Tues.’s Devo - Let Everything That Hath Breath Praise the Lord.

Read: Malachi 3:1-4:6; Revelation 22:1-21; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 31:25-31
Malachi was referring to John the Baptist when he said his messenger would go before him to prepare the way. He was to prepare their hearts to receive the new covenant Jesus would bring. John would bring a message of repentance that would refine the Levites, his priests. He would call them to judge righteously and fairly. He would challenge them to bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord and tend to the Lord’s house first.
The people were weary of serving the Lord because they couldn’t see the benefit. It looked to them like the ungodly was just as blessed or more than them so why should they serve the Lord if it didn’t matter. God told them that he had a book of remembrance that recorded everything they did for Him.
One day, the ungodly will be judged by fire. The righteous will get vengeance on the wicked and trample them under their feet.
God will send a prophet who has the spirit of Elijah who will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearths of the children to their fathers. Israel will turn back to their forefathers of Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and and become as children. Jesus said that we must become like children to enter the kingdom of God.
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.
I love that our last day of the year ends with Psalm 150 which is a crescendo of praise and Proverbs 31 describing the Bride of Christ and her attributes. God created the world to find a bride for his son and in the end he describes what he found. She is the one who kept herself pure and holy looking to the needs of her husband, the Bright and Morning Star.
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.

Mon.’s Devo - The Holy City

Read: Malachi 1:1-2;17; Revelation 21:1-27; Pslam149:1-9; Proverbs 21:10-24
Malachi was the twelfth and last of the minor prophets. He probably lived during the same time of Nehemiah. He had a deep burden for the Jewish people which is probably why God used him to rebuke them and call them to repentance. He began with telling them how much God loved them. Then he rebuked first the priests for bringing diseased animals to be sacrificed and keeping the best for themselves. God told them he would rather them shut the temple doors than to receive their offerings.
If they didn’t repent and set their hearts to honor the Lord, he would send a curse on them and remove his blessing.
Malachi reminded them that the priesthood began with Levi who honored and revered the Lord. The office of the priest was holy. His job was to know God and teach his ways to the people. Instead, they had rebelled themselves and taught others their ways, not God’s.
The men of Judah had left their Jewish wives to marry foreign wives which was symbolic of what they had done with God. They had broken their covenant with him to marry another god. God was tired of them living as hypocrites, thinking that what they were doing was okay.
In Revelation, 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 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 in - only those whose names were written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Lord, purify our offerings to you and help us to give out of a right heart. All we have is yours.

Sun.’s Devo - The Last Millennium

Read: Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 20:1-15; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 31:8-9
The day of the Lord will come with great turmoil and destruction as the world has never seen. Jerusalem will fall first because judgment always comes to the house of the Lord first. Once Jerusalem is taken, the Lord will take his army and go out to fight all the nations who hated Israel.
When God comes down and puts his feet on the mount of Olives it will cause the earth to split the mountain dividing Syria. It will make a valley from Jerusalem to Azal which will admit the ocean waters from the west to the Dead Sea. The waters will rush down the valley of Arabah, the old bed of the Jordan, clear away the sand-drift of four thousand years, and cause the commerce of Petra and Tyre to enter into the holy city. The Dead Sea will overflow by the valley of Edom, making the straits of Azal into the Red Sea. This will form the great pool of Jerusalem (compare Zechariah 14:8; Ezekiel 47:1; Joel 3:18). Euphrates will be the north boundary, and the Red Sea the south. Twenty-five miles north and twenty-five miles south of Jerusalem will form one side of the fifty miles square of the Lord's Holy Oblation (Sacrificial Offering) talked about in Ezekiel 48:1-35. There are seven spaces of fifty miles each from Jerusalem northward to the Euphrates, and five spaces of fifty miles each southward to the Red Sea. Thus there are thirteen equal distances on the breadth of the future promised land, one for the offering and twelve for the tribes, according to Ezekiel 48:1-35. The Euphrates will be to the north, Mediterranean to the west, the Nile and Red Sea to the south. This will be the boundaries of the new millennium. God’s people will live in their tribes again and will come up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles each year. The curse of sin will be gone. People will enjoy prosperity, long life, blessings and joy. The heathen will live in Egypt and if they refuse to come up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles every year, they will have no rain.
In Revelation, we see this same “day” or millennium. Satan will be locked up during this time. The martyrs will 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.

Sat.’s Devo -The Lord Builds Up Jerusalem

Read: Zechariah 12:1-13:9; Revelation 19:1-21; Psalm 147:1-20; Proverbs 31:1-7
God, who has control of everything from the creation of the earth to the creation man’s spirit declares what he is going to do in Jerusalem and all of Judah. Every nation will be gathered against her yet she will not be moved and anyone who tries will only be hurting themselves. The leaders in Judah will know that it is the Lord that keeps them from harm. Then God will go to destroy the nations who hated Israel. God’s people will have a sprit of grace and supplication their eyes will be open to see Jesus as their Messiah. Repentance will flow from the greatest in the political realm represented by David to the lowest represented by Nathan, his young son. Repentance will flow in the church from the greatest prophet represented by Levi to the lowest in the church represented by Shimei.
People will run to be baptized and cleansed in God’s Spirit. The words of the prophets will be pure and undefiled. Two-thirds of the people will be struck down and die and a third will live to go through God’s refining fire.
In Revelation, the harlot, which is the Roman Catholic Church is judged. All of heaven worships the Lord on his throne. Then a great multitude joins him who are the bride, 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 noone 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 comes 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 also.
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.

Fri.’s Devo - The Cornerstone

Read: Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Psalm146:1-10; Proverbs 30:33
God holds the prophets and the leaders responsible for the people. They were the ones that were suppose to be God’s voice and his example on the earth but instead they spoke lies and oppressed the people unfairly. Everything they did was for their own selfish gain.
God promised that from the tribe of Judah would come the cornerstone for his temple on the earth. He, Jesus, would be the foundation for a new kingdom. His people would overthrow Satan’s kingdom. Through Jesus, restoration and joy would come to all who believed in him. God would bring his people back to Israel and bring down the kingdoms of the earth.
In Chapter Eleven, God called the angels to gather the people marked for destruction. In one month, God promised to get rid of three of the shepherds. These three men were John the prophet, Simon the priest and Eleazar the king. They stood for the three offices that the Messiah would overthrow and take dominion of. Jesus filled the offices of both prophet, priest and king as the Messiah. Jesus came to bring unity and peace to Jerusalem but when the religious leaders rejected him, he broke his covenant with Israel. They sold him for thirty pieces of silver. Instead of bringing unity, his death brought division and persecution.
Israel would be turned over to a foolish shepherd who would bring harm to the people.
Thirty-seven years after Jesus died, Jerusalem was overthrown by the Roman Empire. They set up the papal system of government. The antichrist will come from this empire in the end.
Revelation gives the last call for the righteous people to come out of Babylon and be saved because judgment was about to fall. The foolish shepherd, the Anti-christ will be taken over by her own plagues. When she falls, all the earth will look in astonishment and fear. The economy of the whole earth will be shaken. Babylon’s destruction will be permanent and quick.
Lord, thank you that you watch over your people and frustrate the ways of the wicked. Open our eyes to see what is really happening on the earth and take refuge in You! You are our cornerstone.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Roman Empire Falls

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. It had become a cesspool of filth. God also brought a word against Tyre and Sidon, which 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.

Wed.’s Devo - The End From the Beginning

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I pray you are enjoying it surrounded by love and family.
Read: Zechariah 8:1-23; Revelation 16:1-21; Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 30:29-31
God compelled Israel to return to him by reminding them of their past and today he entices them to obedience by promising them prosperity and peace in the future. He describes Jerusalem as a place where families live and hope and joy is restored. We have seen this happen in the past 70 years. Israel became a nation in 1943 and since that time Jews have come back to live in the land and prosper. They have come back physically, but God said they would come back spiritually also. This is also happening. (First the natural, then the spiritual - 1 Corinthians 15:46.)
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 which will kill everything in the sea. In the third judgment their rivers and springs will become blood because they shed the blood of God’s people. In the fourth judgment the sun will become so hot it will scorch the people that refuse to repent and glorify God. The fifth angel’s bowl will be poured out on the throne of the beast and his kingdom will be plunged into darkness and be plagued with painful sores. 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 with demonic spirits 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.

Tues.’s Devo - The Four Kingdoms

Read: Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm143:1-12; Proverbs 30:24-28
Every nation has an angel assigned to it and a principality (Satan’s counterpart) assigned to it. Zechariah was shown the angels that are assigned to the four governing nations: Rome, Assyria, Persia and Greece. The angel that rode on the black horse was going north to Rome to bring sorrow, lack and famine. The angel on the white horse was going to Persia to bring truth and purity. The angel on the dappled horse was going south to Egypt to bring both blessings and curses.
Then the Lord told Zechariah to take the gold and silver that three of the exiles had brought from Babylon and make a crown to set on the head of the high priest, Joshua. He was to tell Joshua that his name was the Branch and he would branch out from there and build the temple of the Lord. He would sit on his thrown clothed in majesty as a king but also as a priest. People from far and wide would come and help him build his temple.
This was prophetic of the Messiah who would be the Branch that would build his kingdom on earth. All would be welcome in his kingdom if they came through his blood covenant.
In Chapter Seven, the people had come to the priests asking them if they should keep fasting during the fifth and the seventh month. These were months that Jerusalem was greatly attacked and taken. God asked them if they had done their annual mourning and fasting for Him or for themselves. They were sad about what it had done to their comfortable lifestyle but God wanted them to have a change of heart. He wanted them to repent for not showing justice and mercy to the poor. Their fasting was pointless because their hearts were hard. It was their sin that had caused all their calamity and it would be their returning that would bring blessing.
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 the last Feast of Trumpets and the only ones left are the wicked stubborn people who refused to repent. They will endure the wrath of God.
Once the bowls of wrath were taken from the temple in heaven, the temple was so full of glory that no one could enter it until the bowls were poured out on the earth.
Lord, your plan is perfect. Help us to walk in your ways today.

Mon.’s Devo - The End of Time

Read: Zechariah 4:1-5:11; Revelation 14:1-20; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 30:21-23
The angel awakened Zechariah from sleep and showed him a menorah with seven branches to the bowls of light. There were two olive trees on either side of it. He asked him if he knew what it meant then told him. These seven bowls stood for the seven spirits of God in Isaiah 11:6, we talked about yesterday. The spirit of the Lord is the center light. The other six are grouped together on the same branch. The spirit of wisdom and understanding make one branch on either side of the center; the spirit of counsel and might make another branch; and the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord make the last branch. These are the eyes that God looks through as he searches the hearts of men on the earth. The two trees stood for two anointed ones that stand by the Lord.
Then he saw a scroll that bore the curse for every thief and everyone who swears falsely by his name. It would remain in the house of these people until it destroyed it.
Next, he saw a measuring basket with a lead cover. It held the sin of the whole earth in it. When the cover was lifted, a woman was sitting who was wickedness personified. She was pushed back into the basket and the cover put back on. Two women with wings appeared to take the basket to the country of Babylonia and build a house for it.
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 sounds came from heaven. With the first sound, the 144,000 are raptured to sing the song of the redeemed. The second sound came from an angel declaring that judgment had come and called everyone left on earth to repent. A second angel appeared proclaiming that Babylon had fallen because of her sins. A third angel followed proclaiming eternal death and torment to those who bore the image of the beast and the mark on their forehead or hand. A voice came from heaven giving a blessing on those who had die in the Lord from that time on. The Lord appeared in the clouds crowned in gold with a sharp sickle in his hand. An angel came out of the temple crying out to the Lord to reap the earth, so the Lord did. He was joined with another angel which came out of the temple to help him reap the earth. Another angel came from the altar crying out for Jesus to gather the grapes from the earth. They were thrown into God’s great winepress of his wrath where they were trampled on and their blood was spilt on the earth.
Lord, may we walk in your spirit as a witness of your grace and mercy.

Sun.’s Devo - The Cournerstone

Read: Zechariah 2:1-3:10; Revelation 13:18-18; Psalm 14:1-10; Proverbs 30:18-20
Zechariah met an angel who was on his way to measure the city of Jerusalem. This angel was stopped and told that Jerusalem was not to be measured as having boundaries. Its inhabitants would be too greatly populated to count. The Lord would be its protective wall and his glory would fill it. God called those who had been taken to Babylon to come home. Other nations that have never know the Lord would also become His nations.
In Chapter Two, Joshua is Jesus who is our High Priest. We as the Bride of Christ are Jerusalem who is chosen by God.
We get to see a picture of Jesus as he appeared in heaven after ascending from the grave. He wore our sin on him and God took off his filthy garments and put new garments on him. God gave him the position of governing his house and charge over his courts. God set a stone with seven eyes in front of Jesus and told him he would engrave an inscription on it on the day Jesus would come back to save Israel in a day. In Revelation 19:12 it says that Jesus had a name written on him that no man knew but himself. In Revelation 2:17, it says that to everyone that overcomes will be given a white stone with a new name engraved on which no man knows.
The seven eyes on the stone that Jesus had are the seven spirits of God which we can have also. They are named in Isaiah 11:2. The spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. We overcome when we walk in all of these spirits.
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 to be 666, but this will be the last and most vicious. (In the Hebrew alphabet letters are also numbers that can be calculated.) In the end the unbelievers will be numbered and measured but believers are renamed and rewarded.
At this time the church will be gone. The new believers will have to endure much tribulation, but God will be their fortress and safe tower.
Lord, prepare us to be overcomes and leave a legacy in your name.

Sat.’s Devo - God Remembers Us

Read: Zechariah 1:1-21; Revelation 12:1-13:1a; Psalm 140;1-13; Proverbs 30:17
Zechariah means “God Remembers”. Zechariah saw his first vision only months after Haggai’s last prophecy. They spoke to the same people trying to encourage them to come finish the job they had started. Work on the temple had been stopped for 12 years because of discouragement and opposition. The people had become distracted with their own lives and had strayed from their love of God. Zechariah was from the tribe of Levite who father was a priest.
Zechariah’s first words of his prophecy were, “Return to Me.” Three months later he had a vision of a man riding a red horse among the myrtle trees. Behind the man on the red horse were other horses: red, speckled, and white. When asked who these were, the angel said that they were the ones that went to and fro throughout the earth gaining information for the Lord. They found that the earth was peaceful. He was there to bring mercy to Jerusalem and make sure the temple was rebuilt. The seventy years were over and it was time to restore Jerusalem and punish the four horns or nations that had oppressed and destroyed Israel. These four nations, at the time, were the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Samaritan on the north; Egypt and Arabia on the south; Philistia on the west; Ammon and Moab on the east.
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 of the earth 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, the virgin and ends Leo, the lion. Jesus came born of a virgin and will rise a lion. In September of 2017 the constellation Virgo showed four planets aligned with Jupiter in the womb of Virgo where they would stay for nine months. There were 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 sketches his plans 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. The Church is the woman who is rescued by the eagle of the Holy Spirit when the persecution gets too much.
Lord, the heavens declare your glory!

Fri.’s Devo - Rebuilding the Temple

Read: Haggai 1;1-2:23; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 30:15-16
Haggai prophesied during the time when Judah was in exile in Babylon which had been taken over by the Persians. King Darius, the Persian king had given Ezra permission and funds to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. They had gone back and begun rebuilding the temple but had come against great opposition by Sanballat and his friends, so they had stopped building. Instead, they started concentrating on building their own houses. God was explaining to them that the reason why they are working so hard and getting so little in return is that they have it backwards. If they would complete His Temple first then He would help them build their own houses with his blessing.
Surprisingly, the people headed Haggai’s prophesies and repented and obeyed. Zerubbabel, the governor or Jerusalem and Joshua, the son of the high priest, Jehozadak were stirred by the words of Haggai and they stirred up the people to being building again.
Haggai came back to encourage them that although the new temple looked nothing like the old grand one, they were doing the Lord’s will. It wasn’t the physical temple that was so important, it was the fact that he was going to fill this temple with his Holy Spirit and that would make the temple great. From the day that they put in the foundation to build the temple God started blessing them personally. Next, God was going to shatter the kingdoms that oppressed them and set them free. He would use Zerubbabel from the tribe of Judah to do this. Zerubbabel was a type of Jesus who would one day shatter every kingdom and bring God’s kingdom to earth.
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 were in their day. These two will be his witnesses and do miraculous things like the ones that Moses and Elijah did. They will be martyred and their bodies left unburied to be gawked at and their death celebrated. After three and a half days, they will come back to life and ascend to the heavens while the world looks on.
These two witnesses are all throughout the Bible. We see them in 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.
After the two witnesses are resurrected God will immediately send an earthquake where 7,000 will be killed. The survivors will have the fear of God fall on them. This is the second woe.
The seventh trumpet sounds and we get a glimpse of what is going on in heaven. The 24 elders fall on their faces worshipping God giving thanks for God’s victory over His enemies on the earth. They are thankful that now God is taking over the earth. Then God’s temple in heaven is 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 your work.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Revealing

Read: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 30:1-14
Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah who brought revolutionary changes and brought the nation back to observing the Passover and was a believer himself. Sadly, he couldn’t change the heart of the people on the inside. They had witnessed for 100 years the captivity of Israel, the northern kingdom as they had to pay tribute and were dispersed by the Assyrians. You would think that would have caused Judah to wake up to their own sins but it didn’t. They had fallen into the same idolatrous ways of Israel.
Zephaniah’s name means “God has hidden”. The people had turned to the worship of Baal and astral worship of the stars and the zodiac. There had been a long silence of true prophecy but it was coming back with Josiah’s reform. Josiah had found a copy of the law and brought the truth to the people. They repented in works for a short while then went back to their idolatry. Zephaniah tried to call them back to repentance and warn them of the “day of the Lord”. The day of the Lord for them was the day that the Chaldeans would come and take Jerusalem and take them captive.
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, but He will destroy all who oppressed his people.
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.
John is told to eat a new book and in it are the things which will befall the holy city and the Church of God which is the subject of the rest of Revelation.
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”.

Wed.’s Devo - From Fear to Faith

Read: Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 30:10
Habakkuk means “embraced by God”. Habbakkuk was to bring that message to his people that they were held and loved by their Heavenly Father.
Josiah had brought spiritual revival but the people had fallen greatly from that place of repentance. They were oppressing one another and justice was perverted to violence and turmoil. Their own justice system was collapsing and war was all around Judah. The Babylonian were rising to take over the Assyrians and Egypt and Judah was under constant fear of invasion.
Habakkuk is a spiritual journey of one man’s walk from doubt to faith. He begins in fear and hopelessness and ends in victory and faith. He ends standing on a firm foundation totally trusting and rejoicing in God with joy.
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, but God’s justice will prevail.
Lord, thank you for your justice. May it prevail on the earth today. May we rejoice when faced with fear and disappointment today.

Tues.’s Devo - Comfort

Read: Nahum 1:1-3:19; Revelation 8:1-13; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 30:7
The Assyrians whose capital was Nineveh was the subject of Nahum’s prophecy. The Assyrians had been the world power of the day and had already conquered Israel, the northern kingdom. They had plans to capture Judah, the southern kingdom and the only thing that could prevent this would be divine intervention.
Nahum means “comfort” and he was there to comfort the people of Judah in God’s ability to protect them and save them from the Assyrians. The fall of Nineveh marked the fall of the Assyrian kingdom. God is in control of all the nations and he intervenes to do his will. God is not quick to judge but his patience cannot be taken advantage of. When he is ready to move, he will move.
God’s heart was to restore the splendor of Jacob and give them hope for a bright future. That is our promise also.
Nineveh means “offspring of ease” which we see every day. These are people who have chosen the pleasure of sin over a life of sacrificial dying to ourselves and letting God live through them. It is easy to fall into that category but God will not let us stay there very long because we have a calling to live out on the earth.
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 is 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 powerless 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.

Mon.’s Devo - Our Prince of Peace

Read: Micah 5:1-7:20; Revelation 7:1-17; Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 30:5-6
Micah rallies the troops to prepare for a siege against Israel by the Assyrians which will crush their leader. But, while in their immediate future chaos is about to unfold, there is a great promise for the future. The Messiah will come from the small town of Bethlehem. Under his rulership, the people will be happy, safe and at ease. In the midst of being surrounded by the powers of darkness, we are the light of the world and we are safe in the eye of the storm if we hide in Christ. He is our Prince of Peace.
We are told that the Messiah has existed from eternity with God, his own people will reject him for a season but they will be restored in the end. Universal peace will rule the earth in the end of time, but in the meantime, we are called to trust in our great Shepherd’s care and his power. If we are attacked, he will defend us.
All that was required of them was to act justly love mercy and to walk humbly with God.
In Revelation we see four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land, sea or trees. They were not to harm the earth until God had sealed his 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. These will be the new Jewish converts that will come in to faith in Jesus as their Messiah. Dan and Ephraim are replaced by Joseph and Levi. One commentator I read said that the Anti-christ would come from the tribe of Dan. I’m not sure but it makes sense in the fact that one of Jesus’ disciples was a traitor.
God doesn’t forget anything. When Rehoboam became king after Solomon and the kingdom was split, he didn’t want the people to travel to Jerusalem in Judah lest they decided to defect to Judah, so he built two golden calves - one in Bethel (in Ephram) and the other in Dan. I think this is the main reason they were left out of redemption in the end.
The crowd of people from every tribe nation and people and language were the redeemed throughout the great tribulation - These were the martyrs of the fifth seal. Notice that the church has been taken out by this time.
Lord, thank you for your plan.

Sun.’s Devo - The Six Seals

Read: Micah 1-4:13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 30:1-4
Micah’s name means “who is like Jehovah?” He was the prophet who identified as the Lord. He came from the town of Moresheth which was taken by the Philistines for a time. He lived and prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah when Israel and Judah were in spiritual decay. Samaria had set up golden calves and idols which competed with true worship of Yahweh. He began by addressing the earth to witness what God was saying against his people. God was coming down to judge the mountains (leaders) and the valleys (the lowly) for their sins.
God was going to bring disaster upon the ones who plotted evil against others, but he would gather his remnant as a shepherd gathers his sheep into the sheepfold. The false prophets and those who ministered to the people for money but had no heart for God would be plowed like a field.
In the last days, God would establish his kingdom above all the other kingdoms of the earth. God’s people will know who they are and walk in authority and power. We will be redeemed out of the hand of the enemy and the wealth of the earth will be the Lord’s.
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 Nicolaitians. 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 on a pale horse. His name was Death and Hell was with him. Constantine gave the false church power over politics and religion. The false doctrine was 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.

Sat.’s Devo - Revealing God’s Heart

Read: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27
Jonah is believed to be one of the first prophets that we have in writing. He lived during the reign of Jeroboam 2. Israel was in a great spiritual decline and refused to repent so God sent Jonah to the capital of Assyria to call them to repentance. He did this to show Israel and his prophet Jonah his heart. God’s heart had always been to save the world: Jew and Gentile. His people refused to repent so he sent Jonah to a heathen nation and with one word, they repented. This is such a picture of what happened when Jesus died. The Jewish people, as a nation, rejected their Messiah, but the Gentile nation flocked to him and received salvation. This is what happened in Nineveh. It revealed the hatred in Jonah’s heart toward the Gentile nation. God used it to show him His heart.
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.

Fri.’s Devo - The Open Door

Read: Obadiah 1:1-21; Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 29:24-25
Obadiah had a vision concerning Edom. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. All of Edom’s friends and enemies were going to turn against her and leave her barren and desolate. This is God’s judgment on her because she didn’t come to Israel’s defense. She became like Israel’s enemy so now Edom would be left without help. All the evil Edom had done against her enemies would now come upon her. She would have no survivors -no remnant. Her land would be given to Jacob’s descendants.
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.

Thurs.’s Devo - Philadelphia and Laodecia

Read: Amos 7:1-9:15; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:3; Proverbs 29:23
Amos saw in a vision the locusts and the fire coming on God’s people and cried out for mercy. How could little Jacob survive such judgment? As he interceded for his nation, God relented and said it would not happen. Instead, he showed him a plumbline that would be the standard he would set for his people.
Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent the prophesies that Amos had been saying to King Jeroboam. He told him he had to stop Amos from speaking these curses in Bethel as if they were his words and not God’s. When Amos was told to leave and stop prophesying against Israel, he told the king that his wife would become a prostitute in the city, his sons would die defending it and his land would be divided up and he would die in a pagan country. Israel would go into exile.
God showed Amos a basket of ripe fruit because Israel was ripe for judgment. Their sins would bring God’s house down on their heads but he would restore Jacob’s tent and bring back the exiled one day to be planted in their own land and prosper.
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 worthwhile.

Wed.’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 denounces first the leaders of Israel referring to them as female cows. They were effeminate oppressors of the poor and needy who flaunted their wealth at their expense. The worshipped their golden calves at both Bethel and Gilgal only imitating true worship. God had tried to get their attention over through lack, plagues, fire and other natural signs yet they ignored them.
They will not win in battle but go into exile because of their injustice to one another. They oppressed the righteous and took bribes and deprived the poor of justice in the courts of law. Their only hope is to repent and do good instead of evil. Their end will be sorrowful.
It will not go well for the one who wants the end to come; they don’t understand how bad that day will be. It will not go well for the one who was complacent and felt secure in his self. His false security will be breached and he will have to face the truth of his sins. God was going to stir up a nation against the and they will oppress them like they had oppressed their own and worse.
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. Thyatira 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.

Tues.’s Devo - The Church Ages

Read: Amos 1:1-3:15; Revelation 2:1-17; Psalm 129:1-8; Proverbs 29:19-20
Amos was a sheepherder from the Southern Kingdom, Judah. He lived in Tekoa which was 12 miles south of Jerusalem. The Northern Kingdom, Israel was being ruled by a number of evil kings. Judah was ruled by Uzziah who was right in the sight of the Lord through most of his reign. At the end, he became proud and tried to go into the Holy of Holies and offer incense to the Lord. He was struck with leprosy. He was a picture of Judah who started out worshipping the Lord but got puffed up in pride and went after other gods.
God sent Amos to speak judgment on particular cities. The first was Samaria which was the capital of Syria. Hazael and Ben-Hadad were leaders in Syria who oppressed Israel and made them pay the tribute under the rule of Jehu. Their victims were thrown before the threshing sledges, whose teeth would tear their bodies.
The next city was Tyre. Tyre was a Phoenecian city of trade. They had forgotten their treaty with Israel. Hiram of Tyre had a bond of friendship with David and Solomon. He had supplied cedars for the building of the temple and king's house in return for oil and corn. Now, they had turned over the captives to Edom, forgetting their former treaty.
Edom was next on the list. Edom was from Esau who was Jacob’s brother. They had no pity on their own flesh. The descendants of Esau kept their grudge against Jacob’s descendants first by not letting them pass through their land when they came out of Egypt with Moses (Numbers 20:14,21) and when the Syrians attacks Jerusalem under Ahaz (2 Chon. 28:17) and when Nebuchadnezzar attacks Jerusalem.
They even tore open the wombs of pregnant women in Judah trying to stop them from increasing.
Moab was next. He had taken Edom’s king and burned him alive as revenge.
Judah was fifth on the list. Her sin was rejecting God, her king. She had rejected his law and chosen to worship strange gods. Jerusalem would burn to cleanse her of her sin.
Israel was next. Her sins went on and on. She was ruthless and uncompassionate on her own people. She led her people into sin.
God told this first to his prophets to warn the people so they would understand why it was happening and they would repent. That is always God’s heart. He tears down only to restore.
In Revelation, God addresses seven churches which stand for seven church ages. 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.

Mon.’s Devo - Restoration and Healing

Read: Joel 1:1-3:21; Revelation 1:1-20; Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 29:18
No one knows when Joel lived but his name means “Yahweh is God”. He spoke of fours stages of locusts that would come upon the land. The first stage was the gnawing locust, or palmer worm and it represented the Assyrians and the Babylonians who came and took the people out of their land. The second stage was the swarming locust or the caterpillar which referred to the Medo-Persian kingdom. The third was the consuming locust or the caterpillar which referred to the Greeks under Antiocus Epiphanes and the fourth was the consuming locust which referred to the Romans. These were the four kingdoms of the earth that would rule over time.
These nations would come through the land robbing her of her fruit and her harvests.
Joel called the nation to fast and pray for God’s mercy. When they do that, God will restore their land. He will drive their enemies from them and send them grain, new wine and oil. He will take their sorrow and pain from them and pour down showers of rain and blessing. He will repay them for what the locusts had destroyed. He lists the locusts in backwards order showing that his restoration will start from where they were and restore all the way to their past generations. This is a picture of how God will restore us, from where we are now back through our generations.
God will pour his Spirit out on his people and the Gentiles. The prophets will start prophesying again. The seers will dream dreams again. God will speak from his creation in the skies and show wonders that will point to what he is doing. A harvest of people will come into the kingdom. Then God will gather the nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and cause judgement to fall on them. They will be judged for how they treated God’s people. God will call his people to fight because the world’s wickedness will have reached its full measure. God will restore the beauty of Jerusalem and bless his holy land. The lands of her enemies will become a desert wasteland. But God’s people will be pardoned for all their sins.
In Revelation, John is called to reveal what Daniel was called to seal. It is the revelation of who Jesus is and what was shortly to come to pass. He pronounces a blessing on everyone who reads this book. It was to be the Gentile history of the Church from its beginning to the end.
God proclaims that we are now his priests with Jesus as our High Priest. Jesus is coming as he left - in the clouds and every eye will see him, even the unsaved and they will mourn.
John was on the Isle of Patmos when he had these visions. He heard a loud voice like a trumpet and was told to write down what he saw and send the message to each of the seven churches he named. These seven churches were to stand for the culmination of all God’s redeemed.
When John turned to look at the voice, he saw Jesus in all his splendor and glory standing among the lamp stands. He held seven stars in his right hand and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.
John fell down in worship and weakness. Jesus placed his right hand on him and told him not to be afraid because He was the First and the Last, the Living One. He had come out of the grave with the keys to death and Hades. The seven stars he held were the seven messengers and the seven lamp stands stood for the seven churches.
Lord, give us understanding in what you are saying to us through your Word.

Sun.’s Devo - Israel’s Sin - God’s Plan to Redeem

Read: Hosea 10:1-14:9; Jude 1:1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 29:15-17
Israel was God’s vine but at the time she was not bringing forth fruit for God, but for herself. Everything she did was with selfish intent. Without wisdom, they thought that even if they had stayed true to the Lord, it wouldn’t have helped.
God listed the places of their idolatry that he was judging the whole nation for. The first was their idolatrous golden calf (2 Kings 10:29) that had be built during the reign of Jeroboam. It would be carried away to Assyria. Then there was the terrible sin that had happened to the Levite’s concubine in Gibeah (Judges 19) where the tribe of Benjamin was almost obliterated. Also, the calf in Beth-el which was once known as “the house of God”. It was now called Beth-Aven which means “house of idols”. He was going to punish them because of their double sin, where Ephraim was suppose to the place of “double fruit”.
God’s destruction would be compared to the time when
Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria first invaded Israel (2Ki 17:3), and the same fate as Arbel suffered in 2Ki 18:34. They could not stand against him.
God recanted his beginnings with Israel and his great love for them as his child. He told of their turning to Baal instead of him and their hearts that were bent on rebellion instead of obedience. He reminded them of their father Jacob and how he struggled with God at Bethel and refused to let Him go till He blessed Jacob. Now, that very sacred mountain was a place of idolatry.
Israel had trusted in her own strength and her own resources, forgetting where her strength and her resources had come from. God reminded them that he was their God who had brought them out of Egypt and they had promised to have no other god but him. He had led them through the desert and fed them and took care of them. They had become proud and forgotten him. Not only had they forgotten God, but they had become his enemy and asked for a king. Though not wanting to, the Lord gave them Saul but when Saul provoked the Lord, God took him. They had chosen death, but God still wanted to give them life from the dead. Those who had sinned would pay in death, but a remnant would live and turn back to the Lord. He would heal them and bless them. They would be his new vine which wold produce good fruit.
Jude writes to the called out ones who are loved by God and kept by Jesus Christ. He also wrote to warn them of the snares that had secretly slipped into their churches. They were trying to teach that grace was a license to sin which denies the power of the resurrection. They would be judged along with the angels who rebelled in heaven and followed Satan. They are being held in chains in Sheol awaiting their sentence.
These enemies of the Church were there for selfish gain and monetary profit. Their doctrine was like wind that had no substance. They had seared their consciences and found fault with anyone who opposed them. They were there to divide because they followed their own natural instincts and did not have the Spirit in them.
To the Church, he reminded them and us to build ourselves up in faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Abide in God’s love as we await eternal life. Be merciful to those who are doubtful and make it our goal to save them from eternal death. To others who refuse to repent, we are to have mercy on them but hate the sin they are in.
God is able to keep us from falling and present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy! Amen!

Sat.’s Devo - Promise of Healing

Read: Hosea 6:1-9:17; 3 John 1:1-14; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14
God starts out with a beautiful promise of healing to a very broken and sinful nation. As surely as the sun rises to show his faithfulness and soverignty over the earth, God will appear to his people and restore them. He explained to them that he rebuked them through his prophets but his greatest desire was to show mercy and not judgment, but they broke their covenant with him so he had no choice.
Hosea gave the people a list of all the things they had done to defile themselves and dishonor God. God longed to redeem them but they spoke lies against him.
In Chapter 8, God told Hosea to put the trumpet to his mouth to signal the coming attack of the Assyrians. They had appointed kings that God didn’t appoint and chosen the wrong leaders. They had made idols to their own destruction. They had become like the Gentile nations around them with nothing to distinguish them as God’s people. Their punishment will be that they will have to return to Egypt, the very place God had delivered them out of.
The prophet of the Lord had become their enemy and they considered his words foolishness. The person that carried the anointing of God was thought to be a lunatic. They rejected God but they were about to find out how much worse it is when God turns his face against them and rejects them.
God mentioned Gilgal, where they chose their first king, Saul, rejecting God as their king. Now, they would be rejected by the Lord and wander among the nations.
What a stark contrast to read the good news in Third John. John writes to a people who are faithful and walk in the truth. They were walking in love - not only their brothers in the Lord but to the ones in the world.
They were doing all the right things even though they had a vicious enemy, Diotrephes, who tried to divide and tell lies about what they were doing. He reminds them not to return to him what he is doing to them but to do good back.
Then he brags about Demetrius who was doing it right. When we do right even truth speaks well of us.
Lord, help us to be examples of your love and mercy. May we walk in truth. Help us to love our enemies for your sake.

Fri.’s Devo - The Charge Against Israel

Read: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11
Israel was charged with faithlessness, lack of love, lack of knowledge of God and a lifestyle of cursing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery and the most horrible idolatry. Even the priests and the prophets were corrupt. They had broken all ten of the Commandments Moses had given them.
Several times Hosea mentions that they had a spirit of whoredom and were unable to turn and repent. They had chosen the spirit of whoredoms which is the opposite of the Spirit of God who is holy and righteous.
Their sons and daughters would not be held responsible but the parents would, because they were the examples and teachers. They were raising a generation steeped in apostasy.
God told them not to go up to Gilgal or Beth Aven who had once been sacred places to the Lord and were now seats of idolatry.
In Chapter 5, Hosea mentioned Mizpah and Tabor which were cities that were to be watchtowers against the enemy attacks. They stood for the prophets which were to warn the people of coming events. Instead these strongholds and the prophets had become places and mouth pieces of idolatry also. Ephraim had resisted the warnings of the prophets and chosen to worship other gods without remorse.
Judah had begun to fall into the same idolatrous trap that Israel had slipped into, so God called for a sound to be heard in Benjamin. This trumpet was the voice of the prophets. Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth Aven were all part of Benjamin and they were being warned. Ephraim (Israel) saw God as a moth who was helpless and unimportant. Now, Judah was seeing God as rot - no longer living and applicable.
Israel would cry out for Assyria to help them but they would not be able to save them. God would be like a lion who would tear them to pieces and carry them away. He will use the Syrians to do this. God would withdraw his face from his people until they acknowledged their sin and sought Him to heal them.
Second John addresses the “elect lady and her children”. The word “lady” in the Greek means “Martha”. Martha was a woman of influence in the faith. John writes to her to warn her of deceivers who were trying to penetrate the church at Babylon that she ministered in.
He praises her for raising up spiritual children who walked in truth and love. He also warned her that if people did not confess that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, they were a deceiver and an antichrist.
John also warned against people who wanted to be welcomed as brothers but didn’t believe the doctrine of Jesus Christ. They were not to wish them well because that would be to imply that they were capable of doing well while opposing Christ. In that way they would be identifying with their sin.
Lord, help us have discernment for the days ahead. Overshadow your Church and the leaders you have given us. Give us truth in our inmost parts.

Thur.’s Devo - Draw Our Nation Back to You.

Read: Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8
God told Hosea to go find a wife and she would be a picture of the whoredoms of God’s people. From what I found in research, Gomer (which means “completion”) was not a prostitute at the beginning just like Israel was not a prostitute at Sinai when God gave her the law which was his marriage contract to her. Israel became a prostitute as Gomer did after the birth of their third child.
Jereboam II was the king of Israel at the time and Israel was flourishing on the outside though idolatrous on the inside. He died during the 15th year of Uzziah’s reign in Judah and from that time forth every king in Israel worshipped false gods.
Hosea prophecied Israel’s downfall which was unconceivable by human standards since Israel was so powerful and rich at the time.
Hosea and Gomer’s first son’s name was Jezreel because God was going to judge Jezreel and the house of Jehu. “Jezreel” means “God will scatter” and God was going to do that very thing to Israel. Jezreel had been Ahab’s royal city. With the help of Jezebel, Ahab had killed Naboth for his vineyard and led Israel into all sorts of idolatry. Jehu had ridden like a mad man into Jezreel and killed Jezebel and all of Ahab’s family. Jehu destroyed Baal worship from Israel but fell into worshipping the golden calves that Jeroboam had set up.
Gomer had a second son and named him Lo-Rumah which means “not loved”. Then, Gomer had a daughter and named her “Lo-Ammi” which means “you are not my people and I am not your God.” This was God’ proclamation over Israel.
Hosea gave the people an allegory to be a picture to them of their idolatrous heart. Israel had chosen to leave God and go after other lovers. She did not realize it was the Lord who caused her to prosper and gave her all the things she had. So now, God was going to take his blessings back and she would be punished for her sin. But then, God would draw her back with love and tenderness and she would return with a new heart to love the Lord.
Like Israel, Gomer had left and committed adultery. God told Hosea to go buy her back just like he would buy Israel back with the price of his son’s blood. God promised to bless her and be her husband once again.
In First John we read that we are to overcome the world because of our faith and belief in Jesus as the son of God.
Jesus came by both water and blood. He was born like us in the water of his mother’s womb, but God’s blood ran through his veins. Jesus also came in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ birth, the Holy Spirit and God all testify that Jesus is his son and in him we have eternal life.
He tells us once again, if we are born of God we will not continue to sin because we are kept safe in him and the enemy can not harm us. The world is under the control of the evil one but we are under God’s control living in his kingdom.
Lord, help us to stand in righteousness and faith. Draw our nation back to you as you did for Israel.

Wed.’s Devo - The End of the Antichrist

Read: Daniel 11:36-12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4
The king who does what he pleases is Antiochus who typifies the Antichrist in the end. He is the seventh head of the seven-headed and ten-horned beast of Rev. 13:1-18. He is also the “beast of Armageddon (Rev. 16:13,16; 19:19). The man who is Pope at that time will be the false Messiah or the false prophet who will exalt himself above every god.
Antiochus proclaimed himself to be Jupiter Olympius (Satan) and gave this god in him the credit of all his accomplishments and spoke horrible blasphemies against God. Antiochus forbade the worship of Jehovah or any other god. He attacked the temple of the Syrian Venus which was worshipped by the women.
To honor his “God of forces,” -Jupiter- he began to erect a temple at Antioch. This Jupiter had other guardians or saints that were his followers of whom Antiochus honored with gold.
With the help of this god - Jupiter, Antiochus was able to be successful against Jerusalem, Sidon, Pelusium and Memphis.
In verse 40 “the king of the south” referred to the Arabs who stopped the Greek emperor, Herclius from taking Egypt and Syria. But, the Turks from the “north” destroyed the Greek empire. They rode on horses and they had the greatest naval power of their times. They "overflowed" Western Asia, and then "passed over" into Europe, making Constantinople their capital, under Mohammed II. Antiochus marched against Ptolemy, stopping to wreak havoc on the Jews, but did not meddle with Edom, Moab, and Ammon on the side of Judea. The Turks under Selim entered Jerusalem on their way to Egypt, and retain "the glorious land" of Palestine to this day. They never could conquer the Arabs, who are a type of Edom, Moab, and Ammon.
At the end of Antiochus’ reign, (representing the end of the Antichrist’s reign) Michael, Israel’s guardian angel arises on the scene.
Like Antiochus, Satan will unleash unhindered and evil like we have never seen before on the earth. God’s people will be delivered and those who refused to worship the antichrist will be spared.
The dead will rise from their graves and those who knew the Lord and followed him will live on the earth for the thousand years. The unbelievers who had died will continue to sleep until the judgment at the end of the millennium.
Daniel then sees two angels and asks them how long will this suffering last. He is referring to his time but the angels are referring to both his day and the last day. They answer “times, times and half a time” which is prophetically three and a half years.
Three and a half years represents the idea of a spiritual trial. It is 1260 days. In the natural world, Satan plays out this copy of what God was doing. Mohammed came out of his cave to take the world the same year that Phocas was made the next Pope and called himself the “Universal Pastor.” This was a picture of Satan putting this feet on the East (Mohammed) and the West (the Pope in Rome). For three and a half years the world power will be ruled by earthly kingdoms. The two witnesses prophecy for 1260 days and remain unburied for three and a half days. The woman in the wilderness is there for three and a half times (Rev. 11:3,9 11, 12:6, 14).
We are given two other numbers 1,290 and 1,335. From the day that Antiochus profaned the temple to the day that Judas Maccabee restored worship to Jerusalem was 1290 days. Forty-five days later, making it 1,335 days - Antiochus died ending the Jews calamities.
In John we learn the litmus test of a true and false prophet. A false prophet will deny that Jesus came in the flesh. The world sees from their perspective and can only see that way but a spiritual Christian sees from God’s perspective and knows truth. Another test of a true Christian is their love for one another because Christ’s spirit lives in them.

Tue.’s Devo - Daniel Fulfilled in History

Read: Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 1:7-24; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 29:1
Michael continues his talk with Daniel and tells him of the next three kings which were Ahasurus, Artaxerxes, and Darius. The fourth was Esther’s Xerxes. During his reign Persia reached it’s height. But one greater than him took over the world named Alexander the Great from Greece. His kingdom became divided into four parts and eventually was overthrown by the king of the South: Ptolemy Soter. Seleucus was his first satrap who became stronger than the king (vs. 5).
Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt wanted to end his war with Antiochus Theus, "king of the north" (Syria) so he gave Berenice to Antiochus, who divorced his former wife, Laodice, and disinherited her son, Seleucus Callinicus.
When Ptolemy died, Antiochus took back his former wife, Laodice. She then poisoned him, and caused Berenice and her son to be put to death, and raised her own son, Seleucus Nicator, to the throne. (Talk about a good soap opera!)
Ptolemy Euergetes, the brother of Berenice, succeeding in the place Ptolemyof Philadelphus, and avenged her death by overrunning Syria, to the Euphrates River (vs. 7).
When Ptolemy heard what happened in Egypt, he returned with silver and all sorts of treasures including Egyptian idols making the Egyptians very grateful (vs. 8). His sons were Seleucus Ceranunus and Antiochus the Great. Seleucus fell off his horse and died but his brother fought and recovered the land of Syria from Antiochus. He gave him a four month truce but then returned. Instead of capturing of the whole of Syria, he made peace with Antiochus and fell into great sin. He lost power and profaned the temple of God by entering the holy place (vs. 12).
He returned 14 years later to make war with Ptolemy Epiphanes who was only a child. The king of Macedon (Phillip) joined Antiochus against Epiphanes. Many Jews helped Antiochus with provisions, which helped God fulfill his purpose (vs. 14), though it failed to make Judea independent which was their goal. Antiochus the Great, the king of the north met Antiochus and was defeated. Instead of giving Judah back their land, he made Judea the headquarters of his military operations. Antiochus gave Epiphanes his daughter, Cleopatra, in marriage along with the promise of Syria and Judea as a dowry to have peace with Rome. He hoped his daughter would gain territory for him but she sided with her husband and he had to fight for territory he wanted. He took the isles of the Aegean from the Romans. He and his soldiers were killed trying to rob the temple of Jupiter by night to pay the tribute imposed by Rome. His son, Seleucus was made king in his stead. Seluecus sent Heliodorus to Jerusalem to plunder the temple. After reigning for 12 years, Heliodorus tried to usurp the kingdom from Seluecus by poisoning him. Instead, Antiochus Ephiphanes, Seleucus’ brother succeeded the throne.
Antiochus Ephiphanes was considered a madman. He would carouse with the lowest of the people, bathe with them in the public baths, and foolishly jest and throw stones at passers-by.
He took Egypt with craft and power. Under the guise of friendship he would move into a territory with a small army but then master it and take it by force. He subdued Jerusalem also but the time was limited by God.
He was a type of the Antichrist. He defended the priests who worshipped saints and strange gods. He worshipped Jupiter. and ruled over the Jews, dividing their land.
For time’s sake I’m going to skip to the end. Antiochus desecrated the holy ground of Jerusalem by bringing in Roman gods, constructing Muslim mosques, but in the end he will be brought down to hell.
John encourages us to walk in righteousness. It is our rightful inheritance. We are no longer slaves to sin but sons of righteousness. Our righteousness is our confidence that we are God’s children.
Lord, help us to walk in your righteousness with confidence and power knowing that it is Christ in us!

Mon.’s Devo - Daniel’s Seventy Weeks

Read: Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28
Daniel was a true intercessor for his nation. He identified with their sin as if he had transgressed God’s laws, when, in truth, he was one of the only one who kept them. He prayed for forgiveness as if he was a guilty as they were. That is what Jesus did for us on the cross.
While Daniel was repenting for himself and his people, Gabriel appeared before him and told him he was greatly loved then he gave him a vision of what was going to happen in the future. From the time that it was decreed that Jerusalem would be rebuilt until the Messiah comes would be sixty-nine weeks. It would be rebuilt during troubled times. Then Messiah would be cut off, and the city destroyed. There would be desolations from then until the final war. There would be another week and in the middle of that week where the sacrifices would cease and the Anti-Christ would set up an abomination that caused desolation.
In Chapter 10, Daniel got understanding about the great war at the end. Daniel fasted for 21 days and at the end of his fast he saw a vision of a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches. His arms and legs were like the gleam of burnish bronze and his voice was like the sound of a multitude. Daniel fell down before the man and the men with him ran in fear. They hadn’t seen anything, but were filled with terror.
The man set Daniel up on his feet and told him how loved and favored he was. The angel explained that the prince of Persia had withstood his coming.
Every nation or peoples has a principality over it. Since Daniel was in Persia, the principality of Persia didn’t want Michael coming into his territory. The principality of Persia was about to be displaced by the principality of Greece. Michael announced that he was Daniel’s principality.
In First John, John gives encouragement to us who are living in the last days. The goal of the anti-christs throughout scripture is to deceive the saints. It will be the same of the last Anti-christ. We have been anointed with the Holy Spirit of truth which is in us. If we hold on to the Holy Spirit, we will not be led astray or fall into sin. No one who lives in him or knows Jesus will keep on sinning.

Sun.’s Devo - The Horns -

Read: Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26
In the third year of Belshazzar’s reign Daniel had a dream. He was transported to Susa which was not a significant city then but was gong to become the capital of Persia after the reign of Cyrus. As Daniel was standing beside the Ulai Canal he saw a ram with two horns. The two horns were the Medes and the Persians. The longer horn was the Persians which, under the reign of Cyrus, the Persians became more powerful than the Medes. He was represented as the ram in this vision and the bear in the previous. Cyrus came from the east and conquered the land north, south and westward.
Then a goat rose up with a prominent horn between his eyes (vs 5). This was Alexander the Great. He conquered the massive Persian army with his very small army then he was murdered (“broken off”; vs. 8.) Four leaders rose up from every direction: Seleucus - east; Cassandra - west; Ptolemy - south and Lysimachus - north. Out of Greece arose Antiochus Epiphanes, an Old Testament Antichrist. He was insane and loved the arts. He wanted to erect a statue of Zeus to replace Jehovah in Jerusalem. He identified himself as Juniper and wanted everyone to worship him. He made himself the ruler of Jerusalem and Egypt by craft. He ended up sacrificing a pig on the altar of the Lord thus desecrating the altar. He died of worms in the end.
Everything that happened during that time was a precursor of what will happen in the end.
The kingdom that will crush the Anti-christ will be God’s kingdom. Many will be deceived by the Anti-christ but a remnant will remain faithful to God. Just like Alexander’s little army won over the Persian army, God’s people will prevail against the devil’s kingdom. God will destroy the Anti-christ and set up his kingdom on earth where Jesus will be king.
In John we read that we don’t have to sin, but if and when we do, we have an eternal sacrifice that has paid the price for our sins and the sins of the whole world.
If we claim to live in Christ then we must walk as Jesus did. This may sound impossible but all things are possible through Christ. We are called to come up higher and love our brothers, defeat the devil and know the Father.
Lord, this is our desire: to love as you loved, walk as you walked and know as you know.

Sat.’s Devo - The Five Kingdoms

Read: Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 28:23-24
Daniel had a strange dream and didn’t pass it off as a pizza dream. He wrote it down which is what we should do when we have strange dreams or any dream. Some dreams are junk mail but most dreams have meaning.
Daniel dreamed of a storm on the sea. Four different beasts came out of the sea. The first was like a lion with the wings of an eagle. Its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground to stand on two feet like a man with the heart of a man. The second beast looked like a bear raised up on one for its sides with three ribs in its mouth. It was told to get up and eat the flesh on the earth.
The third looked like a leopard with four wings. This beast had four heads and was given authority to rule. The fourth beast was terrifying and powerful with iron teeth and ten horns. It devoured and trampled its victims. As Daniel looked at the horns he saw another horn which started out small and uprooted three of the horns. This horn had eyes an a mouth of a man.
Then the Ancient of Days in all his glory and splendor sat on his throne. All of the beasts were stripped of their power and the last beasts with the horns was thrown into the fire. The other beasts were allowed to live for a time.
Next he saw the son of man come down with the clouds of heaven and approach the throne. He was given power and authority and people from every nation worshipped him. He was given an everlasting kingdom that would not be destroyed.
Daniel was given the interpretation. The four beasts were the four kingdoms that would run the earth but the last kingdom was the kingdom of salvation that comes through the blood of Jesus.
Daniel asked about the last beast and found that it was the last kingdom that would reign on the earth. It would consist of ten kingdoms but one leader would rise above them all. He would try to change the times and the laws of God. This man would the the Anti-Christ.
God will judge him and the kingdoms and their power will be taken away and the rule of the earth will be given to God’s people and Jesus will be the king.
John spoke as an eye-witness to the life and light of Jesus. We have never seen Jesus in the flesh but we can see him through the eyes of faith. If we walk in the light of the Word, and his spirit is in us then we will have fellowship with one another an will be purified from all sin.
Lord, it is exciting to live in your light and not have to fear the future.

Fri.’s Devo - Good Wins in the End!

Read: Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22
The story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den is one of our favorites. It is right up there with David and Goliath. It is the perfect story. The hero is so worthy of being a hero and everything turns out good in the end. I can’t help comparing this to what is happening in our government right now. They keep trying to find some offense to bring down our president and it is not going to work because God has placed him where he is for our good.
Daniel was an exceptional man. He had served faithfully under Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. Belshazzar had elevated Daniel to third in his kingdom the night Darius rode into town and took over. But, Belshazzar also recognized his qualities of being trustworthy and diligent and had plans to set Daniel over his whole kingdom. Belshazzar had 120 satraps that ruled throughout his kingdom and Daniel was one of them. The other satraps got wind that Daniel was going to be promoted above them and came up with a plan to put him out of the running. They wanted him dead.
The only thing they could pin him on was his faith in God so they flattered the king into making a law that if anyone prayed to any god but him for the next thirty days, they would be thrown into the lion’s den.
Daniel prayed three times a day in his own house bowing towards Jerusalem. The ones who wanted to frame him knew this and caught him. They brought him before the king and reminded the king of his decree. The king was distraught and tried to think of any way to save Daniel but couldn’t find a loop hole. When he escorted Daniel to the lion’s den he told him he hoped that his god could rescue him. The king spent the night in agony and unrest.
The next morning the king ran to the lion’s den and called out to Daniel, asking him if his god had been able to rescue him. Daniel responded that God had sent his angel to shut their mouths. The king was elated and had him brought out of the den and threw his accusers and their families in instead. The hungry lions ate them before they touched the ground. Then King Darius wrote a new decree that everyone must fear and reverence Daniel’s God because he was the eternal living God. This is quite a statement coming from a king who was believed to be a god himself!
Daniel prospered during his reign and during Cyrus’ reign.
Peter wrote to believers to encourage them to not lose hope in Jesus’ return. He is coming back and it will be right on time. He gives us a clue: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. We will be here for six days and the seventh will be the millennial of rest. According to the Hebrew calendar we are at 5880 so we still have 120 years if their calendar is right. The thing we have to remember is that Jesus will not come as a thief to us (1 Thessalonians 5:4). Those looking for his returning will go in the rapture, those left behind will go through tribulation. To the ones that don’t repent, Jesus will come as a thief.
Lord, stimulate us to wholesome thinking and give us your thoughts. Help us to see our lives from your perspective and not our own. Your ways are higher!

Thurs.’s Devo - The Writing on the Wall

Read: Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 28:19-20
Nebuchadnezzar died and left his kingdom to his son, Belshazzar. Belshazzar didn’t learn from his father’s mistakes so he was full of pride. He had a banquet and had his officials bring out the gold and silver goblets his father had taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem and they drank wine from them. Immediately God responded with a message he wrote himself on the wall. All that was visible to the human eye was God’s hand writing the message. It scared Belshazzar so much he turned pale and his knees knocked together. He called in all his wise men but they couldn’t interpret the words.
His mother remembered Daniel and how he had helped her husband with dreams and interpretations so he told Belshazzar about him. Daniel was called in and immediately knew the meaning. He rebuked Belshazzar for his pride and for not learning from his father’s mistakes then told him that the meaning of the words Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin meant that his reign had been measured and was brought to an end. It would be divided between the Medes and the Persians.
Belshazzar had promised Daniel a purple robe, a gold chain and the position of third in his kingdom. Daniel had told him he could keep his gifts but when he interpreted the words, Belshazzar was obligated. Daniel was given a purple robe, a gold chain and a position of third in the kingdom. That night Belshazzar was killed and the Medes and the Persians took his kingdom under the rule of Darius the Mede.
Peter said that those that introduce destructive heresies that deny the sovereign Lord bring swift destruction on them selves.
God will repay false teachers who make up stories to gain followers. God didn’t spare the angels when they sinned and followed Satan and he will not spare them, nor the ungodly people during the days of Noah, nor the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah during the time of Abraham. He will rescue his godly from trials but hold the unrighteous for judgment.
It will not go well for those who deceive the children of God. A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him so these false teachers are slaves to Satan and his lies. If these false teachers were once Christians it will be even worse for them in judgment.
Lord, the wages of sin is death, but the fruit of righteousness is life everlasting. Thank you for eternal life!

Wed.’s Devo - The Tree

Read: Daniel 4:1-37; 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 119:97-112; Provers 28:17-18
Nebuchadnezzar had another dream but this time he told his wise men the dream. When they couldn’t interpret it, he called in Daniel because he knew Daniel could.
He had dreamed of a huge beautiful fruitful tree that touched the sky. An angel from heaven gave the decree to cut down the tree and leave only a stump. Its roots were to bound with iron and bronze and remain in the field. The tree was to be left to live with the animals and its mind changed from that of a man to that of an animal till 7 times passed by.
Daniel interpreted the tree to be Nebuchadnezzar. He had grown mighty and proud. He would be cut down and driven from humanity to live with animals. He would have to be chained because he would lose his mind. He would remain insane for seven years. Then he would regain his sanity when he realized that God was the king over the earth. Then his kingdom would be returned to him.
Twelve months later, as Nebuchadnezzar was walking on his roof and looking over his kingdom, he praised his own power and what he had done and immediately the dream came to life. He had to be driven from his kingdom and chained in the field like an animal. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails looked like the claws of a bird. After 7 years, he humbled himself and praised God and his sanity returned. He was restored to be greater than before but more humble.
Peter reminds us that God has given us everything we need to overcome evil and live a life of godliness. His Word is full of promises that enable us to participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
He gave us characteristics we should walk in: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. If we keep increasing in these characteristics our walk will be affective and productive.
Peter reminded them of the prophesies that had been spoken long ago and how they had seen them manifest in their own lives. They heard the voice of God speaking from the mountain on the day they saw Jesus transfigured in glory. They were to remember these things so they wouldn’t lose their faith.
God has given all of us things in our lives that we can go back to to build our faith.
Lord help us to remember all the answered prayers and miracles that you have done in our lives. We set our goal of finishing our race strong in your power and love.

Tues.’s Devo - Deliverance From the Fiery Furnace

Read: Daniel 2:24-3:30; 1 Peter 4:7-5:14; Psalm 119:81-96; Proverbs 28:15-16
Daniel went before the king and told him that what he had asked of the wise men was something that no human could do, but their was a God in heaven who knew everything and he had told Daniel the dream and its interpretation. He then told the king that he had dreams the future. He had seen a huge statue with a head of gold, shoulder and chest of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. A huge rock cut by God struck the statue at its feet and the whole statue fell into peices and dust which the wind blew away. The rock became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
Then Daniel interpreted the dream. The head was Nebuchadnezzar. The other parts working from the top own were coming kingdoms that would arise. In the end there would be two that were divided. The rock was God’s kingdom that would crush all of them.
When King Nebuchadnezzar hear Daniel’s words he fell down prostrate before Daniel and recognized Daniel’s god as the God of gods and Lord of kings. He promoted Daniel to a high position and gave him many gifts. He was made a ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed in charge of the wise men. Daniel requested that his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be administrators over Babylon while he sat at the royal court.
King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image 90 feet high and 9 feel wide and had a huge dedication. He made a decreee that when the trumpet blew everyone was to bow down and worship or they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Some of the jealous wise men took note that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow. They brought them before the king and when questioned they told the king that they could never bow before the stature but only to God. They were sentenced to die in the fire. Before they entered they told the king that their God was able to deliver them but if he didn’t they would not bow. This only made the king madder so he had the fire heated 7 times hotter than usual. It was so hot that the men that threw them into the fire burnt alive. But as the king watched he noticed 4 men walking unaffected in the fire. He was so astonished he called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out. They came out with no smell of smoke on them and no burns. He then praised their God and decreed that anyone who spoke against their God would be cut to pieces.
Peter warned the people that the time of the end was near. We are nearer than them. He tells us to keep our conscience clear and walk in self-control so we can pray. We are to love like Jesus loved and rejoice when we suffer for Christ’s sake. If we are elders we should serve the people with meekness and humility. We are to cast all our cares on Jesus because God’s hand is mighty to deliver us and give us peace.
Lord, we thank you that you save us from all our fiery trials and set us on solid ground. You are always faithful.