Wed.’s Devo - The Beginning and the End -

Read: Malachi 3:1-4:6; Revelation 22:1-21; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 31:25-31 Malachi proclaimed the coming of the Messiah to earth. He spoke of John the Baptist who would come and call the nation to repentance and tell the people to prepare their hearts to receive the Lord. John would speak against the evil of his day and call out deceivers and sinners. *** Malachi answered every question they would have. They had turned away by not obeying his laws. They had cheated God by not giving their tithes and offerings to him. They had complained that there was nothing to gain by serving the Lord because they saw no consequences for sin. He reminded them of God’s scroll of Remembrance that recorded the names of all who feared him and honored his name. The names in that scroll would be the ones who would be spared in judgement and be his special treasure. *** The day of judgment was coming and the arrogance and wicked would be burned up. Those who feared his name would go free, leaping with joy. They will tread upon the wicked. *** Malachi reminded them to remember the law that Moses gave them on Mt. Sinai. God would send his prophet Elijah (John the Baptist) who would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and vice versa. If they don’t turn, they will be struck with a curse. *** In Revelation, the angel showed John the same river flowing through the Temple that the angel showed Ezekiel. The river had trees on both sides whose leaves had healing in them. They were used as medicine to bring healing to the people of all nations. There was no more curse in the land because God and the Lamb will be there. The people will see them and bear their name on their forehead. God and the Lamb will be the light. *** The angel made it clear that all this would happen an it would happen soon. He would’t let John seal this part of the scroll because it was so imminent. He also told him to let everyone continue to live their lives as they determined to do, but the Lord was coming soon and bringing rewards for everyone’s deeds. *** Those who repent and allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse their lives will be blessed and allowed into God’s holy city. They will enjoy the fruit from the Tree of Life. Those who lived in wickedness and refused to repent would be allowed to live outside the city because they loved to live a lie. *** Jesus told John that he had sent the angel to give this message to the churches. Jesus created David and is also the heir to his throne. He is the bright and morning star. *** Jesus blessed anyone who hears this prophecy and believes it. He also cursed anyone who tries to twist or add to this prophesy. Their names will be taken out of the Book of Life. He proclaimed that He is coming soon. *** Lord, may the grace of the Lord Jesus be with your people. May we faithfully wait for you to come and serve you with loving hearts and good deeds. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Tues.’s Devo - The Best is Yet to Come!

Read: Malachi 1:1-2:17; Revelation 21:1-27; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 31:10-24 Malachi is sort of a mystery. He isn’t mentioned anywhere else in the Bible and he gives no clues as to when he prophesied, yet his prophecy is the last book in the Old Testament. *** The children of Israel had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild and restore their land. They began strong but had quickly fallen into complacency and became immoral and careless. Malachi answers many of the questions he heard the people asking about God. They doubted God’s love for them so Malachi explained how God loved Jacob but rejected his brother Esau. They were Jacob and God loved them and gave them back their land, but he destroyed Esau’s land and said it would not be rebuilt. He named it “The Land of Wickedness” and called the people “The People with Whom the Lord dis Forever Angry.” *** God accused the people for having no respect for his name because they brought animals that were lame and blemished to the Temple to give to him. They prayed that God would have mercy on them yet they were not willing to give God their best. God said it would be better for them to shut the Temple doors for all the good it was doing them. He explained how other nations honored him and respected him yet his own nation treated him with contempt. *** Malachi rebuked the priests for offering these defective offerings on the altar. They were bringing a curse down on themselves. They were not teaching truth to the people. God’s covenant was to bring life and peace in exchange for their respect and reverence. *** Malachi pointed out the sin of the men of Judah. They had married women who worshipped idols. He also called out those who made vows to their wives and then were unfaithful to her. He told them to be faithful to their first wife because he hates divorce. *** The last thing Malachi pointed out was their deception of justice. They called the evil good and had lost sight of right and wrong. They cried out for justice when they were tolerating injustice. *** In Revelation, John saw the new heaven and earth. The old had disappeared along with the sea. Heaven came to earth looking like a bride. God now dwelled with his people. Death, sorrow, crying and pain were all gone forever. God said he was making all things new. The victorious were given their inheritance. They could now drink from springs of life. The wicked were thrown into the lake of fire. *** John was taken to a high mountain to see the bride. He saw the city of Jerusalem coming down from heaven and shining with God’s glory. It had a wall around it with 12 gates that were guarded by 12 angels. There were three gates on each side. On the foundation stones were written the names of the twelve apostles. *** The angel measured the city, its gates and its walls and it was 12,000 stadia square (1,400 miles square). The walls were make of jasper and the city was made of gold. The foundation stones were the gems of the tribes of Israel. The gates were made of pearl and the streets of gold. There was no temple in the city because the Lord and the Lamb are its temple. There was no need of sun or moon because God’s glory lit the city. Its gates will always be open so that all the nations can bring their glory and honor into the city. No evil will be allowed to enter. Only those whose names were written in the Book of Life may enter the city. *** Lord, your ways are amazing. I can not even imagine how glorious this is going to be. We have so much wonderful things to look forward to. Thank you that the best is yet to come!

Mon.’s Devo- The 1,000 Years

Read: Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 20:1-15; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 31:8-9 Zechariah describes the Day of the Lord. All the nations will come to fight against Jerusalem. It will be plundered and half of the people captured and the rest left to live among the ruins. *** The Lord will go fight against Israel’s enemies. His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and it will split apart making a valley. The people will flee across the valley. The Lord will come with all his holy ones. *** The sun and moon will not shine, yet there will be continual light. Life-giving waters will flow from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and to the Mediterranean. They will flow all year long. The Lord will be king over all the earth. He will be the only one worshiped. The land south of Jerusalem will become a plain, but Jerusalem will be elevated and inhabited. It will be filled with people and a safe city of blessings. *** The Lord will send a plague on the nations who fought against Jerusalem. It will cause their bodies and the bodies of their animals to rot away causing terror and panic. There will be hand-to-hand combat in which the wealth of all the nations around Jerusalem will be captured. *** The people who survive the plague will go to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If they don’t, they will have no rain that year and they will suffer the plague. *** In that time even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with the words, “Holy to the Lord.” Even their cooking pots will be holy and all who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. There will be no unbelievers in the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. *** In Revelation, John saw an angel coming from heaven with the ey to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He bound Satan with the chains and threw him into the bottomless pit. Then he shut and locked in in the pit for 1,000 years. Then, he would be released for a time. *** John saw thrones and people on the thrones who had been given authority to judge. He also saw the martyrs for Jesus who had not worshiped the beast or his statue or taken his mark. They all came to life again and reigned with with him for 1,000 years. This was the first resurrection. *** The dead who were not believers did not resurrect until the judgment after the 1,000 years. After the 1,000 years, Satan would be let out of his prison and go out to deceive again. He will call Gog and Magog to battle with him to surround God’s people in Jerusalem. God will rain down fire from heaven to consume their armies. The devil will be thrown down again, but this time into the lake of fire along with the beast and the false prophet. They will be tormented day and night forever. *** John saw a great white throne and God was sitting on it. The earth and sky ran from his presence but found no place to hide. The dead stood before the Lord to be judged. The Book of Remembrance was opened first and they were judged according to their deeds. Next, the Book of Life was opened. Death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire signifying the second death. Anyone whose name was not in the Book of Life was thrown there also. *** Lord, thank you that we know our names are written in your books. May our works magnify your name and do your will. Thank you for Jesus who made a way for our salvation.

Sun.’s Devo - The Last Battle -

Read: Zechariah 12:1-13:9; Revelation 19:1-21; Psalm 147:1-20; Proverbs 31:1-7 God gave Zechariah a vision of the fate of Israel. God was going to make Israel like a poisonous drink that killed all those who came against it. Their enemies would fear fighting God’s people and God’s people would find their strength in the Lord. The clans of Judah would burn their neighboring nations with fire, but those who live in Jerusalem would be safe. *** The people of Judah would be victorious first, and then the people of Jerusalem so that the people of Jerusalem could not claim to be more honorable than the rest of Judah. (God will level the hierarchy of the church.) The weakest will be as strong as King David. *** God will pour out his grace upon the family of David and they will come to know Jesus as their Messiah. They will mourn the fact that they just came to realize this. It will become a very personal event as they meet Jesus as their personal Savior. *** Zechariah saw the fountain of the Lord which will cleanse them from their sins. They will forget their idols and their false prophets. *** Two-thirds of the people will die and the group that survives will come out of the fire refined as gold and silver. They will call upon the Lord and call him their God. *** Two-thirds of the people did die in the Roman wars. *** In Revelation, John hears sound of voices in heaven praising the Lord because God had punished the great prostitute and has avenged the martyrs. *** The voices continued praising the Lord and proclaimed it was time for the wedding feast of the Lamb because the bride had prepared herself for this moment. *** Heaven opened and John saw a white horse whose rider was named Faithful and True. He was crowned with many crowns. His robe was dipped in blood and his title was the Word of God. He was accompanied with the armies of heaven all dressed in white and riding white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He would rule them with an iron rod and with the wrath of God. On his thigh was written King of all Kings and Lord of all lords. *** Another angel called to the vultures to come and gather for the feast of Leviathan. They would eat the flesh of kings, generals, warriors, their horses and all humanity who rejected the Lord. *** Zachariah saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered to fight the Lord and his armies. The beast and the false prophet were captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire. Their entire army was killed by the Word of God and the vultures feasted on their dead bodies. *** Lord, it is so good to be on the winning team. Thank you for purchasing us for your purposes. May we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Kingdom Will Reign

Read: Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Psalm 146:1-10; Proverbs 30:33 God told the people to ask him for the latter rain because he was the only one who could bring it. The people trusted in their idols and household gods to bring them comfort and what they needed. These idols were full of empty hopes and lies. The people wandered aimlessly without a godly leader. God was angry at the religious leaders who were supposed to teach the people God’s laws but were instead leading them into idolatry. *** Zechariah declared that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had arrived. He would change everything. He would fight with them to save them from their enemies. They will turn back to the Lord and he will strengthen them and lead them into battle. They will prosper and multiply and return to Israel to resettle in the land the Lord gave them. *** Lebanon, the source of cedars for building, would go down in flames. These cedars stood for the leaders of Lebanon. *** God told Zechariah to go and care for those who were going to be killed. The leaders boasted in the money they would have when they slaughtered all the people. But, Zechariah went and cared for the oppressed. He took two staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. He cut Favor in two breaking the covenant he had with the nations. He got rid of three leaders who were leaders of the different factions. *** Then, Zechariah asked them to pay him for what they thought he was worth. They paid him 30 pieces of silver which was the price of a bond slave. It was the same insult that Judas was paid to betray Jesus. The Lord had him throw the money to the potter in the Temple which was the same thing Judas did. *** He then cut the staff named Union in two, breaking the unity between Judah and Israel. God told Zechariah to go and play the part of the worthless shepherd who doesn’t care for his sheep. He was to declare the sorrow that awaited the worthless shepherds of his day who didn’t care for their people. *** In Revelation, John saw another angel coming down from heaven. He was given authority to declare that Babylon was fallen. Babylon stood for all the immorality and injustice of the world. She will experience the pain she brought upon the world. She will now see how it is to live in terror, torment and sorrow. She had refused to repent of her evil so she will be overtaken by plagues in a single day and judged by fire. The nations who joined in her crimes will go down with her. The money system that she devised will fall. All who participated in her market will fall with her. The people of God and the apostles and prophets will rejoice over her fate because God has judged in their favor. The angel picked up a millstone and threw it into the ocean showing that Babylon would fall just like that. It is the same picture Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream of the stone which shattered the whole statue. This is that. Babylon will never be heard from again. *** Hallelujah! Our Lord Reigns! We sing praises to you, Lord for you overcome the world! Your Kingdom will reign forever.

Fri.’s Devo - The Last Kingdoms

Read: Zechariah 9:1-17; Revelation 17:1-18; Psalm 145:1-21; Proverbs 30:32 A message came to Zechariah about Damascus in the north, Tyre and Sidon in the west, the Philistines in the south. The surviving Philistine would come to worship the Lord as their God. No more foreign oppressors would overrun the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. *** Zechariah proclaimed the coming of Jesus. He saw him humble and riding on a donkey. He would bring peace to the nations and his kingdom would stretch across the whole world. God promised to pay his people back double for all they had gone through. The Lord of heaven’s army would fight for them and defeat their enemies. God’s people would sparkle like jewels in their own country. *** In Revelation, one of the angels who had poured out his bowl of judgment on the earth called John to him and showed him the judgement that was coming to the prostitute who ruled over many waters. She had influenced many nations with her spiritual powers. She was full of blasphemies obscenities and impurities. She ruled seven nations and the seven kings of those nations. Ten leaders were yet to come. She stood for Babylon, the Mother of All Prostitutes. She was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people. John looked at her in amazement. The angel explained that the beast would resurrect out of the bottomless pit and then go to eternal destruction. All the people whose names were not written in the book would worship him. *** Five of the kings had already reigned and the sixth was reigning at that time. The seventh would only reign for a short time. Then the ten nations that were the ten horns would reign for a short time with the beast. They will yield their power to the beast and go to war against the Lamb. The Lamb will win and his children will be victorious with him. The beast and his ten leaders will turn against the prostitute and carry out the Lord’s plan. *** Lord, when I read your Word and see your plan written out, what is there to fear? You use even your enemies to do your work. You promise your chosen protection and victory. Thank you for your promises.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Wrath Poured Out on the Wicked

Read: Zechariah 8:1-23; Revelation 16:1-21; Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 30:29-31 God begins by proclaiming his love and his return to his people in Jerusalem. When he returns, Jerusalem will be known as his Faithful City. Mount Zion will be the mountain of the Lord and called his Holy Mountain. He describes what the city will be like. It will be a place where families enjoy life and fellowship. When Zechariah told this prophecy, the streets were not a safe place for their families and it looked impossible that it would ever be a safe place. *** God encouraged them to finish their task of laying the foundation of the Temple because when they begin, God will change everything. He will pour down his blessings upon them and God will punish their enemies. They must change their ways and start practicing justice and honesty in their courts. They must stop lying about one another and start telling the truth. *** They had asked about whether they should celebrate with fasting and mourning the destruction of the Temple, and now God answered that they should turn it into a time of joy and celebration. People everywhere will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord. They will recognize that God is with his people. *** In Revelation, John heard a voice from the Temple tell the seven angels to go and pour out their seven bowls of God’s wrath on the world. *** The first bowl was poured out on the people who had the mark of the beast and they had terrible sores. The second bowl was poured out on the seas and they became like blood and everything in the sea died. The third was poured out on the rivers and springs and they became blood. The fourth was poured out on the sun causing it to burn everyone with heat. They did not repent. *** The fifth was poured out on the throne of the beast and his kingdom was filled with darkness. The subjects cursed God and did not repent. The sixth was poured out on the Euphrates River so that it dried up and the kings from the east could now march their troops to conquer them. Three evil spirits left from the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. They went out to gather the world to battle against the Lord at Armageddon. *** The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. A shout from the throne in heaven said, “It is finished.” Thunder crashed and lightning flashed and a great earthquake struck the earth. Babylon split into three sections and the cities of many nations fell. This is God’s judgment on sin. Islands disappeared and mountains were leveled and 75 pound hail stones fell from heaven. It crushed the people. This is God’s wrath poured out on evil. *** Lord, thank you that you are our tower of safety and we can take refuge in You. We are joyful because You are our Lord!

Wed.’s Devo - Victory for Those Who Worship the Lamb

Read: Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; Proverbs 30:24-28 Zechariah saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains. The chariots represented kingdoms on the earth. The chariot pulled by red horses was first and stood for the Roman Empire. In Revelation 6 this horse took peace from the earth by killing and carnage. The next chariot was led by black horses and stood for Babylon. It came from the north and brought famine and lack. The third chariot was drawn by while horses and it stood for Darius the Mede. It went west to conquer the world. The fourth chariot was led by dappled-gray horses and it was going out to the south. It stood for Egypt. It’s rider was Death and Hades followed it. It killed with war, hunger, and by the beast. *** As they went out to patrol the earth, the Lord told Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah to bring the silver and gold that had been offered by the exiles who came back from Babylon. He was to make a crown and put it on the head of Jeshua. He was to give him the name of the Branch because he would branch out and build God’s Temple. He stood for Christ. So though we see the kingdom’s of the world bringing war, famine, and disease, we are going to know that God is crowning Jesus to branch out and build his kingdom. He has been doing that very thing since Jesus came to the earth. *** God told Zechariah that people would come from all over the world to build the kingdom of God. Then we will know that God has spoken through his prophets. *** The people of Bethel sent two of their men, Sharezer and Regemmelech to ask the prophets and the priest if they were to continue fasting every summer on the anniversary of when the Temple fell. The Lord asked them who they mourned and fasted for because it surely wasn’t him. He asked them who they ate and drank for at their festivals because that wasn’t for him either. Then they told them the same things the prophets had told them before exile. They told them to judge fairly and to show mercy and kindness to one another. They were not to oppress widows, orphans, foreigners and the poor and they were to stop scheming against each other. Their ancestors had refused to hear these words - would they? *** The name Sharezer means “he beheld treasure.” Regemmelech means “storing of the king.” They were from Bethel where they worshiped the golden calf when the kingdoms split. They were steeped in idolatry. They beheld and enjoyed the wealth of the king, but withheld the truth and blessings from the people and stored them up for themselves. They stand for the elite of our day that withheld wealth, health, truth and blessings from God’s children, but now the shoe is going to be put on the other foot. The wealth of the wicked is going to transfer to the righteous. *** In Revelation, we have two different viewpoints. On one side there is the seven angels holding the seven last plagues ready to bring God’s wrath to completion on the earth. On the other side we see a sea of glass and fire with victorious believers standing on it playing harps and singing the song of victory. *** The angels holding the plague came out of the Temple and were handed a gold bowl of God’s wrath. The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the angels had poured out their bowls of God’s wrath. *** Lord, thank you that we are part of the group that praises you and doesn’t have to bear your wrath. Thank you that your wrath was poured out on Calvary for all our sins and we are now clothed in white. May we shine brightly in the world bringing many to your light.

Tues.’s Devo - Many Visions

Read: Zechariah 4:1-5:11; Revelation 14:1-20; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 30:21-23 Zechariah was shown a lamp stand with a bowl of oil with seven lamps around it. Two olive trees stood on either side of the lamp. When Zechariah was asked if he knew what this meant, he said he didn’t. The angel told him that this was a word to Zerubbabel that it was not by might or strength that he was going to rebuild the Temple, but it was by God’s spirit. He explains that the seven lamps represented the eyes of the Lord that search the whole world. The two trees were the two anointed ones who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth. They could be “justice and mercy” and they could be represented by the apostles and the prophets. *** Next, Zechariah saw a flying scroll that appeared to bee about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. It contained the curse on the ones who steal and lie. It would go to every house where the people stole or swore falsely. *** Zechariah was told to look up and see what was coming. It was a basket for measuring grain. It was filled with the sins of everyone throughout the earth. When the lid was lifted, inside was a woman whose name was “Wickedness.” Two flying women came and took the basket to Babylon where they would build a temple for it. *** In Revelation, John saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. With him were the 144,000 who had been sealed with the Lord’s name. A sound came from heaven of harpists playing. A great choir sang praised to the Lord and the only ones from earth that could sing the song were the 144,000. They sang with heaven because they had kept themselves pure from all the wickedness on the earth. *** Another angle flew with the Good News proclaiming to everyone on the earth to fear the Lord and give him glory. The time of judgment had come. Babylon has fallen and all who worshiped the beast and the statue and had its mark must drink the wine of God’s anger. During this time, God’s people must endure persecution patiently and keep their faith in Jesus. *** Those who die with their faith in Jesus during this time would be blessed and their good deeds would follow them to heaven. *** A command was given to the angels with the sickles to harvest the earth for it was time. The whole earth was harvested. Another angel was told to destroy the earth with fire from the altar and gather the grapes that were ripe for judgement. They were put in God’s winepress and their blood flowed 180 miles long and as high as the bridle on a horse. *** Lord, prepare us for these days ahead. Show us what to do to be ready and have our hearts in the right place. Thank you that you have shown us this in advance so we don’t have to be afraid or worry. We praise you with our whole hearts.

Mon.’s Devo - The Measuring Line

Read: Zechariah 2:1-3:10; Revelation 12:18-13:18; Psalm 141:1-10; Proverbs 30:18-20 This is Zechariah’s third vision. He saw an angel with a measuring line and when Zechariah asked him where he was going, he said to measure Jerusalem. John was given a measuring line in Revelation 11 and told to measure the Temple and the altar and the people who were worshiping. In Revelation 21:15, John was told to take his measuring line and measure the city of Jerusalem. *** Zechariah was told that the city of Jerusalem would one day be so full of people that many would have to live outside the walls. He was told that the Lord would be the glory inside the city. John was told that there would be no Temple because the Lord and the lamb would be the Temple. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:16 that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in us, which we have from God. We are not our own; for we were bought with a price. We are to glorify God in our bodies. *** Zechariah gave a call to those who remained in Babylon to come out of Babylon and return to their city. God would execute justice against Babylon and the nations who harmed them, but they would be safe in their own land. *** The Lord told them that He was coming to live among them. He would also live among other nations that join themselves to the Lord. They would be his people and he would live among them also. God would once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. *** Satan appeared with Jeshua the high priest. Satan was making accusations about Jeshua who was dressed in filthy clothes. The Lord rebuked Satan and stood up for Jeshua who stood for those who had made it through the tribulations. He had new clothes brought out for Jeshua and gave him authority over his Temple and its courtyards. Jeshua and the priests standing with him were symbols of things to come. Soon, the Messiah would come to earth and he would embody the seven spirits of God. He would remove the sins of the people in a single day on the cross. On that day, they would invite many to share in the salvation of Jeshua. *** In Revelation, John saw the beast rising out of the sea of humanity. The dragon gave the beast great authority. He had seven heads and one of them was mortally wounded, but then miraculously healed. The world marveled at this and worshiped the dragon. The beast spoke great blasphemies about the Lord and was given authority to do whatever he wanted to for 42 months. The beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. The beast was given authority to rule over the nation’s of the world. All his followers were those whose names were not written in the Book of Life. Those whose names were written in the Book had to endure his persecution till the time was over. *** Another beast came out of the earth. He was like the first beast but he required all the earth to worship the first beast who had been healed. He did astounding miracles to deceive the people. He had a statue made of the first beast and gave life to the statue so it could speak. Any one who refused to worship the statue must die. *** Everyone was required to take a mark on his right hand or forehead. They were not allowed to sell or buy without the mark. The number of the beast was 666. *** We have been living through these prophecies which came to our awareness in 2020. We saw the power of evil manifested and we became aware that we had been living under a very Anti-Christ system. It is my opinion that we are exposing the darkness and light is winning over darkness. As Christians we don’t fear the dark but walk in the light. We are only affected by what Satan is doing if we take our eyes off of Jesus. He has promised to be with us and help us through this time. There is great reward for those who endure till the end. *** Lord, may we be those who faithfully endue till the end. May we keep our eyes on the one who is the author and finisher of our faith. We trust that you will bring us across the finish line with great honor and glory. All praise to your name!

Sun.’s Devo - God Remembers his People

Read: Zechariah 1:1-21; Revelation 12:1-17; PSalm 140:1-13; Proverbs 30:17 Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh Remembers.” He prophesied two months after Haggai, calling the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem to repent and rebuild the Temple. The some fifty thousand exiles who had returned were the poorer of the captives and had quickly rebuilt the altar and begun construction on the Temple. They had stopped rebuilding because of the great opposition. Their neighboring Samaritans were able to get an order from the Persian government to make them stop building. They had given up building for about 12 years. Haggai and Zechariah urged the people to return to the Lord and restore the temple. Zechariah wrote more than any other prophet about the second coming of the Messiah. *** Zechariah saw three of the four horses that patrol the earth. They saw the red, brown, and white horses and their riders -the same ones we see in Revelation. They reported to the angel of the Lord that the world was at peace. When he heard this he prayed for mercy to be shown to Jerusalem who had been exiled for 70 years. He proclaimed that it was now time to judge the nations that harmed Jerusalem and show mercy toward Jerusalem. *** He proclaimed the prosperity that would soon return to Jerusalem. Zechariah was shown four blacksmiths who would now terrify Israel’s enemies and throw them down. *** In Revelation, John witnessed a woman with the sun and moon beneath her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She stood for the body of Christ. A large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his head came and with his tail, swept away one third of the stars in the sky throwing them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman waiting for her to give birth so he could devour her son. She gave birth to the one who would rule the nations with an iron rod. Her baby was snatched away from he dragon and caught up to heaven. The woman fled into the wilderness to the place God had prepared for her. She stayed there for 1,260 days. *** War broke out in heaven and Michael and his angels fought the dragon and his angels. The dragon lost and was forced out of heaven. He was thrown down to earth with his angels. Salvation was then proclaimed from heaven because the accuser of the brethren had been defeated. A warning was also given that the devil had now come to terrorize God’s people on the earth. He immediately went after the woman who stands for the Church. God protected her and swallowed his lies into the earth. War was waged between the devil and God’s children. *** Lord, thank you that nothing the devil tries will stop what you intend to do through your children on the earth. Our enemies will be destroyed by the very evil they plan for us. We give you praise and honor!

Sat.’s Devo - The Kingdoms of this Earth Will Become the Kingdoms of God

Read: Haggai 1:1-2:23; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 30:15-16 If you remember the statute of Daniel 2, the head was gold which stood for Nebuchadnezzar and his breast and his arms of silver. The silver stood for the rule of the Medes and the Persians who would rule simultaneously. Cyrus was the Persian king who reigned at the same time Darius, the Mede ruled. They were cousins. *** Cyrus had let the exiles return to Jersalem to build a temple to the Lord. Cyrus sent Zerubbabel to govern Judah and Jehoadak to be the high priest. It had been two years and they had built their own houses but had not rebuilt the Temple. God sent Haggai to rebuke them and tell them that building the Temple should be their main priority. *** He explained to them that they were having a hard time making ends meet because they had not put the Lord first. *** When the people heard Haggai’s message, they became enthusiastic about building God’s temple and 23 days later began building. A month later the Lord sent Haggai to ask them if this temple looked small in comparison to the Temple they had before. He encouraged them to continue and said that in the future nations would bring treasures to this Temple and God would fill it with his glory. *** Three months from when they started building, the Lord sent another message through Haggai. They had laid the foundation and the Lord told them that now from now on he would bless everything they put their hands to. God was going to shake the kingdoms of the world and they would be destroyed. Their treasures would come to Judah. God would honor Zerubbabel because he had chosen him for this hour. *** In Revelation, John was given a measuring tape and told to measure the Temple of God and the altar and to count those worshipping there. He was not to measure the outer court because it was for the Gentiles who would trample the holy city for 42 months. God would empower two of his witnesses to stand before the Lord. These witnesses were the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord. They would have power to shut the heavens and turn the oceans into blood and to strike the earth with plagues. These were the things that Elijah and Moses did. So they will have the spirit of these two prophets. *** When they had finished their assignment, the beast will declare war against them and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days. The wicked people will rejoice when they see this, but not be allowed to bury them. After three and a half days, the Lord will resurrect them and breath life into them. Terror will strike all who gloated over their death. Heaven will call them up and they will rise as the whole world watches. The earth will shake and split. Seven thousand will die in the earthquake and those watching will glorify the Lord. *** This was the second terror, but a third is coming. The seventh angel blew his trumpet and declared that the kingdoms of the world have now become the kingdoms of the Lord and Christ’s. This will terrify the wicked, but bring great joy to the remnant of Christ. It is the time of God’s wrath on the earth and the wicked. The heaven’s will open and the Ark of the Convent in the Temple of God in heaven will be seen. Lightning and thunder will accompany this and a terrible hailstorm. *** This will be a great time for God’s people, but a horrible time for the wicked on the earth. This is God’s glory being revealed to the earth. This is the fulfillment of Haggai’s prophecy. *** Lord, you fulfill every word that comes from your mouth. We are witnesses of your faithfulness. May we wait in expectation of your glory to be released on the earth and the time when all men will see it and bow.

Fri.’s Devo - Zephaniah

Read: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 10:11-14 Zephaniah was the last to prophecy before Judah was taken into captivity by the Assyrians. One hundred years before this prophecy, Israel had fallen to the Assyrians. Judah had stayed in tact by paying the Assyrians tribute. When Israel fell, it was replaced by foreigners. *** Judah’s alliance with Assyria affected Judah in a very negative way. Judah was infiltrated with people who practiced magical arts and astral religion which was the worship of the moon, stars, and zodiac signs from the roof of the temple. People worshiped the mother-goddess of Assyria. *** This was how it was when Josiah became king and a copy of God’s laws were found in the Temple. He instituted great spiritual reform but it didn’t reform the people’s hearts so they quickly returned to idolatry when the next king came to reign. *** Zephaniah lived through Josiah’s reform and could discern what God was doing to punish Judah for her sins. He announced their sins and begged them to repent. He told them that if they didn’t they would be wiped from the face of the earth. Jerusalem would fall and also become a wasteland for wild animals. Its people will be scattered and all their prosperity that they had enjoyed would be taken from them. In exile, God’s people will humble themselves and be purified. *** Zephaniah gives the remnant hope that God will restore their property to them once again. In the end, it will be them that will plunder their enemies and take their land. Their enemies will get what they deserve. Nineveh would become a wasteland for the wild animals. *** Zephaniah’s word to them would be to cheer up and don’t be afraid because the Lord is living among them and he is a mighty savior. He speaks of God’s delight and love and how he will calm their fears and rejoice over them with singing. God will gather all who mourn for righteous worship and He will deal with their oppressors. God will save the weak and helpless and give his glory and fame to those who had been exiled. Their shame will turn to joy as God restores their reputation among the nations. Their fortunes will be restored. We are in that process right now in America. *** In Revelation, there is no shortage of angels. John saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven who was radiating the glory of heaven. He held a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with one foot on the land and the other on the sea. He shouted to the seven thunders and they responded. *** John was about to write what they said but was stopped. The angel standing raised his right hand to heaven and swore an oath to the Lord saying that there would be no more delay. When the seventh angel blew his trumpet, God’s plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just like the prophets foretold. *** A voice from heaven told John to go and take the scroll from the angel. The angel told John to eat the scroll. It would taste sweet, but turn sour in his stomach. When this happened, John was told that he must prophesy again about the people, nations, languages and kings. Lord, help us to wait on You to act and do all the things you have promised. You alone are our salvation. Your will work out your plans for our lives because your faithful love endures forever.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Prophecy of Habakkuk

Read: Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 30:10 Habakkuk means “embrace”. It was a time of national crisis and they would need to embrace the Lord to endure. Habakkuk lived during Josiah’s reform and the return of a nation to the Lord to the fall of the nation in the next five evil kings. During that time the citizens were treated violently and the poor were oppressed. The legal system collapsed and justice was not to be found. Nineveh had fallen and Jerusalem would be next. *** Habakkuk begins by being overwhelmed by the circumstances of the nation. All he sees is violence and wonders if God has left them. Evil men are in control and violence prevails. There is no justice to be found. (Sound familiar?) *** Habakkuk saw that God was raising up the Babylonians to correct and punish them for their sins. They would be even more violent than the people of Judah. He asks God if they would be allowed to plunder them forever. He went up on his watchtower to hear God’s answer. God gave him a vision for the end time. He told him that in the end it will seem to go on forever but they were to wait on the Lord and trust him. He describes vividly what the enemy will do to God’s people and why. The very stones in the walls will cry out their sins. Their idols will be worthless to them. Habakkuk begs God to remember his mercy. *** God respond by filling the heavens with his glory and the earth with praise. He will come bringing chariots of salvation. He demolished their enemies. In the end, the Lord will strike their enemies. Then, Habakkuk could see beyond their lack and rejoice in the Lord who is their salvation. *** In Revelation, the fifth angel blew his trumpet and John saw a star fallen from heaven. He was given the key to hell. When he opened it, smoke poured out and turned the air dark. Locusts came from the smoke and went out on the earth with the power to sting like a scorpion. They were only to hurt those who were not sealed as God’s people. The sting will be painful but not deadly. For five months they were able to torment the ungodly. The locust’s king was called Abbadon or Apollyon, the Destroyer. *** The sixth angel blew his trumpet and four angels who were bound at the Euphrates River were released. They were allowed to kill one-third of the ungodly people on the earth. After this, there were still those who refused to repent and continued to worship demons and participate in their witchcraft and sexual immorality. *** Lord, may we respond to all you do to our enemies as you responded to yours. You prayed that God would forgive them for they know not what they do. May the blinders be taken from the eyes of the wicked so they can see how weak and empty they are, and may they repent before they are judged. May we be merciful when we need to be gracious and a warrior when we need to be vigilant.

Wed.’s Devo - Nahum

Read: Nahum 1:1-3:19; Revelation 8:1-13; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 30:7-9 Nahum means “comforter” which describes his words only to God’s people. He is from Elkosh which might be Capernaum since in Jesus’ day Capernaum was also known as the village of Nahum. He prophesied to Judah during the reigns of Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah. His prophecies were given somewhere between the fall of the Egyptian city of Thebes (No) which was destroyed in 663 B.C. and Nineveh’s fall which happened in 612 B.C. He refers back to Thebes in 3:8-10 and tells Nineveh that she would fall just like they did. *** The Assyrians were known for their savagery, abuse and vicious torture to their victims. They had conquered Israel and were threatening to conquer Judah. God intervened on their behalf (I Kings 17-19). It was now a century later and the Assyrians were about to fall. They had repented when Jonah threatened their extinction around 780 B.C., but had gone back to their evil ways. *** Nahum begins by letting them know how angry God was at them. He may be slow to anger, but when he has had enough. He is unstoppable and no one can stand against his power. God was not tolerating their murder and paganism any longer. Nahum gives them a detailed description of what will happen to the evil Assyrians. *** But, in the midst of his tirade, he offers comfort and peace to God’s people who have been the object of Assyrian’s evil abuse. God is their stronghold and they can trust in him. God was going to destroy their enemies and bring them peace. *** In Revelation, the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll and there was complete silence in heaven, The seven angels that stood beside God’s throne were given seven trumpets. Another angel appeared with a gold incense burner. He was given much incense to mix with the prayers of God’s holy people to offer on the altar. These prayer’s ascended to heaven. Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire and threw it down to earth. When he did on earth there was thunder, lightning and a terrible earthquake. *** The angels with the trumpets prepared to blow their trumpets. The first angle blew his and hail and fire mixed with blood was thrown down on the earth. It set 1/3 of the earth on fire. One-third of the trees were burned and all the green grass was burned. *** The second angel blew and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water became blood and one-third of the fish died and one-third of the ships were destroyed. *** The third angel blew an a great star fell from the sky like a torch and fell on one third of the rivers making them bitter. Many died from drinking them. *** The fourth angel blew and one-third of the sun, moon and stars were struck. One-third of the night and day were affected. *** John heard an eagle crying of the terror which would come from the next three trumpets. *** I, personally believe that these trumpets we just read about have already happened on the earth. Many of them happened in the world wars we have had and in events like Chernobyl. (Only my opinion.) *** Lord, you are in charge of what happens with the nations. We are in charge of what happens with our soul. May we give ourselves totally to you so we are hid in the shelter of your wings. Thank you that the war we are in against evil is almost over and we are headed for great times ahead. May we remember what we have learned and never turn from your ways and your word. You are our Almighty Father.

Tues.’s Devo - The Promised Messiah -

Read: Micah 5:1-7:20; Revelation 7:1-17; Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 30:5-6 Micah prepares them for war saying that their king (Zedekiah) will be smacked in the face with an iron rod. Then Micah goes straight into the promise of the Messiah which will come from Bethlehem. This ruler will have its origins in the distant past - from of old, everlasting. He will be God’s ambassador and son. *** God’s people will be in bondage until Mary has her baby and then they will come back from exile. Jesus will lead his flock with the name of the Lord. This is not only talking about the first coming but the second when the Lord will return and set up his earthly kingdom. He will be the source of peace. *** The Assyrians in verse 6 refers to their enemies in general. Nimrod refers to Babylon which will fall. The remnant will not be deterred but will take their rightful place over the seven mountains of society. They will stand up to their enemies and succeed. All pagan worship will end and God will pour out vengeance on those who worship Satan. *** Israel was brought to God’s court and questioned. She was asked why she grew tired of following the Lord. God reminded her of all the times he saved her, took care of her and blessed her. God showed Israel what he required which was to do what was right, love mercy, and walk humbly with him. Instead, the rich became rich by extortion and violence. All the citizens lie so God had no other choice but to bring a ruin to their sins. He will take away their wealth that they trusted in and got deceitfully. *** They kept the laws of evil Omri (who was represented in our day by Bush Sr.). And, they followed the example of wicked King Ahab (who was represented by Bill Clinton in our day). Because of this, they would be treated with contempt and mocked by all. America has definitely been laughed at by other nations because of these two presidents. *** Micah felt like the nation had been picked like a fruit tree of all the righteous people. This is the time of confusion and we are living through it. People of their own household turned on each other because of what is happening on the earth. *** Micah is our example of how to navigate this time. He looked and waited on the Lord to act. The Lord was his light and his salvation. He trusted that God would take up his case and judge fairly. *** He saw the day when Israel would be rebuilt and blessed. People from all over the world would come to worship the Lord. The world will stand in amazement of what the Lord will do for his people. Many will repent and come to the Lord. God will show us his faithfulness and unfailing love, just like he promised. *** In Revelation, John saw the four angels who watch over the north, south, east and west. They had been given power to harm the land and the sea and kept back the four winds so they wouldn’t blow on the earth. An angel came from the east carrying the seal of the Lord. He shouted to the 4 angels and told them to not strike until they had placed God’s seal on the foreheads of his saints. They sealed 144,000 - 12,000 from each tribe. Then a crowd from every nation and tribe and people stood before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. They shouted, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and front the Lamb!” All heaven bowed in worship. *** One of the 24 elders asked John who these were who were clothed in white and where they came from. When John didn’t know, he answered that these were those who had died in the great tribulation and had washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb who made them white. That was why they could stand before God and all their sorrows were over. *** Lord, we are living in these days where sin abounds but sin is also being dealt with. Thank you for godly men and women who are fighting the good fight of faith for us and for You. May your kingdom come! May we wait patiently for your to act, putting all our trust in You.

Mon.’s Devo - Micah -

Read: Micah 1:1-4:13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 30:1-4 Micah prophecied during the Judah’s kings: Jotham (good), Ahaz (bad), and Hezekiah (good). He spoke to both Israel and Judah and to the world. *** First he addressed the whole world. He called them to listen because God was bringing accusations against them. The Lord was coming to trample down those who were mighty on the earth. This was happening because of the sins of Israel. He blamed its capital, Samaria for taking the whole nation into sin. God was going to bring Samaria to ruins. God was going to expose all her hidden sins. Her idols would be destroyed. She would no longer become rich on idolatry. He blamed the people of Lachish for being the first city in Judah to follow Israel in her rebellion against God. Lachish was a royal Canaanitish city in the plain of Palestine, mentioned in Josh 10:3 5, and Josh 10:3. It was taken and destroyed by the Israelites. Micah prophesied the leaders of Israel would go to Adullam. This was the place David defeated and killed Goliath. It is a place of caves. *** Next, Micah addressed Judah. He told them to mourn in sorrow for their sins. Their children would be taken from them and exiled to a foreign land. He admonished them for stealing one another’s land by fraud and violence. The same thing will happen to them. Their land will be taken by their enemies who will taunt them. *** The people begged Micah to stop prophesying these things. Micah told them instead, they should be repenting and doing good, then maybe God would forgive them and give them another chance. He told them they would be happy if a prophet taught them the joys of sin instead of the consequences of their sin. *** He did give them some hope. One day, God would gather their remnant and bring them back home. *** Micah rebuked the leaders of Israel who were supposed to know right from wrong. But instead, they were the very ones leading the people into sin. They murdered their people and then when they were in trouble, they would cry out to the Lord to save them. That is not how God works. *** Micah had a word for the false prophets who were leading the people astray. They promised peace if they were given food, but war to those who wouldn’t give them food. They would be put to shame. The rulers took bribes. The priest required money to teach the people. The prophets only prophesied for money. Yet all of them claimed to depend on the Lord. Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed. *** In the end, the mountain of the Lord will be the most important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship the Lord. The Lord himself will teach us his ways and his children will walk in his paths. The Lord will be our judge and weapons of war will become instruments of harvest. People will enjoy the fruit of their labors and not fear it being taken from them. God’s people will follow the Lord. The remnant will become strong and Jesus will be their king forever and will rule from Jerusalem. Jerusalem will become a strong city again. They will trample many nations and give their plunder to the Lord. *** In Revelation, John saw the lamb break the first seal on the scroll. A white horse was called forth. Its rider carried a bow and a crown. He rode out to win many battles. He stands for the Anti-christ spirit. With the second seal, came a red horse. Its rider was given a sword and authority to take peace from the earth. War and slaughter was everywhere. We saw this in WW1, WW2 and so many wars since then. *** The breaking of the third seal brought forth a black horse whose rider was holding a pair of scales. This represents famine and lack. The fourth seal was broken to reveal a pale green horse. Its rider was called Death and his companion was the Grave, They were to kill with sword, famine and disease and wild nominals. *** The fifth seal broke and John saw under the altar the should of all who had been martyred for being faithful to Jesus and God. A white robe was given each of them and they were told to rest a little while longer. More martyrs would join them. *** The sixth seal brought a great earthquake and the sun became dark and the moon turned red. The mountains and the islands were moved from their places. Everyone great and small hid in caves and among the rocks. They wanted to die. The day of wrath had come. *** This all happened in 70 A.D.with the fall of Jerusalem. It will happen again with the fall of Babylon. *** Lord, thank you that we are living to see this transfer of wealth and power from the ungodly to the godly. Thank you that we are seeing the fall of Babylon. Open our eyes to see the wonderful things You are doing.

Sun.’s Devo - Jonah -

Read: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27 Today we read the whole book of Jonah and learn much about God’s character versus man’s character. Jonah knew God enough to know that if he went to Nineveh and told the people God was about to destroy them, then they might repent. If they did, God would forgive them and wouldn’t destroy them. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrians who had been Israel’s enemy. They were know for their evil savagery. *** Jonah thought that he could run from the Lord and change God’s plans, but he was no match for the Lord. There was no where Jonah could hide from the Lord. Because God is love and wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of who he is, God was able to use Jonah’s rebellion to save the hearts of the sailors on the boat. *** Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days just like Jesus was in the depths of the grave for 3 days. They both resurrected to walk on the earth to proclaim God’s coming judgment and his mercy. *** Jonah’s prophecy did come true 200 years later when God destroyed Nineveh, but at this time, they repented. *** God used the vine to reveal Jonah’s heart to him so he could repent, also. God was just as interested in changing Jonah’s heart than he was the whole city of heathens. *** God has showed his love and concern for Gentiles all through the Bible and the story of Jonah is a big example of this. God’s heart is for the whole world. *** In Revelation, John was taken to the throne of God who was holding a scroll that was sealed with 7 seals. He asked who was worthy to open the scroll. No one was so John began to weep. One of the 24 elders told John to stop crying because there was one who was worthy. When John looked, it was a lamb that the elder was talking about. The lamb looked as if it had been slaughtered and it was standing among them. The lamb had seven horns and seven eyes and represented the sevenfold Spirit of God that was sent out to every part of the earth. The lamb stepped up and took the scroll while the four living beings and the elders fell down in worship. They were all holding golden bowls of incense which were the prayers of the people. They proclaimed that the lamb had made it possible for us to be God’s Kingdom of priests who will reign on the earth. *** They were joined with all the millions of angels in heaven singing praises to the lamb. Then the creatures in heaven and earth joined them in praises to the lamb. The four living creatures said, “Amen” and fell and worshipped with them. *** Lord, may we be quick to obey you, even when we don’t agree. May we lay down our lives for your better plan for the world. May we see the big picture instead of being short-sighted into just seeing how it affects us in our little world. May we rule and reign on the earth as your ambassadors, doing your will.

Sat.’s Devo - Obadiah -

Read: Obadiah 1:1-21; Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 29:24-25 God gave Obadiah a word concerning Edom. Edom is another name for Esau and was his descendants. They refused to let the children of Israel pass through their land when leaving Egypt with Moses. They continued to be Israel’s enemy throughout their existence. They took part with the Chaldeans when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, and afterwards they invaded and held possession of the south of Palestine as far as Hebron. *** Obadiah called out their pride and the evil way they had treated Israel, their relatives. They had laughed when Israel fell to the Chaldeans but they would soon fall under the same power. *** The day was coming when all the nations would be judged according to how they treated Israel. Whatever they do to Israel will be done to them. God’s people would possess the land then owned by the Edomites when they return from exile. They will rule over all the seven mountains of Israel. *** In Revelation, John saw an open door in heaven and the voice that had been speaking to him told him to come and see what was about to happen. John saw the throne of God in all its glory and splendor. He saw the four living creatures around the throne - the first like a lion, the second like an ox, the third had a human face and the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each had six wings and their wings were covered with eyes. They continually cried out, “Holy holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty - the one who always was, who is and who is still to come.” Then the 24 elders would fall down and worship the Lord on his throne. They lay their crowns before the throne and praised the Lord who created all things. Lord, may we not rejoice when we see our enemy destroyed but fear the one who brought him down knowing that that could happen to us if we turn from the Lord. May we live in the reverential fear of you, knowing that you are love and kind also. Thank you that one day all the mountains of society will be under the power of godly people who will use their power to bless and not to control.

Fri.’s Devo - The Visions of Amos

Read: Amos 7:1-9:15; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 29:23 God never does anything he doesn’t tell his prophets first. God showed Amos that he was planning to send locusts to devour their crops. Amos cried out for mercy saying they could not survive it, so God relented. *** Next, God showed Amos a vision of a great fire he would use to punish his people for their idolatry. Amos cried out again saying they would never survive it. So, God changed his mind about that. *** Then, God showed Amos a plumb line he would use to measure his people’s sins. He could no longer let Jeroboam’s dynasty continue in their idolatry. Jeroboam would be killed and the people would be sent into exile. *** Amaziah was the evil priest of Bethel where the golden calf was worshiped. He reported to Jeroboam all the things Amos was prophesying against him. Amaziah told Amos to take his prophecy business someplace else. Amos explained he wasn’t a professional prophet, he was just a farmer with a message from God. God said that Jeroboam’s wife would become a prostitute in their land and his sons and daughters would also be killed. Their land would be divided and Amaziah would die in a foreign land. The people would become captives and be taken far from home. *** Amos was shown a basket of ripe fruit which stood for Israel. They were ripe for punishment. God could not forget the pride of Israel. They mixed chaff with the grain and sold it. They cheated the buyer with dishonest scales. *** God would send a famine of hearing his words. They will go searching to hear what he was saying and not find it. There will be no place for them to hide from the judgement that is coming. Their very foundations will shake and the roof of the Temple will fall on their heads. The nation of Israel will be destroyed from the face of the earth but the family of Israel will not be completely destroyed. *** God will restore the fallen house of David and repair its damages. God will rebuilt and restore the Temple to its former glory. It will become very fruitful and prosperous once again never to be uprooted again. *** In Revelation, John was told to write a letter to the angel of the church of Philadelphia. Philadelphia was the church who had the key of David who could open and no one could close and what he closes, no one could open. They were people who understood spiritual warfare and intercession. God would cause the imposters of the Jewish nation to come and bow down to them and acknowledge that they are the true Jews. God will keep them in the time of great testing They will become pillars in the Temple of the Lord and be citizens in God’s city - when the Kingdom of heaven comes to earth. They will be given God’s new name. *** A letter was written to the angel of the church in Laodicea. They were the lukewarm ones who would be spit out of God’s mouth. They deceived themselves into thinking everything was okay, when it wasn’t. They were indifferent and didn’t take sides against evil or for righteousness. God warned them to turn from their indifference. He was waiting to be invited in to fellowship with them. *** Lord, may we not be indifferent towards you and what you are doing on the earth. May we be awake and aware of what you are doing and participate with you. May we put our hope in you alone.

Thurs.’s Devo - Amos’ Last Words

Read: Amos 4:1-6:14; Revelation 2:18-3:6; Psalm 130:1-8; Proverbs 29:21-22 Amos did not mince words. He called the women of Samaria “fat cows” because they lived in luxury at the expense of the poor. God would be throw them from their fortresses. *** God reminded them of the punishment he brought on them to turn them around, but it didn’t make any difference in their actions. They refused to turn to the Lord. God sent all the plagues he had promised in the curses of Deuteronomy. *** Amos listed their offenses. They oppressed the poor and the righteous. They twisted justice by taking bribes. They taxed the people unfairly and stole from the poor to build their mansions. Sounds like today. *** Amos advised them to love what was good and to turn their courts into true halls of justice. There would be weeping in the future for those who walk in darkness. All hope and joy would be gone. God would not pay attention or honor their pretenses of worship. They served their pagan gods even in the wilderness after he had delivered them from those same gods. He reminds them what happened at Calneh and Hamath when those cities were destroyed. They would face the same fate. All their homes from the greatest to the smallest would be destroyed and the enemy would not have mercy. Their enemies would be obeying the word of the Lord. *** In Revelation, John was told to write a letter to the angel of the church of Thyatira. They were commended for their love, faith, service and endurance. But, they were rebuked for allowing the woman with the spirit of Jezebel to teach. She taught them to commit sexual sins and to eat food offered to idols. She was given time to repent but refused. God would cause her to suffer with those she sinned with. Unless they repented, her children would die. *** But to those who didn’t succumb to her teaching, God asked them to hold tight till he comes to rescue them. They would be given authority to rule the nations with an iron rod. They would walk in the same authority Jesus had. They would also be given the morning star. *** John was given a message to the angel of the church of Sardis. They had a reputation of being alive when they were really dead. God admonished them to wake themselves up and remember what they had heard and believed at the first. Some of them had not participated in evil and they would be clothed in white and their names would not be erased from the Book of Life. Jesus would claim them as his own. Lord, as we see the fortresses of evil coming down, may we stay faithful till the end.

Wed.’s Devo - Amos -

Read: Amos 1:1-3:15; Revelation 2:1-17; Psalm 129:1-8; Proverbs 29:19-20 Amos was a shepherd in Tekoa which is 5 miles south of Bethlehem. He prophesied when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II was the king of Israel. *** Amos spoke first to the people of Damascus in Syria. God was not happy with them because they beat down his people. God would break down their gates and kill their people. He would destroy their ruler and take them captive to Kir. This prophecy became true when Tiglath-pileser carried the Syrians captive after he had taken the city of Damascus (2 Kings 16:9). *** Amos spoke to the people of Tyre and they would be burned to the ground because they broke their treaty of peace with Israel. *** The people of Edom would also be destroyed with fire because they chased down their Israelite relatives with swords and showed them no mercy. *** The people of Ammon would go to battle and be taken into exile because they attacked Gilead to take its land. They also ripped open the pregnant women with their swords. *** The people of Moab desecrated the bones of Edom’s king so they would be destroyed in war. *** The people of Judah rejected God’s laws and refused to obey him. They let themselves be deceived by lies of their ancestors so they would be destroyed with fire. *** The people of Israel sold their rich people for money and sold their poor in exchange for sandals. They oppressed the poor and showed total disregard for others possessions. *** God reminded them of the giants he delivered them from, and how he was with them 40 years through the desert. He gave them the land for their possession and chose some their sons to be prophets and others to be Nazarites. But, they made the Nazarites drink wine and told the prophets to shut their mouths. So they would not be able to save themselves from what was coming. The strongest among them would run in fear. *** God uses his prophets to warn the people what he is about to do. This cause and effect was because of their sin. Israel would be punished and its pagan altars in Bethel destroyed. The mansions of the wealthy who got their money extorting others would be destroyed. *** In Revelation, John writes a letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. They were commended for their discernment and labor for the gospel. They hated the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans just like God did. But, God had one thing against them - they had lost their first love. If they don’t turn back and repent, their lamp stand would be removed. Those who were victorious would be given fruit from the tree of life in God’s paradise. *** The next letter was written to the angel of the church in Smyrna. Their suffering had given them many spiritual riches. They had suffered the persecution of the ones who claimed to be Jews, yet they were not. These imposters had thrown believers into jail and God tested them there. Those who remained faithful through the testing would be given the crown of life. *** The third letter was to the angel of the church in Pergamum. Pergamum was the city where the Throne of Satan was. They were commended for their faith even when one of them, Antipas, was martyred. *** There were teachers who had the same spirit Balaam had who showed Balak how to penetrate the Israelites by enticing them to worship idols. These were the same teaching of the Nicolaitans. Those who made it through all these roadblocks and remained faithful would receive a white stone with a new name engraved on it. *** Lord, thank you for being a God of Justice and punishing the evil and bringing mercy, grace and salvation to your faithful. May we remain faithful to you through all our trials and persecutions. Thank you for your promises of a better day.

Tues.’s Devo - Joel’s Warning -

Read: Joel 1:1-3:21; Revelation 1:1-20: Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 29:18 Joel describes a plague of locusts that devoured the land of Judah. It destroyed the animals, that year’s crops, and the seed of the next year. It was exactly what Deuteronomy 28:38-46 describes in the curses which were promised by God if they broke their covenant with him. *** Joel warns them to sound the trumpet and bring everyone together to repent and ask God to restore his covenant with them once again. Instead, the people were terrified and had nowhere to turn. Joel begs them to return to the Lord, weep, fast, mourn their sins. Then, maybe the Lord will hear and forgive them and have mercy on them. *** This plague was bad, but nothing compared to final judgment when all the nations would be called to give an account before the Lord. If Israel repents, then the Lord will have mercy and return to them and give them what had been stolen from them. They will be blessed and he will pour out his Spirit upon them - all of them from the least to the greatest. Their sons and daughters will prophecy and dream dreams. God will send wonders in the heavens and on the earth. They will see signs in the heavens and those who call on the Lord will be saved. God will restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem. He will gather the armies of the world to the valley of Jehoshaphat and judge them for harming his people. *** God had a special warning to Tyre and Sidon who had ravaged Jerusalem and taken their people as slaves. *** The valley of Jehoshaphat was the Valley of Decision where God would decide their fate. Those who are guilty will be judged and their land would become a wasteland. But those who trusted in the Lord would be saved and blessed abundantly. God will tabernacle with his people and be their God. He will pardon those not yet pardoned. Judah will be filled with people and Jerusalem will endure through all generations. *** Revelation is the book of the revelation of who Jesus Christ is. This revelation was given to John while he was a prisoner for his testimony about Jesus. He was on the island of Patmos. God blesses everyone who reads this book to the church and those who listen and obey it. *** It is a letter to the churches in Asia. Jesus is the witness to the world of this letter. Jesus has made us a Kingdom of priest for God. When Jesus returns, he will be seen from the clouds by everyone - even those who killed him with their words of unbelief. *** The Lord proclaims that he is the beginning and the end, the one who has always been and will always be. *** It was the Lord’s Day when he heard a loud voice telling him to write in a book everything he was about to see and hear. Then he was to send the book to the churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. *** John turned to see who was talking and it was the Lord Jesus standing in the middle of the lamp stand. He was dressed in his radiant heavenly glory. He held seven stars in his right hand and a two-edged sword in his mouth. *** When John saw him he fell to the ground and the Lord had to lift him up. He told John not to be afraid that he was the First and the Last. He died but came to life and now holds the keys to death and the grave. He was to write down the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars he was holding and the seven gold lamp stands. The seven stars were the angels of the seven churches and the seven lamp stands were the seven churches. *** Lord, as we see your kingdom coming closer and closer, may we understand this last book and comprehend our role in our day. May we not fear tomorrow because it is so wonderful we cannot even comprehend. Help us through the last phase of this battle we are in against sin. May we use the weapons of our warfare to pray victory for our warriors in heaven and on earth. May we rise victorious and bring your kingdom to earth.

Mon.’s Devo - God of Justice

Read: Hosea 10:1-14:9; Jude 1:1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 29:15-17 God said that no matter how much God blessed Israel, she spent her money on beautifying her idols and building more pagan altars. When God destroys their altars, they will say it happened because they had no king to protect them. *** Because they left God, injustice now abounds. They trusted in their golden calf, but it would be carted away to Assyria. They will lose all hope and wish to die. They will be punished by the armies of foreign nations. They will be forced to face their sins. Hosea begs them to exchange their hard hearts for tender hearts of repentance. *** They would be made to eat the fruit of their labor. They had sowed seeds of wickedness and sin and they would reap judgment and shame. *** God reminds them that he is their Father who called them out of Egypt. But, they refused to act as his children. They went after Baal and so they would be made to return to Egypt and serve Assyria. They will live through war and famine. God laments their destruction. He won’t destroy them all, because one day their people will return to him. *** God exposed their hypocrisy. Israel was making alliances with Assyria against Egypt and also buying Egypt’s support against Assyria. Israel had long ago left the Lord and Judah had stayed faithful to the Lord. But, now Judah had also turned from the Lord and was going after false gods. God was going to cause her to live in tents again just like she does during the Feast of Tabernacles. Judah would be sentenced to death for their sins. *** God had delivered them from bondage, but they became prosperous and forgot the Lord. God had given them kings and now was taking them away. Ephraim had been the most prosperous of all and would become barren and dry. *** Hosea begs them one more time to return to the Lord and let him save, heal and forgive them. When they do return to the Lord he will make them prosperous again. *** Jude is one of the most interesting books in the Bible to me. Jude begins by exposing the lies of false teaching which allows them to live in sin because of God’s grace. *** He reminds them of the people God judged: the children of Israel that he rescued from Egypt but refused to be faithful to God; then the angles who came down to earth to procreate with human women in Genesis 6. He reminded them of Sodom and Gomorrah who were filled with immorality and sexual perversion. They were judged with fire. *** In the same way, the teachers of Jude’s day were claiming to have authority given to them in dreams. They defied authority and lived immoral lives. They scoffed at supernatural beings. Even Michael didn’t use his authority to rebuke Satan but did it in God’s name. He did this when he was arguing with Satan about Moses’ body. But, these people were not afraid to boast in authority greater than God. *** Jude accuses the people of his day of being murderers like Cain, extortioners like Balaam, and rebels like Korah. These shameless shepherds had been allowed to eat and fellowship with them but they would only bring them down. *** Enoch had prophesied about these very people. He reminded them that God was coming to judge the world and he would convict them of their sins. These people used flattery and lies to con the people into listening to them. Their only goal was to please themselves and their sinful hearts. *** The goal of godly leaders should be to build up the body in faith. They should feel safe in God’s love and with fellow believers. Those who were mature in the faith were to help those wavering in their faith and draw them out of judgment and into truth. *** Lord, may we be people of righteousness and truth. May we help others to be strong in their faith and feel safe with us and in your love. Thank you for your care and love.

Sun.’s Devo - Israel’s Fate -

Read: Hosea 6:1-9:17; 3 John 1:1-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14 Hosea begins with the good news. When they return to the Lord he will heal them and restore them to walk in his presence and know the Lord. *** God explains that he sent his prophets to destroy them with words and warn them of horrible judgments if they didn’t repent. But, they refused to listen to them or turn. The priests had become extortioners of their money and murderers who practiced every kind of sin. *** All Israel had turned to prostitution and spiritual adultery. They loved to bring burnt offerings to the Lord and eat them at the Temple while they also participated in pagan worship of many other gods. This hypocrisy and mixture had made them weak and aged them. God had made them strong yet they used that strength against him. Now they had become weak and foolish. *** In their distress, they had refused to ask for God’s help but went to Egypt and Assyria for help. So, now they will not have enough provision in their land and be sent to Egypt and Assyria where they will be forced to eat food that will make them unclean. They will not be allowed to observe their feasts. *** Hosea reminds them of what happened in Gibeah in Judges 19-20 - the story of the Levite’s concubine which almost led to the extinction of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul was from this town. *** The Lord said that their wickedness began at Gilgal. That was where the Lord began to hate them. Gilgal was where Saul was crowned king and he offered sacrifices himself while he was waiting for Samuel to arrive. It became a high place of unholy worship of pagan gods beginning when Uzziah was king. *** God’s sentence for his people was exile. They would be wanderers among the nations with no home. *** John addresses his letter to Gaius reporting the good things he heard about them from the traveling teachers. He puts in a good word for the teachers and encourages the church to support them. *** Apparently there is an influential man in their group named Diotrephes who loves to lead but is not a good example to follow. He does not support the traveling teachers and told the others to not help them. *** John speaks of another man named Demetrius who is a good example and follows the truth. John sends his love to all the members there. *** Lord, may it be said of us that we walked in the truth and were a good example for others to follow. Thank you for sending Jesus to show us how to live. May we continue to walk with you in spirit and in truth.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Charge

Read: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11 The Lord brought a charge against his people of Israel. He found them guilty of adultery, violence, murder and wickedness. He said there was no faithfulness, kindness or knowledge of God in the land. That is quite a statement. He told them they could not blame anyone but themselves. They were the guilty ones. They chose to listen to false prophets, worship false gods and forsake their God who had faithfully delivered them and given them everything. Their sentence would be total destruction. *** God brought down an sentence of judgement on the priests, the leaders, and the members of the royal family. Their arrogance had testified against them. They robbed the people of God of the truth and in their weakness, they turned to Assyria for help. They would not rescue them but devour them. God would stand back and let it happen until Israel admitted their guilt and turned to back to him. *** In John’s second letter, he commended the church in Jerusalem for her walk with the Lord. John had met some of her members and found them living in the truth. He wrote to remind them to continue to walk in love and obey the Lord. There was much false teaching out there, and he wanted to admonish them to walk in the things they had been taught from the beginning. *** I love what our Psalm says, “the wicked will not rule the land of the godly.” Amen. Lord, we stand on this promise and thank you for how you are leading our President and his administration. Continue to give them wisdom and keep them in your ways. Thank you for protecting our military and giving them victory after victory. Thank you that you are bringing peace and righteousness to the world for your name sake.

Fri.’s Devo - Hosea

Read: Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8 Now we go back to the time of the kings. Hosea prophesied through the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. *** The first time God spoke to Hosea he told him to go and marry a prostitute so that some of her children would be born in prostitution. That means that her children might not have even been Hosea’s children. Hosea obeyed and married Gomer. She did become pregnant and had a son God named Jezreel. God was spot-lighting Jezreel, where King Ahab had Naboth murdered so he could steal his land. God wanted to avenge his blood. God was ending Israel’s independence and they would lose it in the Jezreel Valley. It would be here where Jehu would assassinate Jezebel. *** Gomer became pregnant again and had a daughter God named Lo-ruhaman which means “not loved.” God would no longer show love to the people of Israel, but he would to the people of Judah. He would free them, but not with traditional ways. *** Gomer became pregnant again and had a second son. The Lord named him Lo-ammi which means “not my people.” This was saying to Israel that they were no longer God’s people and he was no longer their God. *** Time would pass and Israel’s people would multiply and they would return and become the children of the living God. Then Judah and Israel would become one nation. They would return from exile and it would be called the day of Jezreel. God would once again plant them in their land. *** God told Hosea to charge Israel with being a prostitute. He was to tell her to get rid of her prostitute clothing or he would strip her of it. God will not love her children that were born while she was following other gods. Israel will be lost without help. No one would come to save her. She will lose everything she loved and treasured. *** Then, she will return to the Lord, the only one who loves her and can save her. When she returns, she will not call God her master, but her husband. She will forever give up her false gods. and be faithful to the Lord. God will bless her with rain in season and the earth will respond to her obedience. She will once again become God’s people. *** Hosea was told to go find Gomer and love her again even though she had left him for another man. Hosea bought her back for 15 pieces of silver. Fifteen means a test of grace. He told Gomer she was not to have relations with anyone for a time, not even him. This was to illustrate that Israel would go a long time without a king, prince, sacrifices, priests, or idols. But then, they will return and given themselves totally to the Lord and in the last days they would tremble in awe of the Lord and his goodness. *** First John talks about the time Hosea was referring to. Everyone who believes in Jesus is a child of God no matter if they are Jew or Gentile. Everyone in the family loves one another if they obey God’s commandments and love him. *** God introduced Jesus to the world at his baptism when he spoke from heaven telling everyone who he was. He also revealed to us who Christ was on the cross when he shed his blood. It is the water and the blood that testify who he is. The Spirit is the third witness to who Christ is. Through him we have eternal life. We also have confidence that he hears our prayers when we pray to him. *** We should pray for our fellow believers who fall into sin and pray they will walk in life and not death. This world is full of evil, but we are children of God and can walk in fellowship with Christ. Fellowship with Christ brings us to know God. *** Lord, may we stay away from anything that might take your place in our hearts. May we walk in fellowship with you always and may our light shine that others will want what we have.

Thurs.’s Devo - The End of Daniel’s Vision

Read: Daniel 11:36-12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4 Antiochus Epiphanes was the seventh head of the 10-horned beast in Revelation 3:1-8. He was also the beast of Armageddon in Revelation 16:13,16, and 19:19. He identified himself as Jupiter Olympius. He worshipped the god of fortresses which was the worship of Jupiter Capitolinus, whose worship he imported from Rome. He introduced the worship of saints as protectors and erected a temple for the saint Mahazzim in Antioch. *** The war between the king of the south (Egypt) and the king of the north (Syria) found Judah sandwiched between them. Antiochus conquered Egypt with Judah’s help. He set up his military operations in Judah. He was a madman and the final Anti-christ of his day. *** On his way back to Syria, he stopped at Jerusalem and killed 50,000 and took another 40,000 as slaves. He entered the sanctuary blaspheming God. He stole the gold and silver vessels and sacrificed a pig on the altar. He sprinkled pig broth throughout the Temple, guided by the High Priest Menelaus. *** On his final visit to Jerusalem, he decreed with punishment of death that all should conform to Greek religion and constructed the temple to Jupiter Olympius, who he claimed to be. He wanted to make his religion the world religion and have everyone worship him. But, there was a remnant, the Maccabees who kept the truth of God and were sorely persecuted and taken advantage of. They refused to battle on the Sabbath so their enemies chose that day to fight them. They would have to run into caves to stay safe. Some of them were buried alive in this horrific persecution that lasted three years. In Chapter 12, Michael, the protector of God’s people stood up to rescue God’s people. It would be a time of great anguish on the earth. I have to believe that this must be talking about when Jesus died because people did rise out of their graves and walk the streets of Jerusalem. Daniel was instructed to seal this part until the time of the end. We can only speculate as to what it means. *** Daniel asked the two men who had shown him all this how long until these event would end and how it would all end. *** They told him that from the time the daily sacrifice was stoped and the temple defiled it would be 1,290 days. But the at the end of 1,335 days there would be a blessing. It was 1,290 days from the time Antiochus offered the pig on the altar till Judas Maccabeus restored the worship of God. It was 1,335 days from the time Antiochus offered the pig till he died. Blessed were those who made it till then. *** Daniel was told that he would “rest” until that time, then rise to receive his inheritance. *** In First John, he gives us the test of a New Testament prophet. It is not that his prophecy comes true, like the Old Testament prophets. It was if he professed that Jesus came in a real body to earth. That was the test that he was genuine. If he didn’t he had the spirit of Anti-christ. *** Because we believe Jesus came in the flesh, we have won over the people who don’t believe Jesus came in the flesh. The spirit that lives in us is greater than the spirit of the world. The spirit of truth comes from God. The spirit of deception comes from the world. *** Love is the greatest proof of God on the earth. Love is God and comes from God. It is what differentiates us from the world. Love pours out of us because God is in us. Our love will mature as we grow in the Lord. Love makes us not fear death or judgment. We are perfected in God’s love. God’s love enables us to love others. *** Lord, may we submit to your love and allow it to flow. May we grow in love for you and others.

Wed.’s Devo - Daniel is Told the Future Events

Read: Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 3:7-24; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 29:1 Daniel 11 is the explanation that the angel gave Daniel about the vision he had seen. He explains what will happen when Egypt from the south comes against Syria in the north. It tells exactly what is going to happen. Cleopatra was the daughter of the king of the south. Alexander is the “mighty king” - the goat of Daniel 8:5-8. Antiochus Epiphanes was the despicable man in verses 21 to the end. *** What is so encouraging is that our timeline has already been written in heaven also, and God could give us a play by play of what is going to happen in the next hundred years because he is outside of time. He is in our yesterday, today and tomorrow and he promised to make everything work for our good because we know and love him. *** The last sentence tells us there will be many of us who are persecuted, but this will refine us and make us pure till the end. *** The past is repeated. This was the events that would happen before Jesus came the first time to walk on the earth. They will mirror the things that will happen before he comes again. *** First John explains that those who continue in sin do not belong to God, but to Satan. Jesus came to destroy his work. We, who are part of God’s kingdom and family do not continue in sin. We should live righteous lives and love our neighbors. Abel was killed for living righteously by his own brother, who was evil. So, we should not be surprised when the world hates us. *** If we hate our brother or sister then we have murder in our hearts and don’t have eternal life in us. Jesus showed us real love and how to love our brother who hates us. He forgave his enemies so we can too because he lives in us. Our love must be active and obvious in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit that helps us do this. *** Lord, may we love our enemies and do good to them. It is your kindness that leads others to repentance. We trust that our future is in your hands and it is good.

Tues.’s Devo - Anti-Christs

Read: Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28 Daniel learned that Jerusalem would lie desolate for 70 years while reading the words of the prophets. It was the first year of Darius’ rule. Daniel immediately went into intercession for the people of Israel. He repented for their sins and begged for God’s mercy. He realized all the curses of Deuteronomy had fallen on them for their faults. He asked for help even though he knew they didn’t deserve it. He also knew that God’s mercies were great. *** Even though they had no Temple to do sacrifices, Daniel would pray at the times they normally did sacrifices when they had a Temple. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Daniel was still praying when Gabriel came to him. He told Daniel how precious he was to the Lord and how God heard his prayers. He explained that there would be seventy sets of sevens that God had set apart to atone for their sins. Then sixty-two sets of seven would pass till the an anointed ruler would command to rebuild Jerusalem. This anointed ruler was Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1). He fulfilled this in Ezra 1. Jerusalem would be rebuilt with streets and walls. Cyrus would be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing. Then a ruler would arise and his armies would destroy the city and the Temple. It would end in a flood and war. This would continue until the end. This ruler would make a covenant with the people only to break the covenant halfway through and set up a sacrilegious object in the Temple. A terrible fate would come to this man. *** Antiochus Ephiphenes did all these things to Jerusalem. He offered a pig on the altar and desecrated the Temple. He was the anti-christ of his time. *** Cyrus was also a type of Christ who would also die and seem like nothing was accomplished, but we see all he has accomplished because we live in that future. His few years changed the world! *** Chapter 10 goes back to when Cyrus ruled. It tells of a vision Daniel had that he was standing on the bank of the Tigris River. He saw a man in linen with a gold belt. He shone with the glory of heaven. The men with Daniel couldn’t see anything, but they felt the fear of the Lord and ran. Daniel fainted and fell to the ground. He had to be lifted by the angel. He was told that from the day Daniel began to pray, he had been sent to tell him the interpretation of his dream. He had been fighting the prince of Persia for twenty-one days trying to get through to tell him. Michael came to his rescue who is the warrior angel over Jerusalem and all God’s children. *** Michael would war against this prince of Persia to bring the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece to power. The Angel of the Lord had been standing beside Michael to support him and give him strength since the first year of Darius’s reign. *** This story explains to us why our prayers don’t get answered immediately sometimes and how much warfare is needed to bring in a new kingdom. We are in the middle of that very event. We are closing the reign of evil Luciferians and bringing in God’s kingdom and it is taking much warfare and prayer. We must be patient and constant in our prayers. God’s will will be accomplished. *** In First John, he talks about the anti-christ’s of his day. They had belonged to the churches. They left because they couldn’t take the truth. God’s children know the difference between the truth and lies. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an anti-christ! That is a remarkable statement. Thank God, we have the Holy Spirit that leads us and keeps us in truth and we will not be deceived when we stay in fellowship with the Father and Christ. *** Lord, thank you that we are your children and when you appear, we will be like you. May we remain pure and holy eagerly awaiting your return.

Mon.’s Devo - Daniel’s Vision

Read: Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalmn 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26 Daniel had another vision that he was at the fortress of Susa, standing beside the Ulai River. Babylon was to his west, Persia to his east and Media to the south. *** He saw a ram with two horns standing beside the river. They represented Media and the longer one, Persia which was the stronger of the two. The longer horn butted everything out of its way. Persian did push westward and captured Babylon, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Asia Minor. It also went northward and captured Armenia, Iberia and those that lived by the Caspian Sea. It went southward and captured Judea, Egypt, Libya, India under Darius. *** In Verse 5, a male goat came swiftly from the west with a huge horn and attacked the ram knocking him down and trampling him. This was Alexander the Great. At the height of his power, he died of a fever at Babylon. His brother and two sons Alexander and Hercules were killed in the next 15 months. Alexander was replaced by four horns: Selucus in the east, Casander in the west, Ptolemy in the south and Lysemachus in the north. *** In Verse 9, a small horn appeared who was Antiochus Epiphanes (an Anti-Christ) whose power reached to the heavens and attacked the heavenly army trampling some of them on the ground. He even challenged Michael by canceling the daily sacrifices on earth and destroying the Temple. The army in heaven was restrained during this time and truth was overcome. The horn was allowed to succeed in everything he did. *** Daniel overheard two of the heavenly angels asking how long this rebellion to stop the sacrifices was going to be allowed to last. The answer was 2,300 evenings (6 years and 110 days). Then the Temple would be made right again. *** Gabriel was told to tell Daniel the meaning of the dream. These were events that would happen at the end of time - in the time of wrath. He explained it to Daniel then Daniel was overcome and so troubled he couldn’t function for a while. When he could get up he was still confused to its meaning. *** In First John, John tells us the intent of his letter. It is so they would not choose to sin. If they did, they have an advocate or lawyer who was Jesus. He is the one who atones for our sins. *** John said, if we claim to know God, then we will show our love for him by obeying his commands. We should live our lives as Jesus did. Moses told us to love one another, so that is not a new commandment. *** We can not walk in the light and have enmity with our neighbors. If we hate others, then we are walking in darkness. Hate blinds us from the truth. Jesus came to save those walking in darkness and show them the light. *** John was not just writing this to the mature, but all God’s children so that they would win their battle against sin. He ended with telling them not to love the world and the things it offers but to love the Lord and all the things he offers which are more unseen than seen. *** Lord, give us eyes to see what the true riches of the kingdom are. They are not tangible but unchanging riches in the heavenlies that don’t wear out, rust or decay. May our lives sow seed into your soil and produce fruit that lasts.