More power than Moses and Aaron over Egypt, the LORD’s “two witnesses” (Revelation 11:3 KJV) will prophesy 42 months or 1,260 days, the second half of the Tribulation Week. Who are they? Neither Enoch nor Elijah died, since both were personally raptured Home. Perhaps it will be them. Fire will proceed out of their mouths to devour their enemies (11:5). They will have unprecedented power. “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will” (11:6). The Almighty, not the wicked one, controls the narrative for the story to conclude as prophesied. Both will be martyred like many true witnesses, will lie dead three days in the streets of Jerusalem, but will be resurrected for all the world to see, when a Great Voice from heaven calls out, “Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” (11:12). All of this transpires as the Seventh Trumpet sounds (11:15). LORD, You control the narrative. You determine the fulness of time for all things. May our awe of You far surpass our apprehension about the enemy. May our understanding of You transcend our understanding of not just man’s power but all the supernatural power of wickedness in high places. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Moses
Hail and Fire Mingled With Blood (Revelation 8:7)
Hail, fire, and blood is the First Trumpet Judgment. “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (Revelation 8:7 KJV). LORD, You are the Almighty among the gods doing wonders in the earth (Exodus 15:11). How can You practically fix the planet, if You only figuratively deal with the judgments of the Book of Revelation in generalities? “Hail and fire” (Revelation 8:7) were used by Moses to deliver the Children of Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 9:23-24). “Fire ran along the ground” (9:23), evidently from the friction of the hail creating ignition on the ground and burning the combustibles. Blood most likely results from the torrential fire, smoke, and hail, but this is miraculous, so God can do whatever He likes. When only a “third,” but not all of the trees are burnt, God is making a statement, ‘Repent now, for I could have already burnt everything,’ along with all “green grass,” the environmental devastation is far beyond any meager debate about the cataclysm of greenhouse gases or global warming. Anyone who advocates for the environment needs to cultivate the best of relations with the God who can say, “I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Resistance is futile. LORD, You are God over all. May we seek our peace with You, while we can. In Jesus’ name and for His sake, we pray. Amen.
Should You Run for Congress?
Probably not, but then again, you may be positioned like Moses or Esther “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 KJV). Christ’s Body is the Church. Each of us has our gifts and calling, but all for the benefit of the Body. “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will” (1Corinthians 12:11). No doubt there is a moral vacuum in society. Not all have been motivated or led to step into the place of secular government or leadership. If God has led you, then clothe yourself with power from the Holy Spirit to be that Daniel, who cared more about pleasing God than garnering votes, maintaining political capital, or purchasing political favor to use at a future time. “I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:26-27). LORD, raise up Your Moses, Daniel, and Esther for such a time as this; but, whether we find that one or not, may we serve You with all our heart, come what may. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
The Courts of Heaven
God rules sovereignly from Heaven but not arbitrarily. In the Unseen Realm, “God [Hebrew, ělôhîym, ruler, judge, divine one, angel] has taken His place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods [Hebrew, ělôhîym] He holds judgment” (Psalms 82:1 ESV). With the Supreme Judge of All the Earth (Genesis 18:25), both Abraham and Moses pleaded cases before His court and won (Genesis 18:25; Numbers 14:13-20). Why should Yahweh allow Himself to be persuaded by a mere mortal in prayer? “Remind Me of what happened! Let’s debate! You, prove to Me that you are right [Hebrew, tsadeq, acquitted, justified, vindicated, declared right]!” (Isaiah 43:26 NET). God desires us to enter into intimate relation with Him to form a more perfect union, when we argue our case in the Courts of Heaven using all our intellect, understanding, experience, emotion, and feeling, thus bonding to Him with all our strength for eternity.
Show Me Your Glory
Moses had just interceded for Israel after they worshipped a false god in the form of a Golden Calf. Jehovah heard and answered Moses’ prayer. Yahweh then promised, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest” (Exodus 33:14 KJV). Moses had already secured God’s promised presence, but he made a further request, which God will delight to answer for all His children. “I beseech Thee, shew [pronounced shō] me Thy glory” (33:18). “And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen” (33:19-23). “When we respond to the glory of God, supernatural things will happen that otherwise would not” (Robert Henderson).
Rebuking the Devil
“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing [prideful, boastful] accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9 KJV). Christians must contend or fight the enemy not in our own strength, but the “Lord rebuke thee” (1:9). Victory is humbly ours with the LORD’s safety and protection, when we contend with the Serpent Michael’s way. In the name of Jesus, we rebuke thee [the Devil]. Amen.
Holy Ground
Every bush, a burning bush. All ground, holy ground. The old time religion of evangelists of long ago urged converts to daily live their religious experience, like the LORD commanding Moses. “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5 KJV). Such honest converts become stalwarts of the faith, will not be drawn into the deception of the Antichrist, and will be translated by their Lord to glory. May we be of that number!
Children of the Righteous
The children of the righteous are those children which God has given to a Christian parent or parents. “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him” (1Samuel 1:27 KJV). Faith will die out on the planet in one generation, if we fail to raise our children in the “nurture and admonition of the LORD” (Ephesians 6:4 KJV). God gave children to the parents, not the state or church. Just ask the parents of Moses. The awesome duty of Christian parenting is more than providing food, clothing, shelter, education, and socialization. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1Timothy 5:8 KJV). Our children’s impression of who God is comes from how they see us act, not just our talk. I am still amazed at what I hear my children say all these years later. They were listening more than I thought! Would you do things differently? Of course you would! But, our Heavenly Father has especially given us His promise that our children will meet us in Heaven. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV). Do we believe it? Remember, Christian parent, you are not responsible to God for how He keeps His part of this promise. Do all you know how to do on your part, and leave the fulfilling to the God of the Impossible!
Walking With God
Man has a history of walking with God. Adam and Eve “heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8 KJV). The Voice was the Pre-Incarnate Christ, the Son of God, the Eternal Logos who was made flesh, walking in the garden with our parents. God seems to enjoy walking with man, too, for Enoch “walked with God” (5:22), until he apparently walked Home, “for God took him” (5:24). Some describe the Rapture as an Enoch Walk. Noah “walked with God” (6:9) and was chosen to rescue the world from the plague of the Nephilim. Abraham walked with the LORD, whom he trusted. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3 KJV). Moses walked with I AM and gave us understanding of how to live, “for the law was given by Moses” (John 1:17 KJV). The apostles walked with the Lord Jesus Christ. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1John 1:1-3 KJV). May we be counted among those who walk with God!
Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” wrote poet Robert Burns. Things don’t always work out as we planned. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8 KJV). Life is our opportunity to cast our vote for the LORD by trusting Him. Even after checking our heart, things may work out like God is angry with us; still, we should say like Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15 KJV). We want the world to have that same confidence in the LORD. “And the LORD passed by before him [Moses], and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7 KJV). O LORD, in the same manner You treat the guilty, may Your treatment of us, who have confidence in You, be manifested in goodness upon us, our children, and our children’s children, to the third and fourth generation. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen and amen.
We Need A Miracle 