Strict Obedience To God

Deuteronomy 27:9-28:14

Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were located in Samaria, about 40 miles north of Jerusalem.

Between the mountains, which rise about 3000 feet above sea level, lies a narrow pass.

Moses commanded that when the Israelites came into the Promised Land, the blessings for keeping the law (Deuteronomy 28 : 1–14) should be spoken by half the tribes from Mount Gerizim, and the curses for not obeying the law (Deuteronomy 27 : 15–26 ) should be spoken by the other tribes from Mount Ebal.

This dramatic scene would emphasize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to a curse on anyone leading the blind astray (Deuteronomy 27:18).

God is concerned about all of life and how we live it.

Consider The Two Mountains
As We Walk The Narrow Way!

Where is your house?

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Where is your house?

If we cannot afford to sleep in a building, we will go and sleep under a tree.

Over the past years, God had taken good care of us, helping us not only to survive, but also to be productive and render services to our community.

If, by faith we are God’s child, according to His promises in the Bible, He will continue to take care of us.

God is our hiding place.

God always fills our hearts with songs of deliverance.

Whenever we are afraid, we will trust in Him!

The best thing to do is not to get attached to material things or even people, because they will be there for some time and will be gone soon.

The best thing is to get our hearts attached to God, because He will go with us everywhere, will provide for us what we need, and in the end take us to live in the heavenly city where our eternal house is!

Let us seriously evaluate where our treasure and house are because that’s where Jesus says our hearts will also be.

Help me Father to accumulate treasures in heaven and not on earth.

The Atonement For Sin

Leviticus 16:1–34

In spite of God’s desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin.

But because He loves us and is gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement.

This yearly event was a picture of the atonement that would be accomplished through Jesus’ sacrifice.

Since Jesus died and rose from the dead, and offered Himself to pay for our sins once and for all, we are cleansed through His work.

We can rely on His forgiveness moment by moment.

God's Names

God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob
as God Almighty,
but by my name the Lord
I did not make myself fully known to them.
(Exodus 6:2–3)

As God revealed His plans to the patriarchs and matriarchs in the Bible, He became more intimate with His people.

For example, God made Himself known as El-Shaddai—“God Almighty”, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11).

Later He told Moses His covenant name: Yahweh—“The LORD” (Exodus 3:15 ).

In the Gospels, God becomes even more personal when the Son of God becomes incarnate in Jesus.

And in Acts and the epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Throughout history, God has revealed more of Himself to His people.

The final act of intimacy will be when He brings us home.

Then we can fellowship with Him face to face forever.

Oh Almighty Father, God the Most High!

Suffer For Christ

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:14b)

What are your wounds for Christ this week?

In the Bible, to be persecuted means to be pursued by the enemies of Christ.

When we become a Christian, Christ’s enemies become our enemies, and we are pitched into a battle with the world and the devil, and this fight will draw wounds.

So it doesn’t matter where we are. The fight is the same, only the degree and type of suffering may differ. We are going to get pursued. That is persecution.

Persecution is not just legal discrimination or being put into jail for one’s faith.

Our wounds for Christ let us know that we are alive in Christ.

And wounds bring joy, because we know we are making a difference.

Persecuted churches are growing churches. They are alive in Christ. They know it because they have wounds!

Let us find the source of resistance to the gospel in our local area. Let us apply the gospel and watch the fight begins.

Let us accept negative reactions as a sign that we are making a difference in our community.

Oh Lord, let me experience the joy resulting from doing right and opposing evil in my sphere of influence.