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⁴ After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, DO NOT SAY to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, IT IS ON ACCOUNT OF THE WICKEDNESS of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. ⁵ IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS OR YOUR INTEGRITY that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, Deuteronomy 9

The name Deuteronomy is derived from two Greek words ‘deutero’ meaning second and ‘nomos’ meaning law, the second giving of the law. All the adults (excluding Joshua and Caleb) who’d come out of Egypt had died in the desert and so the next generation had to be brought into covenant with God under the law for a second time. As we’ve seen before Christ rebuffed the devil in each of His temptations by quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy. There are many New Testament quotes from this Book, some scholars say eighty direct quotes, so it’s very significant.

The late David Pawson, in his teaching on Deuteronomy available on YouTube, gives an intriguing example of how God spoke to Winston Churchill through the above verses. Churchill had just been made First Lord of the Admiralty, chief of Britain’s shipping in WW 1, it was a momentous time for the nation. Apparently his ego had become inflated by this appointment. He was spending the night in a large country house with a Bible, perhaps a Gideon Bible, by the bedside. Churchill read these verses, where the Lord said it’s not because of your righteousness that I’m going to defeat Britain’s enemies, but because of their wickedness. He never forgot those verses and that may have been part of the reason God was able to use him to stand so mightily for freedom in two World Wars.

We too must keep this in mind when the Lord delivers us from the hands of the wicked in this present time.

Ascribe greatness to our God, the rock,
his work is perfect and all his ways are just.
Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock,
his work is perfect and all his ways are just.
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
good and upright is he.
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
good and upright is he.

Deuteronomy chapter 32 is known as the Song of Moses, words from a well known modern chorus given above. (Deuteronomy 32:3,4) Moses was the third person still alive after leaving Egypt, but he would not cross over with them into the Promised Land. Before he died he sang these words to the Lord and later blessed the tribes, prophesying to each one in turn. (Simeon was not given a blessing by Moses, but did inherit with Judah in Canaan). It’s always good to worship the Lord, but it may be particularly important for us to remember His ‘Goodness and Faithfulness’ in our own day.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁴ But in the seventh year the land is to have A YEAR OF SABBATH REST, A SABBATH TO THE LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. ⁵ Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. Leviticus 25

¹⁰ Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. IT SHALL BE A JUBILEE FOR YOU; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. Leviticus 25

The Lord built periods of Rest into the lives of His people and also into the land they were yet to occupy. The seventh (Sabbath) year was to be a Rest Year for their land, no cultivation of the land and no harvesting during this year. Then at the end of seven Sabbath Years there was to be an additional JUBILEE ‘FOR YOU’, every fifty years.

The Jubilee year – occurring after every seventh Sabbath year, thus, every 50 years – is an economic, cultural, environmental and communal RESET, when the land and people rest, and all those who are in slavery are set free to return to their communities. (By Tear Fund Australia)

There has been much talk about a COMING RESET (OR REFRESHING) which the wicked have tried to bring about for their own purposes, but now God is in the process of RESETTING EVERYTHING FOR US HIS PEOPLE. (It’s interesting that this year 5784 on the Hebrew Calendar is described as the year of the Open Door, Release for those in servant hood). God never intended unending slavery for His people and even before they the land He’d set out for them He established the concept of a RESET every fiftieth year, A JUBILEE.

Last night on Elijahstreams Johnny Enlow said he’d been getting ‘the number Fifty and the word Silver’ for several weeks. He felt that he’d been given the interpretation before he came live on the show. Silver speaks of Redemption and Fifty is the number of Jubilee.  He said that when Silver reaches Fifty (presumably dollars per ounce) it will be a marker that we have crossed into Jubilee. (He felt that silver could even go higher, I think it’s about thirty at present).

This world has been in slavery under a Babylonian system for a long period, but that system is coming down – a Grace Crash! The slavery is coming to an end and new days of blessing and prosperity are coming for many. There will probably be some turbulence to go through before it’s established but the old slave system has to come down. (It’s noteworthy that a major platform lost fifty billion dollars in recent days!)

May God help us in the transition from these difficult days through the RESET and into days of freedom and blessings ahead.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and JUMPED INTO THE WATER. John 21

Once Peter saw Jesus he JUMPED INTO THE WATER, AN UNSTABLE ELEMENT, TO GET TO HIM. Sometimes if we’re going to get to Jesus and all that He has for us we will have to JUMP OUT OF THE BOAT AND INTO THE WATER. It may feel very uncomfortable leaving the security of the boat, but Jesus may well be calling some of us to ‘Take the Plunge’ into the unknown for him. The Lord JUMPED out of Heaven and came to the earth to rescue mankind. He laid aside His Divinity and put on humanity so that He could fully identify with us and open the way back to the Father.

The Lord knows our strengths and weaknesses, He knows what each of us is capable of doing in cooperation with Him for the Kingdom. It may stretch our current faith, but as we step out with Him and doors begin to open our faith can grow stronger and we can carry more. The old analogy of climbing a ladder step by step, starting from the lowest rung, still holds true. Then again, the step we’re being led to take may seem small and insignificant, but the scripture tells us ‘not to despise the day of small beginnings’. Zechariah 4:10

47 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple towards the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.

³ As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. ⁴ He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. ⁵ He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in – a river that no one could cross. Ezekiel 47

Johnny Enlow spoke on this recently and said that the Church needs to be stepping out into ‘swimming waters’ in these days. While we stay on our own feet in the shallows we’ll never enter into all that God has for His Church at this time.

To return to Peter at the lakeshore on the Sea of Galilee when he and the others met the Lord for the third time after His resurrection.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and DRAGGED THE NET ASHORE. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. John 21

Peter was the one who landed the miraculous haul of fish. Peter had not yet been received nor restored by the Lord, yet he was the one who landed the fish. The Lord went on to fully restore Peter and he led the disciples on the day of Pentecost, when three thousand came to the Lord in Jerusalem. I believe that the Lord will use many who are estranged from Him at this time to bring in great numbers of people or fish in coming days. These ones will be able to reach people who would never come into a church, yet are very precious in God’s sight.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

¹³ You will seek me and find me WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART. Jeremiah 29

God spoke these words to His people Israel after He’d sent them into exile. He encouraged them to turn back to Him and PROMISED that they would find Him again when they earnestly sought Him. In physical terms, Babylon was a four month journey from Israel, but God told them to seek and find Him there.

The other interesting thing was that it was the people whom He’d sent out of their land who were the ones who would survive and carry on the purposes of God. Sometimes painful separation is God’s only way of delivering us from bad motives and bad situations! He removes us for our own good but it may seem very painful for a time.

⁴ How can we sing the songs of the Lord
    while in a foreign land?
⁵ If I forget you, Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
⁶ May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
    my highest joy. Psalm 137

Like the exiles from Jerusalem our hearts may yearn for our former home but God has wrought a separation and moved us on. Babylon was never God’s best for His people but the enemy had gotten such a grip in their own land that He had to take them away from everything they knew and start again, ‘In a Strange Land’. It was an alien culture and they would be under different rulers but God had to break things off them for their own sake and for His purposes.

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29

Jeremiah 29:11 is a well known verse, God’s encouragement to His people in a totally strange environment. He reassured them that His intentions towards them were only for blessing, but they had to accept their new circumstances and He would continue to bless them as they lived there. That’s Good News, God can and will bless us in every situation where we find ourselves. The enemy may do all in his power to make life difficult, but God’s blessings rest upon His people wherever they may be. Hallelujah

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

⁹ AND DAVID BECAME MORE AND MORE POWERFUL, BECAUSE THE LORD ALMIGHTY WAS WITH HIM. 1 Chronicles 11

‘DAVID GREW AND GREW IN POWER, WITH GOD THERE IS NO LIMIT’! HOWEVER, HE HAD TO GO THROUGH MANY TRIALS AND AT TIMES EVERYTHING LOOKED LOST, STILL HE PRESSED ON AND PREVAILED! SO MUST WE.

David’s rise from shepherd boy, to the commander of Saul’s troops and finally King is very instructive for us in the present season. He had to stay in the process until God gave the final victory.

I watched a rowing race in the Paris Olympics yesterday which had a remarkable finish. (The winning margin was 0.15 seconds) A young woman from N.Ireland, Hannah Scott, was in the crew of four and I believe their leader. She was like David in some measure, because an Olympic medal winner from N.Ireland had previously told a reporter to watch this young girl and his words proved prophetic, she won a gold medal. The race was very fast and the amazing thing was that their boat was behind throughout the race until they crossed the finish line, in the photo finish they won at the line. While commenting on their win, Hannah said she’d had a dream, very Irish. She also said they’d stayed in The Process, kept doing what they’d trained for until they crossed the line. (It’s been a remarkable Olympics, as three people from a little place like this, have won Gold Medals, Daniel Wiffen won the Gold Medal for Ireland swimming in the men’s 800m freestyle)

Sometimes we just have to dig in and continue to play our part until we get across the line so to speak. I’m sure it was agonising for the four women in that boat, but somehow they kept going and won.

3 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David LASTED A LONG TIME. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. 2 Samuel 3:1

David had to stay in the Process, but as he did he grew stronger and his opponents grew weaker. A similar situation is being played out now, but many people are finding the struggle wearisome and wish it was over. Just like David and the boat crew we must keep going until God grants us final victory.

⁴ Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and HE BECAME MORE AND MORE POWERFUL. Esther 9

Esther and Mordecai also prevailed in the face of great danger, an attempt by the enemy to destroy the whole Jewish nation and prevent the coming of Messiah. They prayed and fasted, no food or water for three days and then Esther went unannounced to the King. She was the one who pleaded for all her people and rescued them from death.

The finish line may seem to be far away but God’s timing is perfect and His Plans and Purposes will be established on the earth in our days. Don’t give up, our God will prevail and we will celebrate victory. Hallelujah

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

²⁷ 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

Jesus said this to the disciples in connection with the coming of His Spirit. When it looked as if defeat had come upon everything they’d hoped for He told them to remain in His Peace. This may be relevant right now for the Body of Believers in these unsettled times. I listened to a broadcast by Andrew Whalen last night on Elijah Streams, where he spoke of seeing a huge killer whale coming to swallow up unsuspecting people. He was trying to warn them of the danger but just then the whale opened its mouth and he saw it had no teeth! He said it was a ‘gummy’, it didn’t have any bite. Things may appear very frightening in the days ahead, but the enemy has lost much of his bite, or  ability to harm us. God is removing the power of the wicked.

On a different tack, but still relating to Peace, I’d like to share a test which may be of help in discerning the true motives of people who come to us. The late prophet Kim Clement said, ‘Right words, wrong smell’. The words people used sounded alright, but there was a false odour/bad smell emanating from the speakers. It’s important to discern the spirit behind the words we hear and God will give us insight, if we’re uncertain and ask Him.

Derek Prince, Word from the Word 23/3, entitled a Messenger of Peace, makes a noteworthy remark. In this short word, Derek warns people to beware the ‘Hard Sell’, both in the Material and the Spiritual. Once again he says that people’s words can sound very persuasive, but then he says that when they’ve gone the ‘Peace of God’ may also have gone. After they’ve left we begin to sense that they were speaking out of a wrong spirit and the God’s Peace wasn’t on their words. The loss of that peace is a warning not to buy into whatever they’re trying to sell us, Material or Spiritual. Don’t go there! That’s why a ‘cooling down period is often valuable’. Don’t be rushed into agreeing to something hastily, take time to consider.

Decide in haste, repent at leisure.

God protect us from the deceit of the enemy and wicked people in these days.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

Wisdom bestows well-being

 

⁸ Produce fruit in KEEPING (Demonstrate genuine change) with repentance. Matthew 3

The little word ‘KEEP’ is in common use in our language today and it is also found many times in scripture. In the verse above, John the Baptist demanded that the religious people of the day demonstrated that their repentance was genuine and not just a form of words. The Believer’s actions should also line up with our words.

Some of the common meanings of ‘Keep’ in use today are insightful.

– continue to follow, a path or course; honour or fulfil, keep our promise

– the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge

Ultimately we need the Lord to help us and keep us, but we must set our hearts to follow Him. The Old Covenant was Law based and was external, but the New Covenant is internal, based upon God’s love for us, through Christ’s sacrifice.

Some of the many scriptures in the Gospels which speak of things we should KEEP in Christ.

Watchfulness

³⁵ ‘Be dressed ready for service and KEEP YOUR LAMPS BURNING, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. Luke 12

⁴² ‘Therefore KEEP WATCH, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matthew 24

¹³ ‘Therefore KEEP WATCH, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25

The Gospels exhort us to be alert and watchful in our time here in this world, things can change suddenly and we need to be aware when change is happening. God gave Israel prophets in the Old Testament to warn them and the Church has still has the prophets in our midst. However, all believers have the Spirit of God within to help and guide us, so we can all discern things around us as we walk with the Lord in our daily lives.

²⁷ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6

God didn’t leave it up to the priests what words they must use to confer blessing upon the Israelites, He gave them the beautiful words they should speak over His people. Those words began with a promise TO BLESS AND KEEP HIS PEOPLE IN EVERY SITUATION, despite the plots of their enemies. Amen

May the Lord Bless and Keep us today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

²⁰ David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD GOD, MY GOD, IS WITH YOU. HE WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR FORSAKE YOU UNTIL ALL THE WORK for the service of the temple of the Lord IS FINISHED. 1 Chronicles 28

This was a time of transition in the leadership of God’s people, often a risky time. King David was stepping down after forty years as leader of Israel and his son Solomon was to succeed him. God had sustained David and His people in the face of constant hostility by many enemies and given David victory over them all. But now the time for change had come and a young Solomon, whose name means “peaceful” and “friend of God”, would rule in his place. The hard lessons David had to learn as a guerilla fighter and military commander would no longer be applicable. Solomon would build on the foundation of his father’s work, but his reign would be very different and he would lead in his own way.

⁶ We have different gifts, according to the GRACE GIVEN  TO EACH OF US. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; IF IT IS TO LEAD, DO IT DILIGENTLY; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12

Paul by the Spirit pointed out in Romans 12 how New Testament believers were to function ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO EACH ONE. The mark of the leader should be diligence, WHICH APPLIES TO EVERYONE, but especially to those with a leadership calling. The young Solomon at the beginning of his reign asked God for, ‘wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this people’. 2 Chronicles 1:10 God anointed Solomon so he might be a blessing to the people he ruled over for God.

^23-24 Riches can disappear fast. And the king’s crown doesn’t stay in his family forever—so watch your (business) interests closely. Know the state of your flocks and your herds; Proverbs 27 The Living Bible

²⁸ “Now it’s up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God’s people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for. Acts 20 The Message

The Bible warns us that in both the business world and in the things of the Kingdom we need to be constantly alert. The devil wants us to fall, but God wants to give each of us His Grace to succeed in every situation.

”Pray like it all depends on God, but work like it all depends on you”, may be good advice for Believers.

²⁷ ‘So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’ Numbers 6

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹ Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
    to you our vows will be fulfilled.
² You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come. Psalm 65, of David 

David begins this psalm by extolling the worthiness of God to receive worship, in many of his other psalms he’s so beaten down by enemies and dread that he has to build himself up to praise. Sometimes we too may have to wait in God’s presence to have our eyes lifted above our immediate circumstances, but on this occasion David started out praising God’s worthiness to be praised.

The next line of the psalm highlights another virtue of our God towards mankind, He’s the God who answers prayer. It’s so easy to take this for granted but the creator of the universe actually wants to answer prayers on our behalf. David continues this thought, with a prophetic statement, ‘to You all people will come’. The people of this whole world will come to the God who answers prayer. It’s interesting that the Bible records when people first began to pray and call out to God for His help and support.

²⁵ Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’ ²⁶ Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord. Genesis 4

The influence of religion is widespread among believers today and many see God as a tyrant waiting to pounce on people’s mistakes, nothing could be further from the truth. God wants relationship with us and is continually working to bridge the gap between Himself and the people He created.

³ When we were overwhelmed by sins,
    you forgave(covered) our transgressions.
⁴ Blessed are those you choose
    and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
    of your holy temple. Psalm 65

The second part of the psalm refers to the power of the God of all creation and His intervention in the nations of His world. God stills the roaring of the seas and the seas are a picture of humanity, there’s much disturbance in this world today, but God’s moving to impose His peace and presence in it.

⁷ who stilled the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.
⁸ The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;

The final part of the psalm is a beautiful picture of God’s care for His creation, despite the plans of the wicked to corrupt and pollute it. No matter what the environmentalists say, God will not allow man to destroy His creation. His words will stand in the face of all schemes of the wicked.

⁹ You care for the land and water it;
    you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with corn,
    for so you have ordained it.
¹⁰ You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
    you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with your bounty,
    and your carts overflow with abundance.

Our God is the God of ABUNDANCE, that’s His will for people now and soon we’ll see it manifest. Hallelujah

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.