Sat.’s Devo - Leap Year Extra-

The One Year Bible doesn’t figure in a leap year so there is no reading for today. So…this would be a great time to catch up if you are behind.
Here is a scripture to meditate on today: Isaiah 43:19 - 21
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and the owls, too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. I have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honor me before the whole world.”
There are many people out there doing drugs, selling themselves, practicing homosexuality - all in a desert. But they are the chosen of God and he will refresh them and bring them in. The prodigals are coming home. The church is going to expand way past her walls into the streets and we need to be there to welcome them in. It is not our job to clean them up - that is the work of the Holy Spirit. Our job is to love them and heal their wounds and nurse them back to health.
Enjoy your leap day!

Fri.’s Devo - The Harvests

Read: Leviticus 22:17-23:44; Mark 9:30-10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:19
The sacrifices they offered had to be spotless and without a blemish to represent the final sacrifice of Jesus who was sinless and perfect.
The seven feasts were divided into the three harvest times. The first three: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits were in the spring during the harvest of the wheat. Jesus died on Passover as our passover lamb. He was buried on Unleavened Bread to show that our sins were buried with him and Jesus rose on First Fruits to represent the first fruit to rise from the dead. I believe that the “wheat - believers” will rapture on a Passover that God determines. “Wheat - believers” are the ones who are passionately following Christ and looking for his coming.
When they were to harvest their fields, they were to leave the corners for the poor. When the wheat are raptured, the lukewarm believers will be left for the poor. They will come alive and help others become believers.
The next harvest was at the fourth feast called Pentecost. This was the harvest of the barley and first celebrated when God gave Moses the law up on Mt. Sinai. There was lightning and thunder and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain quaked and fire came from its top. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost after Jesus died (Acts 2). The people became the mountain of God as he put his Holy Spirit inside of them. They shook and spoke with other tongues and fire was seen visibly on their heads. On this day the Church was born and the Gentile was added. On this celebration in the Old Testament they waved two loaves of bread to heaven. They could represent the Gentiles and the Jews celebrating together the Messiah.
The last three feasts happened in the fall: the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Trumpets is the last rapture right before Jesus’ second coming. The Day of Atonement is also called Yom Kippor which is a ten day time of repentance before the last day and second coming of Jesus on the Feast of Tabernacles when Jesus will set up his Kingdom on Earth. This is the harvest of the fruit.
Jesus had to get frustrated with his disciples. He tried to tell them spiritual things and they want to crawl on the ground in the natural. He talked of his death and resurrection and they argue about who will be the greatest in his kingdom. Jesus tells them to welcome a child in his behalf. He gets the perfect example when they bring him news of a person who is using his name to heal. They are to welcome him as a child working on his behalf.
He warns them against encouraging someone to sin. If we don’t rid ourselves of sinful habits, they will be torched out of us by God’s fire of testing and trials. That is not the only reason we have trials, but they are God’s fire of purification.
Lord, may we allow the trials we face to be a fire that burns up what is not of you. May we be like gold tested in your fire.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Presence of God With Us

Read: Leviticus 20:22-22:16; Mark 9:1-29; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 10:18
The office of the priesthood was very important because they were to represent what would be expected of a Christian in our day. The office of a High Priest was even greater because he would represent Jesus, our High Priest. The picture had to be perfect. They could have no blemishes or handicaps because as believers we are cleansed from sin and should be walking in health.
Only priests could eat the spiritual food just as only believers can understand the spiritual food that comes through revelation.
In Mark, Jesus gave them some spiritual food when he told them that some of the ones standing there would not die until they saw the Kingdom of God arrive in great power. He was not talking about an earthly takeover but a spiritual one. This power was released at Pentecost and many of them did see it.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain with him to see a glimpse of his glory.
Jesus transformed into a figure of white light and Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with him. Peter, James and John saw the Kingdom come in great glory. It was during the Feast of Tabernacles because Peter wanted to build a tabernacle or booth for them so they would stay and celebrate with them. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates God coming down from heaven and tabernacling with us. So, God sent two of his people down from heaven to represent his desire to come visit with us. Moses stands for the law and Elijah stands for the prophets. What the law and the prophets did was to prepare the way for Jesus just like John the Baptist did. God spoke from heaven to listen to Jesus because he was the son…the fulfillment the law and the prophets.
Every time God does some great manifestation, Satan is right on his coat-tail with his counter attack. God manifested his glory on the mountain and now Satan is battling on the ground. Satan’s demon refuses to leave this little boy who has been his home for years. The faith of the disciples is not enough to cast it out so Jesus does it before it can gain any more of an audience. The devil is loud and proud and wants to make a scene. Jesus was very covert and low key yet all-powerful.
Lord, help us to be sheep in the midst of wolves: wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Wed.’s Devo - Seeing Clearly

Read: Leviticus 19:1-20:21; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 10:17
God gives great priority to respecting your heritage and observing his Sabbaths. Respecting your parents goes so much deeper than the parents that raised you. It encompasses your whole posterity that have gone before you. Every family has a mandate and a purpose on the earth just like the tribes all had special talents and positions to fulfill in their time. This is what we pass to the next generation. Our DNA is very powerful as adopted parents find out. It would help us to research our families past, to find our future. We can spiritually clear the path for the next generation to walk on by doing research into our past.
The Sabbath has to do with our sabbath rest in the Lord and in the future. We have to know who we are tp be able to rest in peace.
The other laws are self-explanatory and help us know how God wants us to treat one another. They are basic laws on loving one another as we love ourselves.
God hates mixture. He does not like it when we pollute what he has made with our own ideas. God is just, and will avenge the poor and helpless.
He also loves the land and it is important to him how we treat the land. It works for us, so we need to give it a Sabbath rest just as we need a Sabbath rest. We can see what a Sabbath rest does for us by seeing what it does for the land. It allows the land to replenish itself . We have no nutrients in our food because we have worked the land every year and don’t allow it to replenish itself.
It is interesting to read the punishments for the different sins. A big misnomer in the Body of Christ is the statement that “Sin is sin”. Clearly, sin is measurable by its consequences. Some sins are punishable by death and others by punishment and others by being cut off from the community. We are doomed to die spiritually by any sin because all have sinned… but, once we are saved, sin is under the blood. But…we still face the consequences of our sin on earth, even though in heaven we are righteous. So, sin is not the same. God talks about sins that are spiritual adultery which have to do with worshiping or depending on a demon spirit and not Him. This causes spiritual death. Sexual sins in the Old Testament had to do with intimacy and represent intimacy with the Lord in the New Testament. To put your trust in another god will not save you. To repent and chose Jesus to be your lover, will save you.
In Mark, Jesus got so disgusted with the Pharisees because they wanted him to show them a sign that he got into his boat and left. This was Jesus marveling at their unbelief. How many signs did he have to do?
Jesus also marveled at the lack of depth of his own disciples. He told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees meaning the false doctrine and all they could think about was natural things. Jesus would never worry about not having bread because he had modeled to them how easy it was to produce bread. He was talking much deeper than their stomachs. Just like when he told him his destiny to die and rise from the dead. They couldn’t think past their own preconceived idea about how the kingdom was going to come.
The way they saw spiritually was demonstrated in the blind man who Jesus prayed for. When Jesus touched him the first time he could see, but not clearly. That was the disciples. When Jesus touched him the second time, he could see clearly. Clearly, the disciples needed another touch.
Lord, thank you for the reminded that when we can’t see clearly, we just need to magnify you larger than what we can’t see and then we can see better. Let us look through your lenses and not ours.

Tues.’s Devo - Choose Faith

Read: Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 10:17
The tenth day of the seventh month was the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27). It was the day that the High Priest would take the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the nation and pray for prosperity for the next year. All the people were to fast and repent. It was a holy day. All sacrificing had to be done in the outer courts of the Tabernacle. The people were commanded to stop sacrificing to the goat demons. Everyone in the community whether they were Jews or not, they were to celebrate this day. No one was to drink blood or they would be cut off from the community because the life of the body is in the blood.
Everything that gives us our life and determines our identity is in our blood. It is a picture of the fact that our spiritual identity and all our hope is in his blood. It is our supernatural power. Everyone is looking for a magic potion to youth, health, wealth and everlasting life and we have it in the blood of Jesus - we just have to believe it. Faith is the key to activation.
God gave them a list of what not to do and he explained that the Egyptians and the inhabitants of the land that they were to displace all did these detestable and perverse acts. But, they were to be set apart and different.
In Mark, Jesus had a Gentile woman stop him and beg him to set her demonized daughter free. In Matthew 15 we have the same story and she addressed him as the Messiah. Jesus brought out the fact that his commission was to the Jew and she was not Jewish. She had a lightning-fast answer that even the dogs got to eat the crumbs from the master’s table. Jesus marveled at her answer. She pulled out of the future what she wanted then. It was the Gentile’s future to get the kingdom also. Mary did the same thing at the marriage when she pulled the miracle out of Jesus. He said it wasn’t time, but she saw the immediate need.
Jesus marveled at two things while here on earth: unbelief and faith. What do we want him to marvel about us? I want it to be my faith!
Lord, help us to cause you to marvel at our faith - that we actually believe your Word, and that you will do whatever you have written in it, and you will do it for us.

Mon.’s Devo - Healing for the Soul

Read: Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14
A running issue of the flesh has to do with unchecked issues of the soul. A man’s seed of copulation has to do with fruit that comes from a root of unholiness. A woman’s issue has to do with her issues that bring death. A woman’s menstural period is caused from the dead cell that is thrown off that doesn’t not produce a baby or fruit. To try to have sex when there is no hope of bringing life is non-productive. All of this has to do with the sin within the body. It is issues of our soul that we need to deal with and get rid of . We do that by recognizing them for what they are and repenting of them and putting them under the blood, then declaring them to leave. Then, we replace them with holy things. If we allow them to stay they will defile our temple within us.
God warned Aaron that he could not enter into the Holy of Holies whenever he wanted to but had to go through the pattern God had set up. He had to bring the offering God commanded and wear the garments that God had provided. He had to do this on the day of Atonement once a year. The priest was to offer up a sacrifice first to take his own sin away and be sanctified in the water. Then he was to take two goats for the people. One was to be sacrificed as the goat to die for the sins of the people. The other was to be released into the wilderness as the Azazel to take the sins away. This goat would live as a picture of the resurrection power of righteousness.
The priest would take the blood of the sacrificed lamb and sprinkle it on all the pieces of worship and on the people. This was to be a picture of the power of Jesus’ blood to cleanse from sin. Then he would take the live goat and place his hands on its head and transfer all the sin of the people as he spoke their sins and repellence out loud. A designated man, who represented Jesus, would take this goat away from the city into the wilderness to take the sins away. The High Priest was then to change his clothes, wash his body and put on new clothes to signify that the people were now clean. Jesus did this for us on the cross and proclaimed us forgiven and clean.
Jesus explained everything we read today about issues of the body. He explained that it wasn’t the food or the man-made rituals that were making them unclean, but the things they had allowed into their hearts. Rituals and acts would not cleanse their hearts. Only the blood of Jesus could do that.
Lord, thank you for the power of your blood that takes our sins as far as the east is from the west. May we walk in your righteousness.

Sun.’s Devo - Mission Impossible

Read: Leviticus 14:1-57; Mark 6:30-56; Psalm 40:1-10; Proverbs 10:11-12
In the cleansing of the leper, the two birds represent Christ. He was the slain bird on the cross and the set free bird in his resurrection. It was also to show that when the blood was applied to our sinful flesh our sins are taken away (the set free bird carried them away). The leper wasn’t clean until the 8th day because our lives are represented as 7 days and the 8th would be our eternal life. We are not completely clean until then.
The comical thing about this ritual is that no one except Naaman was healed of leprosy in the Old Testament (2 Kings 5) and he was not a Jew so they never did this ritual. When Jesus healed the ten lepers he told them to go show the priests and let them do this ritual so they would see the picture. I would love to have been a fly on the wall to see the priest scrambling for the scroll that told them how to do this and stumbling through the ritual they had only read about.
In verse 33 the Lord told Moses and Aaron that when they arrived in Canaan, He may contaminate some of the houses in their land with mildew. God was going to do this! He wanted them to see this picture. They were to empty their house before the priest got there and if the priest found mildew he would condemn the house for 7 days. The stones from inside the house had to be removed and the walls replastered. New stones were to be put in and the house replastered. If mildew rose up in this new structure, then the house was declared defiled and must be carried out of town. This is a picture of a ministry that has allowed wrong doctrine to defile it. If it restructures with new stones (doctrines) and it is still defiled, its doctrine needs to be completely thrown out.
But, if the mildew doesn’t return it is an indication that their new doctrine is intact and built on truth. Then the priest will inspect it and sanctify it with his bird ritual.
In Mark, Jesus has a huge following and the disciples are getting tired and hungry. They want the crowd to leave so they suggest that Jesus send them home. Jesus, as their teacher wanted to stretch them. It is true that we can do much more than we think we can. When we are ready to rest, we can keep going if it is not time to rest. Jesus also wanted them to know that God is the God of the impossible. They were not responsible with what they didn’t have, but with what they did have. The rest is up to God. So he told them to give what they had which was five loaves of bread and two fish. God did the rest.
After the multiplying, they got back into the boat to go visit their delivered demoniac in Genesaret. Once again, Satan opposed them on the sea. Jesus was caught walking on the water and they cried out to him to come and save them. Jesus had already modeled to them what to do in a storm, but they hadn’t learned.
This time, when they reached Genesaret, the same people who had told Jesus to leave were now clamoring to see him. The demoniac had spread his testimony and they had seen first hand that Jesus had power to deliver and do miracles.
Lord, help us to walk in the impossible and to understand that you never give us a task that is possible. You make our impossible - possible!

Sat.’s Devo - The Plague of Leprosy

Read: Leviticus 13:1-59; Mark 6:1-29; Psalm 39:1-13; Proverbs 10:10
Leprosy was a plague of the skin just like sin is a plague of our flesh. There was a certain protocol if you found yourself plagued with leprosy. You had to first show it to the priest just like we bring our sin to the Lord. If the leprosy was more than skin deep then the person had to be quarantined until they healed. If we allow sin to get beyond the surface and into our hearts, then we are spiritually “quarantined” or put aside to heal and deal with our unforgiveness or whatever we need to deal with. We are not given opportunities to minister during that time because what ever spirit we are operating under will spread to the people around us. Bad attitudes and negativity is contagious so it would be better to not say anything and keep our wrong attitudes to ourself than to spread them. Once we have put our sins under the blood and allowed God to wash us clean, we will be set free to minister life to others.
This leprosy can even spread to our clothing. We are to always wear the robe of righteousness, but if sin has dirtied our robe then we need our walk to be cleansed.
When we are forgiven and clean then Jesus proclaims us clean just like he did in Mark 1:41. We are constantly going through the process of sanctification.
In Mark, Jesus is faced with the rejection of the people in his family and his home town, as they can’t receive him as anything but Mary and Joseph’s son. Their unbelief stopped his power from being released to do too many miracles. He took his disciples away and gave them power to go out and do what he had modeled for them.
Herod Antipas heard the stories about Jesus. He had John the Baptist in his prison and although John had come out publicly against his marriage to Herodias, Herod liked to hear John’s theology.
According to Josephus, Herodias had been Phillip’s wife who was Herod’s half-brother. Herod Antipas convinced her to leave Phillip and be his wife on the condition that he didn’t have to put his own wife away. She had agreed because her husband had been disowned by his father which caused him to lose his inheritance.
Herodias hated anyone pointing out her sin so she had a personal vendetta against John. She manipulated his death through her own daughter.
Lord, thank you that though our sins be as scarlet, you wash them white as snow. Thank you that we can walk in righteousness and pureness of heart by walking in you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit.

Fri.’s Devo - Resurrection and Life

Read: Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21-43;Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9
When reading Leviticus, one of the most cryptic books of the Bible you have to put on your spiritual glasses. Romans 7:14 says that the law is spiritual which means that there is a spiritual meaning behind every thing they were told to do in the natural. Today we are reading the laws of their diet and what they could eat and not eat. Eat means to consume in your inner self. They were to only eat animals that had both a split hoof that was completely divided and that chewed the cud. To have a hoof completely divided had to do with their foundation of their standing. We are to stand on the Word of God that divides joint and marrow, soul and spirit and the thoughts and intents of the heart. So, to have a split hoof is about standing on a stable foundation of truth that is balanced on God’s Word.
To chew the cud means that you don’t swallow every thing that comes your way but you chew on the information and spend time studying and working on it till it is worth believing. It is about careful consideration and tried by fire - proof.
They were not allowed to eat an animals that walked on all four feet. They were a picture of the sourish person who could not stand straight. They were unbalanced in the fact that they used their hands to walk. Hands were to be used to give out.
They were not to eat animals that crept on the earth. The word used for “creep” means “to swarm, i.e. active mass of minute animals”. These are animals whose bodies were close to the ground. They represented a person or idea that was very earthly and unspiritual. They were not to touch them or their dead carcasses. In other words, we are not to touch wrong teachings that lead to death. There are many fearful prophecies out there that lead to fear and death.
In Mark, Jesus healed a woman who had bled for 12 years and raised a little girl who was 12 years old. In these two people we see the death and resurrection of the kingdom Jesus was bringing. Israel as a people had been bleeding with no hope till Jesus came and offered them resurrection and life.
Lord, help us to walk in the resurrection and life that you came to bring.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Reward in the End

Read: Leviticus 9:7-10:20; Mark 4:26-5:20; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 10:6-7
God was very explicit about how to do everything when it came to the office of the priest, because it was all a picture of spiritual things to come. One day, the priesthood would be extended to whoever became a child of God through the blood of Jesus. Aaron and his sons were to follow God’s instructions to the letter.
Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu stepped over their office of priests and together decided to do the job of the High Priest. God had been the one to bring his fire miraculously in the temple, but they made their own and took it into the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest was authorized to go.
It was the same thing the priests and Pharisees were doing in Jesus day. They were presuming to perform the duties not authorized by God. They didn’t even follow Moses’ law but their own made-up laws. It cost them their eternal salvation. It cost Aaron’s sons their natural life.
Moses told Aaron and his family that they were not to even mourn their deaths but continue to serve. Their cousins, Mishael and Elzaphan were to act in their place.
Then, to make matters worse, Aaron’s other two sons didn’t eat the sin offering like they were suppose to but burnt it up. It was not an intentional sin like that of Nadab and Abihu’s so Moses sympathized with Aaron’s mistake and gave him grace.
In Mark, Jesus continued teaching the crowds in parables. He was scattering seed. The ones who had fertile hearts, his parables would bear fruit and they would see the truth to his teaching. To the others, it would just die in them. Jesus was looking for fertile hearts. God doesn’t hide things from us but he hides things for us to find. It is the adventure of seeking that brings the joy of finding.
We read about two storms in Jesus’ ministry and both of them were on the way to the same place - the region of the Gadarenes. “Gadarenes” means “reward at the end”. The storms were Satan’s attempt to keep Jesus from entering his territory. The demoniac held the principalities of the area. Jesus had to defeat him to gain the reward in the end.
Demons have to embody a being. They knew that Jesus would never allow them to enter a person so they begged to enter the pigs. Jesus allowed them to do so which drove the pigs off the cliff.
The response of the people is quite funny if you think about it. They are more afraid of the sane man than the one that lived in the graveyard wrapped in chains that cried out like a wolf. The delivered man begged Jesus to let him follow him, but Jesus did the wise thing. He left him there to be a testimony to the people. They kicked Jesus out this time, but the next time he came, they flooded the shore to see him. This was the reward in the end.
When God does a new thing on the earth, which he is doing, it is received with fear at first, but eventually, it is sought after.
Many years ago, God told the prophet, Bob Jones that when the Chiefs win the Super Bowl, a mighty revival would start in our nation. How exciting!
Lord, we pray for revival for our nation. We also pray that we would embrace anything new that you want to do through us.

Weds.’s Devo - You Are the Strength of our Heart

Read: Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31-4:25; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5
The fellowship offering was the offering of praise and worship. It was not required but was voluntary just as our praise and worship is voluntary. It was also called the peace offering to bring peace between God and man. When we bring our offering of praise to the Lord, we establish fellowship and peace with God.
The person who brought their fellowship offering was to wave it himself before the Lord just like we raise our hands in worship to the Lord. Then the priest would take the offering and burn its fat and give the breast to Aaron and his sons to eat. The priest who offers the blood and the fat also gets the the right thigh as his share. So think of the breast being our heart and the thigh being our strength. We give our strength and our heart to the Lord and the fat or excess of our self is burned on the altar. In return, he gives us his strength and his heart. Psalm 29:11 says “The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”
A priest had to be thirty years of age before he could become a priest (Numbers 4:3, 30, 35, &39). One of the first things that happened was called a mitzvah. It was a bath of cleansing for the priests. Jesus was thirty when he entered his priestly ministry and he had to be baptized first. John didn’t want to baptize him and Jesus’ response was “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” Matthew 3:15. Everything jot and tittle of the Word is significant!
In Mark, Jesus uses his families demands on him to explain that they were all his family. He, no doubt met with them, but wanted to make the point that they were all equally important to him. Then he gave the parable that all the parables rested on. This parable had to do with how you hear the truth. You can substitute “heart” with the word “soil” and see that it all starts with a person’s heart.
God, you are so perfect and wise. We offer up our prayers of worship and praise to you. May our hearts bless your name and may we walk in your strength and love today. May we have a heart to hear and receive your Word.

Tues.’s Devo - Power Over Evil

Read: Leviticus 6:1-7:27; Mark 3:7-30; Psalm 37:1-11; Provers 10:3-4
The trespass offering was offered for sins people did to people. Some of the examples were deceit, lying, cheating or stealing. First, restitution was to be made in full with a fifth of what he stole added to it. Then a guilt offering was to be made to the Lord because the sin was also against God.
We are to do the same. We are to restore what we have taken from people and ask their forgiveness. Then we are to ask God to forgive us because we not only sinned against a person but against him.
The burnt offering was to be kept burning always. The burnt offering is Christ. His offering is eternal and will never lose its power.
God took Moses back through the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering and the fellowship offering. We are the grain that we offer to the Lord. We also offer him our sin, our guilt and our heart of thanksgiving. It is all holy to him.
In Mark, we see Jesus healing and casting out devils. He didn’t want the devils to identify him for many reasons but one of them was that he knew the people didn’t understand his first coming. He had not come to set up an earthly kingdom but one in their hearts. He would come back again to do that. The people thought that the Messiah would come and destroy the Roman government and they would reign over the earth. Jesus had to keep his identity hidden till he was gone, then the Holy Spirit would reveal it to them.
Jesus called his 12 disciples to him and gave them the office of apostles. They are the ones he would disciple and send out to preach, giving them authority to drive out demons.
We have been given this authority and we need to be not only preaching the gospel but also driving out demons. We are not to tolerate evil in our neighborhoods, our cities, and our nation. We have the authority to stop diseases like the coronavirus from coming to our nation and command it to leave.
Lord, we say “No!” to this coronavirus trying to come into our nation. We stop it from having any power to spread and kill our people. We command it not to come in our borders and we pray against violence, perversion, abortion and all the deeds of darkness. We pray that light would shine in our nation and truth would be with held. We pray justice for your people and your name!

Mon.’s Devo - Sacrifices and New Wine

Read: Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2
Today we read about the sin offering. A sin offering was offered for someone who accidentally did something that broke one of God’s commandments and then found out about it and wanted to atone for his sin. He was guilty the moment he sinned, but not responsible untill he realized his sin.
If the anointed priest sinned, it put guilt on the whole nation. He was to bring a young bull and lay his hands on its head to transfer his sin to the animal.
If the whole community sinned, they were to bring a young bull and the elders of the people were to put their hands on its head and transfer their sins to the bull.
If a leader or ruler sinned, he was to offer a male goat and put his hands on its head.
If a member of the community sinned, he was to bring a female goat to show submission to his leader. But…if a person brought a lamb as his sacrifice it is burnt on top of all the other sacrifices because the lamb trumps them all. Jesus as our sacrificed lamb trumped all the other sacrifices and was the final and last sacrifice needed to take away our sins.
The trespass offering was like a guilt offering. It was to cleanse their soul from hearing or seeing a curse; or touching something unclean or filthy, or speaking something vile. When he was convicted, he was to offering a sacrifice of what he could afford. The sacrifice would have its neck broken first to be a picture of breaking the rebellion from the person. Then another sin offering was to be offered to take care of the sin.
If the sin was against another person, they were to make amends to that person also. This would remove both the sin and the guilt.
If a person sinned against the holy things of God, he was to bring a sacrifice as penalty for his sin for his guilt offering, then he was to make restitution for his failure to do what was right and add a fifth to the value of the property. I would think this had to do with not tithing or not taking responsibility in the church in matters of serving or using your spiritual gifts and talents for the Lord. It had to do with apathy and neglect for the things of God.
Jesus removed both the sin and the guilt of our sin and he made a way for us to have continual fellowship with him. He gives us grace to serve him in his church and gives us gifts to use to edify the body.
In Mark, the religious leaders were so mad at Jesus because he refused to stay “clean” and lawful. He ate with sinners and tax collectors, he and his disciples didn’t fast and he healed on the Sabbath. Jesus explained that they were old wineskins that couldn’t hold this new wine he was pouring out. They had to be born again to receive kingdom principles. Instead, they strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel.
Lord, may we be new wineskins that hold the new things that you are doin in our day. Open our eyes to see and our ears to hear and our hearts to understand.

Sun.’s Devo - The Burnt Offering

Read: Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 1:29-2:12; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 9:13-18
There were different kinds of offerings you could bring to the Lord. The first was the burnt offering. It stands for salvation. Jesus was our burnt offering who gave it all on the cross. We offer this offering when we give up our lives to follow Christ. There were different things they could give for this offering: bulls, sheep, goats, birds and grain. It depended on what they could afford, but it all resulted in the same end. We all come to Christ broken and we bring what we have. We are all accepted!
The life (blood) of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar and the rest was burnt. Our lives are a living sacrifice holy and acceptable. Our flesh is what the fire of trials burns away.
The fellowship offering was voluntary. It was a burnt offering of thanks. We offer this offering when we praise the Lord and sacrifice our time and energy to spend time with the Lord.
In Mark, Jesus demonstrated that he had boundaries and wasn’t there to please man but to please God. Everyone was looking for him in Capernaum, but he left and went to some smaller villages to preach. A Jewish man came to him with leprosy and he healed him. He told him to go and present himself to the priest so they could see the miracle. Healing a Jewish leper was one of the criteria the religious leaders had set as one of the three miracles the Messiah would do when he came. Jesus wanted them to see this as a sign to them so they might believe, but instead this man didn’t go to the synagogue but spread his good news to everyone.
Jesus came back to Capernaum and preached in a house. It was so crowded that some men who were desperate to get their friend healed, opened the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus. Their faith prompted him to forgive his sins. The teachers of the law were astounded that Jesus would think he could forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking and challenged them with this question: “Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk? But that you my know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” The man did just that!
Jesus was proving his words by his actions. What could they say to that? Our faith is going to prompt us to say things that we don’t understand or even know if we believe, but if we will say them in the name of Jesus, he will do amazing things through us.
Lord, help us to speak from faith not fear and see the great power that you have put in us. We offer our lives as a burnt offering to you.

Sat.’s Devo - Christ In Us

Read: Exodus 39:40-38; Mark 1:1-28; PSalm 35:1-16; Provers 9:11-12
In reading the detailed description of the priests garments I noticed the similarities of the tabernacle itself. There are the rings, the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn embroidered material, the fasteners and the gold. These are all materials used in the tabernacle to link the tabernacle to the priests. The tabernacle was the place where God’s spirit would rest and the priests were like mini-tabernacles that embodied the presence of the Lord. We attend a church where we go to worship in his Presence but we are also individually the Ecclesia - the Church - Christ in us.
On the first day of the first month which would be Tishri one they were to set up the tabernacle starting from the inside and working out. First the ark of God’s Presence was placed and then everything out from it. Everything we do starts with God and his presence. God starts with our hearts because out of our hearts flow all the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).
Next they were to anoint everything in the tabernacle and every person who was a part of serving in the tabernacle. Their anointing was to be a priesthood that would continue for all generations. That is the royal priesthood that we are a part of (1 Peter 2:9).
When Moses set up the tabernacle he put the bases then erected frames and inserted the crossbars. This made the picture of a cross. He covered it with covering like flesh because one day a man would bear our sins on the cross. To be a part of his priesthood is to bear the cross in our hearts always.
The law was placed inside of the ark in the eyes of the people and carried into the place it was to stay. Then he put the curtains up. He then put the table of shewbread and set the bread on the plates. He put the menorah on the opposite side of the bread and lastly he put the altar of incense in front of the curtain leading to the Holy of Holies where the ark was. All the people watched and then he put the curtain around it. God wanted the people to know the pieces and see them. Outside of the Holy Place was the burnt altar where they brought the animals to be slain and the basin for washing of the priests. The people were constrained in the courtyard which was bordered with curtains.
When he had finished the last step of the outside curtains, the glory of God came down as a cloud and filled the tabernacle. It was so thick, Moses could not enter it. The cloud was God’s presence and when it moved, they moved.
We still have that cloud even though we don’t see it. It governs when we move, and when we follow it we walk with God.
In Mark we are introduced to John the Baptist as a grown man. I don’t know if we understand the radical teaching of John. What he taught had never been taught before and no one had baptized to be cleansed of their sins. This was so new and brazen. Finally, the people could be cleansed of sin! This was unheard of at the time. Then, Jesus came casting out devils. Can’t you just see the kingdom of Satan scrambling for new strategy. They didn’t know what had hit them.
I don’t think Satan knew for sure if Jesus was the son of God or not. When Jesus was being tempted, Satan kept saying “If…you are the son of God.” He was baiting Jesus, but he didn’t win like he did in the garden so that had to have concerned him.
Jesus got his first two disciples who were brothers preparing their nets. He called them and they dropped everything to follow.
Lord, may we be like Peter and Andrew who blindly follow you into your adventure.

Fri.’s Devo - The Kingdom is Within Us

Read: Exodus 37:1-38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10
The different pieces of furniture were made of wood and covered with gold. Wood stands for humanity. Gold stands for the glory of God. If we are the temple of the Holy Spirit then the pieces of furniture are things with in us that God covers with his spirit. Our mind, heart, and soul are covered with the Spirit of God to be a place of worship for God.
These pieces of furniture were not to be handled by human hands but carried by poles on rings attached to the sides. The priest would carry them on his shoulders. Jesus, as our High Priest carries our mind, heart and soul on his shoulders. We are that precious to him.
In Matthew, on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, there was another violent earthquake and the angel of The Lord came down from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it. It scared the guards so much they were unable to function. Mary and Mary Magdalene had come to the tomb and met the angel. The angel told them that Jesus was not there but was risen. He invited them into the tomb to see where Jesus had been. Then he told them to go tell the disciples that he had risen and was going to Galilee to meet with them just like he had told them. On the way, they met Jesus, himself! He told them the same thing.
Meanwhile, the guards went into the city and met with the chief priests telling them everything that had happened. They bribed them to lie about what they had seen. They were to say that Jesus had been stolen while they were asleep.
The disciples went to the mountain in Galilee that Jesus had told them to meet him and he met them there. He told them that he had received all authority in heaven and on earth. Now they were to go and make disciples of all nations. They were to baptized them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and He would be with them.
The great commission is still our commission. We have been given the authority of Christ and the things in heaven and on earth are ours.
Lord, help us to stop tolerating evil and start pushing back darkness and bring forth your kingdom of light. The earth is under the authority of Christ and he is within us. Help us to live out our true identity.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Shadows that Point to the Truth

Read: Exodus 35:10-36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10a; Proverbs 9:7-8
There were several pieces of furniture inside of the Tent of Meeting. One was the table of Shewbread where the priests ate the unleavened bread. It was called the bread of the Presence which represented the Word of God. The lamp stand which was a menorah which represented the seven spirits of God: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, fear of God, knowledge and the Spirit of God which is the middle bowl that feeds oil to all the others. This menorah in us is the revelation of that the Holy Spirit gives us. It is the light to our path.
The altar of incense was right before the curtain that went into the Holy of Holies. This altar of instance represented the prayers of the people. The priest would take the incense into the Holy of Holies once a year to atone for the nation’s sins. He would also pray for blessing for the next year.
The people gave freely of what they had to make these ornaments of worship. God filled Bezalel and Aholiab with his spirit to make the furniture and all the instruments of worship. Bezalel and all his father’s names meant that he was a shadow of God who was enlightened to show the glory of God in the things he made. Aholiab and his father’s names meant that he was Bezalel’s supported brother who was the judge of what was done in the tabernacle. His name actually means “tabernacle”. They had a team of people who were anointed to do the artistic manufacturing of the tabernacle.
The people gave so freely that Moses had to tell them to hold off making and giving any more. That’s a wonderful problem to have!
In Matthew, Jesus hung between two criminals. They had placed a sign that said “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” The ones who believed he was the Messiah who was going to save their nation from Roman rule were so disappointed and felt deceived. They hurled insults at Jesus and let him know they were mad. The teachers of the law were reveling in their glory. They pointed out that he couldn’t even save himself. The two hanging with him insulted him also.
The sky went dark from 12 noon till 3. When the sun came back out Jesus cried out the first line of Psalm 22. He was referring them to that song because it was being fulfilled right then. Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” and then died. The veil was rent in the temple between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies because now, Jesus had made a way for all to enter into God’s presence. There was an earthquake as Jesus entered the place of the dead. The earthquake happened in a cemetery because death was now defeated and many tombs were opened and the people buried in them came to life and walked the streets of Jerusalem. The centurion and his men that witnessed all this became believers that day.
That evening, Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and begged for Jesus body so he could bury him in his tomb. He took Jesus body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and put him in his tomb. This was significant when he rose and emptied this tomb because in the Old Testament Joseph asked that his bones be taken from Egypt and buried in the promised land. That Joseph’s tomb in Egypt was emptied just like this Joseph’s tomb was emptied. (Just another picture.)
The next day the chief priests had a huge stone placed over the entrance so his body wouldn’t be stolen to fake his resurrection. They just helped make the resurrection more factual.
Lord, everything you do is to show us who you are and what your plan is for us. Thank you for your signs and your Word.

Wed.’s Devo - The Lamb of God

Read: Exodus 34:1-35:9; Matthew 27:15-31: Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 9:1-6
God called Moses back up the mountain to rewrite the commandments on stone tablets. God came down and stood before Moses and proclaimed who he was. He was the Lord, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. He does not let the guilty get away with their sin, but punishes them to the third and fourth generation.
He promised to do miracles for them that no nation had ever seen before. He would drive out their enemies before them. But, they were never to make a treaty with them, attend their sacrifices or intermarry with them. They were to break down and smash the enemies’ altars of worship.
The first born their wombs and their animals would be the Lord’s. The donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb. The donkey stood for the stiff-necked and stubborn which was a description God gave of this people. If they didn’t redeem the donkey with a lamb, they were to break its neck. In other words, redemption can come easy or hard depending on their will.
They were to celebrate the three feast seasons and God would protect their fields while they celebrated to Him.
God said this command several times so I want to talk about it: “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” We do this all the time. This is expecting a child to act just like its mother and condemning the child because it came from the mother. We cook them both in the same pot. They are individuals and we cannot curse the child because the mother is cursed.
Moses came down wearing the glory of God on his face. He had to cover his face while speaking to the people because they couldn’t bear the glory of God. Stephen wore this same glory as he was being stoned in the New Testament.
We can wear this glory if we are willing to spend time with God. We will wear this glory in the days ahead which will mark us.
The devil always copies what God does because he has no creativity of his own. The Romans had a custom, like the Jews where they would let a person go free. God called it the scapegoat. Barabbas means “son of father”. Satan’s son went free while God’s son bore the penalty for all of the sons of sin so that they might become sons of righteousness. We are like Barabbas that went free because Jesus payed our debt.
Pilate was one of the inspectors of the lamb who pronounced him unblemished and innocent. The crowd’s deception and sin won.
They dressed Jesus in a scarlet robe and a twisted thorned crown. They put a staff in his hand and bowed before him mocking him as the king of the Jews. They spit on him and hit him on the head driving the thorns into his skin. They then took the things away from him and put his old clothes back on him and led him to be crucified. You can see the hatred of Satan who was reveling in his moment. Satan’s victory only lasted three days.
Lord, it is hard to read about your crucifixion and not be sickened at the fact that we all crucified you. Thank you for your life that you laid down so that we might live in joy and freedom. We are eternally grateful.

Tues.’s Devo - Wait for the Lord

Read: Exodus 32:1-33:23; Matthew 26:69-27:14; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverbs 8:33-36
When Moses stayed up on the mountain for days, the people started harassing Aaron to take charge. They wanted him to make them gods that would go before them just like God told Moses he would do for them. Aaron caved to the pressure and told the people to bring their earrings to him. He took a tool and fashioned a calf out of it and told the people that this was the god that had brought them out of Egypt. Then, to boost morale, he told them that they would have a celebration the next day and sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offering to the Lord. They ate, drank and were merry.
God knew what they were doing and told Moses he was going to destroy them. Moses reminded God of what he had promised Abraham about making his seed as numerous as the sand. And, he reminded God of what the heathen nations would say when they saw that the same God who delivered them from Egypt was now killing them in the wilderness. God relented.
I think Moses had second thoughts when he went down the mountain and saw what God had seen. He was so disappointed and mad he threw down the tablets God had written his laws on and broke them. Then he ground the calf into powder and made the people drink it.
Moses confronted Aaron who told him exactly what had happened until it got to the part about skillfully crafting the calf himself. He said he threw the gold into the fire and out came this calf!
Moses had the Levites kill the people who were out of control and 3,000 died.
The next day, Moses went back up to see God to atone for their sins. Moses offered himself for the people but God told him that the ones who sinned would be responsible for their own sins and he would punish them himself. He sent a plague.
God told him that he would not go with them because he knew the hearts of the people and that he would probably destroy them so he was sending his angel to go with them, who would drive out their “ites”.
Moses pitched the Tent of Meeting outside the camp a distance away to show that God was not in the midst of them anymore. He had distanced himself from them. Moses visited the tent to meet with God but Joshua stayed there continually in God’s presence.
In Matthew, Jesus was taken to Caiapas’ house for his mock trial with the Jewish religious leaders. All night he was questioned and slandered. Peter was outside waiting to hear the results and denied he knew Jesus three times. It hit him when the cock crowed. It also hit Judas when he realized they had condemned Jesus and he was a part of it. He gave back the money then went and hanged himself. They took it and bought the potter’s field to bury strangers, thus fulfilling Zechariah 11:12. Judas was probably buried in that field.
Jesus was then taken to the Roman governor. He asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews to which Jesus answered, “yes, it is as you say.” Then all the accusations of the Jews were read. Jesus amazed the governor as he remained completely silent and made no attempt to defend himself. Isaiah 53 says that he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
Lord, help us wait for you and not get impatient and do something we will regret. May we remember that you are always working behind the scenes to set up the perfect scenario where we want the microwave answer now. May we walk in patience and expectation.

Mon.’s Devo - Anointed to Rest

Read: Exodus 30:11-31:18; Matthew 26:47-68; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 8:27-32
Verse 12 is a key verse to understanding why David got his nation in so much trouble when he numbered them. When they numbered the people they were suppose to pay a ransom for each life. To “count” them represented an account for someone’s life. At the end of our life we will be counted and judged; our sentence will be eternal death unless we have let Jesus pay our ransom. Jesus hadn’t come yet so everyone was to pay the ransom as a picture of what was to come. When David numbered the people he didn’t take a ransom from them so they died in the plague.
Moses was to make a bronze stand for the priest to wash their hands and feet to sanctify themselves while ministering. They would wash off the blood from their hands after sacrificing. This made them clean before the Lord so they wouldn’t die.
They were to make anointing oil from myrrh, cinnamon, cane, cassia and olive oil. It was to anoint all the instruments used in worship. It was not to be used for any other purpose. The same instructions were used for the incense. The oil and the incense represent the Holy Spirit and praise. We are God’s instruments that are anointed with his Spirit and carry the aroma of heaven. We are not to allow ourselves to be used for anything but what God made us for.
Aholiab was filled with the spirit of God to craft the furniture just like God wanted.
God spoke to them about the Sabbath. God’s Sabbaths were to be kept as a sign. The Sabbath was to be a day of rest because it would represent the last thousand years which will be a millennial of rest. We as Christians can live in that rest by faith. It means that we appropriate everything Jesus did for us on the cross. We walk in health, peace, and love. It is an exercise of faith to live in rest.
In Matthew, Jesus was arrested. He walked in rest. His disciples didn’t understand and tried to defend him but his answer was that he could have called more than 12 legions of angels to help him, but he had to fulfill the scriptures which said it must happen this way. Even Jesus was limited by God’s will. There are many things we can pray and God can do, but it is his will that trumps all those things. Living in rest is to rely on the fact that God’s will is always best. Jesus could see into the future and told the priest that one day he would sit at the right hand of God and they would come down on the clouds of heaven. Needless to say, the priest couldn’t grasp that!
Lord, help us to remain in your rest. Show us when we are letting our unbelief lead us into stress and fear. You are perfect love and you cast out fear. Let us rest in your loving arms.

Sun.’s Devo - Annointing the Priests

Read: Exodus 29:1-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8::14-26
Aaron and his sons were to be sanctified with a meat offering and unleavened bread. The priests were to dress Aaron in his garments while they wore only the tunics, headbands and sashes. In Ephesians these would be our helmet of salvation, belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness.
The blood from the sacrifice was to be sprinkled on the horns of the altar for atonement for them. The bull’s flesh was to be burned outside the camp as a sin offering.
Jesus, as our sacrifice was crucified outside of Jerusalem as our sin offering.
Blood was to be put on Aaron’s and his son’s right ear, right thumb and right big toe. The right side stands for the natural side. It stands for our fleshly side which needs the blood applied so we can be sinless in our hearing, our doing and our walk.
The baskets of bread were waved before the Lord like the Word of God that we speak back to him over our circumstances and in our worship. Only the priests could eat the cooked meat and the bread from the basket. Only Christians can understand the meat of the Word and its revelation.
They were to offer a sacrifices every day for seven days. Seven days stand for a lifetime. Every day the blood of Jesus is just as powerful as it was the day before. It never loses its power.
There was to be a sacrifice in the morning and at twilight. In the temple at the time of Jesus death, the morning sacrifice began at 9 in the morning. This was the time that Jesus was nailed to the cross. They had to end their sacrifices by 6 because the next day was the Sabbath. Jesus died at 6. Everything the priest did was to point to Jesus and his life and death on the cross.
The altar of incense would be placed right beside the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The High Priest would take the incense inside the Holy of Holies as a picture of us bringing their prayers of atonement and mercy for our nation, to God. It was to be done every year on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippor.
In Matthew, Jesus was nearing his death and he knew it. He had all his disciples eat the Passover meal with him. He exposed his betrayer even though no one seemed to catch his words. Jesus explained to them that his blood was the wine and his body was the bread. They didn’t understand at the time, but they would later. He told them that they would all desert him. Peter disagreed so he had to be humiliated. It is better to just say, “Yes, Sir” when God tells you something. Peter learned, eventually.
Jesus took his disciples to pray with him and they couldn’t stay awake. Jesus was used to spending the night in prayer but they weren’t use to praying much at all. I wonder if he questioned God if they were ready for him to leave them. Jesus had to trust that his Father knew best. The good news was that he told them he would go ahead of them to Galilee. There he would give them the gift of the Holy Spirit and they would be lit on fire for Him.
We have those same feelings of doubt when we leave our kids at college for the first time, send our kids to school on their first day, or get a bad prognosis. We have to trust that Father knows best.
Lord, help us to dress everyday in our armor that equips us to win over sin and walk in the steps of Jesus. We put our trust in you.

Sat.’s Devo - The Garments of the Priest

Read: Exodus 29:1-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24: Proverbs 8:14-26
God gave the instructions about the High Priest’s garment which was to be different than the other priest’s. He was to be the type of Jesus, our High Priest. He was to have six pieces to his outfit: the breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They were to be made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn with with linen. These are the colors of our bodies on the inside. We have finely twisted veins and arteries and if we could see it all in color it would have these colors. The gold is the glory of God in us.
The High Priest was to have two onyx stone with the names of the sons of Israel in birth order. Six names on each of the two stones would be attached to the shoulders of the ephod. When God looked down he could read the names of them as the priest carried the burden of them on his shoulder. Jesus said that he came first for them (Matthew 10:6, 15:24).
The breastplate would be attached to the ephod with gold rings. On the front of the breastplate were the stones that represented each tribe, in order and in sets of three, across his chest. That was to represent that he also carried them near his heart so that all could see.
There would be a special pocket on the inside of the breastplate right over his heart that would hold the two stones marked with the words Urim and Thummin. They were the “yes” and “no” stones to help the priest make decisions. If he asked God a question like, should we go to war, he would pull out one stone and it would be his answer. It was the priest who was to make decisions for the nation, not the political leader. The church should be making the laws and executing the laws in leadership over the nations.
His robe was to be worn over all of it and it was to be blue as the sign of heaven and eternity because he is more spiritual than natural. On the bottom of his robe would be a pomegranate then a bell all the way around the hem. The bell was the sound of joy and praise and the pomegranate stands for the law of God since there are exactly 613 precepts in God’s law and the same number of seeds in the pomegranate. He was the glad bringer of the good news.
The bells were also for the priest’s protection. If the high priest went into the Holy of Holies and was not holy, he would die. As long as they could hear the bells ringing then everyone knew he was well. When the priesthood became corrupt, they had to resort to tying a rope around the ankle of the priest so they could pull him out if he died in the Holy of Holies.
All of the priests were to wear white linen garments. This showed the fact that they were chosen to represent God’s righteousness. We are priests who are chosen to represent the righteousness of God.
A turban with a gold plate reading “Holy to the Lord” was on his head. This was to proclaim that his thoughts were holy and they were God’s thoughts.
The sash that went around his waist was to be embroidered. It would cover his belly, the seat of the Holy Spirit. Out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water.
All of the pieces of the High Priest and the priests were to give them honor and dignity. In Ephesians 6 we have a list of our garments and they are the same picture.
These garments also kept them from guilt and death. It is our garment of salvation that keeps us from guilt and death.
In Matthew, Jesus was teaching us the two greatest commandments: to love God and then others. He started out explaining what will happen when he comes back to judge the earth. The sheep are the ones who honored God by honoring the least important. This flew in the face of the religious pious teaching. They rated a man’s spirituality by his pocketbook. Then Jesus demonstrated the first commandment with the woman who came to pour her expensive perfume on his feet. The religious leaders said she should have sold it to help the poor. He explained that first your love the Lord, then you love people. She was obeying the Lord and hearing from him because he was to be anointed for his burial. She was a living prophecy.
Lord, help us to realize who we are and the garments that are ours to wear every day. Help us to hear your thoughts and love you with all our hearts.

Fri.’s Devo - The Temple of the Holy Spirt

Read: Exodus 26:1-27:21; Matthew 25:1-30; Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 8:1-11
The tabernacle is a fascinating study but I want to make it real simple. We are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. So think of the curtains over the tabernacle that were made of badger’s skin as being our skin - our outer man. The frame is like our bone structure. Every piece of furniture is so specific and special because they represent our inmost parts. God covers them with gold so that they are glorious to him. I am reminded of Psalm 139 that says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. In the Strong’s Concordance that means that we are reverently set apart. In verse 139:15 it says that we are “curiously wrought” which means we are embroidered with variegated colors. This is the picture of the curtains on the entrance that are made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn finely twisted. They embroidered angels on these curtains to show that everything we do is guarded by angels.
The courtyard represents of our lives. If we stay in those borders we are safe. Even the nails and stakes that held the walls of the courtyard made a cross. As long as we stay in the borders God has set for us we are safe and in his presence. When we walk outside the walls of his will we are open to Satan’s attacks. We are to dwell in the presence of the Lord all day long, whether we feel his presence or not. Paul called it “walking in the Spirit.”
In Matthew, Jesus explained the difference between knowing God and just knowing about him. All ten virgins knew of God but five of them lived for him. The others lived for themselves and didn’t take the Lord’s words seriously. They were caught with out the Holy Spirit in their lives. The ones who were waiting, full of the Spirit, couldn’t give their oil to their friends. Their friends had to get it themselves. Everyone is responsible for their own spiritual health.
Jesus gave them a parable about a man who gave his money to his three servants to manage while he went on a trip. Jesus has given us our money, gifts, talents, and resources while he is in heaven. He blessed those who took what was given them and made for him. But he cursed the man who was selfish and didn’t want to invest became he knew it wouldn’t do him any good. He was so wrong. Everything we do is for the Lord will be rewarded us in heaven. We may never see the reward here but he loves to reward faithfulness and obedience. We don’t live for God for reward but for love. He gave us life and everything we have. It is not ours anyway.
Lord, help us to remember that all of this we see is just temporal and will not last. What we do for you is eternal and will last. Help us to see ourselves as the temple of your Holy Spirit and honor it as holy.

Thur.’s Devo - On Earth, as it is in Heaven

Read: Exodus 23:14-25:40; Matthew 24:29-51; Psalm 30:1-12; Proverbs 7:24-27
God continued telling his laws to Moses. Three times a year, the people of Israel were to celebrate a festival to the Lord. The first one would be in the month Abib which commemorated their exit from Egypt. In the first festival held in the spring, they would celebrate Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits. In the second festival (50 days later) they would celebrate the Feast of Harvest (Pentecost). The third festival would be in the fall where they would celebrate the Feast of Ingathering which included the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippor and the Feast of Tabernacles.
They were not to mix a blood sacrifice with yeast because yeast stood for sin. They were to bring the firstfruits to the Lord. That would be their faith offering that the rest of the harvest would be plentiful.
If they honored and obeyed the Lord, He would go before them and wipe out their enemies and bless them. He would not drive their enemies out all at once but little by little so they could keep the wild animals away for them.
That is what God does in our lives. He doesn’t take all our issues away instantly when we get saved. Little by little he works on our shortcomings so that we are slowly conformed into his image.
God warned them against making covenants with the inhabitants of the land. He told them not to let them live with them because they would turn them away from Him.
Then he called Moses and his leaders up in the clouds to meet with him. Moses, Aaron, Nabad, and Abihu and the 70 elders went far enough up the mountain to see God. He was standing on a layer of sapphire. They ate and drank a meal, but God called Moses even farther to receive the tablets of stone. Moses went into a cloud of glory which appeared as a consuming fire. He stayed on the mountain 40 days and nights. This happened on the day of the Feast of Harvest or Pentecost.
God let Moses see his tabernacle in heaven and told him to make one just like it on earth. He told him exactly what to make each piece of furniture out of and its dimensions. Every piece would be a picture of what goes on in heaven that needs to go on on earth.
In Matthew, Jesus explained what the Feast of Ingathering will be like when it is fulfilled. The trumpet will sound on the Feast of Trumpets then the angles will gather all the saints who are on the earth. He said that it will be like the days of Noah. Noah knew that something was coming, so he did what God told him to do to prepare for it. The world didn’t believe his warnings so they mocked and scorned him. They were not prepared so it came as a total surprise to them. That is how the very end will be. God’s people will be prepared, but the world will not.
Lord, help us to be awake to what you are doing and the season we are living in. You are bringing heaven down to earth.

Wed.’s Devo - Love is the Greatest Law

Read: Exodus 21:22-23:13; Matthew 24:1-28; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 7:6:23
Today we read the law of property and possessions. When our nation was founded, our lawmakers made the laws based on the Bible so you can see many of the things we do today look like these laws. We have added so many to these laws just like the scribes and Pharisees did. I wonder how much better we would be if we simplified to less laws and more concern for the innocent. Moses and his seventy judges were like the Supreme Court of today. They settled the matters based on these laws and decided all the cases that were not so cut and dried. They relied on the Lord’s wisdom and discernment.
The law talks about three different kinds of people: the thief, the neighbor and the victim. The thief is the devil and he has to repay us what he steals. The neighbor is our fellow man, and any person can be the victim. We have to take responsibility for our actions and the actions of the ones or animals that are ours.
In the Old Testament it was an eye for an eye. Jesus addressed this statement in Matthew 5:38-48 and told us not to retaliate but to give them love in return. We are to love our enemies, bless the people who curse us, do good to the ones that hate us and pray for the ones who use us and persecute us. This is the law of grace.
God has always been against injustice and prejudice. He told them not to follow the crowd or say what everyone wanted them to say their your testimony, but to speak the truth. He also told them not to side with the rich but to defend the poor. He was especially concerned about the widows and orphans. Whoever takes advantage of them and they cry out to the Lord, their abusers will be killed.
They were to care for the poor and treat them with respect, which is why they were not to work their fields all seven years. The seventh was to be a Sabbath year and the poor were free to eat the produce. In that year the fields would rest and replentish the nutrients in the ground.
In Matthew, Jesus had just predicted the destruction of the temple. The disciples asked Jesus when he was going to come back and take over. I don’t think they meant come back to earth as much as they though he was going to come back to town. They didn’t understand that he was going to die and be gone 2,000 years before he came back.
Jesus explained how it would be when he came back. The ones that didn’t go in the rapture would be left here. Many will become new believers but the days will be really hard. False prophets will arise that will try to explain what is happening and they will deceive many. Wickedness will increase and love will decrease but those who stand for truth will be saved. They will preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. The abomination will stand in the holy place and it will cause desolation. That is when the Christians will have to flee to the mountains and hide out. It will be such a traumatic time for God’s people that God will cut the time short.
Jesus warned the ones living then that the Antichrist and his followers will be able to do great signs and wonders to deceive, but they need to keep their eyes on Jesus who will be save them in the end.
Lord, may the simplicity of your Word be the laws that govern our lives and our world. Bring back truth to our nation and bless your people once again to do great things on the earth for your glory and your renown. May we walk in the greatest commandment: to love.

Tues.’s Devo - Justice and Mercy

Read: Exodus 19:16-21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28:1-9; Proverbs 7:1-5
God descended from heaven in a ball of fire that landed on mount Sinai. He called Moses up to receive his laws. We know the ten but the ones after it can be confusing.
According to Romans 7:14 we know that the law is spiritual so what is God saying to us in the laws about slaves? In Exodus 21:2 it says that if you redeem a Hebrew slave he will serve six years and on the seventh, he will go free.
We are all given the gift of life and we are all slaves to sin when we are born. The world was Satan’s domain but he is a slave to God. If a person decides to serve God, he is like the servant who chooses to stay and serve his master because he loves him and loves his family. He was taken to the door which is Christ and the cross and had his ear pierced on that door. This would mark him for life - eternal life.
God gave many laws to protect the poor and the innocent and to punish the perpetrators. God is a god of justice and mercy.
In Matthew, Jesus condemned the leaders of the synagogues and teachers of the law for not dealing out justice or mercy. They were more concerned about how they looked than what they were on the inside. They said one thing, but did another. They built elaborate tombs for the prophets that they killed. They were bent on killing the Son of God who was the greatest prophet of all. They were bringing down a curse upon their own people that would last until they blessed the ones who came in the name of the Lord.
Lord, help us to see clearly and not miss what you are doing in this hour. Let us not be like the Pharisees who thought they had the answers but were deceived by their own selfish hearts.
May we be just and love mercy.

Mon.’s Devo - The Commandment of God

Read: Exodus 17:8-19:15; Matthew 22:34-23:12; Psalm 27:7-14; Proverbs 6:27-35
The word “Amalekites” mean “perverse”. Websters defines “perverse” as deviating from what is right; wicked; wrong, improper, corrupt; obstinately disobedient or difficult. These people stood for the spirit of perversity. The only way Moses could defeat them was to keep his hands raised as a picture of God’s supreme power over them. When they overcame them, God told Moses to write down that He would completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. He told him to make sure Joshua heard it. God knew that Joshua would one day lead the people into the promised land and he wanted him to know this was an enemy to defeat.
God also told Moses that God would be at war against this spirit from generation to generation. We see that spirit of perversity alive and well in our generation.
Moses was reunited with his wife and sons and was glad to tell the stories of their deliverance to his father-in-law, Jethro. Jethro was able to encourage him and give him some wisdom about leading so he wouldn’t burn out. Moses heeded his advice and appointed men to help him lead the people and make decisions based on the law of God. Interesting that Moses taught them the decrees and laws and duties when the written law hadn’t been given yet. He lived by the conviction of his heart.
God was ready to give them his written law so he told Moses to tell the people to consecrate themselves and wash their clothes because in three days He was going to visit them and give them the law. They would be summoned to the mountain by a long blast of a trumpet that God would sound.
In Matthew, Jesus had silenced the Sadducees so it was now up to the Pharisees to silence Jesus. They came up with their trick question: Which is the greatest commandment?
Jesus’ response was to love God first then to love others. The rest of the commandments will be fulfilled if they do these two things. They could not argue that.
Then Jesus tricked them with a question. He asked them whose son was the Messiah’s. They answered that David was his son. Then Jesus asked them how David would call God, Lord if he was his father. They couldn’t come up with an answer so they stopped asking him questions.
Jesus warned the people that the teachers of the law were in the seat of authority, so they were to do what they said, but not as they did because what they said and what they did contradicted one another. The teachers of the law wanted the people to call them “Father” and “Rabbi” but they shouldn’t ask that of the people because they were not their father or their teacher. Only the Messiah would be their teacher and only God would be their father.
Lord, we choose to love your first and love your people second. Help us to keep our priorities straight.

Sun.’s Devo - Do it Again!

Read: Exodus 15:19-17:7; Matthew 22:1-33; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 6:20-26
Miriam and the women led the people in praise of what God did to their enemies. They were now free to be their own nation and start over. They were pictures of new Christians having to learn to have faith and believe that God was their loving father who would provide for them.
Instead of praying they spent most of their time complaining which is the opposite of prayer. They ran out of water and when they finally came to water it was bitter and they couldn’t drink it. They grumbled, but Moses prayed. God told him to throw a piece of wood into the water and it became sweet. (Jesus was the wood that makes all our trials sweet.)
A month to the day after they had left Egypt, they came to Elim which means “mighty ones”. That was how God wanted them to see themselves. The next place was the Desert of Sin
All they could talk about was how good they had had it in Egypt. How quickly they forgot the part about slavery and bondage.
To answer their problem of food, God rained down manna from heaven and brought quail right to their doorsteps. Moses told them just how much of the bread they were to gather - one omer per person and they were to eat it all that day, because the next day, God would send new manna. They had to trust that God would do it again.
We have to learn that God cares about every one of our needs and desires. We have to look back to the good things God has done in the past and know that he can do it again and he will. We have to forget the bad things of our past like the bondage of sin we were in and see it as bondage. It is not always easy being a Christian but it is not only eternally rewarding, but it will reap earthly blessing also.
In Matthew, Jesus told another parable about the religious leaders of the day and they knew it was against them, which just made them want to kill him more.
The parable was about a wedding invitation sent out by the father of the groom. He sent out the invitations which were met with apathy from some, and brutality and murder from others. The father was enraged and sent his servants out to the poor, the good and the bad, and anyone who wanted to come.
When it was time for the wedding, the father noticed that one person did not bother to put on the provided garment for the wedding. He was confronted then thrown out.
No one will enter heaven with out the garment of salvation. Many are invited to salvation, but few choose to come.
The Pharisees tried to trick him with the question about taxes. Jesus told him to obey both laws: the law of the land and the law of God.
The Sadducees questioned him about resurrection because that was their pet doctrine. They didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus assured them that there was a resurrection, but marriage to one another is of the earth. In heaven we will be like angels.
Once again, Jesus silenced the authority of the earth and astonished the crowds.
Lord, may we dwell on all the good things you have done for us and put our faith in your awesome power to do it again.

Sat.’s Devo - No Fear!

Read: Exodus 13:17-15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19
The Israelites finally leave Egypt after being there for 430 years to the day. They left armed for battle, carrying the bones of Joseph to bury him in the promised land with his forefathers. God led them the long way because they were not ready to fight the Philistines. They camped between Pi Hahiroth which means “the mouth of wrath kindling” and Baal Zephon which means “watchers of Baal”. Pi Hahiroth was a place where the Egyptians worshipped Baal and I’m sure his wrath was kindling because of the great defeats he had been given by Moses. It was here that God chose to part the sea and send his people across on dry ground. When the Egyptians went across, the ground began to become muddy and their chariot wheels stuck. They realized God was fighting against them but it was too late. The waters broke from their wall and covered the Egyptians while the Israelites were safely on the other side.
I love how God told Moses to stop crying for him to do something when he was holding the staff. He just needed to use it. I wonder how many times God says that to us when we cry out to him in our distress. We are holding the Word of God in our hands and the we also have the power of the Holy Spirit in our mouth. All we have to do is proclaim what the Word says about our situation and believe.
What God did in Egypt was heard of by all the other nations of the earth so that they feared the Israelites and their God. God was preparing their way.
In Matthew, the chief religious and civil leaders came to Jesus and asked him who gave him the authority to lead the people and do all he was doing. Jesus answered them with a question. He wanted to know if John’s baptism was from God or not. They couldn’t answer it without condemning themselves so they refused to commit. So, Jesus refused to give them a direct answer. Instead he told them two parables about themselves. In the first one, they were the ones who said one thing but did another. They were the disobedient hypocrites. In the second one, they were the tenants of the law who were suppose to preserve it and teach the people. Instead, they had killed all the prophets and now would kill the son.
Jesus told them that the greatest sinner in their eyes would enter into God’s kingdom, but they will not be able to because they didn’t recognize the “Door”.
Lord, help us to use the tools you have given us against the enemy. Help us to raise our praise to you as a weapon. May the world fear you because of what we allow you to do through us.