Wed.’s Devo - Joshua’s Last Words

Read: Joshua 24:1-33; Luke 21:1-28; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 13:20-23 Joshua brought the people together at Shechem and told them how God called Abraham out of a family who worshiped other gods. God had Abraham walk through the land of Canaan and increased his off-spring. Isaac had Jacob and Esau. Esau’s family lived in the hill country of Seir and Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. God sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out. He sent great plagues upon Egypt to deliver his children through the Red Sea. He destroyed the army of Egypt in the Sea and brought Israel through the wilderness. They fought the kings of the Amorites and won. He delivered them out of the hand of Balaam who was hired to curse them. *** God brought them over the Jordan and gave them victory over the giants in the land. They conquered all the “ites” in the land and God gave them cities they didn’t build and vineyards they didn’t plant. They were now blessed beyond belief. *** It was time to decide if they would be faithful to the Lord and serve him or if they would serve the gods of the land or the gods of Egypt. Joshua made his decision for his family; they would serve the Lord. The people agreed that they would serve the Lord too. Joshua reminded them that God was jealous and if they turned away from him to serve other gods, He would turn and harm them and consume them. They promised to remain faithful to the Lord. *** Joshua had rolled a stone to be a witness against them if they failed to do what they had promised. It heard everything he had said. 1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. *** Joshua died and was buried in the place Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem. Joseph’s bones were also buried there. Shechem became a city of refuge. *** Israel continued to serve the Lord after Joshua died until the elders who had served with Joshua died. *** In Luke, Jesus noticed all the rich people putting their offering into the box by the Temple. Then he saw a poor widow who brought her last two copper coins. Jesus commented that she had given more than all of them because she gave all she had. It isn’t the amount we give to the Lord, whether it is our talents, our time, our money - it is the proportion of our sacrifice. It all goes back to our hearts. *** The people with Jesus were commenting on the grandeur of the Temple and its buildings. Jesus told him that in the future it would all be torn to the ground. When they asked him what sign would come to let them know this was coming He told them things that would come first would be wars, and rumors of wars, nations rising up against nations, earthquakes, famines and pestilences. There would be terrors and great signs from heaven. Christians would be persecuted for their faith and be given opportunities to witness before kings and governors. Families will turn over their own people to be put to death. Followers of Christ will be hated, but those who endure will gain their lives. *** Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies and then it will be time to flee to the mountains. Many will be killed. This will last till it is the end of the days of the Gentiles. There will be so much distress in the earth that the powers of heaven will be shaken Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud of great glory. Jesus encouraged them that when they see these things happening, they could look up because their redemption is on the way. *** Many believe we are at that day right now. I personally believe we are not. There are still so many promises that have not been fulfilled in God’s Word. He will complete every promise. I believe we are about to experience the greatest time on the earth for Christians once we get through this time of transition. Nations are changing and shifting. Lines are being drawn and decisions are being made as to which god they are going to serve just like we read in Joshua, today. *** Lord, we pray for our President that he will have the wisdom of God to make decisions that will bring blessings and prosperity to our nation. We pray for other nations that they will be ruled by godly leaders and choose to follow the Lord. We cast down every demonic force that comes against America to defeat God’s purposes for her. We pray and declare that godliness, integrity and truth will prevail.

Tues.’s Devo- The Memorial

Read: Joshua 22:21-23:16; Luke 20:27-47; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 13:17-19 The priests and heads of the tribes traveled to the Jordan to witness the altar the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh had erected to find out their intentions. They were prepared to fight them it they built it to rebel against God. *** They gave their answer to why they had built the altar. It was not built to be used to sacrifice on, but a memorial, a witness, to remind the other tribes that they worshiped the same God and were part of Israel. They were afraid that in the years to come, Israel might forget that they were part of them. This memorial was to prove their devotion to God and that they were children of Israel, too. *** When Phinehas and the other chiefs heard their answer they were satisfied and left in peace. They went back and told the people and they were satisfied also. *** Years later, Joshua was very old and about to die. He summoned all of Israel, the leaders and the judges to come and hear his last speech. He reminded them all the Lord had done for them and that everything he had promised, he had done for them. He warned them to stay true and faithful to the Lord or the curses would come upon them and they would be just as bad as his blessings were good. If they turned away from serving the Lord, they would quickly perish from the good land the Lord had given them. *** In Luke, some of the Sadducees came to Jesus. They didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. They posed this ridiculous question about a woman whose husbands kept dying. Their question was, ‘whose husband she would be in the resurrection?’ *** Jesus gave them a lesson on eternity. First of all, in eternity, there is no marriage of people. They will be like the angels and will be children of God. Even Moses prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as if they lived in eternity. God was a god of the living, not the dead. The scribes liked his answer because they believed in the resurrection. I doubt the Sadducees liked it. *** Jesus went on further to explain that they taught that the Messiah would be David’s son. But, David referred to the Messiah as his Lord. How could He be both David’s son and his Lord? This gave them food for thought. *** Jesus told his disciples to beware of the scribes who walked around in their robes looking all important. They would receive the greater condemnation in the end. The scribes were the ones who copied the scriptures and kept the truth to themselves. They had access to the truth and yet they lived a lie and withheld the truth from the people. They would have to give an answer for this in the Judgment. *** Lord, help us to guard the truth in our hearts and live what we read in your Word. Thank you for being our truth and living it for us to see. May we follow in your footsteps, doing what you did and living as you lived.

Mon.’s Devo - God is Faithful to His Promises

Read: Joshua 21:1-22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 13:15-16 The cities given to the Levites from the different land of the 11 tribes were listed by name. All the cities given to the Levites included the pastureland. There were 48 cities in all. *** Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to them had failed to come true. Joshua called the men from Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh that would live east of the Jordan. He told them that they had kept their promise to help secure the land and now they were free to go home to their families. On their way home, they set up a huge altar beside the Jordan. When the other tribes heard of it they sent troops to fight them, thinking they were setting up an altar to a false god. They sent Phinehas the priest along with a chief from head of the tribes of Israel to rebuke them and investigate their crime. *** In Luke, we read yesterday that the priests and scribes were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus for good. Today, we read where they came to Jesus to ask him who gave him the authority to do the miracles he was doing. He answers their question with a question. He asked them if they believed John’s baptism was from God or man. They couldn’t answer him without exposing their hearts and upsetting the people who loved John. So, they said they didn’t know, so Jesus told him that he wouldn’t answer their question. *** He then answered their question in a parable. The parable was about a man who planted a vineyard and leased it out to tenants. He went out of town for a long time. After a set time, he sent a servant to collect on the revenue of his vineyard. The tenants beat him and refused to give him any money. The owner sent another, and another and they did the same to them. Finally, he sent his beloved son thinking perhaps they would honor him. Instead, they filled him to get the inheritance. Jesus asked his audience what the owner would do to the tenants. They answered that he would come and kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others. The people were upset and said, “Surely not!” *** Jesus looked at them and quoted Psalm 118:22 that the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. He explained that everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him. In other words it is futile to try to fight against God. *** The tribes and chief priests wanted to kill him because they perceived that he was telling this parable against them. But, for the sake of the people, they didn’t do anything then. They sent spies to follow him and try to trap him in his doctrine. *** They asked Jesus a question about taxes to get the Romans on their side, but it didn’t work. Nothing they did gave them a legal right to kill Jesus. *** Lord, I thank you that you will never let one of your good promises that you have given us fail to happen. We trust in your faithfulness and truth. Just like you did for Jesus, you will give us an answer from every hard question we are asked by God’s enemies.

Sun.’s Devo - Release From Death

Read: Joshua 19:1-20:9; Luke 19:28-48; Psalm 88:1-18; Proverbs 13:12-14 The second lot went to Simeon in the middle of Judah’s land because Judah’s land was too large for them. They acquired 17 cities. One of the cities that is familiar to us is Beersheba where Abraham dug wells and made a covenant with Abimelech. Isaac came back and reopened those wells. *** The third lot went to Zebulun with its 12 cities. Bethlehem was one of them. *** The fourth lot was given to Issachar which included Jezreel where Jezebel stole Naboth’s vineyard and then was killed in the same place. His land came with 16 cities. *** Asher was next with 22 cities which touched on Tyre which we read much about. *** The sixth lot went to Naphtali which included 19 cities, a few are familiar. *** Dan was seventh and was given land but thought their land was too small so they went and took Laish or Leshem and named it Dan. *** When they were finished distributing the territories the people of Israel they gave Joshua the city of his choice in the land of Ephraim. He asked for Timnath-serah which means “abundant portion” and rebuilt the city and settled there. *** Next, God told Joshua to appoint cities of refuge for the person who accidentally killed someone. He could run their for refuge until the death could be investigated and the person be found innocent. When the high priest at the time died, the innocent man was then released to go back to his home and the avenger or blood could no longer legally kill him. *** Whenever the high priest would die, there would be a great release of all the people from the cities of refuge. They could then safely return to their inheritance. When our High Priest, Jesus died, there was a great release of righteous people who had died and were in prisons called graves. They were all released when Jesus rose from his grave. *** They designated Kedesh in Naphtali, Shechem in Ephraim, Kiriath-arba (Hebron) in Judah, Bezer in Reuben, Ramoth in Gad and Golan in Manasseh for cities of refuge. *** In Luke, Jesus told his disciples to go to the village and bring back a donkey that had been prepared for him. The owner would ask why he was untying it and they were to tell the owner that the Lord needs it. This was all they needed to say and it went exactly like Jesus said it would go. They brought back the donkey and Jesus rode it into the city with the people praising him as King and spreading their cloaks on the road for him to walk on. When the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke the people for praising him, he told them that if he didn’t let them praise him, the very stones would cry out his praises. *** As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem he began to weep because the people there didn’t recognize their visitation from God. He saw the day when Jerusalem would be torn down and the people slaughtered. *** He went to the temple and began to drive out the money changers. He proclaimed that his Father’s house was to be a house of prayer, but they had made it a den of robbers. *** He began teaching daily in the temple. While the people were hanging on to every word he said, the priests and scribes were plotting to kill him. *** Lord, we rejoice that we have been set free from the enemy of death, because of our High Priest who died in our place. Thank you for delivering us from sin to walk in righteousness.

Sat.’s Devo - Responsibility

Read: Joshua 16:1-18:28; Luke 19:1-27; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 13:11 Joseph’s allotment went to his sons’ Manasseh and Ephraim. Half of Manasseh’s land was east of the Jordan and half on the west side. Their land was the largest of all the tribes. Ephraim’s portion was south of Manasseh’s land west of the Jordan. Both the people of Manasseh and those of Ephraim were not able to drive all the Canaanites out of their land so they made them do forced labor. *** The people of Joseph complained that they had too many people for the amount of land they were given in the hills. But, they complained that the land in the valley was full of Canaanites with iron chariots. Joshua told them that they were a great powerful nation and that they could take the Canaanites even if the do have iron chariots. *** Now, there were still seven tribes who had yet to receive their land. Joshua rebuked them for not taking possession of their land. He told them for each tribe to send out three surveyors from each tribe to bring him a description of the land. They were to divide the land into seven sections and he would draw lots to see who got what land. *** They brought the map to Joshua and he cast lots for the land and gave it out. *** Benjamin was given the land including Jericho. his land included 26 cities. *** In Luke, Jesus entered Jericho, the home of Zacchaeus who was a hated tax collector. Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming and wanted to see him. Since he was short, he climbed a sycamore tree to be able to see. Jesus saw him and told him to come down because he was eating at his house that day. The people criticized Jesus for wanting to eat at the home of a sinner. *** Zacchaeus was so honored he repented immediately and promised to give back all the money and more that he had defrauded from his people. Jesus commented that this was what true repentance looks like. *** Jesus told a parable about a wealthy man who left his home to receive a kingdom for himself. He left his estate to 10 servants, giving them each a mina. He told them to use what he gave them to invest. The citizens of the city hated him and sent a delegation to tell him they didn’t want him to reign over them. *** When he returned he found that the first man had taken his one mina and made 10 more. The master told him because he had been faithful in this small thing, he would make him ruler over ten of his cities in his kingdom. The next man had take his one and made five more. He was commended and given 5 cities. Then another came and gave his mina back saying he knew he would not get anything from making this man rich so he did nothing with it. He was rebuked for not at least putting it in the bank and letting it gain interest. He took the one mina from him and gave it to the one who had 10. *** Jesus then explained that whoever has. more will be given them and whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken from him. He was saying that if you don’t use what God has given you for the kingdom, you will end up with nothing, but if you use your talents, money, time, etc, to benefit the kingdom, more will be given you. Life is our prooving place. We are all being tested for eternity. *** The master had the ones who wanted him to leave and not rule over them brought to him. He commanded that they be slaughtered. These are those who refuse to want him as their Lord and king. *** Lord, may we take responsibility of the things you put before us. May we learn from this that our lives count for eternity, and may we grow in responsibility and faithfulness.

Fri.’s Devo - Taking Their Inheritance

Read: Joshua 15:1-63; Luke 18:18-43; Psalm 86:1-17; Proverbs 13:9-10 Joshua did what God told him to do and divided the land, giving the largest tribe the largest amount of land. The first allotment went to Judah. Its boundaries and every city given to Judah was described and listed. *** This was Caleb’s tribe and he had asked for the land he scouted out 40 years before. It included the city where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried which was Kiriath-Arba. It was now occupied by the Anaks who were giants. Caleb took out three of them, then went on to the city of Debir. He offered his daughter, Achsah, in marriage to whoever led the charge and captured the city of Debir. Caleb’s nephew, Othniel captured the city and got a wife for a reward. She asked Caleb for the land of the Negeb with its spring for a wedding present. Caleb granted her request and gave her the upper and lower springs. *** The land given to Judah included 112 cities and many towns and villages. They drove out all the enemies from their land except the Jebusites from Jerusalem. *** In Luke, a ruler came to Jesus and called him a “Good” Teacher. Then he asked him what he must do to receive eternal life. So, Jesus told him to follow the commandments and named a few. The man did all that, so Jesus then dealt with his heart which was really how a person receives eternal life. He told the man to sell all he had and give it to the poor and follow him. *** The man became very sad because he was very wealthy and couldn’t do what Jesus asked. Jesus explained that it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. But, he added that with God anything was possible. What he was saying was, without the Lord, it would be hard for a wealthy man to understand losing it all for something he could’t see. *** Then he told his disciples that anyone who does give up everything for the sake of the kingdom will receive many times more in this time and eternal life in the age to come. *** Jesus warned his disciples that they were coming to Jerusalem where the Son of Man would be delivered over to the Gentiles and abused to death. But, he would rise on the third day. They could not understand what he was saying because God hid it from them. *** As they neared Jericho, they passed a blind man who was sitting beside the road begging. When he learned that Jesus was coming, he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” This man was announcing his arrival and who he was. He may have been physically blind, but he was seeing perfectly, spiritually. Jesus told him to be silent and when he refused, Jesus had him brought to him and asked him what he wanted. He wanted to see again, so Jesus told him his faith had made him well, and he could see. The people gave glory to God. *** Caleb, Othniel, Achsah and the blind man all knew what they wanted and got it. *** Lord, may we be spiritually awake and able to see what you are doing in our day, like this blind man saw in his day. May we see our inheritance and receive it. May our faith lead us to victory.

Thurs.’s Devo - Time to Divide the Land

Read: Joshua 13:1-14:15; Luke 18:1-17; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 13:7-8 The land left to be conquered belonged to the Philistines and the Geshurites. There were five rulers of the Philistine cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. There was also the land of the Avvim, Canaanites, Sidoniains, and Gebalites yet to be taken. Joshua was old and the Lord told him that He, himself would drive these nations out before them. Joshua was to divide all the land west of the Jordan between the nine and a half tribes tribes who had not received their inheritance. The Levites received no inheritance but their inheritance was the offerings offered to the Lord. *** As the Lord was describing the land already given to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan we read that Balaam, the sorcerer hired to curse Israel, had been killed fighting against Israel. The boundaries of their land was mapped out and they already lived and enjoyed their inheritance. *** The rest of the nine and a half tribes had yet to enjoy their land. Caleb came to Joshua and reminded him that Moses had promised him 40 years ago that he could have his choice of the land the land he had scouted out. He had been the only spy, other than Joshua who had encouraged the people to take the land. Caleb wanted the land of Hebron, where the burying place of their forefathers was. It was also the place where the biggest giants reigned. Joshua granted his request. *** In Luke, Jesus gave them a parable to teach them to never give up in their prayers. Caleb never gave up on his promise from Moses and this widow who wanted justice from her enemy didn’t either. If an unrighteousness judge can give this widow what she asked because she wore him out, how much more will God, who loves us, hear our requests and give us what we ask. Jesus asked the question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Will he find us praying and believing him for justice? *** Jesus told the parable about the two men’s prayers to expose the hearts of those who thought they were so righteous, yet they treated others wrongly. The person whose heart is humble towards God and man was the one whose prayer would be heard. Then Jesus explained that the kingdom of God is given to those who come to him like a child does. *** Lord, may we be humble towards you and all we interact with. May we come to you as your children who are in need of justice and mercy. You alone are everything we need and want.

Wed.’s Devo - Complete Victory!

Read: Joshua 11:1-12:24; Luke 17:11-37; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 13:5-6 Joshua continues conquering the the land in today’s reading. Jabin, the king of Hazor who ruled north boarding Syria and Assyria summoned three other kings to join with him in fighting Israel. They came out with a huge army on horses and chariots from the north, south, east and west. *** God told Joshua not to fear because in a day he would give them all to him. They were to kill them, hamstring their horses and burn their chariots. They did a surprise attack and chased them down and defeated them. They hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots just like the Lord said. Joshua captured the city of Hazor who was the head of all those kingdoms. It was like the principality of all the other demons. Joshua killed all its inhabitants and burned Hazor to the ground. He killed their king with the sword and devoted them all to destruction. *** Joshua did not burn down the other cities but took the spoil from them. He took all their land and notice that part of that land was Goshen which is not the Goshen Jacob and his sons had lived outside of Egypt when Joseph ruled Egypt. This was a city in the mountains of Judah. They acquired cities, hill country, plains, mountains and valleys. *** Joshua killed the Anakin and destroyed their cities. He took all the land the Lord had given to Moses as an inheritance to the children of Israel. *** Israel defeated two kings east of the Jordan and 31 kings in the promised land making it a total of 33 kings. They took possession of their cities, their goods and killed all who breathed. They did exactly what the Lord told them to do. *** In Luke, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when he met 10 lepers begging him to have mercy on them. Instead of healing them, he told them to go show themselves to the priests. As they obeyed and went, they were healed. The Samaritan returned to thank Jesus. Jesus asked where the others were. Then he told the one to go his way because his faith had made him whole, not just healed - whole. He got the whole package, Salvation, healing, and a future in the kingdom. *** The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. Jesus explained that the coming of the kingdom was not something they would be able to see with their natural eyes. The kingdom of God is a presence that will be in you. *** Then Jesus told his disciples that the time would come when they would long to see one of the days of the son of man. We see that in our day. We are longing to see someone do the miracles that Jesus did and when we hear of it, we go chasing after it. Jesus said not to do this, because when that day comes where we will be doing the works of Christ it will be like lightning that starts at one side of the heavens and quickly spreads to the other. Miracle revivals will be like that. *** Jesus then shifts to the present and prepares them for the fact that they are going to see him suffer greatly and be rejected by their generation. *** Jesus then shifts back to the days of the Son of Man. It is compared to both the days of Noah before the flood and the days of Sodom before it was destroyed. It will be business as usual, then the wicked will be taken out. It will be too late to repent. The ones left will be saved and experience the days of the Son of Man. *** When his disciples asked where they would be taken he said, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” A corpse is a dead person, so the ones who are removed or taken are those who die and are eaten by the birds, which was what they said happened to wicked people who died. This was just to give us insight into who was leaving and who was staying. *** Lord, help us to have great discernment in the days we are in. May we trust your presence within us. Thank you that you are in control and we can trust in your plan.

Tues.’s Devo - Conquering Kings

Read: Joshua 9:3-10:43; Luke 16:19-17:10; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 13:4 Gibeon was one of the royal cities of the Hivites. They knew that God had commanded Moses to give them all the land and to destroy all of its inhabitants. They also heard about all the cities that Joshua had already taken. Instead of joining with the other “ites” in a war against Joshua, they came up with a better plan. They took old moldy food and put on worn out clothes and sandals and went to meet with Joshua. They explained how they were from a far off country and were passing through. They wanted to make a covenant with him of peace. Joshua didn’t want to make a covenant with them in case they lived close by, but when he saw all their old clothes and molded bread, he believed them. Instead of asking the Lord, Joshua let them deceive him into making a covenant with them. *** Three days later, they found out they did live among them, but it was too late; they had made a covenant with them. They went to see them in their cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim but could not attack them because of their covenant. The people of Israel grumbled against their own leaders for making the covenant. Joshua told the people that since they couldn’t kill them, they could make them cut their wood and draw their water. The people the cities were happy to be able to serve them and live. *** When the king of Jerusalem, Adoni-zedek heard how Joshua had captured Ai and Jericho and had now make a covenant with Gibeon, he met with he kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to wage war against the people of Gibeon for making a covenant of peace with Israel. *** The people of Gibeon then went to Joshua and asked for help to fight all these nations. The Lord told Joshua not to fear because He would give them into his hand. Joshua marched his army all night and when they reached Gibeon, the Lord threw their enemies into such a panic, they ran. Israel chased them to Azekah and Makkedah where the Lord threw down huge hail stones from heaven to kill them. More died from the hail than the swords of Israel. *** Joshua prayed that the sun would not go down so they could finish fighting and it stood still for a whole day until they could finish the fight. They returned to Gilgal in victory. The five kings of the nations they had fought all hid in the cave at Makkedah. Joshua had stones rolled over the entrance so they couldn’t escape while they fought. After their total victory, they returned to the cave and had the five kings brought out. He had all the men of Israel put their feet on the necks of the kings. He did this to take away all the fear of them and the kings they would meet in the future. Then Joshua killed the kings and hung them on five trees. When evening came, he had their bodies thrown into the cave they had hidden in and rolled the stone back over the opening. (They did not rise from their grave like Jesus did.) *** Joshua then took the city of Makkedah and killed all of its inhabitants and the king. Joshua continued to the city of Lachish and took it and killed the king. *** Horam, king Gezer came with his army to help Lachish but they were killed also. Joshua then went on to Eglon and captured it in a day and killed all its people and king. They went to Hebron and captured it, killing its occupants. They did the same to Debir. ***Joshua struck the whole land devoting everything that breathed to destruction. Joshua captured all the kings and their land from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. Then he returned to their camp in Gilgal. *** In Luke, Jesus told the story of a poor man named Lazarus who begged at the gate of a rich man’s estate. The rich man enjoyed his good food while Lazareth longed to eat his scraps. Lazareth died and was taken to Sheol by angels and lay with Abraham. *** The rich man also died and was taken to Hades where there was a deep chasm between where Lazareth and Abraham rested and where the rich man was. Hades was a place of fire, anguish, and drought where Abraham was was a place of refreshing. He begged Abraham to bring him a drop of water to drink but Abraham reminded him of the pleasure he enjoyed in his lifetime and the lack and pain Lazareth endured in his lifetime. Lazareth was now being comforted, but the rich man was in anguish. There was no way they could cross over to him. *** Then the man begged him to send someone to warn his family about hell. Abraham said they had Moses and the Prophets to warn them. The man contested that if he would send someone from the dead they would listen. Abraham told him if they wouldn’t listen to the prophets or Moses, they would not listen to someone who rose from the dead. Jesus was telling this story to the Pharisees who didn’t believe the prophets or Moses and still wouldn’t believe when he rose from the dead. They would be the ones who ended up in Hades. *** Jesus told his disciples, us, to be sure not to be the one to temp someone else to sin. He also encouraged us to rebuke a brother who is sinning so he will repent. If he does repent, then we must forgive him no matter how many times he has to ask us. It is God who judges sin. *** Jesus explained the relationship of a servant and his master. The master expects him to do what he says. If we only obey God as our master then we remain his slave. If we love, honor, give him our lives, worship and praise him, and seek to know him, we become his children and his friends. *** Lord, help us to go beyond just obeying you because it is the right thing to do. May our hearts be yours and may we enjoy a relationship with you as your child and your friend.

Mon.’s Devo - Accountability

Read: Joshua 7:16-9:2; Luke 16:1-18; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 13:2-3 Yesterday we read where the Israelites were defeated by the small city of Ai. God revealed that there was sin in their camp and someone had stolen of the spoils of Jericho that they were told to totally destroy. Today, we read where God exposes who was guilty. God pinpointed it to Achan. He had coveted and stolen a beautiful cloak from Shinar, 200 shekels of silver and a bar of gold. His selfish desires had cost the lives of 36 men and the humiliation of their nation. His sentence was to be stoned with stones and burned with fire till he died at the hands of his own people. *** Once this was taken care of, it was time to go take Ai. Joshua had chosen 3,000 men the last time. This time he chose 30,000. Joshua took most of the men to attack from the north. Then he took about 5,000 to wait in ambush from the west. The king Ai brought his army to fight Joshua’s army in the north. When they were drawn away from the city, God told Joshua to stretch out his javelin toward the city and the 5,000 attacked the unguarded city. They quickly took it and set it on fire. When their army looked back and saw their city on fire they lost hope and scattered. Israel captured them and none escaped. Twelve thousand were killed and took their king captive. *** God had told them they could take the spoil from Ai so they plundered the city and took the goods and the livestock. They hung the king on a tree and when he had died, they buried him under a heap of stones in the gate of the city. *** Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mt. Ebal and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on it to the Lord. He had the law of Moses written on the stones. The ark was brought into the valley with half of the people standing on Mt. Gerazim and half of them standing on Mt. Ebal. Joshua read all the commandments of the law to the people just as Moses had done in that very place. *** After this, all the kings left in the land - the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites, teamed together to fight against Joshua and Israel. *** In Luke, Jesus told a story gives a story much like we just read in Joshua. This man was a rich man’s accountant. He found that his accountant had been embezzling his money. When the accountant realized he had been found out, he wanted to make some friends real quickly so they would give him a place to stay in his unemployment. He went to one of them men who owed his boss 100 measures of oil. He told him to tear up his debt and make it only 50 measures of oil. Then he went to another debtor of his master and had his debt reduced also. *** When the master found out what he had done, he commended him for his shrewdness. This evil man was planning for his future so he would have someone to take him in when he lost his job. He told the righteous that they could take a lesson from this and use their life on earth to prepare for their eternal life. How faithful we are in the way we live on earth will determine how we will live in the live hereafter. *** When the Pharisees heard this story they made fun of Jesus. He told them they were the ones who justified their sins before man, but God knew their hearts and he wasn’t falling for their lies. *** Jesus then threw in the law about adultery and divorcement. He was referring to spiritual adultery and divorcement. They were the ones who had divorced the law and were breaking it in secret. *** Lord, reveal to us our faults so that we bring ourselves to accountability and repent. May we live our lives with eternity in mind.

Sun.’s Devo - Taking Jericho

Read: Joshua 5:1-7:15; Luke 15:1-32; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 31:1 When the kings of the Canaanites heard how the Lord dried up the Jordan River for the Israelites to cross over, they were totally afraid to fight them. *** God commanded Joshua to circumcise all the men since they had not been circumcised yet. When he did this, God said he had removed the reproach of Egypt from them on that day. He named the place Gilgal which means “a wheel.” They had now rolled out of their sinful state into a state of righteousness. *** They celebrated the Passover which was given to them when they were leaving Egypt. This Passover, they were leaving the wilderness and entering into their promise. This was the last time they ate manna. They now ate food the promised land provided. *** The commander of the army of the Lord came and met with Joshua to give him strategy for taking Jericho. The first thing he told him was to take off his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy. *** Joshua came back and gave the people the plan. The men who were fighting age were to walk around the city for six days. Seven priest were walk, blowing trumpets before the ark. On the seventh day, they were to walk around it seven times and when the priests were to blew a long blast on their trumpets, the people were to shout. The walls will fall down flat and they could take the city. *** Joshua gave the instructions to his men and told them to walk silently so the only thing heard would be the trumpets. *** Can you imagine the fear that was mounting in the city? They were already afraid of the Israelites and their God and now they had to watch them encircle them every day blowing their trumpets. This had to be greatly intimidating. *** On the seventh day, when they shouted, the walls fell flat. They took the city and were supposed to destroy everyone and everything in it. The two spies rescued Rahab and all who were in her house. They lived outside of the camp but became a part of Israel. Rahab married an Israelite and they had a son named Boaz. He married Ruth, a Moabite and became part of the lineage of the Messiah. *** Joshua made a curse that if anyone tried to rebuild Jericho, they would lose their first born son when they laid its foundation and their youngest son would die when they set up its gates. *** When we traveled to Israel, our guide told us that a few decades ago, a man was trying to rebuild Jericho. He had three sons and the first one died when he laid the foundation. His youngest son begged his father to stop so he wouldn’t die. His father stopped excavation. God’s Word is timeless and has no expiration date. *** Unknown to Joshua, Achan from the tribe of Judah took some of the idols of the city of Jericho and hid them. *** The next city before them was Ai. When their spies looked it over, they reported it was small and would only take about 3,000 of their men to take it. Instead of a clean victory, they lost 36 mean and fled before the people of Ai. *** Joshua was so upset, he tore his clothes and fell on his face before the Lord. God explained that they had lost because their was sin in the camp. Someone had taken some of the idols Canaan secretly. They would have no more victories till they dealt with the sin. *** God told them to consecrate themselves and then have every tribe stand before him and he would show the clan that took the things. *** In Luke, Jesus was accused of attracting and welcoming tax collectors and sinners. Jesus explained they were the lost sheep, and heaven rejoiced more over one of them coming to repentance than 99 righteous people coming in who didn’t need to repent. *** Jesus gave them the story of the lost coin and the prodigal son. The woman in the story of the lost coin didn’t do anything wrong to lose the coin, but was so thankful when she found it. The father in the story of the prodigal son didn’t do anything wrong to lose his son. The prodigal son, chose to walk away and squander his inheritance. It took losing everything for him to wake up and realized what a great father he had. The older son of the father had never lost anything, but had lived in the blessing of his father. He was like the Pharisees who walked in the works of righteousness but had no compassion for the unfortunate. The father pointed out, that he should celebrate because his son was dead and now alive. Jesus was making the same parallel about the tax collectors and sinners. They were once spiritually dead with no hope, but were coming to life with his teaching. The Pharisees should be happy instead of judging. *** Lord, may we not judge people by their circumstances and outward appearances, but may we see them as you see them. May we see them as how you want them to be, saved and forgiven and prospering in righteousness. Thank you that you saw our sinful state and had compassion on us.

Sat.’s Devo - Crossing Jordan

Read: Joshua 3:1-4:24; Luke 14:7-35; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 12:27-28 Joshua brought the people to the Jordan where they camped for three days. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant set out first, and the people followed leaving a space of 2,000 cubits between them and the ark. Joshua told the people to consecrate themselves because tomorrow the Lord was going to do a great wonder in their eyes. *** The next day, Joshua commanded the priests to walk into the Jordan with the ark and stand still. God would do a sign for them to encourage them that He was going with them to drive out all the “ites” of the land. Joshua was to pick out a man from each tribe. *** As soon as the feet of the priests walked into the water, it stopped flowing from the town of Adam in the north of the Jordan. Then the people could walk over the dry ground just like them did at the Red Sea. *** The twelve chosen men were to take a stone from the midst of the Jordan and carry it on the other side in a heap. These stones were to be a memorial of that day. *** When everyone had crossed the Jordan, Joshua commanded the priests to come out of the Jordan. As soon as their feet stepped on dry ground, the waters came flooding back. The people feared Joshua like they had feared Moses when they witnessed this great miracle. *** This happened on the 10th day of the first month which is the month of Passover. The number 10 represents a test. This was a test to see if the people would trust the Lord and believe he was their God and could give them the land he had promised them. *** In Luke, Jesus was eating in the house of a ruler of the Pharisees. He gave them a parable about those who were invited to a wedding party. They were not to seek to sit in the seats of honor least someone more important than them come. Then, they might be asked to give up their seat and have to take a seat in the back. But, if they would begin at the back, maybe the host would honor them with a better seat in the front. Those who humble themselves, will be exalted, but those who exalt themselves will be humbled. *** Jesus told the man who had invited him to his house that he should invite those who cannot pay him back like the poor, crippled, lame and blind. He be reward for this in the resurrection of the just. *** One of the people at the dinner commented how blessed it will be when they eat at the Lord’s table in his kingdom. Jesus gave a parable about God’s kingdom and his table. In the parable, a rich man gave a great banquet but, everyone he invited gave excuses why they couldn’t come. So, the master invited the poor, crippled, lame and blind and filled his house with people. Sadly, the ones he had invited never got to taste his food. *** Of course, this parable was given to the person who said everyone would be blessed who eat bread in the kingdom of God. It was also given to other Pharisees sitting at that table. They would probably never get to eat food at God’s table. *** Jesus explained who would be able to enter into his kingdom. It was those who have counted the cost and been willing to lose it all for the sake of gaining the kingdom. Those who are not willing to pay the price would be cast out eternally. *** Lord, may we choose you every day, above our reputation and anything the world has to offer. You are much much greater!

Fri.’s Devo - Preparing to Enter into the Land

Read: Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24; Luke 13:22-14:6; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 12:26 God took Moses on top of Mount Nebo in the land of Moab and showed him all of the land he had promised them. Moses died on that mountain and the people mourned for 30 days. Moses was the only prophet who God spoke face to face with and was shown such miraculous signs and wonders. *** It was now time to enter the land. God told Joshua that every place the sole of their foot tread on was a gift to them. God promised to be with Joshua like he had been with Moses and not to leave them. God commanded Joshua to be courageous and stay on the path. God would give them success as long as they followed his laws and obeyed him. *** Joshua told the people to get prepared because in three days, they would enter into their land. The warriors from Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh would go with them. *** The people swore their allegiance to Joshua and prepared. Secretly, Joshua sent two spies to spy out the land, particularly Jericho. In Jericho, they met a prostitute named Rahab and stayed at her house that night. The king sent men to her house to ask her to turn the men over to them but, she lied and told them the men had already left. If they hurried, they could catch them before they left the city gates. She had hidden the two spies on the roof of her house which was built into the wall of the city. *** She told the men that she knew the Lord had given them the whole land and all the people were afraid of them. They had heard what they did to the kings of Og and Sihon. Then she begged for the life of her and her family. The spies promised that if she kept the red rope hanging from her window to indicate which house she was in, they would not kill anyone inside her house. She agreed, and the men escaped and hid out in the mountains for three days. *** We just read how Rahab’s family would be the only people saved out of the whole city of Jericho and now in Luke, a person asked Jesus if only a few will be saved. Jesus explained that the way to salvation is very narrow, but all who want to lay down their lives and live for him will be allowed to enter in. Many will be disappointed when they find that their evil deeds will keep them from entering. God doesn’t judge like we do; he sees the heart and the intent of the heart. *** Jesus was warned by the Pharisees, of all people, that Herod wanted to kill him. Jesus explained that Herod had no power to kill him. He was safe till he got to Jerusalem where all the prophets were killed. He told Jerusalem that she would not see him again until they were ready to repent and confess him as Lord. *** Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and this upset the lawyers and the Pharisees. He asked them how many of them refused to help his donkey if it needed help on the Sabbath. They refused to answer him. *** Lord, may we enter into your gates of salvation with humility and praise. Thank you for your power to save us. Thank you for giving us hearts to respond to your kindness and grace.

Thurs.’s Devo - Moses Blesses the Tribes

Read: Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Luke 13:1-21; psalm 78:65-72; Proverbs 12:25 Moses was about to die and gives a blessing to every tribe. First he gives us some insight into what he saw when God came to him on Mt. Sinai. He saw God’s glory and ten thousands of his angels. He saw flaming fire at God’s right hand. He gave them the law making him their king. *** This is what he said of the tribes: Reuben had lost his right as the first born because he went into to his father’s concubine, but Moses prayed his tribe would survive, even if they were few in number. *** He prayed that God would hear Judah’s voice and contend for him and help him to fight against his enemies. He prayed that Levi would have the answer from the Lord and commended them for choosing the Lord over their own family. He prayed that God would bless Levi’s hands and crush his enemies. *** Moses prayed that Benjamin would dwell in safety under the shadow of the Most High. He prayed that Joseph would be blessed with favor and the best of everything the earth and heaven had to offer. *** Zebulun was blessed with trade as they were situated by the sea. He prayed that Issachar would give to the Lord of their abundance. *** He blessed all who helped Gad because they went in and helped all the other tribes fight and possess their land. ** Dan never gets a good prophecy. Here he is described as an offspring of Bashan, the evil nation where Og was the king. In Joseph’s prophecy (Gen. 48) he is compared to a snake. *** Naphtali is blessed with favor and the fullness of the Lord. Asher is blessed with popularity with his brothers, safety and strength. *** Then Moses reminds them of who God is. He is their eternal dwelling place who holds them forever in his arms. He is the one who destroys their enemies. They were saved by the Lord who gave them the power to triumph over their enemies. *** In Luke, Jesus gives them two examples of people who were killed and suffered. It was believed that bad things happened to people because they deserved it, but Jesus explained that all who die without repenting of their sins meet the same fate. *** Like the story of the fig tree, God had had much patience and compassion on them, but there was a limit to his mercy. Judgement is inevitable to everyone. *** Jesus healed a woman who had been bound up by Satan and could not stand up straight. She had been like this for 18 years. Jesus healed her but the Pharisees objected because it was on the Sabbath. Jesus reminded them of how they would unbind their own donkeys and lead them to water on the Sabbath and this woman who was much more important than a donkey had been bound and just needed the “water of the Word.” *** Jesus then explained that the Kingdom of God would start very small and grow until many were being refreshed with its life. *** Lord, thank you that we are part of your kingdom. May we spread your love and provide healing and love to those who need it.

Wed.’s Devo - Moses’ Last Day -

Read: Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Luke 12:35-59; Psalm 78:56-64; Proverbs 12:24 We read the end of the song which ends in the near death of their nation. God points out the difference between his children and the children of the enemy. In the end, God will bring vengeance on his enemies and their gods will have no power against him. He will avenge the blood of his children. *** Moses explained that them must sing this song and teach it to their children to warn them to follow the Lord so they could live long in the land. *** On that same day, God sent Moses upon on Mount Nebo so he could see the promised land and then die on the mountain. Aaron had also died on a mountain - Mount Hor. *** In Luke, Jesus is warning his disciples to stay diligent and keep trusting him just like God was telling the Israelites to do. Jesus was referring to his second coming. He promised to return and wanted to find them ready and awake, doing his will. *** Peter asked Jesus who he was telling this parable to and Jesus said it was for the ones who were faithfully following the Lord and looking for his return. *** Jesus didn’t come to bring peace to the earth but to shake it out of its complacency and cause friction which would lead to the right actions. *** He accused them of understanding natural signs of the time and being totally blind to the spiritual signs of the time. He encouraged them to work out disputes among themselves and not let the worldly system decide their fate. *** Lord, may we shake ourselves out of our complacency. May we have eyes to see the times we are living in and be found doing your will.

Tues.’s Devo - The Commissions

Read: Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27; Luke 12:8-34; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 12:21-23 God had given them the example of what they would do when they got into the land. He had given them victory over Og and Sihon. They would do the same to the people in the land he was giving them. *** Moses brought Joshua forward in the audience of all the people and commissioned him to be strong and courageous because the Lord would go before them. ***Then Moses gave the priests and the sons of Levi a copy of the law and told them to read it aloud to the people every seven years in the year of jubilee and at the Feast of Tabernacles. *** God told Moses he was about to die and sleep with his family. He was to bring Joshua to the tent of meeting where the Lord would commission him to lead them in Moses’ place. *** After Moses dies, the people will break his laws and follow after other gods. God will become so angry with them, he will abandon them. All the evils promised them will come upon them. *** Moses was to teach them a song as a witness to them when they sinned. Moses wrote the song and taught it to the people, all in one day! Then the Lord commissioned Joshua, commanding him to be strong and courageous and bring the people into their land. Moses met with the elders of the tribes and told them that he knew that after he died they would sin and turn against the Lord. *** The song reminds them of their past and all the Lord did for them and their fathers, then it gives them a picture of their future sins. The song was given so that in the future when they are in the midst of the consequences of their idolatry, they will remember this song and repent. *** In Luke, Jesus explains that what we confess now is what we will confess in eternity, so it is imperative that we have the right confession now. When we have to defend the truth, the Holy Spirit will help us say the right thing. *** Jesus then gives us a story to illustrate that he is not talking about what we accomplish or attain on earth that is important. It is our testimony that will stand. Nothing else will follow us into eternity. *** We do not have to worry about the necessities of living, we are to seek life and God’s kingdom. God will take care of all our needs. God gives us nature to show us how much he cares about everything he made. *** Lord, thank you for reminding us that our treasure is in heaven. The treasure is You and your presence. Thank you that you never leave us and never forsake us.

Mon.’s Devo - Renewing the Covenant

Read: Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20; Luke 11:37-12:7; Psalm 78:1-31; Proverbs 12:19-20 God had them make another covenant with him like they did at Mt. Sinai when he gave them the law. These were the children who had seen all the things God did for them in Egypt but were children at the time. Their parents had made a covenant with God and now they needed to make a covenant with him. *** God reminded them of all he did for them in the wilderness and of the evil gods that the Egyptians worshiped. He warned them not to worship the gods of the people whose land they were about to possess, but to keep his laws. If any of their tribes turn from his laws, they will receive the curses and the land and all in it will become sick. *** When they see the consequences of the blessings and the curses they are to return to the Lord with all their heart. Then, he will restore their fortunes to them and have mercy on them. He will then bring them into their land and make them prosperous and multiply them. God will give them and their offspring a circumcised heart to love him. Then the Lord will put the curses on their enemies who persecuted them, but, God will then abundantly prosper and bless his people. *** So, the choice was theirs to make. They can choose to obey the Lord and his commands and live in the blessings and greatly prosper, or they can turn their hearts away from him and worship other gods. If they do, they will not live long in the promised land. The choice was death or life. *** In Luke, Jesus was invited to the home of a Pharisee. He did’t go through the ritual hand-washing that they did, and the man asked Jesus about it. Jesus told him that it was a farce to try to look so clean on the outside when their hearts were full of greed and wickedness. They tithed, but neglected to administer justice and love. They could be found sitting in the seats of honor in the synagogue and marketplaces. They did everything to look important and holy, but were actually instruments of spreading death. *** A lawyer spoke up and said he was insulted by what Jesus said. He should have kept his mouth shut. Jesus nailed his profession also. He told him the lawyers put burdens on the people that were too hard for them to bear. They built tombs of the prophets who their fathers killed. They even agreed with their fathers that they should be killed. Their generation would be charged with these deaths. By their actions they robbed the people of the key of knowledge. *** Thousands were gathering to see and hear Jesus. The Pharisees tried to give Jesus questions that would provoke him and cause him to sin so they could discredit him. Jesus warned his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees. Their leaven was their hypocrisy - the fact that they did not practice or even believe what they taught. They may have the power to kill a person, by they didn’t have the power to decide how that person would live in eternity. Only God had the power to cast the wicked into hell. *** Jesus gave the example of sparrows who were sold for pennies and yet God took notice of them. His children are worth so much more than sparrows and he cares for every detail of their lives. *** Lord, thank you that you love and care for us. We are so privileged to be your children. May we daily renew our covenant with you to love you with all our heart, soul and mind.

Sun.’s Devo - The Blessings and the Curses

Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Luke 11:14-36; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 12:18 Reading the blessings makes you smile and feel so loved and protected. You see the desire of a loving Father to give the very best he has created to his children. I’m not going to list all the blessings of obedience, but they are enough to make you scratch your head and ask, “who would not want to obey the Lord and enjoy these blessings?” *** When I read the curses, I see how we have fallen into that category as a nation. But, I am seeing and feeling the shift away from the curses and onto the road that leads to the blessings. *** We know that Israel did not continue to follow the Lord and all these curses fell on them. We also know that scripture assures us that they will return to the Lord and enjoy the blessings in the end. We pray that is soon. *** In Luke, Jesus cast out the demon that had made the man mute. The religious leaders had to have an explanation of how he could do this, so they said he did it by the power of Beelzebub, a prince of demons. *** Jesus explained that a kingdom divided against itself would not be able to stand. He asked them how their sons cast out demons. Their sons would grow up and one day judge them. But, if he cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to earth. That would mean that someone stronger than who is over the earth had come to earth to take over. Satan was prince of the world until Jesus came and began knocking down his wall of defense. Jesus took away Satan’s protection and had begun ravaging his stronghold. *** Jesus explained that when demons were cast out they would roam the earth looking for a body to occupy. If they couldn’t find one that would go back to where they were cast out and see if it was still unoccupied. If that person had’t filled the evil with good, then the demon could reenter and bring seven more demons with it. Then the person would be worse off than it was before. *** Jesus reminded them of the way the Gentiles (the people of Nineveh, and the queen of Sheba) repented when they heard the truth. They would one day judge the Jews for rejecting The Truth when it came to them. *** Jesus talked to them about how they “saw.” If they were opened to truth, then it lit up their hearts to receive more truth. If they were closed to truth, then their hearts would have not light. *** Lord, may we have hearts full of light and discernment. May we see the truth and embrace it. May we see Satan’s kingdom crumble and your kingdom established on earth.

Sat.’s Devo - Amen!

Read: Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26; Luke 10:38-11:13; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 12:15-17 When they came into the land God promised them and harvest their first fruits of the land, they were to bring them in a basket. They were to tell God who they were and where they came from starting with Abraham. They were to acknowledge all God did for them and how they lived in Egypt till they grew into a mighty nation. When they cried to the Lord for deliverance he brought them out with signs and wonders and brought them to this place. Then they were to set there basket down before the Lord. *** The third year was the year of tithing and all they gave would go to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow so that they would have plenty to eat. They were to ask God to bless them. *** Moses and the elders told the people to keep all the commandments that God gave them. They set up large stones and plastered them to write all the words of the law on them. They were set up on the side of the Jordan River in the promised land. *** Moses told six of the tribes to stand on Mt. Ebal and read the curses of the law and six of the tribes to stand on Mt. Gerizim and read the blessings of the law. *** First they read the curses. They would evoke a curse if they made metal images to worship, dishonored their parents, moved their neighbor’s landmark, mislead a blind man, perverted justice, lay with their father’s wife, an animal, or any relative, committed murder, took a bribe, or disobeyed the law. After every curse they were to agree with an “Amen.” *** In Luke, we read about how Martha complained about Mary who wanted to sit at Jesus’s feet leaving her with all the busy work. Jesus explained that Mary had chosen the part that no one could take from her. Mary had chosen the spiritual over the natural. *** One of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus taught them the prayer he must have prayed every day. In it he first glorified God and prayed for his kingdom to come. Then he asked for daily needs, forgiveness and help to walk in righteousness. *** Then he told them a parable explaining how we can pray for others. The parable about the man who needed something for someone else. He went to his neighbor who represented God and kept on asking for help until he got it. Jesus explained that we must be like him when we are praying for others and keep praying till we get the answer. God is faithful and will answer our prayers. God is our Father and wants to bless us with gifts even more than we want to give gifts to our children. His greatest gifts are Jesus and the Holy Spirit. *** Lord, may we desire eternal things that will last past our lifetime. May we seek your kingdom, your gifts and your righteousness first. Thank you that you hear and answer our prayers.

Fri.’s Devo - Practical Laws

Read: Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19; Luke 10:13-37; Psalm 75:1-10; Proverbs 12:12-14 God gave them commands about the different people they encountered. No eunuchs, nor their descendants to the tenth generation were allowed in the Lord’s assembly. No Ammonite or Moabite were allowed in the Lord’s assembly for the same amount of time. They hired Balaam to curse Israel and refused to let them pass through their land when they came out of Egypt. God turned Balaam’s curse into a blessing and did not allow him to curse Israel. But, they were not to hate the Edomites because they were their brothers. They were also not to hate the Egyptian because they lived among them. After three generations, their children could enter into the assembly of the Lord. *** God had rules for their hygiene to keep them from sickness. God had rules for honoring one another, taking care of escaped slaves and fair business practices. It was important that they made promises only if they could carry them out. *** Divorced people could not marry again if they had married someone else in between that time. People were not to be kidnapped and trafficked. Laws to protect the dignity and rights of the poor were to be observed. Everyone was responsible for their own actions. They were to treat the foreigner, the orphan and the widow with the same laws and respect they did for others. They were to always remember that they were once slaves in Egypt. *** They were to share their produce with the poor. When a person was condemned in court, his penalty was to be swift and in front of the judge. *** Only if brothers are living together and one dies without an heir was his brother to take his brother’s wife as his wife, so that the offspring could carry on the name of the dead husband. If he doesn’t do this, he is to be publicly shamed. *** God reminded them of what the Amalekites did to them when they came out of Egypt. They were to make sure their memory was blotted out of the earth. *** In Luke, Jesus cursed the different cities that he performed great miracles in. The ones who didn’t repent would receive no mercy in the Judgment. *** The seventy-two that Jesus had sent out came back joyfully reporting how the demons were subject to them. Jesus knew because he had seen Satan falling from heaven like lightning. Satan was being unseated. They had power over all the powers of the enemy and the demons would not hurt them, but the more powerful thing was that their names were written in heaven. *** Jesus rejoiced greatly that his disciples were beginning to do the things he taught them. This was the kingdom of God coming to earth shaking up the status quo in the spiritual realm. *** Jesus was asked by a lawyer what he could do to receive eternal life. He told him to love the Lord with all his heart and others as he loved himself. When the man told him he did this, Jesus gave him the story of the good Samaritan to show him that maybe he wasn’t loving all others as himself. It wasn’t just the people in his circle he was the love, he was also the outcast and the Gentile. Jesus told him to go and show mercy to these people. *** Lord, may we set our affections on what and who you set your affections on. May we walk in the authority you gave us and not be afraid of the devil and his small power. Thank you that you are the God of the impossible.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Laws

Read: Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30; Luke 9:51-10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 12:11 God’s laws were given to keep the land pure. If a dead body was found and no one knew how he died, the elders of the nearest city were to offer a heifer that had not been yoked. He was to be brought down to a valley with running water and break its neck. Then the priest were to come forward and wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. This was their testimony that they didn’t shed his blood and didn’t see who had. By doing this they were removing any guilt from the people of Israel and atoning for his death. *** In this act the heifer stood for the man who died in a valley or veiled in secrecy. They washed their hands over him washing away the guilt of his death. *** If a man married a virgin captive from war and then decided he didn’t want to be married to her, he had to set her free to go wherever she wanted. He could not sell her or use her as a slave because he had humiliated her. *** If a man had two wives and loved one more, he could not take the right of the first born from the son of the wife he loved the least. *** If a man has a son who is a drunkard and a glutton and will not obey his father, he is to be brought before the elders of the city. They were to stone him and remove the evil from their land. *** If a man is punished by hanging on a cross, he must be taken down and buried on the same day because a hung man is a cursed man. To keep him hanging to the next day would defile their land. God’s mercies are new every morning. *** They were to restore any lost animals they found of their neighbors and help their neighbor in times of need. *** God hates mixture so women were to dress like women and men like men. They were not to sow two kinds of seeds together, or wear two kinds of materials together. God will not bless hybrids. *** They were not to kill both the young bird and the mother. Generations must not pay for the sins of their past generations. They were to take care to build with safety of others in mind. *** If a man accuses his wife of not being a virgin when he married her, and there is no evidence of her innocence then she was to be brought to the door of her father’s house and the men of the city would stone her to death. If her father can prove she was a virgin when she married then the husband was to be whipped, fined and could not divorce her all his life. *** The last line gives us a glimpse into what happened with Noah and Ham. To have relations with your father’s wife was to uncover his father’s nakedness. *** In Luke, we see Jesus becoming extremely determined and aware that he only has a short time left on the earth. He makes some statements that show how serious it is to follow him. Then he sends 72 believers ahead of him to tell the people that the kingdom of God has come near to them. Those who received the news would be blessed, those who didn’t would not fair well on Judgment Day. *** Lord, we know that you came near when you came to earth and you are near to us, even in us now. May we live the kingdom in a way that others would want to join us.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Family

Read: Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20; Luke 9:28-50; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 12:10 The Levite was set apart in every way. His inheritance came from the Lord. He was welcomed to enjoy the offerings for the priests and Levites any time he was near the place of worship. *** When they come into the land the Lord promised and they possess it, they were to rid it of all evil occult practices. God would not speak to them through the evil ways of their enemies. He would speak to his people through a prophet like Moses. A true prophet’s words will come to pass. *** They were to set apart three cities for cities of refuge to protect the innocent wrongly accused of murder. As they continued to be faithful to the Lord and continued to take more territory, they were to designate three more cities of refuge. *** When the Levites were deciding a case, they were to make their decision on the testimony of at least two witnesses. If a false witness is found, then he will receive what he wanted the man accused to receive. *** When they went to war, they were not to compare the size of their enemies armies, because the Lord was on their side. The priests were to encourage the army before they fought and remind them not to be afraid. It was the Lord who would give them the victory. *** The officers were to ask the soldiers if they had any unfinished business at home, or if they were afraid to fight. If any of this was true, they were excused from serving. *** When they came to the city outside the promised land, they were first to offer it the right to surrender. If they surrendered, they were to make slaves of all the people in the city. If they didn’t want to make peace, then they were to kill all the males and take the women and children and livestock as plunder. In the cities within the promised land, they were to kill everyone in the city and leave nothing alive so that they could not teach them their abominable ways. *** They were to leave all the trees that produced fruit and use the others for siegeworks. *** In Luke, Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain with him to pray. It was the eighth day which refers to the “new millennium.” Jesus transformed into his glory before them. They watched in awe as Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah. *** As Peter was preparing them to stay with them on earth, God spoke and told them to listen to Jesus, he was God’s son. Then, Jesus was there alone, and Moses and Elijah were gone. *** The next day, Jesus cast out an evil spirit from a man’s son. Jesus called them a faithless and twisted generation. When the demon manifested through the son, Jesus rebuked the spirit and healed the boy. He gave him back to his father. *** The crowd marveled at what Jesus did, but he told his disciples he was soon going to be handed over to the hands of men. They didn’t understand what he was telling them. Instead, they argued about who would be there greatest in his kingdom. Jesus brought a child before them and said that whoever receives a child in his name receives him and the one who sent him. The least among them will be the greatest. (I’m sure they didn’t get that one either.) *** John told Jesus that there was a man casting out demons in his name and wanted to stop the man because he wasn’t part of their following. Jesus told him not to stop him because if he is not against him, he is on his side. *** We can learn a lot from today’s reading. We are part of a big family of God’s. The Levite from another city and the believer from another group are all part of the same company of believers. Thou we are in the presence of the greatest prophets that lived like Moses and Elijah, the one we are to hear the most is Jesus. Jesus is the one who links us all together as one big family. *** Lord, may we not compartmentalize ourselves because we don’t go to the same church or believe quite the same. May we see other believers as our family and love and accept them as fellow workers in your kingdom.