+DEV+ My Eyes Are On You

Date: October 29, 2015 11:48 PM

Topic: +DEV+  My Eyes Are On You

My Eyes Are On You

 "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:4

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 20:1-4

Forty years they wandered in the wilderness. Forty years God had been punishing, pruning, and preparing His people. Now Moses was instructing them about the next step. Clearly it would include warfare... and with overwhelming odds against them. God's people would face enemies far more numerous and powerful than they. But Moses' strong word was, "Do not be afraid of them." 

I am reminded of King Jehoshaphat's plight many years later. "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" (2 Chronicles 20:12). Many times I have prayed that prayer as I have faced an enemy that seemed so strong. I am powerless; I don't know what to do; but my eyes are on You!

At those times I have been reminded that the battle is not mine. I have One Who is able. Jesus is victor! "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

Insight: We do, indeed, face overwhelming odds - but they are in our favor!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ Do Not Forget

Date: October 28, 2015 10:26 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Do Not Forget

Do Not Forget

 "Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day." Deuteronomy 8:11

Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Many of us have agonized with loved ones suffering from Alzheimer's disease or various stages of dementia and memory loss. I recently met a man whose young daughter's MS had attacked her mind instead of her body. These are difficult and tragic situations. 

God is concerned and compassionate about that loss - but just as much so about our tendency to spiritual memory loss. All of the feasts in the Jewish calendar, and even the minutia of commands in the Law (in Leviticus and Deuteronomy), were largely given that the people might not forget. "Remember how the Lord your God led you..." (Deuteronomy 8:2). "Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God..." (8:11). "But remember the Lord your God..." (8:18). 

Lest we forget, we have been given a great reminder as well. Every time you partake of the Lord's Supper, you are being reminded of all that you have in Christ. Our memories are so short; our tendency is to become self-sufficient. We dare not forget the price that Jesus paid so that we might have eternal life!

Insight:  "Do this in remembrance of me..."

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ The Wilderness Is Refreshing

Date: October 28, 2015 1:27 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The Wilderness Is Refreshing

The Wilderness Is Refreshing

 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 8

Trudging through the "wilderness times" of life is not fun; in fact, it is downright painful. It is not my choice, and it is frustratingly tiring. Be that as it may, in the Providence of God, the wilderness is an all-too-common experience for every Christian. We are so often tempted to cry out, as my children did when we were traveling, "Are we there yet? How much longer?" 

Deuteronomy 8 is a great reminder of God's purposes and workings in that tiring wasteland. As with Israel, God uses the wilderness to test our faith (8:2), to redirect our focus (vs. 3), and to train us as children (vs. 5). 

Moses' challenge to Israel is appropriate for us as well. Be grateful (vs. 10), don't forget (vs. 11), and stay humble (vs. 18). God uses all of our harsh experiences for His purposes. Our responsibility is to listen and learn, and then to rest in Him. 

Perhaps most importantly, as you sometimes struggle through that wilderness, let Jesus' word encourage you: "Come to me... and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Insight: The wilderness is an inevitable part of the journey. The refreshment is an invaluable part of our provision.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Love Is The Greatest Commandment

Date: October 26, 2015 9:46 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Love Is The Greatest Commandment

Love Is The Greatest Commandment

 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Matthew 22:36

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Jesus certainly knew the Hebrew Scriptures. When He was asked about the "greatest commandment," He immediately quoted from Israel's Shema. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength..." (Deuteronomy 6:5). That love-relationship with God is all-important. 

To that command Moses had added the instruction about teaching the Law to their children, "when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." He spoke of keeping God's Word in front of them, with tefillin (phylacteries) on the arms and foreheads, and with mezuzot on their door frames. 

Jesus, in answering the question addressed to Him, affirmed the vital importance of a relationship with His Father. Our love for God, directed by the Word of God, needs to permeate all of our lives. And the words contained in the Law - words of eternal life - are to be faithfully passed along. Especially for parents, those words are worth repeating!

Insight: Love the Lord your God deeply; teach your children diligently.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ In His Presence I Trust

Date: October 26, 2015 2:16 AM

Topic: +DEV+  In His Presence I Trust

In His Presence I Trust

 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18

Scripture Focus: John 14:15-31

The promise came early in the journey of the children of Israel: "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). The promise continued through the years and was affirmed as they were about to enter the Land: "Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites" (Number 35:34). 

The disciples, in a very unique way, enjoyed the very presence of God as they walked with Jesus. The thought of His departure was a frightening prospect. But He brought assurance, both to them and to us, as He affirmed, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23). 

God's presence was a deep encouragement to Moses. Jesus' presence is just as vital to us in our journey through this "wilderness." As Jesus walked with the disciples while He was on earth, He now lives within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. That is indeed the very presence of God - not with us, but IN us!

Insight: He gave us the assurance; we just need to trust His presence.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ He Is Faithful And Just

Date: October 23, 2015 2:07 AM

Topic: +DEV+  He Is Faithful And Just

He Is Faithful And Just

 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Scripture Focus: Numbers 25:1-6

Israel had sinned by engaging in immorality with Moabite women. And they did so after they had seen so faithfully and miraculously the hand of God in their lives. Because of that sin, God sent judgment. At the very time they were experiencing God's judgment, a man brazenly "brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel..." (Numbers 25:6). What was he thinking? 

Before I condemn too harshly that man's foolishness, however, I need to look to my own heart. Unfortunately, we are all prone to sin and often do things we immediately or later regret. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" 

That is why Jesus' message is so vital for us. We are all dependent on the grace of God - expressed through forgiveness in Jesus. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Don't ever take His forgiveness lightly!

Insight: If you are honest about your sin, you will be humbled by His grace.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ Faith In Jesus

Date: October 21, 2015 11:57 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Faith In Jesus

Faith In Jesus

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14-15

Scripture Focus: Numbers 21:1-9

God's people faced judgment, so God sent fiery serpents among them. When they confessed their sin, Moses gave them God's directive for relief and set up a bronze serpent on a pole. He told the people to look to it and live. 

That made no sense. The people surely must have questioned, "What's the medicine we are to take for these snake bites? Who's going to kill the snakes? What else are we supposed to do?" This remedy seemed way too simple! 

But that was God's directive. The people sinned; they died. They looked up; they lived. 

Isn't that what God tells us today? He lifted up His Son on the cross for us, and to many it seems way too simple. But God's plan is that we look up to the cross and receive His gift of life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). There is no other medicine; no other cure; nothing else for us to do. God's simple, gracious plan brings eternal life to us by faith in Jesus.

Insight: We sinned; We died. We looked up; We lived.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ God Is Our Victory

Date: October 21, 2015 12:25 AM

Topic: +DEV+  God Is Our Victory

God Is Our Victory

 "The Lord said to Moses, How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?" Numbers 14:11

Scripture Focus: Numbers 13

Anyone who has walked with God for any period of time knows that humanity is at war in this world. We have an enemy who loves to trip us up and defeat us daily. His insidious ways undermine our confidence in who we are as believers in Jesus. The enemy we face is not much different from the giants Israel confronted as they prepared to enter the Land God had promised to them. 

The spies sent into the land saw giants and were terrified. We can't see our enemy ("For our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." [Ephesians 6:12ff]). But that enemy is no less real, and no less frightening. Yet ten spies compared themselves with the giants and said, "No way!" Two compared the giants with God and said, "No problem!"  

Thank God our victory is secured in Jesus, because "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:14). We are on the winning side. We really need not fear a defeated foe.

Insight: Though we may feel small "like grasshoppers" compared to the enemy, our God is bigger still!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ Do Not Worry

Date: October 20, 2015 1:20 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Do Not Worry

Do Not Worry

 "The Lord answered Moses, Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." Numbers 11:23

Scripture Focus: Numbers 11:18-23

Many wish they could quit doubting the Lord, give up worrying, and stop questioning when things don't go as they think it should. Circumstances in life are often so confusing. A child lies sick, awaiting death from cancer. A couple struggles in their marriage after many seemingly-happy years. A faithful worker finds himself out of a job, desperately in need of income. We see these things, and many more, and with our minds we struggle. Where is God? Why so much suffering? 

Then go to the Scriptures and read over and over again His promises, His assurances. I don't always find explanations, and I certainly do not find easy fixes. But I do find His faithfulness, His power, His compassion. 

"Is the Lord's arm too short?" He asks. "Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill" (23:19)? I read Jesus' words, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life..." (Matthew 6:25). And with my heart I rest. I need not doubt; I need not worry; I need not fear. I may not understand, but I know I can trust Him.

Insight: With my mind I struggle, Lord, but with my heart I rest.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ God's Rich Provision For You

Date: October 19, 2015 2:02 AM

Topic: +DEV+  God's Rich Provision For You

God's Rich Provision For You

"Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused." Numbers 11:1

Scripture Focus: Numbers 11:1-9

What is wrong with this picture? Israel had experienced the miraculous working of God on their behalf. He had freed them from Egyptian slavery, had led them through the parted Red Sea, and had met with Moses on Mount Sinai. No one could miss God's favor! Then a short year into their deliverance experience, the people began to grumble. "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic." Wait! Didn't they also remember that they were pitiful slaves? Talk about selective memory! 

Then the next statement hit me - "But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" In other words, "All we have is God's provision!" 

If you are a child of God, you too have been given rich blessings in Jesus. "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10)! That's God's rich provision for you. You have all His promises on which to lean. That doesn't leave much room for complaining or worry, does it?

Insight: Don't be guilty of selective memory of the lord's provision for you.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ I Will Come To You

Date: October 16, 2015 1:49 AM

Topic: +DEV+  I Will Come To You

I Will Come To You

"Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped." Numbers 9:17

Scripture Focus: Numbers 9:15-23

When the mother grouse senses danger, she gives the signal and her flock of chicks immediately freezes. They blend into their surroundings and are safe as long as they obey instantly and remain motionless. When danger passes, she clucks and they resume their normal activity. They stop at the command; they move at the command. 

That was a lot like Israel's experience with the cloud in the wilderness. When the cloud moved, they moved; when the cloud stopped, they stopped. I wish it were that easy today to know what God would have us do! 

Actually, while we don't have that visible cloud, we do have the Holy Spirit. We just need to be more sensitive to His leading. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:18). The Lord Jesus, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is living within us, directing every step of our way. He is fulfilling for us God's promise, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ...and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Insight: Following the Holy Spirit may not seem as obvious, but it surely is as certain.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ The Peace Of God

Date: October 15, 2015 3:02 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The Peace Of God

The Peace Of God

 "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Scripture Focus: Numbers 6:24-26

Years of slavery behind them; years of wandering surrounding them; years of warfare ahead of them... Imagine the encouragement inherent in the blessing Aaron is to pronounce over God's people: "The Lord bless you and keep you... the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." In the midst of hardship, the Lord gave 

His Shalom! 

Slavery to sin behind us; difficult circumstances surrounding us; spiritual warfare threatening to defeat us... Jesus knows our circumstances, too, and offers us His Shalom. In the Upper Room, He gave an encouraging promise: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). 

Life is sometimes very difficult, and we long for relief. We can identify with that wilderness through which Israel walked and with those challenges which Jesus' disciples faced. We cry out for peace. We, too, can experience the Aaronic blessing and receive His incomparable peace!

Insight: In the midst of hardship, you will find His peace!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ Picture Of Slavery

Date: October 13, 2015 9:03 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Picture Of Slavery

Picture Of Slavery

 "I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you  to walk with heads held high." Leviticus 26:13

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 26:1-13

Most of us can hardly imagine the horrors of slavery. We've read of the inhuman treatment of men and women ripped from familiar surroundings, shackled in a long chain of human "properties," and transported in the unspeakably filthy caverns of slave ships. Naked, each of those humans was sold on an auction block and added like animals to the properties of wealthy land-owners. Those and subsequent horrors are unimaginable. 

Israel experienced the inhuman treatment of slavery for four hundred years, until God graciously rescued them, broke the bars of their yoke, and gave them freedom. 

Paul uses the picture of slavery to describe the life of sin from which Jesus rescued us. Romans 6 contrasts that slavery to sin with the glorious freedom of being "slaves to righteousness." Sin was a cruel, demanding taskmaster. Sin bound you, took away your dignity, and controlled you. But you were "bought with a price." Now you have a whole new master, one ineffably gracious! 

Insight: You have been freed in Jesus; don't go back to your old slavery!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ You Must Not Do As They Do

Date: October 12, 2015 11:02 PM

Topic: +DEV+  You Must Not Do As They Do

You Must Not Do As They Do

 "...I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt... and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan..." Leviticus 18:2-3

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 18:1-5

One of the biggest mistakes the children of Israel made, throughout their history, was their unwillingness to be different. After they settled in the Land, their cry was, "Now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have. We want to be like the other nations!" (see 1 Samuel 8:5) 

God had told them to honor Him as their Lord and not to be like the Egyptians or Canaanites. But, like us, that seemed to be a hard word for them to follow. Our unfortunate tendency is to conform to the culture around us. 

Paul challenges us to "Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. ... I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). 

Often from a very young age on, we do not want to "come out and be separate" for Jesus. But note what is promised along with that command: an intimate relationship with God. We need to take advantage of it by being willing to be different. Recall the line from an old song: "Take the world, but give me Jesus."

Insight: Cultural conformity can lead to spiritual catastrophe.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Alive To God In Christ Jesus

Date: October 11, 2015 10:12 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Alive To God In Christ Jesus

Alive To God In Christ Jesus

"I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy." (Leviticus 11:45)

Scripture Focus: Romans 6

Many of us don't like to be told what to do. I know I don't - especially if it is something that I know I can't accomplish. And when God requires it, I'm in a quandary. 

The whole message of the book of Leviticus can be summed up by His statement, "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy" (vs. 44). It is quite a lofty command for the Lord to tell His people to be holy because He is holy. In fact, as I read that, I want to cry, "I can't do that! That bar is too high!" 

Fortunately, I don't have to do it. Paul's marvelous discourse in Romans 6 gives us real hope. His whole thought is that we have been crucified with Christ, we have died with Him, and the power of sin no longer needs to overcome us. The holiness which we can't begin to attain through our feeble attempts has been accounted to us in Jesus. Now we simply need to "count [ourselves] dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11). Thanks be to God for His victory in us through Christ!

Insight: "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."(Galatians 2:20)

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Thank God For The Cross

Date: October 9, 2015 2:17 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Thank God For The Cross

Thank God For The Cross

Then Moses said, This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you. Leviticus 9:6

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 9:11-15

We can barely begin to comprehend, I think, the sights, sounds, and smells of the daily sacrifices which the Israelites were required to offer in order to have access to their God. The list in Leviticus 9 of sacrifices connected with Aaron's consecration may illustrate. 

1. 1. A sin offering for Aaron; a calf was killed and the blood presented to Aaron. He dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; most of the blood was then poured at the base of the altar. 
2. 2. That was followed by a burnt offering for Aaron.
3. 3. Then there was a sin offering for the people; a goat killed and burnt on the altar.
4. 4. A burnt offering for the people. 5. A grain offering for the people. 6. A peace offering for the people. 

Thenthe Lord showed up! "The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people..." (9:23). When I read of all that was required at that time, I can only rejoice with the writer to the Hebrews, that "we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus..." 

(Hebrews 10:19, 20).

Insight: See the contrast; fall in worship. Thank God for the cross!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ In His Holiness

Date: October 8, 2015 12:57 AM

Topic: +DEV+  In His Holiness

In His Holiness 

The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. Leviticus 19:1, 2

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 10:1-10

Over the years I have had many people accept the challenge with me to read through their Bibles in a year... only to get bogged down when they came to Leviticus. Admittedly, reading the book of Leviticus can be a challenge. But should you accept that noble quest, let me offer a couple of suggestions. 

First, read for an over-all impression; don't get bogged down by minutiae. Second, see God's holiness and how that relates to His desire for you today. Leviticus, if nothing else, reminds us that God takes sin seriously! Then, as you see His holiness, and the total impossibility of your meeting His standard, thank Him for His provision in His Son Jesus Christ. 

In fact, read the book of Hebrews in conjunction with your reading of Leviticus. "But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." That message is repeated a couple of times. The Law of Leviticus showed us the standard; Jesus, in His death, provided the fulfillment, once for all.

Insight: Rejoice in your salvation through the finished work of Christ. What you could never do, He did ...once for all.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ We Have Seen His Glory

Date: October 7, 2015 3:47 AM

Topic: +DEV+  We Have Seen His Glory

We Have Seen His Glory

"Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." Exodus 40:34

Scripture Focus: Exodus 40:34, 35

Where did they get all that gold, silver, bronze, colored yarn, and linen? They had plundered the Egyptians, at God's command. But surely they didn't have room in their backpacks for all of those things as they left on their hasty journey. Maybe not, but these things were for a very special purpose. 

The last few chapters of Exodus tell me that God made some elaborate preparations for His very special meeting place with His people. Look at the climax! The Tabernacle is erected for the first time, and "the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle." What must that have been like? 

The closest I can come to an understanding of that experience is our own - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). When we gather to worship, especially around the Communion Table, we can get a glimpse of God's glory in our midst. That's Jesus, the ultimate expression of God's glory among us.

Insight: Open our eyes, Lord, that we might see the glory of your presence in our midst.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Declare The Glory Of God

Date: October 5, 2015 11:48 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Declare The Glory Of God

Declare The Glory Of God

"Then Moses said, Now show me your glory." Exodus 33:18

Scripture Focus: John 1:1-14

"The heavens declare the glory of God..." (Psalm 19:1). I look at the vastness of the night sky and see the glory of God. I look at the majesty of the rolling Pacific Ocean, the towering Rocky Mountains or the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas. In the grandeur of His creation, I see the glory of God. 

The Children of Israel had seen the glory of God in His miraculous working on their behalf. He freed them from Egyptian bondage. He brought them through the Red Sea in a miraculous sweep of His hand. In His powerful works, they had seen the glory of God. 

Moses asked for another display of God's glory in Exodus 33. He sought confirmation of His presence with them. 

Do you see how God responds? "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" (Exodus 33:19). God doesn't speak of His majesty; He focuses on His grace. "We have seen his glory" (John 1:14).

Insight: When we think of His glory, we may picture His majesty. When God thinks of His glory, He pictures His grace!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ My Presence Will Go With You

Date: October 5, 2015 1:36 AM

Topic: +DEV+  My Presence Will Go With You

My Presence Will Go With You

"The Lord replied, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14

Scripture Focus: Exodus 33:12-19

I still love the theme chorus for a radio ministry with which I grew up years ago: "No, never alone, no never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone." 

More than a chorus, it was a promise - a promise made to Moses as he led the children of Israel in their journey toward the Promised Land. Moses recognized the impossibility of the task before him and pled with God that he might not be left alone. 

That promise was repeated to others: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). 

That promise continues, even to us. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ...If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:18, 23). 

The implication? "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you... Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

Insight:  "Never alone, no never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone."

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Excuses Excuses

Date: October 2, 2015 12:45 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Excuses Excuses

Excuses Excuses

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Scripture Focus: Exodus 32

We're good at making excuses. Look at these actual accident reports filed with insurance companies, for example: "A pedestrian hit me and went under my car." "Coming home, I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don't have." "I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way." 

While those are humorous, they're nothing compared to the statement Aaron made to Moses regarding the golden calf which the people worshiped while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments. "Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf" (Exodus 32:24)! Who does Aaron think Moses is - or God, for that matter! -  to fall for that line? 

Before you condemn too harshly, however, look to your own heart. Recall some of the excuses you may have used for your own sin. Frankly, I'm glad that God is a gracious God, that He knows how we are formed and remembers that we are dust. He doesn't buy into our excuses; He extends His grace as we repent.

Insight: Read Psalm 103 for an incredible picture of God's grace.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ In Christ We Have Access

Date: October 1, 2015 12:35 AM

Topic: +DEV+  In Christ We Have Access

In Christ We Have Access

"There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites." Exodus 25:22

Scripture Focus: Exodus 25:10-22

"Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him, the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking" (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God). "Throughout the Bible, God provides ways for His people to have fellowship with Him" (Max Lucado, The Inspirational Study Bible).

For Moses that fellowship came in a special place. Your meeting place won't be in front of an ark or near the mercy seat - that provision was all a prefiguring of what would be fulfilled in Christ. But find yourself a special, quiet place where you can meet regularly with God. 

For David that fellowship came at a particular time. "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3). Early morning, late at night - whatever works for you, find that special time and meet your Divine Friend.

Insight: In Christ we have access; don't miss that vital fellowship!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm