together, Gomer and Hosea had three children whose names meant “sown of God”, “not loved”, and “not my people”. He was saying to Israel and Judah that since they had become adulterous in their relationship with him, they had reaped these judgments. They would be sown of God all over the world, not loved, and not his people. But, one day they would come back to him and they would be planted once again by him in their land, be loved and be his people.
John talks about the three testimonies of God: the water (God), the blood (Jesus) and the Spirit (Holy Spirit). If we believe in Jesus then we get all three and we are assured that we are born of God’s seed.
John speaks of a sin that doesn’t lead to death and one that does. Sin that leads to death starts with the worship of something other than God which is why he ended it with the statement: keep yourself from idols. Spiritual death is the result of rejecting Jesus and the Holy Spirit which is ultimately rejecting God and his plan. When we become his child, we are given his spirit which does not sin. It doesn’t mean we aren’t tempted, but we won’t want to sin anymore.
Lord, help us to understand the richness of your grace.

Tues.’s Devo - The End

Read: Daniel 11:36-12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4
The king they are referring to here is Antiochus who was a type of the Anti-Christ of the end of ages. He is the seventh head of the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-18 and the beast of Armageddon in Revelation 16:13, 15 and 19:19.
Antiochus believed he himself to be the god Jupiter Olympius.
He forbade the Jews to worship with a wicked decree. He had no honor for the things his fathers had taught him or what the women of his empire wanted. He attacked the temple of the Syrian Venus, worshipped by women. Antiochus had begun erecting a fortress to Jupiter Capitolinus at Antioch.
He defended the monks and priests who upheld saint worship, and the worship of Jupiter Capitolinus, which he imported into his empire from Rome. Antiochus succeeded against Jerusalem, Sidon, Pelusium, Memphis. He divided the land of Israel and put the Jews under the rule of his subjects.
Antiochus marched against Ptolemy, but turned from his course to wreak his wrath on the Jew. He didn’t disturb Edom, Moab, and Ammon on the side of Judea but used their help in crushing the Jews, since he knew they were ancient enemies. The Turks under Selim entered Jerusalem on their way to Egypt, and retain "the glorious land" of Palestine to this day. But they never could conquer the Arabs, who are kin to Edom, Moab, and Ammon. So it will be in the case of the final Antichrist.
In Chapter 12, Israel’s guardian angel, Michael stood up to defend Israel and everyone that is written in the Book of Life. Then, the Tribulation will begin and the Rapture will rescue those that are marked throughout time.
When Daniel asked about when the things he saw would happen, God told him that they were not for now but for the end. They would be sealed or a mystery until the end when God would reveal them and what they mean. We are living in the day of revelation, when God is taking off the seal and letting us understand his mystery. That means we are very close to the end.
John gives us another clue as to what is a false spirit. It is one that doesn’t believe that God came in the flesh as Jesus. Many religions believe that Jesus was a man, just not God’s son. These are false religions.
Two other tests of whether we are God’s children are that we love one another and that we have God’s Spirit in us.
Lord, may we love you with all our hearts and other’s as you have loved us. May your Spirit rest on us and lead us today.

Mon.’s Devo - The Blueprint -

Read: Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 3:7-24; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 29:1
God gave Daniel the blueprint for the future and how the kingdoms on earth would change powers from the Medes and Persians to the Greeks and then to the Romans. He described the Ptolemy’s of the South and the Antiochus’s of the North. Even Cleopatra is mentioned in his narrative. History followed this blueprint to a tee. The encouraging part is that God is in control and there will be a remnant of people will stand firmly against the Anti-Christ. The wise that stumble will be refined , purified, and made spotless until the time of the end.
We are to live a life of righteousness because Jesus did. Jesus came to earth to destroy Satan’s work of sin. So, we who are born of God cannot go on sinning because we have the seed of the righteous one in us. Cain had the seed of Satan in us and brought death to his brother.
The mark of a Christian is love. When we love, we help one another. If we have what he needs, we give him what we have.

Sun.’s Devo - Time

Read: Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28
Daniel is not written in order. I don’t know why no one put it in order, but God allowed it to stay this way so there must be a reason. Today we flip back to when the king was divided and taken from Belshazzar and given to the Medes and the Persians. Darius was reigning as the King of the Medes. Daniel went into deep intercession for his people, the Jews and we have his prayer he prayed. He praised the Lord for who he was first, then he repented for the great sins of his nation as if he was just as guilty. He took on their sins just as Jesus, our intercessor took on ours. That is the mark of a true intercessor. He doesn’t judge, but he puts himself in their shoes. Daniel prayed that God would look on them with pity and for his name’s sake, he would not delay but come and deliver them.
As he was praying, Gabriel, one of God’s arch angels, came to talk to him and give him revelation on what was going on.
Daniel talks about time in increments. He says seven weeks which have to do with the seventy years that Israel will be ruled by the world. Then he says “three-score and two weeks” which have to do with the days of the Church ruling the earth. At the end of that time, the Church will be taken and tribulation will hit the earth until the end.
In Chapter 10, Daniel has another vision where an unidentified angel came and presented himself to Daniel. He was clothed in the glory of heaven and he came in response to Daniel’s prayers. He had had to fight the king of Persia to get there. He was going to return to fight him so that the king of Greece could come. What happens on earth is a direct response to what has happened in heaven. Persia was the leader on earth but it was time to change kingdoms so it had to be done first in the heavenlies. That is the way of the kingdom. We have to win it in heaven first for it to manifest here on earth.
John tells us how we will know the Anti-Christ. He will deny God and Jesus. Many anti-christ’s will appear on the earth before the last Anti-Christ appears. John says that if we continue in sin then we don’t live in him.
Lord, the only way we can live a righteous life is through your grace. Help us to live by grace.

Sat.’s Devo - Daniel’s Vision of the Future

Read: Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26
Daniel had another vision of what would happen in the future. In the vision he was in Shushan, the Persian capital. Years later, Esther would be the queen here. He saw a ram which had two horns, one more powerful than the other. These horns represented Media and Persia with Persia being the most powerful. A goat came and killed the ram and broke both of its horns. This goat was Greece who took over the world power from the Medes and Persians. Alexander the Great was its leader who died of a fever. Greece had four other leaders until Antiochus became leader. He was the great Anti-christ of the time. He slaughtered a pig in the temple (vs. 13) desecrating the sanctuary in his attempt to replace God with Zeus. A mosque was erected on the temple mount and many of God’s people were led to worship Greek gods and succumbed to idolatry. We don’t know if Daniel knew what all this meant but he knew it was important enough to write down for us.
John believed that we can live a redeemed life without sin. Jesus did and he is in us giving us the same grace that he had when he walked the earth. It doesn’t mean that we won’t be tempted or slip and fall, but it does mean that we can live above sin. The way to live a life without sin is to choose love every time. He addresses three stages of Christians: children, young men and fathers. Children are new believers or immature believers. He reminds them that their sins have been forgiven and they cannot continue to live in the past. He reminds the young men - the followers of Christ, the they have the Word in them to overcome the evil one. And he reminds the fathers, the mentors and mature leaders in the faith that they have been created in Christ since the creation of the earth.
Lord, help us to walk in your grace.

Fri.’s Devo - The Four Empires

Read: Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 28:23-24
Daniel had another vision of four beasts that came out of the sea. These spiritual beings stood for empires of the earth. The lion was Assyria with Nebuchadnezzar as their leader. He was reduced to an animal but rose up to have the heart of a man. The bear was Persia which had many cruel leaders. The leopard stood for Alexander the Great of Greece and the fourth one stood for the Roman Empire that was ruling when Jesus came to earth.
Next, Daniel saw Jesus come down from heaven to earth. The last kingdom was given to him. It would be an everlasting rule that would never pass away. The horns on the head of the fourth beast were different leaders that ruled on the earth. The last leader would make war with God’s saints which would be the Anti-Christ.
Daniel had no idea what he was seeing or any understanding of what it meant because it wasn’t meant for him. It was meant for us. God’s ways are so amazing and wonderful.
First John begins like the Gospel John begins by talking about the beginning. He was explaining that Jesus was from the beginning of time. He came down to earth and they actually touched him and knew him. He brought life just as he created life in the beginning. He also was the light and when we walk in that light, we see each other differently and can fellowship and love one another in a much deeper way.
Lord, help us to walk in fellowship with you and our spiritual family.

Thur.’s Devo - Deliverance

Read: Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22
Daniel was appointed one of the three administrators over the 120 satraps. The other satraps and administrators were jealous of Daniel and searched for some scandal to discredit him. His life was beyond reproach and so was his business dealings so the only thing they could find to use against him was his relationship with his God. They devised a way to trap him and the king who favored him so much. They thought their plan was a success. The king seemed to me more distressed than Daniel in his duty to throw him into the lion’s den. Daniel had seen God do too many things to worry about a few hungry lions. He spent the night with the deprived lions and saw God’s deliverance. The king got to see how God delivers the ones who are faithful to him and he became a believer of God himself.
This story is such a reminder that when we honor God, he honors us. God knows how to protect his reputation and protect his own.
Second Peter was written to remind the church that Jesus was coming back again and the earth would one day be destroyed by fire. Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth. Peter reminds us how to live as we wait for this to happen. We are to do everything we can to remain spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
Lord, may we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Wed.’s Devo - Judgement

Read: Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119113-128; Proverbs 28:19-20
Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s son who did not learn from his father’s mistakes. He worshipped false gods and drank wine from the goblets from the temple that only the priests were suppose to drink from. While he was partying with his friends, God wrote four words on the wall of his palace. They could only see the hand as it wrote. The king shook in fear and called form his astrologers and soothsayers to interpret the words. When they couldn’t do it, one of them remembered Daniel and all the times he had interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams. Belshazzar called for Daniel and offered him purple, gold and status if he could interpret it. Daniel told him he could keep his rewards then he told him the interpretation of the words. His days had been judged and brought to an end. His kingdom was to be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. That night it happened just as God said.
The days of the head of gold were over and now the silver arms were ruling just as Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed. (Daniel 2)
Second Peter explains that the angels that rebelled with Satan before time were sent to hell to be held in dungeons awaiting judgment. The people of Noah’s days rebelled and were not spared either, but destroyed in the flood and only seven people on the earth survived. Also, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were not spared but burned to ashes. Lot and his daughters were the only ones to survive. All of these were pictures of the end judgment but they are also pictures of deliverance for the godly.
The ungodly are not afraid of blaspheming God or his words. They are liars and full of lusts. The righteous escape the corruption of the world by knowing Jesus. Those who know Jesus and return to the world, are the worse at the end than at the beginning.
Lord, you are our hope and our refuge. We put our trust in you.

Tues.’s Devo - The Tree

Read: Daniel 4:1-37: 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 119:97-112: Proverbs 28:17-18
King Nebuchadnezzar had another dream and none of his wise men could interpret it so he went to Daniel who he had named Belteshazzar. Daniel means “judge” but Belteshazzar means “lord of the straitened treasure”.
The dream was of a tree in the middle of the land that was enormous. A holy one called from heaven to cut down the tree and just leave the stump and its roots remain. The tree was to live with the animals and plant and his mind would change from that of a man to the mind of an animal. It would stay that way till seven years passed.
Daniel had to tell the king that he was the tree and it would happen to him just as he dreamed until he realized that God was the King of Kings and that heaven rules, not earth. Immediately, Nebuchadnezzar went mad and was driven away from the people to live in the field. He ate grass like cattle and his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails grew like the claws of a bird.
At the end of the seven years, Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity was restored, he acknowledged that God was the King over the eternal kingdom and he was given back his throne on earth.
Peter reminds us that God’s power gives us everything we need for life and godliness through his divine nature that we have.
Lord, may we walk in the divine nature of Christ today.

Mon.’s Devo - God’s Kingdom on the Earth

Read: Daniel 2:24-3:30; 1 Peter 4:7-5:14; Psalm 119:81-96; Proverbs 28:15-16
I can’t read today’s reading without thinking of what Mordeciah said to Esther: “maybe you were brought to the kingdom for such a time as this.” Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego all stood for what they believed in an ungodly kingdom and against great odds, and God stood up for them in big ways.
God used Daniel to save all the wise men of the kingdom and give the king the blueprint for the future. He used Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego to stand up to the king, refuse to bow to his statue and see the glory of God in their deliverance from the fiery furnace. All four of them were elevated to rule the ungodly kingdom on earth. This is exactly what we are to do. We as God’s children are to stand against the odds and step out in faith for the Kingdom’s sake. When we do this, God will elevate his people to rule the earth and all the earth will be blessed by our godly rule. We are seeing this happen right now, and just like Daniel and his friends met opposition; we are too.
I have to say that First Peter kicked me into shape today. In verse 9 it says to be given to hospitality without grudging. That is a hard one for me since our son, his wife and two children have been living with us for almost two years and the end is not in sight. I have to constantly realign my heart to God’s and stop thinking carnally about my space, my time and my things. It has been a true test of my sacrifice to Jesus. I have to admit I usually fall very short. My suffering, filled with much laughter and great times is nothing compared with the suffering of Christ’s. It is not even persecution! So, once again, I put on my big girl britches and count it all joy.
We are warned to stay watchful and awake to be able to discern the attacks of the devil who is our opponent and arch-enemy. God has promised us that through all the trials we face, he is making us perfect, establishing us, strengthening us and laying a strong foundation for us. To him be the glory!
Lord, may your kingdom continue to come to earth as it is in heaven.

Sun.’s Devo - The Test

Read: Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 3:8-4:6; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 28:14
Whenever Nebuchadnezzar took over a nation, he looted the cities of their wealth and their most talented people. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the most talented of Judah. They were fed from the king’s table and brought before him to be tested. The king’s food was not kosher food so Daniel asked of him and his three friends to be exempt from eating it. He asked his trainer to put them to the test by feeding them kosher food for ten days and then he could decide if Daniel and his friends were not healthier than the rest. The four proved to be healthier and better nourished than the rest and were allowed to stay on his strict diet.
When the king questioned the captives, Daniel and his three friends excelled above them all.
One night, Nebuchadnezzar had a strange and frightening dream and did not want his magicians and enchanters to make up the interpretation, so he wanted to prove them. He told them that if they didn’t tell him his dream and the interpretation, he would kill them all. Daniel was grouped with this people since he understood dreams and visions.
None of the astrologers could do what the king had asked so they were sentenced to die. When Daniel found out about it, he asked for time. He came home to his friends and they prayed that God, who knew all things would give them the mystery of the kings dream. That night, Daniel had the dream himself and understood its interpretation.
In Daniel’s praise to the Lord he said a very insightful thing. He said “He changes times and seasons.” In the Hebrew it interprets “He alters a set time and time, itself.” He is giving us a clue to the universe.
First Peter tells us to be of the same mind, in unity when it comes to loving one another. We don’t pay back evil for evil, but we forgive and have compassion on one another.
Jesus suffered once for our sins and preached to the spirits that had died and raised them up with him when he resurrected. Noah and his family were a picture of baptism because they were saved by water. Baptism doesn’t cleanse our body, it cleanses our soul and gives us a good conscience with no sin or shame.
Lord, thank you for cleansing our souls that we can stand before you in righteousness and with a clean heart.

Sat.’s Devo - The Son’s of Zadok

Read: Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 2:11-3:7: Psalm 119:49-§4; Proverbs 28:12-13
The spirit of life which was the water issued from the door which is Christ. It issued from the pierced side of Christs’ body to the nations. Everywhere the blood of Christ flowed it brought healing and life. The trees on the sides of the banks of the water represent the saints that have gone before and produced fruit (Psalms 1).
There was a definite boundary around the temple that held the kingdom of his people. People from every tribe and nation would be there because great revival will bring them in. The sons of Zadok had been the true ones that had never strayed from the truth. These remind me of the ones brought up in church and don’t have a testimony of coming out of the world. They are the sons of Zadok. They saw the truth and were never deceived out of it.
The possession of the Levites was in the midst of the city, their border was from Judah to Benjamin. This is a picture of the true believers coming in from the time of Jesus to his return. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin represents the Church.
In First Peter, Peter remembers how Jesus walked on the earth and encourages us to do what he did. Jesus never let any deceit be in his mouth. He refused to fight back when he was being wrongly accused and persecuted. Because he refused to sin, his blood has the power to heal us and his life is an example to us of how to walk in persecution and not sin with our mouth.
Lord, help us to walk with no malice in our mouths. May we be like the sons of Zadok that stay true to your commands when no one around us cares.

Fri.’s Devo - Our Rock

Read: Ezekiel 45:13-46:24; 1 Peter 1:13-2:10; Psalm 119:33:48; Proverbs 28:11
The prince in Ezekiel stands for Jesus, the Prince of Peace. The eastern gate is closed the six working day and on the Sabbath it is open. The eastern gate is the spiritual gate to the new Jerusalem. It is closed as long as time exists, but when God’s earthly week (the six days) is over, we will enter through that gate into the new heaven and the new earth. We will enter that gate with Jesus, the prince.
They were never to exit the gate they entered, depicting that we can never enter the presence of the Lord and leave the same way we came in. We should exit an opposite gate - changed.
First Peter says the same thing. If we are truly God’s children then we should be striving for holiness, not conformity to the world. The things of this world will perish, but the things of God are eternal and worth living for.
Jesus is the rock and we are stones from that rock. He is a stumbling stone to those who disobey his message of salvation. But to those who embrace him, he is the Rock of Ages.
We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. Our mission is to declare praised to the one who delivered us from darkness into light.
Lord, may we as living stones reflect the capstone which is Christ.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Eastern Gate

Read: Ezekiel 44:1-45:12; 1 Peter 1:1-12; Psalm 119:17-32; Proverbs 28:8-10
God brought Ezekiel to the eastern gate which was to shut and was to remain that way because God had entered through it. That was the custom of eastern monarchs. The king had his own gate and out of respect, no one else could use it. Jesus will return through the eastern gate.
God told Ezekiel to pay attention to the entrances and exits of the temple because we are to pay attention to the way we enter into the presence of the Lord and how we exit. They had entered the temple with foreigners who had not been circumcised in heart or flesh. This is a picture of how we shouldn’t enter the presence of God. We can have no sin (foreigners) and our hearts must be totally the Lord’s (circumcised in heart) and flesh (our flesh needs to honor God.)
The priests of Zadok stand for the set apart ones that didn’t turn from the Lord when the people and other priests did. They would be allowed to minister to the Lord and serve him. They are to wear linen so that they wouldn’t sweat. We are not to toil in our worship to the Lord.
They weren’t to shave their heads which means they were to have a covering which our covering is the blood of Jesus. They weren’t to let their hair grow long because long hair was a picture of sin. All of the regulations of the priests had spiritual meanings that we as priests must do. The main office of the priest was to represent God to the people and teach the people about him. The reward of the priests was God himself. They would enjoy the things of God and everything offered to him - food and land.
Peter spoke of this inheritance for the set apart ones - the priests of the Lord. This inheritance through Jesus can never perish, spoil, or fade but it is kept in heaven for us.
Lord, let your set apart ones realize the inheritance that is ours.

Wed.’s Devo - The Glory of the Temple

Read: Ezekiel 42:1-43:27; James 5:1-20; Psalm 119:1-16; Proverbs 28:6-7
Ezekiel was given a tour of the temple and shown the way the Lord designed the temple to work. Ezekiel was to tell the people what he saw and just by describing the dimensions of the temple and the glory of the temple, it was suppose to make them want to repent. Every measurement, its arrangements, its exits and entrances and details about the temple was holy and had multiple meanings for them and for us. I wish I understood it all. God promised them that if they would put away their worship of other gods, he would dwell in the midst of them. If they chose to worship Him then they would need to cleanse the temple by offering sacrifices for seven days.
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and when we put away our false gods and choose to become God’s temple, then we are cleansed daily. Daily, we offer sacrifices to God by choosing him over our own pleasure until our seventh day, which will be the end of our time on earth.
James condemned the rich people because they were not generous. They hoarded their money and didn’t give it out to help the poor or even pay people for their services. They lived their lives in luxury and self-indulgence murdering the innocent and unaware of God and his plan. One day, every man will be judged. He told the suffering brothers to patiently endure because they will be blessed and God will be compassionate and merciful to them. He encouraged them to pray, praise, anoint the sick with oil, and confess their sins to one another because their prayers are powerful and effective. He also said that if a brother strays away and we help him return we are saving him from death and covering their sins.
Lord, help us to cleanse our temple and offer our bodies as daily sacrifices to you.

Tue.’s Devo. The Inner Court

Read: Ezekiel 40:28-41:26; James 4:1-17; Psalm 118:19-29; Proverbs 28:3-5
God had Ezekiel measure every length, width and height of the temple. The word “measure” in the Hebrew means to stretch a line which was meant to be extended or stretched. It also means to stretch oneself. I wonder if this whole process that Ezekiel went through is to show us the process God goes through when he judges a person’s life. He measures everything the person has done and either justifies or judges them. Something to ponder.
What we do see is that God’s temple, of whom we represent, is very complex and intricate. We see the multiple palm trees with cherubims engraved all over the temple. I wonder if the palm trees don’t stand for every trial we have undergone and the cherubim stands for the angel that helped us overcome.
James noted that the external battles they were having were stemmed from the internal battles of their soul. They had to do with their heart. The answer was to submit to God’s heart, resist the devil and come near to God. Those that were double-minded having part of their mind to serve God and the other to serve themselves needed to be cleansed of their actions and purified in their hearts.
Lord, may we be submitted to You and your ways.

Mon.’s Devo - The Outer Court

Read: Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; James 2:18-3:18; Psalm 118:1-18: Proverbs 28:2
Ezekiel starts out by describing the event known as the Feast of Leviathan. It is the counter feast to the Feast of the Lamb. In it the food will be the one who die during the battle of Armageddon. The fallen will be eaten by the birds of prey and the beasts of the field. These birds and beasts are pictures of demons. God will set the land on fire just like he did to Sodom and Gomorrah.
After God deals with the wicked, he will restore his name on the earth and gather his people from all over the earth and pour his spirit on them.
In the 25th year of exile and 14 years after Jerusalem had fallen, God gave Ezekiel a vision of the temple. He took him on top of a very high mountain that had a city on the south side. A man in linen appeared with a measuring cord and a six cubit measuring reed that in his hand. He stood in the gate of the city and told Ezekiel to pay close attention to every thing he was about to show him so he could tell it to the house of Israel.
He measured the wall outside the house, the width of the building and the height. Then he went to the eastern gate and measured the threshold of the other gates. He measured every little chamber its width and length. Everything was six cubits or one rod. Between the chambers was five cubits. Six is the number of man and five is the number of ministry through grace. All along the inside of the gate were the chambers that each had arches, posts that were carved as palm trees and windows facing inward. There were seven steps going up to the chambers.
I don’t pretend to understand everything about the heavenly temple that Ezekiel was shown but I do understand that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we have chambers in our hearts where we hold treasures that we call memories. The palm tree is the tree that can weather storms - bend to the ground and spring back up. It holds the dates that are used for many different reasons from nourishment to healing.
James makes it clear that faith and works go together. By faith we do the works of God. James also has much to say about the power of the words of our mouths. We create with our mouths.
Lord, may we speak words of life and create your kingdom on earth

Sun.’s Devo - Life!

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-38:23; James 1:19-2:17; Psalm 117:1-2; Proverbs 28:1
Israel’s remnant were like dead, dry bones laying in a valley. God asked Ezekiel if he thought these bones could come to life and Ezekiel said that only God knew the answer to that. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and tell them to hear the word of the Lord. He commanded breath to enter into them and tendons and flesh and breath to enter them. There was a noise and the earth shook as the bones came together to form people and tendons and flesh appeared. But they had no breath in them. Then he prophesied to the wind and it came from the four corners of the earth and filled the bodies and they came to life.
This was a picture of what God was going to do for Israel. They were scattered all over the world with no hope of ever being a nation again. God wanted to give them hope that they would once again have a life in their own land with their own people and he would once again be their God. They were like two sticks: Judah and Israel, but God was going to unite them as one nation.
Most scholars believe that Ezekiel 38 has to do with the end of times (vs. 8) and has not happened yet. It have always thought that this was a picture of the final battle of Armageddon. Gog is believed to be where Turkestan is now and Magog represents the Scythian nations and maybe some of India.
I love James and quote this first verse to myself many times: “…be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” It is easy to say, not so easy to do, but that is where true maturity comes in.
Purity means being able to hold your tongue, looking out for the fatherless and widows in their times of need and keeping unspotted from the world. God also warns us against showing any impartiality to people. We should treat everyone the same and love them all. The only way we can do this is with God’s grace. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Lord, help us to walk with your heart.

Sat.’s Devo - Trials

Read: Ezekiel 35:1-36:38; James 1:1-18; Psalm 116:1-19; Proverbs 27:23-27
Ezekiel was told to prophesy against Mt. Seir which means “goat-like”. The represent those who were not chosen. Mt. Seir was given to Esau who despised his birthright and sold it for soup. Esau’s descendants had never forgiven Jacob’s descendants because of the past with Jacob and Esau so they were doomed to death. They had wanted to steal Jacob’s land and defy what God had said about Jacob’s future. They wanted to plunder the fruit of their harvest. Satan is always wanting to steal the seed and the harvest.
God spoke again and said that when Israel came back to their land, they would grow and prosper. When they lived in it before, they had defiled God’s name with their actions and God was going to use them to restore his name on the earth. Israel was always a picture for earth to see God, and Israel had distorted the way people saw God. God would set things straight by cleansing his people who carried his name. He would give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them. They would follow his decrees and keep his laws. They would bear much fruit and by them the earth would be blessed.
James was a letter written to the twelve tribes that had been scattered all around the world. The writer of James was believed to be Jesus’ brother who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. If it was Jesus’ brother, then he witnessed first hand what godly living looked like in Jesus’ life. He wrote James to encourage the chosen to live godly lives. He opened up talking about trials we all face and their importance in our lives. They are to mature us and grow us in patience. If we need wisdom, all we have to do is ask. God is wisdom personified. To be exalted in the kingdom, we have to go low on the earth. We will be blessed for every trial we go through if we persevere and don’t give up.
Lord, thank you for all the gifts you give us to walk uprightly on the earth. May our trials bring us joy and maturity.

Fri.’s Devo - Sons of God

Read: Ezekiel 33:1-34:31; Hebrews 13:1-25; Psalm 115:1-18; Proverbs 27:21-22
God always referred to Ezekiel as a son of man. Jesus always referred to himself as the son of man except when he was speaking to his disciples or to people who would become his disciples and then he used the term “son of God”. We were sons of men until we became a new creature in Christ and then we were called sons of God. As sons of God, like Ezekiel, we can hear the voice of God speaking to us.
God’s word to Ezekiel was that he had to speak what God was telling him about the land and the people or he would be held responsible for their sins. He was God’s voice to warn them of what was going to happen to them if they didn’t repent. He was their spiritual father who was sent to discipline and warn them of their punishment if they continued in their sin and their reward for turning away from their sin.
God was angry at the spiritual leaders of their day because they didn’t hear from him and didn’t warn the people. Their lives were as sinful as the people’s and they would be held responsible. One day, the Shepherd of the people would be Jesus Christ and he would bring showers of blessing on the ones who listened and obeyed his voice.
What we read in Hebrews can be summed up in this: honor one another and set your heart on loving God. He will provide for your every need. Be aware of the spiritual world that is all around you and be grateful!
Lord, we are truly in awe of the great love you have for us and this world. Help us to live as sons of God today.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Sanctification

Read: Ezekiel 31:1-32:32; Hebrews 12;14-29; Psalms 113:1-114:8: Proverbs 27:18-20
Today we go back to the 11th year of Israel’s exile and read what God said about the king of Egypt. He compared him to Lucifer in the garden of Eden. He was the envy of all the trees in the garden of Eden in his beauty and majesty. He was lifted higher than any other and let pride consume him. The king of Egypt would be brought down just as Lucifer was.
A year and a half later, God sent Ezekiel to the king of Egypt to give him a rebuke. God compared him to a lion and a sea monster who muddied the water. But God was going to bring destruction and mapped out his downfall. He was going to make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, then everyone would know that God was the Lord.
In the 12th year of Israel’s exile, God spoke of Egypt’s destruction again and of Assyria’s. All of these prophecies are foreshadows of the end of the ages when it will happen again in the same places.
Hebrews tells us the importance of being sanctified - letting God purify you. Without it we will never see God. God begs us not to miss the grace he gives us to be pure. Grace is not the license to sin and be forgiven, it is the power not to sin. He gives us the example of Esau who chose the pleasures of this world over the things of God. The new covenant is so much better than the old. Jesus’ blood has so much more power than the blood of animals and the heavenly Mt. Zion is a much better place than the earthly Mt. Zion.

Wed.’s Devo - Our Just God

Read: Ezekiel 29:1-30:26; Hebreews 11:32-12:13; Psalm 112:1-20a; Proverbs 27:17
In the tenth year of Israel’s exile, Ezekiel prophesied against the king of Egypt calling him a great monster of the sea. God pronounced 40 years of captivity for Egypt because of the harm they did to the children of Israel. Egypt would never be the great power in the earth that it had been.
In the 27th year on the first day of the year (Roshashana) God had Ezekiel prophesy about Babylon. God had used Babylon to defeat and punish Tyre and for its reward, God was going to give them Egypt. How amazing is that! God is so just God that he rewards the just and the unjust. On the day that he did this, God promised to start raising up his people. Many of them would die in the destruction of Egypt. Egypt would be sold to evil men and lay wasted. All its idols would be destroyed and all its temples with their images of their gods.
Hebrews starts out with a list of men God used to bring justice on the land. They conquered kingdoms, served justice and obtained the promise God had given them. These wonderful men and women that have gone before us - some having escaped and others having suffered to the point of death. These people are part of our cloud of witnesses that cheer us on to finish the work they started.
Lord, we are so grateful that you discipline us because it means that you love us and we are his children.

Tues.’s Devo - Tyre and Sidon

Read: Ezekiel 27:1-28:26; Hebrews 11:17-31; Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 27:15-16
In Ezekiel 27, Tyre is depicted as a merchant ship that is built of the finest materials and equipped with the finest of goods. It trades with all the countries and brings back the best the world has to offer. It was used to enrich the whole world and they would see it crash and be shattered by the sea and look upon its destruction with horror and fear. Tyre means “distress” which is suffering, agony and anguish. These synonyms describe Satan’s plan very well.
In Chapter 28, the king of Tyre is addressed as a type of the anti-christ to come. We see in him the picture of Satan and his pride before his fall from heaven. He will also die on the seas as he will be thrown into the lake of fire. We learn that Satan was created blameless but chose wickedness. He was a guardian cherub but his pride over his own beauty and splendor caused him to become corrupted in his wisdom. He was thrown to the earth and made a spectacle before kings (which are us). The horrible things he does to the earth will come back on him and he will have a bad end.
Ezekiel also prophesied against Sidon which means “hunting”. They were Israel’s malicious neighbors who were like painful briers and sharp thorns. God was going to make himself known to them in judgment.
In Hebrews, Abraham was the picture of God who gave his only son to die and be raised again. By faith, Isaac could see the future promise given to Jacob and Esau and when Jacob was dying, he spoke the future over his sons. When Joseph was about to die, he spoke the future over his whole family, the children of Israel. He said that they would come out of Egypt and when they did, they were to bring his bones with them and bury them in the promised land. Moses’ parents saw the future plan God had for Moses and hid him so he could live. Moses believed what they saw and gave up the world’s throne and position to become what God chose for his life. He was able to do this because he saw the one who was invisible - God. By faith, Moses observed the Passover and believed that God would kill the first born if he didn’t apply the blood. He believed that if he would lift up his staff, God would make a way through the Red Sea. He believed that God would give him Jericho if he just did what God told him to do. Even Rahab, a Canaanite, believed God by faith which led to her salvation. Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God.
Lord, your works are faithful and just; all your precepts are trustworthy and steadfast for ever and ever.

Mon.’s Devo - The Plan

Read: Ezekiel 24:1-26:21; Hebrews 11:1-16; Psalm 110:1-7; Proverbs 27:14
Ezekiel had been giving them a countdown to destruction and today God pronounced the day that Babylon would lay siege to Jerusalem. That day: the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year was the day God would put the pot (Jerusalem) on the fire to cook its contents.
Ezekiel, as the watchman on the wall had to carry a heavy burden as their prophet. God told him his wife, the pride and delight of his eyes and object of his affection would die and he was not to mourn for her. When this happened the people asked what it meant and he told them that they would lose their families and the things they loved the most and not be able to mourn for them either.
God would punish all the nations that were glad when Jerusalem was plundered - the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Edomites and the Philistines.
Two years later, God pronounced a sentence against Tyre. Her beautiful port and city would become an empty rock. Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon would batter and beat it down to the ground and it would no longer be a wealthy metropolis of parties and opulence, but a fallen city of God’s wrath never to be rebuilt.
Today we read the “faith chapter” in Hebrews. Faith is defined as being able to imagine what we cannot see, believing that one day it will manifest on earth. We have a list of people in the Bible who’s lives are examples of faith.
Abel had faith to give God an offering that was perfect making him righteous. Abel was the picture of Jesus, our perfect sacrifice.
Enoch walked straight into heaven bypassing death. His life pleased God and was a picture of the rapture of the Bride.
Noah believed what God said about destroying the earth and built the ark according to God’s blueprints. He was a picture of the Church that would go through the Great Tribulation.
Abraham left his homeland by faith to travel to a land he had never seen looking for a city that God would build. He is a picture of the father of the New Earth.
In these four examples we see the whole picture of God’s plan for the world. All these people were living through their imagination seeing something that never manifested in their lifetime but will one day and they will see it and be a part of it.
We sometimes forget that life is short, but we get to live eternally and never die. We are walking out on earth and setting up structures and plans that will live on through eternity. What we begin down on earth will live on through our children and their children and one day it will all make sense.
Lord, help us to see the importance of what we are doing on this earth. We are walking out lands, preparing futures and setting examples for those to walk behind us. We are part of the kingdom and the family of God.