Fri.’s Devo - The Last Words of the Testaments

Read: Malachi 3:1-4:6; Revelation 22:1-21; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 31:25-31 Malachi prophesied that John the Baptist would be the messenger to prepare the way for the Christ. John would refine people’s hearts and their lives. He would purify the Levites and they would offer acceptable sacrifices to him. God would put the sorcerers, liars and adulterers on trial and witness against them. These are the ones John the Baptist spoke against. They had cheated God out of the tithes they neglected bringing to him. This sin brought a curse on their nation. God told them to test him with their tithes. He promised to open the heavens and for out a blessing on their land. The people had lost their fear of God. They had stopped trusting that he would do what he said he would do. The conversations of those who feared the Lord were heard by the Lord and he put their name into his Book of Remembrance. On the day of judgment they would be spared. But, the wicked would be consumed on that day. The righteous would tread them underneath their feet. Before the great and dreadful day…the last day, God will send his prophet Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. John saw the river of life that flowed from both sides of the throne of God. If flowed down the center of Jerusalem and on each side was a tree of life bearing a different fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were used for medicine. The curse would be lifted from the land and everyone will see the face of God and have his name written on their foreheads. The angel said that God was coming soon to bless those whose names were written in the book. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. All the evil people will live outside the city. Jesus ended the prophecy with “Yes, I am coming soon!” Our response is Amen Come, Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. May you come this next year and rescue us from the consequences of the sins of our nation. May we turn to you and see the great revival we have been promised.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Glorious City

Read: Malachi 1:1-2:17; Revelation 21:1-27; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 31:10-24 Malachi was the last prophet to prophecy before the long years of what became known as the Dark Ages when God didn’t speak. God began by telling his people that he had always loved them even though they questioned his love for them. God explained how he loved Jacob but rejected Esau. Esau rejected God when he despised his birthright and only wanted the blessing. He didn’t want to do what it took to be the first born so God cursed his descendants and they would be called “The People with Whom the Lord Is Forever Angry.” Their land would be known as “The Land of Wickedness.” God spoke to the priests and rebuked them for showing contempt for his name. They offered defiled sacrifices on his altar. They gave the Lord animals that were blind and crippled and diseased. God’s name was honored, but not by his people. It was honored by people of other nations. God commended the Levites who did honor God’s name and reverence his laws. They faithfully taught the people God’s ways and walked in them. The priests had wandered from the way and caused others to stumble with them. The men of Judah had been unfaithful to the Lord by marrying women who worshipped idols. Others of the men had not been faithful to their wives. They put their wives away without even legally divorcing them so they could be free to marry another. God explained that he brings people together to have godly children. God gave two things that wearied him. The first was that the people said that those who did evil were good in God’s sight and he was pleased with them. This was wrong. The other was that they cried out for justice when they had no desire for true justice. In Revelation, John was shown the new heaven and the new earth. The new Jerusalem came down from heaven and a shout was heard saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them , and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” God proclaimed that the old was over and it was time to receive their inheritance and his blessings. Those who had continued to do evil on the earth would meet their fate in the Lake of Fire. This was the second death - eternal death. One of the angels who held the seven bowls of wrath came to show John the Bride. It was the new city of Jerusalem. It was a perfect square: 1,400 miles each way. The walls were 216 feet thick. The walls were made of jasper and the city was pure gold. There were 12 gates made of pearl, guarded by 12 angels and the names of the 12 tribes of Israel were written on the gates. The foundation for the wall was built on twelve inlaid stones. The different stones stood for the 12 apostles of the Lamb. The streets were made of pure gold, clear as glass. (Gold at it most pure state is clear like crystal.) There was no temple because the Lord and the Lamb were the Temple. The only people who will be able to enter the city would be those who bring glory and honor to God and those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Lord, this is all too wonderful to comprehend but we put our hope and trust in You and believe what your Word says. You have never lied or not kept your promise. We believe!

Wed.’s Devo - The Last Thousand Years

Read: Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 20:1-15; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 31:8-9 “The day of the Lord” refers to the end of the earth. Everyone will turn against Jerusalem and take the city. Half of Jerusalem will go into captivity and the other half left among the ruins of the city. God will fight the nations that came against Israel. Jesus will set his feet on the Mount of Olives and it will split making a valley for the people to use to flee. It will be a day where the light is not clear but it is still light in the evening. Living waters will flow from Jerusalem on both sides. The Lord will be king over all the earth. All the earth will be leveled except the city of Jerusalem would elevated above the other land. God will smite his enemies with a plague that will make their flesh, eyes and tongues rot. There will be great unrest among the people where they will rise up against one another. The wealth of the heathen will be gathered in Jerusalem. The plague will hit the horses and animals. God’s enemies will have to come up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord at the Feast of Tabernacles or they will not receive rain that year and they will receive a plague for their punishment. Jerusalem will be filled with righteous people who will honor the Lord in all that they do. In Revelation an angel came from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He bound the serpent - Satan with the chains and threw him into the bottomless pit where he would stay for a thousand years. John saw thrones with people sitting on them who had been given authority to judge. The souls of those who had been martyrs for Christ came alive and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended. At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released for a time to deceive nations. He will gather his nations to fight the last battle. Fire will come from heaven to attack the armies and consume them. Satan will then be thrown into the lake of fire to join the beast and the false prophet to be tormented forever. John saw God’s throne with all mankind standing ready to be judged. The books were opened as well as the Book of Life. Everyone was judged according to his deeds. Death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. Anyone whose name was not found in the Book of Life was thrown into the fire. Lord, thank you for your righteous judgement. May we faithfully endure until the end.

Tues’s Devo - God is Victorious!

Read: Zechariah 12:1-13:9; Revelation 19:1-21; Psalm 147:1-20; Proverbs 31:1-7 Woe to the nations that come against Jerusalem to besiege it. God will cause their horses to panic and be blinded. Their riders will lose their nerve. The people of Judah will burn up the nations right and left while the people in Jerusalem remain safe. The people of Judah will win the victory first then it will spread to Jerusalem. The weakest will be strong like David. On that day God will begin to destroy all the nations that came against Jerusalem. Then God will pour out a spirit of grace and earnest prayers on the people and they will look upon the one they pierced, Jesus, and mourn that they didn’t accept him the first time. There will be great mourning and sorrow for their lack of faith. God will open up a fountain for his people of cleansing and restoration. Every false prophet will repent and stop falsely prophesying. Two thirds of God’s people will be cut off and a third will remain to be cleansed and purified. They will be the ones that God declares are his people. They will proclaim that He is their God. In Revelation, sin and the sinners had been judged and brought down. All heaven was rejoicing. It was time for the wedding feast of the Lamb. They were rejoicing over the war that was about to happen. John saw heaven open and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True. He judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His title was the Word of God. He was followed by the armies of heaven all dressed in white linen. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations and rule with an iron rod. He released the wrath of God. On his thigh was written King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Another angel called to the vultures to come and eat the flesh of the kings, generals and warriors of the enemy. This was the Feast of Leviathan. The beast and the kings of the world with their armies gathered to fight Jesus and his army. The beast was captured and also the false prophet. Both were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their army was killed by the sword that came from the mouth of Jesus. The vultures gorged themselves on the dead bodies. Lord, thank you that we are invited to the Wedding Feast instead of the Feast of Leviathan. Thank you that the weakest of us is like David who had courage to face Goliath. Help us to face the Goliath’s of our day and win. You cause us to be victorious!

Mon.’s Devo - The Shepherd

Read: Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Psalm 146:1-10; Proverbs 30:33 Zechariah urged the people to ask the Lord for the rain in the season they needed rain instead of doing all their pagan rituals they did to get it to rain. God was the author of the rain and the director and creator of the seasons. He is the source. Instead, they went to their fake gods who gave worthless advise and their fortune tellers who predicted only lies. God was angry at the leaders who led their people to idolatry. They were suppose to shepherd the people but instead they had used them as commodities to get rich. God would send his army to fight for his people to overthrow their enemies. Their enemies would scatter them to distant nations but God would one day bring them back where they would grow and prosper as a nation. They will be led through the sea of distress and crushed by the pride of Assyria, but when the time comes, they will be led home. God told Zechariah to be their shepherd and care for the ones intended for slaughter. He took two shepherd’s staffs and named one “Favor” and the other “Union.” He got rid of the three evil leaders in one month. But the people hated Zechariah, so the told them he was not going to be their shepherd and they would be left to their own demise. He took the staff labeled “Favor” and broke it in two showing that he was breaking his covenant with them. Some of the people watching understood what he was doing. Zechariah asked for his payment for being their leader and they gave him thirty pieces of silver. God told Zechariah to throw them to the potter in the Temple. (Judas sold Jesus for the same amount and threw his money to the potter in the Temple also.) Then Zechariah took the other staff named “Union” and cut it in two to show that Judah and Israel were not one. God told Zechariah to go back and play the part of the worthless shepherd and show no care for the fact that they were running to their demise. He declared that sorrow awaits the leaders who don’t care for their sheep. In Revelation, an angel came to proclaim that Babylon had fallen. She had been the headquarters for all the evil done on the earth. The plagues were coming to overtake her in a single day. She would experience death, turning and famine and be completely consumed by fire. Kings who allied with her would see the smoke of her remains and mourn in terror at her demise. Merchants will mourn for they will have no one to sell their wares. Babylon will never rise to slaughter God’s people and deceive the nations again. Lord, thank you for being our Great Shepherd who cares for us and leads us beside still waters. You restore our soul. You never leave us or forsake us.

Sun.’s Devo - The Triumph of the Lamb

Read: Zechariah 9:1-17: Revelation 17:1-18; Psalm 145:1-21; Proverbs 30:32 God had a word against Hadrach which means “the privy chamber”…i.e. commode. That would pretty much sum up how God saw this land of people. The pride and wealth of Tyre and Sidon was about to be stripped away. The cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron will see them fall and quake in fear. Their cities will be taken over by foreigners. The sacrifices of the Philistines will be stopped and a remnant of them will survive to turn to the Lord and become like a clan in Judah. God will protect his Temple from invading armies. God tells his people to rejoice because their king was coming. He will be lowly and riding on a donkey but he would remove the war from Israel. He will rule the earth. God’s people, who were in bondage to fear will be set free. They will be repaid two blessings for each one of their troubles. God and his angels will war in the heavenlies for his people on the earth. He will rescue them as their shepherd and they will live securely in the land of prosperity and blessings. In Revelation, one of the angels who poured out wrath on the earth came over to John and asked to take him to see the judgment planned for the prostitute. She stands for idolatry and false religion. He was shown her in all her evil glory. She was sitting on a beast that had seven heads and ten horns. John was told that the beast wasn’t alive now but would resurface from the bottomless pit and go to their eternal destruction. Those whose names were not written in the book of Life would be a mazed at the reappearance of this beast. The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. (There are seven mountains around Jerusalem.) They also represent the kings of these mountains. Five of them had already fallen and the sixth reigned then. The seventh was yet to come. His reign would be short. The eighth was the beast himself. The ten horns were ten kings who would reign with the beast. They will give him their power and join against the Lamb but the Lamb will defeat them, but before they are defeated, they will all turn on the great prostitute. She also represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world. Lord, we will tell our children of your mighty acts and meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Promises

Read: Zechariah 8:1-23; Revelation 16:1-21; Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 30:29-31 What a promise to read on Christmas! “All this may sound impossible to you now…but is it impossible for me?” That is God’s promise to us. He told Jerusalem that one day it would be filled with God’s people enjoying life and thriving. God promised to rescue his people and he promises to rescue us. When they began rebuilding the temple their nation was divided, people were unemployed and life was unsafe. But everything was about to change. Their part was to speak the truth to each other, render right verdicts in court and stop scheming against each other. Jerusalem would once more be a powerful nation where people would come to worship the Lord. This is true of America. It will once again be a powerful righteous nation where people will seek out Christians to have as their friends. In Revelation, it was time for the bowls of God’s wrath to be poured out on the world. The first angel poured out his bowl and malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his statue. The second angel poured out his bowl one the sea and everything in it died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs and they became blood. A voice cried out that this was judgment on those who shed the blood of God’s holy people and his prophets. The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun making its heat burn the people . They cursed God’s name who was sending these plagues. They did not repent. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish. They used the God of heaven for their pains and sores. They did not repent. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the Euphrates River and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies to the west. Three evil sprite leapt from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These spirits worked miracles and went out to gather the rulers of the world to battle against the Lord at Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and God shouted “It is finished?” The thunder erased and rolled and lightning flashed and a great earth take struck splitting the city of Babylon into three sections. Many nations fell into ruins and hail fell that weighed as much as 75 pounds onto the people below. They cursed God. This sounds much like the scene when Jesus said, “It is finished” from the cross. Only this time… it will all be finished. Lord, thank you for telling us what is going to happen in the end so we can have hope.

Fri.’s Devo - The Branch

Read: Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; Provers 30:24-28 Zechariah saw the same horses that John saw when the seals were opened in Revelation 6. John saw the white horse, then the red horse, then the black horse, then the pale horse. Zechariah saw four chariots being driven by horses. The first horses were red, then black, then white, then pale. They represented the four spirits of heaven who watch over the four directions of the earth. The black horses - the north; the white horses - the west; the the gray horses - the south, and it leaves us to guess that the red horses are the east. They were sent to patrol these areas and to vent God’s anger. God told Zechariah that three men: Heldai (worldliness); Tobijah (goodness of Jehovah); Jedaiah (Jehovah has known) would bring silver and gold that were gifts from the Jews still in exile in Babylon. Zechariah was to make a crown from the metals and put it on the head of Jeshua, the son of the high priest, Jehozadak. It would be a picture of Jehovah putting his crown on the head of Jesus. He prophesied about Jeshua being the Branch who would build the Temple of the Lord. He would be given royal honor to rule as a king but he would also serve as a priest from his throne. No one had ever been both a king and a priest. Jesus is also called The Branch and he will be both prophet, priest and king. People would come from all over the world to help them rebuild the Temple of the Lord. The exiles in Bethel sent some of his attendants there to seek the Lord’s favor in a matter. The wanted to know if they should continue celebrating a feast in the fifth month. They did this to commemorate the murder of Gedidiah, the governor that the king of Babylon had set over the remnant left in the land. They were tired of fasting during this time and wanted to be relieved from it. God told him that they hadn’t fasted for him but their fast was a selfish fast. What God wanted them to do was to judge fairly, show mercy and kindness to one another and to stop oppressing widows, orphans, foreigners and the poor. And, to stop scheming against one another. This is so like us. We get so bogged down in the details of our lives that we forget what is important to God. It is loving him and loving others. In Revelation, John saw in heaven the seven angels holding the seven last plagues which would bring God’s wrath to an end. Then in the foreground, he saw a glass sea mixed with fire. On it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number of his name. They were holding harps and singing the song of Moses. The Temple was open wide and the seven angels who held the seven plagues came out of the Temple. They were clothed in white with gold sashes across their chests. One of the four living beings handed each angel a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God. The Temple was so full of smoke of God’s glory that no one could enter until the angels had fulfilled their mission. Lord, your plan is marvelous and your glory is awesome. We look forward to seeing your plan fulfilled in our nation, in the world and in our lives.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Mission of the Angels

Read: Zechariah 4:1-5:11; Revelation 14:1-20; Psalm 142:1-7; Provers 30:21-23 Zechariah was shown by the angel the lamp stand of the Lord’s positions in between two olive trees. When Zechariah asked what it meant, God gave him a word to give to Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel had been anointed to help the people rebuilt the Temple. God was going to open the way for Zerubbabel to complete the task no matter what came against him. The seven lamps represented the Lord’s eyes and the two olive trees represented the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord. (I would think they were Michael and Gabriel, God’s arch-angels.) Zechariah saw a flying scroll which appeared to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. God told him that this scroll contained the words of the curse that was going out over the entire land. One side curse those who stole and the other cursed those who lied. It would destroy the houses of those who were guilty. Zechariah was then showed a basket used for measuring grain filled with the sins of the people. Its lid was lifted to reveal a woman sitting inside. Her name was “Wickedness and the angel pushed her back into the basket and closed the lid. Two women flew and picked up the basked and took it to Babylon where they would build a temple for the basket and set it on a pedestal. This sounds like the image that the Anti-Christ will set up that we read about yesterday in Revelation. In Revelation, Jesus will stand on Mount Zion with the 144,000 of his martyred saints and they will sing a new song before the throne of God. Another angel flies through the sky with the good news to every nation tribe, language and people. Another angel flies shouting that Babylon had fallen because they drank the wine of the lady called Wickedness. A third angel shouted that judgement on those who had worshiped the beast. and taken his mark. This will begin great persecution on the earth as God’s judges the wicked and the wicked persecute the righteous. Another angel announces God’s reaping of the earth and still another angel comes to reap it. The wicked people are reaped and put into the winepress of God’s wrath. Their blood is shed on the earth. Lord, our comfort is in You and Your protection and love. Your ways are always good and righteous and fair.

Wed.’s Devo - Jeshua, Our High Priest

Read: Zechariah 2:1-3:10; Revelation 12:18-13:18; Psalm 141:1-10; Proverbs 30:18-20 Chapter two is the measuring of Jerusalem. Jerusalem figuratively means the future Jewish nation which would one day include the Gentiles. God said it would one day be so full of people and livestock that there wouldn’t be room enough for everyone. There would be many would would live outside the city walls. God’s fire would be a protective wall around the city and his glory would stay inside the city. In the city was a picture of the “secret place” mentioned in Psalm 91 for God’s people. In Chapter three, the angel showed Zechariah the high priest whose name was Jeshua. He stood for Jesus and the saints. As Jesus, we are taken through what happened when he appeared in heaven after his crucifixion. He was bearing the sins of everyone for all the ages so he was wearing sinful clothes. Satan accused him of the sins of mankind but God rejected Satan’s accusations. God clothed him in clothes of the High Priest of heaven. Then God sent his army to wage war on Christ’s enemies. Jeshua also stood for the ones that found salvation in Jesus. Satan stood to accuse the saints of God and God came to their defense. The saints were given new clothes. All of this is confirmed in the book of Revelation. God even told Zechariah to tell Jeshua, the high priest at the time that he and his priests were symbols of things to come. Soon he would bring the Branch - Jesus with the seven spirits of God to remove the sins of this land in a single day. Each would enjoy the fruit of their own salvation. In Revelation, the dragon took his place on the land and the beast gave his origin to the seas. The beast had seven leaders of ten nations of authority. The beast looked like a leopard, had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. It gave the beast its power and position and authority. One of the leaders got wounded fatally but was healed. The whole world were in awe of his miracle and worshiped the beast. They worshiped the dragon who gave the beast its power. The beast spoke great lies against God for 42 months (3 and 1/2 years). He waged war on God’s people and led over everyone on the earth. Those who did not worship God, worshiped the beast. Another beast came out of the earth with two horns like those of a limb but he was of the dragon. He ruled the first beast and required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast. He did astounding miracles to deceive the people. He ordered a statute to be built of the first beast who had come back to life and the statute was given the ability to speak. (This sounds like a clone to me.) He required the people to take his mark in their right hand or in their head. Without it they would not be able to buy or sell anything. The number that represented the beast was 666. Lord, help us to understand the days we are living in so that we are not deceived.

Tues.’s Devo - The Coming Army 12-21-21

Read; Zechariah 1:1-21; Revelation 12:1-17; Psalm 140:1-13; Proverbs 30:17 Zechariah means “Yaweh Remembers.” He was both a prophet and a priest. God called him to remind Israel and Judah of their past. He begged them not to be like their ancestors who refused to repent and turn to God. He reminded them that everything the prophets had said then came to past and everything the prophets said now would also come to pass. Three months later, Zechariah had another vision where he saw the horses of Revelation 6. Zechariah was shown a rider on a red horse. In Revelation, the red rider was the one to take peace from the earth which would result in war. In his dream the red horse rider was joined with the brown and white horses. They represented death, famine, war and power to take out 1/4th of the people on the earth in Revelation. These are the counterparts of the ones in Revelations. These are God’s riders sent to patrol the earth. They found that the whole earth was at peace. God announced why they were there. God was angry at the nations that had inflicted harm on his people far beyond his intentions. He was also angry with his people for not repenting. He was going to show mercy for them, but He wanted his Temple built. God showed him the four nations that had come against Israel as four horns. Then he showed him four blacksmiths or masons that would be used to terrify those nations and throw them down to destroy them. In Revelation we have the picture of God’s nation as a pregnant woman. She had a son, Jesus and Satan was ready to snatch him up. He was caught up to heaven in his resurrection and the woman fled into the wilderness where God took care of her. (This is the church in persecution.) War erupted in heaven as Michael and his heavenly army fought against the dragon and his demons. The dragon lost and he and his demons were forced out of heaven. He and his demons were thrown down to earth where he roams about deceiving the world into thinking he has power. He went after the church to persecute it. Persecution only made it stronger. Satan went to deceive the Church with his lies. His words were like a flood of water but the earth helped the church by swallowing the words. Then the devil went after the children and the saints. This is war that we are in. It is not one we can see with our eyes though we can see its results. It is a war of the mind and the spirit. We have been given spiritual weapons of our warfare which are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. We have to take every thought in obedience to the knowledge of Christ. Lord help us to rejoice when we have nothing tangible to be happy about. Help us to praise when we are down and help us to love and give when we feel depleted and lacking. You are our source of strength and might. We trust in You.

Mon.’s Devo - The Lord’s House

Read: Haggai 1:1-2:23; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 30:15-16 Haggai prophesied in the second year of Darius’s reign. Ezra had led the people to Jerusalem and began the rebuilding of the Temple. They had encountered much persecution and delay so the people had built their own houses instead. God was rebuking them for doing that because their reason for returning was to rebuild the Temple. Because the people had tended to their own needs above God’s, none of their labor was prospering. God told them that it was because they hadn’t put him first. The people heard what the Lord said and the remnant and the governor, Zerubbabel and the high priest Jehozadak obeyed. They began working on the temple once again. God encouraged them by telling them not to compare the simplicity of the one they were building to the splendor of the one Solomon had built because the glory of this temple would be greater than the glory of the last. The last was glorious in its building, this would be glorious in spirit. God asked Haggai to ask the priests this question. If a person accidentally became unclean would it make everything he touched unclean. Haggai answered, no. Then God asked him if a person knew he was unclean then intentionally touched something would it make it unclean. Haggai answered, yes. God explained that they were not blessed before because what they were doing was unclean which made everything they did not clean. Now that they repented and began working on the temple, though they sin, it will not be held against them. God will bless what they do. He would especially bless their leaders Zerrubbabel and Jehozadak for leading the people to do what was right. John was given a measuring stick and told to measure the Temple of God, the altar and to count the number of worshipers. The outer courtyard had been turned over to the nations. They would trample the holy city for 3 1/2 years. God would raise up two witnesses who would prophesy during that time. They were olive trees (anointed) and lamp stands (had revelation). They could kill anyone who opposed them with fire that come from their mouths. I don’t know if that was like when Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees and shut them up or actual fire. They were given the power to turn the rivers to blood and to strike the earth with plagues like Moses did. When their mission was complete, the beast will be given power to kill them just like they did to Jesus when his mission on earth was finished. They would lie in the street three and a half days and not be allowed to be buried. People of the world will celebrate their death. Then God would breath life into them and they will stand up and God will call them to heaven while the earth watches. A terrible earthquake will hit and destroy a tenth of the city. Seven thousand will die because of it. That was the second terror. The third was about to happen. The seventh angle blew his trumpet and heaven proclaimed that the world had now become the Kingdom of out Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever. In heaven the 24 elders will bow down and worship the Lord. The earthquake will open the Temple where the Ark would be visible. An earth quake and a terrible hailstorm hit. Lord, may we complete our mission and hear you say, “Well done.”

Sun.’s Devo - The Day of the Lord

Read: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm138:1-8; Proverbs 30:11-14 Josiah had brought a sweeping change to the nation but it could not change their hearts. Josiah reinstituted the observance of Passover and cleaned out the idolatry of the nation, but only the Holy Spirit can bring true repentance. The people obeyed Josiah but only in action. Their hearts were not changed so God declared an end to humanity. He would destroy every trace of Baal worship from Jerusalem. The people claimed to worship the Lord but they worshiped Molech also. Jerusalem’s leaders were guilty of violence and deceit. God was going to attack their business sector and judge those who thought there would be no accounting of their sins. They would not enjoy the fruit of their labors. Zephaniah described “the Day of the Lord” which means the last judgment on the earth. What happened in their day was a precursor of the end judgment. Many would be slaughtered and noone would bury them. Their silver and gold would be worthless to save them. He begged them to repent before it happened so that at least their soul would be saved and maybe the Lord would save their life. God spoke of the five Philistine royal cities which were to be judged. Take note of the meaning of their names: Gaza - “strong” Ashkelon - “I shall be weighed” Ashdod - “ravager” Ekron - “eradication” Cherithites - “executioner” Canaan - “humiliated; trafficker” God would destroy them till none were left. The remnant of Judah would take their land and live in their houses. They would have their prosperity restored and enjoy God’s blessings once again. The Moabites and Ammorites who mocked God’s people would also come to ruin like Sodom and Gomorrah. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria would finally be destroyed. Jonah would see his prophecy come true. They were know for their pride and greatness. They would be humiliated. Jerusalem was known for its violence, crime and rebellion. It would now be known as God’s city and people would come to worship the Lord there once again. The day of judgment will be a day of rejoicing for the remnant. Finally justice will be served. In Revelation, John saw another angel come from heaven with a small scroll in his hand that had been opened. The angel put one of his feet on the ocean and one on the earth and roared like a lion. When he did the seven thunders answered. John was told not to write what they said, but the angel told him, “no more delay”. John was then told to take the scroll and eat it. It would be sweet to his mouth but bitter to his stomach. Lord, your Word is sweet to the righteous and bitter to the wicked. Help us to eat the fruit of righteousness and be blessed once again.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Embrace

Read: Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 30:10 Habakkuk means “to embrace” as if God was embracing Habakkuk and putting favor on him for his struggle for his countries good. Habakkuk cried out the Lord for his help for his nation. Jehoiakim was the king and the Chaldeans were about to attack Jerusalem and take the king captive. God told Habakkuk what he was about to do before it happened. The Babylonians would march in and reek violence and chaos in their streets. Sounds a lot like Antifa to me. Habakkuk cried out to the Lord and acknowledged that these enemies were sent to correct them and punish them for their sins. Habakkuk spoke about beieng fish caught in their nets which made their captors rich. I couldn’t help but think of Covid as being the nets that have made us captors and enriched the elite. The wealth of the wicked will only bring them sorrow because they became rich by extortion and dishonesty. They murdered and corrupted and the tables would turn on them. They would soon be disgraced and drink from the cup of God’s judgment. Their hollow idols would not be able to help them. Habakkuk described God walking across the earth shaking its foundation in his fury, shattering the mountains and leveling the hills. The nations trembled at his presence as he went to rescue his chosen people and save his anointed ones. He cursed the heads of the wicked and destroyed the leaders of those who destroyed his people. All that Habakkuk saw made him quake in fear and he promised to wait patiently for God to take vengeance on their enemies. In the meantime, what he was seeing was the devastation of his nation, the lack and poverty of their sins and he had to choose to rejoice in the Lord who was his salvation and declare that he would come in power at the appointed time. In Revelation, the fifth angel sounded his trumpet. A star from heaven was given the key to the bottomless pit. Something that metaphored locusts and scorpions was unleashed on the earth but given command not to touch anyone who was marked with God’s mark. They were given power to hurt mankind for 5 months. These creatures that were unleashed were under the command of the angel of the bottomless it whose name was Abaddon, or Apollyon. Abaddon means “destruction” and Apollyon means “destroyer”. The sixth angel sounded and a voice was heard from the four horns of the altar of incense. It loosed the four angels which were bound in the Euphrates which were to slay a third of man. The angels had an army of 200,000 horsemen. They killed a third of the people with fire, smoke and brimstone. Those that did not die refused to repent of their murders, sorceries fornication or thefts, but continued worshiping devils and idols of money. Lord, we patiently wait for your rescue. Thank you for your embrace and favor.

Fri.’s Devo - Nahum

Read: Nahum 1:1-3:19; Revelation 8:1-13; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 30:7-9 Nahum's name means "comforatble." This describes the people of Nineveh and their sin. They were comfortable in their sin and saw no reason to repent. Nahum was sent to Nineveh to proclaim its destruction for its sin. This time, they would not repent like they did in Jonah’s day. This time God was bringing his judgment down on them. They had oppressed other nations as well as Israel. They were violent and bloodthirsty. They were a city of murderers and liars. God was going to destroy Israel and Judah also but He would rebuild them. Nineveh would be destroyed. In Revelation the seventh seal was broken. Silence fell in heaven for about a half of an hour. The seven angels who stood before God were given seven trumpets. Another angel came to the golden altar of incense in heaven to offer the prayers of God’s people to God. The angel then filled the incense burner with fire and threw it down on the earth. It hi as thunder and lightning and a terrible earthquake shook the earth. The seven angels with the trumpet blew their trumpets one at a time. The first one blew and hail and fire missed with blood ws thrown down on the earth and one third of the trees burned and all the green grass. The second one brought fire on the sea and one third of all things in the sea died and one third of the ships. The third trupet brought down a great star which fell on the fresh water making it bitter The fourth angel blew and on-third of the sun . moon. and stars became dark A warning was given by an eagle that terror beyond terror would come through the last three angels. Lord, we give thanks to You for your faithful love endures forever. Thank you for taking note of us and everything about us. Thank you for your love.

Thurs.’s Devo- God’s Mercy

Read: Micah 5:1-7:20; Revelation 7:1-17; Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 30:5-6 Micah predicted the siege of Jerusalem and the fall of Israel’s leader. Then he saw the future ruler which would have his origin in the distant past. He would come from Bethlehem from the travail of a woman. Through him, a remnant of Israel would return to the Lord. He was talking of Jesus. He would stand in the strength of the Lord and in the majesty of the name of the Lord and be great until the ends of the earth. He will be the peace of those who trust in Him no matter what enemy was coming against them. In verse six it says that He (Jesus) will rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our land. The remnant left in the land will take their place among the nations and no one will be able to hold them back. None of the enemies will be able to stand against them. In that day, all of the evil that has been going on in the nations will be abolished. I pray that we are living in that day. In chapter six God told them to stand up and state their case against him because He was going to state his case against them. God reminded them of all he had done for them and asked them why they were so mad at him when he had always been on their side. Micah told the people what to do to get in God’s favor. It was to do what was right, love mercy and walk humble with God. God called out the sins of the people and told them that He was bringing them to ruin because they refused to repent. Chapter seven gives us a picture of what Micah’s world looked like. He felt like all the godly people had disappeared and not one honest person was on the face of the earth. Micah speaks out for his cause as though he is the only one who is trusting the Lord, but he is a type of the people who were God’s hidden remnant. God promised them that one day their cities would be rebuilt and they would be honored once agains as a nation. God would do miracles for them like he did for the people coming out of Egypt. Their sins would be taken away and God would show his people his love and faithfulness once again. In Revelation, John saw four angels standing at the corners of the earth holding back the four winds from blowing on the earth. Another angel shouted to the four to wait until they had placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants. Then they marked 144,000 Jews, an equal amount from each tribe. Dan was not mentioned. Dan means “God will judge”. Some believe that Dan was not mentioned because they led the nation in idolatry housing the golden calf. Then there was a great crowd too great to count who were standing before the throne worshiping the Lamb. They wore white robes and had palm branches in their hands. They were the ones who died in the great tribulation. They would be given living water and God would wipe every tear from their eyes. Lord, you always end with an encouraging word because your end is always good. All things work for the good of those who are called by You. Thank you for your great mercy.

Wed.’s Devo - The First Six Seals

Read: Micah 1:1-4:13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 30:1-4 Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah who were kings of Judah. Jotham was a good king, Ahaz a bad one and Hezekiah was both. Amos was shown visions concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Samaria was the capital of Israel and was responsible for the sins of the whole nation. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah and responsible for the whole sins of Judah. Washington D.C. is our capital and responsible for the whole sins of our nation. God said that Samaria’s wound was too deep to heal and had reached into Judah and the gates of Jerusalem. Micah gave a list of towns mainly in Judah where God was going to judge with the meaning of their names. For example, Beth-leaphrah in verse 10 means “house of dust” and God said that they would roll in the dust to show their despair. Maroth in verse 12 means “bitter”. God said that they would wait for relief but only bitterness would await them. Judah and Israel were about to be humbled and destroyed and their land divided. Micah told them all of this prophecy and the people told him not to say those things to them, hoping that if he didn’t say them they wouldn’t come true. LOL! Micah’s response was that if they did what was right then God’s words would be comforting to them because they would know that He was judging sin. They hated good and loved evil. They did horrible things to each other and their false prophets were leading the people astray. In the last days, God’s mountain and influence would be the highest of all. People will want to hear God’s words and learn his ways. Peace and prosperity will come for God’s people and God will judge all matters fairly. At that time, the people of Jerusalem will crush God’s enemies. Revelation 6 reveals the first six of the seven seals. The first seal reveals the rider of the white horse, the Anti-christ who will get the victory over many battles. He stands for Babylon. The second seal reveals the rider of the red horse of Persia who brought war and slaughter everywhere. The third seal brought forth the black horse who brought famine and inflation. He stood for Greece. The fourth seal brought forth a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was Death and his companion was Grave. He stood for the Romans. They were given one forth of the earth to kill with the sword, famine and disease and wild animals. The fifth seal revealed the should of all who had been martyred for being faithful to the Lord. The were given a white robe and told to rest until their fellow brothers and sisters joined them. We are given the same colors of the seals. The robes are white, the sun becomes black, the moon becomes red and the stars fall like green figs. The people left on the earth will run to the calves and hide month the rocks and pray for death. Lord, help us to stand with righteousness and justice in our lives and in our nation.

Tues.’s Devo - Jonah

Read: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27 Jonah means “a dove” the same metaphor used to describe the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism. Jonah was the son of Amittai which means “God’s veracious faithfulness”. Jonah was to be the Holy Spirit to show the city of Nineveh God’s veracious faithfulness. God told Jonah to go and cry against the city for its wickedness. I would think he would love to go and say this to his enemy. God didn’t tell Jonah to go and preach repentance, he told him to cry against it. Instead, Jonah ran from what God told him to do. He didn’t want to do it. He hopped a ship to Tarshish but God sent a great wind to destroy their ship. The crew cried out to their gods and threw all the cargo overboard. All this time Jonah was asleep in the bottom of the boat. He was awakened with the same panic Jesus was awakened when he was asleep in the bottom of the boat with his disciples. Both were told they were about to die and both Jesus and Jonah knew what to do to quiet the waves. Jesus spoke to the waves and Jonah gave himself to them. When Jonah told the men why the storm came and that they had do cast him overboard. They finally did and the waves were still. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish that God had prepared for him. The fish took him to the shore that led to Nineveh. Jonah died and was in that fish’s belly for three days and three nights just like Jesus was in the tomb three days and three nights. Jonah was resurrected as he repented. Jonah was cast on the shore and had to walk for three days. He had a long time to think. When he got to Nineveh he told them that in 40 days they would be overthrown. Instead of killing him, they repented and proclaimed a fast. They cried out to the Lord for mercy and God repented of the evil he had planned. This upset Jonah that God had chosen to have mercy on them. He was so upset he wanted to die. (Talk about a pity party.) God confronted Jonah about his attitude and caused a gourd to grow over him and shade him from the sun. Then he prepared a worm to eat the gourd and take away his shade. Once again Jonah wanted to die. God asked him if he had a right to be mad at a gourd. Jonah thought he did. God told him that he cared about the gourd who didn’t have a soul; shouldn’t God care about Nineveh and its 120,000 people that didn’t know right from wrong. The gourd and Nineveh were the same. They were both ignorant of the things of God but God still loved them and had pity for them because they just didn’t know the truth. The end of the story is that Nineveh eventually went back to their wickedness and were destroyed 200 years later. In Revelation, John saw that God was holding a scroll in his right hand. It had seven seals on it and no one in heaven or on the earth was worthy to open it. John began to weep and the angels told him that there was one who could open it and that was the the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne. Then John saw a lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered standing where the menorah had been. The Word became flesh. He had seven horns and seven eyes which represented his spirit sent out to all the parts of the earth. He took the scroll and the four living beings and the 24 elders fell down in worship. They were carrying the bowls full of the oil and incense which represents the prayers of the saints. They gave the Lord worship. Angels joined in the worship just as they did when Jesus was born. The four creatures fell down in worship also. Lord, we know that the time is so close to your returning. May we live in worship of you.

Mon.’s Devo - The Destruction of Edom

Read: Obadiah 1:1-21; Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 29:24-25 God gave a message to Edom. Edom stands for Esau who despised his godly inheritance and the blessing that his father could give him. He came for the blessing but it was too late. It is a picture of all the people who had the chance to follow Jesus but rejected his offer of eternal life. They despised the things of God and only serve themselves. God was about to judge Edom for its arrogance and the way it laughed when calamity came to Israel. They were ruthless to Israel and now all of their allies would turn on them and side with their enemies to destroy them. Jerusalem would become a refuge for those who escape. The people of Israel would come back to reclaim their inheritance. They will bring revenge upon Edom for what they did to them. Israel would once again possess their land. Israel would rule over Edom and the Lord will be king. In Revelation, John is shown an open door to heaven. He saw God on his throne with the 24 elders around the throne. He saw the menorah with the sevenfold Spirit of God and the four living creatures. The first creature was like a lion, the second like an ox, the third had a human face and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each had six wings which were covered with eyes. They began the worship of God and the 24 elders joined in. They cried that God was holy and worthy to receive glory and honor and power because He created all things and they exist because He created what He pleased. Lord, it is hard to believe that you are pleased with what you created when we look at all the evil in the world, but that is exactly what you say. You love your creation as you created it. May we return to the way we were created to be as a nation, as a people and as your church.

Sun.’s Devo - Philadelphia and Laodicea

Read: Amos 7:1-9:15; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 29:23 God showed Amos two scenarios of what he was planning to do to judge Israel. The first was a swarm of locusts that came through the land at harvest time and ate up all the crops. The second was a fire that consumed everything. Amos cried out in protest over both of them pleading with the Lord not to do either because Israel could not survive. God relented and then showed Amos a plumb line. By His standard of measure He would judge Israel. Whoever didn’t measure up would be killed. King Jeroboam’s kingdom would be brought down. Jereboam was the leader of the northern kingdom of Israel. The kingdom had just split into Israel and Judah and to keep the people from traveling to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, Jereboam had set up two golden calves for the people of Israel to worship. He led the people into idolatry. One of these golden calves was in Bethel. Amaziah, the leading false priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam that Amos was prophesying against him. He also sent word to Amos to take his business back to Judah. Amos explained that he wasn’t prophesying for money like they did, he was there on commission from God. He made his living being a shepherd and taking care of sycamore-fig trees. Then Amos told the priests of Israel what would happen to them and their land. Their own wives would be forced to become prostitutes as they would be led into exile where they would die. Their children would be killed and their land divided up. Amos was shown a basket of ripe fruit. God told him that Israel was ripe for judgment. Their day of feasting and singing was going to change to wailing and mourning. Many would die. Their sins were listed: they dishonored God, cheated the helpless and enslaved the poor. There would be a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord. There would be no place to escape God’s judgment. Amos brought out a great point. He reminded them that just like God brought Israel out of Egypt, He brought the Philistines out of Crete and the Arameans out of Kir. He asked the Israelites if they think that are more important than these other nations. God has to judge nations for their actions…all nations. Israel was to be God’s nation on the earth to be an example to the other nations of how His nation should live and how He would care for them. Instead, Israel followed after the other nations and became like them. God had to judge them. But, God always leaves them with hope. One day they would return not only to their land but to Him and he would abundantly bless them. In Revelation John speaks to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea, the last two churches. These churches mirror the last ages of the church age. The people in the church of Philadelphia were commended for obeying God’s Word and not denying Him. Their enemies will have to come and acknowledge that they are the true children of God that he loves. Their perseverance will keep them from the time of testing that will come in the end. The victorious will become pillars in the Temple of God and they will have the name of God and be citizens in the new Jerusalem. They will also be given God’s new name. They were given no rebuke. The church of Laodicia were the opposite. They were lukewarm and would be spit out of God’s mouth. They didn’t have eyes to see or ears to hear or a heart to understand the days they were living in. They had no fear of God. He called them to hear his voice and come and sit with him and have fellowship. If they overcame their indifference they would sit with him on his throne. Lord, may we be victorious in the age we are living in. May we not give up hope.

Sat.’s Devo - Thyatira and Sardis

Read: Amos 4:1-6:14; Revelation 2:18-3:6; Psalm 130:1-8; Proverbs 29:21-22 In Chapter 4, Amos speaks first to the nobility and the elite of the nation. They oppressed all the common people and led the nation in idolatry. (Sounds like America.) They scoffed at God’s judgments and refused to be reformed. God turned them over to their own ways and it brought severe consequences. They refused to see that it was God’s hand judging them and calling them to repentance, so they must prepare for the last and worst judgment of all. In Chapter 5, Amos sings a funeral song to Israel. He calls them to repentance and declares the coming day of judgement. It will be terrible to the scorners who despise God’s words. God was tired of their rituals and meetings that had nothing to do with Him. They were self-righteous and showy to impress one another but God was not impressed. He knew their hearts. Because of their rebellion, they would be taken far away to the east. In Chapter 6, Amos denounces Zion and Samaria for their sense of false security. They trusted in their own strength and didn’t rely or call on the Lord for help. God would ruin their palaces and slaughter their people for their perverse injustice. God speaks of 90% of the people being killed. Only a remnant would survive. In Revelation God has a message to the churches of Thyatira and Sardis. Thyatira is commended for their love, faith and patient endurance. The complaint against them is their toleration of Jezebel who enticed others to sin and think it was okay. She and all her followers would be judged. Those who are victorious over this evil spirit will be given authority over all the nations to rule and smash the enemy. They will walk in the same authority that Jesus did. Sardis got the greatest rebuke in my opinion. They appeared to be alive and well while inside they were really dead. They were told to repent and turn to the Lord. If they didn’t wake up God would come to them like a thief. There were some in that church who hadn’t been soiled with evil and they would walk with the Lord in purity. The victorious would walk with God in white and their names would never be erased form the Book of Life. Everyone’s of God’s children are written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the earth but those who rebel will have their name erased from the book. (Revelation 13:8; 17:8) Lord, may we be victorious till the end.

Fri.’s Devo - Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum

Read: Amos 1:1-3:15; Revelation 2:1-17; Psalm 129:1-8: Proverbs 29:19-20 Amos means “burdensome” because he was carrying God’s burden of His people. He was given this prophecy two years before the earthquake of Uzziah’s reign. It is mentioned in Zechariah 14:5. At the same time Uzziah was struck with leprosy for usurping the priest’s duties. God passes out judgement on six of Israel’s enemies which they would agree with but then he ends it with the judgment of Judah and Israel’s sins. He begins with Damascus, the capital of Syria. Gaza was second, then Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Tyre, Judah and Israel. They would all be destroyed by God’s refining fire. God had more to say about the sins of his people than their enemies. They made their righteous ones to sin and told their prophets to be quiet. Their elite would be brought down with their idols. In Revelation we read the letters to the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna and Peramum. Ephesus was commended for her hard work and patient endurance but rebuke for turning from their first love of Christ. They were promised fruit from the tree of life to those who were victorious. Smyrna was commanded for their suffering and poverty. They were promised a crown of life for their faithfulness. Pergamum was commended for standing for the truth in the midst of paganism. They were rebuked for tolerating wrong teaching about sin in their congregation. The victorious were promised manna from heaven and a white stone with their name engraved on it. Lord, thank you that you rebuke and you encourage. Your judgements are right and fair. May we be faithful in persecution and suffering.

Thurs.’s Devo - Our Hope is in the Lord

Read: Joel 1:1-3:21; Revelation 1:1-20; Psalm 128:1-6: Proverbs 29:18 Joel saw four stages of locusts: (1) the gnawing locust; (2) the swarming locust; (3) the licking locust; and (4) the consuming locust. They were a progression with the last being the most destructive kind. The fourth is often three inches long, with two antennæ, each an inch long. It had six feet, the back two longer than the others so it could leap. The first “gnawing” locust, emerges from its egg in the spring, without wings. The second “swarming” locust evolves at the end of spring, when the locusts shed their skin again and bring forth little ones without legs or wings. The third, “licking” locust occurs when after their third shedding of their old skin. They get small wings, which enable them to leap better, but not fly. Once their wings are matured, they devour all before them, grass, shrubs, and the bark of trees. The fourth “consuming locust” is the matured winged locusts. In Joel 2:25 they are are mentioned in the reverse order, where the restoration of the devastations caused by them is promised. The first stage of the locust refer to Assyria and Babylon; the second to Medo-Persia; the third, to Greco-Macedonia and Antiochus Epiphanes, and the fourth, to the Romans. Each successive empires which attacked Judea were worse than its predecessor; Rome being the climax. Their devastation on the land would look like a plague of locusts came through. God called the people to mourn and repent for their sins. Their sins had been the cause of the devastation. It was time to fast and pray. Famine and war was coming. This vast army that marches through their land would leave nothing but destruction and devastation behind them. This army he is describing is God’s army and He is the leader of it. This was a picture of how it will be in the end on the “Day of the Lord.” God was giving them a chance to repent before it happened so maybe they could turn God’s heart. God is merciful and compassionate and will relent on his judgement if he sees repentant hearts. Joel called for a national day of repentance and fasting. He wanted everyone to stop their daily plans and repent and turn back to the Lord. If they did, God would turn the curse into a blessing for his people. God spoke of their future because he knew that one day they would repent and He would bless them once again and bring them back to their land. One day they would know Him as their Lord. God would pour on them his Spirit and they would prophesy and hear his voice. He was referring to the time when Jesus would walk the earth and bring salvation through his death. The Holy Spirit would be given at Pentecost and people would once again walk with God. Chapter three speaks of the day when God will call every nation to the Valley of Decision which will be Armageddon. There he will judge and fight every nation that came against his people. God will fight and win a victory over all his enemies and this will be the last battle. After the war, God’s people will return to Jerusalem and make their home there. Their sins will be pardoned forever and they will live with the Lord. This revelation was given to John of the events that would happen in the end of time. It came from the throne of God in heaven and was sent by a messenger to John. Jesus would return in the clouds and all would see him, even the ones who were his enemy and crucified him. John received this vision while exiled on the island of Patmos for preaching the truth about Jesus Christ. John was told to write what he saw in a book and send it to seven specific churches. These churches would mirror the ages to come. When John turned to see who was speaking he saw Jesus in all his glory. Jesus was standing among the lamp stand with seven stars in his right hand and a two-edged sword coming out of his mouth. John fell to the ground in awe and fear and Jesus touched him and told him not to be afraid. He was the one who held the keys to death and the grave. He told him to write down what he saw and then gave him a clue. The seven stars where the messengers of the seven churches and the seven lamp stands were the seven churches. Lord, may we repent as a nation. Thank you for showing us the future so that we will put our hope in You.

Wed.’s Devo - The Path of the Lord

Read: Hosea 10:1-14:9; Jude 1:1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 29:15-17 Prosperity was Israel’s downfall. Money without God leads to all sorts of wrong spending. They spent their money on idols and their temples. God was about to do away with their idols and their luxuriant temples. Samaria was the capital of Israel and had a golden calf that they worshipped. It was going to be carted away to Assyria. The people of Ephraim and Samaria had trusted in this idol. Bethel, which means “house of God” was renamed by God to be Beth-Aven which means “house of vanity or nothingness”. This was the home of one of the golden calves that Jeroboam had set up. God said that there had only been sin and more sin since Gibeah. Gibeah was where the man and his concubine stopped for the night. They were accosted by the men in the city and to save his life, the man gave his concubine for them to abuse all night. She died that night so he cut her body into12 pieces and sent them to all the tribes calling them to war against the men who had done this (Judges 19). God said that when it fit his plan, he would attack them too. Israel had built up strong armies thinking that their military would keep them safe but all their fortifications would fall and they would be crushed. Since the people refused to return to the Lord, they would return to Egypt instead and be forced to serve Assyria. Ephraim was one of Joseph’s sons and it meant “double fruit”. It was the tribe blessed above the other tribe but instead of being a leader in righteousness, they had turned to the worship of Baal. God reminded them that it was Him who brought them out of Egypt and they must acknowledge no other God but him. That was the first commandment he gave them. God had taken care of them and provided for them abundantly but they had exchanged his kindness for cruel gods who couldn’t do anything for them. God would destroy them even though He was their only helper. He was the only God who was on their side and wanted good for them. The other gods wanted death and destruction fo them. So now, they would get death and destruction. After God had destroyed them, he would heal them of their unfaithfulness. They would once again prosper under God’s loving hand. Hosea gives one more call for the people to repent and turn to God. He reminds them that the path of the Lord is true and right and the righteous people live by walking in them but the sinners stumble and fall. Jude talks about this very thing. He reminds the people that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. He chained the angels in prisons of darkness that came down to earth and had sex with human women. He judged the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin with fire as a picture of what will happen in the end. In the same way, he would judge the people who were deceiving the people with their dreams while living immoral lives and blaspheming supernatural beings. Michael wouldn’t even rebuke Satan but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” These people were murderers, deceivers and extortionists. These deceivers were eating with them and participating in spiritual meetings which would end up shipwrecking them. Their purpose was to only satisfy their ungodly desires and they would create division among you. Instead, they were to build up each other in their faith praying in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are cautioned about showing mercy to everyone. We are to hate the sin which contaminates their lives. Lord, help us to walk on your path of righteousness and truth.

Tues.’s Devo - Return to the Lord

Read: Hosea 6:1-9:17; 3 John 1:1-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14 Hosea called the people to return to the Lord and let him heal their wounds. The people refused to heed the call and continued in their licentious idolatry. God had sent prophets to rebuke and turn them from their ways but they killed them. In 9:15 it says that all their sin began at Gilgal. Gilgal was the town they came to right after they had stood on Mount Ebal and called out the curses and on Mount Gerazim and called out the blessings. Gilgal had became a high place for idolatry. They had chosen the curses and now they were all coming on them. They had chosen the god of Baal-poor which was the same as Molech and Baal. These gods required much child sacrificing. These are the gods of the elite of America and this is why we are experiencing the curses. But God has heard the prayer of his repentant people and is coming to judge the wicked and bless his people once again. He is coming to rescue us and heal our land. God was not coming to do that in Hosea’s time. He was coming to judge his people. They were through bearing fruit that would be wicked. God was going to stop them from producing and drive them from his land. John wrote to Gaius, his friend in the Lord. He was so glad to have heard such good reports of their faithfulness and that they lived in the truth. He rebuked one of the leaders, Diotrephes who refused to receive the traveling teachers. He was not interested in feeding the flock but controlling it. John told Gaius not to be like Diotrephes but to be good like Demetrius. Demetrius had a reputation for speaking the truth and living it. Lord, may we speak and live the truth.

Mon.’s Devo - The Faithless

Read: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11 It was time for God to judge because he could find no faithfulness, kindness or knowledge of God in the land. They made promises to God and didn’t keep them. They killed, stole and committed adultery. Violence was everywhere. Sin had left the land decaying. God spoke first to the priests because it was their responsibility to teach the people the truth. But they didn’t know God or the truth. They had forgotten God’s laws and exchanged them for idols. God would not bless them. Because they chose to worship idols, their daughters turned to sexual sins and the whole nation became a prostitute. Both Israel and Judah had forsaken God so they would both be crushed under God’s judgment. God would leave them alone until they admitted their guilt and turned to Him. In 2 John, John addressed a lady named Martha who was a person of influence in the church. She and her family were being seduced to stray from the faith so John felt he needed to warn her. He reminded her that the truth dwelt within her because she had the Holy Spirit. These deceivers were antichrists who denied that Jesus came in the flesh. They had no relationship with God. Those who remain in Jesus have a relationship both with the Father and the Son. John told them that if a teacher came and taught anything other than the truth about Christ, they were not to invite them into their home or give them any type of encouragement. John wanted to save the rest of his advise for when he came to them personally. Lord, help us to remain faithful to you and your word.

Sun.’s Devo - Hosea

Read: Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8 Hosea prophesied during the four kings of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel. Hosea was asked to be a living example to show the people of the 10 tribes of Israel how far they had fallen into idolatry. The name Hosea means deliverer. God is always the plan of deliverance. God told Hosea to go and marry a prostitute to show the people of Israel their sin of marrying the gods of other lands and forsaking their true husband which was God. Hosea chose to marry Gomer which means “completion.” He was to have a child by her and they did have a son. They named him Jezreel which means “God will sow.” God said that she represents how God was going to punish King Jehu’s dynasty over the murders he committed at Jezreel. Israel’s independence would end in the Jezreel Valley. Their next child was a girl who God told him to name Lo-ruhamah meaning “not loved.” This child was to show that God would no longer show his love for the people of Israel. He would love Judah and set them free from their enemies. Her second son was named Lo-ruhamah which means “not my people” to show that God was not Israel’s people and He was not their God. This would all change when they came out of exile. They would once again be His people. They would drop the “Lo” (not) off their name and change the meaning to be the opposite. God told Hosea to tell Israel to repent or she would be stripped of her wealth and blessings. She would be lead into the desert and be transformed through her trials. In her captivity, she would come out of her idolatry and God would once again love them as his own people. God told Hosea to go and love his wife again to show how He would one day love Israel again and how they would one day love him back. John explains that we show we love God by obeying his commands and loving one another. Jesus revealed to us that he was the Messiah by the water and the blood. He was baptized in water and shed his blood on the cross. The Sprit testifies to our hearts that He is the Messiah. Lord, may we not forsake you as a believer or a nation. Bring us to repentance.

Sat.’s Devo - The End

Read: Daniel 11:36-12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4 Antiochus would be and do all these things. He is thought to be either the 7th (Rev.16:13, 16; 19:19) or 8th head (Re 17:11), who is to usurp the kings. The Pope will usurp the priestly as the false Messiah of the Jews, who will "plant his tabernacle between the seas in the holy mountain," "exalting himself above every god" (2Th 2:4; Re 13:5, 6). Antiochus identified himself with Jupiter Olympius. Antiochus forbade the worship of Jehovah by a decree. He also forbade marriage which this practice has passed on to the priests of today. By forbidding to marry he was trying to stop the promised seed of the Messiah from coming to earth. He attacked those who worshipped Jehovah and also the women that worshiped Venus. He worshipped the “God of forces” which was probably Jupiter Captolinus who he was erecting a temple at Antioch to this god. He also honored the protector/guardian god called Mahuzzim. Antiochus succeeded against Jerusalem, Sidon, Pelusium, Memphis. He set his followers and the apostates "to rule over many" Jews, having "divided their land" (Judea), "for gain" (that is, as a reward for their compliance). Antiochus, in the eleventh year of his reign (166-165 B.C.), invaded Egypt and took Palestine on his way. Antiochus starting from Egypt took Arad in Judah, and devastated all Phoenicia, then he turned to check Artaxias, king of Armenia. He died in the Persian town Tabes in 164 B.C. The Saracen Arabs "of the south" "pushed at" the Greek emperor Heraclius, and deprived him of Egypt and Syria. But the Turks of "the north" not merely pushed at, but destroyed the Greek empire. Their "horsemen" were their chief strength. Their "ships," gained the victory over Venice, the great naval power of Europe in that day. They "overflowed" Western Asia, and then "passed over" into Europe, setting up their headquarters in Constantinople under Mohammed II. Antiochus marched against Ptolemy, though he turned from his course to pour out his wrath on the Jews. He did not meddle with Edom, Moab, and Ammon on the side of Judea but used their help in crushing the Jews. The Turks under Selim entered Jerusalem on their way to Egypt, but they never could conquer the Arabs. So it will be the case of the final Antichrist. The Libyans and the Ethiopians were both allies who served under Antiochus when he conquered Egypt. Artaxias, king of Armenia, had revolted in the north, and Arsaces, leader of the Parthians, in the east. In 147 B.C. Antiochus went on the expedition against them, on the return from which he died. He turned his great fury on the Jews, because of their successes under Judas Maccabeus. He sought reparations from them to replenish his treasury. He would stop somewhere between the and set up military camps. He was overcome by the Jews, and failed in his expedition against the temple of Elymais (2 Maccabees 9:5) He would be stopped between Jerusalem and Mt. Zion and the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. Then the Arch-angel, Micheal will stand up. everyone whose name is in the book of life will awake to everlasting life. This could be the rapture. Those left alive will enter the time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. Daniel was told to keep all this sealed up until the time of the end. Daniel saw two other men standing on opposite banks on the other. One asked the man in linen who long it would be till the shocking events were over. He said it would be two times and a half of a time. Daniel didn’t understand. He added that many people would be refined in the trials but the wicked would continue in their wickedness. From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object is set up would be 1,290 days. The end would come in 1,335 days. So what does this all mean to us where we are? We are watching these days fastly approaching. We are going through a trial run of this very day. Many have been deceived and many have repented. I believe that we are not at the end but are about to see a great turn around. I believe God is about to do something that rivals the parting of the Red Sea. I do know that we are about to see the greatest revival our nation has ever had. In John, the litmus test of whether a person is a real prophet is whether he professes and believes that Jesus came in the flesh, full of the Spirit of God, and was the Messiah. He did this all for love. That is why he came and he demonstrated it every day of his life. He is our example to love one another. We can do that because the Spirit of God is in us and that spirit is love. God’s love has no fear, it is perfect. Lord, help us to love with your love. Thank you for your plan for us and our nation. Thank you for the revival that is coming to our world.

Fri.’s Devo - The Last Kingdoms

Read: Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 3:7-24; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 29:1 The man who appeared to Daniel continued to tell Daniel what was going to happen. Three more Persian kings would reign: Ahazerus, Artaxerses, and Darius, then the fourth would be Xerxes. He would use his wealth to accumulate an army of 2,641,000 to fight against Alexander the Great of Greece. Alexander had a small army in comparison but they were unified with one cause of revenge against Persia and their oppression. The next chapter played out just as the man told Daniel that it would. It is a picture of just how it will happen again in the end. What stands out to me is this, “But, the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.” They will be persecuted but through the persecution, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end. First John tells us how to know a true believer. A true believer will grow in righteousness. A follower of Satan will keep on sinning and not repent. They make it a practice to sin. A true believer loves other believers. So we should not be surprised when the would hates us. They are of the spirit of Cain who killed his brother Abel because of his jealousy. We love our brothers and sisters and show it by our deeds of kindness. We know we are his by the witness of his Spirit. Lord, thank you that you rule over all the kingdoms of the earth and your power prevails.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Anti-Christ

Read: Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28 When Daniel learned that God meant for Jerusalem to stay dormant for 70 years, he fasted and cried out to the Lord. He confessed the sin of Israel and Judah as if he was just as guilty as the most wicked. He stood in the gap for his nation. He told the Lord that He was fair in just in his judgment. They deserved everything that happened. They had broken everyone of his laws and all the curses had fallen on them as a result. Daniel prayed for mercy. God’s messenger, Gabriel came to Daniel and to tell him that the moment he began praying, God heard and he was sent to give Daniel insight and understanding. Gabriel showed him what would happen for the next 70 years up until the Messiah came. Antiochus Epiphanes was the one who would set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration in the temple. He waged war on the Jews and sacrificed a pig on the altar in the Temple. He was the final anti-christ that precipitated Christs first coming. In the third year of king Cyrus’s ruleDaniel had been fasting and praying. He saw a man in a linen garment with a belt that was of gold. He immolated the glory of the heavens. The men with Daniel saw it too but ran in fear. Daniel stood alone looking at this marvelous man. When he spoke, Daniel fainted to the ground. The man touched him and he revived and stood up at his command. He told him to not be afraid because God had heard his prayer. The heavenly man had been fighting the spirit prince of Persia and finally had to have Michael come and help him prevail. When he returned he would finish the fight with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia and then the would spirit prince of Greece would come. This meant that the kingdom of Persia had to be defeated first spiritually for the new Grecian kingdom to rise up. Michael would help him who was the spirit prince of Israel. John explains the spirit of anti-christ. It is any leader who denies the Son. Jesus is the way to the Father. If you have Jesus, you have the Lord. When you accept Jesus as your Lord, then you also have the Holy Spirit. As children of the Lord, we walk in righteousness. Lord, thank you for your glorious power and the way you manifest your glory on the earth. May your kingdom come.

Wed.’s Devo - The Kingdoms of the World

Read: Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26 Daniel had this vision during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign. He saw himself at the fortress of Susa which was the Persian capital. He was standing beside the Ulai River. He saw a ram with two horns standing beside the river. These represented the Media and the Persian kingdoms. Cyrus, the Persian was more mighty than Darius, the Mede. A male goat appeared from the west and crossed the land so swiftly that his feet didn’t touch the ground. This was Alexander the Great. Though Alexander had a small army, they were united and conquered the much greater army of Persia. In the height of Alexander’s power he died of a fever while in Babylon. Four kingdoms took his place. Seleucus was in the east and ruled over Syria, Babylonia and Media. Cassander in the west was over Macedon Thessaly, and Greece. Ptolemy was in the south over Egypt and Cyprus. Lysimachus was in the north over Thrace, Cappadocia and northern parts of Asia Minor. The small horn that arose from one of them was Antiochus Epiphanes, who rose up from Greece. He was the antithesis of the New Testament ‘Antichrist’. He waged war on the Jews canceling their daily sacrifices. It was the sins in Israel which gave rise to the Greek Antichrist. Some Jews had adopted Hellenic customs, erecting theaters, and regarding all religions alike, sacrificing to Jehovah, but at the same time sending money for sacrifices to Hercules. This will be the state of the world when the last Antichrist appears. Antiochus had an extraordinarly love of art, so he built grand temples. He wished to substitute Zeus Olympius for Jehovah at Jerusalem. He identified himself with Jupiter, making it his aim to make his own worship universal - a one world religion. He was so mad that he was called Epimanes (maniac) instead of Epiphanes. None of the previous world rulers, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Cyrus, Artaxerxes Longimanus, had systematically opposed the Jews' religious worship. That is why God sent prophets to prepare them for Antiochus. The struggle of the Maccabees was a fruit of Daniel's prophecy. Judas Maccabeus was the leader of a family that opposed Anitochus and his total takeover of their religious rights. He and his family stand for the Body of Christ on the earth. They were small but they had God on their side. Antiochus was the forerunner of the final Antichrist, standing in the same relation to the first coming of Christ that Antichrist does to His second coming. Antiochus died of worms and ulcers on his way to Judah to take vengeance on the Maccabees. This is a picture of what will happen to the Antichrist of the future. He will not prevail over the Church. In First John we are told to love one another. As children of God, we know that our sins are forgiven. To those who have matured in their faith, the fathers of the faith, we know Christ existed from the beginning. Like young men, we are strong and the word abides in us enabling us to overcome the wicked one. As children, we have know the love of our Father. John commands us not to love the world. If we do love the world, then the love of the Father is not with us. He explains that in the world there are many antichrists. This just proves that it is the end of the ages. The ones who do not stay in the faith were not of us in the first place. But we are led by the Holy Spirit and are shown all things. We have the truth and it doesn’t deny Jesus or the Father. The reward of faith is eternal life. If we abide in Him, then we will not be ashamed for him at his coming. Lord, we want to stand firm in our faith and endure until the end. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that leads us to You.

Tues.’s Devo - Walking in the Light

Read: Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 28:23-24 Daniel takes us back to the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon. Daniel had a dream of four beasts that came out of the stormy sea. The first beast was like a lion with wings. Its wings were pulled off so it was left standing on the ground. It was given a human mind. The second beast looks like a bear which reared up on one side. It had three ribs in its teeth. It was told to get up and devour the flesh of many people. The third beast looked like a leopard with four wings on its back and four heads. Great authority was given this beast. The fourth beast was terrifying and very strong. If devoured it victims with it iron teeth and trampled their remains under its feet. It had ten horns. Then the thrones in heaven were set up and the Ancient of days sat to judge. Court was in session and the books of evidence were opened. The fourth beast was killed and destroyed by fire and the other three beasts had their authority taken from them though they were allowed to live a while longer. Then the son of man came in the clouds and approached the Ancient of days and he was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world so that every one on earth would obey him. His rule would never end or be destroyed. Daniel’s dream was explained to him. The four beasts that he saw were four kings that would reign. In the end the saints of God would take the kingdom and possess it forever and ever. The last beast had ten horns which stood for leaders. A little horn also came up and brought down three of the ten horns. This horn spoke evil and came against the saints and prevailed against them, trying to change the timeline and the laws. He will succeed until God judges and it will be time to give the kingdom to the saints. In Daniel, the Ancient of days was God. In John, the Word of life is Jesus. Our fellowship is with both our Father and the Son. God is in light so there is no darkness in him. If we accept the Son, then we too live in light. In that light, we fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. We all need to be cleansed from our sin because we all have been born into sin and darkness. Jesus came to bring us into the light where our sins are exposed and forgiven. Lord, thank you for your perfect plan for sinful man. Thank you that you want us to walk with you in the light and you made a way through Jesus that we can do that. We choose to walk in your light.

Mon.’s Devo - Daniel and the Lion’s Den

Read: Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22 Darius divided his huge kingdom into 120 provinces and appointed a ruler over each. Daniel and two others were chosen to protect the king’s interests. Daniel proved himself more capable than all the other administrators so the king began making plans to place him over the entire empire. The other officers met together to scheme against Daniel and keep him from being promoted. They couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn him with so they had to find something against his faith. Daniel prayed three times a day to God, so they decided to trick the king into making a law stating for the next thirty days, everyone in the kingdom had to only worship him. Anyone who was found worshiping another god would be thrown into the lion’s den. They appealed to the king’s arrogance and it worked. Daniel had to know this was happening and instead of appealing to the king for his rights, he appealed to God. That is where they found him, on his knees, praying about the whole situation. The king was notified and trapped in a corner by his own law. He finally had to stand by the law and have Daniel arrested to be thrown into the lion’s den. He told Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.” The king was so distressed over what he had to do to Daniel that he couldn’t sleep or eat that night. Early the next morning, he ran to the den and yelled asking Daniel if his God was able to deliver him. Daniel told him that angels had shut the mouths of the lions because he was innocent. The king was overjoyed and had Daniel lifted from the den. Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had accused Daniel and had them thrown into the lion’s den along with their wives and children. The angels released the mouths of the lions and they leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den. Darius sent out a proclamation of praise to the Lord of Lords and told of how God rescued Daniel. Daniel prospered all during Darius’s reign and Cyrus’s, his predecessor. Peter warns us of the people who would mock God in the last days, saying that He was never coming back. These people choose to forget that God created the world with his Word. With his Word he destroyed the earth once with water and has promised to destroy it again with fire. To the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. God isn’t slow about what he has promised, he just doesn’t count time like we do. God is patient and wants everyone to have the opportunity to repent if they will. The “day of the Lord” is the day that Jesus will return. We will be with him as his warriors. When that happens it will be quick and the world will be surprised. He will come like a thief. The heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with the heat. The earth will be burned up. Since all the things we see are going to be dissolved one day, how should we live? We should live holy lives and be found living in peace with God and our fellow man. We have been told all these things in advance that we might grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. To you be all the glory both now in our lives and forever. May we be faithful like Daniel and allow you to fight our battles and defend our innocence.

Sun.’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 This chapter happened 25 years after the last one. Belshazzar has succeeded Nebuchanezzar and he apparently didn’t learn anything from Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling experience of being mad for seven years. Belshazzar was having a party and had his servants bring in the gold and silver cups that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. He wanted his guests and all his wives and concubines to drink from them and praise their false gods. While they were drinking God wrote a message on the wall and all they saw was the hand that was writing it and what it wrote. Belshazzar was trembling in his knees as he watched this. He called for all his sorcerers and wise men to interpret the words. None of them could make sense of it. The queen mother came in and immediately knew who to call because she was probably a young girl when Daniel had interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. She told them about Daniel and they called for him. He was promised a purple robe, a gold chain for his neck and to be promoted to the third highest ruler in the kingdom. Daniel told them they could keep their gifts because they didn’t mean anything to him but he would tell him the meaning of the words. The words were in Aramaic. Mene was written twice meaning that his days had been numbered and finished. Tekel meant that Belshazzar had been weighed in the balances and had not measured up. Peres meant that his kingdom had been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar gave Daniel all the gifts he had promised him and that night the king of the Chaldeans killed him and Darius the Mede took the kingdom. Peter warned the believers of false teachers. They cleverly taught destructive heresies and even denied the Master who bought them (Jesus). They would self-destruct. They taught immorality and slandered the truth. They made up schemes to trick the scam the people of their money. God condemned them long ago and they would soon be destroyed. God didn’t spare the angels who in Genesis 6 came down from heaven and had sex with the women of the earth. They have been thrown into hell in pits of darkness where they will be help until the judgment. God didn’t spare the pool oof the ancient world of Noah. He only spared Noah and seven others. God condemned Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of asked. He made them an example of that will happen to ungodly people at the end of their lives if they don’t repent. He rescued Lot because of his righteousness. Wicked people are proud and arrogant and scoff at the supernatural beings that even the angels are afraid to speak against. These false teachers would be caught and their reward will be their destruction. They delight in deception and their desire for sin is not satisfied. They love to earn money for doing wrong like Balaam who was hired to curse Israel. God had to speak through his donkey. They are doomed to blackest darkness and are drawn to twisted sexual desires. They are slaves of sin and corruption. Peter gives a dire warning to those who know the Lord and Jesus and choose to go back into darkness. Their end will be worse that it would have been if the had never know Jesus. They prove the proverb, “A dog returns to its vomit” and “a washed pig returns to the mud.” That doesn’t mean that a dog or a pig can’t be totally redeemed and changed into a new man by renewing his mind in the Word but they have to be willing to do the work to change their patterns. God’s grace is sufficient to do just that. Lord, may we have eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to understand the things of You.

Sat..’s Devo - Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

Read: Daniel 4:1-37; 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 119:97-112; Proverbs 28:17-18 Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed this great message to the people of all the things the Most High God had done for him and all the signs and wonders he had been blessed to see. He said this with arrogance exalting himself as the recipient of God’s signs because of his greatness. He was about to be humbled. While Nebuchadnezzar was enjoying the comfort of his palace and all his wealth, he had a most disturbing dream. He called in all his magicians, enchanters, astrologers and fortune-tellers…except Daniel. Had he forgotten about Daniel? No, God wanted to show Nebuchadnezzar that his best was far inferior to God’s best. Finally, he did send for Daniel, when he didn’t approve of the interpretations of his wise men. Nebuchadnezzar admitted that he knew that Daniel got his wisdom from another source than his magicians. Daniel had the spirit of the holy gods in him. This time Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel what the dream was. He dreamed of a large tree in the middle of the earth. It grew very tall and strong and had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit. Wild animals lived in its shade and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree. Then a messenger from heaven came down and said to cut down the tree, lop off the branches, shake off the leaves and scatter the fruit; chase the wild animals from its shade and the birds from the branches, but leave the stump and the roots and bind them with a band of iron and bronze and surround them with tender grass. He was to live with the wild animals for seven years and have the mind of a wild animal. Then everyone would know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and he gives them to who He chooses. Daniel was wroth when he heard the dream because he knew exactly what it meant. In Daniel 2:37 God had said that He had made Nebuchadnezzar the ruler over all the inhabited world. He was the great tree. In that same verse it said that God had put even the wild animals and birds under Nebuchadnezzar’s control, and now they would be scattered. The leaves and the fruit stood for the prosperity and wealth of his kingdom. God had given him all of that glory. But now he would be cut down and live among the wild animals for seven years. The stump was a sign that his kingdom would be restored to him. A year went by and as Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his palace surveying his city that HE had made to display HIS majestic splendor, a voice came down from heaven. It said that he was no longer the ruler of this kingdom he thought was his. The dream was about to manifest and when the time set was over he would know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses. When the seven years were over, and he returned to himself and praised and glorified and honored the King of heaven. He said, “All his acts are just and true and he is able to humble the proud.” What a picture of how God moves in the lives of those who refuse to listen to him. God is so loving that he would go to such extreme measures to get Nebuchadnezzar’s attention. His desire is that none of us perish but all come to the saving knowledge of who he is. Peter reminds us that God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. We received this power when we became Christians. Peter gives us a progression of this transformation. We start with faith. With our faith we are given a generous provision of moral excellence. As we begin to walk in that, we gain knowledge which will lead to self-control. This self-control will lead to patient endurance which will grow into godliness. Then we will have God’s heart and be able to love everyone. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to do that in our lives, the more affective we will be in our witness to the world. Lord, that is our goal, to grow into brotherly love and let you perfect us through our tests and trials. We love you and honor you with our lives.

Fri.’s Devo - Our Rock

Read: Daniel 2:24-3:30; 1 Peter 4:7-5:14; Psalm 119:81-96; Proverbs 28:15-16 Arioch was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar to kill the wise man. When Daniel came to him with the dream and its interpretation, Arioch sent him straight to the king. He must have not wanted to be the executioner of sorcerers. He introduced Daniel as “one of the captives from Judah.” When the king asked Daniel if it was true, Daniel immediately gave the credit to God who had revealed the secret to him. He told him the dream and said that it had to do with future events that God wanted the king to know. He told him that he had seen a huge statue of a man. Its head was fine gold, its chest and arms were made of silver and its belly and thighs were of bronze. Its legs were iron and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. In his dream he saw a rock cut from a mountain but not by human hands. The rock struck the feet of the state smashing them to bits and then the whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold. The wind blew them away without a trace. The rock then became a great mountain that covered the whole earth. That was the dream and this was the interpretation. The head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom. After him would come another kingdom inferior to his, like silver is inferior to gold. It would fall too, and the next kingdom would be bronze. After that, a fourth kingdom would arise and be as strong as iron. That kingdom would smash the previous empires. The feet and toes which were iron and clay indicated that that kingdom would be divided. Some of it would be strong like iron and other parts would be weak as clay. They would try to strengthen themselves by allying together through intermarriage but they will not be able to hold. During the reigns of those kings, God will set up his kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all the kingdoms into nothingness and will stand forever. That kingdom of God will be the rock. When King Nebuchadnezzar heard what Daniel said, he bowed down and worshipped him and commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burnt incense before him. He praised God as the greatest of gods. and the revealer of mysteries. Daniel was appointed to a high portion and given gifts. He was made ruler over the whole province of Babylon and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were put in charge of all the affairs of the province. The king had a huge 90x9 foot gold statue made of himself and commanded everyone to bow and worship it when they hear the sound of the instruments. News got back to the king that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow. They were brought in and questioned about it. They were given the chance to bow and save their lives. Instead, they told Nebuchadnezzar that if they were thrown into the furnace that the God whom they served was able to save them and rescue them from his power. But, even if he didn’t, they wanted him to know that they would never serve his gods or worship the gold statue he had set up. Nebuchadnezzar was so furious he commanded that the furnace be turned up 7 times hotter. When they were thrown in the fire, it was so hot it killed the ones who threw them in. But the three men walked with Jesus in the fire. Nebuchadnezzar saw this and called them out. They walked out with not a trace of fire or smell of smoke. Once again, Nebuchadnezzar ended up praising God who was greater than him. The three were promoted to even higher positions than they were before. What a message of God’s redeeming power. If we honor and stand with God, he will honor and stand with us. Peter talked about the end of the world. As we get closer and closer to that end we are to show love for each other and let that love cover one another’s sins. All of the gifts God gives us are given for us to share with others. They are not for us to keep but to give away. He encourages us once again about suffering for Christ’s sake. We will reap a reward and identify with Christ in our suffering. Peter gave a word to the elders to care for the flock and lead them by example. We are to humble ourselves before God who is able to lift us up and honor us. The devil is looking for someone to devour, so we must stand firm against him and be strong in our faith. We are all going through trials so we must stand together. Suffering only lasts for a little while and then God restores, supports and strengthens us and places us on a firm foundation. Lord help us to stand together against the devil. May we stand with and strengthen one another. Our lives are for your glory.