“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

In 2004 Victor Yushchenko ran for the presidency of the Ukraine. Vehemently opposed by the ruling party Yushchenko’s face was disfigured and he almost lost his life when he was mysteriously poisoned. This was not enough to deter him from standing for the presidency.

On the day of the election Yushchenko was comfortably in the lead. The ruling party, not to be denied, tampered with the results. The state-run television station reported: “ladies and gentlemen, we announce that the challenger Victor Yushchenko has been decisively defeated.”

In the lower right-hand corner of the screen a woman by the name of Natalia Dmitruk was providing a translation service for the deaf community. As the news presenter regurgitated the lies of the regime, Natalia Dmitruk refused to translate them. “I’m addressing all the deaf citizens of Ukraine,” she courageously signed. “They are lying and I’m ashamed to translate those lies. Yushchenko is our president.”

The deaf community sprang into gear. They text messaged their friends about the fraudulent result and as news spread of Dmitruk’s act of defiance increasing numbers of journalists were inspired to likewise tell the truth. Over the coming weeks the “Orange Revolution” occurred as a million people wearing orange made their way to the capital city of Kiev demanding a new election. The government was forced to meet their demands, a new election was held and Victor Yushchenko became president.

No matter what situation you find yourself, be strong in the Lord. Today in prayer, praise Jesus Christ that when our faith is tested, we can be strong in Him.

“Courage is not measured by the fear you never feel, but by the fear you manage to overcome.” – John Eddison

God’s Word: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” – Deuteronomy 30:19

Wayne Hardy was raised by an abusive, alcoholic father in Chicago. His father finally abandoned the family. Wayne’s resentment towards his father and his newfound freedom led to darker things. He soon dropped out of school and joined a gang.

“We went out and robbed people and broke in people's houses,” Wayne said. “I became more of a violent person than of this nice person that I used to be.”

Before long, Wayne was addicted to the exact same substances that ruined his childhood and his family.

It wasn't’ until he was in his 30’s that his hard living caught up with him. He flipped a van. He was unhurt, but the State Police were called.

“I saw the State Police come, I say, ‘Oh, I'm going to jail right now.’ I know I'll be doing some time,” Wayne said.

But then the officer said: “‘You know, I’m not going to write you all these tickets. I'm going to write you a couple tickets’ he said, ‘but you know what?  You need Jesus.’”

“And when he spoke that to me and I looked over at him, it's like something just lift off,” Wayne said, “and I felt a relief.  I felt a relief, where a peace came over me when he said that. And I said to myself, ‘You’re right. You know, you're right.  I do need Jesus.’”           

Two weeks later, Wayne went to church and went forward for prayer at the end of the service. Today, Wayne is clean and sober and helping others find the Lord.

“To know God is a new life,” Wayne said. “To know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is a new life because it's a whole different – you're a whole different person.  He can help someone else. He can help someone, He can deliver someone, He can set someone free.  I know that what God has done for me, He can do for somebody else.”

Every day we are confronted with choices. The most important choice you have is who is Jesus Christ? Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His sacrifice and choose life and follow Him in all that you do.

“Nature gives man corn but he must grind it. God gives man a will but he must make the right choices.” – Fulton J. Sheen

God’s Word: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.” – Deuteronomy 16:17

In the latter part of the 17th century, German preacher August H. Francke founded an orphanage to care for the homeless children of Halle. One day when Francke desperately needed funds to carry on his work, a destitute Christian widow came to his door begging for a ducat—a gold coin. Because of his financial situation, he politely but regretfully told her he couldn't help her. Disheartened, the woman began to weep. Moved by her tears, Francke asked her to wait while he went to his room to pray. After seeking God's guidance, he felt that the Holy Spirit wanted him to change his mind. So, trusting the Lord to meet his own needs, he gave her the money. Two mornings later, he received a letter of thanks from the widow. She explained that because of his generosity she had asked the Lord to shower the orphanage with gifts. That same day Francke received 12 ducats from a wealthy lady and 2 more from a friend in Sweden. He thought he had been amply rewarded for helping the widow, but he was soon informed that the orphanage was to receive 500 gold pieces from the estate of Prince Lodewyk Van Wurtenburg. When he heard this, Francke wept in gratitude. In sacrificially providing for that needy widow, he had been enriched, not impoverished.

We need to be faithful in giving to the Lord’s work. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for all that He has given you and seek to be a cheerful giver to His work.

“God loves a cheerful giver. He who gives cheerfully, gives better. The best way to show our gratitude to God and to our neighbor is to accept their gifts with joy.  Joy is a net of love in which souls can be caught. We impatiently await God's paradise, but we have in our hands the power to be in paradise right here and now.  Being happy with God means this:  to love as He loves, to help as He helps, to give as He gives, to serve as He serves.” – Mother Teresa

God’s Word: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:5

Simone Weil was a French philosopher, Christian mystic, and political activist. In her Spiritual Autobiography, she records that she always had a Christian outlook, taking to heart from her earliest childhood the idea of loving one's neighbor. But it wasn’t until she was in her 20’s that she became a Christian.

In her work, “Waiting for God,” Simone wrote:

“The soul does not love like a creature with created love. The love within it is divine, uncreated; for it is the love of God for God that is passing through it. God alone is capable of loving God. We can only consent to give up our own feelings so as to allow free passage in our soul for this love. That is the meaning of denying oneself. We are created for this consent, and for this alone.”

We are called to love the Lord with all of our heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Today in prayer, praise the Lord and love Him with all of your heart.

“We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.” – A.W. Tozer

God’s Word: “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” – Matthew 22:37

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” – Deuteronomy 4:9

Ben Carson is a retired American neurosurgeon and former candidate for President of the United States. Born in Detroit, Michigan, and a graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School, he was the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland from 1984 until his retirement in 2013.

As a youth, Ben would often have anger outbreaks.

He describes an incident that occurred when he was in the ninth grade: “Another youngster angered me, and I had a large camping knife and I tried to stab him in the abdomen, and fortunately he had on a large metal belt buckle under his clothing and the knife blade struck with such force that it broke and he fled in terror. But, I was more terrified as I recognized that I was trying to kill somebody over nothing. This was after I had turned my grades around. I was an A student at that time, but I realized at that moment that with a temper like that, my options were three: reform school, jail or the grave. None of the options appealed to me. So, I just locked myself up in the bathroom and I started praying and I said, ‘Lord, I can't deal with this temper.’ And, I picked up my Bible and I started reading from the Book of Proverbs. That was the first day that I started doing it, and I've been doing it every day since then because it had all these verses in it about anger, and it seemed like they were all applicable to me.” As a result, Ben states he "never had another problem with temper".

The Lord desires us to remember His words and to live them out in our lives. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His Word and seek to remember and apply all of His Word.

“The tumult and the shouting dies, The captains and the kings depart; Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, A humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet Lest we forget, --lest we forget.” – Rudyard Kipling

God’s Word: “Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” – Psalm 78:7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” – Numbers 23:19

In a sermon entitled “What God Cannot Do,” Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon concluded his talk saying:

“To believe is to trust Christ. If therefore you are trusting Christ, you must be saved; and whatever you may be, or whatever you may have done, if you will now trust Jesus Christ you have God’s word for it—and He cannot lie—that you shall be saved! Come now, will you kick against the promise because of its greatness? Do not! Let your doubts and fears be hushed to sleep, and now, with the promise of God as your pillow, and God’s faithfulness as your support, lie down in peace, and behold in faith’s open vision the ladder, the top of which leads to heaven! Trust the promise of God in Christ, and depend upon it that He will be as good to you, even to you, as His own word, and in heaven you shall have to sing of the ‘God, who cannot lie.’

I would that these weak words of mine, for I am very conscious of their feebleness this morning, may nevertheless have comfort in them for any who have been doubting and fearing—that they may trust my Lord. And sure I am that if they begin a life of faith, they will begin a life of happiness and of security! “The just shall live by faith,” and well may they do so, when they have trust in a ‘God, who cannot lie.’”

When we trust that God cannot lie, we can then stand on the Truth. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He does not lie and in Christ, we see all the fullness of truth.

“Lying is the acme of evil.” – Victor Hugo

God’s Word: “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,” – Titus 1:2

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

"They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way” – Numbers 21:4

At 2:59 p.m. on August 7, 2015, a police officer was working a detail in Beverly, Massachusetts.  A lost motorist stopped and asked the officer for directions. As the policeman spoke to the driver, a woman in a black Mercedes sedan began honking her horn and threw her hands up in the air. She then stopped in front of the cop, rolled down her window and said the lost driver should have pulled over to the side and not blocked the roadway, because she was late for a meeting. “She did not like the response that it was not my problem,” the officer reported, “so she drove away and [made an obscene gesture] out the window.” The officer issued a citation to the impatient horn-honker because “being late for a meeting is not an acceptable use of the horn.”

Patience is a great attainment. Today in prayer, give any impatience you may have to Christ and know that through patience He is making you more like Him.

“It is in attempting to reach the top at a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world.” – John Bradley

God’s Word: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” – Ecclesiastes 7:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” – Numbers 14:9

In 2011, 22-year-old single mother Keenia Williams was driving her young daughter to school early in the morning. As she drove along the California highway, she glanced in her rearview mirror and saw a big rig flip over and catch fire after swerving to avoid two cars that had collided. Williams immediately ran toward the blaze and grabbed the truck driver, 52-year-old Michael Finerty, who had managed to crawl from the cab before losing consciousness. Avoiding the streams of leaking diesel fuel, Williams grabbed Finerty under his arms and pulled him all the way back to her car, where she covered him with her coat and a towel and poured water on his face.

Fire officials said that they would not have seen Mr. Finerty until after they had extinguished the fire and that Williams’s fearless actions had certainly saved his life. Williams was honored by the California Highway Patrol and was the first recipient of the San Francisco Good Samaritan Award. Incredibly, three years later, Keenia became a hero for the second time when she witnessed another crash and pulled a woman from the smoky wreckage of her overturned car.

After the 2011 rescue, Keenia was honored by the California Highway Patrol and the city of San Francisco with its first Good Samaritan Award.

The Christian woman gave credit to the Lord, "That's my God, my Father upstairs. That’s, He's telling me this must be my calling."

The Lord asks us to trust in Him and not to be afraid. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that when we put our trust in Christ, we do not have to be afraid of anything.

“Jesus came treading the waves; and so he puts all the swelling tumults of life under his feet. Christians – why afraid?” – Augustine

God’s Word: “say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’” – Isaiah 35:4

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY 

“I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.” – Numbers 11:17

Glynn "Scotty" Wolfe was the world's most married man. In 89 years, he married 29 times. He married teen-agers and grandmothers, farm girls and drug addicts, virgins and prostitutes, preachers and thieves, taking and shedding partners as casually as a square dancer.

He married some women for years, others for months, while others just for a few days. It began in 1931, at the age of 22, Scotty met a girl named Helen at a high school mixer near his native Knox County, Indiana, and practically proposed on the spot.

“Everything was lovely,” he remembers. “I realized right then and there that being married was the greatest thing in the world.”

But Scotty began quickly divorcing and marrying others. He claimed to have 40 children, 19 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren.

In June 1997, Scotty died alone and penniless at a California nursing home. Not one of his former wives or children claimed the body.

The Lord never designed us to live life alone. We need the fellowship of the Lord and the love and comfort of friends and family. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He is closer than a friend, and seek to draw closer to family members or friends you haven’t talked to recently.

“The soul hardly ever realizes it, but whether [we are] a believer or not, [our] loneliness is really a homesickness for God.” – Hubert Van Zeller

God’s Word: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” – Psalm 25:16

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

"and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged.” – Numbers 5:7

Dr. F. E. Marsh used to tell that on one occasion he was preaching on the importance of confession of sin and, wherever possible, of restitution for wrong done to others. Afterward a young man came up to him and said: "Pastor, you have put me in a sad fix. I have wronged another and am ashamed to confess it or try to put it right. I am a boat builder, and the man I work for is an unbeliever. I have talked to him often about his need of Christ and have urged him to come and hear you preach, but he scoffs and ridicules it all.”

“In my work, copper nails are used because they do not rust in the water, but they are quite expensive, so I had been carrying home quantities of them to use on a boat I am building in my back yard.” The pastor's sermon had brought him face to face the fact that he was just a common thief. “But,” he said, “I cannot go to my boss and tell him what I have done, or offer to pay for those I have used. If I do he will think I am just a hypocrite, and yet those copper nails are digging into my conscience, and I know I shall never have peace until I put this matter right.”

One night he came again to Dr. Marsh and exclaimed, “Pastor, I've settled for the copper nails, and my conscience is relieved at last.”

“What happened when you confessed?” asked the pastor.

“Oh, he looked queerly at me, and then said, ‘George, I always did think you were just a hypocrite, but now I begin to feel there's something in this Christianity after all. Any religion that makes a dishonest workman confess that he has been stealing copper nails, and offer to settle for them, must be worth having.’”

Confession and restitution are acts that help restore a broken relationship. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He gave Himself as restitution for sin and if you have hurt another person, seek to confess the wrong and give restitution to them. 

“Many people today think that repentance means shedding a few tears and then going merrily on their way. It is much more than that. It is making things right by making restitution to the individual that has been injured.” – J. Vernon McGee

God’s Word: “or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering.” – Leviticus 6:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land.” - Leviticus 25:18

During the early morning hours of May 12, 2016, Yahaira Castro was on her way to work at a Walmart in Ocoee, Florida. As she was crossing an intersection, an Ocoee police vehicle slammed into Yahaira’s car.

Ocoee Police officer Chris Bonner was racing through a red light traveling at 90 miles per hour. Bonner was chasing two armed suspects.

Bonner crashed into Yahaira Castro’s car, which had the green light. Castro was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The Florida Highway Patrol ticketed Officer Bonner for breaking the law with excessive speed and reckless endangerment. The Ocoee Police Department placed him on administrative leave.

"The police officer's duty is to protect and serve," said Bryan Crews, an attorney representing Yahaira. "The officer is never allowed to needlessly endanger the public in a high-speed pursuit."

The Lord gives us laws so that we may live safely and draw closer to Him. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His decrees and laws and seek to follow Him in all that you do.

“The law is the light and the commandment the lantern.” – William Austin

God’s Word: “Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.” – Psalm 119:129

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.” – Leviticus 19:35

In March 2016, Eagle Rock, California City Attorney Mike Feuer announced criminal charges against the owners of a gas station who allegedly sold substandard gasoline that damaged at least eight cars last year.

Akop Akopyan and Gloria Cubides, both 54, and their delivery company, MJ Tank Lines Inc., were arraigned on March 24 on six counts of misrepresenting the gasoline’s grade and quality.

The owners of the station face up to 2 1/2 years in jail and $5,000 in fines if convicted.

Eight customers’ vehicles broke down after being filled up with gasoline at the Eagle Rock station last year. Mechanics pointed to the gasoline as the problem, and an investigation by the California Department of Weights and Measures determined that fuel sold at the gas station contained large amounts of water and sediment, the suit alleges.

“Substandard gasoline puts drivers at risk of serious car malfunctions, or even accidents,” Feuer said. “We’re going to hold any gas station or supplier that cuts corners and harms consumers accountable for their illegal practices.”

Dishonest measures are a crime and a sin. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He honors us when we use honest measures and deal honestly with others.

“The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.” – Arthur C. Clarke

God’s Word: “Do not have two differing weights in your bag--one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house--one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. For the LORD your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.” – Deuteronomy 25:13-16

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“‘Do not steal.’ ‘Do not lie.’ ‘Do not deceive one another.’” – Leviticus 19:11

PolitiFact.com is a project operated by the Tampa Bay Times, in which reporters and editors from the Times and affiliated media outlets "fact-check select statements by members of Congress, the White House, lobbyists and interest groups". They publish original statements and their evaluations on the PolitiFact.com website, and assign each a "Truth-O-Meter" rating. The ratings range from "True" for completely accurate statements to "Pants on Fire" (from the taunt "Liar, liar, pants on fire") for false and ridiculous claims.

While PolitiFact has won several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. The site has been both praised and criticized by independent observers, conservatives and liberals alike.

Since 2009, PolitiFact.com has declared one political statement from each year to be the "Lie of the Year".

PolitiFact's 2014 Lie of the Year was "Exaggerations about Ebola", referring to 16 separate statements made by various commentators and politicians about the Ebola virus being "easy to catch, that illegal immigrants may be carrying the virus across the southern border, that it was all part of a government or corporate conspiracy". These claims were made in the midst of the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa when four cases were diagnosed in the United States in travelers from West Africa and nurses who treated them. PolitiFact wrote, "The claims -- all wrong -- distorted the debate about a serious public health issue.

Lying and deception go hand-in-hand with other sins. Today in prayer, confess any sin of lying and seek to be open and honest in your relationships.

“No man was ever so much deceived by another as by himself.” – Fulke Greville

God’s Word: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” – Ephesians 4:25

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the LORD will be angry with the whole   community. But your relatives, all the house of Israel, may mourn for those the LORD has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting or you will die, because the LORD's anointing oil is on you." So they did as Moses said.” – Leviticus 10:6-7

In 1952, at an All Nations Bible College event, the Reverend Francis Dixon, the head pastor of Lansdowne Baptist Church in Bournemouth, England and his youth pastor Peter Culver heard Noel Stanton's Christian testimony. Noel included the episode in which he had met evangelist Frank Jenner on the streets of Sydney, Australia. The Reverend Dixon realized that Peter had come to the Lord as a result of the same man. The following year, the Reverend Dixon heard two different British sailors who did not know each other tell their testimonies both had been walking down George Street in Sydney and had been led to the Lord by Frank Jenner.

The Reverend Dixon then travelled to Australia with his wife to meet Frank.  During his travels in Australia, he met another dozen people who came to Christ because of Frank.

The Reverend Dixon finally met Frank and found out his testimony. After a tumultuous life, Frank became a Christian while in his 30’s. Out of gratitude to God for giving him salvation, Frank committed to faithfully engage in personal evangelism, and aimed to talk with ten different people every day. For 28 years, from his initial conversion until his debility from Parkinson's disease, he faithfully did street evangelism. It is estimated that he spoke with more than 100,000 people, with hundreds coming to know the Lord. But it wasn’t until 7 years into his ministry that Frank met the Reverend Dixon who told him about all the people he had met who had become Christians because of Frank's faithful witness evangelism. Frank, now fifty years old, had never before heard of even one person living their lives as Christians as a result of his evangelism, and he cried upon hearing that there were several.

The Lord desires us to be faithful and He will bring success. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that when we are faithful to Him, He will bring success.

“Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They'll stay faithful as long as it's safe and doesn't involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going.” - Charles Stanley

God’s Word: “I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”– Luke 18:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy” – Leviticus 7:1

In April 1955, eleven-year-old Emily Canellos checked out the book “Days and Deeds” from the Kewanee (Illinois) Public Library. The poetry book was due back two weeks later. If it were returned late, it would start accruing late fees of two cents a day. Emily forgot to return the book.

In 2003, Emily’s mom passed away. She was cleaning out her mother’s house and discovered the book.

Emily was now teaching English and literature in a middle school. She remembers: “I was always telling my students, ‘Get your library books in! Don't let them be overdue!’ I couldn't imagine taking it back to the library because before that I had never had an overdue book in my life.”

Emily’s guilt and embarrassment led her to do the right action. The accrued fine for returning a book 47 years late was $345.14. She paid the library, thus setting a Guinness Book Record for the largest library book fine paid.

Guilt is the realization of sin. But thank be to Christ that He loves us and forgives us when we confess our sin and desire reconciled to Him. Today in prayer, praise Christ that He has paid the price for all of our sins and removed our guilt and shame.   

“Guilt is the very nerve of sorrow.” – Horace Bushnell

God’s Word: “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” – Hebrews 10:22

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” – Exodus 33:14

John Ruskin was an English patron of the arts. He said the following about ‘rests’ in music and in life:

“There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it. In our whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by "rests," and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune. God sends a time of forced leisure, sickness, disappointed plans, frustrated efforts, and makes a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent, and our part missing in the music which ever goes up to the ear of the Creator.

How does the musician read the rest? See him beat the time with unvarying count, and catch up the next note true and steady, as if no breaking place had come between.

Not without design does God write the music of our lives. But be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the ‘rests.’

They are not to be slurred over nor to be omitted, nor to destroy the melody, nor to change the keynote. If we look up, God Himself will beat the time for us. With the eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear.”

The Lord directs our steps and our stops. Today in prayer, rest in Jesus, knowing He will be with you and provide for you throughout all eternity.

“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength. It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS AND DEUTERONOMY

"Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.” – Exodus 23:8

In March 2016, Trevon Gross, a New Jersey Pastor, was charged with accepting over $150,000 in bribes as the Chairman of Helping Other People Excel (HOPE) Federal Credit Union (FCU), a federal credit union that served primarily low-income local residents in New Jersey. The operators of Coin.mx, an unlawful Bitcoin exchange, bribed Gross. Gross allegedly allowed these operators to take control of HOPE FCU in exchange for the bribes.

Gross, age 46, is Pastor at Hope Cathedral in Jackson, New Jersey. He has been charged with one count of corruptly accepting payments as an officer of a financial institution, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

In total, at Gross’s direction, the unlawful Bitcoin exchange paid over $150,000 to accounts under Gross’s control.  Gross, in turn, spent proceeds from the bribes on personal expenses, including payments on his personal credit cards. 

The National Credit Union Administration placed the $290,927, 96-member Helping Other People Excel Federal Credit Union into conservatorship.

Bribery is a sin that wounds our witness to others. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to keep the temptation of bribery far from you.

“Though the bribe be small, yet the fault is great.” – Lord Edward Coke

God’s Word: “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” – Deuteronomy 10:17

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan.” – Exodus 22:22

Jim Daly was born in Alhambra, California in 1961. He was abandoned by his alcoholic father at age 5, and orphaned by his mother’s death from cancer when he was 9. He was then placed in a foster home until he moved in with his older brothers and then with his father, who eventually turned back to alcohol and died. By the time that Daly was a senior in high school, he was living on his own.

However, while Jim was in High School, he attended a camp run by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It was there that he gave his life to Jesus Christ.

Jim went on to college today he is the president of Focus on the Family.

He has helped lead Focus on the Family’s Adoption & Orphan Care Initiative. “Some people have asked me ‘Why Focus on the Family is involved in orphan care?’” said Jim. “And I think it is pretty straight forward in the Bible it says ‘take care of the widow and the orphan.’”

The Lord desires us to open up our hearts to orphans and widows. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for adopting you into His family and ask Him how you can better provide for orphans and widows.

“Followers of Jesus Christ care about widows and orphans and they understand that it is a litmus test. It is not an option.” – Kay Warren

God’s Word: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” – Exodus 20:7

In 1969, actor Chuck Norris made his acting debut in the Dean Martin film “The Wrecking Crew”. He has gone on to become a leading man in many action films and television shows. Chuck is also a born again Christian.

While on the set of the television series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” he faced a personal challenge. One of writers’ scripts called for him to use profanity. It wasn’t just profanity, it called for him to say the Lord’s name in vain. Chuck did not want to do it, but he also did not want to confront the director and make a big issue of it, though he had strong convictions.

It concerned Chuck so much that he called his mother for advice. His mom said: “God doesn’t want you to use His name in vain. Let’s pray about it. God will strengthen you and bless you for your courage.”

A couple of days later Chuck called his mom. The director changed the script after he refused to take the Lord’s name in vain. Chuck was rewarded for standing his ground.

We need to love the Lord and say His name with respect, not to take the Lord’s name in vain. Today in prayer, thank Christ that His name is Wonderful and we have the privilege to call Jesus Christ our Lord and friend.

“The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.” – George Washington

God’s Word: “Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:12

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” – Exodus 12:13

Robert Lowry was a Baptist minister and professor at Lewisburg (Bucknell) University. However, he is best remembered for his hymns that include “Christ Arose,” “Shall We Gather At The River?” and “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” 

Many of Dr. Lowry’s hymns were written for youth Sunday school audiences. In 1876, he was reading Hebrews 9:22 that reads: "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin."

Inspired by the truth of the Biblical text, he quickly wrote the hymn “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.”  There’s simplicity about this tune. It only has a 5-note range, the basses only have 2 notes to sing, and guitar players have just 2 basic chords.

The hymn has all the earmarks of a classic gospel song. It focuses on a single theme and hammers it home. The singer will repeat the text, “nothing but the blood of Jesus” 12 times if he/she sings all 6 verses. The refrain is brief and reinforces the theme. The language is direct and obvious, with all 1- or 2-syllable words.

“Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” was first introduced at a camp meeting in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. From that inauspicious beginning, it has become a favorite hymn of the church.

Jesus Christ’s blood has saved us and given us eternal life. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His sacrifice and giving you fellowship with God.

“The Cross is seen as the saving act of Christ, but even more than this, it is seen as the final place of reconciliation between God and humanity.” – Calvin Miller

God’s Word: “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” – Romans 3:25-26

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.’” – Exodus 8:1

In February 2016, authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong stepped up their targeting of unofficial "house" churches not regulated by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Many of the churches received pamphlets stating "cease all illegal religious activities,"

Pastor Li Peng said.

"Some have been forced to stop gathering for worship, while others have been forced to move premises," he said.

"[We have been] inspected and told to stop," Pastor Li said. "Then I requested an administrative review, and then I filed a lawsuit, but that failed."

Li said the church is continuing to meet in premises bought with loans taken out by the congregation.

The crackdown in Guangdong comes after authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang launched a regional campaign targeting visible church crosses for demolition as "illegal structures" in the name of civic pride.

Freedom to worship the Lord does not exist in many areas of the world. Today in prayer, pray for those who face persecution for desiring to worship Jesus.

“No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness. To pray for peace is to pray for justice, for a right-ordering of relations within and among nations and peoples. It is to pray for freedom, especially for the religious freedom that is a basic human and civil right of every individual. To pray for peace is to seek God's forgiveness, and to implore the courage to forgive those who have trespassed against us.” – John Paul II

God’s Word: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me.’’” – Exodus 9:1

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY

“The LORD said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’” – Exodus 4:11-12

In his book “The Pressure’s Off,” psychologist Larry Crabb tells this story from his childhood.

“One Saturday afternoon, I decided I was a big boy and could use the bathroom without anyone’s help. So I climbed the stairs, closed and locked the door behind me, and for the next few minutes felt very self-sufficient.

Then it was time to leave. I couldn’t unlock the door. I tried with every ounce of my three-year-old strength, but I couldn’t do it. I panicked. I felt again like a very little boy as the thought went through my head, ‘I might spend the rest of my life in this bathroom.’

My parents—and likely the neighbors—heard my desperate scream. ‘Are you okay?’ Mother shouted through the door she couldn’t open from the outside. ‘Did you fall? Have you hit your head?’ ‘I can’t unlock the door!’ I yelled. ‘Get me out of here!’

I wasn’t aware of it right then, but Dad raced down the stairs, ran to the garage to find the ladder, hauled it off the hooks, and leaned it against the side of the house just beneath the bedroom window. With adult strength, he pried it open, then climbed into my prison, walked past me, and with that same strength, turned the lock and opened the door.

‘Thanks, Dad,’ I said—and ran out to play.

That’s how I thought the Christian life was supposed to work… God shows up. He hears my cry—‘Get me out of here! I want to play!’—and unlocks the door to the blessings I desire.

Sometimes he does. But now I’m realizing the Christian life doesn’t work that way. And I wonder, are any of us content with God? Do we even like him when he doesn’t open the door we most want opened—when a marriage doesn’t heal, when rebellious kids still rebel, when friends betray, our business fails, when financial reverses threaten our comfortable way of life, when the prospect of terrorism looms, when health worsens despite much prayer, when loneliness intensifies and depression deepens, when ministries die?

God has climbed through the small window into my dark room. But he doesn’t walk by me to turn the lock that I couldn’t budge. Instead, he sits down on the floor and says, ‘Come sit with me!’ He seems to think that climbing into the room to be with me matters more than letting me out to play. I don’t always see it that way. ‘Get me out of here!’ I scream. ‘If you love me, unlock the door!’”

With God’s call to do His will He will also provide the resources. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord that He helps us when we yield our will to Him.

“When we can't piece together the puzzle of our own lives, remember the best view of a puzzle is from above.  Let Him help put you together.” – Terri Guillemets

God’s Word: “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.” – Psalm 18:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2016, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY