Thurs.’s Devo - Moses to Joshua

Read: Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24; Luke 13:22-14:6; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 12:26 Mount Nebo means “his prophecy” and Pisgah means “survey”. Moses was given a prophecy that God would take them to their own land. Moses was now being allowed to survey the fulfillment of that prophecy, though he would not actually get to enter in. Moses died there and the Lord buried him. Jude 9 tells us that the devil disputed with Michael about the body of Moses. Moses was 120 when he died and his eyesight had not failed nor his strength. He was mourned thirty days. No prophet had been like Moses because he knew the Lord face to face. *** The anointing of Moses was passed to Joshua to lead the people into the land. God encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous. *** Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh and reminded them of their promise to help the other tribes cross the Jordan and possess their land. They agreed. *** Joshua only sent out two spies, probably because last time only two came back with a good report. They were to spy out the land and especially the land around Jericho. They stayed at the house of Rahab, the harlot. *** When the king of Jericho found out they had been there, they went to Rahab’s house to search for them. Rahab had hidden them but told the men searching for them that they had left the city. When they had gone she went to talk to Joshua’s men. *** She told them that she knew the Lord had given them this land. Her people had heard of how God opened the Red Sea for them to walk across and had given them victory over Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings. Everyone in Jericho was afraid of them and the supreme God of the heavens and the earth. *** She made them swear that when they came to attack the city that they would spare her and her family. The men swore to save them if she held up her end of the bargain and helped them escape. She agreed and sent let them down from her window by a rope since her house was built on the wall. They told her to leave the rope hanging from her window and they would save all who was in her house. *** They were able to escape to the hills and told Joshua how the whole land was afraid of them. *** In Luke, someone asked Jesus if only a few would be saved. He told them the fate of those who did not come through the narrow door. He was the narrow door. Those who refused to enter while there was still time would greatly be disappointed when they found the door shut. But others would come from all over the world to take their place in the Kingdom of God. There will be a complete flip of who is esteemed and who is not. *** The Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod Antipas wanted to kill him. Jesus told them to tell that fox that he would continue casting out demons and healing until the third day when he is perfected. Then Jesus predicted that he, like all the other prophets would die in Jerusalem. *** One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat at the home of a leader of the Pharisees. A man was there whose arms and legs were swollen with dropsy. The people watched to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. He asked them if their animal fell into a pit on that Sabbath if they would help it out. The answer was “yes”. So how was that different from Jesus healing one of his own on the Sabbath. *** Lord, help us to not stumble over silly laws we have set up in our mind and miss the bigger picture. May we help all who we are able to help and do the works you have ordained for us to do in this time.

Wed.’s Devo - The Mercy of God

Read: Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Luke 13:1-21; Psalm 78:65-72; Proverbs 12:25 Moses had a blessing for all the tribes which he gave before he died. He described the Lord as the sun in his majesty whose divine light appeared at Sinai and scattered its beams on all the region directing Israel's march to Canaan. *** He blessed Reuben with long life since they were the largest tribe at the time. Reuben had lost his place as the first born and ended up almost dying out. The second part of verse 6 is believed to be the blessing for Simeon: “though they are few in number.” Simeon began with 59,300 in Numbers 1:23 which were just the fighting men and ended up with 22,200 total people in Numbers 26:14. They were given territory within the land of Judah to preserve them. *** Judah was the first to go out in battle so Moses prayed for strength to defend their cause. *** The Levites were commended for being zealous in obeying God’s word. They chose God even above their own families. *** Benjamin was blessed with the love of the Lord and his constant watch and care for them. *** Joseph which means “double fruit” was blessed with abundance and the best earth had to offer. He would conquer many nations. *** He prayed the same blessing that would fall on Joseph’s sons - Ephraim and Manasseh. *** Zebulun and Issachar were also give the same blessing, they would just be in different locations. Zebulun would travel and be nomadic and Issachar would stay put. *** Gad was blessed with enlarging their territory. They had chosen the best land east of the Jordan and served as a buffer to the other tribes from outside intruders. They were commended for keeping their promise to help the other tribes get their land. *** Dan is describing as leaping like a lion from Bashan. They had received their land in the south but it was too small so they “leapt” to the north and took some territory there also. Bashan means “shame” so it could be that they left from shame to the heights. Sadly, Dan which means to “judge” ended up being judged by God for all their idol worship. *** Naphtali was blessed with favor and growth. *** Asher was blessed with honor from the other tribes. He would be safe and secure. *** Moses reminded them that the Lord was their refuge; he held them in his arms. They would be safe and prosperous and blessed in the Lord. He would protect them with sword and they would defeat their enemies. *** In Luke, Jesus put everyone into one of two baskets: saved or not saved. It is not death that we should fear, but eternal death. Everyone eventually dies. *** Jesus told the story of a tree that year after year didn’t produce figs. The owner of the garden finally told his gardener to cut it down because it was taking up space. But the gardener plead with the master to let him have one more year with the tree. He would give it special attention and then, if it didn’t produce fruit, he would take it out. Jesus was trying to tell them that these people who died these deaths had been given that extra attention before they died. God doesn’t just take a person out of this life without first giving them every opportunity to repent. *** One Sabbath as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue he saw a woman bent over by an evil spirit. He healed her and she could stand upright for the first time in 18 years! The leader of the synagogue told Jesus he had 6 days to heal people, he shouldn’t have done it on the Sabbath. (Such stupidity!) Jesus told him that he even unleashed his ox and led it to water on the Sabbath, isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath. He was relating her to his ox. She had been under a load of Satan and now she got a drink from the living water of healing. Jesus shamed this man with his answer. *** Jesus then gave two examples of the Kingdom of God. It starts small and then grows and grows. The Kingdom started with him and it would grow and grow after his death and resurrection. *** Lord, thank you for your great mercy and kindness. Thank you for defeating our enemies and putting them under our feet. May we boldly proclaim your goodness.

Tues.’s Devo - The Revenge of God

Read: Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Luke 12:35-59; Psalm 78:56-64; Proverbs 12:24 The song of Moses continues today. Israel would forsake her God and just like the curses state: “one person would chase a thousand and two people would put ten thousand of them to flight.” The only way those odds would make sense would be that God had forsaken them and sold them to the enemy. *** Their enemy’s rock was Satan and its roots were in Sodom and Gomorrah. Their wine was the venom of serpents and deadly poison of cobras. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus said about the Pharisees who had usurped the Jews in Matthew 12:34. ”O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” God says that he is storing up his wrath until the right time and then he will take revenge on them. He is doing that right now in our day. *** God will ask them where their gods are who they have relied on to save them. There is no one like the Lord. He is the one to kills and gives life. They will find this out. *** When Moses had finished teaching the people the song the Lord had given him, he went up on Mt. Nebo and was able to look out over the promised land before he died. Both he and Aaron had betrayed the Lord at Meribah. Their fate was to be a warning to the people. In Luke, Jesus told them that it was imperative that they understood the times they were living in. They had to be ready and awake all the time. No one knew when the enemy was coming to destroy. Those who are awake will be able to prevail against him but those who are distracted will be taken by surprise. Jesus would come back also and those who are not looking and waiting for him will be taken by surprise. It may not be a good surprise. *** The answer is to stay close to the Lord doing what he calls us to do every day. Then, there is nothing to be afraid of. The future is wonderful for those obeying the Lord and walking with him. *** Lord, may we stay awake and aware of who you are and what you require of us. May we enjoy your presence and be filled with your Holy Spirit. May we see the revival and salvation of many souls.

Mon.’s Devo - Moses’ Song

Read: Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27; Luke 12:8-34; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 12:21-23 When Moses had finished explaining all God required of them and all he would do for them, he said he would not be the one leading them - Joshua would. God would go before them and destroy the nations living in the land. He would give the people into their hands. He told them to be strong and courageous. He would not fail them or abandon them. *** Moses wrote down everything the Lord had told him and put it in a book for them to read when they met together. They must learn to fear the Lord and obey all his commands. *** God said that when they got to the land and experienced prosperity they would turn away from him and worship other gods. They would break God’s covenant and he would bring all the disasters upon them written in the book. *** Moses taught the people the words of the song and gave it to the Levites to be placed beside the Ark of the Covenant so it would be a witness to the people of what God said. *** God knew the people were rebellious and that they would become utterly corrupt and turn from him, so Moses taught them the song in verses 32:1-43. We only read 27 of the verses today. *** In the song, the people are reminded of how just and holy the Lord is and how rebellious and perverse they are. The song told of how the Lord found them in a desert land and took care of them as their Father. He gave them the best of the land but they became fat and happy and abandoned the Lord. They worshiped foreign gods who had done nothing for them. *** In response, the Lord would bring disasters upon them and whittle down their numbers. Their enemies would declare that they did this to Israel and not the Lord. *** In Luke, God tells us that what we do on earth reflects what will happen in heaven. If we profess the Lord on earth, we will be acknowledged in heaven. If we speak against the Son of Man (Jesus on earth), we can be forgiven. If we blaspheme the Holy Spirit (Jesus’ Spirit given to us after the resurrection), we will not be forgiven. *** When believers are brought to trial because of their faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit will give them what to say. *** A man came to Jesus asking him to make his brother divide their father’s estate with him. Jesus told him he was not a judge over such matters and instead told the man to guard his heart against greed. Life was meant for higher things. Jesus told a story of a rich man who ran out of room to store all his wealth for himself so he planned to build bigger barns to store it. The Lord called this man a fool and he died that night. God asked the man, “now, who will get everything you worked for?” *** The point that God was making is that the wealth we are given is not for ourselves only, but to share with others and better the world around us. Besides, God has stored up in his barn everything we will ever need. The best place for us to store up our treasures is in heaven. No one can steal them there. We do this by giving what we have to the Lord and his Kingdom. *** Giving is a heart matter. Lord, may our hearts be full of gratefulness and generosity. May we be a funnel for your blessings to flow through. May they not get stopped up by greed or fear of lack.

Sun.’s Devo - Choose Life!

Read: Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20; Luke 11:37-12:7; Psalm 78:1-31; Proverbs 12:19-20 While they were still in the land of Moab, Moses called all the people together and told them what the Lord was adding to the covenant he had made with them on Mt. Sinai. He began by saying that the Lord had not given them eyes to see and ears to hear, nor a mind to understand. He had led them for 40 years through the wilderness and yet their shoes nor their clothes had not worn out. Had they even noticed this? God had provided all their food and water. He had given them victory over their enemies and given them their land. *** If they wanted to prosper in the land he was giving them they must obey his commands. The covenant he was presenting to them was full of blessings but also curses for disobeying it. This covenant would also stand to their descendants after them. *** They were not to adopt any of the evil purposes of the nations they had passed through or that they would find in the land or its bitterness would produce a root in them. This root of evil would bring forth poisonous fruit. *** Those who refused to obey God’s laws and chose instead to follow their own hearts would receive the curses written in the book. Their names would be erased from under heaven. They would be separated from the other tribes and destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah with nothing but salt and sulfur remaining. They would become a mockery of other nations. *** They were not being made accountable for what they did not understand about God, but of what he had made very clear to them. After experiencing both the blessings and the curses, if they choose to return to the Lord, the Lord will hear their prayer and restore their fortunes. He will gather them from where they had been scattered and bring them back to their land again and they will live in their land and be fruitful and multiply. It would be the same thing God told Adam and Eve - “Be fruitful and multiply.” *** God made it clear to them that what he was requiring of them was attainable. It was as close as to what they proclaimed with their mouth and what they put in their hearts. It was their choice and it is our choice. If they chose to turn away from God and worship other gods, they would be destroyed. If they chose to follow the Lord, it would be life and blessing for them. *** In Luke, the Pharisees were offended that Jesus didn’t do their hand-washing ritual. Knowing this, Jesus told them that they were so careful to make themselves look good on the outside with all their rituals, but their hearts were full of greed and wickedness. If they would do something self-less like to care for the poor, it would help them to get rid of their greed. *** Jesus explained that giving justice was even more important than giving God gifts. They were going to get a rude awakening when died. They loved the honor of respect on earth, but they would get none of it after they died. *** One of the religious experts told Jesus he was offended by what he said, probably hoping Jesus would tell the he wasn’t talking to them. But, Jesus told them that they were just as wicked. They imposed their laws that were so burdensome, they were just as guilty as the hypocrites. They even killed the prophets and then built monuments to honor them. Talk about hypocrisy! They would be held responsible for the murders of all God’s prophets from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah because all of them spoke of him. Now he was here, and they were going to do the same to him. *** They would not enter into God’s Kingdom and they were doing all they could to keep others from entering also. Jesus warned them that all they did in secret would one day be revealed for all to see. *** Jesus turned to his followers and called them friends. He told them not to be afraid of the religious order. They could only kill their body, but not their soul. He told them to fear God, He would not forget a single one of them from the least to the greatest. He alone has the power to throw them into hell or promote them to heaven. *** Lord, thank you that you are the only wise God and you are our Father. We choose life. We choose Jesus Christ as our Saviour and we choose to follow your Word.

Sat.’s Devo - Choose the Blessings

Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Luke 11:14-36; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 12:18 Today we read the blessings and the curses which are the exact opposite of the blessings. The only requirement of walking in the blessings was to follow the Lord and obey his laws. That sound easy, but it was not for them. I have to remind myself that they were a new nation and didn’t have the Holy Spirit like we do which seals us. *** The blessings were simple: everything about their lives would be blessed. Their nation would be above all the other nations Their finances, family, occupations, and harvests would all be blessed. *** The curses are explicit and excruciating to read. God describes them in detail. Everything about them would be cursed. They would be pursued and taken over by them. These results would serve as a sign and a warning for future generations. *** We as a nation have been living in the curses which is plain to see if we open our eyes and look around. DOGE is pointing out so many ways they have stolen our money and put in their own pockets. We see that we have been slaves to an evil agenda bent on taking our lives, not blessing them. But… God is turning this ship around. We are starting to see the curses lifting and the blessing beginning to flow. It has already started and it will soon become a tsunami. Those who have been faithful are going to see the results of their obedience. *** It gives the Lord great pleasure in blessing and prospering us, may we never find ourselves in this place of chaos again. *** In Luke, Jesus cast a demon out of man who could not speak and he was able to talk. One in the crowd said it was because Jesus was the prince of demons. This man was trying to get Jesus so mad he would prove his power by giving them some great sign from heaven. Jesus didn’t fall for it. He explained that any institution that is divided among itself is destined to fall. If Satan’s kingdom is divided against itself, it will fall. But if he is casting out demons in the power of God then the Kingdom of God has arrived and it will overthrow Satan’s kingdom. *** Jesus explained that demons that are cast out of a person look for another person to enter. If it can’t find an open door, it will come back to the first person to see if they have filled their house with good things and closed their door to them. If they haven’t, then they will reenter and bring more demons with it. Then the person will be in worse shape than before. *** When they kept asking for a sign from heaven, Jesus told them the only sign he would give them would be the sign of Jonah. His resurrection out of the mouth of the fish was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. Jesus’ resurrection would be a sign to these people also. Even his disciples didn’t believe until he came back and appeared to him. *** Lord, may our eyes be filled with your light that they can see who you are and what you are doing on the earth. Thank you for all the wonderful things you are doing to save us and our nation. May we pass the test of abundance and be generous and faithful.

Fri.’s Devo - May We Be

Read: Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26; Luke 10:38-11:13; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 12:15-17 Once they got settled in their land and experienced their first harvest, they were to bring a basket of their produce to the place of worship and proclaim that they were wandering Arameans who lived in Egypt as a foreigner. There they grew into a large nation. When they became oppressed by the Egyptians and made to be their slaves, they cried out to the Lord. He heard their cries and brought them out with his power - with signs and wonders. He brought them to this wonderful land and now they are offering a gift of thanksgiving to the Lord. *** Every third year they were to bring a special tithe of their crops for the foreigners, Levites, orphans and widows so they would have food to eat. With this gift they were to proclaim that they had followed all of God’s laws and that their gift was ceremonially clean. They were to ask God to bless them and the land. *** When they crossed over the Jordan they were to set up stones at Mount Ebal and coat them with plaster and write the curses on them. They were to also build an altar there using uncut stone and offer a burnt offering to the Lord. These stones are still in existence in Palestine. *** The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin were to stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people that would be theirs if they obeyed the commandments of God. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali were to stand on Mount Ebal and proclaim the curses. These mountains were right across from each other. Mount Gerizim is believed to be Mount Moriah where the Samaritans went to celebrate the feasts. The woman at the well in John 4:20 referred to this mountain as being the Mountain they worshipped on. It was the mountain that they believed God had chosen to place his name. *** Today, we read the curses. Tomorrow we will read the blessings. The curses sound a lot like the Ten Commandments. *** In Luke, we have the story of Mary and Martha which is such a reminder to us of what is really important. We get so distracted by what is going on around us, it is easy to forget that stopping and sitting with Jesus is much more productive that running around doing all the stuff we think is important. The lesson is: we have to first “be” before we “do”. When we are in the presence of the Lord, we get strategy, power, energy, and blessing to then go out and do the things God has called us to do. We know we are being the “Martha” when we feel stressed and out of sorts. Mary is content and at peace. Martha is in a tizzy and judgmental. *** Jesus was asked how they should pray. Jesus gave them a prayer that we have all memorized and heard many sermons about. He started out praising God and proclaiming who he is and praying his Kingdom to come to earth. He prayed for their daily needs then asked for forgiveness for their sins. He prayed strength to stand against temptation. This is how we pray for ourselves. *** Then Jesus told them how to pray for others. The essence is you pray until you see the results. Then he explained that you have to learn how to receive and believe that God gives good gifts to his children. *** Lord, teach us to live in your presence and choose to enjoy your peace. May we seek you first in all we do. It is your will that we desire above all.

Thurs.’s Devo - Our Responsibilities

Read: Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19; Luke 10:13-37; Psalm 75:1-10; Proverbs 12:12-14 If a man is made a eunuch, then he is unable to bear children. Spiritually, this would be a person who is unable to bear the fruit of the Spirit. We would call this person a psychopath today or the seed of Satan. Not every eunuch fell into this category - I’m just pointing out a picture. I wonder if the second verse we read today has to do with trans-gendering a child at birth or manipulating its DNA. The word for “illegitimate” in the Hebrew means “mixed seed.”This is serious business to the Lord. This is what happened in Genesis 6. *** The Ammonites and Moabites heard of all the things the Lord had done to the Egyptians and yet they didn’t fear God enough to help the Israelites with food and water when they left Egypt. They hired Balaam to curse Israel instead. Their descendants would not be able to enter into the assembly of the Lord for ten generations. “Ten” is the number of testing. So they would not be able to participate in worshiping the Lord until God had tested their hearts over a period of time to see if they were repentant. *** The third generation of Edomites and the Egyptians could enter the assembly of the Lord. “Three” is the number meaning “conform”. So it means that the Edomites and Egyptians would have to conform to the laws of God before they could be allowed to worship with them. *** Most of God’s laws are self-explanatory. God is holy and requires us to be holy also. We are to treat others fairly and with compassion. We must never forget that we were once slaves to sin until we met Christ who set us free. We must have the same patience and compassion for others as we needed and still need. *** We are not to take advantage of another person’s hospitality but only honor their possessions. To divorce a woman, a writ of divorcement must be signed and the divorce be made legal, then both are free to remarry. If this is not done, then to remarry would be to commit adultery since the person was not legally divorced. Jesus addressed the Jews about this because they were not legally divorcing their wives. *** The poor man who had to make a loan has the right to choose what he gives as a promise of repayment. The person loaning the money must not come into his house to get it or he might choose something else to take that that man doesn’t want to give. This reminds me of the story that Nathan gave David about the little lamb (talking about Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 12). The bottom line is that God wanted them to honor the poor and be kind to them. Justice must be given to the foreigner, the orphan and the widow; all of them have no protector. They were to remember that they were once in their shoes. *** Two brothers living on the same property are covenanted together so if one of them dies without an heir, it is the responsibility of the living brother to give this sister-in-law a son so that his brother’s name would not die. This is about family inheritance. The man who doesn’t help his brother receive his inheritance is to be shamed. We are going to be held responsible for upholding and praying for our family. We must do our part to preserve our family name because we bear the name of Christ. *** The bottom line of God’s laws were to fear the Lord and remember what he did for us. *** God reminded them that when they got rest from all their fighting and possessing they were to destroy the Amelekites and erase their memory from under heaven. They were never to forget this! *** In Luke, Jesus reminded Karazin and Bethsaida of all the miracles he did in their cities. They would be held responsible for this encounter they received. They received all the miracles and yet didn’t receive the one who did them. *** Jesus saw Satan fall from his throne and told his disciples so they would know he now has no power. He gave us the same authority he had over all the power of the enemy. We can now walk on the devil and not be hurt. We can do this because our names are written in heaven in his book. *** Jesus was filled with joy as he saw how God had skipped over the religious hierarchy and given his treasures to the lowly of the earth. He told his disciples how blessed they were to be able to see and hear spiritually what the prophets had wanted to see and hear. *** Lord, help us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Just like the despised Samaritan had compassion on the stranger on the side of the road, help us to have your compassion for those we see who is in need physically or spiritually. Help us to see beyond our physical eyes and hear beyond our physical ears. Thank you, for all we have comes from you.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Laws

Read: Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30; Luke 9:51-10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 12:11 Today’s reading is so full of details there is no way I can address them all, but I will deal with a few of them. *** First, it was the Levitical priests that God had chosen to decide all legal and criminal cases. Christians are the ones who are to judge over the people. God never separated the church from the state. The church was to rule the state. The heifer that atoned for the unsolved murder is Christ. He allowed his will to be broken to die for all of our sins. *** In verse 15-17 we see the description of Jacob with Leah and Rachel. Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah, but she had his first born son, Reuben. Jacob honored him as the first born until he slept with Jacob’s concubine and lost his position. *** A stubborn and rebellious son was to be brought to the elders of the city and all the men were to stone him. When the parents had done all they could do to discipline the son and he still didn’t repent, they did not try to cover for him but took him to the elders to be judged. All of the elders then used their words (stones) to bring the son to repentance. Another way of looking at this is that we bring our rebellious children to the throne of grace and fast and pray for them. We speak God’s Word over them and let his Word kill the old man in our children’s hearts. We continue to pray until they repent and turn to the Lord. We never give up on our children. *** We are to take responsibility for things that happen around us. There is a reason we see the things we see. *** God hates mixture. He is pure and holy and the things he made are pure and holy also. He does not want us mixing seed and creating cross-breeds in people, animals or food. *** They were to be honest in everything. They could not accuse their partners of things they didn’t do just to get out of the marriage. If a man defiled a woman outside of marriage, he had to marry her. If we did that today, I think boys would think twice before having sex with any girl they met. Marriage would become honored and holy again. *** In Luke, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for the last time. He sent messengers to prepare for his arrival in a Samaritan village, but because they knew he was on his way to Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover, they refused to welcome him. The disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven and burn them up but Jesus rebuked them. Instead, they stayed at another village. *** As they were traveling, Jesus met people who said they wanted to follow him but when it came down to following through on the promise they all had excuses. Jesus concluded with telling them that anyone who started their walk with him and then looked back at what they were missing was not fit for the kingdom of God. (Remember Lot’s wife.) *** Jesus sent 72 other disciples out to prepare for his arrival at those towns. They were to tell them that the kingdom of God was very near. They were to allow the people to take care of them and provide their needs. What they were bringing them was worth all their expenses. If they refused to welcome them, they were to wipe all offenses off their shoulders and abandon them to their fate. *** It is not our job to save people, it is our job to tell them about Christ. It is their job to receive the good news. We will get the same reward whether they receive or not. We are God’s servants in the field. We cannot determine the harvest. *** Lord, may we be diligent to share your good news and prepare the way for others to find your Kingdom.

Tues.’s Devo - Spiritual Warfare

Read: Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20; Luke 9:28-50; Psalm 73:1-28; Provers 12:10 The Levites got no land allotment for themselves so they lived off the gifts given by the people to the Lord. God specified what they could have of the things given to him. They got the best because they got everyone’s first fruits. *** They were warned not to pick up any of the customs of the people living in the land at the time. Their customs were detestable to the Lord. They dealt in magic and demons where God deals in supernatural miracles and angels. God promised to send them prophets to tell them what his words since they didn’t want God speaking directly to them. They will know he is a real prophet if what he says happens. *** When they come into the land they were to set aside three more cities of refuge. They already had three for the tribes who stayed east of the Jordan. These would be for the innocent who is accused of murder. He may run there and be tried justly. As they take over more land, they were to establish more cities of refuge. *** If someone murders a person outright, he is to be handed over to the avenger of blood (the relative of the man killed) who is to kill him. The people are not to feel sorry for the murderer because he killed an innocent person. All crimes are punishable only if there is more than one witness. *** If someone bears a false witness against another then they must impose on the accuser what he intended for the other person. This is the way you rid the nation of sin. *** We are seeing this happening in our nation. The corrupt politicians have brought so many false accusations against President Trump and now they are coming back around to catch them. They are going to get what they intended for President Trump. We are to rejoice because evil is being rid from our nation. *** When they went out to war to face armies greater and more powerful than them, the priest was to encourage them that God was going with them and would give them victory. Then the officers would ask if anyone had just built a new house and not dedicated it, or planted a vineyard and not harvested the first crop, or just gotten engaged to a woman and not marred her yet. If they answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions they were to go back home and finish what they started. *** To us, this means that we cannot fight demons if we are not trained or experienced in spiritual warfare. We must grow in our spiritual walk first, get baptized, bear some fruit, enjoy our new life with Christ, be filled with the Holy Spirit, then we can engage in spiritual battle. *** Anyone who was fearful or faint-hearted must also go home or his fear would spread to the other warriors. *** After the officers weeded out the troops, they were to appoint the unit commanders from what was left. *** When they approached a town to attack it they were first to offer terms of peace. If they refused the terms, they were to attack and kill all. They could keep the women, children, livestock and other plunder. This only applied to distant towns outside their borders of the land God had given them. To the towns within their borders, they were to completely destroy and kill them so they couldn’t teach them how to worship their gods. *** If the war dragged on, they were not to cut down fruit trees to use for weapons. They could only cut down trees that didn’t bear fruit. *** People are trees (Psalm 1). In wartime, only those who are bearing fruit are protected from destruction. *** In Luke, on the eight day, Jesus took Peter, John and James up on a mountain. As Jesus was praying, he transformed into his glorified body. Moses and Elijah appeared with him and began talking about how Jesus was going to leave this world in Jerusalem. Peter and the others had been asleep and woke up to see all of this. Moses and Elijah were about to leave so Peter wanted to make three shelters for them. A cloud came down and covered all of them and from the cloud, God said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” When the cloud lifted it took Moses and Elijah with it. *** ‘Eight’ is the number of new beginnings. God wanted the disciples to see that this was a new day and Jesus was about to be taken up just like Moses and Elijah was. Jesus was going to defeat death. *** When they came down from the mountain, they were met with a man who was manifesting the power of demons. The disciples couldn’t cast them out but Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Jesus then told his disciples that he was going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. These enemies were the same ones who had attacked the boy. *** Instead of understanding what Jesus was saying, the disciples argued about who was the greatest. Jesus brought a child to them and explained that it was the humble and innocent that will be exalted in his kingdom. Those who honor the least, are honoring God and will be honored by God. *** Lord, help us to manifest your kingdom and your love. May we fight the good fight of righteousness and truth.

Mon.’s Devo - The Feasts

Read: Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20; Luke 9:7-27; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 12:8-9 God had seven feasts that he shared with the people so they could begin celebrating them. The Passover was to be celebrated in Abib, the first month on their religious calendar and the seventh month on their civil calendar. They were to sacrifice a lamb in the place God chose for them to worship. They were to eat it with unleavened bread which would begin the feast of Unleavened Bread. This was to commemorate when they left Egypt and slavery. Unleavened Bread would last a full week in which they were to eat no leaven. Seven weeks later they were to celebrate the harvest of grain called the Feast of Harvest or Pentecost since it was 50 days later. They were to bring God a portion of their first fruits of harvest. These celebrations were in the spring. *** In the fall, they were to celebrate the last feasts in the fall. The only one mentioned here was the festival of Shelters or Feast of Tabernacles. This was to celebrate the grape, fig, and olive harvests. This was to be a happy time. The main three where the men were required to come to the designated place were Unleavened Bread, Festival of Harvest, and Festival of Shelters. They were not to come empty handed but with a gift for the Lord. *** All of the feast represented set times that God would visit his people. Every year God follows his feasts and on certain yearss, he demonstrates them in a way everyone can see. He did this when he sent Jesus to die on Passover, be buried on Unleavened Bread, and rise on First Fruits. He sent his Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2. He will complete his feasts when he comes again on Feast of Trumpets, judges the world on Day of Atonement and sets up his Kingdom on Feast of Tabernacles. *** Every town was to have just and honest judges. They were never to set up idolatrous altars anywhere but especially not near God’s altar. *** They were never to offer defective gifts to the Lord. He hates that. Anyone found to be worshiping other gods was to be fully investigated. There must be more than one witness. If they are found guilty, they must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. *** If there is a case too hard for the town judge to determine, the case must be taken to the priests for them to examine. Whatever they say must be done to the person by the letter. *** When they get settled in their land and decide they want a king like the other people have, then it must be one of their own people and they should let the Lord choose him. This king should not have an army of horses or buy them from Egypt because they were never to go back there. This king should not take many wives because they would turn his heart from the Lord. He must not accumulate lots of gold and silver for himself. He must copy the law on a scroll and read it every day as long as he lives so he would learn to fear the Lord by obeying it. This will prevent him from turning away from God’s commands and he and his descendants would reign for many generations in Israel. *** In Luke, Herod Antipas heard about all the miracles Jesus was doing and wondered who he was. He heard that some believed he was John who had come back to life. This was disconcerting since he was the one who had had John beheaded. He kept trying to see Jesus. *** Meanwhile, the disciples came back after Jesus had sent them out to do the miracles they had seen him do. They came back with great stories of all they had witnessed. *** Jesus led his discipled to Bethsaida but the crowds followed. Jesus taught until late in the afternoon. The disciples told Jesus to send them home so they could go eat. Jesus told them to feed them. They had just gone out by themselves and done the things they had seen Jesus do, now they needed to do them with Jesus with them. They only had five loaves of bread and two fish and there were over 5,000 people. *** Jesus had them sit in groups of 50 and prayed over what he had. God bless the bread and the fish and they began distributing it. Everyone had all they wanted and 12 baskets of leftovers were picked up. *** When Jesus was alone with his disciples, Jesus asked them who the people thought he was. Some thought he was John the Baptist, some Elijah and others a prophet risen from the dead. Then he asked them who they thought he was. Peter said, “You are the Messiah, sent from God!” Jesus then told them not to say that out loud. He was going to be killed, but he would rise on the third day. *** What is so ironic about all this is that everyone of their theories about who Jesus was had to do with someone who had risen from the dead and was now walking among them, and yet, they had such a hard time believing that Jesus was actually going to do this. *** Jesus told the crowd that if they wanted to be his follower, they must take up their cross daily and follow him. What they proclaimed publicly would determine their eternal destiny. He promised that some of them would not die till they saw the Kingdom of God. In other words, there were many who would really believe unto salvation. *** Lord, help us to believe every promise in your Word and not doubt even when it comes to those in our family that it looks impossible to save. Your hand is not short but can reach to the lowest valley and the highest mountain. You, who left the 99 to save the 1 will complete everything that concerns us. We believe, Lord. Help our unbelief.

Sun.’s Devo - The Kingdom is Here!

Read: Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23; Luke 8:40-9:6; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 12:5-7 God warned them of people who would dream dreams about the future but then try to get them to worship other gods. These false prophets are testing them to see if they would give up the Lord to follow them. They were to put them to death and purge the evil from them. Even if these people were in your family, you were to throw the first stone and not stop till they were dead. *** How does this apply to us today since we live in the dispensation of grace? We stand up to the falsehood of dead religion and tell those trapped in it the truth. Our words are stones. If they won’t listen to us, we pray the Word over them until their old man is dead and they are saved. *** When they began living in the land, if they found out an entire town was worshipping other gods, they were to attack the town and destroy all the people and burn the town as a burnt offering to the Lord. To us, this would pertain to a church or religion that was worshiping other gods. It must be exposed and shut down. We have churches in America that claim to worship Satan. They should be shut down. *** We went over the food they were to eat before so I will just summarize it. The split hooves had to do with rightly dividing the Word of truth to give us balance. Chewing the cud had to do with meditating on the Word and letting it come back up to meditate on again and again. The fins help guide us and keep us upright. Scales cover us like the blood of Christ and the shield of faith. *** Every seventh year, they were to cancel any debts owed and no one should be poor among them. They were to lend to the poor even if they knew they would not get it back because of the Jubilee. God would bless them for being generous. In other scripture we learn that when we give to the poor, we are lending to the Lord. He will repay with interest. *** They were to set their Hebrew slaves free at the beginning of the seventh year. If he wanted to stay with the master, the master was to pierce his ear to the door and he would be his servant for life. We are at the end of the sixth year (the sixth thousand year) and are entering into the Jubilee. We can choose to become God’s slave by piercing our ears to the door. The door is Christ, he is the way to the Father. We commit to hear his voice and obey. It is a covenant we can choose to make. *** We are to give our first and best to the Lord, because he gave us everything. He is always to be first in our lives. In Luke, Jesus healed a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years - the whole lifespan of the little girl who ended up dying. The woman and the girl stood for two generations of Israel. The older generation was bleeding for lack of a healer and the younger generation was going to die for lack of a savior, but Jesus stepped into the scene and stopped both of those outcomes. He healed the older generation and brought life to the newer generation. Twelve is the number for government and the Kingdom of God had arrived, so everything was changing. *** Lord, may we see your Kingdom coming. May we respond to the changes because life and healing is here.

Sat.’s Devo - A New Day

Read: Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32; Luke 8:22-39; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 12:4 Moses continued his speech. He reminded them that the Egyptians had still, after 40 years, not recovered from what happened when God visited them with plagues and great wonders. *** Most of the people he was talking to had not seen all those things happen because they weren’t even born and their parents were children or teen-agers at the time. Their parents were to tell all the things they saw to their children so they would know who God was and what he expected of them. *** God told them to obey his commands so they would have strength to enter their land. This land is not like the land of Egypt that needed irrigation. God watches over this land to bring rain and help the land give of its fruits. They will live in great prosperity and joy as long as they obey the Lord. Obeying the Lord is how they show they love him. *** God would help them by putting fear in the hearts of the inhabitants so they would be easy to drive out. *** They were to proclaim the blessings on Mt Gerizim and the curses on Mt. Ebal. “Gerizim” means “cut off” and Ebal means “confusion”. So hearing the blessings of obeying the Lord and the curses of not obeying the Lord cuts off all confusion - it was plain and simple and the choice was theirs whether they would choose to be blessed or cursed. *** They were to tear down and destroy every place the past inhabitants worshiped their idols and silly gods. God would choose a place, once they got settled where they would bring their sacrifices and offerings to worship him. This is the only place they would be able to eat their offerings given to the Lord. They were free to have bar-b-ques in their homeland but not do it as a way of worship to the Lord. They were never to eat meat of an animal that was still alive. They were to kill the animal and drain its blood from it making sure it was dead. *** In Luke, Jesus had told this disciples that they were going to cross the lake to the other side. It grew night time and a huge storm rose up. The disciples woke Jesus up and told them they were about to drown. Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and it stopped fighting them. He asked his disciples where their faith was. Satan was warning them they were coming into his territory, but Jesus rebuked him and went anyway. No wonder, when they got there, they met the man who was full of demons. He had terrorized the people and lived in the tombs with the dead. When he saw Jesus, he immediately bowed and exclaimed who Jesus was - Son of the Most High God. The demons in him begged Jesus not to torture them. He was filled with legions of demons who begged Jesus not to send them to the pit. Jesus gave them permission to enter into a bunch of pigs nearby. The pigs ran, out of control over a cliff into the lake and drowned. The herdsmen who were watching the pigs, went into the town telling everyone what they had seen. People came to see for themselves and saw the demon-possessed man sitting on the ground listening to Jesus teach. They were so afraid, they begged Jesus to leave their territory. Jesus left the man who had been delivered there to share his story with everyone. When Jesus came back, the people were then ready to receive him. *** Sometimes it is hard to process something new and people need some time. We need to keep that in mind as everything in our day is changing and becoming new. We need to be patient with people because we all “see” at different times. The people of Israel and the days of the disciples were all new, and they were facing paths they had never navigated before. We are entering into a new day also with the Lord, and we will need to adjust as we go and be willing to change. *** Lord, help us have patience with those who can’t see yet, as you have patience with us. Open all of our eyes to see into the ways of your kingdom. May we make the corrections along the way that we need to make to navigate this new day.

Fri.’s Devo - The Sower and the Seed

Read: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Luke 8:4-21; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 12:2-3 Moses gathered the people to speak to them before they crossed into the land the Lord had for them. They were going to come up against people that were giants who lived in towns with walls that reached to the skies. How coincidental that their first town they came to, it would be the walls that would come down. *** God went to great detail to let them know that he was not giving them this land because of their righteousness or because they deserved it, but because he had promised their descendants and made a covenant with them. They were stubborn and rebellious and had proved it the whole forty years in the wilderness. He was also giving them the land because the people living there were so wicked. *** Moses reminded them of all their sins in the past because Moses stood for “the law” and that is what the law was for. It was to set a standard so people could see their sin through it. Thank God, we live in the day of grace! God reminds us of our future. *** Moses told the people what God required of them. They were to fear Him and live their lives pleasing him. They were to love and serve him with all their heart and soul. The law was for their good if they obeyed it. He told them to change their hearts and stop being stubborn. God is a god of justice and loves the foreigners as well as his people. God had proven to them that he was powerful and worthy of their praise. In Luke, Jesus gave the parable of the sower and the seed. Jesus explained it to his disciples later because they were permitted to know the secrets of the kingdom. God hid these secrets in his parables. The sower was God; the seed was his Word. God scattered his Word everywhere but where that seed fell determined if it would grow and prosper. The places it fell were in the hearts of people. Many seed did not grow because of trauma, clutter, indifference and shallowness. But those who had hungry hearts devoured the seed and it grew and produced a huge harvest. *** Jesus then talked about a lamp. Lamps are light-bearers and should not be hidden but put on a stand so everyone could benefit from its light. We are the light of the world. We are to let our light shine and not cover it with our shame and insecurities. *** Jesus warned them to watch HOW they heard when they listened to his teaching. If they listened with open hearts, they would be given more, but if they listened with cynical hearts, they wold lose what little understanding they had. *** Jesus’ natural mother and brothers came to see him but couldn’t get close because of the crowd. When Jesus heard they were there, he said that his mother and brothers were those who hear God’s word and obey it. I’m sure he went to see his mother and brothers but he was making the point that they were his natural kin on earth but his spiritual kin were just as dear to his heart as them. *** Lord, thank you for your love. May our hearts be fertile and receptive to your teachings, your discipline and your love. May we be a light in the world of your goodness and truth.

Thurs.’s Devo - Victory!

Read: Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20; Luke 7:36-8:3; Pslam 69:1-18; Proverbs 12:1 God listed the seven nations they were to conquer. They were stronger and more in number than the Israelites but the Lord would hand them over to them. They were to completely destroy them and make no treaty of peace with them or make marriages with them. If they did, these nations would lead them to worship their false gods and it would lead to their destruction. God would become their adversary. *** God made it clear that the reason he was helping them was because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He had chosen to love them. His covenant would last a thousand generations. “A thousand generations” is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 16:15 and Psalms 105:8 talking about this same promise. If this is a literal time period then it means 4,000 years. He adds, that he lavishes his love on all who love him and obeys his commands, but doesn’t hesitate to punish those who don’t. *** Besides his love, God’s blessings include abundant provision, fertility, protection, health and victory. He will put the diseases, meant for them on their enemies instead. They were to show their enemy no mercy or it would come back to bite them. *** The same power that God used to take out the Egyptians, he would use against these enemies. God would drive them out little by little so they would be able to take the land as soon as they were destroyed. He would make them so confused, they would not be able to stand against God’s people. *** They were to plunder them but not take the gold or silver used to make their idols. This must be destroyed because it is defiled. *** God warned them to not let all the years they spent in the wilderness be in vain. They were tested and refined in the wilderness so they would be able to obey the Lord now in their time of victory. This is a word for us today. We are witnessing the take down of a very evil system that has plagued us for thousands of generations. Now that it is slowly being dismantled, we must occupy its place and remember all we have learned as slaves. Our only hope of being successful is to follow the Lord and do it his way. We must not forget the Lord who brought us out of bondage and rescued us from slavery. We must remember that he is the one who gives us power to succeed. If we don’t we will be destroyed just like them. *** In Luke, Jesus had been invited to eat at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. A woman who was known for her immoral lifestyle came in and began pouring perfume on his feet. She began weeping and wiped her tears from his feet with her hair. Then she began kissing his feet. It was obvious, this woman was having a spiritual moment of intense emotion. We can only guess what was going on in her heart as she did this. But, the Pharisee thought that if Jesus was a prophet, he should know what kind of woman she was and not received her. *** Jesus, being a prophet, did know who she was and what Simon was thinking. He told Simon a story about two men who each owed a man unequal amounts of money. The man forgave them both. Jesus asked Simon, who he thought would be the most grateful. Simon said, probably the man who was forgiven the greatest debt. Good answer. *** Simon fell right into the trap. Jesus told him that he hadn’t offered Jesus water to wash his feet when he entered his house or the courtesy of oil for his head. She had offered both. She was the man in the story who had owed the greater debt of sin and God had forgiven her. Now she is so grateful that she is offering what she has. Jesus turned to the woman and told her that her sins were forgiven and that her faith had saved her; she could go in peace. *** The Pharisees at the table missed the whole meaning of the parable and stumbled over the fact that Jesus forgave her sin. It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 23:24 to the Pharisees, “You strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” *** In the last paragraph it talks about the women who followed Jesus. Mary Magdalene had had seven demons cast out of her. I wonder if they were the same seven principalities over the nations that had to be cast out of the land God was giving them. *** Lord, thank you for salvation for us who recognized we need a savior. Thank you for setting us free from slavery, not only in our soul but in our nation. Uphold our leaders to follow you with wisdom and discernment. Let them win victory after victory. To you be all the glory!

Wed.’s Devo - Walk in the Fear of the Lord 3-26-25

Read: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 11:29-31 Moses called the people together. This was the new generation of people who had grown up in the wilderness and were only children, or not even born yet when Moses received the law at Sinai. He reminded the people of what had happened on that day and how the Lord showed up with fire and spoke audibly to them. It was so awesome and fearful that the people asked that God not do that again. God was pleased that they feared him and wished that they would live in fear of him, but knew it wouldn’t happen. Moses told them that their God was the only God and they must worship him with all their heart, soul and strength. They must remember his laws and teach them to their children so they would walk in them. *** God was soon going to bring them into the land he had promised them and they would live in prosperous cities, in houses they didn’t have to build. They would be stocked with goods they didn’t have to produce and they would have plenty of food and water that they didn’t have to work for. They must remember in their prosperity to worship the Lord who gave it to them. They were to drive out the inhabitants of the land and remember that they were once slaves in Egypt. God brought them into this land to live righteously as his children. Then he would continue to bless them. We are about to be tested in this same blessing of abundance. We need to heed the same words Moses told the people and obey his Word. In Luke, Jesus sees a funeral procession and sees the widow who has just lost her only son. He is filled with compassion for the mother so he walks up to the coffin, raises up her son and gives him back to his mother alive. *** This was a picture of him. He was the only hope of Israel which was like an only son. He was about to die on the cross and the people would be like this woman - bereaved and lost. He raised the son to show them that they didn’t need to mourn, he was rising from the dead and would return to them. *** John the Baptist heard about all Jesus was doing while he was still in prison. He had to be wondering why Jesus had not come and set him free since it says of the Messiah that he would set the prisoner free. He sent a message to ask Jesus if he was indeed the Messiah or if they should keep looking for someone else. (Maybe he was reminding Jesus that he was still in prison.) Jesus response was to tell John of all he was doing and he added, “and blessed are those who are not offended in me.” I think he was trying to tell John that instead of wondering why he wasn’t doing what John thought he should be doing, he should be excited about what he is doing. God can do anything and everything, but in his wisdom, he does what is best. When we aren’t getting a particular prayer answered, we need to instead concentrate on what God has done and is doing. John was a “marker” and he had completed his race. He was about to be set free and promoted early having finished his destiny. He understood this much better when he received his reward. Some get to the finish line before others. John and Jesus were both early finishers! Others, like Abraham and Daniel have destinies that last much longer. *** Jesus gave John a personal benediction giving honor to him as the greatest that had ever lived. The people agreed, but the experts in the law had rejected John’s baptism thus rejecting God’s plan for their lives. *** Jesus gave them a rebuke for being so judgmental. They didn’t like John who wouldn’t fraternize with them and they didn’t like Jesus who sat and ate with them. He concludes with, “wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” In other words, wisdom would bear witness to who is right in the end. Everyone will be at the Great White Throne Judgment and they will witness who had wisdom by their reward. *** Lord, may we always treasure you above all the world has to offer. Thank you for blessings and prosperity, but you are the real treasure. May we walk in wisdom and in fear of you always.

Tues.’s Devo - Authority

Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39-7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28 God was very explicit about his commands. They were to be read and obeyed exactly like he said, nothing added and nothing subtracted. The scribes and Pharisees had whole books that they added to God’s laws, but Jesus kept referring to God’s original words and not theirs. *** Moses explained that when they crossed into their land they were to obey God’s laws which would be a witness to the people there of how wise their God was. No other people had a God who was near to his people and answered them when they called out to him. God’s laws are righteous and fair. They were never to forget the fear they felt when they stood before Mt. Sinai and heard God speak from the mountain and saw the fire on the top. They would have been kids then, but it had to have made a huge impression on them. *** What they didn’t see was any form of God, so they were never to make any object to replicate him. *** Moses reminded them that God would not let him enter into the land because of his sin because God is a jealous God. He reminded them also of the ones of their group who had been killed because they worshiped Baal. They were to tell all of this to their children and teach them to fear the Lord. They were never to make any idol of any kind - this is evil in God’s sight. *** Moses called them into a covenant with God. When they crossed over, they were to heed God’s laws. If they didn’t, they would die quickly and be utterly destroyed. They would be scattered among the nations and live in nations that worshiped idols. They would join with them in idolatry until they woke up and began to search for their God. When they searched for him with all their heart, soul and mind, they would find him again because God is so merciful and forgiving. *** No other nation heard God’s voice, experienced his deliverance and saw his hand move but them, because they were his chosen people. He is the only God, period! *** God gave them three cities of refuge: Bezer for the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh. These were the tribes that settled east of the Jordan, the first tribes to settle in their land. *** Jesus used natural things to represent spiritual truths. Specks and logs represent the little and big obstacles that hinder us from seeing correctly. If we have the right perspective of our own weaknesses, we will be able to look over those in others. I often realize that the thing that upsets me most in others is the thing that I have refused to see in myself. *** Jesus gave them a test to know whether a person was good or evil and we know by what they produce. A good person will not produce evil, neither can an evil person produce good. But a sinner can become a new person through Christ. Satan produces evil people. God produces good people with a will to choose him or reject him. Sinners are not necessarily evil people; they can be saved. Evil people will not be saved. *** Jesus said that we will know the difference by what comes out of their mouth. These people were calling Jesus, “Lord” but their actions weren’t lining up to their confession. Jesus’ words were the foundation we build our new life in Christ on. *** The next story illustrates what Jesus was saying. A very humble man who was a Roman officer had a slave who was dying. He humbled himself to go to the Jewish elders to ask if they could ask Jesus to come and pray for his slave. The elders told Jesus how kind this man was to the Jews. He had built them a synagogue in their town for them to worship God. *** As Jesus was going to meet this man, he sent a message to Jesus saying he was not worthy of the honor of having Jesus at his house, so Jesus could just sent his word and heal his slave. Jesus was amazed at this man’s faith because that is exactly how it works. This man understood the authority in Jesus’ words. The man’s slave was completely healed. *** Lord, may we realize the authority of your Word and that you have given us authority that you had. Increase our faith to see your hand move through us. May we never forget the things you have done for us.

Mon.’s Devo - God’s Way is the Best Way

Read: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 11:27 God controls the nations and gives them land then takes it and gives it to others. We see this plainly in today’s reading. The people of Esau, Moab, and Ammon were Abraham’s descendants and relatives. God had given them their land and the children of Israel were not to have any of it. In fact, the people of Moab had to take out the giants in their land also, in order to take the land God had given them. *** It had been 38 years since they had sent out the 12 spies and now they were crossing over the Zered Brook. “Zered” means “the stranger subdued.” They had subdued all their enemies so far. All the men of army age had died in the wilderness just like God said they would because of their stubborn hearts. *** When they came to the Ammorites and Sihon, the king of Heshbon, God told them to attack and take their land and occupy it. First, Moses gave King Sihon an offer of peace. When he refused to let them pass peacefully through their land, Moses attacked. They conquered the Amorites and then went on to the land of Bashan. King Og, also an Amorite, attacked Israel at Edrei, but the Lord gave them the victory and they took their land also. King Og was the last giant of the Raphaites. His bed of iron was more than 13 feet long by 6 feet wide - just to give us an idea of his size. No wonder, the spies said they looked like grasshoppers compared to them. *** This land that was conquered was given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh. They had to promise that their warriors would help the other tribes get their land before they settled in their houses. *** Moses saw how God was fighting for them and begged God to let him see the land of promise but God would not let him. Instead, he took Moses up on the Pisgah Peak so he could see the land from there. He was to strengthen Joshua to victory. *** Moses stood for the law and the law cannot enter the land of grace. *** In Luke, Jesus was given the names of his apostles as he went apart to pray. Jesus had many followers who had been healed or delivered by him. Jesus blessed the poor, hungry and crying. He promised them the Kingdom where they would be satisfied and filled with laughter. He told them they would receive a blessing when man cursed them because of him. He cursed the rich, fat and ones who laughed now. They only had sorrow to look forward to. *** To those who were willing to hear his teaching he told them to love their enemies and pray for those who hated them and not to retaliate. It is easy to love those who love us, but not so easy to love those who despise us. Jesus taught us to be compassionate like God is. We are not to judge others or we will be judged. We are to forgive, so we will be forgiven also. We are to give and it will come back to us in abundance. The Kingdom of God is reciprocal. *** Lord, may we live in your kingdom with your mindset and your heart. Thank you that we can see your kingdom rising and coming to life all around us.

Sun.’s Devo - Warrior and Priest

Read: Numbers 36:1 - Deuteronomy 1:46; Luke 5:29-6:11; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 11:24-26 I could title today’s reading “Moses’ Headache” because that is what it describes. God had given the verdict that the daughters of Zelophehad could own land since they had no men in their lineage. Then, the people of their tribe argued that if they married out of their tribe, the land would go to that tribe and Manasseh would lose the land. So, they made it a law that the daughters of Zelophehad had to marry in their tribes and they did. *** Moses gave them a summary of their travels. It should have taken them 11 days to get from Mt. Sinai to where they were about to enter into their land. Instead, it took them 40 years and Moses reminded them of why. None of them had been there the first time, but their parents had. Because of their parent’s rebellion and complaining, they didn’t enter into their inheritance. Now, they were here again as a new generation of people, who weren’t much different than their parents. Moses tells them of their parent’s past so they wouldn’t repeat it. This time, they are going into their land and possessing it. Even Moses will not be able to go in, but Joshua and Caleb would because they are the ones who had encouraged the people that God was with them and would give them victory over their enemies. *** In Luke, the Pharisees complained that Jesus was eating with the friends of Levi who were the tax-collectors, prostitutes and the outcasts of society. Jesus explained that they knew they needed help, and they were the ones he came to save . The ones who thought they had it all, he did not come to heal. They didn’t think they needed healing. *** People complained that Jesus’ disciples never fasted, but John the Baptist’s disciples fasted all the time. Jesus explained that his disciples partied because they had the bridegroom. The ones of John were still looking forward to him to come. But, the time would come when the bridegroom is taken away, then his disciples would fast. *** Jesus gave them the example of cloth. You would never use new cloth to patch old clothes because the new cloth would shrink with washing and break away from the hole eventually. *** Also, you wouldn’t put new wine into old wineskins because it would burst the wineskins. You have to put new wine into new wineskins. *** John the Baptist had come to prepare them to be new wineskins. Jesus had come with the new wine. Those that were ready could receive the new wine, but those who couldn’t make the shift couldn’t receive the new wine. *** This is very applicable today. We are crossing into a new era, season, time in God’s timeline and we cannot bring the old into the new. We have to have a new mindset moving forward. If Trump’s first term was a picture of David’s reign then we know we were and still are in a time of war. If his new term is to enter into the golden age of Solomon, then we know what we are fighting for. We have to think differently about everything. Everything is becoming new. The tail is becoming the head. We have to prepare to rule and reign with Christ on the earth. Jesus tells the story of David who ate the bread that only the priest could eat. Normally, he would have been struck dead for eating the priest’s bread, but he lived because he was not just a warrior king, but a priestly king. We are entering into the Sabbath millennium and Jesus gave us the example of what will happen during that time when he brought the man up in front of the people and healed his deformed right hand. Our deformed right hands are about to be healed so we can do the works of Christ in public for all to see. We are not only warriors, but priests. *** Lord, may we be new wineskins that can hold your new wine. May we not complain or grumble at God’s timing but rejoice that things are moving toward your goal. May your kingdom come!

Sat.’s Devo - Cities of Refuge

Read: Numbers 33:40-35:34; Luke 5:12-28; Psalm 65:1-3; Proverbs 11:23 We are given the last campsites of the Israelites and the total was 49 which means their 50th camp was in the promised land. Fifty is the number of Jubilee where the land goes back to the original owner. The original owner of the land is God and now he is giving that land to his own family. God told them to destroy all their statues, idols, and pagan shrines. They were to take possession of the land and live in it because God was giving it to them. If they failed to get rid of the people living there, they would be like splinters in their eyes and thorns in their sides. *** God set the boundaries of the land he was giving them. They were to distribute the land according to the size of the tribes. God gave Eleazar and Joshua the job of dividing the land grants among the people. Since the Levites were to get no land as their inheritance, the people were to give them towns to live in from their land. The land of the Levites were to extend 1,500 feet from the town walls and surround the town. *** Six of the towns given to the Levites were to be cities of refuge where a person who has accidentally killed another person can go to for safety. Inside the city of refuge they would be safe from the relative who wants to avenge that person’s death. *** If someone strikes a person with iron, stone or a wooden object, it is murder and the persons nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. If someone plots to hurt someone and they end up dead, it is murder. *** If someone accidentally hits another person with an object, with no malice in his heart, that person can flee to a city of refuge before the avenger of blood can reach him. The community of Levites will hear the case and decide if the man has committed murder. If he is judged innocent, he is to stay safely in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest at the time. When he dies, the man is free to go and may return home in peace. *** No one can be put to death with out the testimony of two or more witnesses. All murderers must be put to death. A bribe cannot be given to get out of the city of refuge early. When a murderer is rightly judged and killed, it cleanses the land also. *** So, what does this mean to us? We are all murderers (sinners). We have all shed innocent blood (the blood of Christ). God as the avenger of Jesus’ blood, will kill us if we don’t find refuge in Christ. Jesus is our high priest and when he died, his blood paid for our salvation. He is our city of refuge. *** Before Christ, the people died, unsaved, and went to Sheol where they rested underground. Those that believed in God were righteous because of their faith and rested in cities of refuge in Sheol. When Jesus died, he descended to those cities and preached salvation and raised them with him (Matthew 27:51-53). *** All of the patriarchs were buried in places that became cities of refuge. The cave where Sarah, Joseph, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, etc. were all buried, became Hebron which was designated a city of refuge. In the KJV it talks about death as “sleeping with their fathers.” (1 Kings 2:10) That is literally what they did. They slept with their relatives until Christ awakened them to life. *** In Luke, Jesus met a man in an advanced stage of leprosy. This man was dying in his sin. He bowed before Jesus and begged to be healed. Jesus told the man he willed him to be healed and told him to be healed. The man was instantly healed and was told to go to the priest to let him examine him. He was to present the required offering to the priest and it would be a public testimony of his healing. These are the steps of salvation. First bow before the one who can save you and ask for forgiveness. Receive that forgiveness, then offer your life as a gift and freely testify of what God has done for you. *** One day when Jesus was teaching in a house, a paralyzed man was lowered from the roof in front of Jesus. Jesus saw the faith of the man’s friends and told the man that his sins were forgiven. The religious leaders were most upset because he forgave them mans’ sins when only God can do that. To show them that he had power to forgive sins, he told the man to stand up and walk and the man immediately jumped up and went home praising God. The fear of the Lord fell on everyone. *** Jesus stopped at the table of the tax collector and called Levi to follow him. He left it all and became a disciple of Jesus. *** Lord, I long for the day that we will consistently walk in your “greater works” consistently. Thank you for being our city of refuge from sin and death. Thank you for atoning for our sins and making us righteous in you. May we walk as shining lights and beacons of truth.

Fri.’s Devo - Following Jesus

Read: Numbers 32:1-33:39; Luke 4:31-5:11; Psalm 64:1-10; Proverbs 11:22 The tribes of Reuben and Gad were farmers with many animals. The land they had conquered outside the promised land was fertile and perfect for their livestock. They asked Moses if they could have it instead of the lot they would be given in the land. Once they promised Moses they would send their warriors in to conquer the land for their fellow tribes, he agreed to let them have the land they requested. So the tribes of Reuben and Gad rebuilt the towns of the Amorites and renamed them. *** We are given a list of the 37 places they camped at on their through the wilderness for those 40 years. Aaron died at the age of 123 on Mt. Hor. *** In Luke, Jesus taught in Capernaum and the people were amazed that he spoke with authority. When a man possessed by a demon yelled at him, saying he knew he was the Holy One of God, Jesus told him to be quiet. He then told the evil spirit to come out of the man. The demon came out but not before throwing the man to the floor. The people were amazed that evil spirits were afraid of him. *** Jesus went home with Simon and healed his mother-in-law. She was so healed she got up and fixed their dinner. That night many from the village brought their sick and demon possessed to him and Jesus healed and delivered them. They begged Jesus to stay with them but he had to leave to tell others. *** One day, Jesus was preaching on the shores of Galilee. A crowd so large gathered that Jesus got into a boat and preached from their so they could all hear. I call this the first marketplace-evangelism. Jesus took what was used for business (the fishing boat) and made it his platform. *** When he had finished preaching, he told Peter to row out to the deep and cast out his net. Peter told him they had fished all night and found nothing, but he obeyed. When he brought up his net it was full of fish and almost sunk the boat. Peter was immediately struck with the holiness of the moment and who he was with. Jesus was not just some ordinary man, he was the Messiah, the promised one, the Holy One of Israel. John, James, Zebedee were with Peter and they were all amazed. Jesus told them that from now on they would be fishing for men. When they got to the shore, these men left their jobs of fishing and followed Jesus. *** Lord, may we lay down all the things that keep us from following you whole-heartedly. Make us fishers of men.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Temptation of Jesus

Read: Numbers 30:1-31:54; Luke 4:1-30; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 11:20-21 God takes promises and vows very seriously. He never breaks his promise with us and we should value our word like he does his. But, God made concessions for our flesh in case we make a promise presumptuously and can’t keep it. *** A woman can have her vow annulled by her father or her husband, when they hear it. I think of all the silly things I have said flippantly, not meaning them like, “I’m dying to…” or “break a leg.” I don’t really mean it, but Satan who is the legal adversary heard it and if the Lord, as my Father and Jesus, as my husband hadn’t have stepped in and annulled my words, I would have been dead years ago. So these laws are God’s mercy and kindness to protect us in our ignorance and immaturity. *** God told Moses to round up an army and revenge the Lord against the Midanites who led their people into idolatry under Balaam’s advice. This would be the last thing Moses did before he died. *** They chose 1,000 men from each tribe and went to war. Eleazar, the high priest led them into battle and they had complete success. They brought back the plunder and the women and children. God was most upset that they allowed the women who were the ones who led them into idolatry in the first place. They ended up killing all the women who were not virgins and the boys. They dividing the plunder giving half of it to the warriors and the other half to the people. Of the warriors half, they were to give 5% to Eleazar as a gift to the Lord. Of the half given to the people they were to take 2% and give to the Lord’s Tabernacle. *** When the generals and captains realized that of all their men, not one of them had died in the battle, they gave all their items of gold to the Lord to purify their lives. What a testimony of how God cares for and blesses his people when they obey him. *** In Luke, when Jesus was baptized by John, he was also baptized by God with the Holy Spirit. He was then equipped to go into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. He ate nothing during that time and became very hungry. The devil came to him and told him that IF he was the Son of God he could tell the stone to become bread. Jesus answered him according to the scripture and told him that man doesn’t live by bread alone but by every word of God. In scripture, stone represents God’s Word. The law was written on tablets of stone. Jesus was the Word who became flesh. So Jesus was saying that man doesn’t live by the natural food only, but by God’s food which is his word. *** Next, Satan took Jesus up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the earth. He told him that he would give him authority over all of them IF he would worship him. Jesus told him the Scripture says, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” *** Then the devil took him to Jerusalem to the pinnacle of the Temple and told him IF he was the Son of God he would jump off and anger would catch him and he would not be hurt. Satan quoted Psalm 91:1-2. Jesus told him that the Scriptures say that you must not tempt the Lord. The devil gave up at that time and waited for another opportunity. *** All of the temptations that satan gave Jesus were promises that God had for Jesus when he rose from the dead. Jesus would be the Bread of life to the world. Jesus would be given all the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus would fall to the ground and be lifted up to heaven. Satan always tempts us to get our promises in him before God’s timing. If we wait on the Lord, we will see our promises fulfilled and they will be from him and they will be perfect. We have to remember that life comes from death. *** Satan went away defeated and Jesus went away full of the Holy Spirit’s power. He quickly received recognition and taught in the synagogues. Jesus went home to Nazareth and taught on the Sabbath. He was handed the scroll of Isaiah and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” He rolled up the scroll and told them that that Scripture has been fulfilled in this day. The people had a hard time seeing Jesus as any one than the boy who had grown up among them. They understood that he was really saying that he was the Messiah and they couldn’t believe that. Jesus told them that no prophet was accepted in his own home town. *** Then he told them that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time that were dying because of the famine, but Elijah was not sent to them. Instead, he was sent to a foreigner in Zarephath, in the land of Sidon. And many in Israel had leprosy at the time of Elisha, but the only one God healed was Naaman, who was a Syrian. *** When they heard these stories they were so mad they wanted to kill him because he had said that against the Jews. Jesus was saying, that God not only loved those in his own family, but he also loved the Gentiles. The Jews would reject him just as they were and he would expand his ministry to the Gentiles. *** Lord, may we never get proud in our relationship with you, but may we remain grateful and humble. Thank you for giving us eyes to see and ears to hear. May we remain teachable.

Wed.’s Devo - Back to Eden

Read: Numbers 28:16-29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19 Sacrifices were to be made on the Sabbath, the new moon, every morning and evening and special ones on the holy feast days. *** The feasts began with Passover which was celebrated the 14th day of the first month of their religious calendar. It was the 7th month on their civil calendar. The next day on the 15th began Unleavened Bread. Burnt offerings, grain offerings and peace offerings were to be made with the regular offerings every day during the week of Unleavened Bread. The first day and the seventh day would be holy days of no work. *** The Festival of Weeks would be 50 days later and it was also a holy day of no work. The same offering of two bulls, one ram and seven one-year old lambs was made, along with grain and oil offerings. *** On the first day of the 7th month the Festival of Trumpets was celebrated. Only one bull, one ram and 7 lambs were offered with the grain and oil. Ten days later was the Day of Atonement. One bull, one ram and 7 lambs were offered with the grain and the oil. But 10 days later things got interesting. It was the Feast of Tabernacle and the offerings were given for 7 days straight and did a count down. On the first day 13 bulls, 14 lambs, and 2 rams were offered with the grain and oil. Then every day it was the same, only minus a bull. So it went 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7. Seven were offered on the 7th day and on the 8th day it went back to one bull, one ram and 7 lambs. The number 8 is the number of new beginnings. *** The feasts represent events where God visits his people. Year after year, they practiced the event and on the appointed time, God presented his event. Jesus died on Passover, was buried on Unleavened Bread, rose on First Fruits. He gave his Spirit on Feast of Weeks, and will return on Trumpets. He will judge everyone on Day of Atonement and set up his kingdom on earth on the Feast of Atonement. There is a day after the last feast which is called Simbat Torah. On this eighth day after Tabernacles the people celebrate the annual reading of the Word. They begin again in Genesis One on that day. That is where we are heading… back to Eden. *** In Luke we learn that Jesus began his public ministry at the age of 30. He was probably practicing at home before that. Mary knew that Jesus could do something about the wine because she had seen him do miracles at home. *** We are given Joseph’s genealogy because he was Jesus’ father on earth. Joseph came from the line of David and the kings. This genealogy went all the way back to Eden and Adam who was the son of God. Adam was the type of Jesus. *** Lord, teach us how to live in Eden. Lead us to build back your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. May the whole earth sing your praises and reflect your glory.

Tues.’s Devo - The Messiah Has Come!

Read: Numbers 26:52-28:15; Luke 3:1-22; Psalm 61:1-8; Proverbs 11:16-17 Moses had just numbered the men who were army age so he was to use those numbers to divide the land. He was to give it the land in proportion to the size of the tribes. The Levites had numbered 23,000 but they were not given land. Not one of the people, except Joshua and Caleb, were on the list that Moses had made when they started out on their journey. They had all died because of their rebellion and this was the next generation. *** One of the men had had no sons and his first born was a daughter, Zelophehad. She got no inheritance because she was not a man. She came to Moses to petition for land for their family. God said her claim was legitimate and she should be given an inheritance. She stood for every woman who had no husband or father to protect her. She was given land because God shows no favorites between man and women. *** The Lord took Moses to the top of a mountain to let him see the promised land. He would not be allowed to enter because of his rebellion at the waters. Moses asked the Lord to appoint a leader who would lead the people and God appointed Joshua. He showed Moses how to transition Joshua into his place. Moses brought Joshua out before the people and laid his hands on him transferring his leadership to Joshua. Then he commissioned him to lead the people. *** God told the people to present him a morning and evening sacrifice to him. Every morning we are to acknowledge the Lord and remember him every night before we go to sleep. He is the reason we live. As special offering was to be presented on the Sabbath which is when we worship with other Christians and set aside that day as special to him. Another special offering was to be presented to God at the beginning of the month. All of these were to remind the people that God is holy and they were to honor him as their source of everything. *** In Luke, Luke established all the people who were ruling in the government and in the Temple. God sent John, Zechariah’s son, to the Jordan and told him to preach that people should be baptized to show that they had repented from their sins and turned to God to forgive them. John was the voice in the wilderness that Isaiah had prophesied. He was the one who would prepare the hearts of the people to receive Jesus. *** He called the multitude a brood of vipers and asked them who had warned them of the wrath that was about to come. He warned them that being Abraham’s sons was not going to help them if they didn’t repent of their sins. When they asked John what they should do to show they had repented, he told them to start caring for one another, especially the poor. When the tax collectors asked the same question, John told them to only collect what they were told to collect and no more. *** They had all expected the Messiah to come soon and were hoping John was him, but John made sure they knew he was not the Messiah. He would baptize with water as a picture of cleansing, but the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire when he comes. The Messiah would separate the chaff from the wheat and burn up the chaff with fire. Then he would clean up the threshing area and gather up the wheat into his barn. *** We are witnessing the separating of the chaff from the wheat in our nation. The chaff will be burned up, then the threshing area will need to be cleaned up. After that, his children will be gathered together in him. *** John’s commission was to point out sin. He even criticized the ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas. Herod had married his brother’s wife. Herod didn’t appreciate John’s boldness to speak against him, so he put John in prison. *** Before John was put in prison, while he was still baptizing, Jesus came to be baptized by John. When he baptized Jesus, he saw the heavens open and the Holy Spirit, like a dove come down and descend on Jesus. He heard a voice from heaven say, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” *** Lord, may you say that about us. May we be bold like John and not fear what man can do to us. Guard our hearts as we go through this cleansing period and may we keep our hearts pure.

Mon.’s Devo - Jesus - Welcomed by the Seers

Read: Numbers 26:1-51; Luke 2:36-52; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15 The plague finally subsided and God told Moses and Eleazar to record the names of all the men who could go to war, twenty years and older. We are given a list of all the tribes and the names of the clans and the number of their warriors. Reuben had lost quite a few in the plague because his men were the ones who conspired with Korah against Moses. It lets us know that some of Korah’s sons survived the plague. *** All of the tribe’s numbers were up from the last census of the warriors in Numbers 1, except the tribe of Ephraim which was 8,000 less. The total number was 1,770 less than the first count. *** In Luke, the prophetess, Anna was from the tribe of Asher. She had lost her husband seven years after they married and had never remarried. She was now 84 years old and never left the Temple. She stayed day and night praying and fasting and worshiping the Lord. She walked up as Simeon was talking to Mary and confirmed that the one they had been waiting to rescue Jerusalem had come. *** Every year Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Jesus was now twelve years old and considered a man. He would now follow his father in his business. Jesus accompanied his parents like always, but this year when they started their journey back home, he stayed behind. *** When Mary and Joseph realized Jesus wasn’t with them, they went back to find him. They were worried sick until they found him, three days later, in the Temple talking to the elders and teachers of the law. He was astounding them with his questions and answers. *** When Mary asked Jesus why he had done this to them, he answered that they should have known he would be about his father’s business. Jesus’ father was God. They didn’t understand and brought him home to follow Joseph in his business. At the right time. Jesus entered into the business of his heavenly father. *** I can’t help but see the wisdom of God not to let him grow up in the Temple. Some of the men he talked to as a child were the very ones who made it their goal to kill him later. It was not their doctrine he needed to learn, but that of his parents. *** Lord, thank you for your wisdom and your perfect will. May it be done in our lives, in our cities, and in the nations.

Sun.’s Devo - The Lord Has Come!

Read: Numbers 24:1-25:18; Luke 2:1-35; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14 Balak took Balaam to a third position - the top of Mount Peor. He had built seven altars and sacrificed seven bulls and rams to the Lord. This time, Balaam didn’t resort to his divination. Balaam gave a beautiful oratory about Israel. He proclaimed that they would devour all the nations that opposed them and then lay down to rest like a lioness. He ended with: those who curse her would be cursed. So he turned the curse on Balak who came for that very reason. *** Balak was enraged and told him he would not pay Balaam. Balaam reminded him that he had no power to say anything but what God let him say. Then Balaam let out all the stops; he told Balak what the Israelis would do to Balak’s people in the future. *** In the distant future, God would bring the Messiah out of Jacob who would crush the heads of Moab’s people. He would take Edom, Seir, Sheth, Ir, the Amalekites, the Kenites, and Eber. *** Balak and Balaam departed, but not before Balaam taught Balak how he could infiltrate the Israelites and weaken them. Revelation 2:14 “ But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” *** The Moabite leaders’ daughter was sent down along with other women to entice the men to come and worship their gods. Many fell to the temptation and God sent a plague to punish the people, killing 24,000 of them. Eleazar stopped it by thrusting a spear through the man and Moabite woman who blatantly went into the man’s tent to have sex. The woman’s name was Cozbi which means “my sin.” The man’s name was Zimri which means “my song.” He was definitely listening to the wrong song. *** In Luke, the Roman government called for a census and since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem. This was where God wanted Jesus to be born. (Many of our inconveniences have profound purposes.) Mary did wait till she got there to deliver Jesus and wrapped him in the cloths and laid him in a manger. He came that way and left that way. Historians say that these were left over linen from the priests clothes. It is all symbolic of his priesthood. *** God chose to reveal his great gift to shepherds who tenderly cared for sheep in the natural. They announced to them that the Messiah had been born that day in Bethlehem which was the city of David. All of heaven’s angels praised the Lord and proclaimed that peace had come to those who God was pleased. It would be anything but peace to those God was not pleased with. *** They ran to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph and told them what had happened. Mary was amazed and put this away in her heart. *** Eight days later, they brought Jesus to the Temple to be circumcise and named Jesus. He was dedicated to the Lord as their first born son. There was an old man named Simeon who had been promised by God that he would not die until he saw the Messiah with his own eyes. When Mary and Joseph came with Jesus , he took Jesus in his arms and praised the Lord. He proclaimed that Jesus was a light to reveal the Lord to the nations; he was the glory of all Israel. Now, he could die in peace. *** Simeon told Mary that Jesus would cause many in Israel to fall and other to rise. He would reveal the deepest thoughts of hearts and a sword would pierce Mary’s soul. *** Jesus did all of those things and more. He caused the religious leaders to fall in the eyes of the people and many poor fishermen to rise to change the world. He revealed hearts of the wicked and hearts of the hungry. He brought death and life, the choice was the hearer’s. *** Lord, thank you that your words to us were death to our old man and life to our new. Thank you that your word is eternal and every dot and tittle will be fulfilled.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Blessings

Read: Numbers 22:21-23:30; Luke 1:57-80; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 11:12-13 Balaam followed the Moabite officers. God was angry that he hadn’t obeyed his first request for him not to go, so he sent his angel to block his way. Balaam was kept from seeing the angel, probably to humble his pride showing that he wasn’t such an all-knowing seer after all. His donkey could see into the spirit-realm better than him. The donkey tried to save its life and Balaam’s, but Balaam beat him all three times. Finally, God opened the mouth of the donkey and it spoke to Balaam. What floors me the most is that Balaam talked back to the donkey like that was normal, which in the life of a sorcerer that must have been. When his eyes were opened to see the angel with its drawn sword, he was enlightened. The angel told him he would have killed him if his donkey hadn’t have saved him. Balaam was humbled even though it doesn’t say he apologized to his donkey. But, he did get the message. When he met with the king he told him he would only say what the Lord let him say. *** King Balak took Balaam to three different views of the tribes of Israel looking for a weak spot but, God felt the same way about all his children. Instead of cursing Israel, he blessed them making King Balak extremely mad. *** In Balaam’s first oracle he established the fact that these people were set apart from other nations. In the second speech he told Balak that no magic has power against Israel, they would crush their enemies. Tomorrow we will read what he said at the third place. *** In Luke, Elizabeth had her baby and when he was eight days old, they took him to the Temple for his circumcision ceremony. The priest wanted to name the child Zechariah after his father, but Elizabeth stopped them and said his name was John. They finally had Zechariah write down on a tablet what he wanted his name to be. He wrote “John.” When he did, he could immediately talk. The first thing out of his mouth was praise to God. He began to prophecy the redeemer had come. A Saviour from the line of David had been sent to save them. God had remembered his covenant with his people. Then he turned to his own son and told him that he would be called the prophet of the Most High because he would prepare the way for the Messiah. He would give light to those in darkness and facing death. He would guide them to the path of peace. *** These events shook the surrounding area and all wondered what kind of man this child would grow up to be. John grew in God’s spirit and lived in the wilderness until it was time for him to enter into his public ministry. *** Lord, may we not be stubborn when you ask us to do something. May we quickly respond. Thank you for your blessings and the good plans you have for us. May we walk in your path of peace.