Week 9 Devotions

February 26 - - In the second year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, God commanded Moses to take a census of the whole community of Israel, listing the names of all the men twenty years of age or older who were able to go to war. Moses did as the Lord had commanded him to. He selected a man from each of the twelve clans to help compile this list. That total came to 603,550 fighting men twenty years of age and older (Numbers 1:46). Interestingly enough, many centuries later, King David decided to take a census of all his people, including the fighting men of military age (II Samuel 24:1-9; I Chronicles 21:1-6). But, in both accounts of David’s census, there was a strong indication that what David was doing was wrong. Why? What made David’s taking of a census wrong and Moses’ taking of a census right? In Moses’ case, taking a census would be necessary in organizing a group that large as they wandered through the desert. It also helped in identifying which clan and tribe people belonged to, and it would be a vital tool in fairly dividing the Promised Land amongst the various tribes. And while there may have been other reasons, the bottom line is Moses’ census was commanded by God. Whatever God’s reasons were for commanding Moses to take a census, is not nearly as important to us as is obedience to God’s command. David’s census appeared to be taken without the same motives. In Samuel’s account, we are told that the Lord “caused” David to take the census and in the Chronicles account we are told that Satan “caused” David to take the census. As we see from Job’s life (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7), Satan can only do what God gives him permission him to do. Depending on one’s perspective, both writers would be correct. Satan caused David to take a census because God allowed Satan to do so. Why was David’s census a wrong thing to do? We can only speculate on the reasons. Perhaps, David ordered the census out of pride. He wanted to know how large the nation was that he ruled. Perhaps, David wanted to know what the size of his military was. There could be many reasons, but the primary reason David’s census was wrong is because God had not told David to take one like He had commanded Moses to. The rightness and the wrongness of any action is dependent upon whether we are obeying God or disobeying God. The Israelite people suffered because of David’s disobedience (II Samuel 24:10-17; I Chronicles 21:7-15) The Israelite people were commended for doing exactly what God had commanded Moses to do (Numbers 1:54). Each of us needs to decide whether we prefer the punishment that accompanies disobedience to God’s commands or the commendation that accompanies obedience to God’s commands. March 1 - - Speaking of the tongue, James says, “sometimes it (the tongue) praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (3:10&11). The tongue is a very powerful weapon that can either be used for good or used for evil. The tongue can either be constructive or destructive. The tongue can either be helpful to others or hurtful to others. Which purpose the tongue ultimately accomplishes is determined by the one who possesses it. Jesus further said that the words which come from our mouth are ultimately a reflection of what we are in our heart. “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart” (Matthew 12:34b&35). Not only do our words reflect the kind of person we are on the inside and whether we are guided by our sinful nature or guided by our spiritual nature, but they also determine our ultimate fate before God because, “you must give an account on judg-ment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned (by them)” (Matthew 12:36&37). So, the choice each of us must make is not only whether we want to be a blessing to people with our words or a curse to people with our words, but also where we want to spend eternity. As Christians, the Bible calls us “a kingdom of priests” (I Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). Because we are, we would be wise to bless God’s people today with the same words Aaron, the High Priest and his sons were to bless the people of Israel with. “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace” (Numbers 2:22-27). While maybe we don’t need to use those exact words, the fact remains, we can bless others with our words when we choose them carefully. For some, it may be with a compliment. For others, it may be with an encouraging or sympathetic word. For others, it may be a promise of God from scripture. But, if we are to use our mouth as a blessing instead of as a curse, we must first make a conscious decision to do so. Have you?

Week 8 Devotions

February 19 - - There is little doubt that God blesses those who obey Him and punishes those who disobey Him. For some, that blessing or punishment is immediate. For others, that blessing or punish-ment is delayed. And sometimes, because God’s blessing or God’s punishment doesn’t happen immediately, we think they will not occur and we live our lives accordingly. Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron’s sons. They had been ordained as priests to serve before the Lord. We are told “they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord” (Leviticus 10:1&2). What in the world did they do that invoked such an immediate and drastic response from the Lord? And why was their father, Aaron, silent when two of his sons were consumed by the Lord (Lev.10:3)? God had earlier instructed the priests that the fire on the altar of burnt offering was to never be extinguished (Leviticus 6:12&13). The priests were to make sure there was fresh wood on the altar every morning so the fire never went out. This fire had been started by God and needed to be continually lit because it represented God’s eternal presence. We’re not sure whether Aaron’s sons let the fire go out and it had to be restarted, or whether they brought coals from some other source to stoke the fire rather than bringing wood as God had prescribed, or whether they offered a different kind of sacrifice than God had prescribed, etc. What we do know is that God had just reviewed with them their instructions as priests, and we do know that God is a just God, and we do know that Aaron’s silence suggests that his sons’ disobedience warranted God’s punishment. Again, whether Nadab and Abihu were defiantly disobedient or simply careless, they did not do as God had commanded. They reaped the immediate consequence for such disobedience. There might have been other offenses we simply are not told about, as well, that God and Aaron were both fully aware of. We are the recipients of God’s grace on a regular basis. There are times when we are blessed far beyond what we deserve as God displays His goodness so we might be drawn to Him (Romans 2:4). There are other times when we are not punished as we deserve because God is trying to draw us toward Himself by displaying His patience. Either way, when we belong to Him, His Holy Spirit lives within us. We would be wise to take seriously the calling we have received, as well as the instructions for carrying out our calling. February 22 - - “You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, His very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light” (I Peter 2:9). “You are the salt of the earth.....You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13&14). “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?” (II Corinthians 6:14&15). Throughout all of scripture, there is a very definite command to be different and live different from those of the world. God has not called us to be like the world, but to transform the world. As God brought the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land, He had these instructions for them: “do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. You must obey all my regulations and be careful to keep my laws, for I, the Lord, am your God. If you obey my laws and regulations, you will find life through them” (Leviticus 18:1-5). There was a reason God eventually freed His people from Egypt and there was a reason God was displacing the people of Canaan with the Israelites. God does not want His people living like the pagans of this world. All the laws given the Israelites were practical ways of distinguishing between the holy lifestyle God wanted them to follow from the unholy lifestyle of those in the world. And whether we understand fully each and every regulation or not, the fact is, God’s ways are not our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8&9). God has reasons for the rules and laws He gives us. Faith is trusting God sufficiently to do what God commands, knowing that those who do will enjoy the blessings of their obedience to Him.

Week 7 Devotions

February 12 - - As the Israelites were leaving Egypt, they plundered the Egyptian people by asking for clothing and articles of gold and silver (Exodus 12:35&36). That may seem bold to us, but through the plagues God had prepared the Egyptians to be generous and happy to be rid of the Israelites. Now, even though the Israelites knew they had been unusually blessed, it is still natural to become possessive and selfish. Such was not the case. When Moses put out an appeal for “free will offerings” to build the Tabernacle and it’s furnishings, no one was forced to give. And yet, the people were very, VERY generous. So much so, that one of the most unusual things of all time, happened. All the materials were given, including: gold, fine linens, silver, bronze, acacia wood, and much more. The workers began the task of building and constructing the Tabernacle and it’s furnishings while the gifts continued to come in every day. At one point, the workers had to leave what they were doing to meet with Moses and this was their request: “Tell the people to quit giving. We have more than enough materials to complete the project!” (Exodus 36:5). You heard right! Moses gave the command and the people quit giving. When was the last time the leaders told people in your congregation to quit giving because there was already more than enough to complete a project? As Paul wrote in the New Testament, that kind of generosity can only occur when people first give themselves to the Lord (II Corinthians 8:1-5). When we truly belong to the Lord, then everything in our possession belongs to the Lord also. Consequently, whenever the Lord has need of something in our possession, it really is not that difficult to give up because we’ve never perceived it as belonging to ourselves anyway. As Job said, “the God who gave me all things is the same God who can easily take it away” (Job 1:21). The first century church had people selling their land and property and giving it to the apostles to be distributed amongst those who were truly in need (Acts 4:32-37). And how did they do it? Why did they do it? They were compelled by Christ’s love for them (II Cor.5:14) and their love for one another. They were sold out to Jesus and they had a vision of what Jesus would have them do, rather than what they wanted to do. When God’s people sell out to Jesus today and see a vision of what Jesus would have them to do, the results are still the same. When more people have that same attitude, the church will possess a more powerful witness (Acts 4:33). February 15 - - Where do my tithes and offerings go? Am I free to distribute them amongst the many and various organizations of my choice? Can I pick and choose organizations worthy of receiving any part of my tithe that I decide upon? When the Tabernacle and it’s contents were finally completed, and Moses had the Tabernacle set up, he also consecrated it and all the furnishings as holy to the Lord (Numbers 7:1). The leaders of each tribe then brought gifts from their respective tribe to the Lord. And God’s instructions to Moses were to receive the people’s gifts on His behalf and present them to the Levites so they might do the work God had assigned them. The people’s offerings would both supply wages for the Levites so they could devote themselves to the Lord’s work, as well as the finances to keep the Tabernacle in tip top shape. The same principle holds true under the new covenant. Our tithes go to the local church, both to supply the wages of those who labor for the Lord there, and to finance the work that needs to be carried on at the local church. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul instructed Timothy as he set up local churches that, “elders who do their work well should be paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain’ (Deuteronomy 25:4). And in another place, ‘Those who work deserve their pay!’ (I Timothy 5:17&18; I Corinthians 9:3-14). Jesus also said, “Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay” (Luke 10:7; Matthew 10:9-15). Under the old covenant God said, “No one is allowed to appear before me without a gift” (Exodus 34:20). The same is true under the new covenant. In fact, Paul wrote the Corinthian church to bring their gifts each Lord’s Day, or Sunday (I Corinthians 16:1&2). Why? Because obviously, we who have freely received from God, are obligated to freely give back to God (Matthew 10:8). An offering really isn’t an offering until we have first given our tithe (Malachi 3:6-15). Only after our tithes have been given to the local church, can we then decide where our offerings will go. A tithe is something we give out of gratitude to God and an offering is something we give when prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so. When we are willing, it is our offerings which we pick and choose to give, both where and when (Exodus 35:5,21&22,26&29; I Chronicles 29:5&6,9,17).

Week 6 Devotions

February 5 - - The Passover and the Lord's Supper People tend to forget, even significant events and promises. Legions have been those through the centuries who pledged to change their lives or dedicate their lives to the Lord if He would only get them out of the mess they were in at the moment. While some remembered and kept their promises, the vast majority soon forgot their pledge, even after God kept His end of the bargain. The visit of God’s death angel to Egypt, the miraculous sparing of Israel’s firstborn, and the freeing of the Israelites from Egypt were all major events. Only by remembering how God had saved the Israelites in this way, would God’s people feel confident in God’s protections and provisions in the future. God established the Passover celebration as a feast to remember how He had liberated Israel from it’s captivity. Each year when the Israelites observed the Pass-over by carefully following the instructions God had given them, they were keeping alive that part of their history. And whenever the Hebrew children asked their parents what the meaning of the Passover was, the parents would explain how God’s Death Angel had passed over the houses of the Israelites where the blood of the Passover Lamb appeared on the doorposts (Exodus 12:12-16; 24-30). This feast would be a visible reminder that God had brought His people out of Egypt with great power (Exodus 13:9,14,16). With the death of Jesus Christ, his burial and resurrection, God made it possible for people from every land and every time in history to be forgiven and liberated from their slavery to sin. So, that we would not forget the blessings of our redemption, Jesus established the Lord’s Supper. His instructions were that we observe this memorial feast symbolizing the sacrifice of his body (bread) and his blood (fruit of the vine), whenever we gather in his name (I Corinthians 11:23-25). It was no coincidence or accident that Jesus established this observance on the night of the Passover meal (Luke 22:13-30). Even as the Passover symbolized God’s deliverance of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, so the Lord’s Supper symbolizes God’s deliverance of believers in Christ from their bondage to sin. Interestingly enough, those with children have often had the same questions posed before them that the Hebrew children asked of their parents. “Why do we do this?” The Lord’s Supper is not only a reminder to all who are redeemed of God’s wonderful grace, but also an opportunity to tell the story to their children and an unbelieving world about the love and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (I Cor.11:26). February 8 - - Beware of Idols and Idol-Worshippers God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Joshua 24:15). And in the light of all He’s done for us, He deserves to be jealous. There is nothing we have that we didn’t receive from Him (I Corinthians 4:7; James 1:17). His kindness, His goodness, His grace, and His generosity are all for the purpose of leading us to Him (Romans 2:4). Our God is as good to us as He is because our God longs to have an intimate relationship with each and everyone of us. He naturally assumes that we will notice His generosity, His goodness, and His guidance and desire to want the same intimate relationship with Him. Why wouldn’t it bother Him when we ignore the many advances He has made toward us? God reminded His people over and over that they were to have no other gods. It wasn’t a matter of acknowledging Jehovah as the most important god on our long list of gods, but rather, a matter of having no other gods, but him. None! “Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed” (Exodus 22:20). “Be sure to obey all my instructions. And remem-ber, never pray to or swear by any other gods. Do not even mention their names” (23:13). “Do not worship the gods of these other nations or serve them in any way, and never follow their evil example” (23:24). “You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you.....I will keep you healthy” (23:25). “Make no treaties with them and have nothing to do with their gods. Do not even let them live among you! If you do, they will infect you with their sin of idol worship, and that would be disastrous for you” (23:32&33). Now an idol can take many forms. It may be a car we spend all our time and money, on. An idol may be a hobby or activity we spend all our time doing. It may be a sport we participate in, or our work that becomes more important than our family or our relationship with God. Not only does God tell us to avoid worshipping idols, but He also warns us against associating with others who do. God knows that evil more quickly influences good than good influences evil. That is why He warned us, “Bad company ruins good morals” (I Corinthians 15:33). “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17). Obviously, the Lord does not want us totally isolating ourselves from those who don’t know Him. Who would we reach and witness to if only associated with Christians? But, the Lord does caution us to be very careful whom we are spending the bulk of our time with because He knows how susceptible we are to peer pressure and sin.

Week 5 Devotion

February 1st - - God has plans to use each and every one of us for some special purpose in His kingdom work (Jeremiah 29:11-14; 1:5; Psalm 139:16). Like Moses, many of us will make excuses for why we can’t do what God has called us to do. “No one will believe me!” (Exodus 4:1). “I’m not a very good speaker and I’m clumsy with words” (4:10). The fact is, we are just as clever with our excuses as Moses was. “I’m too busy right now.” “I don’t have the resources.” “I don’t have the credibility.” “I don’t have the ability.” But, just like Moses, the issue is never a lack of ability, but a lack of availability. If we believe that God is the Creator of all things, and if we believe that God has all strength and all power and is able to do all things, and if we believe that God is the source of our strength (Philippians 4:13), then the truth is, we NEVER lack anything we need to do what God has called us to do (Psalm 23:1). All we need is the decision to be obedient to God and follow His will for our lives. God is not so small, that He can’t accomplish His purposes through someone else or some other means if He wants to. God is not limited in His plans by whether we obey Him or not. If Moses wouldn’t be God’s spokesman, God would appoint Moses’ brother, Aaron, to do the speaking (4:14-16). The Great “I AM” will fulfill the promises He has made, and He will have His way in the affairs of mankind (Acts 17:24-31). The question is whether we will discover the blessings associated with obeying God and being used by Him to do great things, or not. All of us want to do something of significance, something that has lasting value. When we choose to do God’s will, we will know the satisfaction that comes from being in God’s will. Though reluctant at first, Moses finally saw the light. Over the centuries, some have chosen to remain in the comfort of what they have always known. They exist in life with little purpose or meaning. Others have boldly trusted God to lead them in fulfilling His purposes not only in their lives, but in the lives of others. They enjoy life because they see a greater purpose in their lives than just living for themselves. Will we see the light, as Moses did, or will we shrink back because of our lack of faith? The choice is ours.

Week 5 Devotions

January 29th - - Avoid's Satan's Deceptions Writing to the Christians at Corinth, Paul said, “I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent. You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed” (II Corinthians 11:3&4). Jesus said that the Devil has always hated the truth (John 8:44). Why? Because, even the Devil knows the truth sets people free (John 8:32). Satan knew what God had told Eve and the parameters of what fruit she could eat and what fruit was off-limits. So, when Satan approached Eve, he did so with a question that has a little bit of truth, but not the whole truth. “Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). And when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he did so with a little bit of truth, but not the whole truth. “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He orders His angels to protect you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone’” (Matthew 4:5&6; Psalm 91:11&12). Even as he had in the Garden, so Satan now in the wilderness, attempts to confuse people by throwing in only enough of the truth to confuse those who don’t know more of the truth. Satan veils his lies with just enough truth to make his lies believable (II Corinthians 3:13-15; 4:3&4). Even well-meaning people can be used by Satan’s deceit if they aren’t careful in applying the truth they do know. There are many truths stated by Job’s friends. Elihu correctly says, “Surely, it is God’s Spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent” (Job 32:8). “God is all-powerful” (36:22). “God is exalted beyond what we can understand” (36:26). “We cannot comprehend the greatness of His power” (37:5). “People who are truly wise show Him (God) reverence” (37:24). But, Elihu wrongly applies God’s truth to Job’s situation. Cults are started when well-meaning or not-so-well-meaning individuals use only enough truth to deceive those not versed well enough in the whole truth to confuse them. It is important that we know the truth and that we know when and how to speak the truth so that the truth accomplishes God’s purposes, rather than being misapplied to suit Satan’s purposes.

Week 4 Devotions

January 22 - - The Proverb writer reminds us, “Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent” (17:28). “Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” (10:19) “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (18:2). “There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking” (29:20). “A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” (18:4). “If you keep your mouth shut, you will stay out of trouble” (21:23). At the risk of being as judgmental as Job’s friends, it would seem that maybe what Job needed from them was a little less talk and a little more understanding. It’s not that some of the things they were saying weren’t true because they were. But, when we talk too much we end up saying things that really are not from God, and that's what they did. On the other hand, it’s not that some of the things Job said in his defense weren’t true because they were. But, too much talk on his part resulted in his accusing God of things that simply were not true, either. It’s no wonder James told us in the New Testament, “my dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (1:19). For the fact is, “we all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every (other) way, (as well)” (3:2). Some wise individual has said, “better to be silent and let people think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” The wise King Solomon put it like this, “there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.....(there is) a time to be quiet and a time to speak up” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7). As Jesus was on trial for trumped up charges that didn’t have an ounce of truth to them, there were times when he chose to speak and there were times when he chose to be silent (John 18:19-23; 33-37; 19:8-11; Matthew 26:62-64; Mark 14:60-62). May God grant us the wisdom of Jesus to know when is the right time to speak, and when is the right time to remain silent. January 25 - - Jesus reminds us, “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged” (Matthew 7:1&2). This truth made a tremendous impact on Jesus’ half-brother, James. He wrote, “there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over His judgment against you” (2:13). “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy....” (3:17). “Don’t speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters.....God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us.....what right do you have to condemn your neighbor?” (4:11&12). Having said that, the apostle Paul was quick to tell the Christians at Corinth that they were wrong in not judging one in their midst who was sleeping with his stepmother (I Corinthians 5:3-13). “It is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, ‘You must remove the evil person among you.’” (vss.12&13). What is the difference between what Jesus and James say and what Paul says? Paul is speaking specifically to sin committed by Christians that is open and public. Paul is talking about Christians who seem to have no remorse for the sin they are practicing. To not judge this kind of obvious sin taking place in a Christian’s life and deal with it, is to allow that sin to have a similar effect on others within the body of Christ and send a horrible message to those who are unsaved that sin is allowed in the lives of believers. Jesus and James are referring to a judgment of one’s motives that we have no way of really knowing. That is the kind of judging that Job’s friends were doing. “Is it because of your reverence for God that He accuses you and judges you? Not at all! It is because of your wickedness! Your guilt has no limit!”, Eliphaz says to Job (22:4&5). He then goes on to list some of the things Job must have done because in his mind there was no way Job would be suffering the way he was unless Job were guilty of the things Eliphaz says. According to scripture, Job’s friends probably did not receive much mercy from God in their judgment because they certainly had shown none to Job. To sum up; it is not our responsibility to condemn someone for motives we are really not sure of. On the other hand, to not judge our brothers and sisters in Christ for obvious and public sins against God is a failure to demonstrate a Christ-like love that wants to restore people to spiritual health (Galatians 6:1-3; James 5:19&20). We need God’s wisdom to know the difference between the two and also knowing when to be silent and when to speak.