Wed.’s Devo - Laws of Divorce and Marriage

Read: Leviticus 22:17-23:44; Mark 9:30-10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:19
God was specific about the sacrifices. They were to represent our offerings to the Lord. First Peter 2:5 says that we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. He goes on to explain what these spiritual sacrifices are: to abstain from fleshly lusts, be honest in our conversations, be submitted to the laws of the land and the leaders that God has put in authority. We are to honor all men, love our fellow Christians, fear God, and honor the President. We are to be good employees even if our employers are mean and unreasonable. Our life and our opinion and rights are what we sacrifice to the Lord. It needs to be without grumbling and complaining. That is not an easy sacrifice!
God gave the Israelites seven feasts that would be road markers and mark times of God moving on the earth. The first three feasts are Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. They occur in the spring around the barley and wheat harvest. They represent our salvation, sanctification and power to rise up and walk in the Spirit. The feasts were to be rehearsals they were to do every year and some years they would be divine appointments. These first three feasts were fulfilled when Jesus came to earth. He died on Passover, becoming the sacrificial lamb. He was in the grave on Unleavened Bread representing our sanctification. He rose on First Fruits being the first to rise from the dead. Pentecost was fifty days after Passover and God sent his Holy Spirit to man representing the seed that was harvested. Three thousand souls were harvested on the Pentecost after Jesus rose from the grave. The next three feasts have yet to be fulfilled. They are Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus will come for his bride on Trumpets, the Tribulation will happen on the days of Atonement and Jesus will return on Tabernacles.
Yesterday, when we read about the Transfiguration, the disciples wanted to build booths for Elijah and Moses because it was the Feast of Tabernacles and they thought they were staying.
In Mark, Jesus tried to tell them what was coming but they didn’t want to hear it. They wanted to believe he was going to Jerusalem to usurp the throne and set up his earthly kingdom. They were concerned with their position. Jesus explained that they needed to stop thinking the way to promotion was through position. It is through humility. It is not a competition with other Christians, other churches, or other ministries. We are all on the same team and all have a different flavor to offer to the world.
Jesus talked about divorce which is one of the most misunderstood teachings. He first told the Pharisees the law. It said that to divorce a man must give his wife a certificate of divorcement which gave her legal freedom and rights. In the days of Jesus, men were not doing this so the wife was not legally divorced. To remarry, she would be committing adultery since she was not divorced from her first husband. The men were not taking care of their first wife legally or respectfully. Even God divorced Israel to marry a Gentile wife. One day, he will redeem Israel and marry her again.
Lord, help us not to be legalistic about your laws, but understand that the law of love supersedes all laws.

Tues.’s Devo - Holy Living

Read: Leviticus 20:22-22:16; Mark 9:1-29; Psalm 43:1-5a; Proverbs 19:18
It is difficult to read today’s reading and understand it if you don’t comprehend the Hebrew mindset of God. God married Israel so they are his wife. So for a priest to marry someone who has in any way given herself to another man is to figuratively showing a heart that has given herself to an idol and forsaken God. To “take a wife that is a whore” would mean to accept or mingle with the profane; willingly sin knowing full well what you are doing.
Marriage was the picture of covenant with God. It was not to be polluted in any way. In 21:10-15, if gives us the requirements for the High Priest, which was Aaron at the time. He was to be anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit so the covenant he made with the Lord was to be kept holy. The different women it mentioned had to do with covenants he was to avoid. The widow in the Hebrew means “a desolate house” which has to do with things out of God’s covering since her covering had been removed. The divorced woman had to do with something that was cast out which depicts a sin or spirit you have driven out. A profane woman has to do with something polluted or dead. Satan came to kill but Jesus came to bring life. All things dead are in our past and not to be a part of our new life in Christ. The harlot stands for a complete rebellion against God.
The priest was to marry a virgin which stands for a heart that has not polluted itself with the world and chosen to stay close to God and obeys his commands.
To come into God’s presence we are to come in holy. To be holy we have to repent of our sin and we will be white as snow. To live a holy life takes commitment and a renewed mind. That is really what all these laws are about.
In Mark, Jesus took Peter, James and John to a mountain where they saw Jesus in his glory. It was the sixth day showing us that this is a foretaste of what we will see in the sixth millennium. We are approaching that time when we will behold the Jesus in his glory as the King of Kings. They saw Moses and Elijah on the exact mountain that God talked to them about that day when he would demonstrate his glory to the earth.
The disciples were not to mention this until Jesus had risen from the dead because it was not for then but for the future.
Lord, help us to see the ways your are preparing us for what you are going to do in the future.

Mon.’s Devo - Eyes to See

Read: Leviticus 19:1-20:21; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42:1-11
Leviticus is God explaining the details of the Ten Commandments. It is the answers to the FAQ’s about them. He even gave laws to provide for the poor. The field workers were to leave droppings from their harvest and not harvest the corners of the land so that the poor could work them. That was so they could obey the next thing he said which was not to steal. If the blessed people would do what God told them to do then the poor would be taken care of and not have to steal. Everyone needs the satisfaction of working for themselves. We rob the poor of that joy when we just hand it to them. It might be the easiest for us, but employing them would be more healthy and fulfilling for them.
God gave many laws about mixture. They were not to mate different cattle together, mix seed when planting, mix different cloths, etc. God hates mixture. We are not to mix good with evil.
God gave them commandments about planting trees that are to bear fruit. Trees represent God’s people (Psalm 1). The trees were uncircumcised the first three years. On the fourth they would be a holy praise to the Lord and the they could be used for food in the fifth year. Sounds crazy unless you understand the process God laid out in Genesis One. First day is our first day of salvation. We enter the kingdom of light and are saved. The second day responds to the second year in today’s reading where we learn to separate what is holy from what is not holy. Then on the third day, seed is planted that will produce that fruit. So in our lives, that represents the way we plant the Word of God into our spirits because we will conform to the seed we plant. But on the fourth day, which represents the fourth year we come under the lordship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. On the fifth day we are sent out to minister on the earth. Then our fruit is ripe and we have something to give out.
In our own lives, our life consists figuratively as a week with the seventh day being the day we enter into our rest. We all mature at different rates but we will all go through the same process.
In Chapter 20, God warns against given their seed to Molech. Molech was a false god that they would sacrifice their babies to to get his favor. Molech means “guilt”. We are not to birth things out of guilt. Anything born out of guilt will not endure or bear fruit. Grace is the opposite of guilt. Jesus came to remove the guilt and punishment of sin.
In Mark, Jesus was done with the Pharasee’s because they refused to see the sign standing right in front of them. Jesus told his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. The leaven had to do with their man-made laws that they had added to God’s laws. Their laws were wrong doctrine. The disciples thought he was referring to the fact that they forgot to bring bread. Jesus was upset that they didn’t learn by his feeding the multitude that their needs would be provided. He was not teaching them carnal things, but spiritual. Jesus told Peter, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Lord, help us to not mind the things of the earth, because you have made provision for us, but help us to put your kingdom first and see the eternal rather than the natural.

Sun.’s Devo - God Loves Us

Read: Leviticus 16:29-30; Mark 7:24-8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16
The Day of Atonement was the most holy day of the year for the Hebrew. It was when the successor to the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and sin for the nation would be atoned for the whole year. This successor was the son of the high priest. Jesus, the son of God, entered into the Holy of Holies with his own blood and became our new High Priest forever (Hebrews 7).
God told his people that they were not to live like the people they left or the people they were going to. They had God’s laws and God was their god. Then God gave them a list of people they were not to have sex with. He had just told them the importance of not eating the blood of animals. He was trying to teach them about DNA even though it had no name. Having sex with a relative mixes blood and dishonors and defiles. Sacrificing children to a false god profanes God’s name. Homosexual sin is detestable and having sex with animals is defiling and a perversion. These were the sins of the people of the promises land that God was going to drive out before them. Their sins had defiled the land so the land vomited the people out. The land does this by volcanoes.
If God’s people did these things they would be cut off from their people. This is not my opinion…this is God. In our world of political correctness and not wanting to offend and the doctrine of coexistence, we have watered down and cut out God’s laws. Being a Christian, we will be called bigots, hypocrites, judges, etc., but we can not water down God’s laws. They were not meant to restrict us, they were meant to keep us safe and give us life.
In Mark, Jesus healed the Greeks. He delivered a daughter from demons, opened the ears of a deaf man and he spoke for the first time. Then he fed the four thousand and had seven basketfuls left over. He did this all in the land of mainly Greeks. Jesus came to save the world.
Lord, help us to obey you even when we don’t understand why. Your motive is always good and love.

Sat.’s Devo - Issues of the Flesh

Read: Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14
Today we deal with running issues out of the flesh. That is pretty self-explanatory. It is when the sins of the flesh are out in the open and obvious. That person is unclean and every thing he touches is affected by his sin. We are seeing many examples of that in the news. A man has a sexual issue and abuses innocent young girls. It affects everyone involved. God is bringing it all to light.
Men are not the only ones who are guilty of issues of their flesh. Women are the seductresses, the manipulators and the Jezebel’s of society also. Their influence on the next generation is devastating.
Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more and where their is a tower of evil, God always plants his stronghold of righteousness. We fight evil with good, so the opposite of running issues of the flesh is an overflow of the river of God. We need to let the Holy Spirit flow out of us in righteousness and grace.
God told Moses that he had to keep the Israelites separate from things that made them unclean, so they would not die in their sin of defiling God’s dwelling place, which is among them. If we are Christians then the dwelling place of the Lord is within us.
In Mark, the Pharisees were all upset about the mechanicals of resisting sin and staying clean. They wanted to look good on the outside, but their hearts were full of evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. These were the things that Jesus told them made them unclean.
Lord, may the issue of our flesh be purified by the blood of Jesus. Give us a heart to live righteously and turn from temptation.

Fri.’s Devo - Kingdom Thinking

Read: Leviticus 14:1-59; Mark 6:1-29; Psalm 39:1-13; Proverbs 10:10
The answer to our sin problem is the cross, so the answer to their fleshly diseases was a ceremony that depicted the cross. They were to take two clean birds, wood, red thread and hyssop. The priest was to kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. The other bird and all the props were to be dipped in the blood of the slain bird. The person to the cleansed was then sprinkled seven times with the blood of the dead bird. Then the live bird was released into a field.
The person was to wash his clothes, shave off his hair and bathe with water then he would be “ceremonially” clean. He was to stay seven days outside his tent and on the seventh day he was to totally shave every hair from his body, wash his clothes and bathe himself with water and he would be clean.
This is the perfect picture of salvation. Jesus is both birds. The first bird was Jesus the sacrificial lamb. All the props were seen at the scene of his crucifixion. The sinner must first come to the cross and apply the blood of Jesus to their sins. Then they can witness the resurrection power of Jesus which is demonstrated in the live bird that goes free. This man is now ceremonially clean which means he is saved by faith. He will not be eternally saved until he dies, after living his “seven days”. Then, he will be completely clean of all his sins and enter into heaven.
On the eighth day, he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb with 3/10ths of an ephath of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering and one log of oil. The priest who pronounces him clean will present both the man and his offerings before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
The eighth day represents our first day of heaven. We enter heaven by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19) that is represented by the lambs. The flour represents the Word and the oil is the Holy Spirit. These are our tickets in. Jesus, himself, received our sacrifices and welcomes us in.
Leprosy in the house is a sin or curse in your family. You are to remove the stones that had the leprosy and replace them with new ones. In other words, you must rewrite your covenant. We make covenants with our words, so we must proclaim what we want to have and renounce what we don’t. Our words have power and move mountains.
In Mark we have the first feeding of the multitudes. Jesus was trying to get them to think and see into his kingdom which always has enough and never runs out. Their hearts were hard so they couldn’t use what they had learned when they came to the storm. If we don’t glean the lesson in the times of plenty, we will not be able to stand in the storm.
Lord, help us to see into your kingdom and live from that kingdom instead of living in the natural. Remind us that we are supernatural.

Thurs.’s Devo - Forgiveness and Healing

Read: Leviticus 13:1-59; Mark 6:1-29; Psalm 39:1-13; Proverbs 10:10
God gave them specific instructions about infections and leprosy. Leprosy is a disease of the flesh caused by bacterium. Leprosy in the Old Testament is what sin was in the New. Sin is a disease of the flesh. It usually starts with an offense and manifests some way in our health and our actions. If it gets “under our skin” then it has affected our heart and how we perceive things. It will turn into a bitter root and then we will be contagious because it will affect what comes out of our mouth and our whole attitude on life. The priest had to quarantine those people until they healed. The priest is God. If we refuse to forgive and carry a root of bitterness, we will be put on the shelf while we heal. When we are healed, then God will set us back on the path of ministry and wholeness.
Leprosy affected their clothing like sin affects our spiritual armor. If we are bitter or mad at God then our faith, our walk, our testimony, and our spiritual shield is down. We are open to the attacks of the devil and our testimony will be contaminated. The good news is that forgiveness and God’s love can cover a multitude of sins. We can heal from the hurts of other people, our past, and our upbringing with grace and forgiveness. We can wear white robes of righteousness and healing.
We have a picture of what unforgiveness will lead to in Mark. Herodias harbored an offense against John the Baptist because he spoke out against her adultery. Her offense led to murder. We might not murder someone we hold offenses against but we will kill them with our words. If our heart is evil, then it will come out of our mouths. James 3 says that out of our mouths come blessing and cursing and it ought not to be that way. Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from God is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Lord, let the fruit of righteousness be sown in peace in us.

Wed.’s Devo -Discernment and Miracles

Read: Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21-43: Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9
God gave Moses instructions about clean and unclean animals. First he addressed the animals that live on the land. They could eat anything that had a split hoof that was completely divided and that chewed the cud. Romans 7:14 says that the law is spiritual which means there is more to the law than the surface. We can choose to digest things that come to us or not. A split hoof completely divided has to do with balance in someones walk. Chewing the cud means understanding the scriptures. We should only digest teaching that comes from careful study of the Word and from a teacher that walks what he/she teaches. If either of these is off then what they teach or what they live will fall into deception, eventually.
Of the creatures in the water they had to have fins or scales. The water has to do with the spiritual realm just like the sky. We have to be careful that the spirits we accept are covered by the shadow of God, not the devil who can parade as an angel of light. The litmus test is if they submit and are covered with the blood of Christ. Most people will claim to believe in God, but the dividing line is if they believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Salvation is our covering; it is our scales. The fins are the voice and Word of God that direct us and balance us. We must have both.
Of the birds, they could not eat ones that ate dead things like the eagle, vulture, raven, etc. We are to eat things that bring us life. Of the flying insects, we are not to eat ones that could not bend their knee. Bending the knee has to do humility. The devil is pride personified. Jesus was humility personified.
In Mark, Jesus met a man whose daughter was 12 and dying. The father was one of the rulers of the synagogue. On the way to his house, Jesus was confronted by a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. For 12 years, she had been considered unclean. Jesus stopped to heal this woman that no one would have considered worth it while he made the man who the world considered important, wait. Jesus treated everyone the same. I’m sure the father was a little put out when Jesus interrupted his mission to save the woman while his daughter died.
Lord, give us discernment and lead us into your miracles.

Tues.’s Devo - Obedience

Read Leviticus 9:7-10:20; Mark 4:26-5:20; Psalm 37:30-4-; Proverbs 10:6-7
Once Aaron and his sons were consecrated they could offer sacrifices. They first offered the sin and the burnt offering to cleanse them and the people from their sins. That had to happen first. Everything was going well till Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu got off script and decided to put fire and incense on their censer. This strange fire in the Hebrew meant to commit adultery. It was a calculated rebellion from what God had told them to do. God knew their hearts and God’s fire came out and consumed them. Nadal means “liberal” and Abihu means “worshipper of God”. How did these men go so far off. We see it every day. Adultery among spiritual leaders is rampant in the church today. The reason we don’t see immediate judgement, like in this story, is that we are living in the dispensation of grace so God’s judgment is slow in coming, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come. One day we will all stand before God and account for our lives.
Aaron and his other relatives were not allowed to mourn for the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. They were to carry on as usual. They were not to drink any drink that would be intoxicating. Intoxicate in Webster’s means to excite to a point beyond self-control. God wanted his spiritual leaders to have self-control at all times. They were also to have their heads covered with hair as a sign of a covering. We are covered with the blood of Jesus as our sign.
Church can be messy at times because we all have our interpretations of what God is saying. Aaron and Moses had to work through some of theirs also but they learned to respect one another’s opinions. We need to do the same.
In Mark, Jesus talked more about the seed. Once it is scattered, it is not up to the one who scattered it to make sure it grows. It is the soil and the rain that determines whether it will produce a good crop. The soil is the person’s heart and God controls the rain.
Jesus got into a boat and went across to the other side. On one side is the mainly Jewish followers and the other side was the mainly Gentile followers. Jesus was going to the Gentile side when a storm arose to keep them from reaching their destination. Satan did not want Jesus to reach the man with the demons. Jesus calmed the sea with a command of peace and they reached the other side unharmed. On the other side was a man filled with demons. His demons were the principality of that whole region. Once Jesus cast them out, the whole area was afraid and begged Jesus to leave. The man who had been delivered begged to go with Jesus but Jesus refused to let him. Instead, he told the man to go home and tell everyone what God had done for him. He did, and the next time Jesus came the people were ready and hungry to see Jesus. Jesus bound the strong man and took his armor (Luke 11:21-22).
Lord, help us to obey your exact commands and trust You without wavering.

Mon.’s Devo - The Soil

Read: Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31-4:25; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5
Once God had given them instructions for the different offerings, they did them just as the Lord had instructed. First, Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons by washing them, putting on their new priestly clothes, and anointing Aaron’s head. This is the picture of salvation. We are washed from our sins by the blood of Jesus, then we are given the robe of righteousness and the armor of God as given in Ephesians 6. Lastly, God’s anoints us for his service.
The priests first offered sacrifices for their own sins. Moses took the blood from the sacrifice and put it on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. This was to symbolize their hearing being sanctified so they could hear God’s voice, the works of their hands being sanctified so they could do the works of God, and their walk being sanctified. He also sprinkled blood on all sides of the altar. Moses placed some of the fat and the bread in the hands of the priest and had them wave them before the Lord. The wave offering was done up and down then side to side, making the sign of the cross. The ordination listed seven days where the priests were to stay at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting day and night. This is the place we are to be our whole lives - at the door of God. Jesus is that door and we are to abide in him all our lives.
On the eighth day they were to offer a sacrifice and the Lord would appear to them. On the eighth millennium, we will tabernacle with the Lord and see him face to face. We will see him in his glory.
In Mark, Jesus leveled the field. He showed no favorites - even family. He honored his mother and father but he knew his mission and his mother knew his mission also.
Jesus gave his most important parable about the seed and the sower. Every other teaching hinges on this parable because if you do not have good soil, nothing you read or hear about the truth will stick or bear fruit. But if you do have good soil, you will be given more and more seed and you will prosper in every way.
Lord, help us to have fertile soil to plant your seed.

Sun.’s Devo - The Stronger Man

Read: Leviticus 6:1-7:27; Mark 3:7-30; Psalm 37:1-11; Proverbs 10:3-4
Jesus told the Pharisees that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with everything you have and the second greatest was to love your neighbor as yourself. Yesterday, we read about what we are to do if we sin against God, but today we are reading about what to do if we sin against people.
If we lie, cheat, steal or find someones lost property we are to return it. We are to give them a fifth of its worth if we are guilty in any way. Then a guilt offering was to be made to be forgiven of God for defrauding one of God’s people.
The different offerings represent different prayers we pray to God. The sin offering is a prayer of salvation. When we pray this prayer our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. The guilt offering is a prayer of repentance we pray as we struggle against the strongholds and sinful patterns in our lives. The fellowship offering is our prayers of relationship with God. It is when we just talk to him and listen. We enter into God’s presence with praise and thanksgiving. A freewill offering or a vow is a promise we make to the Lord which he does not take lightly. It is important that we do what we tell the Lord we will do.
One thing they were told repeatedly was to not eat meat with blood in it. That would mean that the sacrifice was still alive. I think that it means if you are offering something to the Lord, it can not still have strings attached to you. It must be dead to you and something you totally give with no regrets. Lot’s wife is a great example of this. Sodom was not dead in her heart so it was hard for her to leave. She proved this when she could not just walk away from it. When we offer something to the Lord, we have to be able to walk away and not return to it.
In Mark, Jesus is in his most popular part of his ministry. The only way he could get away from the crowd was to launch out in a small boat and preach from there. It was worse than a Beatle’s concert in the sixties. He and his disciples couldn’t even go to someone’s house and eat because of the crowd. When his family saw this they said he was crazy and when the teachers of the law saw this they said he was possessed by Beelzebub.
This is so true about people who become sold out to the Lord. First, their family thinks they are crazy and going off the deep end. Then the “religious” church attributes it to confusion and Satan.
Jesus didn’t address his family, but he did address the religious leaders. He explained that a kingdom can not be divided against himself. Then he said, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man.” What he was saying was that he was the stronger man who had entered Satan’s territory where Satan had stricken people with sickness, pain and filled them with his spirit, Jesus was now coming in and tying Satan up and taking sickness, pain and demons from them. Then they are ready to receive forgiveness and be spiritually saved.
Jesus was the super hero who everyone called the villain.
Lord, help us to have discernment to know what is evil and what is of you. Thank you for all the rejection you went through to set us free from the lies of the devil.

Sat.’s Devo - The New Wine

Read: Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2
God gave them laws concerning sins committed in innocence. He starts with the priesthood and the leaders. Because the priests represented God, their sin brought guilt on the people. If the whole community sinned and then found out their error and repented, they were to offer the bull and the priest was to sprinkle the blood seven times on the front of the curtain so the people could see it and know that they were released from their sin.
When a government leader sinned unintentionally, the atonement was different. A male goat, instead of a bull was offered and the whole thing was less public. The blood was applied to the horn of the altar and the bull was not taken outside the camp so everyone could see it.
If a common person sinned unintentionally, a female goat was offered. The rest was done as it was for the government leader.
In today’s society these four groups would describe the spiritual leaders, the Christian community, the unbelieving government officials and the unbelievers.
God also gave them laws about accountability. If you heard or saw someone sin and didn’t confront it you were as guilty as the one who committed the sin.
In Leviticus 5:15 God dealt with the believer who innocently committed a sin and realized his fault. He was to not only offer a blood atonement for his sin, but he was to make restitution. He was to pay adding a fifth to it. God makes it clear that to sin against the law was to sin against God. As Christians, we are not only to repent but make things more than right with whoever we hurt.
In Mark, Jesus picked his third disciple who was Levi, the tax collector. Levi was a Jewish tax collector which means that he willingly worked for the Roman government and he over-taxed his own people. The only friends he could have were the other tax-collectors and the prostitutes which is why they were all at his house.
Jesus was accused of eating with sinners and not fasting by the religious leaders. His response was the parable about the new wine in new wine skins and the new patch on old clothes. What he was doing by choosing the poor and needy sinners over the self-righteous religious was illustrating the new wine he was bringing. He was pouring his new kingdom into new wine skins - doing it a new way. Instead of going to the priests and Pharisees, he went to the common people and brought them the good news. The priests and Pharisees were the old garments that could not receive the good news - the new patch.
Jesus came to fulfill the Sabbath which is the day when God will restore everything. Jesus did most of his healing and miracles on this day because in the last millennium, the last Sabbath, everyone will be healed and God will wipe every tear for their eyes. Death will be defeated and everyone will be made whole.
Lord, help us to walk filled with the new wine. Help us to shift with you and see your kingdom come in a new way.

Fri.’s Devo - Walking By Faith

Read: Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 1:29-2:12; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 9:13-18
Welcome to Leviticus which is the laws concerning the Levites. I love Leviticus because it is a book to Christians. Today we read about the burnt offering, the meat offering of flour, and the peace offering. Jesus was all of these offerings. He was the burnt offering on the cross. He was a perfect lamb from his own people or flock. Jesus was the sacrifice that was laid upon the wood altar of the cross. He was a sweet savor to the Lord.
The meat offering is really bread because the Word is our bread and our meat. Mixed with the oil of the Holy Spirit, it brings us life. Jesus was the bread that was unleavened (without sin). It was to be seasoned with salt. Jesus spoke of salt in the sermon on the mount. He said that we are the salt of the earth and if we lose that savor then it is not good for anything but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Salt in the Greek means prudence. Prudence means that you have sound judgment and can advise others. It also means that you are a careful manager of your money. When we aren’t prudent, then the world sees us as hypocrites and our testimony is ruined.
The peace offering is our sacrifice of thanksgiving. Jesus freely gave up his life as an offering of praise to his Father and we can offer that same thanksgiving of praise for what he did for us. Colossians 1:20 tells us that Jesus made peace through his blood on the cross to reconcile all things unto himself.
Yesterday, we read where Jesus made his first two disciples, Simon (Peter) and James. It was the Sabbath and Jesus had just left the synagogue. He went to Simon’s house to find his mother in bed with a fever. Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her out of the bed, healed. Once the Sabbath was over at sunset, people flocked to his house to be healed and delivered.
Jesus healed a man with leprosy. We know that this man was a Jew because Jesus told him to go and show the priests and not tell anyone, but the man didn’t go to the priests, he told everyone instead.
The priests had come up with their own litmus test of what the Messiah would have to do to be the true Messiah. In their man-made laws, the Messiah would 1. heal a Jewish leper, 2. heal a man born blind, and 3. heal a deaf and dumb man. Jesus wanted his miracle to be a sign to them that he was here. This man’s testimony brought so many people, Jesus had to retreat to the Gentile town of Capernaum. He did get a few days of rest before they found out where he was and flocked there. The scribes were there to watch and decide if he was the Messiah. When Jesus forgave the sins of the man with the palsy, they accused Jesus of speaking blasphemy. Jesus asked them which was easier - to say his sins were forgiven or to heal him. To show them that he could back his words up with power, he healed the man and he took up his bed and walked home.
As the church, we have been able to speak the truth but we have not backed it up with power. That is our next step. All we have to do is pray the prayer of faith, Jesus will do the rest.
Lord, give us boldness to step out in what you tell us to do without having to know what the outcome is going to be. Help us to walk by faith.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Garments of the Priest

Read: Exodus 39:1-40:38; Mark 1:1-28; Psalm 35:1-16; Proverbs 9:11-12
Aaron’s garment had gold hammered down to a thread and woven into the fabric. I can’t imagine the splendor when the sun hit the gold in his garment making him look like he glimmered and shone. It was all to show the glory of Jesus as our High Priest. I’ve explained the stones of the tribes in previous blogs but I want to explain the bells and the pomegranates. The Torah has 365 laws in it and every pomegranate has 365 seeds so the pomegranates represents the law. The bells are the praises that are always accompanying the priests appearance. Praise, and reminding God of his promises will bring his presence into your situation.
Aaron’s priests all wore white linen to show their consecration and holy life.
When all the components were finished for the tabernacle and its worship, God told them to set it all up on the first day of the first month of the year. If we are talking the civil calendar then that would be Tishri One, the first day of the world, Roshashana. Fifteen days later would be the Feast of Tabernacles. If it is the first day of the religious calendar then it is Nisan or Abib One which is the month of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. I couldn’t find out which one it was but both are important to what was happening. They were about to start sacrificing their first sacrifices and beginning their corporate worship so I would think it was the month of Passover.
Today we start reading Mark. Mark was written to the Romans and describes Jesus as the Servant. Knowing this, it is interesting that he quotes Isaiah right off the bat. Isaiah was the prophet who described Jesus as the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. Isaiah also prophesied that one would come who would be Jesus’ messenger to prepare the way before him. He called the people to repentance so their hearts would be ready to receive their Messiah.
Once John introduced Jesus and baptized him, his ministry was pretty much over. He was arrested and put in prison where he stayed until his promotion to heaven.
I love Mark’s no-nonsense approach to his story. He gets right to the point and introduces John, Jesus, and his first disciples all in the first chapter. He even establishes his power over the demonic world. Jesus has entered the building!
Lord, may we walk as priests on the earth.

Wed.’s Devo - The Furniture of the Tabernacle

Read: Exodus 37:1-38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10
Bezalel was to construct the two angels on top of the ark of the covenant out of one solid block of gold. It would have been much easier to cast this, but God wanted it hammered. It was to have two rings on either side to slip the poles into for carrying. No one was to touch the ark. Inside was some manna, the two tablets of the law and Aaron’s rod that budded. The two angels represented the presence of God over our lives. The box represented the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in us. The manna represents God’s provision; the tablets represent the Word of God that we hide in our hearts and the rod represents God’s stamp of identity and authority that he has placed on us as his children.
The table of shewbread was overlaid with gold and held the plates and dishes and poles and pitcher for the pouring out of the drink offerings. This was where the priests would eat the bread of God’s presence. This table stands for the place where we eat the Word of God and receive our daily spiritual bread.
The lamp stand was also hammered out of gold. It had six branches extending from the sides of the lamp stand. The lamp stand represents God and the six branches are the six spirits of God mentioned in Isaiah 11:2. They are the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. They are coupled together for a reason. The lamp stand was to shed light on the Word. It represents revelation.
The altar of incense was overlaid with gold and had a horn at each of the four courses. The horns stand for mercy. The altar of incense was the place where the priest would light incense as a symbol of their prayers for the people.
The altar of burnt offering was made of wood. It measured 5 cubits by 5 cubits. Five is the number for grace. It also had four horns for mercy. The bronze altar was for sacrificing. It was made of wood because it represented the cross.
The basin was made of mirrors so that the priests could see themselves as they washed their hands. We are to face our sins and faults and allow the water of the Word to purify our hearts.
In Matthew, we have the resurrection. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had gone to the tomb to look. They witnessed the earthquake, the angel of the Lord and the rolling away of the stone. They saw the angle of the Lord in all his glory. He told them to go to Galilee. They were not the only ones to witness this - the soldiers saw it all too. They were bribed not to tell what they saw but Mary and Mary couldn’t keep the good news to their selves.
Jesus met them in Galilee and gave them the great commission.
Lord, help us to be like the two Mary’s who believe what you say even if it seems impossible.

Tues.’s Devo - The Cross

Read: Exodus 35:10-36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10a; Proverbs 9:7-8
Everything about the tabernacle was an expression of who God is. Everyone who wanted to help got to be a part of expressing God to the people. They brought their gifts, volunteered their skills and gifts and did what they could do so that the plan that God had given Moses could be finished and manifested on the earth. This is how the Body of Christ is suppose to function.
In Matthew, Jesus was taken to the cross. On the way they drafted Simon to carry his cross. They crucified Jesus, parted his garments and casts lots for them. Then they sat down to watch him die. They had made a sign which said, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews” and put it over his head. Then they mocked him. They reminded him of all the prophecies he had given them that hadn’t taken place. They wanted him to know he was a failure in their eyes.
The sky went dark from the sixth hour till the ninth and at the ninth hour when the light came back, Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He was referring them to Psalm 22 which is the picture of what was going on at that time. So what went on for three hours during the darkness? I think that Psalms 18, which is the same as 2 Samuel 22, is the answer. It talks about how God shrouded himself in darkness and came down and rescued Jesus from his enemies. He supported him and led him to a place of safety. This thing I know for sure: God never forsook Jesus on the cross! God who is ever present and all knowing can never forsake us. He can look on sin because he does it every day. God is not afraid of evil.
Lord, help us to overcome evil with good.

Mon.’s Devo - Freedom From Sin

Read: Exodus 34:1-35:9; Matthew 27:15-31; Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 9:1-6
God had Moses prepare the stones for the tablets he had broken. The people had broken the law in their hearts and Moses broke them in the natural, but God, in his mercy, gave them another set. God told him that he was making a covenant with them and before them he would do wonders never before don in any nation in all the world. He promised to drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hives and the Jebusites. They were to never make a treaty with any of the people already living in the land. Instead, they were to smash all of their altars of worship and not attend any of their sacred rites.
All of the tribes of the land represent strongholds in our own lives. God will drive them out if we keep moving toward him. When we stop and join in the practices of our weaknesses then they become a stumbling block to us.
God went back over the feasts that he wanted them to keep. These feasts would be rehearsals of their fulfillment. One day the feast would be fulfilled and they would recognize it if the rehearsed it year after year. They didn’t continue to keep the feasts after a while so when they were fulfilled, they didn’t recognize the symbols.
Unleavened bread was for the believer. If was the reminder to get sin out of their lives and live a life of holiness. It was to remind them of their great deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. Unleavened bread is very sweet. The yeast makes it bitter or soured. Yeast stands for sin. They were to eat unleavened bread for 7 days which was the whole feast. Once we are saved we enter into the week of unleavened bread. We are free of sin because of the blood of Jesus. They were to work the first six days but on the seventh they were to rest. The first six millenniums man must work as God did but on the seventh, we will rest. Unleavened bread began in the spring. Seven weeks later was the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.
In Matthew we have the picture of the scapegoat, Barabbas. Barabbas was one of the biggest sinners in jail. He was offered as atonement for Jesus but the people chose the sinner and the sin of the world fell on the only innocent one - Jesus. Jesus became the sin offering and Barabbas went free. They dressed Jesus in his mock kingly outfit and presented him to the people.
Lord, thank you for atoning for our sin and making us righteous.

Sun.’s Devo - God’s Timing -

Read: Exodus 32:1-33:23; Matthew 26:69-27:14; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverbs 8:33-36
When I read this story of Aaron I’m so disappointed that he fell to the people’s desires so quickly but then I have to remember that his office was be a priest. He had a group of people that wanted something to worship which fed into his desire to use his gift. He misused his gift in his haste to move into his ministry which is such a temptation to do. We have to learn to wait…God knows when we are ready.
When Moses questioned Aaron, he immediately went on the defense and came up with a ridiculous story to cover himself. I guess he thought if he embellished it with a little supernatural it would sound more like God. We are so prone to do that in our own lives. We pull the “God card” and think it validates what we are doing. God will validate it for us if it is him.
The giving of the law on Mt. Sinai was God’s betrothal to Israel to be his bride. It was Israel’s first Pentecost and God sealed it with the giving of the law. The law brought death to those who disobeyed and 3,000 were killed. In Acts, on Pentecost, God betrothed himself to the Church and gave her his Spirit. Three thousand were saved because the Spirit brings life.
Notice that Joshua lived in the presence of the Lord. He never left the tent of meeting. God was preparing him to take the people into the promised land. He was willing to wait and let God mature him before stepping out into his ministry.
In Matthew, Peter denied Jesus three times and the rooster crowed. Peter repented and went on to be the leader of the Church. Judas had his awakening also and wanted to give the blood money back. It was too late for him. He hung himself and the money was used to purchase a field to bury strangers in.
This is the picture of the fate of men. One will repent and be restored. The other will be remorseful but be judged for his sin.
Lord, help us to be willing to wait for your leading so we don’t step out prematurely. Let us walk in your timing.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Awesome Plan

Read: Exodus 30:11-31:18; Matthew 26:47-68; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 8:27-32
When they numbered the people they were accounting for their lives. They had to pay a price for each life and if they didn’t, a plague would break out. That is why David got in so much trouble when he numbered the people. He didn’t first require them to pay the ransom for their lives. The price they had to pay was paid in full when Jesus ransomed us with his blood. Everyone paid the same price, rich of poor, because we are all the same value to the Lord.
God gave specific instructions about the oil and the incense. No one except the priests were suppose to wear them. Only Christians can be filled with the Holy Spirit, carry his aroma and make intercession to God.
God filled Bezalel with the spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to cut and set the stones and work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Bezel means “the shadow of God”. He was a type of God who created the whole world with his hands.
God also gave them detailed instructions about the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be holy and represent the seventh and last millennium. It would be one of rest, healing, and celebration.
God gave Moses all his commandments written on stone to be kept forever.
In Matthew, Judas carried out Jesus’ betrayal. It was done at night, in secret and in a garden. A whole army of soldiers armed with swords and clubs were sent by the religious leaders to get a man who never carried a weapon or showed any signs of violence. Peter rose up and cut off the servant of the high priest’s ear which was prophetic of the fact that they had no spiritual ear to hear. Jesus, in his kindness called them friend and healed the man’s ear (prophetic of the fact that Israel will one day hear and believe).
They took Jesus to Caiaphas’ house to question him, breaking Jewish laws about arresting a person in secret and questioning him without a trial. They broke many of their sacred self-made laws to break Jesus who was God’s Law in the flesh.
When the high priest asked Jesus if he was the Christ, Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.” But he went on to say that one day they would see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Might One and coming on the clouds of heaven. This proclamation sealed his fate.
Satan played right into God’s hands. He crucified the final sacrifice so that the world that believed would be saved. Life came through the death of one man just as was prophesied and now we have eternal life.
Lord, thank you for your great and awesome plan.

Fri.’s Devo - The Garments of the Priests

Read: Exodus 29:1-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8:14-26
The priests were to represent Jesus to the people so they had to be consecrated and clean. Their garments represented their outward actions. The mitre on the priest’s head with the holy crown showed the royalty and honor that Jesus was given as the King of Kings. Aaron stood for the high priest who is Jesus and his sons stand for the sons of Jesus who are those who will consecrate their lives to live for him. They were to wear coats representing the robe of righteousness. They were to have girdles representing the breastplate of truth. Their bonnets were to be on their heads representing the helmet of salvation.
The priests were first to atone for their own sins, then the sins of the people.
In Exodus 30, Moses gave them instructions for making the altar of incense. The altar of incense was the intercession altar. Aaron was to keep incense burning always as a sign of prayers always going up to God. Now, it is our prayers that go up before the Lord as incense. Paul told us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. The altar of incense is in our hearts. Revelation 8 gives us the picture of this same altar in heaven. Once a year the appointed priest was to take incense from this altar into the Holy of Holies and offer it on the ark of the covenant to atone for the sins of the people that year. That is what Zacharias was doing in Luke 1 when an angel appeared to him and told him his wife, Elizabeth would have John.
In Matthew, Judas plotted to deliver Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The disciples met to have their last supper. Once again, Jesus gave them the plan, but this time he told them to meet him in Galilee after his rose. I’m sure they didn’t understand what he was talking about but they remembered this later.
Lord, help us to remember that though sometimes we don’t understand at the time, there is always a purpose for every trial we go through.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Garments of the Priest

Read: Exodus 28:1-43; Matthew 25:31-26:13; Psalm 31:9-18:Proverbs 8:12-13
Aaron and his sons were to be the priests to the Lord. Aaron was to act as high priest and wear the sacred garments: the breast piece, the ephod, robe, tunic, turban and sash. They were to be sewn with blue, purple and scarlet yarn. Blue represents heaven, purple is royalty and scarlet stands for the blood of Jesus. The high priest wore the stones of the tribes over his heart to show his devotion to pray for his people. He also wore their names engraved on his shoulders so when God looked down from heaven he saw their names also. All of the pieces represent the garments we wear as Christians as written in Ephesians 6. We are to wear the belt of truth, the breast plate of righteousness and have our feet ready and prepared to share the gospel. We are to take up the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Aaron’s sons were to wear the tunic, sash, and headband to give them dignity and honor. That means that our righteousness, faith and salvation in Christ are to give us our identity as God’s chosen people. Our garment of truth and our walk is what keeps us alive and free of guilt and able to minister in the presence of God. How we live is vitally important to our ministry.
In Matthew, Jesus continues his teaching on the end of time. When he comes back in his glory, he will separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be blessed and go to their reward because they ministered to the least of the people as unto the Lord.
Jesus showed us how to do this in his life. He went to Bethany and stayed with Simon, who was a leper and received and honored women. Both of these kinds of people were outcast in the eyes of the world, but not in Jesus’ world.
Lord, open our eyes to see the world in your eyes. May we wear the robes of the priest yet humble ourselves as slaves.

Wed.’s Devo - The Veil

Read: Exodus 26:1-27; Matthew 25:1-30; Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 8:1-11
Today we read a detailed description of the curtain for the tabernacle and the frames it was to be hung on and the clasps used to fasten the curtain to the frames. This curtain was to enclose the whole meeting place for the people. They would enter the opening into the veiled area where the laver, the bronze altar and a smaller tent was. The people were only allowed in this area. The smaller tent was reserved for the priests. Inside it was the table of shewbread, the menorah, the table of incense and the Holy of Holies where the ark of the covenant was. The tabernacle was the place the believer came to meet with God, offer their sacrifices and celebrate the feasts. No alien or unbeliever could enter the tabernacle. It represented the true Church. The curtain is the veil. We can enter in because we have seen into the world of faith and are drawn near to God. Second Corinthians 3:13-16 talks about the veil over the people of Israel’s hearts. When they return to the Lord, it will be taken away. When Jesus died on the cross the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom showing us that God tore that veil to allow everyone to come into his presence. They must come through the door which is Christ.
As Christians, we have are the tabernacle. We carry the presence of the Lord. The veil is our flesh. Notice that the tabernacle was covered with ram skins dyed red (the blood of Jesus) and that was covered with hides of badgers (our flesh). Badgers were a type of antelope that were a clean animal.
The frame stands for the cross spiritually, and our bone structure physically. The oil stands for the Holy Spirit. Their lamps were to burn from evening till morning - all night. The Holy Spirit in our lives keeps us walking in the light even through the toughest of circumstances. The light of the sun was the light during the day. The light of the sun is the light of the Son.
In Matthew we see this same oil. The wise virgins were the ones who kept the Holy Spirit burning in their lives. All of the women are virgins waiting for the bridegroom, meaning they all Christians. But the foolish virgins became drowsy and fell asleep and let their lights burn out; they became lukewarm and ineffective for the kingdom. They will miss the bridegroom when he comes. They will have to refill their lamps so they won’t miss his return.
Jesus tells the same story using talents. He is emphasizing that what we do with what we are given is important to our eternity.
Lord, help us to be the temple of the Lord and let our light shine.

Tues.’s Devo - God’s Feasts

Read: Exodus 23:14-25:40; Matthew 24:29-51; Psalm 30:1-12; Proverbs 7:24-27
God has seven feasts which occur three times a year. God required all the men to attend the feasts. Three feasts happen in the spring: Unleavened Bread, Passover and First Fruits. Pentecost, or the Feast of Harvest is 49 days later. It is also called the Feast of Weeks. The last three happen in the fall: Roshashanna, Yom Kippor and Feast of Tabernacles. They all occur in harvest time and the men are to bring the first fruits of that harvest to the Lord.
I have always wondered what the verse meant that says, “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” This was a heathen practice of idolatry. They would then use the broth to sprinkle their fields and trees of harvest in hopes of a good harvest. God wanted his people to know that He would bring them a good harvest. The goat is always the counterfeit of the lamb of God. God doesn’t want us to depend upon the world’s ways of doing things. God’s ways are many times counter to the world’s.
God’s promise of obedience was that he would bring them to the place He had prepared, he would give them a full life span and little by little he would drive out the enemy before them. He even let the elders see him and live.
God promises us the same thing. He will bring us to the place he has prepared specifically for us and our gifts. He will give us the number of days we are to live however long or short they are and he will drive out the enemy little by little before us if we keep pressing forward.
God showed Moses the tabernacle of heaven and told him that he was to make replicas of what he saw. He was to make an ark of the Covenant, a table of incense, a table of shewbread and a lamp stand with seven bowls. They would be made from the spoils of Egypt.
In Matthew, Jesus speaks of his second coming which is not the same as the rapture. God is going to gather his elect from heaven to go with him to earth because that is where the elect will be. The days on earth will be like the days of Noah. The days of Noah were very wicked - so wicked that Noah’s family was the only one righteous enough to save. Noah’s family stand for the people who will come to the Lord after the Rapture. God will carry them through the Tribulation just as God carried Noah and his family through the flood. To the world, Jesus comes as a thief. To his people, Jesus comes as the welcome and waited-for bridegroom.
Lord, I thank you that your anger lasts only for a moment, but your favor lasts a lifetime.

Mon.’s Devo - The Law and the Future

Read: Exodus 21:22-23:13; Matthew 24:1-28; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 7:6-23
Most of the law is very keepable. Today we read about laws that are common curtesy and general laws about personal injury, property, the first born, testimony in court and the sabbath. God cares deeply for the alien, the widow, the orphan and the poor. If we look deeper we will see that we have been all of those. We were the alien before we knew God and were a part of his family. We were the widow when our husband was not Jesus. We were orphan before God was our father and poor before we became rich in Christ.
The law taught us to be responsible for our actions, not to spread false lies, not to follow the crowd, and to care for our neighbor’s things like we would want someone to care for our own. It tells us to not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your land. The law was very practical advise that is still practical for today.
In Matthew, Jesus’ disciples asked him when the end of the age would come and what would be the sign of his coming. He warned them that there would be many false predictions, famines, earthquakes, and wars but these would only be birth pains. Next, would come persecution, a falling away of the believers and deception. The gospel would be preached to the whole world and the temple would be defiled.
We have definitely felt the birth pains of his coming but instead of looking for his coming, I think we should concentrate on bringing in the harvest. The world is getting ready for the biggest harvest the church has ever seen. We need to keep our eyes on that. We will come back with him when he comes so we won’t miss a thing.
Lord, help us to keep your priorities and know the times we are living in. Prepare us for this great harvest that is happening now.

Sun.’s Devo - God’s Presence on Earth

Read: Exodus 19:16-21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28:1-9; Proverbs 7:1-5
Today we read about the first Pentecost. It had been seven weeks since they had left Egypt and God was going to show the people his glory and speak to them his laws. On this day, he was betrothing himself to Israel. He would be their promised bridegroom and they would be his promised bride. He gave them the law as his certificate of covenant.
On that day a thick cloud covered the mountain and they heard a very loud trumpet blast. The Lord descended in fire and the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people.
God shows his pictures in the Old Testament and Jesus fulfills them in the New. The fulfillment of this was when the disciples met in the upper room in Acts 2 and the Holy Spirit was given. He came as a roaring mighty wind and they became the mountain of the Lord as His presence filled them. They shook and had tongues of fire on their heads just like the mountain and God put his Word in their mouths and sent them out to the people to proclaim his words in their languages. This was when God betrothed himself to the Church and activated them for ministry.
God’s voice caused the people of Israel to be afraid and distance themselves from him. Moses told them not to be afraid but to reverence the Lord and do what he told them to do. Romans tells us that the law is spiritual so every word of it can be spiritualized and understood at a deeper level. For example: God told them not to built an altar with dressed or cut stones because if you do then you have polluted it. He also told them not to go up to the altar by steps or their nakedness would be discovered. He was trying to tell us not to approach God out of our man-made righteousness like the Pharisees and Sadducees did. They tried to dress the law with their tools and self-promoted themselves. Jesus came and exposed their nakedness and their sin.
We are to come to him as we are, totally transparent, hiding nothing. We are not to exalt ourselves as being anything or everyone will see us as the fraud we are. The only thing good in us is Christ and when we exalt him, he covers our sins with his blood.
In Matthew, Jesus explains this whole concept. He sums it up when he says, “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
Lord, help us to pursue justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Help us to live your presence on the earth.

Sat.’s Devo- God - Our Victor

Read: Exodus 17:8-19:15; Matthew 22:1-33; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 6:20-26
The Israelites have just gotten started on their journey when the Amalekites came out against them. Amalekite means “perversion”. God did an amazing thing with Moses’ staff. It took Aaron and Hur to hold Moses’ hand up so they could win. We learn that we were meant to fight our battles with the help of others. God promised to blot out the name of the Amalekites forever. They will be talked about many times after this, but would take Simeon and five hundred men to finally do it (1 Chronicles 4:42-43). Simeon means “hearing”.
We wrestle with the devil and all his demons but only King Jesus can defeat them once and for all. Notice that Moses and his leaders watched the battle standing and doing what God had told them to do. They never lifted a weapon except the rod. We lift up God’s Word and hearing what God tells us to do. He fights our enemy.
God sent Jethro, Moses father-in-law to help show him a more excellent way to lead the people without burning out. Jethro means “his excellence”. Moses took his advise and set up a government of godly men to help him administer justice to the people.
God called Moses to talk to him about the people. He told him that if they would obey him, he would be their God and they would be his treasured possession. The people agreed to obey God so God told Moses to get them ready to hear his voice. He would speak to them from the mountain but they needed to consecrate themselves for two days and on the third day he would speak from the mountain.
In Matthew, Jesus had just silenced the Sadducees so the Pharisees ventured to trick him with a question. They asked him which of the commandments was the greatest. Jesus said to love God was the first and to love one another was the second. All of the Law and the Prophets hung on these two commandments. How true. It starts with our heart toward God then our actions will follow.
Then Jesus asked them a question. They asked him whose son the Christ was. They said he was David’s since the Old Testament talks about the Messiah being the “son of David”. Jesus countered with, “then why did David call him Lord?” referring to Psalm 110:1. This silenced them all.
Jesus then turned to the crowd and exposed the religious leaders on both sides of their outward display of piety when their hearts were sinful and full of self.
Jesus was not afraid to offend the religious system of the day. The truth is that many came out of that system and followed him when they saw the truth in action. Jesus was authentic and that is what the world is looking for.
Lord, help us to live in the reality of who you are. Help us to stand and let you fight our battles.

Fri.’s Devo - Remember

Read: Exodus 15:19-17:7; Matthew 22:1-33; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 6:20-26
All of Pharaoh’s army were drown in the sea after the Israelites walked over on dry land. Miriam led the women in a tambourine dance praising the Lord. The children of Israel traveled three days without water and when they finally found some, it was bitter. The people complained and blamed Moses so God told Moses to throw a tree into the water and it would make the water sweet. Then they came to Elim where there were 12 springs and 70 palm trees.
Numbers are so significant in the Bible. If you remember: water means spirit. God was giving them a preview of what was to come. For three thousand years there would be no spirit on the earth. In the fourth millennium, God would send Jesus to earth to die on a tree. From his death would spring 12 apostles and 70 disciples who would help spread the good news and bring the Holy Spirit to the world.
Next, the people got hungry and complained again. God sent them manna. It was supernatural food from heaven. Everyone was to gather what they would need for their family and on the sixth day they were to gather enough for two days. Any other day, the manna would rot if they gathered too much, but not on the sixth day. We are living in the sixth millennium which means that we get double the revelation of all the previous millennium’s. That’s exciting!
They finally reached the valley of Sin which was on the border of the promised land. God tested them to see if they were ready to cross over. There was no water and the people questioned if God was with them or not. Instead of remembering all God had done, they quarreled and had no faith. Moses struck the rock and water gushed out which maintained them their whole wilderness journey till they came back to this very place - but they failed the test.
In Matthew, Jesus gave the parable about the wedding feast. Becoming a Christian is the invitation to the feast. We can be the bride - the one who made herself/himself ready, the friend of the bridegroom or the guests. Even the guests have to be chosen and wearing the garment of salvation.
The Pharisees tried to trick Jesus with civil matters. Jesus had respect for God’s laws and the law of the government; he just didn’t respect their laws they made up and called God’s.
The Sadducees tried to trick Jesus with their main doctrine. The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection even though the Pharisee’s did. Jesus set them both straight. God is not the God of the dead but of the living. Jesus didn’t answer with his opinion, he answered with the Word which they could not fight.
Lord, help us to remember what you have done for us in the past so we can believe you for the future.

Thurs.’s Devo - Through God We Can Do Anything

Read: Exodus 13:17-15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19
Moses and all Israel left with Joseph’s bones to go to the promised land of Canaan. They traveled with a cloud over them by day and a pillar of fire by night The Egyptians came after them causing many of the Israelites to blame Moses for bringing them out in the desert just to kill them. God, in his mercy took them the long way so they wouldn’t have to face the Philistines. God had a plan for the Egyptians and you would have thought that after all they had seen God do to set them free, they would have been able to trust him now. The devil is relentless, but God is faithful and he always wins.
God told them not to be afraid because he would fight for them. They just needed to be still, which took faith. God said that he would gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen and that the Egyptians would know that he was the Lord. He did just that.
The cloud came between the camp of the Egyptians and the Israelites so that they couldn’t see each other. It was dark on the side of the Egyptians and light on the Israelite’s side. All night the Israelites were able to cross through the parted sea. When the cloud lifted, the Egyptians followed only to have their chariot wheels stick in the mud. God made the Egyptians look like fools once again and delivered his people once and for all. They never saw the Egyptians again.
That is what God wants to do for us. He wants to bring us through our trials and plant us in our destiny - on the mountain of our inheritance - the place that God made for us to live.
In Matthew, the chief priests and elders came to ask Jesus by what authority he was doing all this things. Jesus knew they were trying to trick him and that they had no interest in the truth, so he turned the question back on them. He asked them by what authority John did his miracles. Any answer would have nailed them so they refused to answer. Jesus refused to answer their question also.
Jesus went on to give a parable about the ones who would get into the kingdom. The religious leaders were the tenants - the ones that were entrusted to lead the people spiritually. Every time God sent them a prophet to inspect their fruit, they killed him because he pointed out their sin. God finally sent them his son, Jesus, and they would kill him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes would welcome him and they would enter into the kingdom. They would produce the fruit of the spirit.
Lord, may we be faithful in our trust in you. May we produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.