Read: 1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17; Acts 25:1-27;
Looking at today’s date, I pray that this will be a day we complete the things we are working on and enter into God’s rest.
Today, we read about Jabez who just showed up with no announcement. We don’t know for sure who his father was…probably Coz or Kenan but according to Jamison’s Commentary, he grew up to be a leader in teaching the law of Moses. He had such a following that they named a town after him. Although his mother named him according to her grief, he prayed to be free of that pain and of what his name meant and God granted his request. We can do that too. Whatever is in your family line, by prayer and belief in God, you can be set free.
Reuben was the first born of Israel, but because he went into his father’s concubines, he lost his rights of the firstborn. Instead of it going to Simeon, the second born, Israel gave it to Joseph, his first born of Rachel…the wife he loved. From Judah, came the kings and the King of Kings but Joseph was the one whose life was the shadow of Jesus’ earthly life.
In Acts, Festus went to Jerusalem to hear the charges against Paul. They wanted him to turn Paul over to them so they could have him killed along the way. Fetus went back and had Paul brought out to answer to the charges against him. When he was asked if he would go to Jerusalem to be tried, Paul refused. I think he knew there was no way he would get a fair trial in Jerusalem. If they killed Jesus, they would do the same to him. Instead, he appealed to go to Rome and be tried by Caesar himself. When King Agrippa heard about what Paul had said, he decided he wanted to hear him first.
Paul was not afraid to push the status quo button. He wasn’t afraid to fight for the rights of his testimony. It wasn’t that he was afraid of dying that made him fight, it was that he wasn’t going to let Satan win. He felt compelled to go to Rome so he wasn’t going to stop till he made it there.
Lord, give us the tenaciousness of Paul. Let us not give up till we have fulfilled all of our destiny.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Thurs.’s Devo - Geneology Part 2
Read: 1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4; Acts 24:1-27; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 18:16-18
More genealogy!!! I loved reading about Caleb and his family, but I want to write about is David’s family. David had six sons from six different wives in seven and a half years while he lived in Hebron. That is a lot of babies all under the same roof! His firstborn is Amnon who grew up to be an impulsive self-centered man. He raped Tamar instead of marrying her and doing it right. We don’t hear anything about Daniel, his second-born but his third was Absalom who became his problem child who tried to usurp his kingdom.
David moved to Jerusalem when he was thirty-three and had four by Bathsheba and nine more with concubines. Solomon was the tenth son and the one God chose to wear the crown and carry on the kingly line. Next, we have the list of kings after Solomon. None of their other sons were mentioned until Josiah. Many times the sons of the kings were killed by the one taking the throne to stop any threats of a brother trying to usurp the throne. Josiah was a godly king even though his sons were not.
We all came from a genealogy and it is up to us to decide what we are going to pass on to the next generation.
In Acts, Paul’s accusers have made it to Rome and they are meeting with Felix, the governor. Paul’s accusers are the high priest Ananias, the one who testified against Jesus, his lawyer Tertullus, and other elders. Felix listened as they told of how Paul was an insurrectionist, a rebel and the leader of a cult. Then the governor asked Paul to give his defense. He sounded nothing like what they had accused him of. Paul’s defense was calm, truthful and respectful. He put Paul under the protection of a centurion and put him under house arrest giving him much liberty. He and his wife came to visit with him often to talk about his faith. He stayed this way for two years and when Felix was replaced by Festus, he was left in prison to please the Jews.
God had Paul right where he wanted him. Paul was the man he could place in prison and he would still faithfully proclaim the kingdom. Paul never complained about his lot in life, he counted every day a privilege to suffer or prosper for the Lord.
Lord, help us to see life the way Paul did…it is all for You.
More genealogy!!! I loved reading about Caleb and his family, but I want to write about is David’s family. David had six sons from six different wives in seven and a half years while he lived in Hebron. That is a lot of babies all under the same roof! His firstborn is Amnon who grew up to be an impulsive self-centered man. He raped Tamar instead of marrying her and doing it right. We don’t hear anything about Daniel, his second-born but his third was Absalom who became his problem child who tried to usurp his kingdom.
David moved to Jerusalem when he was thirty-three and had four by Bathsheba and nine more with concubines. Solomon was the tenth son and the one God chose to wear the crown and carry on the kingly line. Next, we have the list of kings after Solomon. None of their other sons were mentioned until Josiah. Many times the sons of the kings were killed by the one taking the throne to stop any threats of a brother trying to usurp the throne. Josiah was a godly king even though his sons were not.
We all came from a genealogy and it is up to us to decide what we are going to pass on to the next generation.
In Acts, Paul’s accusers have made it to Rome and they are meeting with Felix, the governor. Paul’s accusers are the high priest Ananias, the one who testified against Jesus, his lawyer Tertullus, and other elders. Felix listened as they told of how Paul was an insurrectionist, a rebel and the leader of a cult. Then the governor asked Paul to give his defense. He sounded nothing like what they had accused him of. Paul’s defense was calm, truthful and respectful. He put Paul under the protection of a centurion and put him under house arrest giving him much liberty. He and his wife came to visit with him often to talk about his faith. He stayed this way for two years and when Felix was replaced by Festus, he was left in prison to please the Jews.
God had Paul right where he wanted him. Paul was the man he could place in prison and he would still faithfully proclaim the kingdom. Paul never complained about his lot in life, he counted every day a privilege to suffer or prosper for the Lord.
Lord, help us to see life the way Paul did…it is all for You.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Wed.’s Devo - Geneologies
Read: 1 Chronicles 1:1-2:17; Acts 23:11-35; Psalm 3:1-8; Proverbw 18:14-15
I love to read the genealogies…I know I’m probably the only one that does but I always gain new insights by reading them. The first thing I noticed is that Cain is not mentioned as Adam’s son…only Seth. Seth means “substituted” and I used to think that he substituted Abel who Cain killed, but he substituted Cain. The first time the word “kingdom” is mentioned is in Genesis 10:10 talking about the kingdom of Nimrod which means “I will rebel”. No wonder, his father was Cush which means “black, terror”. His father was Ham which means “tumult, rage; father-in-law”. This was the picture of the demonic kingdom on the earth after the flood. Nimrod had Babel which we get Babylon from and it means “confusion”. This is the opposite kingdom of God. God is truth and the narrow path that leads to life. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace as 1 Corinthians 14:33 says.
Another interesting thought is that Abraham had other sons through his concubine, Keturah once Sarah had died. If you read the meanings to these sons they also seem to be a picture of Satan’s kingdom. Here are some of the meanings: a pit, crafty, contention, strife, musical, and disertion. No wonder Isaac’s name means “laughter; a mockery”. God’s promises are a mockery of what Satan says. Isaac was the son of promise where the other sons were the picture of the curse.
Another fact is that Jessie’s sons are numbered so we would understand that David was the seventh, standing for Jesus the perfect one. I could spend hours looking up the meanings of the names of the people and learning all kinds of secrets…one day, I will!
In Acts, Paul got a promise from God that he would testify of Him in Rome. This was all Paul needed to know that God would safely get him there. The devil did everything he could to stop it, but you can’t stop God when he has an appointment. God keeps his appointments. God unearthed a plot to kill Paul and got the information to the Roman commander in charge of Paul. God moved on the commander of the Roman army to make it his responsibility to get Paul to Rome. God uses whoever he needs to get his will done.
Lord, help us to see that our days are planned out by you and Satan has no power over what God has decreed.
I love to read the genealogies…I know I’m probably the only one that does but I always gain new insights by reading them. The first thing I noticed is that Cain is not mentioned as Adam’s son…only Seth. Seth means “substituted” and I used to think that he substituted Abel who Cain killed, but he substituted Cain. The first time the word “kingdom” is mentioned is in Genesis 10:10 talking about the kingdom of Nimrod which means “I will rebel”. No wonder, his father was Cush which means “black, terror”. His father was Ham which means “tumult, rage; father-in-law”. This was the picture of the demonic kingdom on the earth after the flood. Nimrod had Babel which we get Babylon from and it means “confusion”. This is the opposite kingdom of God. God is truth and the narrow path that leads to life. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace as 1 Corinthians 14:33 says.
Another interesting thought is that Abraham had other sons through his concubine, Keturah once Sarah had died. If you read the meanings to these sons they also seem to be a picture of Satan’s kingdom. Here are some of the meanings: a pit, crafty, contention, strife, musical, and disertion. No wonder Isaac’s name means “laughter; a mockery”. God’s promises are a mockery of what Satan says. Isaac was the son of promise where the other sons were the picture of the curse.
Another fact is that Jessie’s sons are numbered so we would understand that David was the seventh, standing for Jesus the perfect one. I could spend hours looking up the meanings of the names of the people and learning all kinds of secrets…one day, I will!
In Acts, Paul got a promise from God that he would testify of Him in Rome. This was all Paul needed to know that God would safely get him there. The devil did everything he could to stop it, but you can’t stop God when he has an appointment. God keeps his appointments. God unearthed a plot to kill Paul and got the information to the Roman commander in charge of Paul. God moved on the commander of the Roman army to make it his responsibility to get Paul to Rome. God uses whoever he needs to get his will done.
Lord, help us to see that our days are planned out by you and Satan has no power over what God has decreed.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Tues.’s Devo - Death to a Nation and Alive to God
Read: 2 Kings 23:31-25:30; Acts 22:17-23:10; Psalm 2:1-12; Proverbs 18:13
Today we read the slow demise of Judah. Josiah did radical reforms then his sons went back to the sins of their fathers. God started systematically tearing down Judah, taking what was left of the temple and its treasures and scattering the people in Babylon. Only the poor were left to farm the land. The temple, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem were burnt by the king of Babylon. The Chaldeans broke down the walls. Such a sad thing to see all because they rebelled against God. God had given them years to repent and turn and even when they were given a godly king, they couldn’t change in their hearts so they were soon returning to their own vomit. True repentance has to be of the heart, not just in word and deed.
In Acts, Paul had an audience and was boldly giving his testimony. He had them captivated till he mentioned that God told him to leave because He was sending him to the Gentiles. This went against all they had been taught about clean and unclean. They couldn’t make the transition into the new thing God was doing. Salvation was open to the Gentile as well as the Jew and this was always the plan. Paul was arrested but gained the opportunity to speak to the chief priests and their council. When he told them his conscience was clear it was like saying he was sinless. Paul understood that he was righteous before God because of the blood of Jesus, but they didn’t understand that concept so they thought he was proclaiming himself to be God. He got slapped on the mouth for that. Paul called the man who had him slapped a white washed wall until he found out he was the high priest, then he repented. I can’t help but laugh at Paul’s boldness. Paul saw that he had in his audience both Sadducees and Pharisees which had vastly different views on the resurrection so he brought it up to stir them to be divided against each other. That is a tactic Satan uses against us so I love that he turned it on them. Now, half of the crowd loved Paul and half of them hated him. Paul was not afraid of conflict. We need to be more like him. He didn’t care if he suffered pain or faced death. He was sold out for the sake of the gospel.
Today we read about the death of the nation Judah in the Old Testament but the life of a born again warrior of the kingdom in the New Testament.
Lord, help us to be more like Paul who lived to lift Jesus name. As we celebrate our independence day help us to remember to pray for our nation and our leaders that they be filled with wisdom, discernment, the spirit of God and protection. Thank you for this great nation of America that was founded on God's principles to be a light to other nations. Let our light shine brighter and brighter for Jesus.
Today we read the slow demise of Judah. Josiah did radical reforms then his sons went back to the sins of their fathers. God started systematically tearing down Judah, taking what was left of the temple and its treasures and scattering the people in Babylon. Only the poor were left to farm the land. The temple, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem were burnt by the king of Babylon. The Chaldeans broke down the walls. Such a sad thing to see all because they rebelled against God. God had given them years to repent and turn and even when they were given a godly king, they couldn’t change in their hearts so they were soon returning to their own vomit. True repentance has to be of the heart, not just in word and deed.
In Acts, Paul had an audience and was boldly giving his testimony. He had them captivated till he mentioned that God told him to leave because He was sending him to the Gentiles. This went against all they had been taught about clean and unclean. They couldn’t make the transition into the new thing God was doing. Salvation was open to the Gentile as well as the Jew and this was always the plan. Paul was arrested but gained the opportunity to speak to the chief priests and their council. When he told them his conscience was clear it was like saying he was sinless. Paul understood that he was righteous before God because of the blood of Jesus, but they didn’t understand that concept so they thought he was proclaiming himself to be God. He got slapped on the mouth for that. Paul called the man who had him slapped a white washed wall until he found out he was the high priest, then he repented. I can’t help but laugh at Paul’s boldness. Paul saw that he had in his audience both Sadducees and Pharisees which had vastly different views on the resurrection so he brought it up to stir them to be divided against each other. That is a tactic Satan uses against us so I love that he turned it on them. Now, half of the crowd loved Paul and half of them hated him. Paul was not afraid of conflict. We need to be more like him. He didn’t care if he suffered pain or faced death. He was sold out for the sake of the gospel.
Today we read about the death of the nation Judah in the Old Testament but the life of a born again warrior of the kingdom in the New Testament.
Lord, help us to be more like Paul who lived to lift Jesus name. As we celebrate our independence day help us to remember to pray for our nation and our leaders that they be filled with wisdom, discernment, the spirit of God and protection. Thank you for this great nation of America that was founded on God's principles to be a light to other nations. Let our light shine brighter and brighter for Jesus.
Monday, July 3, 2017
Mon.’s Devo -Our Identity
Read: 2 Kings 22:3-23;30; Acts 21:37-22:16; Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 18:11-12
Josiah was a good king in the midst of such decay. He found his name written in the ancient scrolls and found his identity. Then he was able to fulfill his calling. He just happened to pick up the scroll that had 1 Kings 13 and read it. In it a prophet had come to Beth-el and cried against the altar. He said that a child would be born unto the house of David whose name would be Josiah. He would clean up the altar and offer sacrifices that pleased God. When Josiah read this years later and realized how far they had fallen away from God as a nation, he repented and did major reform in the land.
When we read God’s Word, we get our identity because our name is written in the Word. We will become what it says we will become.
Paul knew his identity in Christ and in his birth. The fact that he was a Roman citizen kept him from being scourged and freed him of his bindings. It gave him a voice and he was able to speak before the high priest and all the people. Paul was sent to stir up the hearts of men. He did not always get the results he wanted, but he didn’t worry about that. He took every available opportunity to teach truth and proclaim the gospel. He loved not his life unto death.
Lord, help us to find our identity in you.
Josiah was a good king in the midst of such decay. He found his name written in the ancient scrolls and found his identity. Then he was able to fulfill his calling. He just happened to pick up the scroll that had 1 Kings 13 and read it. In it a prophet had come to Beth-el and cried against the altar. He said that a child would be born unto the house of David whose name would be Josiah. He would clean up the altar and offer sacrifices that pleased God. When Josiah read this years later and realized how far they had fallen away from God as a nation, he repented and did major reform in the land.
When we read God’s Word, we get our identity because our name is written in the Word. We will become what it says we will become.
Paul knew his identity in Christ and in his birth. The fact that he was a Roman citizen kept him from being scourged and freed him of his bindings. It gave him a voice and he was able to speak before the high priest and all the people. Paul was sent to stir up the hearts of men. He did not always get the results he wanted, but he didn’t worry about that. He took every available opportunity to teach truth and proclaim the gospel. He loved not his life unto death.
Lord, help us to find our identity in you.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Sun.’s Devo - Leave a Legacy of Good
Read: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2; Acts 21:17-36; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10
Isaiah was sent to tell king Hezekiah that his illness would end in death so he needed to put his things in order. Hezekiah cried to the Lord and god repented of his death sentence and told him he could have 15 more years. What would you do if you knew you only had 15 more years? Apparently he had no son so he made sure he did in that fifteen years. He had a son three years later named Manasseh. Instead of training his son to follow after the Lord, Hezekiah was too busy showing off his accomplishments to the Babylonians.
God told him that the men from Babylon would go home and tell the king of all his riches and when he was gone, they would come get them.
Hezekiah did die after his 15 years and his son, Manasseh became one Judah’s worse kings. He reversed all the good that Hezekiah had done in the land and profaned the temple and the people. Because of all his wickedness, God said he would wipe them out of the land, forsake the remnant and deliver them to their enemies. Manasseh died and his son, Amon reigned only two years. He followed in the footsteps of his father and was killed by his own servants. His son, Josiah ruled and he was a good king.
In Acts, Paul entered Jerusalem and was encouraged by what God was doing there. He encouraged them of all that he had seen God do. Just like the man had prophesied in yesterday’s reading, Paul was bound by chains to be thrown into prison because of the uproar of the people. He used every opportunity to preach the gospel so he asked to speak to the people. He proceeded to give his testimony of how God saved him.
Paul realized that life is a gift you can give back. He did things that no one else would think to do with no regard for his own comfort or safety. He wanted everything he did to count for God.
Lord, give us the zeal and courage that Paul had.
Isaiah was sent to tell king Hezekiah that his illness would end in death so he needed to put his things in order. Hezekiah cried to the Lord and god repented of his death sentence and told him he could have 15 more years. What would you do if you knew you only had 15 more years? Apparently he had no son so he made sure he did in that fifteen years. He had a son three years later named Manasseh. Instead of training his son to follow after the Lord, Hezekiah was too busy showing off his accomplishments to the Babylonians.
God told him that the men from Babylon would go home and tell the king of all his riches and when he was gone, they would come get them.
Hezekiah did die after his 15 years and his son, Manasseh became one Judah’s worse kings. He reversed all the good that Hezekiah had done in the land and profaned the temple and the people. Because of all his wickedness, God said he would wipe them out of the land, forsake the remnant and deliver them to their enemies. Manasseh died and his son, Amon reigned only two years. He followed in the footsteps of his father and was killed by his own servants. His son, Josiah ruled and he was a good king.
In Acts, Paul entered Jerusalem and was encouraged by what God was doing there. He encouraged them of all that he had seen God do. Just like the man had prophesied in yesterday’s reading, Paul was bound by chains to be thrown into prison because of the uproar of the people. He used every opportunity to preach the gospel so he asked to speak to the people. He proceeded to give his testimony of how God saved him.
Paul realized that life is a gift you can give back. He did things that no one else would think to do with no regard for his own comfort or safety. He wanted everything he did to count for God.
Lord, give us the zeal and courage that Paul had.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Sat.’s Devo - God Will Establish His Word
Read: 2 Kings 18:13-19:27; Acts 21:1-16; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8
Hezekiah, king of Judah was a good king who had rid the land of the high places and told the people to serve God in Jerusalem and he had told the king of Assyria he would not pay him tribute. The Assyrians had taken Samaria, the capital of Israel and now they wanted Jerusalem. Assyria good all their fenced cities first, and once they were taken, Hezekiah decided to buy them out to save Jerusalem. He gave them the gold from temple doors and the pillars but the Assyrian king wanted more. He wanted the city. He sent back three men: Tartan which means “release the dragon”, Rabsaris which means “chief eunuch” and Rab-shakeh which means “chief cup-bearer”. They came with a host of soldiers. Hezekiah sent three men to meet them: Eliakim which means “God will establish his portion”, Shebna which means “wait, I pray to those who built” and Asaph which means “their brother is a gatherer”. So, God was saying by sending these men that the ones who built this city just needed to wait and see that their brother, Jesus is a gatherer, not a scatterer and He had established his name in this place.
The three men from Assyria spoke very intimidating words in their Hebrew tongue so all the soldiers could hear. When they asked him to speak in a language only the officers knew, they refused. They knew what they were doing and they wanted to weaken their army so they wouldn’t be able to fight. They had the gall to say that God had sent them to destroy Jerusalem.
When Hezekiah heard he humbled himself and went into the temple to pray and sent his priests to the prophet Isaiah to find out what to do. Isaiah told him that the Assyrians would hear a rumor and leave and be killed in their own land.
But, things didn’t change and their threats became worse. Hezekiah received a letter naming all the nations they had brought down and were now serving them. Hezekiah took the letter and spread it out before the Lord in the temple. Isaiah sent him another word. God knew that the Assyrians had destroyed other nations and burned their gods, but Judah didn’t serve a dead god, they served the living God. They might have been strong against these nations but they will be no match for God’s army. Then he gave king Hezekiah a sign. They would eat crops that grew of their own the first and second year, then they would plant in the third and reap the fruits of it. And about the king of Assyria…he will not enter Jerusalem or shoot one arrow against it. He will lead the way he came because God would defend this city.
God sent his army and they killed 185,000 men that night. The king of Assyria was killed by his own people in the house of one of his gods.
This is a long story but we see how the devil uses intimidation and threats to weaken our defense. We have to stay strong and hear God’s heart. In Acts, it was the Christians who were trying to dissuade Paul from going to Jerusalem because of the hardship they saw he would have to face. Paul refused to be intimidated or pampered. He was not afraid of a little persecution. He walked toward the roar.
We need to be like Paul and face the devil unafraid.
Lord, help us to do that in the face of uncertainty and fear. You have a whole army ready to fight for us.
Hezekiah, king of Judah was a good king who had rid the land of the high places and told the people to serve God in Jerusalem and he had told the king of Assyria he would not pay him tribute. The Assyrians had taken Samaria, the capital of Israel and now they wanted Jerusalem. Assyria good all their fenced cities first, and once they were taken, Hezekiah decided to buy them out to save Jerusalem. He gave them the gold from temple doors and the pillars but the Assyrian king wanted more. He wanted the city. He sent back three men: Tartan which means “release the dragon”, Rabsaris which means “chief eunuch” and Rab-shakeh which means “chief cup-bearer”. They came with a host of soldiers. Hezekiah sent three men to meet them: Eliakim which means “God will establish his portion”, Shebna which means “wait, I pray to those who built” and Asaph which means “their brother is a gatherer”. So, God was saying by sending these men that the ones who built this city just needed to wait and see that their brother, Jesus is a gatherer, not a scatterer and He had established his name in this place.
The three men from Assyria spoke very intimidating words in their Hebrew tongue so all the soldiers could hear. When they asked him to speak in a language only the officers knew, they refused. They knew what they were doing and they wanted to weaken their army so they wouldn’t be able to fight. They had the gall to say that God had sent them to destroy Jerusalem.
When Hezekiah heard he humbled himself and went into the temple to pray and sent his priests to the prophet Isaiah to find out what to do. Isaiah told him that the Assyrians would hear a rumor and leave and be killed in their own land.
But, things didn’t change and their threats became worse. Hezekiah received a letter naming all the nations they had brought down and were now serving them. Hezekiah took the letter and spread it out before the Lord in the temple. Isaiah sent him another word. God knew that the Assyrians had destroyed other nations and burned their gods, but Judah didn’t serve a dead god, they served the living God. They might have been strong against these nations but they will be no match for God’s army. Then he gave king Hezekiah a sign. They would eat crops that grew of their own the first and second year, then they would plant in the third and reap the fruits of it. And about the king of Assyria…he will not enter Jerusalem or shoot one arrow against it. He will lead the way he came because God would defend this city.
God sent his army and they killed 185,000 men that night. The king of Assyria was killed by his own people in the house of one of his gods.
This is a long story but we see how the devil uses intimidation and threats to weaken our defense. We have to stay strong and hear God’s heart. In Acts, it was the Christians who were trying to dissuade Paul from going to Jerusalem because of the hardship they saw he would have to face. Paul refused to be intimidated or pampered. He was not afraid of a little persecution. He walked toward the roar.
We need to be like Paul and face the devil unafraid.
Lord, help us to do that in the face of uncertainty and fear. You have a whole army ready to fight for us.
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