Thurs.’s Devo - Holy and Set Apart

Read: Leviticus 20:22-22:16; Mark 9:1-29; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 10:18 Romans 8:19-23 talks about how the creation is eagerly waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. The creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption just like we are eagerly waiting for the adoption and redemption of our body. Creation responds to what man is doing. God told the children of Israel that if they did the practices of the heathen who had owned the land before them, the land would respond and vomit them out. *** They were to be holy and set apart. Mediums that consulted the dead were to be put to death by stoning. *** There were things that a priest could not do that the regular person was allowed. This points to us as God’s holy priesthood. Others may participate in things that we may not, if we want to remain holy. The priests and their families where held to a higher standard because with greater honor comes greater responsibility. Everything the priest did was to represent the spotless lamb of God who is now our High Priest. *** The people were responsible for the offering they brought because the offering represented a gift of themselves to Christ. It was to be holy and spotless. The priests offering the gift were to be spotless also. Only the priests were to eat the offerings brought to the Lord. If someone outside the priesthood accidentally ate any of the holy meat, he was to pay a price of the meat plus an extra 20%. Then he would be relieved of his guilt. *** This reminds me of the tithe we are required to give. If we don’t give it, the devil has a right to devour what we should have given and he always takes more. If we give our 10% to the Lord, He will bless it, and will rebuke the devourer. Then he promises to return a multiplied blessing to us. *** Jesus told them that standing among them were some that would see the Kingdom of God arrive in their lifetime. Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain. They watched as Jesus allowed them to see him in his glory. Elijah and Moses appeared with him and they talked among themselves. *** Peter offered to make booths for them as it must have been the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. A cloud came over them and God spoke saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, Listen to him.” When the cloud lifted, Jesus was alone. He told them not to tell any one about what they had seen until after his death. *** They asked Jesus why the teachers of the law taught that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes. Jesus answered in future and past tense. He said Elijah had come in the form or John the Baptist and Jesus would come again before he came back. Then he asked them why the scriptures said that the son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt. (That was something the teachers of the law failed to teach about.) *** Jesus returned to the crowd and found his disciples arguing with the religious teachers. Jesus asked what was going on and a man in the crowd said he had brought his son to them to be delivered from an evil spirit, but his disciples couldn’t do it. *** Jesus called the whole generation “faithless” and asked the father to bring the son to him. When the evil spirit saw Jesus it went into a seizure - which means the evil spirit seized him beyond the boy's control. 
 *** Jesus asked how long it had been happening and found out it had been going on since he was a child. The spirit would try to kill him. He asked Jesus to have mercy, if he could. Jesus asked him about what he meant when he said, “if you can?” *** The man quickly admitted that he did believe but needed help to with his unbelief. Jesus rebuked the spirit of deaf and dumb and cast him out. The spirit left violently and left the boy looking like he was dead. Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up. *** Later, the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out that demon and Jesus said that that king couldn’t only be cast out with prayer and fasting. I wonder if he meant that a person who fasts and prays will be ready with what it takes to overcome that demon. *** Lord, may we be prayed up and ready for the battle in our lives. May we remember that we are holy and set apart to be priests on the earth for your glory.