Devotional Thoughts

Judges 6:25-27     "And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:  (26)  And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.  (27)  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night." The first thing God did was to assure Gideon of His presence and power to accompany in the battles ahead. After that assurance God gave his first instructions to the young man: "throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it." He was ...

Matthew 13:44-46     " Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.   Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:   Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."   The kingdom of heaven is a treasure hidden in a field, and it remains hidden until the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. Once revealed, it is seen as a thing not only of great value but a thing that generates joy. Those that are blessed to find it sell all that they have (seek to lay aside their carnal way of life). Their chief desire is to possess this field where they have found this treasure. They want to own the field and the treasure to keep it, not abandon or re-sell it. This kingdom is also likened unto a dealer (merchant man) who is looking for beautiful pearls. ...

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...