KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date:
Saturday,
January 23, 2016
Chapters:
Exodus
16-18
Message:
Exodus: You
Need Help
Hello My Friend,
I have
always been a very independent person, and am a natural born leader,
people have always come to me for help, and still do. So, when I
became faced with a point in my life where I had to learn to not only
depend on God, but others for help it did not go over too well with
me. I still have a hard time looking to others for help, but know if
I do not I will wear myself out and not be good to anyone. You know,
God is quite capable of providing us with everything we need without
lifting a finger, but He knows we will not learn to be dependent upon
Him if He did. To get our attention He makes us work for things
(except our salvation), and He will give us the strength to do the
work He calls us to do, but also knows we need help to get it done.
“Again I say unto you, That if two of you
shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it
shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two
or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them.” - Matthew 18:19,20.
So, I know it
sounds like a contradiction to ask God for things and work for them
at the same time, but it really is not. God wants our trust and to
instill that trust He is going to prove us, if we are willing to do
the work He calls us to do by faith, and without complaint, He will
not only bless us with everything we need, we will get more than
that. It had been about a month since the Israelite's miraculously
crossed the dry ground of the parted Red Sea, they were not being
very grateful for their freedom, every obstacle left them complaining
to Moses and Aaron, you can imagine their reaction when the food
supply began to diminish, but God did it all to prove them.
“And
the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against
Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said
unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the
land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat
bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness,
to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the LORD unto
Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people
shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove
them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to
pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring
in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. And the house
of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander
seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”
- Exodus 16:2-5,31.
“and the
people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may
prove them,” Prove, To try; to ascertain some unknown
quality or truth by an experiment. Oh my goodness, can I relate to
what the Israelite's were going through here. However, I do not
recall murmuring to anyone except God. Being in a state where you
must rely on God to provide for you every day your daily bread truly
does try your faith. Most people get steady paychecks checks, but
when you do not have those and are left looking to God for your
provisions, it can be discouraging on our faith. When God proves us,
that is when we just need to trust He and do what we are supposed to
be doing. Are we going to fail? Yep, we will fail sometimes, I fail a
lot, but God is so rich in mercy and grace that He does not hold it
against us. What do we do? We seek forgiveness, praise God, get up
and move forward. “Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away
from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto
me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
- Psalms 51:10-12.
As much as we whine and complain about
the things that we do not have, God still supplies us with everything
we need. We might not be blessed to live in mansions, and have steak
every night, but God always supplies His people with what they need
to survive. Now, after some time had passed the Amalekites started a
war with the Israelites, Moses instructs Joshua, one of his faithful
followers, to put an army together.
“And
Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with
Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of
God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought
with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the
hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel
prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But
Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him,
and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on
the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were
steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword. And the LORD said unto
Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the
ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek
from under heaven.” - Exodus 17:9-14.
“But
Moses' hands were heavy;” In this interesting illustration,
whenever Moses held up his hands and the rod, they were wining the
battle, but if he lowered his arms, the Amalekites were winning. It
was not until he had help that he was able to keep his hands up until
they were able to win the battle. It was not the rod or his hands in
the air that gave them the victory, it was looking to God that gave
them the victory. Whenever Moses held up the rod he was looking to
God, but when he became tired and lowered his arms, they were
failing. This proves that we cannot physically do everything by
ourselves, no matter how strong we think we are, we all get tired,
which is why we fail, and we need help. Jesus is our strength when we
are weak, He is always with us, and will give us the strength to
fight and win our battles, but we must also realize that He will send
others to help us when we are not able to stand on our own. “I
called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in
a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man
do unto me? The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore
shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.” - Psalms
118:5-7.
I
use to think that if I wanted something done right I needed to do it
myself or that I could get it done faster if anyone wasn't getting in
the way. I come to realize two things over the years, 1) Many hands
make light work, and 2). I am not invincible. We when get to heaven
we are not going to tire out our bodies, but while we live in the
flesh we just cannot do everything by ourselves all the time. Do you
know the reason why so many people are unhealthy, overweight, or
depressed? Too much responsibility. We take on way too much thinking
we can handle it all by ourselves and when we cannot we fall. The
Israelite's camped out for a bit, Moses' father-in-law met up with
him to bring his wife and children. He was pleased to see all that
God had done, but disturbed to see Moses taking so many burdens by
himself.
“And it came to pass on
the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood
by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses' father in
law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing
that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and
all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said
unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of
God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between
one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his
laws. And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou
doest is not good. hou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this
people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou
art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice,
I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the
people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:”
- Exodus 18:13-19.
“and God shall
be with thee:” God is always with us, and believe it or not
He will send people our way to help us deal with all our burdens.
Stop stressing out trying to figure out what to do or how to do it,
start accepting the help that God is giving you. Keep in mind that
the people God sends you way will at least be saved and living a
decent life with Christ, God will never put someone in our lives who
is going to take us away from Him. Also, you know that you may be the
person God uses to help someone else who is burdened. When we trust
God and do the things He calls us to do, He will direct our paths and
bless us greatly. “Trust in the LORD with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” -
Proverbs 3:5,6.
Today's Prayer:
God, I know that you are always with me and will give me the strength
I do the things You call me to do, but I also know that I cannot do
everything myself. I realize now that I need family, friends, and
those You send my way to help me through every single battle I face,
without many hands I will get weary and fall. Lord, give me Your
power and strength to endure every battle, and let me not be too
proud to seek the help of others. Give me wisdom, guidance, and
protection along the way, and keep me looking to You so I can see
victory in You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am
praying for you,
Christina
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Saturday, January 23, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Exodus: Fear Not And Stand Still
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Friday, January 22, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 13-15
Message: Exodus: Fear Not And Stand Still
Hello My Friend,
I love to watch the sunset, there is something so amazing about looking up into the sky and seeing all those amazing colors as the night comes in. Those beautiful amber colors are a reminder that we have a great and wonderful God who wants to take care of us at all times, when things get dark, He is our light, our beautiful light that makes even the darkest nights look bright. There are all sorts of man made lights, but none of them shine so bright and give us more hope than those that emit from our Saviour and God, Jesus Christ “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” - 2 Corinthians 4:6,7.
God loves to show His power, not only His people, but the world as well. Through His power, He brings hope to those who are ready to give up. Through His power, He brings conviction to those who ought to know better. Through His power, He brings rebellion to those who refuse to submit to it. The Israelites were free, and for the first time in over four hundred and thirty years they headed for the land promised to them, six hundred thousand men, plus women, and children started their journey, they had no idea how they would get there, but they had the best guide ever, God.
“And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” - Exodus 13:17-22.
“Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war,” God could have led them on a path that was straight forward, instead He chose one that was a little more difficult. Why? He knew they would retreat back to Egypt if they found difficulties, and He wanted to prove their faith. Following the Light often brings us down a difficult path because He knows we will retreat back to our comfort zone. He is going to put us in a position to where we can only go forward by faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1-3,6.
The test of faith often comes when we see those beautiful lights ahead, but the darkness is following right behind us. Do we go forward by faith, trusting God, or do we move backward and let the darkness overtake us? God was not done with the Egyptians, He had one more thing to show them as well as the Israelites.
“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” - Exodus 14:8-14.
“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,” We cannot move forward and see salvation from whatever it is that we are going through until we see God ahead, and we cannot move backward because we certainly do not want to go back the way we came. Our only option is to stand still and let God take care of things. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” - Philippians 3:13-15.
One thing about Christians is they can quickly forget the amazing things that God has done for them when faced with another challenge. When you think about it, are they really God's people, or just pretending to be because they see the power of God working? As soon as the Israelites saw all the Egyptian guards die in the Red Sea, they rejoiced and even danced in honor of Him, no sooner than faced with another challenge they begin to complain.
“So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” - Exodus 15:22-26.
“and there he proved them,” You know, God knows who are His, and while we all have a little bit of ungrateful in us, not everyone who praises God is actually a believer. Jesus warns us about people who appear to know Him, as those who are just around to reap the benefits of His miracles. “Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?” - Matthew 16:8-11.
God does not want to always challenge us, but the truth is, unless we face some challenges we tend to forget that He is right there above us, watching over us, and guiding us with His light. It is time that we stop and think about what God has given us, the miraculous things that He has done for us, not only through our challenges, but when things are going well too. WE NEED NOT FEAR, STAND STILL AND LET GOD GUIDE US. “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” - Job 23:8-10. Praise God!
Today's Prayer: God, We do not have to fear the present nor the future when we place our complete confidence in You and recognize that Your plans prevail. Daily we make our plans but we know that You have the final say in where we should go. Help us to find comfort in You for the circumstances of life that challenge us, knowing all the while, You will guide us with You light to all we need and spiritual support that leads us to victory in every challenge that You give us, I will not fear, I will stand still and let You guide me to victory. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Date: Friday, January 22, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 13-15
Message: Exodus: Fear Not And Stand Still
Hello My Friend,
I love to watch the sunset, there is something so amazing about looking up into the sky and seeing all those amazing colors as the night comes in. Those beautiful amber colors are a reminder that we have a great and wonderful God who wants to take care of us at all times, when things get dark, He is our light, our beautiful light that makes even the darkest nights look bright. There are all sorts of man made lights, but none of them shine so bright and give us more hope than those that emit from our Saviour and God, Jesus Christ “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” - 2 Corinthians 4:6,7.
God loves to show His power, not only His people, but the world as well. Through His power, He brings hope to those who are ready to give up. Through His power, He brings conviction to those who ought to know better. Through His power, He brings rebellion to those who refuse to submit to it. The Israelites were free, and for the first time in over four hundred and thirty years they headed for the land promised to them, six hundred thousand men, plus women, and children started their journey, they had no idea how they would get there, but they had the best guide ever, God.
“And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” - Exodus 13:17-22.
“Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war,” God could have led them on a path that was straight forward, instead He chose one that was a little more difficult. Why? He knew they would retreat back to Egypt if they found difficulties, and He wanted to prove their faith. Following the Light often brings us down a difficult path because He knows we will retreat back to our comfort zone. He is going to put us in a position to where we can only go forward by faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1-3,6.
The test of faith often comes when we see those beautiful lights ahead, but the darkness is following right behind us. Do we go forward by faith, trusting God, or do we move backward and let the darkness overtake us? God was not done with the Egyptians, He had one more thing to show them as well as the Israelites.
“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” - Exodus 14:8-14.
“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,” We cannot move forward and see salvation from whatever it is that we are going through until we see God ahead, and we cannot move backward because we certainly do not want to go back the way we came. Our only option is to stand still and let God take care of things. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” - Philippians 3:13-15.
One thing about Christians is they can quickly forget the amazing things that God has done for them when faced with another challenge. When you think about it, are they really God's people, or just pretending to be because they see the power of God working? As soon as the Israelites saw all the Egyptian guards die in the Red Sea, they rejoiced and even danced in honor of Him, no sooner than faced with another challenge they begin to complain.
“So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” - Exodus 15:22-26.
“and there he proved them,” You know, God knows who are His, and while we all have a little bit of ungrateful in us, not everyone who praises God is actually a believer. Jesus warns us about people who appear to know Him, as those who are just around to reap the benefits of His miracles. “Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?” - Matthew 16:8-11.
God does not want to always challenge us, but the truth is, unless we face some challenges we tend to forget that He is right there above us, watching over us, and guiding us with His light. It is time that we stop and think about what God has given us, the miraculous things that He has done for us, not only through our challenges, but when things are going well too. WE NEED NOT FEAR, STAND STILL AND LET GOD GUIDE US. “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” - Job 23:8-10. Praise God!
Today's Prayer: God, We do not have to fear the present nor the future when we place our complete confidence in You and recognize that Your plans prevail. Daily we make our plans but we know that You have the final say in where we should go. Help us to find comfort in You for the circumstances of life that challenge us, knowing all the while, You will guide us with You light to all we need and spiritual support that leads us to victory in every challenge that You give us, I will not fear, I will stand still and let You guide me to victory. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
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Thursday, January 21, 2016
Exodus: The Passover
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 10-12
Message: Exodus: The Passover
Hello My Friend,
Passover, The day in which the death angel passed over Egypt and all the first-born in the land would die, only sparing those who had the blood of a lamb spread along their door post entering their home. Still today, the Jews observe the Passover, a feast instituted by God to observe this historic event. The Passover was actually a foreshadow of a greater sacrifice that would save every man and woman born, a lamb that shed His blood on the cross for all mankind, and only those who have His blood applied to them will be saved from death. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” - 1 Peter 1:18-21.
We can never truly understand the lengths in which God took to set us free from hell. God did not create hell to punish us because we sin, He knows we can never do enough good to keep ourselves out of there. He created it to send proud unbelievers who refuse to admit they sin there so, while the punishment for sin is death and hell, it is the unbelievers and those who plain ignore Him that go there. To prove that He has the keys to both life and death, He plagued Egypt, at any time He could have softened Pharaoh's heart so he would let the Israelites go, but God was not done with him yet, He was going to prove once and for all that He is God.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD. And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.” - Exodus 10:1-4,15-17,27.
“I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.” This was a lame attempt to get God to remove the plague, God already knew he did not really repent. True repentance is admitting that you are a sinner, even if you try to be as good as you can, there are still some things that you have done wrong, that means you are a sinner. Incidentally, sinners are not sinless, they just sin less. We also have to believe that the punishment for sin is death and hell, and that Jesus died to pay that price for us. Those who truly believe in Christ and receive Him are the only ones God forgives. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” - 2 Corinthians 7:10.
Here was the problem, Pharaoh was the king and had authority over all of Egypt, he was not about to bow down to anyone, especially to God since he thought himself to be a god. People have a hard time giving into authority and this is what causes unnecessary suffering not only for them, but everyone else around them. I do not care who you are one day all will bow down to God.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.” - Exodus 11:1-5.
“And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die,” God, gave specific instructions for them to follow if they wanted to be saved from this plague, and this time no one would be exempt. No one escapes punishment from death and hell unless they fully follow God's instructions. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 2:4,5,9.
The time had come for the final plague, the one that would bring judgment upon Egypt, and death upon every first born that did not have the blood of the lamb applied to their door posts.
“Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” - Exodus 12:3-7,12-14.
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year:” This is a perfect illustration of Jesus Christ, who was perfect, sacrificed Himself to save all who want to escape eternal death. This plague still exists today, but it is not limited to the first born, death is the punishment passed down to all mankind for sin. Death is not a respecter of persons, it does not care what age we are or what family we come from, it just happens, and when we least expect it. Jesus is the Passover, the perfect lamb sacrifice that not only saves a soul from sin, it saves it from hell. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” - 1 Peter 1:18,19.
Today's Prayer: God, As much as we would like to live a long prosperous life we never know when death will know on our door. Thank You for giving us Your Word to enable us to be prepared for that day. We do not have to fear death, as long as we believe in and receive Your perfect Lamb, who is our Passover from eternal death to eternal life. Lord, soften the hearts of those who refuse to heed the warning, help them see that they need Jesus and give all of us who do know the truth Your power and the boldness we need to speak that truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Date: Thursday, January 21, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 10-12
Message: Exodus: The Passover
Hello My Friend,
Passover, The day in which the death angel passed over Egypt and all the first-born in the land would die, only sparing those who had the blood of a lamb spread along their door post entering their home. Still today, the Jews observe the Passover, a feast instituted by God to observe this historic event. The Passover was actually a foreshadow of a greater sacrifice that would save every man and woman born, a lamb that shed His blood on the cross for all mankind, and only those who have His blood applied to them will be saved from death. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” - 1 Peter 1:18-21.
We can never truly understand the lengths in which God took to set us free from hell. God did not create hell to punish us because we sin, He knows we can never do enough good to keep ourselves out of there. He created it to send proud unbelievers who refuse to admit they sin there so, while the punishment for sin is death and hell, it is the unbelievers and those who plain ignore Him that go there. To prove that He has the keys to both life and death, He plagued Egypt, at any time He could have softened Pharaoh's heart so he would let the Israelites go, but God was not done with him yet, He was going to prove once and for all that He is God.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD. And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.” - Exodus 10:1-4,15-17,27.
“I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.” This was a lame attempt to get God to remove the plague, God already knew he did not really repent. True repentance is admitting that you are a sinner, even if you try to be as good as you can, there are still some things that you have done wrong, that means you are a sinner. Incidentally, sinners are not sinless, they just sin less. We also have to believe that the punishment for sin is death and hell, and that Jesus died to pay that price for us. Those who truly believe in Christ and receive Him are the only ones God forgives. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” - 2 Corinthians 7:10.
Here was the problem, Pharaoh was the king and had authority over all of Egypt, he was not about to bow down to anyone, especially to God since he thought himself to be a god. People have a hard time giving into authority and this is what causes unnecessary suffering not only for them, but everyone else around them. I do not care who you are one day all will bow down to God.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.” - Exodus 11:1-5.
“And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die,” God, gave specific instructions for them to follow if they wanted to be saved from this plague, and this time no one would be exempt. No one escapes punishment from death and hell unless they fully follow God's instructions. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 2:4,5,9.
The time had come for the final plague, the one that would bring judgment upon Egypt, and death upon every first born that did not have the blood of the lamb applied to their door posts.
“Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” - Exodus 12:3-7,12-14.
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year:” This is a perfect illustration of Jesus Christ, who was perfect, sacrificed Himself to save all who want to escape eternal death. This plague still exists today, but it is not limited to the first born, death is the punishment passed down to all mankind for sin. Death is not a respecter of persons, it does not care what age we are or what family we come from, it just happens, and when we least expect it. Jesus is the Passover, the perfect lamb sacrifice that not only saves a soul from sin, it saves it from hell. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” - 1 Peter 1:18,19.
Today's Prayer: God, As much as we would like to live a long prosperous life we never know when death will know on our door. Thank You for giving us Your Word to enable us to be prepared for that day. We do not have to fear death, as long as we believe in and receive Your perfect Lamb, who is our Passover from eternal death to eternal life. Lord, soften the hearts of those who refuse to heed the warning, help them see that they need Jesus and give all of us who do know the truth Your power and the boldness we need to speak that truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Exodus: The Finger Of God
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 7-9
Message: Exodus: The Finger Of God
Hello My Friend,
There are some things that happen in our lives that we just have to look up to God and say, “Your hand was in this.” At other times we look up to God and say, “Where are You? There are people on this earth that believe the second you are born your life is planned out from start to finish. Now, I do believe that there are some things that we go through that are destined for our lives, but the majority of the time, it is the decisions we make that plan our destinies. Do you want to know why? Free will. God has given each and every one of us the free will to choose what we do, and while God's hand can point us in the right direction He will never force us do anything we do not want to do. He may want all of His creation to know His Son, but that is a decision each one of us need to make. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:29-31.
Keep in mind that God's hand is in everything pertaining to this world, after all, He created it and every one of us, and He will use us in the way He wants to use us, even if we go against Him. Pharaoh took pride in the fact he had complete control over the Israelites and had no intentions of letting them go free. When Moses, by God's command, went before Pharaoh to tell him to release them, he probably had no idea that it was going to be so difficult, but God knew exactly what he was going to do. You see, God never forgot the horrible act of Pharaoh casting all of the male Hebrew babies into the river, and now, it was time for vengeance.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.” - Exodus 7:1-7.
“and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” God could use any means to prove that He is the one and only Almighty God, but He chooses the very things that people choose over Him. It is pride that keeps a heart hard from God, and until the heart sees the need for God, conviction will be overruled by conceit. “For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.” - Psalms 10:3-6.
Adversity, An event, or series of events, which oppose success or desire. No one wants to be in adversity, I've been facing adversity for several years now, and would love to go back to my comfortable life of security, but God has a reason for putting me through this, and as long as I keep looking to Him, I know He will bring me out of it. Those who do not have Christ with them cannot handle adversity, in fact, they become down right unbearable. God sends Moses back to Pharaoh, several times, each time he thought to let them go, his pride would stop him.
“And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.” - Exodus 8:12-19.
“This is the finger of God:” Interestingly, every one of the plagues that God sent to the Egyptians had a purpose, frogs were something of great superstition as they represented one of their gods. We hear of magicians doing some of the works that God did, these are people the devil controls, even they began to realize that God's hand was in it. This is a reminder that while we all have the free will to choose what we believe, God is still in control and will judge every person accordingly. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” - Matthew 12:35-37.
It is a very bad idea to tempt or go against God because not only are we individually affected by it, everyone else is as well. God continues to send one plague after another in order to get Pharaoh to release Israel, each time the plague got more severe, now, even some of the Egyptians were telling Pharaoh to let them go, but he refused. This time God was going to send a plague that affected their source of food.
“Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 9:18-23.
“He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh” Fearing the word of God, believe it, accept it, and obey it, you can choose to reject it, but that does not mean you are off the hook. Until we humble ourselves to God the plagues in our lives will only get worse. We cannot choose what we want to believe from the Bible, we must believe in and obey all of it to have the best success in this life we are given. “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” - Proverbs 7:2,3.
Today's Prayer: God, It is only when I trust in You with all my heart that I realize that everything You allow in my life has a purpose. When You are first in my thoughts, my attitudes, and my actions that is when You will bless me the most. Instead of being doubtful I will pray, instead of being afraid I will be courageous, instead of being weak I will be strong, I will be all these things because You are in me and will carry me through. During my adversity I will not resort to my own understanding, but trust that Your hand is in it, and You will bring it all to pass. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 7-9
Message: Exodus: The Finger Of God
Hello My Friend,
There are some things that happen in our lives that we just have to look up to God and say, “Your hand was in this.” At other times we look up to God and say, “Where are You? There are people on this earth that believe the second you are born your life is planned out from start to finish. Now, I do believe that there are some things that we go through that are destined for our lives, but the majority of the time, it is the decisions we make that plan our destinies. Do you want to know why? Free will. God has given each and every one of us the free will to choose what we do, and while God's hand can point us in the right direction He will never force us do anything we do not want to do. He may want all of His creation to know His Son, but that is a decision each one of us need to make. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:29-31.
Keep in mind that God's hand is in everything pertaining to this world, after all, He created it and every one of us, and He will use us in the way He wants to use us, even if we go against Him. Pharaoh took pride in the fact he had complete control over the Israelites and had no intentions of letting them go free. When Moses, by God's command, went before Pharaoh to tell him to release them, he probably had no idea that it was going to be so difficult, but God knew exactly what he was going to do. You see, God never forgot the horrible act of Pharaoh casting all of the male Hebrew babies into the river, and now, it was time for vengeance.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.” - Exodus 7:1-7.
“and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” God could use any means to prove that He is the one and only Almighty God, but He chooses the very things that people choose over Him. It is pride that keeps a heart hard from God, and until the heart sees the need for God, conviction will be overruled by conceit. “For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.” - Psalms 10:3-6.
Adversity, An event, or series of events, which oppose success or desire. No one wants to be in adversity, I've been facing adversity for several years now, and would love to go back to my comfortable life of security, but God has a reason for putting me through this, and as long as I keep looking to Him, I know He will bring me out of it. Those who do not have Christ with them cannot handle adversity, in fact, they become down right unbearable. God sends Moses back to Pharaoh, several times, each time he thought to let them go, his pride would stop him.
“And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.” - Exodus 8:12-19.
“This is the finger of God:” Interestingly, every one of the plagues that God sent to the Egyptians had a purpose, frogs were something of great superstition as they represented one of their gods. We hear of magicians doing some of the works that God did, these are people the devil controls, even they began to realize that God's hand was in it. This is a reminder that while we all have the free will to choose what we believe, God is still in control and will judge every person accordingly. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” - Matthew 12:35-37.
It is a very bad idea to tempt or go against God because not only are we individually affected by it, everyone else is as well. God continues to send one plague after another in order to get Pharaoh to release Israel, each time the plague got more severe, now, even some of the Egyptians were telling Pharaoh to let them go, but he refused. This time God was going to send a plague that affected their source of food.
“Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 9:18-23.
“He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh” Fearing the word of God, believe it, accept it, and obey it, you can choose to reject it, but that does not mean you are off the hook. Until we humble ourselves to God the plagues in our lives will only get worse. We cannot choose what we want to believe from the Bible, we must believe in and obey all of it to have the best success in this life we are given. “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” - Proverbs 7:2,3.
Today's Prayer: God, It is only when I trust in You with all my heart that I realize that everything You allow in my life has a purpose. When You are first in my thoughts, my attitudes, and my actions that is when You will bless me the most. Instead of being doubtful I will pray, instead of being afraid I will be courageous, instead of being weak I will be strong, I will be all these things because You are in me and will carry me through. During my adversity I will not resort to my own understanding, but trust that Your hand is in it, and You will bring it all to pass. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Exodus: Affliction Before Freedom
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 4-6
Message: Exodus: Affliction Before Freedom
Hello My Friend,
The second a person gets saved they are ecstatic, they get a glimpse of hope that things will be better, but it does not take long for them to realize things may get worse before they get better. The world is not going to be happy that they accepted their new found friend, and neither is the devil, he is going to do whatever he can to discourage them and get them to lose that hope. Let me tell you, being a Christian can be one of the hardest choices we make, we are going to face much opposition, but if we can endure we will be amazed at what God will do in and through us. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” - 2 Timothy 2:10-12.
People make the false assumption that just because God calls the Jews His people that they are automatically saved. We must realize that an unsaved Jew is no different than an unsaved Christian, if they do not accept Jesus Christ personally as their Saviour they will end up in the same place, hell. God chose the Jews not because they had great faith, but because He made a promise to Abraham, and since God never goes back on His promises He was going to prove to the rest of the world that a nation can become great under the authority of God, but it can also fall if they go against Him. God's plan to use Moses to free Israel from bondage was underway, He continues to speak to Moses from the burning bush. Moses was not too keen on being used of God, in fact, he made up all sorts of excuses to to get out of it, but God did not accept them.
“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.” - Exodus 4:10-16.
“Who hath made man's mouth?” What we see as infirmities or handicaps, God sees as opportunities. God is looking for willing souls, those who first believe in Him, second want Him in their lives, and third, allow Him to work in their lives. God will never force Himself on anyone, but He will give us every reason why we are fully capable to do the things He calls us to do, and since He knows that it is only fear that keeps us from doing them, He is going to keep on us until we do it. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:5,6,20,21.
Now, we must realize that when we are doing to worship God, we are going to face some opposition, not only from those who oppose us, but even those we know. Moses and his brother Aaron stood before Pharaoh and asked him to let Israel take some time to worship God, he did not let them go, and even placed harsher burdens on them,
“And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.” - Exodus 5:1-3,15-18.
“But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle:” Pharaoh sited if they had time to worship God, they had more time to work. This did not go over well with the Israelites, in fact, they went to Moses and complained to him, but in reality they were making it harder in themselves because they half did their work. They did not have faith that God could really set them free, all they could think of was the affliction they were facing, and blaming it on Moses. They complained so much that even Moses went to God and asked Him why He even told him to go up to Pharaoh in the first place since he placed even more affliction on them. God answers Moses.
“Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.” - Exodus 6:1-4,7-9.
“by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” God reminded Moses, “I am JEHOVAH, the Almighty, I will bring you out of captivity”, but the people did not listen. Their faith was dead because they could not see past the affliction they were facing. God is always there to help us through our affliction, it is us who cannot see pass them and walk away from Him. He allows affliction, not to punish us or hurt us, but to grow us, prepare us, and to show us that He is JEHOVAH. Believe it or not, Jews or Christians, we are not the most appreciative people when we are just handed things to us. 90% of mankind, maybe even more than that, have a me, myself, and I mentality. They want what is best for them, not thinking of the consequences it might bring to others, forgetting or ignoring that God gave it to them to begin with. Of course, we all want things and God wants to give them to us, but He wants He wants first is for us to put our faith and trust in Him. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” - Matthew 6:33.
Today's Prayer: God, You always have a purpose and plan for every willing soul. Lord, let us continually remember the work that You call us to do is not grievous. Give us comfort, peace, and guidance, let the afflictions we endure become inspirations to do more by the hope we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
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Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 4-6
Message: Exodus: Affliction Before Freedom
Hello My Friend,
The second a person gets saved they are ecstatic, they get a glimpse of hope that things will be better, but it does not take long for them to realize things may get worse before they get better. The world is not going to be happy that they accepted their new found friend, and neither is the devil, he is going to do whatever he can to discourage them and get them to lose that hope. Let me tell you, being a Christian can be one of the hardest choices we make, we are going to face much opposition, but if we can endure we will be amazed at what God will do in and through us. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” - 2 Timothy 2:10-12.
People make the false assumption that just because God calls the Jews His people that they are automatically saved. We must realize that an unsaved Jew is no different than an unsaved Christian, if they do not accept Jesus Christ personally as their Saviour they will end up in the same place, hell. God chose the Jews not because they had great faith, but because He made a promise to Abraham, and since God never goes back on His promises He was going to prove to the rest of the world that a nation can become great under the authority of God, but it can also fall if they go against Him. God's plan to use Moses to free Israel from bondage was underway, He continues to speak to Moses from the burning bush. Moses was not too keen on being used of God, in fact, he made up all sorts of excuses to to get out of it, but God did not accept them.
“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.” - Exodus 4:10-16.
“Who hath made man's mouth?” What we see as infirmities or handicaps, God sees as opportunities. God is looking for willing souls, those who first believe in Him, second want Him in their lives, and third, allow Him to work in their lives. God will never force Himself on anyone, but He will give us every reason why we are fully capable to do the things He calls us to do, and since He knows that it is only fear that keeps us from doing them, He is going to keep on us until we do it. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:5,6,20,21.
Now, we must realize that when we are doing to worship God, we are going to face some opposition, not only from those who oppose us, but even those we know. Moses and his brother Aaron stood before Pharaoh and asked him to let Israel take some time to worship God, he did not let them go, and even placed harsher burdens on them,
“And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.” - Exodus 5:1-3,15-18.
“But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle:” Pharaoh sited if they had time to worship God, they had more time to work. This did not go over well with the Israelites, in fact, they went to Moses and complained to him, but in reality they were making it harder in themselves because they half did their work. They did not have faith that God could really set them free, all they could think of was the affliction they were facing, and blaming it on Moses. They complained so much that even Moses went to God and asked Him why He even told him to go up to Pharaoh in the first place since he placed even more affliction on them. God answers Moses.
“Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.” - Exodus 6:1-4,7-9.
“by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” God reminded Moses, “I am JEHOVAH, the Almighty, I will bring you out of captivity”, but the people did not listen. Their faith was dead because they could not see past the affliction they were facing. God is always there to help us through our affliction, it is us who cannot see pass them and walk away from Him. He allows affliction, not to punish us or hurt us, but to grow us, prepare us, and to show us that He is JEHOVAH. Believe it or not, Jews or Christians, we are not the most appreciative people when we are just handed things to us. 90% of mankind, maybe even more than that, have a me, myself, and I mentality. They want what is best for them, not thinking of the consequences it might bring to others, forgetting or ignoring that God gave it to them to begin with. Of course, we all want things and God wants to give them to us, but He wants He wants first is for us to put our faith and trust in Him. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” - Matthew 6:33.
Today's Prayer: God, You always have a purpose and plan for every willing soul. Lord, let us continually remember the work that You call us to do is not grievous. Give us comfort, peace, and guidance, let the afflictions we endure become inspirations to do more by the hope we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Monday, January 18, 2016
Exodus: Time To Come Out Of Bondage
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Monday, January 18, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 1-3
Message: Exodus: Time To Come Out Of Bondage
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains forty chapters. The timeline for these events are approximately between 1689BC to 1490BC. The author of the book is Moses and it was written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to record Israel's deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians. What we are to learn from the book is that only by the blood of the lamb can we be saved. “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” -Exodus 12:13.
Bondage, slavery, Imprisoned, involuntary servitude, restraint of a person's liberty by compulsion. One does not have to be an actual slave to a person to lose our liberty, there are many things that can put us in bondage, food, liquor, sexual lusts, these are all things that can lead to sinful lifestyles that we can become bondage to. In the case of the Israelites, they feared hunger, and because of this fear they literally sold themselves to the Egyptian government as slaves to get food during the harsh famine. Now, after Joseph and all of his generation died, and the Pharaoh who knew him died, there was a new ruler ruler over Egypt, and this Pharaoh hated the Hebrews. In an attempt to rid Egypt of them he put them into hard bondage, but instead of decreasing they increased, but the more he afflicted them the more they multiplied, angry at this news, he orders all the Hebrew midwives to kill every male that was born, but they did not have the cruel heart to do so.
“Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.” - Exodus 1:10-16,20.
“Therefore God dealt well with the midwives:” Pharaoh's plan did not go so well, he thought if he tortured them enough they would weaken and die off. However, God increased their strength and number as well. We may not realize it at the time, but God uses our bondage to our advantage, everything we go through in life is allowed in order to grow us, strengthen us, bring us closer to Him, and prepare us for the next challenge. We may even help some others in the process. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” - 1 Peter 4:12,13.
Here is the gruesome scenario, because the midwives would not kill any newborn males, Pharaoh took it upon himself to send his people in and take any males born and throw them in the river to die. You can imagine the terror when the women gave birth to a boy, their newborn being snatched from them and cast into the river? But one Levite woman could not bare the thought of her son being cast into the river, she was able to hide him for three months, but decided the best thing to do was let him go. She built a tiny boat, put him in it and sailed him down the river only to be found by Pharaoh's own daughter.
“And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.” - Exodus 2:3-9.
“And the maid went and called the child's mother.” It's truly amazing how God works, when it was impossible for her to hide her son any longer, God made a way to not only save the child, but for her to get paid nursing him. When situations seem hopeless, we must remember that God takes care of us, knows how to deliver us from our afflictions, and even blesses us through them. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:17,18.
Now, as Moses grew up in the palace he couldn't help, but feel a little distraught about the way his brothers were being treated, and out of anger he accidentally killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew and hid it. When word got out that not only the Egyptians found out about it and the Hebrews were afraid of him, he fled and made a life for himself in Midian for forty years. Now, God seeing the severe affliction of the Hebrews was ready to reveal Himself to him, and what His plans for him was. He chose to get his attention in the most unusual way.
“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” - Exodus 3:1-4,7, 9, 10.
“And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,” Notice that it was not until Moses looked back at the bush that God revealed Himself to him. It's not until we look to Jesus that God reveals Himself to us, but once He does, He uses us to serve His purpose. God was going to use Moses to free His people from bondage, including himself who had ran in the first place because he killed a man. It was not going to be an easy task, but when God calls us to do something He gives us all the qualifications to do it. God has a plan for you, it is time to come out of bondage and do what He calls you to do, it may be bigger than you could ever imagined, but He knows you can do it. Oh, you are going to face some affliction, because the devil is going to try to stop you, but God is right there with you, and will not only free you from your bondage, but also help you accomplish it. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:8-10. Praise God!
Today's Prayer: God, We know that You have a plan and purpose for every one of Your people. It is amazing that You will use anyone who loves You to reach others for You. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power to live in Your will so that we do not hinder You or slow You down from the task the You called us to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Date: Monday, January 18, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 1-3
Message: Exodus: Time To Come Out Of Bondage
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains forty chapters. The timeline for these events are approximately between 1689BC to 1490BC. The author of the book is Moses and it was written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to record Israel's deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians. What we are to learn from the book is that only by the blood of the lamb can we be saved. “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” -Exodus 12:13.
Bondage, slavery, Imprisoned, involuntary servitude, restraint of a person's liberty by compulsion. One does not have to be an actual slave to a person to lose our liberty, there are many things that can put us in bondage, food, liquor, sexual lusts, these are all things that can lead to sinful lifestyles that we can become bondage to. In the case of the Israelites, they feared hunger, and because of this fear they literally sold themselves to the Egyptian government as slaves to get food during the harsh famine. Now, after Joseph and all of his generation died, and the Pharaoh who knew him died, there was a new ruler ruler over Egypt, and this Pharaoh hated the Hebrews. In an attempt to rid Egypt of them he put them into hard bondage, but instead of decreasing they increased, but the more he afflicted them the more they multiplied, angry at this news, he orders all the Hebrew midwives to kill every male that was born, but they did not have the cruel heart to do so.
“Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.” - Exodus 1:10-16,20.
“Therefore God dealt well with the midwives:” Pharaoh's plan did not go so well, he thought if he tortured them enough they would weaken and die off. However, God increased their strength and number as well. We may not realize it at the time, but God uses our bondage to our advantage, everything we go through in life is allowed in order to grow us, strengthen us, bring us closer to Him, and prepare us for the next challenge. We may even help some others in the process. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” - 1 Peter 4:12,13.
Here is the gruesome scenario, because the midwives would not kill any newborn males, Pharaoh took it upon himself to send his people in and take any males born and throw them in the river to die. You can imagine the terror when the women gave birth to a boy, their newborn being snatched from them and cast into the river? But one Levite woman could not bare the thought of her son being cast into the river, she was able to hide him for three months, but decided the best thing to do was let him go. She built a tiny boat, put him in it and sailed him down the river only to be found by Pharaoh's own daughter.
“And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.” - Exodus 2:3-9.
“And the maid went and called the child's mother.” It's truly amazing how God works, when it was impossible for her to hide her son any longer, God made a way to not only save the child, but for her to get paid nursing him. When situations seem hopeless, we must remember that God takes care of us, knows how to deliver us from our afflictions, and even blesses us through them. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:17,18.
Now, as Moses grew up in the palace he couldn't help, but feel a little distraught about the way his brothers were being treated, and out of anger he accidentally killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew and hid it. When word got out that not only the Egyptians found out about it and the Hebrews were afraid of him, he fled and made a life for himself in Midian for forty years. Now, God seeing the severe affliction of the Hebrews was ready to reveal Himself to him, and what His plans for him was. He chose to get his attention in the most unusual way.
“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” - Exodus 3:1-4,7, 9, 10.
“And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,” Notice that it was not until Moses looked back at the bush that God revealed Himself to him. It's not until we look to Jesus that God reveals Himself to us, but once He does, He uses us to serve His purpose. God was going to use Moses to free His people from bondage, including himself who had ran in the first place because he killed a man. It was not going to be an easy task, but when God calls us to do something He gives us all the qualifications to do it. God has a plan for you, it is time to come out of bondage and do what He calls you to do, it may be bigger than you could ever imagined, but He knows you can do it. Oh, you are going to face some affliction, because the devil is going to try to stop you, but God is right there with you, and will not only free you from your bondage, but also help you accomplish it. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:8-10. Praise God!
Today's Prayer: God, We know that You have a plan and purpose for every one of Your people. It is amazing that You will use anyone who loves You to reach others for You. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power to live in Your will so that we do not hinder You or slow You down from the task the You called us to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Sunday, January 17, 2016
Genesis: You Are What Your Future Holds
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Sunday, January 17, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 49-50
Message: Genesis: You Are What Your Future Holds
Hello My Friend,
We all have a plan for our future, and while some of us do get a chance to fulfill that plan, most of us find ourselves in a different plan. I remember growing up and wanting to be a computer tech, even went to school for it, but today I am the owner of my own online bakery, a web designer, and many other things in between. While my professions have certainly changed my character has not, I am still quiet and shy, I still have the same values, but the difference between now and then, I have Christ, now He has given me a new set of values, along with some amazing testimonies that prove we can do all things through Christ, and He holds our future in His hands. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” - 2 Timothy 4:7,8.
Did you ever watch someone growing up and get a glimpse of how they were going to be when they got older? Then you found out that you were not very far off once they grew up? I have seen some bad kids get badder as adults. This is what Jacob did with his twelve sons, he gave them an idea of what their future holds, one by one, he called them by birth order, blessed them, and told them their future.
“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.”- Genesis 49:1,5-12.
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,” Sceptre or scepter, a staff or rod used as a symbol of authority, the use of the sceptre originated in the idea that the ruler of the land was as a shepherd of his people. Interestingly, Judah, would be the most blessed of all the families, as this would be the seed in which David would be born into and also Jesus would ascend, in which Jacob gives a bit of prophecy. Jesus is the Shepherd of those who believe in Him. The word Shiloh means tranquil, at peace, it's also another name for the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Prince of peace, the King of kings is also the Saviour who gives peace to all who believe in and receive Him. What is the peace? The peace of knowing that we will live forever with Him. We do not need to fear what our future holds when we have Christ because He is our future. “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” - John 6:27,47.
Sometimes our future looks kind of bleak or fearful because of things we have done in the past, but we should never let our past be what holds our future, it is after all our past, and it is time we look to a more positive future. After Jacob gave his blessings, he was at peace and ready to be with the Lord, shortly after he spoke he died. Now that their father was gone, Simeon, and all his brothers were sure that Joseph was going to get revenge for what they did to him all those years ago. However, he didn't seek revenge, he forgave them, and actually took care of them.
“And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” - Genesis 50:15-21.
“for am I in the place of God?” God has a place for us, even if we have not been the best Christian's. Sometimes God allows us to be in a certain place in our lives in order to develop our relationship with Him, sometimes He chastens us, sometimes we are wrongfully persecuted or treated badly, but until we let go of the past and move forward we are not going to see much of a future. By the way, God has seen our future, and if we have Christ, the best is yet to come. “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” - 1 Peter 4:1,2,15-17.
Today's Prayer: God, the cares of this world often weigh our hearts down and we do things we are not proud of. Thank You for your mercy and grace to never leave nor forsake us, it’s not Your desire that we carry a heavy load because You are the barer of our burdens. You use the difficult circumstances of our lives to bring glory to Yourself as You prepare us for our furute. Our faith is strengthened and understanding deepened as You take the evil that Satan hurls at us and turn it into a glorious occasion for good. You are the same God who led us into battle and You are the same God who will lead us to victory in Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Date: Sunday, January 17, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 49-50
Message: Genesis: You Are What Your Future Holds
Hello My Friend,
We all have a plan for our future, and while some of us do get a chance to fulfill that plan, most of us find ourselves in a different plan. I remember growing up and wanting to be a computer tech, even went to school for it, but today I am the owner of my own online bakery, a web designer, and many other things in between. While my professions have certainly changed my character has not, I am still quiet and shy, I still have the same values, but the difference between now and then, I have Christ, now He has given me a new set of values, along with some amazing testimonies that prove we can do all things through Christ, and He holds our future in His hands. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” - 2 Timothy 4:7,8.
Did you ever watch someone growing up and get a glimpse of how they were going to be when they got older? Then you found out that you were not very far off once they grew up? I have seen some bad kids get badder as adults. This is what Jacob did with his twelve sons, he gave them an idea of what their future holds, one by one, he called them by birth order, blessed them, and told them their future.
“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.”- Genesis 49:1,5-12.
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,” Sceptre or scepter, a staff or rod used as a symbol of authority, the use of the sceptre originated in the idea that the ruler of the land was as a shepherd of his people. Interestingly, Judah, would be the most blessed of all the families, as this would be the seed in which David would be born into and also Jesus would ascend, in which Jacob gives a bit of prophecy. Jesus is the Shepherd of those who believe in Him. The word Shiloh means tranquil, at peace, it's also another name for the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Prince of peace, the King of kings is also the Saviour who gives peace to all who believe in and receive Him. What is the peace? The peace of knowing that we will live forever with Him. We do not need to fear what our future holds when we have Christ because He is our future. “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” - John 6:27,47.
Sometimes our future looks kind of bleak or fearful because of things we have done in the past, but we should never let our past be what holds our future, it is after all our past, and it is time we look to a more positive future. After Jacob gave his blessings, he was at peace and ready to be with the Lord, shortly after he spoke he died. Now that their father was gone, Simeon, and all his brothers were sure that Joseph was going to get revenge for what they did to him all those years ago. However, he didn't seek revenge, he forgave them, and actually took care of them.
“And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” - Genesis 50:15-21.
“for am I in the place of God?” God has a place for us, even if we have not been the best Christian's. Sometimes God allows us to be in a certain place in our lives in order to develop our relationship with Him, sometimes He chastens us, sometimes we are wrongfully persecuted or treated badly, but until we let go of the past and move forward we are not going to see much of a future. By the way, God has seen our future, and if we have Christ, the best is yet to come. “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” - 1 Peter 4:1,2,15-17.
Today's Prayer: God, the cares of this world often weigh our hearts down and we do things we are not proud of. Thank You for your mercy and grace to never leave nor forsake us, it’s not Your desire that we carry a heavy load because You are the barer of our burdens. You use the difficult circumstances of our lives to bring glory to Yourself as You prepare us for our furute. Our faith is strengthened and understanding deepened as You take the evil that Satan hurls at us and turn it into a glorious occasion for good. You are the same God who led us into battle and You are the same God who will lead us to victory in Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I'm Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
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