March 19 Numbers 28:16-29:40, Luke 3:23-38, Psalm 62:1-12, Proverbs 11:18-19

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The above referenced text lays down a Biblical pattern to reinforce the intentions of God as they relate to His "Father Heart."


1. He starts by granting us the substantiation gift of the Passover Lamb.
2. Further investigation reveals the value of the gift is directly related to the heritage of the Son and His familial connections.
3. Because the Jews are known to be sticklers for lineage, Luke chapter 3, verses 23-38 confirms the authenticity of the Son of God and the value of the Passover Lamb, namely Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
4. Despite our station in life God the Father presents Jesus the Son as an available option to all mankind.
5. Fact of the matter, without the acknowledgement of Jesus as our Savior, the only avenue left to us is death.


Perhaps you thought your prominence in life gave you an advantage over less fortunate individuals. Such ideals are deceptive and will lead to eternal loss. May I urge you to seek out the Bible and what it has to say about this gift so that you might gain a proper attitude and an active lifestyle toward the intention of the "Father's Heart?" After all, it is His gift to you His child and all creation.


Rodney Mayberry

March 18 Numbers 26:52-28:15, Luke 3:1-22, Psalm 61:1-8, Proverbs 11:16-17

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Help Yourself...

"When you're kind to others, you help yourself; when you're cruel to others, you hurt yourself." Psalm 11:17 MSG

Years ago I was given some great advice about relationship. It revolutionized my thinking and has come to help me a lot.

Relationships are like a bank. What you put in is what you will get out. If you put in kindness it will be there when you need it. If you are mean and cruel that's what you will get back.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12

Everyone wants to be treated nicely right? But few people want to be nice.

If we take this "Bank System" to heart and treat people kind and loving when the our storm hits and need it to draw from it will be there. We will be helping ourselves and fulfilling God's Law at the same time!

So help yourself...Be Kind!

Nathan Bosworth

March 17 Numbers 26:1-51, Luke 2:36-52, Psalm 60:1-12, Proverbs 11:15

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“...all who are able to go to war in Israel"

It seems all through history men have had to serve in the military, even God's people. When the children of Israel entered the promise land there were enemies who had to be conquered so God placed a high value on the men who were of military age.

Growing up in a world where the value of a man is judged on how tough he might be has always rubbed me the wrong way. We teach our boys that men don’t show their feelings and they should fight at the drop of a hat. I believe that God has placed the fighting spirit in real men for the purpose of Spiritual Warfare.

Ephesians 6:12 says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly.’ And 2 Timothy 2:4 says “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."

God wants to establish His own authority in this world. We have no authority, we are only representatives of His authority. We need to learn how to submit to God, and also how to represent Him. When was the last time you used God's authority to secure His Kingdom on the earth?

Larry Lane

March 16 Numbers 24:1-25:18, Luke 2:1-35, Psalm 59:1-17, Proverbs 11:14

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Rejoice!


There are so many wonderful things in today’s reading that a person could spend months reading the same scriptures over and over and get something new out of each verse.


In Luke chapter 2, we read about one of the most important things in the world’s history. We learn about the birth of the most perfect man ever to walk this earth. Rejoice! Our savior is born! It’s really a simple thing when you break it down as a non-believer. The inn is full, so a baby is born in a manger. What’s so special about that? In today’s society, we see so much suffering and hardship that something so insignificant is not likely to draw much media attention. But to the believer, oh my, to the Body of Christ, this day marks the beginning of our salvation. This day a child is born, but not just a child. OUR SAVIOR!


Many times in my life I have had occasions to sin. And to this day, I am still ashamed. When this happens, I go to Jesus. I think about His life. I meditate on all the miracles He performed for people in much worse condition than I. But most of all, I think about Jesus on the cross. I think about the pain and humiliation He endured. I still wince when I think about the crown of thorns being forced on His brow. When I meditate on this, when I focus on Jesus, I feel horrible for about a millionth of a second. I feel horrible for that split second, because when that split second is over, I feel the sin and shame leaving my body and the Holy Spirit filling the empty space. I see Jesus on the cross filled with all of the sin past, present, and future. He died so I could live free. But I don’t stop there. I see myself there with Jesus as he is crucified. I see him as God looks away from the sin that Jesus became for us. And before Jesus dies on the cross, He looks at me, smiles, and I hear him say “You are forgiven.” REJOICE!


And it all started with a child being born in a manger…


Be Blessed
Joe Berry

March 15 Numbers 22:21-23:30, Luke 1:57-80, Psalm 58:1-11, Proverbs 11:12-13

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Proverbs 11:13 (Good News Translation) “No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put confidence in someone who is trustworthy.”


When anyone confides in you with information, they are trusting in you to keep it to yourself. If someone has shared personal information with you it must mean that they trust you and care for you to know what is going on in their lives. Trust is an easy thing to start off with but once you lose that trust it is near impossible to get it back; gossip is the number one thing that can ruin a friendship. So by listening to the Proverb and living by it will help you keep your friends' trust.

Just remember “it is foolish to speak scornfully of others. If you are smart, you will keep quiet”. Proverbs 11:12


Cady Daughabaugh

March 14 Numbers 21:1-22:20, Luke 1:26-56, Psalm 57:1-11, Proverbs 11:9-11

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Luke 1:29 Amplified Bible
But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.


No fooling! An angel (not some girly looking one either) saying, "Favored of God before all other women"? What to make of that greeting - especially at such a young age, in that culture, at that time. And . . . Gabriel hadn't even mentioned the zinger yet . . . getting pregnant with God's baby?! She says, "I'm a virgin. How can this happen?" After the angel explains, her response is my favorite in the Bible.


verse 38, Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said.


No thought of how scandalous this whole thing looks or what will become of her - possibly outcast, possibly dead. I have yet to take such a risk as that on account of something God told me.


Mary quietly, humbly thought about what God was saying and doing. She didn't get an attitude about the Holy Spirit, puffed up about being pregnant with God's baby. Of all people, she had some "bragging rights" on her Son who really is the Perfect One.


Next chapter in Luke says she was keeping these things inside herself, weighing and pondering them in her heart. Not understanding it - but - KNOWING GOD and being SUBMISSIVE TO HIM. I think that's why God chose her. It wasn't about obedience. Obedience can happen without being submissive. She wasn't just obeying, she conformed to God's will with her whole being.


Not only that, she has truth treasures in her heart when all hell comes against her Son, when her soul is pierced. At her darkest hour she doesn't loose heart because she knows God and what truth He spoke specifically to her heart.


She truly is a beautiful woman of God. A quiet, gentle spirit.

Elaine Rees

March 13 Numbers 19:1-20:29, Luke 1:1-25, Psalm 56:1-13, Proverbs 11:8

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Trust…
I know that you are not surprised that I am going to bring up the trust issue. We are about knowing God better and trusting Him more. But the Bible is full of the truth of trust and today’s reading is no different.
The people of Israel are having a trust issue. “Why did you bring us into the desert to die? We have no water!!!” This after how many miracles???
Moses is having a trust issue. God tells him to speak to the rock and the water will come out. Moses goes back to what had worked before. He hits the rock instead of speaking to it. God’s love is so huge that the water is released all the same. “But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me…’”
Zechariah the priest is having a trust issue. The angel Gabriel shows up to tell him about his barren wife conceiving a child. Even though Gabriel says this is an answer to their prayers, Zechariah doubts. He is talking to an angel and he doesn’t trust.
In Psalm 56, we see David dealing with trust. The difference is David does trust. The intro says that the Philistines have seized him in Gath. He is not in the middle of God miraculously feeding him and guiding him in the desert. He is not in the temple serving God and talking to an angel. He is in a foreign land surrounded by people who hate him. Still David says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
I love it that he brings God’s word into it. That is our central way of getting to know God. He knew God and trusted him.
Keep staying in God’s Word! Keep trusting Him more!
Brandon Clark

March 12 Numbers 16:41-18:32, Mark 16:1-20, Psalm 55:1-23, Proverbs 11:7

Have you ever wanted to run away from it all? “Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then, I would fly away and be at rest.” Sometimes the enemy gets into our head and we begin to think, “I need a change. Maybe I need a new job?” It seems that everything is against you and life would be different if you could get away from it all.

I remember when I was going through these very feelings. It seemed that the pressure at work was more than I thought I could bear. I didn’t know it then, as I do now with the advantage of hindsight, but the enemy was trying to change my destiny. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.” God is in control of our lives and He has a plan. The enemy is always at work trying to keep us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. Psalm 39:5 “Commit your ways to the Lord; Trust in Him and He will bring it to pass.” If I had let the enemy run me off from that job I would not be living in San Angelo. I don’t have the space to tell all the good things the Lord has accomplished in my life here. Trust in God and listen to His guidance.

Larry Lane

March 11 Numbers 15:17-16:40, Mark 15:1-47, Psalm 54:1-7, Proverbs 11:5-6

When I was a teenager, the band Petra came out with an album called Beat the System, which my cousin won at church and then gave it to me because he didn’t like it. I am pretty sure this was my first exposure to Christian rock music.

The album had a song on it about the victory won on the cross called, “It Is Finished.” There was one line in the bridge that always stuck out to me that I never really understood- until later. The words are, “He paid the ransom due and tore the temple veil in two and opened up the way for me and you.”

In Mark 15, the temple veil coming down is just one of many things taking place at the time of Jesus’ death, but for me, it just may be the most significant. It is the end of religion! THAT is why I get excited every time I read or think about the end of the temple veil- because now we all can enter into God’s presence. How is that possible, you ask? Because all sins (past, present, and future) became covered in Christ’s blood at that moment and were atoned for. So, there was no more need to have a barrier between us and God.

I find it no coincidence that the passage in Mark pairs up today with the one in Numbers, which is full of strict, tedious, impossible-to-follow religious guidelines. I love it when things line up like that. So, it is finished...religion is dead, and hopefully RELATIONSHIP is alive! If it is not, start spending some quality time with God, beginning today.

-Russ Collins

March 10 Numbers 14:1-15:16, Mark 14:53-72, Psalm 53:1-6, Proverbs 11:4

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I love it when I can see Jesus in the stories of the Old Testament this story gives us a beautiful example of Jesus as our intercessor.
The children of Israel once again are complaining and too scared to go into the promise land. They are trying to ditch Moses and run back to Egypt. They even try to stone Joshua and Caleb for encouraging them that God is on their side!
God tells Moses in verse 11 that He is going to wipe out the nation of Israel and start over. But Moses tries to talk him out of it in verse 15, “If you kill this entire people in one stroke, all the nations that have heard what has been going on will say, ‘Since God couldn’t get these people into the land which he had promised to give them, he slaughtered them…’” (MSG). I really doubt that God was thinking well shucks Moses I didn’t think of that. Of course not, He wanted someone to intercede for them to show us Jesus.
What Moses did for the people of Israel Jesus did for us. I can see Jesus saying to God what Moses said in verse 19, “Please forgive the wrongdoing of this people out of the extravagance of your loyal love…” (MSG).
“But Son I cannot.”
“Father, I will take their punishment. The death you were going to give them, give it to me instead. The curse you were going to give them, give to me instead. Give them my blessing. Give them my inheritance. I will take their punishment.”
Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore he is able to save completely those whom, come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Jesus lives to intercede for you and me.

Kristi Bosworth

March 9 Numbers 11:24-13:33, Mark 14:22-52, Psalm 52:1-9, Proverbs 11:1-3

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There are times when the storms of life blindside us. I know for me, this was the case when I was diagnosed with a terminal, genetic lung disease and given only four years to live. I was not prepared for that. Blindsided is an understatement. I knew I had trouble breathing and the medicine wasn’t working but never in a million years would I expect such a devastating blow. To say the least, it was a surprise.


In today’s reading in Mark 14:22-52, Jesus tells the disciples that He will be arrested, killed, and come back. He told them one of them would betray Him. He told Peter he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed. You see, Jesus knew. He knew what had to come to pass for Him, and what would happen with the disciples and EVERYTHING else.


Jesus knows our shortcomings before we do. He knows our sin before it is committed, yet He sees us thru eyes of Grace.


Nothing that happens is a surprise to Jesus.


When storms hit us out of the blue, He has already been standing in our stead fighting for us. When we understand this, we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves and avoid the “Why me?” of it. We get (or get deeper) into His Holy Word. This is exactly where He speaks the answers to us.


As I was talking with Deb (my wife) about this blog she said something that really made me think. She said “We will know a storm is coming before the storm hits, if we are listening to Him.” You see He told Deb of my diagnosis a week before the doctor told me. Deb was listening to the Lord, and at that time I wasn’t. By her being prepared, she helped me cope. God is so good. No surprises.


Think about it like this… We listen to the weatherman and prepare for rain, wind, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc-this is a type of faith.


Have faith in God when He is preparing you for a spiritual storm.


Steve Lawhone

March 8 Numbers 10:1-11:23, Mark 14:1-21, Psalm 51:1-19, Proverbs 10:31-32

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Serving God is awesome but there is a price. God richly rewards us and we cannot out give God. He blesses us far more than we give him, but it does not remove the fact that parting with that price is not always easy. The disciples left their careers. Jesus’ mother almost lost her fiancé. Paul was beaten and stoned. They were all very blessed for their sacrifices, but they still had to make that decision.

Sometimes making the sacrifice is not as hard as dealing with the people who think that it is too extravagant. The woman from Mark 14 with the alabaster box of perfume may have had some internal turmoil over coming to the decision to spend it on Jesus. We don’t know. What we do know is that she did receive some negative feedback from a few people for spending such a costly gift. Our lives our precious (Jesus died for them) but as we are living sacrifices, there will be a time when people think that we should not give God our all.

Jesus stepped in and rebuked the woman’s critics. He new the value of her praise and he does not ignore the cost of our worship either.

Just keep pouring it out. He is worthy of our best.

Brandon Clark

March 7 Numbers 8:1-9:23, Mark 13:14-37, Psalm 50:1-23, Proverbs 10:29-30

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22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:22-23 NIV)


When I was a new believer, passages of scripture; like today’s passage of Mark 13:14-37, that are prophetic both kind of scared me and interested me at the same time. I thought it was interesting, reading about the future. After all, who isn’t interested in what will happen? Especially, when those scriptures contain such keywords or phrases like; false messiahs or false prophets, signs and wonders, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the heavenly bodies will be shaken, stars will fall from the sky. What about the words of warning, such as do not believe, be on your guard, be alert, or even to watch?


One of the things that make these scriptures with all of the words of warning so scary is that every word spoken here, were words that Jesus spoke, but He did not speak these words to scare us. (7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2Timothy1:7) He spoke them so that we will be aware of the things that are going on around us.


Earlier I stated that scriptures like these use to kind of scared me, but they no longer do that. How is that? It is because that as I have developed a relationship with the Lord, through His Word, I have also become more secure in His love for His children and in the knowledge that it is not His desire for anyone to perish.


It is our job to believe in Him, and let Him fight the battles…… after all we already know how the story ends.


Be blessed,
Debra Lawhone

March 6 Numbers 6:1-7:89, Mark 12:38-13:13, Psalm 49:1-20, Proverbs 10:27-28

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“What’s in your wallet?”

You know the commercial, where the Vikings come and ransack the place because you didn’t have the right credit card. If you consider your heart as your wallet and your motives as the card, sometimes we are under siege just by our choices!

In Psalms 49:6-8, God tells us that those who trust in or boast of their wealth do not have the ability to redeem souls. That is the important issue: People being reconnected with God. If we get concerned about the things of this world, we may find a Viking or two totally destroying the opportunity for just that.

In Mark, it talks about the scribes who like to be noticed by getting the best seats and making long prayers. In their hearts, they long to be acknowledged, to be honored themselves instead of being about the Father’s business. I don’t think it is any mistake that this is followed by the story of the widow who put two mites in the offering. It was all that she had. I don’t think what God was saying here is that it is desired that you give 100% of your money. God wants us to give with 100% of our hearts, whether it is your offering or your actions. The devil comes to steal and destroy any good that could come out our actions, if the motive is wrong. He will send his hoard of “vikings” every time. You can count on it!

So…what’s in your heart?

Selena Strickland