95. 1 John 3:11-4:21 Love

There are so many great nuggets in this passage of scripture. Take some time to really study them out. In light of the tragic events of the past few weeks around our country and even, sadly, in our own neck of the woods, it seems fitting that we should end our study on love. For it is the most powerful force in all the universe. The love of God, that is, not natural, human love. And we are able to partake of it, because the Word of God says it has been "shed abroad in our hearts"!

The beginning of this passage starts off with recalling the account of the tragedy between Cain and Abel. Verse 11,12 "From this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should LOVE one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous." Verse 14 "He who does not love abides in death." Verse 16 "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; as we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

This was the excellent example we have to follow. That Jesus willingly gave up His life for ours! He saw value in His great sacrifice, because He saw value in us. We all have opinions; some for guns, some against guns, but the love of God is the only thing that can heal our land and fill the void within people's hearts. We need to see value in others.

We know that "faith works by love", therefore, if we are going to be good at "walking by faith", we will need to be equally as good at "walking in love". As the body of Christ, we are supposed to be recognized by our love walk. Chapter 4:7, 11 &12 says "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us." 

Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. He is the head and we are His body. If we are His body and we are physically on the earth, then His hands are our hands. He needs us to continue His work and He desires to work with and through us. But we need to make ourselves available to Him. If we truly walk in love, we won't put our own needs first. We will find value in others and in meeting their needs. We are the only Jesus that people will ever see until He returns. How are we representing Him? Are we declaring His great love without even uttering a word?

There is so much for the people of the world to be fearful of. Terror is all around them, while we have the blessing to walk in perfect peace. Verse 18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." We have been given the great commission which can be summed up in loving others as ourselves. If we love, we will act and react differently. If we love, we will have compassion on others. If we truly love, we will share the Gospel! It's that simple. The Gospel will speak for itself, but it first needs somebody who will share it. Then the love of God can do the rest and transform lives!

82. Galatians 5:16-6:10 The Fruit of the Spirit

"Once we are established in the Holy Spirit, the fullness causes an overflow, an outpouring that reaches out to others. Through developing into the fullness of the indwelling, we learn to operate with the Lord Jesus Christ. He works in us HIS nature through the fruits of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience(long suffering), gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness(gentleness) and temperance(self-control)." Pat Harrison (Gal. 5:22,23).

In other words, our success in life is directly tied to 'walking in the Spirit'. If we are called to live by the Spirit, then we need to WALK by the Spirit daily! There are works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit and they are at constant war with one another. But when we walk by the Spirit, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh (verse 16). The desires of our outer man are in direct opposition to our inner man. Our spirit man is the part of us which has been made new and alive unto God. We need to follow after our spirits.

We are a generation to whom much has been given. We have had wonderful men and women of God who have taught us how to walk by faith. We have been taught how to stand upon the promises of God for healing, prosperity and victory in our lives. And Praise God, for those are good things, but He has a job for us to do and it will only be accomplished by walking in the Spirit daily and obeying all that His Spirit tells our spirits to do. Remember we learned that the Word and the inward witness of the Holy Spirit are the main ways that the Lord communicates with us. We need to learn how to FLOW with the Spirit in order to get done all that God has in His plan.

Kenneth Hagin prophesied, "But as you walk with the Lord, as you prepare your heart, as you feed upon His Word, as you listen to what the Spirit of God says, your heart shall be prepared and your mind will be changed until you will FLOW in the supernatural as naturally as a bird will fly in the air. And you will FLOW in the supernatural as naturally as a fish will swim in the water. And you'll FLOW in the supernatural as naturally as you will breathe the very air."

We want to get to the point where we will not even be conscious of using our faith because it will just be so natural and normal to walk in the Spirit. As we have learned to walk by faith, we now must be FAITHFUL. God is looking for those who are FAITHFUL in these last days to get the job done. Walking in the fruit of the Spirit is a blessing to us, but it is not there so we can live a comfy, cozy life all to ourselves. We have been equipped to reach out to others and change lives! We have the very power of God working in and through us so that we can OVERFLOW unto those around us! There is a definite FLOW to following the Spirit of God. In order to hear His voice and leading we must spend time with Him, praying in other tongues and practicing the presence. Like 'rivers of living waters' flowing from our bellies, the Lord desires to teach us how to flow with Him. The water's good, JUMP ON IN!

81. Romans 8:1-39 Life Through The Spirit

Our success in our Christian walk is largely related to the time we spend with, and the development of our relationship with, the Holy Spirit within us. When we become born again, the Spirit Himself comes to dwell within us. Previously, we mentioned where Jesus tells the disciples that it is to their advantage that He leaves the earth and takes His place at the right hand of God the Father. In this way, He is ever present before the Father, not ceasing to make intercession for us. And then He could send the person of the Holy Spirit to make His abode in each of us.

We talked about the amazing benefit to receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit as in Acts chapter 2. Then we can have the leading, guidance and building of our spirit man because of the Holy Spirit within us. Romans 8 begins to teach that we need to develop our spirit man and renew our minds because the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death! Praise God!

We know that we are a spirit being. That is our true self. We have a soul, which consists of our mind, will and emotions and we live in a body. Because our spirits have been made new and alive unto God, we are no longer to constantly consider our flesh. Verse 5 says that "those who are according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. We are now called to think and live in a higher state. One where the Holy Spirit Himself desires to govern us and bless others through us, we being abundantly blessed in the process.

The gift of speaking in other tongues when we are filled with the Spirit is another blessing in our lives. When we pray in other tongues we are praying perfect prayers! Verse 25 "The Holy Spirit helps our weakness: for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He Who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Praise God! How many of us could use a prayer partner Who knows exactly what's coming up around the bend and can pray out all the bumps in the road before us!!! That's Who we have living on the inside of us!

Oh, that we would get a daily revelation of the life-giving POWER which resides within us! It would constantly give our attitudes and theology an adjustment! Verse 11 says "But if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in YOU, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life (quicken) to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who indwells you!" Wow! That is another AMAZING benefit of having the Spirit dwell in us! Think on that for a bit. The all-powerful, Holy Spirit, Who raised Jesus from the grave, Who healed Him of every disease known to mankind which was placed upon Jesus for our healing when He was crucified, lives in YOU and ME!!! The more we gain understanding of that truth, sickness can no longer attach itself to our bodies. How can it dwell there when the Giver of Life itself makes His home there? If we remind ourselves and draw upon that power, it is there to drive out every symptom that would try to come against you!

Spend time everyday praying in the Spirit and communing with Him in this special way! It is one of God's greatest gifts to you and me.

71. Acts 2:1-47 Pentecost

Oh, the glorious day of Pentecost came! The disciples waited in the upper room, praying, just like Jesus instructed them to and God showed up! The Holy Spirit was made manifest when there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

There appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each of them. And all were filled with the Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance!

Jesus had told them to wait for the POWER that they would receive when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Power to be witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria and even to the remotest part of the earth. That's what the gift of the infilling of the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues is for.

What an incredible gift we have been given to have the ability to pray in other tongues. God's blessings are always multi-purpose. Not only is the Spirit praying perfect prayers through us, directly to God, but it helps to build us up in faith (Jude 20). 

Someone once told me, without the gift of praying in tongues you are like a soldier going into battle without any weapons. It is such a blessing knowing that when we pray in other tongues, the Holy Spirit Himself is praying through us! He is perfect in knowledge, inexhaustible in wisdom, and prays PERFECT prayers! Wow! That's amazing! Sometimes we don't always know how to pray. We pray in English as best as we know how. We might not know all the relevant scriptures to stand on at that moment. But God knows and the Holy Spirit speaking through us activates the covenant we have with Him.

God is so AWESOME and knows us so well, He even made it so our minds don't have to get overwhelmed with praying. We can pray in other tongues while doing other tasks and therefore spend time communicating with God all day long. And the time spent with Him will refresh and renew us, too!

If you haven't yet had this blessed experience, I encourage you today to ask the Lord to fill you up with His Spirit, just like He did to the disciples in the book of Acts. Believe that He will, take a step by faith, and begin to open your mouth and utter whatever syllables the Lord gives you. It may flow out like a river or it may be just a few words. But take those few words and thank the Lord for them and continue to practice those until more come and they will. God needs us to pray so that He can accomplish things on this earth. He cannot do it without us! What a sweet partnership it is when we can pray in the Spirit. You will be more blessed than you could ever imagine!

70. Acts 1:1-11 Jesus Taken Up To Heaven

After raising from the dead, Jesus appeared to the disciples many times over a period of forty days and speaking about the things which concerned the kingdom of God. After gathering them all together He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised them. "Which," He said, "you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Even though the disciples were committed to Christ and had been born again, Jesus said they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit would empower them to be witnesses.

One of the most common excuses for not becoming a Christian is the fear of failure to live the Christian life. Besides over-looking the fact that men cannot be saved on the basis of good works, (Titus 3:5) this objection neglects the truth that God provides the power to live the Christian life. Before Christ was crucified He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to help believers (John 16:13,14).

The Christian who struggles in his own strength to live the Christian life will fail. He must, by faith, appropriate daily the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that he must trust the Holy Spirit to empower him in any circumstance he faces in his day to day life. Aside from salvation and all the freedom that it gives the believer in every aspect of life, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift we could receive. Jesus said it was better for Him to go, because only then could He send us the precious gift of His Spirit to dwell in us. We have now become carriers or vessels of His presence! Wow! Think on that a bit until that fact gets so big in you and gives you everything you need to overcome!

69. John 20:1-21:25 Resurrection

"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. And so she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid Him."

They did not understand that Christ had risen just as He said He would. The men left to go to their homes, but Mary stayed and had an encounter with the angels. They asked her a very good question. "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?" (Luke 24:5)

How would we answer the very same question? Why do we seek things which are dead, useless, lifeless? Why do we chose to spend time feeding ourselves things which will not nourish or bring life to us? Mary was seeking Jesus. She just didn't realize how alive He was!

One thing I love about this passage is that although she was in darkness, being very early in the morning, and didn't at first recognize Jesus, she responded when she heard His voice. She had spent so much time with Him that she definitely recognized His voice. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, so that He could send the Holy Spirit to live in each one of us. We each have His voice on the inside, ready to lead and guide us every day. May we spend so much time in communion with Him that we know, undeniably, His voice! Our success in life is never what we know, but WHO we know. It's all about relationship. The more we talk with Him, the more we will know His voice and understand His nature. It all comes down to our daily seeking and following His voice in our lives. Nothing else will satisfy than knowing you have heard from your Father and have the direction you were needing or just reassurance that He's taking care of everything. He so desires to communicate with us, if only we'll just settle down and listen.

66. Luke 22:1-46 The Last Supper

The upper room is prepared and Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples. What a fitting time for Jesus to prepare to go to the cross, during the time when the Jews reflect on how awesome God was when He brought them out of their bondage in Egypt. He was about to bring ALL mankind out their bondage, FOREVERMORE, when He takes our place of punishment on the cross.

Two very important things take place when Jesus shares communion with the disciples. He teaches them that the bread represents His body. That it will be freely broken for them in order for them to receive wholeness of body. In the same manner He took the cup of wine and told them that it represents His blood which would be shed for them in order to cover every sin forever! It will be poured out as a NEW covenant!

God is always speaking covenant talk! Covenants were a very important part of life in Jesus' day and talk of them is not fully understood nowadays. Even marriage, which was once understood to be the most important covenant of our lives, is no longer entered into with the seriousness it should be. A covenant was considered a binding, formal agreement between two parties. We have signed contracts, signed by two parties, when we enter into an agreement today. But our covenant with God was signed with Jesus' own blood!

It is no longer necessary for the blood of lambs and goats to be shed on God's people's behalf. 
Jesus shed His blood, once and for all, to cover all mankind's sins. We need to truly understand that Jesus was trying to teach; that there is so much power in partaking of communion. We should never take that act of receiving it lightly or out of habit. That when we do it, we are proclaiming His death, and all it meant, until He comes again. When symptoms try to hinder our bodies, where they have no right to be, the very act of breaking of bread and drinking of the juice shows remembrance of the great covenant that our Lord made with us and is faithful to uphold! It shows that we understand and walk in the authority that was provided for us. The enemy recognizes authority and has to flee!

61. Luke 9:1-36 Feeding Five Thousand

Jesus sent out the disciples and gave them power and authority over all demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and to perform healing. As they went about the villages doing as Jesus instructed, Herod heard all that was happening; and was greatly perplexed, thinking that John the Baptist had raised from the dead.

When the disciples returned giving an account of all they did, Jesus took them with Him and withdrew to the city of Bethsaida. But the multitudes were aware of it and followed them. Jesus did not turn them away, yet He welcomed them and He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.

As the sun began to set, the twelve disciples came to Jesus and told Him to send the multitude away that they may go into the surrounding villages to obtain food and lodging. But Jesus said, "YOU give them something to eat!" He had already given them POWER and AUTHORITY earlier in the day, but they didn't quite know how to use what was given to them. It seemed impossible to them, unless they should go and buy them all food as they only had five loaves and two fishes between them.

Jesus, seeing their faithlessness, decided to demonstrate for them how to provide for the people. He had them sit in groups of fifty. Then He took what He had, looking up to heaven, He blessed it and broke it. He kept dividing it and supplying it until everyone ate and was satisfied. They gathered up all that was left over and it equaled TWELVE baskets full!

Our God is One Who ENJOYS supplying ALL of our needs. We need to follow the example of Jesus. Do not despise what we have, for it will be a seed to sow and when we call it blessed, it will multiply until EVERY need is met. And there will be PLENTY leftover. That's God's will for us! He is the supplier, but it's going to take us using the authority He has already given us and walking in His power to get the job done!

59. Luke 10:25-37 The Good Samaritan

When presented with the question, who is my neighbor?, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. It's a story we have undoubtedly heard many times and may feel like, yeah, yeah, be nice to neighbors, be kind to people, etc... But there is so much more here that the Lord wants to instill in us.

He said, " A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went off leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going down the road and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him and whatever you spend, when I return, I will repay you.' Which one of these proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"

So there where three different kinds of people described here. Two who were evil and beat up a man and stole from him. One who was a member of the clergy, but was obviously too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. A Levite, someone who let his difference of race and religion cause him to also pass by. And then a Samaritan, who was on an important journey of his own, yet had COMPASSION, That compassion caused something different to occur in his manner toward the beaten man. He lost his own time, money and comfort to care for him as though he were someone from his own family. He set up the man for healing and success when so much had been taken from him.

Having true compassion is never easy, but it's something the Lord is challenging us to develop in ourselves daily. We have a saying at VCC, "people need you when they need you." It's hardly ever a convenient time to reach out and meet the needs of others, but when we do we are walking in the mercy of Jesus. We are the only Jesus people will ever see this side of heaven. If we truly understand that, it will change our outlook on life and how we treat everyone around us. So, are we going to be people who BEAT UP, PASS BY or SET UP? If we make ourselves available the Lord will give us ample opportunities to show Him who we are. 

55. Matthew 3:13-4:17 Baptism & Temptation

"Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." After Jesus was baptized the heavens were opened and the Spirit of God descended as a dove on Him and the voice of God spoke  saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." So it was for a sign for those witnessing of Who He was and that God had indeed sent Him!

After that time Jesus was led by the Spirit to the wilderness and was tempted by the devil. I have always loved reading this account. It shows that Jesus was completely human, like you or me. Having to deal with the enemy tempting Him. But the most wonderful part of this excerpt is that it teaches us how to be just as successful as Jesus when dealing with the enemy!

First of all it said that Jesus fasted for forty days. When one is fasting, you become naturally hungry, but more spiritually attuned. Jesus had a lot of time alone, separated unto His Father to commune with Him and become strong in His inner man. The devil tried to be crafty and tempt Him with scripture, yet he did not comprehend that Jesus WAS the WORD. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us! How did Jesus defeat the enemy? By simply quoting the ALL-POWERFUL Word of God right back at him. How can we defeat the enemy? The very same way! When we spend time depositing the Word into our hearts and when we come up against diverse trials it should be the first thing that comes to mind and should come out of our mouths! I once heard it said, when the strong man is robbing your house, that is not the time to go to your weight bench and get strong enough to take him down. We must feed on the Word and exercise our faith muscles daily. Then we will be ready for anything. After all, we are only called to stand our ground. The battle belongs to the Lord and He already OVERCAME. We are called MORE than conquerors!

54. Luke 3:1-20 John the Baptist

The Lord revealed His word to John, son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. He then came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it was written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet.

So John is faithful to do his part of the plan to prepare people's hearts to receive Jesus as their Savior. But the people began to wonder in their hearts whether or not John was the Christ. John  answered and said, "As for me, I baptize you with water, but One is coming Who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

Jesus is the One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. There are two purposes for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One is for the indwelling of the believer and the other for the outpouring to help others! Once we are established in the Holy Spirit, the fullness causes an overflow that reaches out to others. Then we learn to operate with the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus can accomplish His plan on the earth through us!

The purpose of the fire is for the harvest! If we are baptized with fire, that literally means that He will IMMERSE us in FIRE! That is empowerment to do all we are called to do. Fire burns up all that is impure and leaves the finest substance to remain. When we get re-fired, we'll get into the race. And revival is our race.

53. Luke 2:1-40 Birth of Jesus

As Mary and Joseph journey from Nazareth to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, the days were complete for Mary to give birth. Christ, our Savior, was born and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In that same region, angels appeared to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night. They told them not to be afraid, for they had brought them GOOD NEWS! They made their way to the manger and told Mary and Joseph all that the angels had shared with them. All who heard it wondered at the things they said. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

The phrase "treasured all these things" is seen more than once in this chapter. What does it actually mean "to ponder". Ponder means, to think about something carefully, especially before deciding or concluding. Therefore Mary thought very carefully about all the things which were spoken over her newborn baby boy. The words of good news and the plan God had for Him. She did not respond by shouting it all from the rooftops, but rather accepted them in a quiet manner and treasured what was told to her in her heart of hearts.

In our country especially, we are very blessed to have the Word of God in all fullness and readily available to us. We have heard many good sermons and teachings and can even turn on the television to certain channels and at any time of day hear encouraging teachings from the Word of God. But do WE treasure in our hearts all that we have heard? Or when God gives us a word of direction for our lives or answers our prayers for wisdom do we blab it all for any ole person to hear it? How we need to have the same attitude as Mary. To ponder carefully how each word we hear can be applied to our lives. And to highly esteem the Word of God and never take it for granted. It is our greatest treasure in this life!

52. Luke 1:1-80 Gabriel's Message

I always enjoy reading the account of the details of Christ's coming and His birth! How exciting that God's wonderful plan, that had been in motion since before the foundation of the world, was manifest. How exciting to have been alive during that time. To have been Elizabeth and carry John the Baptist, who would, as a forerunner, prepare the people's hearts to accept Jesus as their Savior. How John's life was set apart from before his birth and he was filled with the Holy Spirit even while in his mother's womb. The Lord always prepares us for the task at hand and equips us to do all He's called  us to do!

Oh, what a blessed woman to be Mary, the mother of our sweet Savior Jesus! What remarkable and unfathomable things the angel Gabriel shared with her. In those days a woman's reputation was all she had. Without a man to care for her and represent her in the world, she had no standing whatsoever. Yet, what great faith she possessed at such a young age. Faith is always positive, it ALWAYS answers YES! Gabriel encouraged her with the word saying, "Nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary's response was, "Behold, the bond-servant of the Lord; be it done unto me according to your Word." She never questioned it, but simply received it!

Oh, that we could follow Mary's example of faith! The Lord may not have spoken in a supernatural way to you concerning your future or the plan He has for you. But He has already spoken His great plan through His written Word. Every promise in there is Yes, and Amen for YOU! Take Him at His Word today. Say, by faith, yes, I believe, be it done unto your servant according to Your Word! And you will live the most wonderful life you could ever imagine! You have dreams and He is the One Who placed them in you! He wants you to have all the desires He has placed in your heart!

We trust you are enjoying studying these great stories together! Let us know what your thoughts are!

51. John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh

Jesus did not start at His birth! Think about it. John 1:1,2 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God. He was in the beginning with God." The word, 'word' is actually translated Christ.

All things came into being by Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being! The Word became FLESH and dwelt among us, PRAISE GOD! And we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth!

The Lord even gave John Holy Spirit knowledge of Jesus and he then bore witness of Jesus and His ministry. Verse 12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." This means that you can believe in Jesus without actually receiving Him. You must do both. Then "For of His fulness we HAVE all received and grace upon grace.For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ". Thank God that grace is not just a lovely word, it is actually a person, the person of Jesus Christ! Grace has already been provided and therefore we ALL can receive everything that grace affords us. The law showed us that we need grace and Jesus gave it to us when He took our place at the cross!

Verse 18 teaches us that in order to know the very nature of God, we only need to look to Jesus' life while on the earth. He is the most perfect representation of His Father. We never have to wonder what our Father God is like or what His intentions toward us are. We only need to read that everywhere Jesus went, the Word says, He went about doing good, teaching, preaching and healing ALL who were oppressed! This is still God's heart today and the mandate all believer's need to carry on; for while we are in the earth, WE are His body!

34. 1 Samuel 23:7-24:22 David & Saul

Saul's open rebellion against God is manifested in his refusal to give up what God has said cannot be his. David is protected once again by Jonathan from Saul's murderous intent. But Saul becomes more active in his pursuit of David.

The future king flees to a Philistine city. He continues to escape from the hand of Saul, and on two occasions spares Saul's life when he has the opportunity to take it. It seems nothing could touch David. God had a specific plan and purpose for him to fulfill and not even the king could hinder that plan!

No matter what you are facing in your life today, God has a plan for you. Find out what it is. Ask Him and He will reveal it to you. No matter how big the obstacle that tries to stand in the way of accomplishing what God has given you to do, He is on your side. Speak to that mountain, in faith, and it will eventually fall. Stay focused on the task at hand and be faithful to follow the light on the path right in front of your feet. As you do, the Lord will reveal more light and more steps to take. It's a marathon, not a sprint. As believers we are in it for the long haul.

33. 1 Samuel 16:1-18:16 David & Goliath

The Israelite army is faced with a giant Philistine, Goliath, who taunts them daily. While David brings bread and grain to his older brothers and speaks with them, Goliath comes forth for his periodic jest and request of a soldier to fight with. 

David is appalled at the fear of his army and asks several times what is the reward to the man who will defeat this giant. Faith rises up within him and he responds, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the army of the Living God?"

David recalls to King Saul all that the Lord has done for him in the past. That He saved him from a lion and a bear. That He gave him supernatural ability to kill both with his bare hands and that God will deliver him from Goliath, too!

He then spoke directly to the laughing Goliath exactly what the Lord would do. That the battle was not his, but God's and that HE would deliver him into his hands. We, too, need to respond in faith when faced with problems which are seemingly giants in our lives. To recall all that God HAS DONE for us and to speak words of faith that He WILL deliver us out of it all.

What are your thoughts? We'd love to hear!

32. 1 Samuel 8:1-10:27 Saul

So, Israel rejected God as their king. Samuel tried to warn them and spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king. He prophesied over them that the king would take their young men and young women to be his warriors and servants. That he would take the best of their lands and a tenth of all their crops and flocks. He warned that they would cry out to the Lord because of the king they have chosen and God would not answer them. But still they refused to listen.

The Lord chose Saul, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. Samuel anointed his head with oil and prophesied that the Spirit of God would come upon him and change him into another man. Thus, Saul became the first king of Israel.

God desired to be the people's only King. That was His perfect will. Yet, because of their stubbornness, He permitted Saul to become their ruler. God's ways are always better than our ways. His thoughts are always higher than our thoughts. When a way seems right to us in a natural sense, we must ALWAYS follow after our spirit man, which is led by God's Spirit. He will always lead us into a place of peace and a situation that will satisfy our hearts like no other. 

What are your thoughts on this passage? Let us know.

31. 1 Samuel 1:1-3:21 Samuel

One great difference between Christianity and all other religions is that the believer has a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God! He hears each one of us, just as He heard Hannah as she wept before him asking Him to open her womb and give her a son.

Eli told Hannah to go in peace and may the God of Israel grant her request. When she went away she no longer fasted and her face was no longer sad. She had heard directly from God's servant that her prayer would be answered. Even before her answer came, she received it by faith and worshiped before the Lord!

We can do exactly the same thing today. Only we no longer need a high priest to intervene between us and God like in the Old Testament. We have our High Priest, Jesus, sitting at God's right hand forever making intercession for us! We have His completed works of the cross to base our faith on. We have His blood covering us, so that when the Lord looks upon us He sees Jesus. And we can come boldly to His throne, asking whatever we need, in Jesus' name and it SHALL be given to us! (Jn. 14:13,14)

30. Ruth 1:1-4:22 Ruth

The story of Ruth is one of love, devotion and redemption. Naomi, an Israelite, finds herself in the land of Moab, as a widow and childless mother. Her husband and sons have died and she is left with her two Moabite daughters-in-law. She decides to return to her native land now that it is free of famine and she urges them to return to their own families. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her and made a statement of faith that would, from then on, create a new life for her.

"Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be MY people and your God shall be MY God. Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."

Unknowingly, with that statement, Ruth has decreed her loyalty to Naomi, her people and her God and God can now begin to make a way for her. Her love and devotion will soon be rewarded! She gives up her culture, her people and her language because of her great love.

The Biblical concept of a kinsman-redeemer is mentioned thirteen times in Ruth. It is a representation of Christ redeeming us. Through Boaz, she moves from widowhood and poverty to marriage and wealth! That's how incredible our God is. When He redeems, He does it ALL THE WAY, above and beyond all we could ask or think. He is a BIG GOD and His thoughts toward us and about us are MUCH HIGHER than we can even imagine.

Are you in a situation today where you feel as if you've lost everything? Start decreeing, according to God's promises in His Word, what you want your life to be just as Ruth did. Asking gives Him the right to begin to move on your behalf. Give God the opportunity to meet your need. He wants to do more than you can imagine!

29. Judges 13:1-16:31 Samson

Samson is consecrated to the Lord as a Nazirite from the womb. God had a plan that Samson would be used to begin to deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines. As he grew the Lord blessed him. 

He chose a woman from among the Philistines as his bride, rather than someone from his own people. His parents did not know that this was of the Lord, for at this time the Philistines were ruling over Israel. 

Time and time again, the Lord was with Samson and made super-human power available to him to perform great acts. He became a judge over Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines. The Philistines were so afraid of him that they greatly desired to take and bind him.

He fell in love with Delilah and the Philistines enticed her with money to find out the secret to his great strength. After lying over and over her nagging annoyed him so much that he tells her the truth. That no razor has ever touched his head. While he slept, she had his head shaved and he could not defend himself against his captors. 

Samson was a great warrior and did many great feats for the people of Israel during his life. Even in his death, he sought to take revenge on the lords and leaders of the Philistines. He cried out to the Lord to strengthen him one more time and God did. Those that he defeated in his death were more than all the others he defeated in his life. He was used mightily to deliver the people of Israel.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know if you liked this story.

28. Judges 6:1-7:25 Gideon

So the Israelites, once again, find themselves in the hands of their enemies, the Midianites, and are being oppressed by bullies because of their evil doings. We might say, "When will they learn?" or "Why don't they just continue to serve God?". But, in honesty, we all know we have been there at one time or another. The important thing to remember is that God heard their prayers and is SO faithful to answer!

At this point, the Israelites were so oppressed that they left their homes to live in hiding. They were left with no sustenance and even the crops of their fields were destroyed in attempt to blot them out. God first sends a prophet to remind them of all the miracles He has done for them and their people in the past. When facing a mountain which seems insurmountable, it is SO GOOD to remind ourselves of past victories, for we know that our awesome God NEVER changes and He can do it again. God can ALWAYS deliver His people if only they will listen to His voice!

It always surprises me who the Lord chooses to use to accomplish His will on the earth. We read about great men and women of faith, but in reality they were no different than you or I. They just made the decision to be used. God calls Gideon a valiant warrior! Ha, ha, ha, he was hiding out, secretly beating some wheat in a wine press so the enemies wouldn't find it and take it from him. He said he was from the family which was the least of all the people and that he himself was the youngest in his father's house!

Thank God He does not look at the outward like we do. He does not see present circumstances as a hindrance, He only sees the outcome He wants to achieve! That is the faith we all need to emulate! The Lord spoke over Gideon words that He already believed about him..."Oh, VALIANT WARRIOR! Go in this strength of YOURS and deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you? Surely I will be with you. And you WILL defeat Midian as one man!" We, too, can do ALL things through Christ! He is with us every day to and has ALREADY won the battle! We only have to stand with Him by our side!

27. Judges 4:1-5:31 Deborah

The people of Israel once again did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan and the commander of his army was a man named Sisera. The Israelites cried out to the Lord because Sisera oppressed them severely for twenty years.

There was a prophetess, Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth and she was the judge of Israel at that time. The Lord told her to summon Barak and to march to Mt. Tabor with ten thousand men. She told Barak that the Lord would draw out Sisera and give him into their hands.

Barak's response was, I'll go if you go with me! Deborah said she surely would, but that the Lord would give Sisera into the hands of a woman. So they began their journey in pursuit of Sisera. They were able to conquer his entire army, but he, once again, escaped on foot right to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. In his exhaustion, Sisera met his demise at the hands of Jael while he rested.

Surely all that Deborah had spoken came to pass. She met many obstacles along her journey but did not retreat, for she had the very word of God concerning her victory! We, too, have that same opportunity to fall back and retreat when the journey becomes difficult. We second guess if we may have heard the Lord incorrectly. It is so important to get in our prayer closets and hear from God. To be led by the Spirit in all things. Then we will have confidence to keep moving forward, knowing that the Lord has gone before us and has paved the way for our victory!

What are your thoughts? Did you enjoy this story? Share your victory with us.

26. Judges 2:6-3:6 Disobedience

In the book of Joshua, an obedient people conquered the land through trust in the power of God. In Judges, sadly, a disobedient and idolatrous people are defeated time and time again because of their rebellion against God. Joshua had ushered the people of Israel in to possess their inheritance. The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all that the Lord had done for Israel. 

There arose another generation which did not know the Lord, nor the great things He had done for their people. And they did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed other gods. They provoked the Lord to anger and because of their evil ways, God had to remove His hand of protection from them and they could no longer stand before their enemies.

Why did they not know God? Why did they forget to teach their children after them all that God had done and how much He loved them? What a responsibility we have to teach the generation behind ours. To live by example and to demonstrate God's incredible favor and power in our own lives. To help raise up a generation of warriors who learn from our mistakes and rise up stronger than any other people.

What are your thoughts? Share them here by leaving a comment. We'd love to hear from you!

25. Joshua 5:13-6:27 The Fall of Jericho

Our God is a God of specific plans. He never decides things half-heartedly or is wishy-washy. He always knows precisely what needs to be accomplished and usually gives very specific plans for us to follow. He gave Joshua a specific plan to capture the city of Jericho, which was the first city captured during his invasion of Canaan.

Jericho was one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Known as the "city of the palm trees" (Judg. 3:13) because of the trees that grow in its oasis location. It's location of 800 feet below sea level, sits lower than any other city on earth. It was a city within a deep gorge and was known for  it's hot, tropical climate. Because of its unique location, it was a city fortified with massive walls to protect from invaders.

The Lord instructs Joshua and the people of Israel to march around the city, once a day, for six days. Then on the seventh day, to march around seven times, that the seven priests will blow the trumpets and all the people will shout and the walls will come down. Can you imagine what the people of Jericho were thinking while these days passed by and the people of Israel marched around their city? They had surely heard about the crossing of the Jordan river and their hearts melted with fear.

The Israelites were ALREADY victorious, but they still had to obey and carry out the Lord's specific plan. When we do things His way, it takes faith and is pleasing to Him. When He gives us something specific to do, we must do it, and we WILL see the walls of opposition begin to crumble in our lives.

24. Joshua 3:1-4:24 Cross the Jordan

So the people of Israel finally cross over the Jordan and begin their descent into the promised land. Joshua does exactly as the Lord has instructed him and the priests walk ahead with the ark of the covenant. As the priests step into the water, a great miracle takes place and the waters heap into a pile so they may walk across on dry land as they did many years before in the Red Sea. Twelve men are chosen, one from each of the tribes of Israel and they each choose a rock from the bed of the river to set up a memorial to remember what the Lord did there that day.

All the people of Israel now revered Joshua, just as they did Moses, because surely he was God's chosen leader. This was quite a miracle, as this was during the time of harvest when all the banks of the Jordan were overflowed with water. And they set up the twelve stones at Gilgal so that they could teach their children, for generations to come, that the Lord was with them and that all the people of the earth would know that the hand of God was MIGHTY, so that they would fear the Lord forever.

What things has God done in your life to prove His might and power? Are you sharing what God has done for you? When we are in the midst of trial, it is so important to remember the faithfulness of our great God. What He has done once, He can surely do again! What He has done for one, He can surely do for YOU!

23. Joshua 1:1-18 Joshua

Joshua had just succeeded Moses in the leadership of the nation of Israel. Moses had led the nation for forty years and had the benefit that all the wisdom and culture of Egypt and the king's house could provide. Moses was a seasoned, multi-talented man who walked closely with God. Joshua was his faithful attendant and he was assuming an awesome responsibility in taking command of two and a half million people. If anyone needed a formula for success, Joshua did. 


The Lord speaks directly to Joshua, which must have given him great comfort and assurance. He told him that as He had been with Moses, so would He be with him! He also gave Joshua the key to success in life...meditating on God's word! Meditating on the Word, day AND night and is promised 1. prosperity and 2. good success in the God-given task that lies ahead.


We can have that same assurance and success in our lives by simply following the principles God set in His word for Joshua. He commanded him to, 'Be strong and courageous!'. It was not a suggestion, but a command! The things we are called to do may seem daunting in the natural. But we can have assurance that God is with us, He will NEVER fail us or forsake us. He commands us, too, to be strong and full of courage. As we keep our eyes ever-fixed on His unchanging Word, we, too, will have GREAT SUCCESS!

22. Exodus 32:1-34:35 The Golden Calf

The Israelites became so impatient waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain that they said to Aaron, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." So Aaron took all their gold jewelry and formed it into the image of a calf and said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."


How quickly people will turn aside to falseness without a strong leader. The Lord told Moses what the people had done and to go down to them at once. That His anger burned against them and He sought to destroy them because of their obstinacy. God told Moses that He would make a great nation from him.


But Moses knew that God was a covenant God and he reminded Him of the covenant He swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That He promised to multiple their descendants like the stars of the heavens and give them a great land. He entreated the Lord to forgive the people of their sins. Moses even says he will sacrifice his own name in the Lord's book. Through much toil with the Lord, He showed Moses the way and showed him His glory. He renewed His covenant with His people. Praise God, He is a covenant-keeping God!

21. Exodus 19:1-20:21 The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments were laws given by God as guidelines for daily living. Although God gave the commandments to His people through Moses at Mount Sinai more than three thousand years ago, they are still relevant today. 


About three thousand years after God gave these commandments, Jesus upheld them. He actually placed these laws on a higher plane, demanding that the spirit, as well as the legal aspects, of the laws be observed. He placed His stamp of approval on the commandments by declaring, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill." (Mt. 5:17)


And as we know all of the commandments can now be summed up into obeying the two that Jesus told us in Matt. 22:37 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the WHOLE LAW and the Prophets."

20. Exodus 13:17-14:31 Crossing the Red Sea

As the Israelites flee Egypt, the Lord went before them  with a pillar of cloud by day to shield them from the hot desert sun and a pillar of fire by night to light the way for their constant travel. Pharaoh hardens his heart once more and sends his entire Egyptian army after the Israelites. Seeing that the Red Sea lies ahead and Pharaoh's chariots are closing the gap quickly from behind, the Israelites murmur against God. Did He really grant them their freedom only to see them die by the hands of Pharaoh's soldiers in the wilderness?
But Moses responds with a confession of faith! Not to fear, but to stand by and watch the salvation of the Lord which He will perform for them this day. That they will NEVER AGAIN see the Egyptians and that the Lord Himself will fight for them.
As Moses stretched forth his hand and staff, by faith, the waters of the Red Sea piled upon themselves and a path of dry ground to cross over on appeared! After the stubborn Egyptians followed them into the path, once safe on the other side, God causes the waters to recede drowning the entire army. One of the most awesome miracles of all time occurred and surely one I'm going to ask the Lord to see a replay of on "movie- night" in heaven ;)
As amazing as the record of this wonder is, we need to be ever mindful that we serve that same AWESOME, MIGHTY God! He has not changed. The Bible says He is the same, yesterday, today and FOREVER, Amen! Moses said in verse 14:14, "The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent." Let's not forget that advice and apply it to our circumstance today. It is sometimes difficult to 'keep silent', but there is great benefit in that. When the symptoms in our bodies or the balance in our bankbook want to make us shout forth aggravation, disappointment and frustration, we need to stop, keep silent and in faith speak only words of victory, in line with God's promises to us. And watch Him fight on our behalf!

19. Exodus 12:1-42 Passover

The time of the tenth plague had come and God gave very specific instructions to His people so that they would be spared. In ALL of the plagues, the Israelites were protected, while the Egyptians and their property were destroyed. The Hebrews were delivered from the final plague when they marked their houses, at God's command, by sprinkling the blood of a lamb over their doorposts. The death angel "passed over" the Hebrew houses.
This deliverance became one of the most memorable occasions in Hebrew history. The Passover is celebrated even today to commemorate their deliverance. And in this passage, we got a glimpse into the future plan of redemption for all of us, through the spotless Lamb, Jesus!
There is an amazing realization in the account of the Passover and the exodus of the Israelites; that God fulfilled every promise He had made to Moses. (Ex.3:21) That when they went, they would not go empty-handed, but that they would PLUNDER the Egyptians. They had favor in their sight and left a very rich people, carrying articles of silver and gold and the very clothing of the Egyptians. God is so incredible that He also healed EVERY SINGLE SICKNESS of the entire Hebrew nation, because it says that not ONE of them, young or old, was weak or sickly among them! They went forth on their journey in freedom and rejoicing!

18. Exodus 6:28-11:10 The Ten Plagues

Moses felt inadequate to speak before the Hebrew people and to go before Pharaoh to demand the freedom of his people. I'm sure we've all felt incapable of carrying out all that the Lord has led us to do. Praise God, He knows us better than we know ourselves and never leaves us unequipped. :) He sent Moses' brother, Aaron, to help him with this assignment. He prophesied to Moses that through him, He would perform great miracles which would be a sign to both the Hebrew people and the Egyptians.
Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, refused to release the Hebrew people from slavery and allow them to leave his country. So the Lord sent ten plagues upon the Egyptians to break Pharaoh's stubborn will and demonstrate His power and superiority over the pagan gods of the Egyptians.
Through each plague, Pharaoh continued to harden his heart and through such, his people and his lands were slowly being destroyed.

17. Exodus 3:1-22 Moses and the Burning Bush

The angel of the Lord, God Himself,  appears to Moses in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush which is not consumed. The change brought on by the fire is so significant that it moved Moses from the natural to the SUPERNATURAL. This was only the beginning of walking in the supernatural power of God for Moses. God had seen the affliction of His people and heard their cry. He chose Moses to be His voice and the leader of His people; to bring them into freedom. But Moses felt inadequate, as each of us do. Our hearts desire should be to do something so big that without God it would be impossible. We need to trust that He Who calls, also equips and will bring to pass all that He has begun in us, if we are willing and obedient to His calling.

16. Exodus 1:1-2:25 Birth of Moses

Now a new king arose over Egypt who did not give favor to the descendants of Joseph. He actually feared them, because they had multiplied to become more numerous and mightier than the Egyptians. So they made their lives bitter with all kinds of hard labor and when that didn't deter them, they decreed to put all the baby boys to death. 
So, a son is born to a Levite woman and she hid him as long as she could. What an incredibly brave woman to place her baby in a basket into the Nile river, filled with crocodiles and the possibility of drowning and yet believed God would protect her child. As his sister stood nearby, where does he just happen to float? Right to the bank where Pharaoh's daughter bathes. She named him Moses, which means, I drew him out of the water. And who gets to paid to nurse her own baby and the security to know that once he is weaned he will be brought up in luxury, will be protected from harm and taught by the finest scholars in all the land? His own mother! How AWESOME is our God?! 

15. Genesis 45:1-46:7 Joseph Reveals His Identity

Wow! Imagine the shock to Joseph's brothers when he told them who he was. Years and years of guilt and grief washed away because of the goodness of God. How relieved they must have been to find their beloved brother not only alive, but thriving under the protection and promotion of the Lord. God can always take a situation meant for evil and not only restore, but bless for His good above and beyond what we could ask or think. We serve a mighty God Whose hand is MORE than able to lift you up out of any pit and place you right where He wants you to be, blessed, healthy and whole in every area of your life.


What are your thoughts? Let us know.

14. Genesis 43:1-44:34 The Brothers Return

So the brothers return to Egypt to ask for more food and to acquire their brother, Simeon. Joseph is moved to tears at the sight of Benjamin, the other son of his mother, Rachel. The knowledge that his father is still living is overwhelming. He wants to keep Benjamin for himself and bless him. He knows that his father would be crushed if the brothers return without his youngest, beloved son. They beg Joseph to let Benjamin return with them. They unknowingly beg their younger brother for mercy. What a position Joseph has been placed in... What are your thoughts on this passage?
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13. Genesis 42:1-38 Famine in the Land

So Joseph will now test his older brothers. As he heard them speaking to one another, he realized that they had remorse for what they had done to him many years before. He longs to see his youngest brother, Benjamin, and requests that they bring him. But he shows mercy to them and allows them to return with their grain sacks full. How awesome is God to place Joseph in the exact place and time to be able to restore his own people during a time of lack?! He ALWAYS has a plan to help us in our time of need as well!


What are you thoughts? Leave a comment and share.

12. Genesis 39:1-41:57 Joseph In Prison

The story of Joseph's life has always been one of my favorites. It clearly demonstrates God's grace and provision, even in the hardest of times. Can't even fathom what prison is like, not to mention the conditions of prison in the Bible days, yikes! Yet, in the darkest time in his life, God made a way for Joseph as he correctly interpreted Pharaoh's dream by the leading and instruction of the Holy Spirit. He found favor in Pharaoh's eyes, but it was because he first had favor with God. When God exalts you, He does so above and beyond what you could think or imagine! No matter what kind of situation you may be in today, don't give up. Keep speaking your victory in faith, because God has a plan for you and it is one of VICTORY!!!

11. Genesis 37:1-36 Joseph Sold Into Slavery

Wow! How bad does it have to be for your own brothers to attempt to take your life because of jealousy? Praise God, Reuben heard them and rescued young Joseph out of their hands. He planned instead to put him into a pit and then restore him to his father later. While Reuben was away, the brothers instead sold Joseph to some Midianite traders. They then sold him to Potiphar, the Pharaoh of Egypt's, officer. Poor Reuban returns to the pit to find his brother gone. Instead of telling their father the truth and attempting to rescue Joseph, they cover up their sin and come up with a plan to break it to their father. Being the eldest son, Reuben was responsible for all the brothers and did not know how else he could return to his father without Joseph. They should have gone to their father to ask for forgiveness and help. When we try to cover things up we only get into more of a mess. Jacob, himself, knew firsthand how much trouble deception can get you into. And more importantly, he knew firsthand God's incredible mercy and grace in his life.


What are your thoughts?

10. Genesis 32:1-33:20 Reconciliation

How awesome to have the angels of God meet you on your journey! Jacob recognized them and said, "This is God's camp." Jacob was greatly afraid to return to his homeland and be reunited with his brother Esau. He went to God and asked for protection for himself and his family and for favor in the sight of his brother. Then he reminded God of His promises to him. He knew the Word that was spoken to his father, Isaac, that the Lord had said, "Surely I will prosper you and  make your descendants as numerous as the sand of the sea..." Speaking God's Words back to Him will increase your faith in Him and His Word. He wrestled with the angel of the Lord and did not relent until the Lord blessed him! That takes faith and perseverance! When he returned, Esau not only met him on the road, but ran to him and embraced him. God is the God of restoration and when we allow Him to restore He always does it above and beyond what we could ask or think.


Did you enjoy this passage? Leave a comment as to what it spoke to You!

9. Genesis 27:1-28:22 Jacob and Esau

Birthright was so important in the Old Testament. It came with privileges and responsibilities of the firstborn son that could be forfeited by behavior that was offensive or opposed to God's will. Previously, Rebekah had asked God why was there such a struggle taking place in her womb. The Lord told her there were two nations within her. Two peoples that would be separate and that one people would be stronger than the other. That the older shall serve the younger. She never forgot those words the Lord gave her. Esau foolishly squandered his birthright by trading it to his younger brother, Jacob, for a bowl of stew when he was hungry. 
Rebekah encourages Jacob to deceive his father. Did she not trust that God Himself was able to bring to pass the words He shared with her years before? When Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob and not Esau, Esau bore such a grudge against Jacob that Jacob had to be sent away because his mother feared for his life. 
While on his journey the Lord gave him a dream telling him that his descendants will be many and that He will give them a blessed land. He trusted in the Lord and committed to serve Him and tithe unto the Lord.


What are your thoughts on these passages? Leave a comment :)

8. Genesis 21:1-22:19 Isaac's Birth & 'Sacrifice'

Wow! What an awesome account of God's faithfulness! Abraham and Sarah got their Isaac, and through Isaac, God said their descendants would be named. God even had mercy on their ignorance and told them not to be distressed about Hagar's son. That He would even make a nation of Ishmael, because he was Abraham's descendant. 
Abraham obeyed God and took Isaac willingly up to Mt. Moriah. Abraham's faith is clearly seen when he says to his servant, "WE will worship and return to you." And to his young son, "God WILL provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering." And, indeed, God showed Himself faithful and provided a ram in the thicket. It pleased Him that Abraham did not hold back his only son. Faith pleases God. And praise God that He Himself did not withhold His only Son from us. But was pleased to sacrifice Him and cause His righteousness to be added to our accounts!

7. Genesis 15:1-21 Covenant with Abram

So God had a plan for Abram. He came to him in a vision telling him not to fear but that He would be a shield for him and his reward would be very great. That He would give him a true heir and that his descendants would be many. When Abram struggled to comprehend it, God gave him the illustration of the stars of heaven and said his descendants would be just as numerous. God knew, if Abram should need a reminder, each evening he would see those stars staring back at him and bolster his faith. All Abram had to do was believe God and He reckoned it to him as righteousness! Praise God that is our job today too...just to BELIEVE and let God bring to pass all that He has promised.

6. Genesis 12:1-20 Call of Abram

The Lord tells Abram to leave his family and to go forth to the land which God will show him. He told Abram that He would make him a great nation. That He would bless him so that he could be a blessing. That He would bless all those who blessed Abram and curse those who cursed him. And that ALL the families of earth would have the opportunity to be blessed through Abram. For some reason Abram did not obey completely and took his nephew Lot with them. Then Abram lied to Pharaoh and said that Sarai was his sister and not his wife, therefore bringing a curse on Pharaoh's house. In His great love this covenant is unconditional, depending solely upon God, Who obligates Himself in grace, when He declares to Abram "I will". It was not only personally, for Abram and his family, but universally, causing blessings to be upon all the families of the earth through the Messiah, Who according to the flesh, is Abraham's son and provides salvation for the entire world. Praise God, in Christ, we too can partake of each and every blessing this covenant holds!
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.

5. Genesis 11:1-9 Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel is a symbol of man's sinful pride and rebellion, built to satisfy the people's vanity: "Let us make for ourselves a name" Gen. 11:4. The pyramid-like tower was expected to reach heaven. These people were trying to approach God on their own self-serving terms, but they soon learned that the gates of heaven cannot be stormed. Men and woman must approach God in reverence and humility.
The temple was climbed by converging stairways. The uppermost part of the tower was an altar devoted to pagan worship. Thus God intervened to prevent the builders of Babel from partaking of the power and glory that belongs only to Him. Their language was confused and they could no longer communicate to continue building. How weak and small this tower was in comparison to God's great power!


What are your thoughts? Let us know.

4. Genesis 8:1-9:17 Covenant with Noah

Only Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives- eight people- now constitute the population of the world. Noah might have thought that the things provided in the covenant with Adam had now been changed. However,  God establishes a covenant with Noah and the rest of the human race, that not only includes all that is within the Adamic covenant, but now has a notable addition: that of the principle of human government, so that it will never again be necessary to destroy the earth with a flood. The responsibility to populate the earth remains, as well as the subjection of all animals to man. We see that man is now permitted to eat the flesh of animals, but not the blood. The sacredness of ALL human life is established. And a wonderful display of the promise to never again destroy the earth by flood is given with the incredible sign of the rainbow. Every time we see a rainbow, no matter what we may be facing in life, it should be a symbol to us that God is still God and verse 8:22 "while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night SHALL NOT CEASE. His promises to us are yes and amen and everlasting.

3. Genesis 6:5-7:24 The Flood

It's hard to imagine being told that your family will be the last family which exists and that you will then have to repopulate the earth. It's hard also to imagine having to live in a time when everyone else on the earth was continually evil. But Noah found favor because he was a righteous man and walked with God. God gave him a specific plan, which he didn't question. Noah followed it to a T, which couldn't have been easy. We don't normally get the whole plan for our calling from God but we have to take one step of faith at a time. How much more daunting would it be to know the whole plan at once and be faithful to follow it? How difficult and trying it must have been to be trapped in that ark for almost a year. Yet God's grace is always sufficient. The ark reveals both the necessary judgment and the mercy of God. It is a striking illustration of Christ, Who preserves us from the flood of divine judgment through His amazing GRACE!

2. Genesis 3:1-24 The Fall

The art of deception...Satan takes the form of a serpent to deceive Adam and Eve out of all the blessings of living in Eden and in fellowship with their God. Eve listened to the serpent and examined the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She gave it to Adam, who was standing right there, yet as the head of the family he said nothing to the serpent. The glory of God was lifted from them and they realized for the first time they are naked. Yet, even in their sin, the Lord brought His presence to them. He always seeks after us. 
Much is lost in this chapter and the beautiful earth is now changed by a curse. But, God ALWAYS has a plan! We see God's gentleness as He clothes His children. And in His great love, He sends them out of the garden, so they do not partake of the tree of life and live forever separated from God. We see the first of many prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. A great plan for their salvation and redemption. A way to bring them back into right-standing with Him. And it will take a SAVIOR, Jesus!

1. Genesis 1:1-2:25 Creation

God's creation is so beautifully detailed and perfectly reflects God's heart. Each day is recorded as the magnificence of His earth and the fullness therein comes to fruition. It's so cool how He made all of it before man, then man, His ultimate creation, was placed right in the middle of it. The earth and its fullness was given to him to simply enjoy and as he cared for it, to reap all of its benefits. It's awesome to realize that God's heart has always been: FAMILY! He longed for children to share His creation with. It's truly amazing to think that God walked and talked with them the same way we would enjoy spending time with our family. What's even MORE amazing is that His heart has never changed! He STILL desires to walk and talk with us and gets pleasure from watching us, His children, reign on earth and enjoy all the benefits of His creation.

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