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.

Fri.’s Devo - Nearing the Promised Land

Read: Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Palm 57:2-22; Proverbs 11:9-11 The Israelites continued toward the land of Canaan and were attacked by the people who lived in the Negev. They took some of the people of Israel captive. The people of Israel met and made a vow to the Lord that if he would give them victory over them, they would completely destroy their towns. The Lord heard them and gave them victory. They renamed the place Hormah which means “destruction.” ***The people complained about the manna and the lack of food and water, so the Lord sent poisonous snakes among them which killed some of them. When they repented, Moses prayed and the Lord told him to make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. When the people who were bitten by the snakes looked at the pole, they would be healed. This snake on the pole is now our symbol for medicine. *** They found water in the wells of Beer. They came to the land of the Amorites where Simon was their king. They sent messages to him asking if they could travel through their land. He refused and attacked instead. Israel won and occupied their land to the border of the Amonites. They settled in the city of Heshbon which had been their capital. *** It doesn’t say why they didn’t destroy their towns. We are told that they had worshiped the god, Chemosh which required child sacrifice. Instead of destroying this evil city, they occupied it. *** They went on to Bashan where the King Og ruled. The Lord handed Og over to them. They killed King Og’s sons and subjects and occupied his land also. *** At last, they came to the Jordan River across from Jericho. Jericho was in the promised land. *** Balak, the king of Moab had been watching their progress and decided that they couldn’t win with brute force so he would defeat them spiritually. He sent messengers to hire Balaam, a sorcerer to curse them. Apparently, Balaam was known for his curses and his blessings. *** When the messengers found Balaam and presented him with the king’s request, he told them he would give his answer in the morning. That night God spoke to him and told him not to go because the people this king wanted him to curse, God had blessed. *** The next morning, Balaam gave the men his answer. The king sent an even bigger entourage of more distinguished men to ask him again. They offered to pay him well. *** Balaam told them that even if the king gave him his palace and all his silver and gold , he could not speak against the will of the Lord. But, he did tell them to stay the night and he would see if God had changed his mind. *** That night, God did speak to Balaam and told him to go with these people, but only speak what He told him to say. *** Balaam would have faired better if he had just stuck with what he knew the Lord had told him. His desire to appease this evil king caused the curse to come on him in the end. In Revelation, God spoke to the church at Smyrna about the doctrine of Balaam. “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.” *** Jude also says this about Balaam: “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.” *** In Luke, during Elizabeth’s sixth month of her pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to tell Mary that she would also have a son. She was to name him Jesus and he would be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord would give him the throne of David’s and he would reign over Israel forever. His Kingdom would never end. *** When Mary asked him how this would happen, The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and overshadow her. He told her that Elizabeth was also pregnant and in her sixth month. *** Mary submitted herself to whatever the Lord wanted to do through her and in a few days, went to see her aunt Elizabeth. When she entered the house and greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby lept in her and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She began to prophesy and bless Mary. Mary responded in a beautifully prayer of prophesy. Mary stayed with Elizabeth until it was time for Elizabeth to deliver, then she went back home. *** I can’t imagine the criticism these two women endured to bring us two of the most important figures in human history. *** Lord, may we endure misunderstanding and ridicule because of our walk with you, with honor. May we have the fortitude and response that Mary had to yield her body to your will. As we near the celebration of your death and resurrection, may we be humble and grateful. Thank you for saving us!

Thur.’s Devo - The Red Heifer

Read: Numbers 19:1-20:29; Luke 1-25: Psalm 56:1-13; Proverbs 11:8 Moses was given the law of the red heifer. The people were to bring a red heifer to the priest that had never been yoked to a plow. It was to be slaughtered outside the camp and its blood sprinkled seven times toward the front of the Tabernacle. The heifer was then burned along with a stick of cedar, a hyssop branch and some scarlet yarn. Then the man who killed the animal must wash his clothes and his body in water. *** The red heifer stood for Jesus. He had never been yoked to the curse of sin and death. He was killed on the cross (the cedar stick) and given vinegar on a hyssop to deaden the pain, which he refused. The scarlet thread was the story throughout the Bible of the salvation through blood. The man who offered the sacrificed had to then bathe with water which was a picture of baptism in water that cleanses our soul and Jesus’ baptism in his Spirit that equips us for ministry. All who touched death would be unclean for seven days. We all touch death everyday because sin and death reign in the world. So we all need a savior. They were to purify themselves on the third and seventh day. The whole week represents our lives. So the third day is the day we conform to God’s image by realizing we need to be saved. We then, repent, confess, believe and are baptized. We are clean until the seventh day when we die and go to heaven. Then we are totally set free from sin. Our lives are burnt in the fire and only what we did for Christ remains. (1 Co. 3:1-17) *** This law of sin and sanctification is for those who go to church (in a tent), or those in the world (in an open field). If they see a person sin, they are responsible to not join with them. We are to remove it so it doesn’t affect and infect others. *** We are cleaned by repentance and the water of the Word. We apply God’s word which tells us to repent and turn away from that sin and not return it. *** The children of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. Kadesh means “set apart for purpose.” Miriam died and was buried there. There was no water so the people rebelled…again and complained to Moses that he had brought them there to kill them. They longed for Egypt. *** Moses went before the Lord and he told them to take Aaron and the staff and assemble the people before the rock. He was to speak to the rock and water would come forth. But, Moses struck the rock twice with the staff. Water gushed out, but God was most unpleased with Moses and Aaron. It cost them both their lives and they were not allowed to enter into the promised land. *** Jesus died once for our sins. Moses had struck the rock the first time they came there and the water came forth. Now Moses was to speak to it because that is how we communicate with God because of what Jesus did. Moses messed up God’s picture. He did not demonstrate God’s holiness to the people. *** Moses sent ambassadors to the king of Edom introducing themselves and asking if they could be allowed to pass through their land. They promised not to eat any of their harvest or drink from their wells. They just wanted to walk through the land. *** The king of Edom was very intimidated by them and refused to let them touch his land. He threatened to fight them with his army. So, the children of Israel had to go the long way. They arrived at Mount Hor where it was time for Aaron to die. First, Moses transferred his office of the high priest to his son, Eleazar. Then Aaron died on top of the mountain and the people mourned for him thirty days. *** Luke, decided to write an account of Jesus’ life for Theophilus, his wealthy friend. He investigated as a reporter would with interviews from eye-witnesses and dates so he would get the story in the right order. He began his story with Zechariah and Elizabeth and the miraculous birth of John the Baptist. Zechariah was a priest and it was his time to offer incense on the altar of incense. He was old and his wife barren. While he was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared and told him that his prayers were bing answered. He and his wife, Elizabeth would have a son and name him John. (I love that he named Elizabeth as the mother so he wouldn’t be tempted to have an “Ishmael” with some concubine.) He would bring joy to him and many others. He must not drink wine or alcohol and he would be filled with the spirit and power of Elijah. He would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and would cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. This was the same prophecy given by Malachi (Mal. 4:5-6). *** When Zechariah doubted God, he caused him to be muted until the child was born. When he walked out to the people, he couldn’t talk. He motioned and gestured so that they knew he had seen a vision. *** Elizabeth did become pregnant and hid away for five months. *** God, I thank you that you don’t forget our prayers like you didn’t forget Elizabeth’s. Help us to wait for you and your timing. Our ways are not your ways, but we know that yours are better.

Wed.’s Devo - Aaron’s Rod

Read: Numbers 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalm 55:1-23; Proverbs 11:7 Almost 300 people had died the day before. The people began talking among themselves about what had happened and went to complain to Moses and Aaron. They saw that the Lord’s presence was appearing at the Tabernacle so they all went to see what God would say. *** God told Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the people, because he was going to kill them. Moses and Aaron fell down in intercession, begging him not to kill more people. Moses told Aaron to quickly go and bring the incense so God would smell that and be appeased. By the time he got it, the plague had already broken out and 14,700 more people died. *** God settled the matter once and for all when he had each tribal leader bring his staff to him. He placed it in the Tabernacle for the night. Each staff had the name of the tribal leader on it. The next morning only Aaron’s rod had sprouts, buds, blossoms and ripe almonds on it. God had chosen the tribe of Levi to be his ministers. Moses set Aaron’s staff before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to the others so no one else would have to die. *** Now, the people complained that all God did was to kill people. Moses explained that the Levites and the Priests would minister to the Lord and if they messed up, it would only be them that paid the price. The Levites were to do the duties of the Tabernacle out side the Holy of Holies but they were not to go near any of the sacred objects of the altar. They were to maintain and care for the Tabernacle. The priest performed the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. The Levites were a gift from God to the priests. *** Aaron would be in charge of all the holy offerings. Aaron stood for Jesus. He was to have a portion of the offerings offered for him and his sons. We are his sons. The harvest gifts, the best of the olive oil and new wine and grain was also theirs - or ours. Everything in Israel that is set apart to the Lord also belonged to Aaron and his children. We are partakers of the Lord’s blessings. *** The first born son or animal offered to the Lord would be the property of the priests (like Samuel who was offered to Eli). But the priests were to redeem their own first born sons when they were one month old for five pieces of silver. Our first fruits are the Lord’s. *** The Levite’s would receive no allotment of land in the promised land because they would receive the tithes of all the people. Then, they were to give to the Lord a tithe of what the people gave to them. They were to give the priests the best they received from the people. The priests would keep their portion and give the best to the Lord. They were warned never to treat the gifts the people gave as common - they were holy and to be respected. Jesus demonstrated this when he commented on the widows mites as though they were the most valuable gift given. *** In Mark, the women went to the tomb the morning after the Sabbath. They came to bring spices and anoint Jesus’ body. On the way they talked about how they were going to roll the stone away from the tomb but when they got there it was done. They went inside and were met with an angel who told them that Jesus was risen and they were to tell the disciples, and Peter that he would meet them in Galilee. *** None of Jesus disciples thought he would rise from the dead. They all thought he had died and was not who he said he was. Peter must have been the most disappointed because the angel called him by name. Peter was also filled with guilt over denying him. *** Jesus did meet with them many times before he left to go to heaven. He told them to do all the things he had done, then he went and sat at God’s right hand. The disciples went everywhere preaching and doing the works of Jesus. We are told that greater works will we do because Jesus has gone to his Father in heaven. We are to do the greater works and continue his ministry. *** Lord, increase our faith to do these greater works. Thank you for the things we are seeing in our nation that we didn’t think were possible, but they are happening. May this give us faith to believe you will do in the Spirit what you are doing in the natural. Excel your kingdom work through us.

Tues.’s Devo- Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

Read: Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 11:5-6 God told them to give him the first cake they made from the dough of their harvests each year. That is the same as saying to give God the first of your labors. Put him first in everything. *** What if they, as a whole forgot to do something God had required and then realized it. The whole community was to bring a bull, a grain offering, a liquid offering and a goat. All of this would bring them forgiveness from God. If it is a person who unintentionally sins, he must offer a goat which was the sin offering, to be pure. *** We are all guilty of doing things that we later realize was offensive to God. God requires us to acknowledge and confess it, then ask forgiveness and do whatever God tells us to do to make it right. *** But, if the people brazenly violated the Lord’s will, they had to be cut off from the community. They had to suffer the guilt of what they had done. Sin separates us from God and other believers. When we see this separation happening, we must ask ourselves why and repent. *** We get an example of this with the man who was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day which was a blatant violation of the law. They had to take him outside the camp and stone him to death. Can you imagine having to throw stones at a person till he died. What did that do to the people throwing the stones? Hopefully, it put the fear of God in them, which would be the point. *** They were told to make tassels and attach them with a blue cord to the bottom of the hem of their clothing. This was to be a reminder to obey the Lord’s laws. That twisted cord with all the strings were to remind them of each law and how they all worked together. *** Korah, one of the Levites conspired with Dathan, Abiram, and On against Moses and Aaron. They influenced 250 of the elites of the community and other Levites to unify with them. They had gotten tired of submitting to Moses and Aaron who, in their opinion, acted like they were more important than them. They challenged Moses and Aaron’s authority. Isn’t this the whole reason the Pharisees and religious leaders hated Jesus so much? Power is a vicious spirit if it is in the wrong hands. *** When Moses called Korah and his friends to a meeting, they refused to come. They also complained that Moses took them from Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey and brought them into the wilderness to kill them. They accused Moses of treating them like slaves and for not fulfilling his promise to take them into another land filled with milk an honey, fields and vineyards. They accused Moses of fraud. *** What a deception they were under. Nothing they said was true. Egypt had been the land of slavery where the Pharaoh treated them with contempt. and was far from a land of milk and honey for them. *** God settled the matter by telling them to each bring an incense burner filled with incense and God would make the decision. Their incense was not a sweet aroma and God wanted to kill them all, but Moses cried out for the people. He begged him not to kill them all for one man’s oppinion. God had mercy on the people and the ground opened up and swallowed Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their families alive. The pit opened up and hell received them. Then it closed up. Wow! *** The people heard their screams and saw the fire that burned up the 250 that had followed them. Eleazar, the priest picked up all the incense burners and hammered them into sheets and put it on the sides of the altar of burnt offerings to be a reminder to the people of Korah’s rebellion and what happened to them. *** In Mark, Jesus is before Pilate and you can see how much Pilate wants to be on Jesus’ side, but Jesus is not helping him much. Pilate knows Jesus is innocent and thinks he has a way of getting around sentencing him. Every year he releases a prisoner from jail. He probably picks the least dangerous one to release, but this year, he chose the worse, thinking surely they would choose Jesus over Barabbas. But, the crowd has been brain-washed by the priests and they choose to release Barabbas and crucify Christ. *** Remember, in the first Passover, the lamb had to be inspected to see if it had no blemishes. Jesus was examined first by the Pharisees, and now by the Roman government. The religious government had to lie to bring a guilty sentence against him, and now the Roman government could find no fault in him. Pilate complied because he was too weak to stand against the crowd. *** Jesus was mocked and persecuted and led to be crucified. A stranger carried his cross to Golgotha which means “The Place of the Skull.” It was named that became the rock looked like a bald head. Remember the Nazarite had to shave his head at the end of their vow and place it on the fire. This is the picture. *** They crucified Jesus at nine in the morning the exact time they would bind the Passover Lamb to the altar at the Temple. This lamb would stay there until they finished offering everyone’s lambs on the altars. This lamb would then be slain for the whole nation at three that afternoon. At the end of the ceremony the priest would say to the people, “It is finished. Next year in Jerusalem.” He said this at the exact time Jesus uttered, “It is finished.” Jesus was the Passover Lamb who was slain for the whole world. *** At noon, the sky became dark for three hours and if you want to know what happened during that time, it is explained in Psalm 18. Jesus quoted from Psalm 22 as a reference for them to remember the song and realize it was being fulfilled before their very eyes. *** When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple was torn from heaven to earth and now we are all invited into the presence of the Lord. The Roman officers who had mocked him, now proclaimed that he was indeed the Son of God. *** Jesus was placed in Joseph’s tomb. Joseph’s tomb in the Old Testament was also emptied and his bones were taken to the Promised Land. This Joseph’s tomb would be emptied again and Jesus would go to his promised land. *** Lord, your ways are so past ours. Thank you for all the rejection, mocking and shame you had to endure to take our rejection and shame from us. Thank you for enduring the humility of the cross.Thank you for the greatness and power of the resurrection.

Mon.’s Devo - Growing in Faith

Read: Numbers 14:1-15:16; Mark 14:53-72; Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 11:4 When the people heard the evil report of the spies they were very upset. They even toyed with the idea of going back to Egypt. They talked about stoning Joshua and Caleb since they were the only ones encouraging them to take the land. *** It is true that whenever we come up against a hiccup in the plan, we look for a way out or someone to blame. We usually end up blaming God, who is the only one who can help us around the stumbling block. *** The people had seen the power of God to deliver them from the Egyptians, and they had seen God part the Red Sea when there seemed no way of escape, and yet they had not learned from them. Every trial is a test. As we pass the test, we go to the next level. The test on the next level will be harder than the one on the lower level. Every time we have to have more faith which causes our faith to grow. Trials are our spiritual exercises. The more our faith grows, the greater things the Lord can trust us with. *** The children of Israel had not learned to fear the Lord. He struck down the spies that brought the evil report with a plague - the very thing he used against Egypt. Joshua and Caleb did not die with the plague because they trusted God. *** The people were sentenced to die in the wilderness and were given one year for every day they walked in the land. For forty years they would pay for refusing to see God’s goodness and believe his promise. Every day we are given a choice whether to see God’s goodness or complain about what is not going our way. They could have been in the promised land 40 years sooner if they had faith and chosen well. *** God gave Moses specific instructions about their sacrifices. When they brought an animal they must also give flour, olive oil and wine. It was the aroma that was pleasing to the Lord. God is looking for our sacrifice of our bodies, our anointing, our praise, and our spirit that he has made holy. When we give him all of these, it is a sweet aroma to him. *** In Mark, Peter was lurking in the background listening to the trial going on in the high priest’s house. He sat with the guards, hoping to blend in. He heard the false testimonies. When Jesus was asked to rebuttal, he remained silent until the high priest asked him if he was the Messiah. He answered “I AM and you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” *** That got him a “guilty” sentence of death. They blindfolded him, slapped him and beat him with their fists. They mocked him and finally took him away. I wonder if they had been able to see Jesus’ eyes if they would have had the courage to slap him. *** Peter was exposed as being a disciple of Jesus by one of the servant girls, but denied it three times. When he heard the rooster crowing, he remembered what Jesus had said and broke down crying. We are not as strong as we think we are on our own. Peter had been so bold as to cut the man’s ear off when Jesus was there with him and he was surrounded by his friends, but by himself, he was scared and weak. We need Jesus and we need each other for support and strength. We were not meant to do this life alone. *** Lord, may we accept the help of others and especially from you. May we see your goodness every day in every trial. May we pass the test of faith.

Sun.’s Devo - Ministry is Messy

Read: Numbers 11:24-13:33; Mark 14:22-52; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 11:1-3 Moses chose his 70 men and God put the same Spirit upon them as he had put on Moses, much like Jesus chose his 70 men and put his Spirit upon them and sent them out (Luke 10). They prophesied for the first and last time. Two men that were supposed to be in the 70 stayed in the camp and the Spirit of God rested on them and they prophesied there. Their names, Eldad and Medad mean “God has loved” and “God would be loving.” God’s love was not just for the ones that showed up then, but those that would come behind many years later. It was also a picture of how God would not only love the Jew, but those not associated with them - the Gentile… God so loved the world. Moses had to assure Joshua that it was okay with him that they were used by God also. This reminds me of the men who were casting out demons in Jesus name and the disciples wanted to stop them because they weren’t apart of his group. Jesus rebuked them and said if they weren’t against them, they were for them. God has his people everywhere. *** God sent the quail just like he said he would and the people gathered no less than fifty bushels a piece. Those that had craved the meat of Egypt gorged on the meat until it made them sick. God sent a place and killed them. God called the place they were buried “Graves of gluttony.” *** To add to their problems, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses for marrying a Cushite woman. Their real problem was jealousy. They were jealous of Moses’ leadership and claimed that God spoke through them also. God heard their words and took up for Moses because he was very humble - more than anyone on earth. *** God called Moses, Miriam and Aaron to the Tabernacle and came down in the cloud where he stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. He called for Aaron and Miriam to step forward. He then begin to tell them that Moses was the only one He trusted to speak face to face with. Then he asked them why they were not afraid to criticize him. *** When God’s cloud departed, Miriam was covered with leprosy. Aaron cried out to Moses on her behalf and begged him to pray for her. Moses begged the Lord to heal her. God told him to put her out of the camp for seven days and everyone had to wait to continue on their journey. I bet she came back much more humbled. *** They traveled to the wilderness of Paran where God told Moses to send out a leader from each of the 12 tribes to explore the land they had been promised. He told them to check out the land, the people, their towns, the soil, and the trees. They were to try to bring back a sample of the crops if they could. It was the time of the grape harvest. *** They can back reporting that the land was fertile and beautiful. The people were powerful, the towns were fortified and there were giants in the hill, on the coast and in the valleys. But, they did have a huge branch of grapes like they had never seen before. Caleb calmed them down and told Moses they should go at one and take the land. They would surely conquer it. But the other 10 had spread their bad reports and paralyzed the people with fear. *** In Mark, Jesus took communion with his disciples, explaining to them the meaning behind the wine and the bread. He explained that he would not drink wine again until he drank the new wine in the Kingdom of God. They sang a song together, then Jesus took them to the Mount of Olives. *** On the way, Jesus told them that he would be stuck and they would scatter like sheep. After he rose from the dead, they were to meet him in Galilee. This all went straight over their heads, but Peter did defend himself and say he would never desert Jesus. *** Jesus told him he would not only desert him, but deny him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter refused to believe it… till it happened. *** Jesus took them to an olive grove and told them to pray while he went apart from them to do the same. Jesus travailed in prayer asking God if it was possible for him to take this from him. But, he prayed that God’s will would be done, not his. *** Every time Jesus came to check on his disciples, they had fallen asleep. The third time, he looked up and say Judas coming and told them to get up because the betrayer was here. *** Judas betrayed him with a kiss and Peter tried to show he could defend Jesus by cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus told them that what they were doing was fulfilling scripture. Then, the disciples scattered just like Jesus and scripture said they would. *** A young man in a linen garment had been watching and he tried to escape, but they grabbed his robe and he ran away naked. All throughout scripture you will find these men dressed in linen. I believe he was one of God’s watchers. Sometimes they are depicted as holding ink horns, or measuring tools. The meaning in the Greek for linen cloth is “esp. that which was fine and costly, in which the bodies of the dead were wrapped.” Angels are all around us, ministering to us as the sons of God. They ministered to Jesus and were mentioned many times. *** Lord, may we not criticize your leaders, but pray for them. May we not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to and may we not be found sleeping when we need to be watching. Thank you for your ministering angels.

Sat.’s Devo - The Goodness of God

Read: Numbers 10:1-11:23; Mark 14:1-21; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 10:31-32 Their marching order was given in Numbers 2 but more in detail here. Leah’s sons went first: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Next were the two clans of Levi, also Leah’s, that carried the loads for the Tabernacle: Gershon and Merari. Then Reuben, Simeon - both Leah’s, followed by Gad from Leah’s concubine Zilpah. Next were all Rachel’s: Ephraim and Manasseh from Joseph, and Benjamin. Bringing up the rear were Dan, who was from Rachel’s concubine Bilhah, followed by Asher from Leah’s concubine and Naphtali from Rachel’s concubine. *** Moses has a conversation with his brother-in-law, Hobab, and tries to convince him to travel with them. Hobab is mentioned later in Judges when Israel was fighting Sisera which makes me think that he did go with them and settled with the Kenites. *** Whenever the cloud would move, they would move. Moses would always shout, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!” What a great declaration to make every day! Then when they rested, he would say, “Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel!” *** It didn’t take the people long to start complaining about their lives and how hard it was. God sent a fire among them. The people cried out to Moses for help. Moses and prayed, and God put out the fire. *** The trouble-makers began to complain that they had no meat. They reminded the people of all the good meat they had in Egypt. God responded. *** He sent down manna which looked like seeds but when ground, boiled, and made into cakes, it tasted like pastries. This manna came down from heaven during the night. Still, the people whined. *** Moses had a meltdown before the Lord and complained about the people complaining. (Can you relate? I can.) When we feel like Moses, we should write down our complaints and then read them out loud and see if we would want people for generations to read it. I bet we would laugh and throw it in the trash can. Moses didn’t have that luxury…we are reading his complaints still today. *** God told Moses to tell the people to purify themselves because they would eat meat tomorrow. In fact, he was to tell them that they would eat meat for the next month! I bet Moses wished he hadn’t complained because now he had to promise them the impossible. God’s response to Moses’ lack of faith was, “Has my arm lost its power?” Did Moses forget what God had done in Egypt and at the Red Sea? *** When we need the impossible, we just need to remember all the impossible things God has done for us in the past. He is the same God and he will do it again. *** In Mark, It was two days before the Passover and Jesus’ enemies were still looking for a way to kill him, secretly. They agreed to wait until after the Passover so the people wouldn’t riot. *** While Jesus was in Bethany, a woman came in with a jar of expensive perfume an anointed his head with it. Some of the people at the table complained that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. But, Jesus commended her saying, she had anointed his body for burial ahead of time. What she did that day would be discussed for ages to come. *** This must have been the straw that broke Judas’ back because he left and went to the leading priests, to talk about betraying Jesus. *** Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead of him to Jerusalem to find a place they could use to eat their Passover meal together. He told them to follow the man carrying a pitcher of water. They did, and he took them to a large room that had been set up for them. *** That evening as they sat in that room, Jesus told them that one of them sitting with them would betray him. The disciples were very distressed asking if they were the one. Jesus said that the one who was eating from the same bowl as him was the one. It would have been better if this man had not been born. *** Lord, may people remember us for the things we did that mattered for the kingdom instead of our complaints. May our mouths be filled with the good things you do, rather than the things you don’t do that we think you should do. We thank you that you are hundreds of moves ahead of us and all of them end up at the place of your goodness.

Fri.’s Devo - The Future Glory

Read: Numbers 8:1-9:23; Mark 13:14-37; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 10:29-30 God told Moses to tell Aaron when he set up the lamp stand to make the light shine forward. The lamp stand was a picture of the revelation of God and it is always looking forward into the future. It is Satan that wants you to look at your past. God is wanting you to look toward your future. *** The Levites were to be set apart in a ceremony because they now stood as a substitute for the first born, and they belonged to the Lord. Jesus became our substitute for all mankind. His death brought in a kingdom of priests. These Levites served the priests so that no plague would strike them. *** The Israelites had their first Passover in Egypt and were to celebrate it every year on that same date: Nissan 14. If they were unable to celebrate it then, they could do it the same day on the next month. They would eat the Passover lamb at twilight along with bitter greens and unleavened bread. None of it was to be left till the next morning and they must not break any of its bones. It was to be a representative of Jesus, God’s Passover Lamb. Those who chose not to celebrate it would suffer the consequences of their guilt. *** The day the Tabernacle was set up the cloud of God’s presence covered it. When it lifted, they broke camp and followed it. Sometimes it stayed only a night and sometimes it stayed for a month or a year. *** They lived very temporarily, never being able to know if they could settle down or not. This is how we are to live today, ready to move whenever God says to move. *** In Mark, Jesus warned them of the day Antiochus Epiphanes would come through Jerusalem and sacrifice an abomination in their Temple. He warned them when this happened to run for the hills, it would not be safe for them in Jerusalem. They should pray it didn’t happen in the winter. He told them it would be a time of greater anguish than the world had yet seen. God would shorten the days for his chosen ones so they would have survivors. *** False Messiahs would appear offering a solution but they were not to follow them. They would even do miracles to deceive. People would be looking for a savior, but they were not to be fooled by them. *** There would be signs in the heavens to show the Son of Man coming in the sky. We saw this happen in the sky in the constellations a few years ago. The angels will gather God’s chosen from all over the world to Him. We know that his return is very near. This generation will not pass before we see all these things take place. Only God knows the day and hour he will return. The gate keepers, the prophets, are to be watching and warning. Everyone is to be watching. *** Lord, may we be watching and ready for your return. May we be occupied doing your will.