Gems from Devotions July 

Today reading Genesis 16: The angel of the LORD said to Hagar, "You will bear a son, Ishmael. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." The descendants of Ishmael are the Arabs. Prophecies made 25000 years ago in the Bible are happening in the Middle East today! 

King Saul started very well. He was from a small tribe, picked by God when the people asked for a king, anointed by Samuel, and filled with the Holy Spirit. He was tall and yet humble at the beginning. He won many battles for the people. He ruled for 42 years. Towards the end, his pride and jealousy led to his fall. Lessons for us, especially the leaders. (1Samuel 11-13) 

There was a man named Virgil who was blind since childhood. At 50, he had surgery to restore sight. What he experienced afterwards, confirmed the Bible's account of one of Jesus' miracles. He saw bits of angles, colours, movement. Only after some time he could combine them into complete objects. In Mark 8:23, the blind man healed by Jesus said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around". Consistent with what is nowadays. Praise God for His Word! 

Leviticus 18 warns us of the many sexual sins and perversions which were common among the people living in the land surrounding the people of God. The land was defiled, and was punished by the LORD for its sin, and the land vomited out of its inhabitants. Anthropologist JD Unwin in his study of 88 civilisations found that every society that extended sexual permissiveness soon perished. 

Many people do not realise that the word "scapegoat" is derived from the Bible, Leviticus 16: "where a goat is chosen by lot as a scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat". 

A familiar song to sing direct from the Bible: Rev 7:10 "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever , Amen" 

New Promise from the New Testament book of Hebrews 8:10...declares the LORD "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour or a man his brother, saying 'Know the LORD' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" Comment: You can never make people good by telling them to follow the rules. God will write His law in human hearts, to make them know good first, before they can change their ways from evil to good. 

Leviticus listed foods prohibited in the Old Testament. Christians are not bound by the strict dietary laws. However one advice seems healthy: Do not take fat and blood from the meat!

 Read through Leviticus today. All the types of offerings: atonement for our sins, thanksgiving, fellowship, peace. All these fulfilled by Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross. However we offer ourselves as thanksgiving to our Saviour God.

 Mission team from St Peter Pastor Samuel Lamb (actual name Lam) in his church in Canton 25 years ago. He was persecuted and went to jail for 20 years. His church however grew!!standing room only in his services. He passed away recently at age of 88. 

Micah has good prophecy as well: "The LORD will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (quote found in the UN building) 

Today read Daily Bread on God's strength is made perfect in our weakness (2Cor12:9). The writer of the devotion on July 16 was under chemo and radiotherapy and felt weak. Then we realize we have to be totally dependent on God. 

Familiar Bible chorus: "Be bold! Be strong! For the LORD your God is with you. I am not afraid. I am not dismayed. Cause I walk in faith and victory. For the LORD your God is with you" Joshua 1:19

 I was given the booklet "God's Medicine" with prayers and scriptures for healing. To be read aloud three times day, later daily. One prayer: " Jesus took my infirmities, and bore my sicknesses. Therefore, I refuse to allow sickness to dominate my body. The Life of God flows within me, bringing healing to every fibre of my being." 

Could not go to church today. So spent 90 mins at home worshiping, praying and reading the Bible and devotion. 1Peter: 24-25 "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." Amen