Fearing God

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Fearing God
Date: Saturday March 03, 2012Today's Chapters: Deuteronomy 32-34

Hello My Friend,

The word fear is defined as to alarm or warn, a painful emotion, to reverence or give respect to, to awe or show love to. You will often hear the phrase “Fear God”or “Fear the Lord” at some point in your walk with God. If you put the meanings to the word, God is saying one of several things. “I am warning you.”, “Show Me some respect.”, “Show Me how much you love me.” The Bible says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” - Ephesians 5:18-21.

Sometimes we do need to be afraid of what God would do to us, but for the most part, fearing God is simply showing God that you love and respect Him by not only listening to His warnings, but following them. We are His people, He knows us better than we do ourselves and knows what is going to happen to us well beyond what we see before our eyes. Therefore, the best thing we can ever do to help ourselves is to fear God. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” - Hebrews 12:28.

Moses finished his speech to the children of Israel and the Levites with a song that God wanted them to remember and sing often. It was not a typical uplifting song, it was a solemn song, one that foretold much of the future of Israel as well as other nations. The objective of this song was to remind them of God's judgment and salvation to all who fear the Rock.

“So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.” - Deuteronomy 32:12-18.

Jeshurun is Israel, even today many of the Jews reject Christ, the Rock, as their Savior, they face the same judgment as everyone else who rejects Christ, death and hell. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:12-15.
Now, after the chastening comes the blessings, Moses reminds Israel about the inheritance and blessings they were about to receive from God, it was not by their righteousness or obedience that they would received them, but simply by the promise He made. “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death...There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.” - Deuteronomy 33:1,26-29.

You know if we depended on our own self righteousness to receive things from people we would get absolutely nothing. No one wants to give people things when they are arrogant and proud. That is why God does not give us salvation or any part of His inheritance into the Kingdom of God by our righteousness. All who believe in and receive Christ receive a part of the inheritance of God's kingdom only by the grace of God.“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:8-10.

Moses went up to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, one last time to view the promised land before he died. The beautiful land, flowing with milk and honey could been seen, but he could not enter it because of his disobedience. However, God never forgot what Moses had done for Him throughout the years and even after he was told that he could not go into the promised land. “And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day...And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” - Deuteronomy 34:4-6,10.

Sometimes there are things that we do that can forfeit our rights to receive certain blessings from God here on earth, but when we make things right with Him He will honor us and bless us accordingly. It is actually what we do for Him after we are saved that counts and what will last for eternity. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” - Matthew 16:24-27.

Today's Psalm: 19:9 - “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.”

Today's Proverb: 8:13 - “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

Today's Prayer: (Taken From Psalm 27) God, You are my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? You are the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Life In The Word of God

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Life In The Word of God
Date: Friday March 02, 2012Today's Chapters: Deuteronomy 30-31

Hello My Friend,

I was listening to a program yesterday and they were commenting about a man that died at the age of 43, one of the comments was, “Live life to the fullest because it's the only life you got.” My immediate thought was, life does not end with death if you have Jesus, it's only the beginning. People that do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ have no idea, and this includes a lot of religious people, that Jesus gives life to all who believe in Him, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” -John 14:1-4,6,7.

God makes it simple, believe in my Son, accept that He, who was sinless, died for your sins, He was buried, and three days later arose from the dead to give you victory over death, believe in Him and I will save you from death and give you eternal life. Now, we understand this because God so graciously gave us His Word, the Holy Bible, God's words penned down by Holy Spirit filled men, such as Moses. While we certainly do not need God's Word penned down for it to exist (Jesus is the Word made flesh) He thought it beneficial for us so that nothing is hidden from us. Through Moses, God explains this further,“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” - Deuteronomy 30:11-14.

God gave us His Word that we may know it, say it, and do it, many people have distorted, taken from, and added to His Word so much that it is not His anymore. We need to be careful what version of the Bible we read, they are not all the same and will leave out key verses, phrases, or even words that we need to know. Why is it so important? We are to live by every word of God, It Is Life, it is the Only Book that contains the words of The One And Only Living God in it. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” - 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

Moses completes his speech to Israel, once again, encouraging them to walk in the ways of God, but gives them one last warning should they turn away to other gods. “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” - Deuteronomy 30:16-20.

Remaining in God's Word is the key to life and good, God's Word grows us, strengthens us, corrects us, gives us hope and courage to keep doing good, it also keeps us from death and evil. So many people who are actually trying to live good in hopes of seeing heaven, and there are some very religious people out there who follow their religion by the book. The sad thing is that they may be trusting in their obedience to their religion to get them to heaven and if that is the case they will not be in heaven. There is only one way to heaven and life and that is through receiving Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” - Matthew 7:21-23.

Moses gives some instructions and encouragement to Joshua, who God chose to lead the people into the promise land, and to the priests and Levites who would take over as ministering to the people. “The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said. And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed. And the LORD shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” - Deuteronomy 31:3-8.

God loves everyone, He truly does and if He could He would save everyone, but that is up to the individual. Amazingly, God gave all of us free will, a choice whether or not we want life or death. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” - John 17:3. Should we choose life through Christ, God promises to always be with us, to never fail us, He goes before us and fights for us, He guides us to victory in the battle of life should we follow His will. We are saved by grace, everything we do after we are saved brings us closer to Christ and understanding God's will for our lives.“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” - 2 Timothy 1:7-10.
Today's Psalm: 68:11 - “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.”

Today's Proverb: 1:23 - “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

Today's Prayer: God, You did not have to give us Your Word to help us along, to show us the simple way to live, You could have left us to fend for ourselves, but You loved us so much that You wanted to give us a way to increase our faith and know exactly what it takes to be one of Your kids. Lord, You are life, and I for one truly understand that without You life is temporal, has no real meaning to it and keeps me searching for things I do not need to even get a glimpse of it. Keep me in Your Word, not only that, help me to know it and follow it so that I can truly feel alive. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Blessed or Cursed

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Blessed or Cursed
Date: Wednesday February 29, 2012Today's Chapters: Deuteronomy 28

Hello My Friend,

The word blessed means happy; prosperous in worldly affairs; enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God; enjoying heavenly bliss. Have you ever experienced something so wonderful that your expression was, this must be heaven? Our best, most enjoyable experiences in life here on earth cannot even compare to what we will see and do in heaven. Believe it or not, those that are truly happy here on earth, those who enjoy the favor of God and look forward to a blessed life in heaven are not those who have everything they ever can possess, they are those who endured all the suffering, persecution, and trials through their faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great isyour reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” - Matthew 5:3-12.
The children of Israel were just days from entering the promised land, I imagine they were both excited and scared at the same time. You know the feeling you get when you walk into a place you have been anticipating for the first time? Wow! There is so much to see and do? What do I do first? Well, most places have a map or a guide showing you what to expect. Israel's guide to the promised land was God and He promised them that if they listen to Him and follow His commands no matter what they faced that they would be abundantly blessed.

Moses explains this further, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out...And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:” - Deuteronomy 28:1-6,13.

The head, indicating the possession of independent power, great dignity, and acknowledged excellence, it's honorable and of great respect by God to observe and follow His commands, even as being the ones chosen to be His people without merit. While God is the Creator of all things He only chooses certain people to be His people, those people are the ones whom have received Jesus Christ as their Savior. “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed...Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God...As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” - Romans 9:8,18,26,33.
Now the amazing thing about that is that God is not a respecter of persons and chooses people from all walks of life, rich, poor, thin, fat, smart, or dumb. He has even chosen murders, thieves, and adulterers to be His people. Why? To show us that anyone can come to God, repent of the life that they lived and live for God. You know, people who live in the world are much more afraid of us than we are of them? Why do you think they mock us and treat us so badly? Moses explains this further, “The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.” - Deuteronomy 28:9,10.

God's people are blessed when they are faithful to Him no matter what they are facing, they are not perfect or sinless, they just learn to find the blessings through the tribulation. People of the world see their blessings from Him, they get jealous as to why they are so blessed when they seem to have nothing. They know God is with us and it scares them, they run from us, mock us, tempt us, all in hopes to get us to go against our beliefs, even other Christians can do this. Jesus said, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” - Mark 13:13.
God warned Israel of the curse that would be placed upon them if they did not listen to and follow His commands. Moses explains further, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me...He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.” - Deuteronomy 28:15-20,44.

The tail, the ones that follow the crowd and never become prosperous themselves, all the the curses that God warned them about came to pass because they never repented. Even if we are saved, if we do not delight in God’s will, we not only come short of the blessing promised by God, we place ourselves under chastisement as well. We must realize that God does not place a curse on His people Himself, people do it all by themselves, He warns them of the dangers of going down the path they choose and if they insist on going there He will not stop them, but He will not stop the chastisement either. “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” - Hebrews 12:5-7. 

Every time I read through the Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy I am reminded of the life I was living when God was not in it and the things I allowed and did to please others while trying to find my place in the world. Oh, I was cursed, I destroyed myself, but it was not until I destroyed myself that I realized that I have no place in the world, because my place is with God. We must lose our lives to get life, God wants to bless us here on earth, but we must we willing to listen and follow the commands He gives us. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” - 1 John 3:22-24.
Today's Psalm: 2:12 - ”Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Today's Proverb: 3:33 - “The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.”

Today's Prayer: God, You never cease to remind me of just how blessed I am, everything could be falling apart around me, but I truly have Your favor, even when I mess things up sometimes. You never stop loving me, You are always there to give me guidance and correction when I need it. Thank You for all that You do to keep me faithful, I will endure the chastening as well as enjoy the blessings as I learn to listen to You and follow Your commands. Lord, help me to listen for You when You are speaking, please help me to ignore all the yelling in the crowd so I can hear what You are saying to tell me. Open my eyes, ears, and heart to receive everything You have for me to know. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Establish Your Heart With Grace

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Establish Your Heart With Grace
Date: Tuesday February 28, 2012Today's Chapters: Deuteronomy 26-27

Hello My Friend,

The word Amen means to confirm, establish, verify; to trust, or give confidence in; to agree in truth and firmness. It is not uncommon in my church to hear someone shout Amen when the preacher says something that they really agree with. Amen is powerful, when you pray to God and finish with Amen, you are confirming that you believe, that you trust, that you have confidence that your God will give you what you are asking Him for. How many times do we say Amen and live in doubt, especially if it has been a couple of years and still no answer in sight? Just keep going, perhaps God is establishing your heart with grace.
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein...But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased...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 13:8,9,16,20,21.

As Moses winds down his speech to Israel he comes to the part of giving tithe, now, before the early church much of the tithe given to God was in the form of whatever God blessed them with through their labor, fruit, grain, vegetables, etc., it was to be offered willingly and brought to the preists.

“And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us...Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them: I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.” - Deuteronomy 26:1-3,13,14.

God loves a cheerful giver with a willing heart, it gives Him joy to see us putting Him first and also giving to others as well. If you take the word joy and make an acronym out of it you will get, Jesus, Others, Yourself. When you put Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last, God will truly bless and while His grace is all that is needed to give us the things we need on a daily basis imagine what He will give is when we have grace in our heart upon others. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” - 2 Peter 1:2-4.

Moses urges Israel to do two things, if no other, to obey the commands of God and to remember their covenant with God. “This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.” -Deuteronomy 26:16-19.
The word avouch means to declare or assert with positiveness, those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior can avouch that they are going to heaven, not because of any good that they have done, but because they have asked Jesus to save them and take them there. God avouches that if you only believe that My Son can get you to heaven then you will be mine, not because of any good that you have done, but because you are trusting that His death, burial, and resurrection saved you. “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” - Romans 5:9,10.

Moses continues urging them to always obey God's voice, reminding them that they are God's people and with that comes a blessing and a curse. “And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day. And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.” - Deuteronomy 27:9-15.

Like I said before, salvation does bring a blessing and a curse, the blessing is eternal life in heaven, the curse is the tribulation one faces if they choose their own way instead of God's here on earth. To each of the curses mentioned the people were to say, Amen. It professed their faith, that these, and the like curses, were real declarations of the wrath of God against ungodliness and unrighteousness. But by the mercy of God we can turn every curse into a blessings. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” - Hebrews 12:11.
Now, obeying God's commands or even acknowledging God after we are saved is not what establishes grace in our heart, it is the willingness to do these things with all our heart and soul, not expecting anything back. God gives us salvation by grace, we do not have to work for it, we do not even have to work to keep it, but those who live in His will after they are saved do so because they love God and have a willingness to live by His commands and to acknowledge Him in all things with their heart and soul. Think about it, how many people on earth have received Christ and go on with their lives without Him in it? Grace is the unmerited love toward others, it's giving and not expecting anything back. And guess what? When we show unmerited love toward others we not only save lives we get more blessings from God here on earth and in heaven too. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)..For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them...And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.” - Ephesians 2:4,5,10,16,17
Today's Psalm: 72:19 - “And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.”

Today's Proverb: 22:11 - “He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.”

Today's Prayer: God, It truly is amazing that Your grace, Your unmerited love and favor toward us through our faith and trust in receiving Your Son is all that is needed to save us from death and hell. There is nothing that You will not do for Your children, just like every parent comes love and discipline to help us become the best we can be. You tell us to have grace toward others as You do us, while I truly want to live my life for You, I know that I do not always give grace to all that come near me. Lead me and guide me, Lord, only with You can I establish my heart with grace for all. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Magnetized To Christ

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Magnetized To Christ 
Date: Sunday February 26, 2012Today's Chapters: Deuteronomy 20-22

Hello My Friend,

Have you ever played with a magnet, it is pretty interesting how it is made, it is magnetized by positive and negative electrical current. A magnet will find and attract a certain type of metal hidden between several objects and bring it to it. Once the metal attaches to it it is hard to remove it from the magnet, the stronger the magnet, the stronger the hold it has on the object. However, if anything causes it to lose it's magnetism it would no longer stick. Imagine the magnet as Jesus Christ, Christ will find His people no matter what obstacles are in between Him and them. The closer we get to Him the stronger His hold becomes and nothing can separate us. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?..Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35,37-39. 
Now bring two magnets together and see what happens, if the polarity is correct, if both positive and negative sides meet they will attract, if the polarity is reversed, if both positive or negative sides try to meet they will never attract no matter how much you force them. Imagine the magnets being you and Jesus, if we say Christ is Lord and go against everything He stands for it is just like reversing the polarity of the magnets. The Bible says, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” - 2 Timothy 2:19-22.

As Christians we must have a balance of positives and negatives in our lives to call on God with a pure heart. We may not like all the negatives, but it is the negatives that give us a pure heart as we honor the vessel God gives us. God promised Israel that He would give them a beautiful land, flowing with milk and honey, the hard part, how to handle all the people who were already they, much of who were living abominable wicked lives. Moses instructs them that they must fight for their land, but also assures them that God will be with them in the battle.

“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you...But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.” - Deuteronomy 20:1-4,17,18. 

God enforced harsh punishments upon the people to put evil away, in other words, to keep the rest of His people from falling into corruption. Even a rebellious son had to face death, “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.” - Deuteronomy 21:18-21.

Why was God so harsh? If they feared what was going to happen to them they would not obey. Think about it. If you were just told to stay away from something that is dangerous would you do it? Most people when told they cannot do something do it. However, if you actually saw someone get killed from doing it wouldn't you be less likely not to do it? While God does not want to enforce such punishments, He will if it meant that it would be the only way to keep His people from being corrupted. “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 2:9.

Perhaps the things that God finds abominable next to following other gods is defiling the body. Since God made us in His own image it would make sense that we are to present ourselves as such, while it may seem strange to us, it's the little things that matter to God, even the clothes we wear matter to God. Everything we do that pertains to the body needs to be done as God would want it done. Moses explains this further, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young: But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days...Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.” - Deuteronomy 22:5-7,10-12.

If we would prove ourselves that Christ is Lord, we must have respect to God's will and to His glory, and not to the vain fashions of the world. The clothes we wear, what we eat and drink, all must be done with a serious regard to preserve our own and others purity in heart and actions. The birds nest refers to a persons home, we are responsible for our own sins, not those caused by others, in other words if a parent's wickedness causes a child to sin, the child is not bound to the law, only the parent. As for the plow with the two different animals, it is the same as the reversed magnet, when they oppose no work gets done. “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” - I Corinthians 3:15-17.

Today, we need to be truly grateful that these laws are no longer enforced since Jesus Christ died on the cross. However, the same principals still apply, we are to live godly, moral lives. Are you struggling? Are you fighting with sin, past or present? If you want Christ to be Lord, if you truly want a relationship with Christ, one in which you truly feel the presence of God in you and know that you are a forgiven child of the living God. Then it's time to switch the polarities, stop fighting against the things that keep you from letting God get near you. It takes time to get really close to God, but as long as you keep removing the obstacles His pull will keep getting stronger and and stronger there us nothing that God would not do for you. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Today's Psalm: 4:3 - “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.”

Today's Proverb: 8:13 - “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

Today's Prayer: God, It truly is amazing that once we receive Your Son nothing separates us, but when we allow things in our lives that You do not want it is so east to forget that You are with us. Lord, help me to truly make Jesus Lord, search me, open my heart, and reveal to me every thing that separates us in my own sense. Help me to remove these obstacles so I can truly enjoy Your presence and witness the amazing grace You have for me in every area of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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