Devotional Thoughts

Judges 6:11-12     "And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.  (12)  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." I don't intend to write about every judge that was raised up in the book of Judges, but there are a couple that stand out to me. One of them is this man, Gideon. Gideon lived at a time in Israel when there was great opposition against them from the Midianites. Each year just when the crops were ready to be harvested, the Midianites would come in droves and go through the fields like grasshoppers or locusts. They would devour everything that the people had worked so hard to grow. This happened year after year. "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian ...

This devotional comes from Acts 1:12-14. Before the Spirit moved in power, the church moved into unity, prayer & expectation. These three things still prepare Christ’s people for fresh seasons of renewal.  (12) Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. (13) And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. (14) These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.   1. Returning To Obedience (v.12)   The disciples walk back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives (about a Sabbath day’s journey). It’s a small detail but it reveals something important: They obeyed Jesus even when the...

Matthew 13:31-33     " Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:   Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.   Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."   Jesus taught the multitude using many parables. This was prophesied of Him in Psalm 78:2. He used parables from their daily existence to teach them about the (to them) ancient truths of God. In these parables, He taught the people concerning the kingdom of heaven. The word translated here as “heaven” carried the idea of elevation and (according to Strong’s) specifically the Gospel. Although it is in the world, the kingdom of heaven is not...

Judges 2:11-16     "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:  (12)  And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.  (13)  And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.  (14)  And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.  (15)  Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.  (16)  Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spo...

Matthew 13:24-30    " Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:   But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.   But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.   So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?   He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?   But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.   Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."   We understand the kingdom of heaven as used in the gospels t...