Read: Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20; Luke 9:7-27; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 12:8-9
The Israelites had two calendars. One was their civil calendar which began in Tishri. The other was their religious calendar which began in Abib or Nisan. Passover began in Abib and started their spiritual year. The first three feasts happened together: Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. Seven weeks from that was Pentecost or Feast of Weeks. The sacrifice for Passover was mandatory but the sacrifice at Pentecost was voluntary. The last three feasts were on Tishri one, 10th, and 15th. These were Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles. These feasts were dress rehearsals for the times in history that God would come to earth and manifest some great event. He has done great signs on these feast days but the fulfillment of them - what they all point to was this: Jesus died on Passover, was buried on Unleavened Bread, and rose on First Fruits. He sent his Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2 and he will rapture the final group on Feast of Trumpets, The Great Tribulation will start on the Day of Atonement and we will come back with him to set up his kingdom on earth on the Feast of Tabernacles.
The sacrifice on Passover was mandatory because without salvation, you cannot participate in the other feasts.
God was serious about justice and the fact that every decision had to be based on the testimony of two witnesses. Our two witnesses are the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament is the promise and the New is the fulfillment. Every doctrine will be found in both or it will not stand.
You can see how our government is crafted after the Bible. They had small courts for civil cases and Supreme courts for the big cases. The difference with them was that the judges in their Supreme Court were priests of God, not liberalists. We are slowly seeing things turn around, thank God.
God knew that one day they would want a king so he made provisions for him way before it happened. The king was to write the words of the law in the presence of a priest. Then he was to read the law every day so he wouldn’t forget who was really in charge.
In Luke, Herod is afraid that John the Baptist has risen from the dead. You would think Herod would be afraid of Jesus since he was the one who killed John the Baptist, but instead, he wanted to meet him. Either Herod was interested in knowing the truth or he was so arrogant he had no fear of God.
Jesus tried to quietly slip away from the crowd, but the crowd followed him. He ended up feeding 5,000 of them with 5 loaves and two fish. Jesus was showing us that he is the bread and he has enough for everyone.
Jesus gave the crowd the condition for being his follower. You must give up everything and take up your cross. That offer still stands.
Lord, to follow you is worth anything this world has to offer.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
Mon.’s Devo - Jesus Power
Read: Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23; Luke 8:40-9:6; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 12:5-7
Suppose a prophet prophesies something and it comes to pass. Does that mean they are a prophet of God? Many see into the spirit realm but their hearts reveal if they are a true prophet or a false prophet. A false prophet will want you to worship other gods. The New Age movement is a prime example of this. They have insight into many spiritual truths but their worship exposes their error. They don’t come to God through Jesus who is the door. That is the litmus test of a true prophet today.
Romans 7:14 tells us that the law is spiritual so every law had spiritual meaning for us today. They could only eat animals that had completely split hooves and chewed the cud. That means that when we digest truth it must the the Word that is rightly divided. We must meditate on this Word and chew it over and over to understand it. The Word is to be our daily food.
They were also to only eat fish that had both fins and scales. Fins help keep a fish balanced so it can swim straight and scales are a covering of protection. So we should only digest truth that is balanced and brings peace and hope.
They were not to eat anything that was already dead or that ate dead things. We are not to digest anything that does not bring us life. If reading the news today does not bring life but fear, I suggest subscribing to Breaking Christian News and the Elijah List for the good news. I would rather hear the news from a beacon of truth and a prophet, than from the world. And remember that the Word of God is alive and current with today’s news.
Over and over it tells us not to “cook a young goat in its mother’s milk”. In other words, don’t let the sins of your father’s or mother’s determine your future. Don’t doom yourself to your families mistakes. You are not “cooked” because you came from a bad heritage. Your heritage is God. He is your ultimate father and mother.
God had the ultimate plan for welfare and the good of his people. They were to invest in God. Their offerings would insure them health and wealth. It was like investing in a stock that was destined to prosper.
At the end of every seventh year they were to cancel every debt that anyone owed them. At the end of the seventh millennia every sin we have ever done against another person or God will be totally cancelled. Everyone gets a new beginning.
This insured no poor among them. They would lend but never borrow. They were to lend to the poor and be generous even if it was close to the year of cancellation. God would bless them and pay them back. Lending to the poor was and is giving to God. He will repay!
In Luke, we see three 12’s. The dying girl is 12. The woman has been bleeding for 12 years, and the 12 disciples were sent out to cast out all demons and heal all diseases. Jesus cast the spirit of death out of the little girl, healed the woman’s body and gave the disciples power to do the same. He has given his government of the Church that same power. (Twelve means “government”.)
Lord, may we walk in the power you have given us to do the things you are doing.
Suppose a prophet prophesies something and it comes to pass. Does that mean they are a prophet of God? Many see into the spirit realm but their hearts reveal if they are a true prophet or a false prophet. A false prophet will want you to worship other gods. The New Age movement is a prime example of this. They have insight into many spiritual truths but their worship exposes their error. They don’t come to God through Jesus who is the door. That is the litmus test of a true prophet today.
Romans 7:14 tells us that the law is spiritual so every law had spiritual meaning for us today. They could only eat animals that had completely split hooves and chewed the cud. That means that when we digest truth it must the the Word that is rightly divided. We must meditate on this Word and chew it over and over to understand it. The Word is to be our daily food.
They were also to only eat fish that had both fins and scales. Fins help keep a fish balanced so it can swim straight and scales are a covering of protection. So we should only digest truth that is balanced and brings peace and hope.
They were not to eat anything that was already dead or that ate dead things. We are not to digest anything that does not bring us life. If reading the news today does not bring life but fear, I suggest subscribing to Breaking Christian News and the Elijah List for the good news. I would rather hear the news from a beacon of truth and a prophet, than from the world. And remember that the Word of God is alive and current with today’s news.
Over and over it tells us not to “cook a young goat in its mother’s milk”. In other words, don’t let the sins of your father’s or mother’s determine your future. Don’t doom yourself to your families mistakes. You are not “cooked” because you came from a bad heritage. Your heritage is God. He is your ultimate father and mother.
God had the ultimate plan for welfare and the good of his people. They were to invest in God. Their offerings would insure them health and wealth. It was like investing in a stock that was destined to prosper.
At the end of every seventh year they were to cancel every debt that anyone owed them. At the end of the seventh millennia every sin we have ever done against another person or God will be totally cancelled. Everyone gets a new beginning.
This insured no poor among them. They would lend but never borrow. They were to lend to the poor and be generous even if it was close to the year of cancellation. God would bless them and pay them back. Lending to the poor was and is giving to God. He will repay!
In Luke, we see three 12’s. The dying girl is 12. The woman has been bleeding for 12 years, and the 12 disciples were sent out to cast out all demons and heal all diseases. Jesus cast the spirit of death out of the little girl, healed the woman’s body and gave the disciples power to do the same. He has given his government of the Church that same power. (Twelve means “government”.)
Lord, may we walk in the power you have given us to do the things you are doing.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Sun.’s Devo -Changes are Coming
Read: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 12:2-3
I want to interject a word I feel like God gave me concerning what the world is going through right now. God always waits to come through when it looks the darkest. We have not gotten to "the darkest" yet so I think this virus is going to get worse before it gets better. The answer is going to be a miraculous thing when it comes and we will meet in our churches on Easter and praise God for his miraculous delivery. I pray for all who have the virus or that will get it. I pray for recovery and health. I also pray that you will walk in peace because it is all good for God's people. Life is a blessing and death is a promotion. Do not be afraid. Satan has no power over us. Much love!!!
Moses reminded the people of their past. They had all been under 20 when they came out of Egypt and their own children had not been alive to see the miracles in Egypt, the miracle at Mt. Sinai, or the miracle at the rock. Their children had seen the miracles throughout the wilderness like the manna that fell from heaven. It would be their job to tell them their heritage. Their children had also not seen the rebellion of the people in Egypt, at Mt. Sinai and at the rock. But, they had listened to their parents’ complaining as they walked through the wilderness.
Moses reminded them once again of the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. He reminded them to totally destroy the places of worship of the inhabitants of the land, and not to worship their gods.
When they got to their promised land, their pattern of worship would change and they would bring all their offerings to one designated place. They would be able to eat meat again, whether they were clean or unclean themselves. They could cook it themselves in their own towns, but they had to pour the blood out on the ground like water.
God would designate a place for them to bring their sacrifices to him and there they would all eat with the Lord. They were never to forget to care for the Levites.
The Lord would drive out their enemies before them. This was to be a promised rest for them.
In Luke, Jesus got into his boat to “cross to the other side”. He does that over and over throughout his ministry. One side was the Jewish side and the other is the Gentile side. There were 10 towns on the sea of Galilee and he visited all of them. Today we read he was on his way to the Gerasenes. There is a huge principality that Jesus was going to face which presided in this man. Satan tried to stop them with the storm but Jesus is greater than the storm. Jesus delivers the man from his demons and the people of the crowd were less afraid when the man naked and living among the tombs than when he was sane, sitting at Jesus’ feet. They begged Jesus to leave. Go figure! I guess it was a little scary to watch a herd of pigs run and jump off a cliff.
The man begged to go with Jesus but Jesus knew he would be more effective staying there and being a witness to his town. Jesus was right because when he returned later, the people were no longer afraid, but welcomed Jesus.
Lord, help us to believe that nothing is impossible with you. You can completely change a person when you touch them. Thank you for touching us and changing us into a new person. May we extend that grace to others.
I want to interject a word I feel like God gave me concerning what the world is going through right now. God always waits to come through when it looks the darkest. We have not gotten to "the darkest" yet so I think this virus is going to get worse before it gets better. The answer is going to be a miraculous thing when it comes and we will meet in our churches on Easter and praise God for his miraculous delivery. I pray for all who have the virus or that will get it. I pray for recovery and health. I also pray that you will walk in peace because it is all good for God's people. Life is a blessing and death is a promotion. Do not be afraid. Satan has no power over us. Much love!!!
Moses reminded the people of their past. They had all been under 20 when they came out of Egypt and their own children had not been alive to see the miracles in Egypt, the miracle at Mt. Sinai, or the miracle at the rock. Their children had seen the miracles throughout the wilderness like the manna that fell from heaven. It would be their job to tell them their heritage. Their children had also not seen the rebellion of the people in Egypt, at Mt. Sinai and at the rock. But, they had listened to their parents’ complaining as they walked through the wilderness.
Moses reminded them once again of the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. He reminded them to totally destroy the places of worship of the inhabitants of the land, and not to worship their gods.
When they got to their promised land, their pattern of worship would change and they would bring all their offerings to one designated place. They would be able to eat meat again, whether they were clean or unclean themselves. They could cook it themselves in their own towns, but they had to pour the blood out on the ground like water.
God would designate a place for them to bring their sacrifices to him and there they would all eat with the Lord. They were never to forget to care for the Levites.
The Lord would drive out their enemies before them. This was to be a promised rest for them.
In Luke, Jesus got into his boat to “cross to the other side”. He does that over and over throughout his ministry. One side was the Jewish side and the other is the Gentile side. There were 10 towns on the sea of Galilee and he visited all of them. Today we read he was on his way to the Gerasenes. There is a huge principality that Jesus was going to face which presided in this man. Satan tried to stop them with the storm but Jesus is greater than the storm. Jesus delivers the man from his demons and the people of the crowd were less afraid when the man naked and living among the tombs than when he was sane, sitting at Jesus’ feet. They begged Jesus to leave. Go figure! I guess it was a little scary to watch a herd of pigs run and jump off a cliff.
The man begged to go with Jesus but Jesus knew he would be more effective staying there and being a witness to his town. Jesus was right because when he returned later, the people were no longer afraid, but welcomed Jesus.
Lord, help us to believe that nothing is impossible with you. You can completely change a person when you touch them. Thank you for touching us and changing us into a new person. May we extend that grace to others.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Sat.’s Devo - The Good Heart
Read: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 12:2-3
It is so interesting to hear God tell the children of Israel that he was not giving the land because they deserved, it because they didn’t. God was giving them the land because the inhabitants were so evil and he wanted someone else to occupy the land and because he had promised that land to Abraham and his descendants.
God reminded them of how angry he got when they rebelled and made the golden calf. He had wanted to destroy them and erase their name from under heaven but Moses interceded for them. Moses fasted for 40 days and nights praying for mercy for them.
Then Moses reminded them of all the times they made God angry: at the rock when they wanted water, when they complained of no meat and God sent quail, or when the Kohath family wanted to take over the priesthood and the leadership from Moses.
They had broken all of the Ten Commandments just like Moses did when he broke the first copy. Moses went back up to God and he gave him another chance. This was their second chance to obey and he was begging them to change their stubborn hearts and fear God. Moses tried to tell them that God was a good loving god and he is the only God. He had done great things for them and was worthy of their worship.
In Luke we learn that we are to pay attention to what we hear and how we hear it. The seed is God’s word and he scatters it everywhere. The soil is our heart and the condition of our heart determines how we process the seed. The chances of the seed bearing fruit also is contingent on where we are. If we are in the broad pathway we are walking on the broad road that leads to destruction so no wonder that Satan doesn’t steal that seed. The rocky soil is the road with stumbling stones all in it. That is a heart that has not rid itself of offenses but it full of unforgiveness. Rocks stand for words and our hearts can get so full of all the words people have said to us or about us or that we have said about ourselves. These rocks need to be removed so that the seed can have room to go deep enough for roots. The third soil is full of thorns. Thorns are curses, bitter roots and hatred. All of these things lead us to look to what others have, and want their stuff and their life. This eventually leads to strife and murder. The seed is crowded out of this heart.
The good soil is the heart that is honest and has not let the world consume it. That heart will be able to hold the seed and allow it to grow. Our Proverbs says it well: “the godly have deep roots.”
The result of the seed growing is that they will produce photosynthesis which is light! They will nourish anyone who comes in contact with them.
It is so interesting to hear God tell the children of Israel that he was not giving the land because they deserved, it because they didn’t. God was giving them the land because the inhabitants were so evil and he wanted someone else to occupy the land and because he had promised that land to Abraham and his descendants.
God reminded them of how angry he got when they rebelled and made the golden calf. He had wanted to destroy them and erase their name from under heaven but Moses interceded for them. Moses fasted for 40 days and nights praying for mercy for them.
Then Moses reminded them of all the times they made God angry: at the rock when they wanted water, when they complained of no meat and God sent quail, or when the Kohath family wanted to take over the priesthood and the leadership from Moses.
They had broken all of the Ten Commandments just like Moses did when he broke the first copy. Moses went back up to God and he gave him another chance. This was their second chance to obey and he was begging them to change their stubborn hearts and fear God. Moses tried to tell them that God was a good loving god and he is the only God. He had done great things for them and was worthy of their worship.
In Luke we learn that we are to pay attention to what we hear and how we hear it. The seed is God’s word and he scatters it everywhere. The soil is our heart and the condition of our heart determines how we process the seed. The chances of the seed bearing fruit also is contingent on where we are. If we are in the broad pathway we are walking on the broad road that leads to destruction so no wonder that Satan doesn’t steal that seed. The rocky soil is the road with stumbling stones all in it. That is a heart that has not rid itself of offenses but it full of unforgiveness. Rocks stand for words and our hearts can get so full of all the words people have said to us or about us or that we have said about ourselves. These rocks need to be removed so that the seed can have room to go deep enough for roots. The third soil is full of thorns. Thorns are curses, bitter roots and hatred. All of these things lead us to look to what others have, and want their stuff and their life. This eventually leads to strife and murder. The seed is crowded out of this heart.
The good soil is the heart that is honest and has not let the world consume it. That heart will be able to hold the seed and allow it to grow. Our Proverbs says it well: “the godly have deep roots.”
The result of the seed growing is that they will produce photosynthesis which is light! They will nourish anyone who comes in contact with them.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Fri.’s Devo - By Faith
Read: Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20; Luke7:36-8:3; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 12:1
In the Old Testament the pagan people represented demonic spirits that we fight in the spirit. There were seven nations that the Israelites were to face in the promised land. They were the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They stood for fear, fornication, witchcraft, idolatry, envy, liars, and hate. Those are the enemies that we are to make ho treaties with and show no mercy to. They will lead us away from the Lord and we will end up worshipping another god that will destroy us.
God warned his people that these nations were a trap that would snare them. He told them not to be afraid of those nations because God is a great and awesome God. He would drive them out ahead of them little by little, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for them. He promised to throw their enemies into complete confusion until they were destroyed. They were to erase their names from the face of the earth.
That is exactly how God cleans out our enemies -little by little. God works on us issue by issue, memory by memory. There is no instant deliverance or 12 step program and then you are free from all your demons. God brings up memories as we can handle them. Then we have to forgive, ask for forgiveness and repent. It is a life-time process. There are great rewards along the way!
In Luke, Jesus is at the home of one of the Pharisees named Simon. If Simon had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, he would have washed his feet, greeted him with a kiss and anointed his head with oil. Instead, a prostitute had to show him the way to salvation. She understood that Jesus was the Messiah, so her sins were forgiven and her faith saved her.
There are many people who want to know about God but only the humble and repentant will be saved.
In the Old Testament the pagan people represented demonic spirits that we fight in the spirit. There were seven nations that the Israelites were to face in the promised land. They were the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They stood for fear, fornication, witchcraft, idolatry, envy, liars, and hate. Those are the enemies that we are to make ho treaties with and show no mercy to. They will lead us away from the Lord and we will end up worshipping another god that will destroy us.
God warned his people that these nations were a trap that would snare them. He told them not to be afraid of those nations because God is a great and awesome God. He would drive them out ahead of them little by little, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for them. He promised to throw their enemies into complete confusion until they were destroyed. They were to erase their names from the face of the earth.
That is exactly how God cleans out our enemies -little by little. God works on us issue by issue, memory by memory. There is no instant deliverance or 12 step program and then you are free from all your demons. God brings up memories as we can handle them. Then we have to forgive, ask for forgiveness and repent. It is a life-time process. There are great rewards along the way!
In Luke, Jesus is at the home of one of the Pharisees named Simon. If Simon had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, he would have washed his feet, greeted him with a kiss and anointed his head with oil. Instead, a prostitute had to show him the way to salvation. She understood that Jesus was the Messiah, so her sins were forgiven and her faith saved her.
There are many people who want to know about God but only the humble and repentant will be saved.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Thurs.’s Devo- God’s Ways
Read: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 11:29-31
Moses wanted to read to them the ten commandments that God had given to them on Mount Sinai when he spoke to them “face to face”. This was the event when God betrothed Israel to himself. Rejecting these commandments would cause a penalty on the parents and the entire family, even to the third and fourth generation. Those who loved and obeyed them would be rewarded with God’s lavish love for a thousand of their generations.
Moses reminded them of God’s display of power on that first Pentecost when he first gave them his marriage contract - the Ten Commandments to his people. He wrote them on stone tablets.
Moses told them over and over that if they obeyed his commandments when they came into the land that God had promised them, they would be blessed with many children. They would be given land with prosperous cities they didn’t build. Their houses would be stocked with goods they did not produce. They would draw water from wells they didn’t dig and eat from vineyards and olive trees they didn’t plant. When they became prosperous they were not to forget God.
In Luke, Jesus brought resurrection life to a young boy in the middle of his funeral. He was the only son of a widow. Jesus’ heart overflowed with compassion. I wonder if he wasn’t thinking of his own mother and how she would feel about his death.
Jesus walked over and touched the coffin which would have made him unclean, then he talked to the dead boy and told him to wake up. Can you imagine the shock when the boy immediately sat up and spoke? Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
John the Baptist was in prison and had preached that the Messiah would set the prisoner free. I’m sure he was wondering why Jesus hadn’t come and “set him free”. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was indeed the Messiah. Jesus told them to tell John all the miracles he WAS doing. Jesus then made the statement: “Blessed is he who is not offended in me.” In other words…Jesus was prompting John to focus on the things he was doing instead of the one thing he wasn’t doing. God’s ways are not our ways, but his are always the best. This is a great reminder to us to remember all the wonderful things God has done for us and to trust him with the one thing we are still waiting on.
When Jesus had finished preaching, the crowd and even the tax collectors agreed that God’s way was right. They could receive Jesus’ words because they had received John’s baptism. The Pharisees couldn’t receive Jesus’ words because they hadn’t received John’s baptism. We have to humble ourselves and repent before we can be saved.
Lord, thank you for your perfect ways! We submit our lives to your plan especially when we don’t understand it.
Moses wanted to read to them the ten commandments that God had given to them on Mount Sinai when he spoke to them “face to face”. This was the event when God betrothed Israel to himself. Rejecting these commandments would cause a penalty on the parents and the entire family, even to the third and fourth generation. Those who loved and obeyed them would be rewarded with God’s lavish love for a thousand of their generations.
Moses reminded them of God’s display of power on that first Pentecost when he first gave them his marriage contract - the Ten Commandments to his people. He wrote them on stone tablets.
Moses told them over and over that if they obeyed his commandments when they came into the land that God had promised them, they would be blessed with many children. They would be given land with prosperous cities they didn’t build. Their houses would be stocked with goods they did not produce. They would draw water from wells they didn’t dig and eat from vineyards and olive trees they didn’t plant. When they became prosperous they were not to forget God.
In Luke, Jesus brought resurrection life to a young boy in the middle of his funeral. He was the only son of a widow. Jesus’ heart overflowed with compassion. I wonder if he wasn’t thinking of his own mother and how she would feel about his death.
Jesus walked over and touched the coffin which would have made him unclean, then he talked to the dead boy and told him to wake up. Can you imagine the shock when the boy immediately sat up and spoke? Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
John the Baptist was in prison and had preached that the Messiah would set the prisoner free. I’m sure he was wondering why Jesus hadn’t come and “set him free”. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was indeed the Messiah. Jesus told them to tell John all the miracles he WAS doing. Jesus then made the statement: “Blessed is he who is not offended in me.” In other words…Jesus was prompting John to focus on the things he was doing instead of the one thing he wasn’t doing. God’s ways are not our ways, but his are always the best. This is a great reminder to us to remember all the wonderful things God has done for us and to trust him with the one thing we are still waiting on.
When Jesus had finished preaching, the crowd and even the tax collectors agreed that God’s way was right. They could receive Jesus’ words because they had received John’s baptism. The Pharisees couldn’t receive Jesus’ words because they hadn’t received John’s baptism. We have to humble ourselves and repent before we can be saved.
Lord, thank you for your perfect ways! We submit our lives to your plan especially when we don’t understand it.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Wed.’s Devo - Our Graven Image
Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39-7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28
I have to remind myself that Moses is talking to the children who had stood at Mt. Sinai and were probably scared to death as they felt the earth quake and saw the lightning and thunder and the fire on top of the mountain. They had heard the voice of God speak out loud. It had to have made a lasting impression on them. Although, they were quite forgetful as we all are.
God told them that his laws were so wise and fair that other nations would be amazed. Our Founding Fathers of America wrote our Constitution based on the laws of the Bible. We are looked at with envy by the people of other nations. Right now we are in a battle to protect our freedoms and laws. There are laws that we have added that need to be eradicated, but God is raising up lawmakers who are doing that very thing. We need to pray that they prevail.
God was very specific about them not making a graven image to represent him. In Hebrews 1:3, the writter of Hebrews wrote that Jesus was the “express image” of God’s person. “Express image” means a graven copy. Jesus was the graven image of God. He did not want them to make something they thought he would look like because they would never make something to look like Jesus. God didn’t want them to have any preconceived notions of what Jesus would look like so they wouldn’t miss him when he came. Sadly, many did miss him when he came because they had images in their head and Jesus did not match their images. We are guilty of doing the same thing when we imaging what God should do in our lives. When he doesn’t do it our way, we get discouraged and it affects our faith. God wants us to totally trust him because we can not imagine his great plan. His ways are beyond our imagination.
Moses tried to imprint on their minds and hearts how special they were that God would chose them, reveal himself to them and personally deliver them from their bondage and give them a new land of their own. Isn’t that the perfect picture of what God has done for us! He reminded them that God was in heaven and on earth and there is no other god than him. All they had to do was to obey his commands and they would have a good long life.
In Luke, Jesus told his disciples that they would never be greater than him but they could be like him. What a great promise! Jesus went on to explain that we grow fruit from allowing Jesus to change our hearts. Fruit grows from our heart. Then he demonstrated it.
There was a Roman officer who had good fruit in his heart. He sent some respected Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal his slave who was sick. He even sent news to Jesus that he was not worthy of a visit to his house, but if he would send healing by his word, it would be enough. Jesus marveled at his faith and sent his word and the slave was healed. This man had a heart of compassion and faith.
Lord, help us to have a heart full of fruit. Thank you for delivering us out of our bondage and giving us freedom.
I have to remind myself that Moses is talking to the children who had stood at Mt. Sinai and were probably scared to death as they felt the earth quake and saw the lightning and thunder and the fire on top of the mountain. They had heard the voice of God speak out loud. It had to have made a lasting impression on them. Although, they were quite forgetful as we all are.
God told them that his laws were so wise and fair that other nations would be amazed. Our Founding Fathers of America wrote our Constitution based on the laws of the Bible. We are looked at with envy by the people of other nations. Right now we are in a battle to protect our freedoms and laws. There are laws that we have added that need to be eradicated, but God is raising up lawmakers who are doing that very thing. We need to pray that they prevail.
God was very specific about them not making a graven image to represent him. In Hebrews 1:3, the writter of Hebrews wrote that Jesus was the “express image” of God’s person. “Express image” means a graven copy. Jesus was the graven image of God. He did not want them to make something they thought he would look like because they would never make something to look like Jesus. God didn’t want them to have any preconceived notions of what Jesus would look like so they wouldn’t miss him when he came. Sadly, many did miss him when he came because they had images in their head and Jesus did not match their images. We are guilty of doing the same thing when we imaging what God should do in our lives. When he doesn’t do it our way, we get discouraged and it affects our faith. God wants us to totally trust him because we can not imagine his great plan. His ways are beyond our imagination.
Moses tried to imprint on their minds and hearts how special they were that God would chose them, reveal himself to them and personally deliver them from their bondage and give them a new land of their own. Isn’t that the perfect picture of what God has done for us! He reminded them that God was in heaven and on earth and there is no other god than him. All they had to do was to obey his commands and they would have a good long life.
In Luke, Jesus told his disciples that they would never be greater than him but they could be like him. What a great promise! Jesus went on to explain that we grow fruit from allowing Jesus to change our hearts. Fruit grows from our heart. Then he demonstrated it.
There was a Roman officer who had good fruit in his heart. He sent some respected Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal his slave who was sick. He even sent news to Jesus that he was not worthy of a visit to his house, but if he would send healing by his word, it would be enough. Jesus marveled at his faith and sent his word and the slave was healed. This man had a heart of compassion and faith.
Lord, help us to have a heart full of fruit. Thank you for delivering us out of our bondage and giving us freedom.
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