VOLUME XXXVI NUMBER VII Goodness of the Lord II

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1 VOLUME XXXVI NUMBER VII Goodness of the Lord II WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Scripture: Hebrews 4:8-13 Hebrews 4:8-13 says, For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. What we learn from this passage is, God's Word is unique. There is nothing else quite like the Bible because God's Word is alive, it is powerful, it is sharper than a two-edged sword, it divides between soul and spirit and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. God's Word is living, and it is living because it was endued with Life by the Holy Spirit who authored it. God's Word is very, very unique. It is different than any other book that has ever been written because it is full of Life. The question is, will we use what God has given? THURSDAY, JULY 2 Scripture: 2 Peter 1: Peter 1:15-21 says, Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter makes it clear that prophetic words are made more sure by corresponding words of Scripture. We are told that no prophecy of Scripture has any private interpretation. For no true prophecy ever came by the will of man, but only men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. So the words of the Bible are not really man s words. While they were penned by man, they were breathed on by God and endued with power. And that is where the Life comes from. For every promise of Scripture has God's breath of life in it and that promise can be released in us if we will take the time to memorize and feed on the Scripture and speak it over and over again into our hearts, lives and surroundings. Are we embracing God's Word in the way He intended? 1

2 FRIDAY, JULY 3 Scripture: 1 Peter 1: Peter 1:13-19 says, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. We are told in this passage that we were redeemed not by corruptible things like silver and gold but by the precious Blood of Christ. Because we have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ, we have a purpose. And that purpose is defined, refined and directed by God's Word. We need to realize that our full purpose is impossible without the proper empowering of the supernatural Life that is in Scripture. The question is, are we willing to actively, intentionally pursue God's Words in Scripture and walk that out? SATURDAY, JULY 4 Scripture: 1 Peter 1:17-21 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! 1 Peter 1:17-21 says, And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. The foundation for walking with the Judicial Christ in the last days comes from developing a healthy fear of the Lord, knowing that He judges according to each one s work. If we conduct our time here in the fear of the Lord, then we know that our redemption is eternal. And this develops the faith we need to walk in, in order to do the works that God has ordained for us. Let us not forget that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and without the fear of the Lord as the foundation, we really do not have the faith to walk with the Judge. It is the fear of the Lord that forms the foundation for the great faith required to walk with the Judge. The fear of the Lord keeps us in holiness and produces the faith for the judicial. If you are wondering, where we get the faith for the judicial, it comes out of this process. It is the fear of the Lord that presses us into holiness that releases the faith to walk in the judicial. Do we have the fear and faith necessary to walk with the Judge? SUNDAY, JULY 5 Scripture: 1 Peter 1:22,23 1 Peter 1:22,23 says, Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. We have been born again, not by corruptible seed, but by incorruptible seed. We have been born again through the Word of God that lives and abides forever. So the Word of God is eternal seed. It is incorruptible and therefore when we sow it in our heart, it produces exactly what it promises. It is eternal seed that will grow up and bring to pass exactly what it promises. The born again human heart is the soil for God's Word. Any I pad, I phone or any electronic device, while it is a great retrieval system for the Word, will not germinate the Word! If we do not take the time to know it, soak in it and speak it into our hearts, then we forfeit the germination, growth, development and fulfillment process that is the whole foundation of the Kingdom. And that is what we need! God ordained a process that is very simple. He ordained a process by which His promises come to pass. That process is one that farmers are familiar with since creation. Every farmer that ever planted a seed and got a harvest understands how this process works. The process is called seedtime and harvest. God ordained it as the avenue in which we see spiritual promises come to pass. Every promise is an eternal, incorruptible seed and there is only one place we can sow it we can sow it in our hearts. If we are willing to sow it, water it, tend the soil learn it, memorize it, speak it and contemplate on it then Harvest Day is inevitable. No one can stop a harvest when the seed 2

3 and soil have been properly tended. This process is the mystery of the Kingdom! This straightforward process that farmers know is available to us. Are we ready to farm our spirit? Because that is what God has asked us to do. MONDAY, JULY 6 Scripture: Mark 4:1-11 Mark 4:1-8 says, And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. The parable of the sower sowing the Word is very familiar to most believers. In verses 9-11, Jesus explains how important it is to every one of us, And He said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear! But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables Jesus outlined the mystery of the Kingdom of God. And what He said is that the mystery of the Kingdom is actually simple. It works according to seedtime and harvest. So if we can sow a seed, we can walk in the Kingdom. The way we get Kingdom results is we sow the incorruptible, eternal seed of God's Word in our own hearts. If we can do that, we can walk in the Kingdom. If our walk in the Kingdom is limited, it is because we are not plowing our soil, sowing enough seed and tending that seed to fruition in our own hearts. If that is the case, we need to change what we are doing. Instead of asking God to do it, follow the Divine pattern. Take the promise and sow it into our hearts. Water it, weed it, take care of the soil and farm that Word into fulfilment. Try it! Jesus said that it works, and it does for everyone who intentionally moves forward in the growth process. TUESDAY, JULY 7 Scripture: Genesis 8:20-22 Genesis 8:20-22 is an interaction between God and Noah after the flood. It says, Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, I will never again curse the ground for man s sake, although the imagination of man s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease. There it is, right out of God's mouth. The one thing that will continue all the rest of the days of the earth is seedtime and harvest. Cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease! Seedtime and harvest is the foundation of the Kingdom and we are told in Genesis that it will never cease. Are we going to choose to believe it? If we do, then we can start growing the Kingdom on the inside of us and see it grow into a reality all around us. Sow the promises! Water them and pastor them until these promises come up and produce a harvest! We will be glad we did! WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 Scripture: Exodus 3:20-22 One of the things I ask myself as far as ministry assignments in the Bible is, what was the hardest job ever assigned? The answer I have come up with is, the most challenging job given in the Bible was the assignment to follow Moses leadership. Why does that seem to be the hardest job ever assigned? If we look at what God did through Moses, it seems apparent. In Exodus 3:20-22, God's promise to Moses was, So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians. Now how could anyone follow a 3

4 manifestation like that? That is an amazing manifestation of God's authority and power. And yet the Lord did it through Moses. I think it is important to understand in context, the whole issue of seedtime and harvest, in relationship with the hardest assignment given in Scripture. Other than the Twelve following Jesus, I believe it was likely the assignment of Joshua following Moses. Because once we look at everything Moses did, then we will look at what and how God taught Joshua to follow Moses. What He told him to do to be successful, hopefully will bring this teaching home for every single one of us. Following Moses is not a job I would have wanted. God just did too many great things through the life of Moses. THURSDAY, JULY 9 Scripture: Exodus 7:14-18 Exodus 7:14-18 says, So the Lord said to Moses: Pharaoh s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. And you shall say to him, The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness ; but indeed, until now you would not hear! Thus says the Lord: By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river. Moses proclaimed what God told him and the river turned to blood, the fish died and the water stank. Suddenly, the judicial resume of Moses rose rapidly. Every time Moses said, God is about to send a plague on you, God sent a plague. God executed ten consecutive straight plagues in Egypt that brought God's people to freedom. Ten judicial prophetic declarations and God, through signs and wonders, accomplished every single one of them. How much weight accumulated to Moses words after that? There has never been anyone like him how would we like to follow him in the pulpit? What a mighty list of demonstrations from God it took to set His people free! It is beyond amazing. And yet, this is the very God we serve! FRIDAY, JULY 10 Scripture: Exodus 7:22 Verse 22 says, Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. In the first few demonstrations of judgment, the magicians were able to match what God did. As mystifying as it must have been, those demonic demonstrations did not last long. They lasted long enough to get Pharaoh and the people of Egypt in more trouble. The magicians doubled the misery of the judgments until God said, enough. Goshen became the safety zone for Israel! Plagues filled everywhere else! God kept Israel free and safe in Goshen! Where is Goshen for you? SATURDAY, JULY 11 Scripture: Exodus 8:1,2 Exodus 8:1,2 says, And the Lord spoke to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. Again, Moses went to Pharaoh delivering God's judicial promise. Pharaoh refused and God filled the whole land with frogs. As soon as Moses stretched out the rod, the frogs exploded in the land of Egypt. How would we like to spend every waking moment looking at one frog after another, finding them in our shoes, our pantries and our beds? How would we like to face even one day with a great frog invasion filling the land? What an amazing, confounding event it must have been for everyone who experienced it. What a slimy event that must have been for the population of Egypt! SUNDAY, JULY 12 Scripture: Exodus 8:6,7 Verses 6,7 state, So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. A 4

5 double manifestation of frogs! That must have been incredible. How would you navigate with so many frogs? Tasks like riding a horse or driving a wagon would involve massive smashing of frogs in the street. The squish alone must have been enough to disgust the average Egyptian. And there was no animal control to clean up the carcasses. I wonder if frog legs were on the menu? MONDAY, JULY 13 Scripture: Exodus 8:16-18 Exodus 8:16-18 says, So the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. In the third plague, Aaron stretched out the rod and struck the dust. And all the dust of Egypt became lice on man and beast. When the Egyptians tried it, they could not bring forth lice. The Egyptians were only allowed to bring forth the first two plagues. God was making a demonstration for all of Egypt that He alone is God in Heaven and Earth. What was Pharaoh willing to do and how far would he go in refusing the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth? Nobody could believe he could be that hard-hearted and yet he was. Never underestimate the Judicial Christ when it comes to worldly politicians. The only way some of them will relent, is if they are removed from office permanently. TUESDAY, JULY 14 Scripture: Exodus 8:20-23 Exodus 8:20-23 says, And the Lord said to Moses, Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, Thus says the Lord: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be. God had Moses warn Pharaoh that swarms of flies would come upon Pharaoh, his servants, his people, his houses and upon the ground on which he stood. He was warned that in the land of Goshen where God's people dwelt, there would be no flies so Pharaoh could know that God makes the difference between the Egyptians and His people the Israelites. This is an issue we need to understand. The reason for selective judgments is to prove to worldly people that God makes a difference between His people and those living in rebellion. What shall we say when we begin to see this level of demonstration? Perhaps in the last days, we need to see it again. It seems obvious that some of our politicians and judges need to see it. The question is, will the church rise to the place where we can represent the Judicial Christ? Perhaps God is waiting on us. WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 Scripture: Exodus 9:1-7 Exodus 9:1-7 says, Then the Lord said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep a very severe pestilence. And the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel. Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land. So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go. It is obvious that by the fifth plague, God was accelerating the plagues impact on Egypt. Now we see that all the animals that enable the people to produce their agriculture and feed their people came under the judgment of God. God killed 5

6 all the livestock of the Egyptians and not one of the Israelites livestock was harmed. This was a devastating blow to every family who worked the land. And Pharaoh did not seem to care that his people were being destroyed by his own actions. Do we ever get the sense in watching the decisions of judges or the decisions of lying politicians? Does it ever seem our politicians just do not care about the repercussions of their choices on our nation? They are so arrogant that in their deception, they actually do not care how their policies and decisions devastate our nation. It is stunning to watch. The spirit, heart and mind of Pharaoh are alive and well in some of our leaders today. Their policies, regulations and decisions have a very real impact on our nation and the people in it and their hearts are not moved by the burdens they are pouring on the population. We need to see the judgments of Egypt today, in full measure because the spirit of Pharaoh is in our land. THURSDAY, JULY 16 Scripture: Exodus 9:8-12 In the sixth plague, Moses takes handfuls of ashes from the furnace, scatters them toward the heavens and declares, Now, this will become boils and break out in sores on man and beast. And this sent the magicians fleeing from the pain of the boils. What great judgments will the false prophets come under in the days ahead? But again, Pharaoh's heart was not moved. And after the people recovered, he still steadfastly refused to release the Israelites. Could it be that same spirit dominates Washington DC? FRIDAY, JULY 17 Scripture: Exodus 9:13-19 Exodus 9:13-19 says, Then the Lord said to Moses, Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me, for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now. Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die. So after the first plague to strike the animals of Egypt, those who were heavily involved in agriculture would have had the time to buy production animals from the Israelites. I suspect they had to pay a premium price. But the Lord knew what they were doing and He had a plan. So in the seventh plague, God went after the livestock again. This time, the replacement animals that the Egyptians had to purchase from the Israelites were the ones targeted. And they were targeted not by pestilence, but by hail. So he declared the people should go to the field, get their men and animals out of the fields because the next day very heavy hail would come down. No one would survive in the fields. Now this is an interesting manifestation of mercy that comes to the Egyptians at this point. After 6 major plagues, the Egyptians had figured out what Moses said, was a surety. So Moses had earned the reputation as a prophet whose words would not fall to the ground. Samuel earned the same reputation. If Samuel delivered a prophecy, people knew it would come to pass. And it was the same for Moses. So when everyone heard the seventh plague was coming, they knew that it would come to pass. And then they had a choice they could choose to preserve their servants and livestock or they could disregard Moses words at their own peril. After six strong plagues, we could suspect a significant number of wiser Egyptians. Do people learn from adversity? Or is deception so great in the last days they just cannot hear? SATURDAY, JULY 18 Scripture: Exodus 9:19-21 Exodus 9:19-21 says, Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die. He who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the 6

7 houses. But he who did not regard the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field. Among the servants of Pharaoh, everyone who believed Moses and feared the Word of the Lord kept their servants and their livestock in safety. Those who did not regard the Word of the Lord let their servants and livestock move on to the field. There is a major message here those who feared the Word of the Lord saved their lives and their economic production. Those who possessed the fear of the Lord saved themselves and were not harmed in this plague. The only people who were harmed in the seventh plague of hail were those who had no fear of the Lord. That is a clear picture of what we expect in the last days. The Egyptians should have learned by the seventh plague, but many of them did not. And every person who had developed a fear of the Lord saved themselves. It is obvious that the one indispensable thing for the last days is the fear of the Lord. How many of today s Christians have it? I trust it is growing in all of us. SUNDAY, JULY 19 Scripture: Exodus 9:21-27 The hail and fire of the seventh plague were so bad that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. Every person and their livestock who went to the fields died. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were was there no hail. This made such an impact on Pharaoh, that verse 27,28 says, And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. After seven devastating judicial manifestations, Pharaoh finally admits his sin. Isn t it amazing that people can be so deceived that it takes that much devastation for the truth to sink in. But it did for Pharaoh. MONDAY, JULY 20 Scripture: Exodus 9:28-30 Exodus 9:28-30 says, Entreat the Lord, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer. So Moses said to him, As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God. After seven dramatic plagues, Pharaoh was still double-minded and double-hearted and would still not let the people go. And we see the very same thing today in the attitude of politicians and judges, which lets us know exactly what level of judgment we need to ask for may indicate what level of judicial prayer is needed. Because for some only that which permanently removes them will make any difference. Jesus the Judge has not changed. Are we ready to represent Him? Moses had to and in the end-times, you and I may have to as well. Will we be ready? TUESDAY, JULY 21 Scripture: Exodus 10:1-11 Exodus 10:1-7 says, Now the Lord said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord. So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field. They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians which neither your fathers nor your fathers fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day. And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh s servants said to him, How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed? The eighth plague was an army of locusts covering the entire land, eating what the hail did not destroy. An interesting statement about Pharaoh came from the pleading of the servants in verse 7. Pharaoh's servants said to him, How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed? How can you be a ruler and not realize there is nothing left of your 7

8 nation? How can a nation be destroyed and a ruler not see it? The livestock, the people s chief industry, were gone and there was very little left. They pleaded with Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, that they might not all die. But Pharaoh fully resisted letting all of them go, so Moses stretched out his hand and God brought forth the locusts. This was the most severe plague that Egypt had ever seen for the locusts ate everything. Imagine there being nothing green left in the entire land. It was all gone and there was nothing left. What a stunning plague and yet, Pharaoh still hardened his heart. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Scripture: Exodus 10:12-19 Exodus 10:12-19 says, Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land all that the hail has left. So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only. So he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. It is obvious that the plagues were coming to an end because there was little left to destroy in Egypt. And yet it took that much to break through the arrogance and deception that was on Pharaoh. Let us ask ourselves, what will it take to break through the deception on our leaders, our senators and on our judges? What depth of judgment will be necessary to break through the deception that is on our politicians? That question has to have an answer. It is one we need to seek. Join me in praying until the Lord gives us an answer! THURSDAY, JULY 23 Scripture: Exodus 10:21-23 Exodus 10:21-23 says, Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Without going to Pharaoh and without saying a word, we see Moses being led by the Spirit to declare darkness over the entire land of Egypt. Darkness fell to the point that people could not even see their hand in front of their face. Three days of darkness without the sun rising. It is interesting that while darkness fell over the land of Egypt, the Israelites had light in their dwelling. God made a definite distinction between His people and those who did not believe. What a demonstration that must have been for everyone! FRIDAY, JULY 24 Scripture: Exodus 10:24-26 Exodus 10:24-26 says, Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you. But Moses said, You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there. Pharaoh finally relented and offered to let the Israelites go, but with a condition. They had to leave their flocks and herds because Egypt s had been completely destroyed. So he agreed to release the people, but not their livestock. Moses said their livestock were to be free to go as well. But that was a deal-breaker for Pharaoh. So again, the Israelites found themselves stuck in the land of Egypt. 8

9 SATURDAY, JULY 25 Scripture: Exodus 11:1-7 Exodus 11:1-7 says, And the Lord said to Moses, I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold. And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh s servants and in the sight of the people. Then Moses said, Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. Finally the tenth plague is announced. And Moses announced the fact that close to midnight, the Lord would go through the entire land and the firstborn of every family would die, except it would not happen to the Israelites. Moses now had his God-given orders, he knew exactly what to tell people to do. They had to ask for articles of gold and silver, and consequently spoil the Egyptians and the Lord would not allow any tongue to move against an Israelite. Not even an animal of God could move its tongue against the Israelites. God wanted the Israelites to know that He was drawing a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. Now if there was ever a lesson we need to learn it is how God draws a distinction between covenant people and those who are not. Sometimes we need to ask Him to make that line very, very clear. If there is a line that has been completely blurred in today s society that is it. If anything, today s unbelievers look at believers as second-class citizens. The line that God drew in Exodus needs to be redrawn in every nation in the earth! The question is, will we do it as the church in the last days so we can gain a harvest? Because without the fear of God, there will be no harvest. The awesome demonstration of deeds that will usher in the fear of God is something we have to be willing to pray for and walk in. The question is, will we? SUNDAY, JULY 26 Scripture: Exodus 12:12-23 God gave the wisdom of exactly what to do in order to be safe for the tenth and final plague. The Israelites had to kill a Passover lamb, put the blood on the doorposts as a memorial, and they would be protected. Moses made it very clear to the people what it would take. Those who followed the instructions were all saved. While there was death in all the families of the Egyptians, there was not a single death in the families of the Israelites. God passed over and gave the Israelites total and absolute victory. That is what belongs to every single believer total, absolute victory. We need to believe for it and we need to prepare for it. Are we ready to ask God to once again intervene in our behalf? MONDAY, JULY 27 Scripture: Exodus 12:29-36; Matthew 12:18-21 Matthew 12:18-21 says, Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust. As soon as that tenth judgment came on the Egyptians, the Israelites were released to go ask the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold. And the Egyptians gave the spoils to them. God gave the Israelites their lost wages from slavery. We need to realize that Jesus bought and paid for total victory for us. He took justice to victory. Are we ready to ask for it? We should be! TUESDAY, JULY 28 Scripture: Numbers 33:1-4 Numbers 33:1-4 shows us where former slaves became very bold in the Lord. These verses say, These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 9

10 Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points: They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them. Also on their gods the Lord had executed judgments. When did the Israelites get their boldness? They got their boldness when they looked around and saw every Egyptian family burying their dead. That is when freedom became a reality. That is when what God had done became a reality and they marched out with boldness because they knew who their God was. When they saw the judgment of God on the families of the Egyptians, they had boldness! Do we have boldness? Perhaps God wants to give it to us through His judgments. That deserves some prayer. WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Scripture: Exodus 14:8-20 When Pharaoh regretted his release of the Israelites, he pursued them with his entire army. Just as he got close to destroying them, the Lord stepped in with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. And they were saved. God had a plan and He was not through with Pharaoh yet. Judgment is never easy to walk out as representatives of the Most High because we have to believe that God has our best interests at heart. The Israelites were sure they were going to be destroyed. But God turned the tables and destroyed their enemy. It takes the wisdom of God to pastor people through the judicial both in what to pray and in the why of severity! THURSDAY, JULY 30 Scripture: Exodus 14:21-31 Moses extended his rod and the Red Sea opened. God commanded the Israelites to march through it. And as soon as the Israelites got through the sea, the pillar of fire and the cloud lifted so that the Egyptians could give chase. And as soon as the Egyptians got in the midst of the sea, the Lord took the wheels off of their chariots. And as the last Israelites came onto dry land, the Lord told Moses to extend his rod back over the Red Sea. And suddenly the Egyptian army was gone. The entire strength of Egypt was utterly and totally destroyed for a generation. Everybody in Israel knew there was no one like Moses and no God like the God of Moses. God's people gained total and complete victory. They saw it, they had it, they walked in it. The Jesus Who did that answers our prayers today. No anti-christ enemy is out of God s reach! FRIDAY, JULY 31 Scripture: Exodus 15:1-15 What have we learned about God? He is a Man of War and He is a God who judges in order to save. And there are seasons where, as a Man of War, He goes to battle and He kills. Mercy for His people sometimes means killing the enemy. Out of God's dealing with Egypt, we learn that covenant mercy to save the Israelites meant death to the Egyptians. The Israelites would not have been saved if God did not move forward to kill the Egyptians. Let us ask ourselves, in order for God to save the church, might He have to kill members of Isis? In order for God to save the church, are there judges, senators or perhaps even presidents who have to be removed? Do we have leaders that, like Pharaoh, have so hardened their hearts that the only thing that will save believers is their removal? This is the time and place to start praying! God does not have a problem judging in order to save. Since Exodus, has God changed? Is He not the same yesterday, today and forever? If He is, then there is a whole different dimension of representing Him that the church has to come into. Let s say yes to God s direction when He calls on us to make a judicial stand against evil! 2015 Word at Work Ministries, Inc.Reproduction encouraged to share with others. Houghton, Al. Goodness of the Lord II. Word At Work Bible Study. Vol Word at Work Ministries, July PO Box 366, Placentia CA info@wordatwork.org 10