Mi Daily Devotion: 100 Days of Love, Inspirations, Encouragement, Encounter with God, Self- Evaluation, Quiet Time with God, Challenges and Comfort

SUNDAY- MI DAILY DEVOTION (II Corinthians 5:21) (KJV)

AN EASTER MESSAGE…

21- For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (KJV)

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE LORD’S COMMAND… (Leviticus 17:1-4) 1- "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2- Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying, 3- What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, 4- And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:"

THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD’S COMMAND... (Leviticus 17:5-6) 5- To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD. 6- And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

THE PUNISHMENT FOR DISOBEYING THE LORD’S COMMAND… (Leviticus 17:7-9) 7- And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. 8- And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9- And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.

THE POWER OF THE BLOOD… It has power to raise us up from the grave. The shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has power to redeem us from the law and sin. It has the power to make us righteous before God. I hope and pray that this daily reading will be a blessing to you as it is to me as I ponder on the Word of God. In (Hebrews 10: 4- 13) 4- For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5- Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6- In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7- Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8- Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9- Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10- By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11- And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12- But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13- From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

MONDAY- MI DAILY DEVOTION (Matthew 11: 28-30)

COME… TAKE… LEARN…

28- Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29- Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30- For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

When you have no one to hold on to and help is not available. When life gets complicated and everything does not go the way it should. When your heart breaks and it’s just so much for you to take… Then your pain is unbearable and the problem is insurmountable, Jesus said: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

When no one wants to take you and everybody tries to break you. When your brain is drained and you’re stressed out ‘cause life is a messed. And you’re tired and dried and you have no one to guide you. You wanted to go up, but the road is too narrow for you, Jesus said: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

When life is hard and your freedom is barred. If the road is rough and everything is tough. Your soul longed for comfort and comfort is gone. You desperately longed for peace in your heart as happiness and joy anon. When everything is dark and the fort is black. Your lighthouse is broken and your soul is darkened… Jesus said: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ElyRS

You will never understand all these until you’ve been there or you are there already. God is able, but are you available? Are you available to come unto the throne of grace? God is able, but do you have faith like mustard seed? Are you like the hopeless and helpless blind men who followed the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David? (Matthew 9: 27-30) And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. 28- And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 29- Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30- And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. God wanted for us to come to Him in prayer. He also wanted to for us to take His Word by faith in our hearts, to learn His ways and learn from our trials and sufferings.

Notice what Peter said in (I Peter 5:6-7) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7- Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

TUESDAY- MI DAILY DEVOTION (Genesis 13: 8)

LOT…, DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME?

That could be the question of Abraham to Lot.

8- And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

The conflict between Abraham and Lot was so bad to the point that they have to separate their ways. While the same blood and DNA flows though their nerves and bodies; it was very obvious that the spirit that flows through their lives were so different. It’s so ironic that they were God’s children, next door neighbors and they were related, but they submitted themselves to such conflict, where they have to separate ways. I was just thinking about this and sometimes it made me believe that there’s no such thing as leadership conflict in any church, groups or organizations. Conflicts could be caused by pride, arrogance, jealousy and envy. And let me say this in general- SIN. I believe that Satan has a big part to any conflicts in churches, at homes or Christian organizations. Poverty, prosperity and power struggles are sometimes some of the common causes of conflicts not just in the Christian community, but also in some homes and countries as well. (Genesis 13:6-8) 6- And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7- And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8- And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

Abraham and Lot’s problems were minor, but Abraham was so smart that he did not let their little issues go unresolved before he took a step to iron them out. When I took a seminar to be a security officer here in Michigan, one of the things that I’ve learned was about prevention. Fire prevention and prevention against robbery, murders, accidents and other tragedies and man- made calamities. Abraham did exactly what was right and fair. Actually, Abraham made the right decision and he made the right and good judgment by letting Lot go with his blessings. He resolved the issues before it went from bad to worst. I hope and pray that we will do the same. Some people may have asked this question, did Abraham let go of the problem, let go of sin or let go of Lot?

(Genesis 13:9) - Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

WEDNESDAY- MI DAILY DEVOTION (Genesis 13: 6)

LOT AND ABRAHAM- DID YOU HAVE CONFLICTS BECAUSE OF PETS, PEOPLE, PROPERTIES OR POWER?

That could be the question for Abraham and Lot.

6- And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

Abraham and Lot both know what it means to be poor and needy and to live in poverty." (Genesis 12:9-10)

We can be in a low profile in spite of power, prosperity and wealth, if we know what it means to be poor and needy and if we have experienced poverty in our lifetime. There are those who are humbled by the Lord through the success that God has given them and the blessings of prosperity. Abraham had an SS issue, which means Strife and Separation. So, what could be the reasons of their strife and separation?

Insecurity could be one of the factors of their strife and their servants’ strife. Let me call it (the Insecurity) issue. The Prevalent Sin in churches, among pastors and organizations and even businesses. I don’t know how it would look like if Christians would work together in the same cause and with the same spirit. (Psalms 133:1-3) 1- Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2- It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3- As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Accountability is the other factor of their strife and their followers’ strife. If they both have accountability, they (Abraham and Lot) could have known what was going on from down – up. That’s one of the problems of many churches or leaders who have so much power and prosperity. Some of the leaders could just do anything and say anything and people will follow. Remember that accountability is two way. No wonder we have leaders who fell into sin. We have money issues and sex issues that caused the churches and the ministries to fall. It could never be a one way pipeline. It means that the leader must also be open for accountability, thus he or she must also be willing and open for opinions, counsels and friendly or brotherly advice. Abraham and Lot’s mistake and failure was lacked of trust.

In the Book of (Proverbs 28:26; 15:32; 11:14) 26- He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 32- He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. 14- Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."

THURSDAY- MI DAILY DEVOTION (Genesis 13: 5- 7)

THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH WEALTH LOT AND ABRAHAM… BUT DON’T FIGHT OVER IT…

That could be the words of wisdom for Abraham and Lot. In this generation, you see families and homes that are being destroyed for the love of money and power.

5- And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6- And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7- And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Let me paraphrased Abram’s story: as he returned out of Egypt in verse 1. He came back and brought with him his wealth again to Canaan. He was very rich in cattle as indicated in verse 2. He was very open to temptation and to downfall. Some preachers interprets the words very rich as "very heavy", in Hebrew interpretation. For riches are a burden and those that will be rich do but load themselves with thick clay according to (Habakkuk 2:6) Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

You will have burdens in accumulating them and the fear of losing them and the fear of keeping them as well as the temptation in over using them. You will also have the danger of abusing by over using your wealth. Abraham’s wealth was in God, from God and it’s of God for sure. That was indeed God’s blessing because He added no burdens to it. (Proverbs 10:22) The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. God said to Abram, "I will bless thee…"

It’s good to be rich and prosperous, but don’t trade your love ones for the sake of money or for your love of money. Your love ones are God’s gift to you and money could be the world’s gift to you. It breaks my heart when I think of those who sacrificed or have left their loved ones for money. And I don’t understand it when parents will have all their time for business, for making money and they don’t have time for their family. And on the other side of the road, you have families who fight, were separated and disconnected because of power and wealth. Apostle Paul has a good advice for all of us. (I Timothy 6:9-10) 9-But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10- For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

FRIDAY- MI DAILY DEVOTION (Genesis 13:1-12)

LOT AND ABRAHAM- WERE YOU LOSING OR MISSING YOUR T-I-M-E-R?

7- And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8- And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9- Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

That could be a good question for Abraham and Lot. But what do I mean of the word timer? Do they have some kind of a watch or clock back then already? It’s actually an acronym and we will talk about the acronym T-I-M-E-R which is very relevant to many Christians and churches. Some of the Christians I know including pastors and missionaries have lost their T-I-M-E-R already and it’s so sad.

The problem of Abraham and Lot could be the following things that many of Abrahams and Lots of this generation have lost as well.

T-I-M-E-R

T-testimony- You have lost your testimony because of money, immorality or you did not stand for what is right, moral or holy. You also compromised your faith, the Word of God for some reason or reasons.

I-inspiration- Instead of an inspiration to their herdsmen and servants, they became a stumbling blocks. People are watching you making bad decisions instead of being an inspiration.

M-momentum- They lost their momentum because they were busy with their wealth, solving their herdsmen issues and at the same time they were busy solving their grief and separation.

E-evangelism- It was so difficult for them to share the Word of God while their people were watching them with their confrontation regarding their issues on wealth and people.

R-respect- Don’t lost that important thing in life-respect. If you lost your respect from your family circle or subordinate or church members, a good friend of mine said; you’re done, man! We need to win and gain their respect by being a man or woman God wanted us to be. Learn from Apostle Paul in his letter to young Timothy. (I Timothy 2:10-12) 10- Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11- As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12- That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

SATURDAY- MI DAILY DEVOTION (Genesis 13:9- 11)

LOT… YOU HAVE LIVED UP TO THAT NAME!

9- Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10- And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11- Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

LOT

L- LIBERAL- Meaning of Liberal- "not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule. According to Dictionary.com

Lot was so liberal in his stand on moral issues, in his dealings with his family, in his Biblical stands and his lifestyle as well. He was a leftists or on the negative side of the wings. No wonder Lot messed up his family’s life and he lost the respect of his children and his wife. (Genesis 19:5; 8-9) 5- "And