A Prayer Journey with our Creator God

 

At My Bistro - Episode 2

Devotional Series: At My Bistro — Episode 2 

Welcome to My Bistro

Today I will be reading from the Book of Genesis, beginning with Chapter 14, from the New International Version.

1 “And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar [also known as Nimrod], Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim [Hebrew: the nations], 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 

3 All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 

4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. 

5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 

7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in Hazazon-tamar. 

8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim [Hebrew: the nations] and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 

10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country. 

11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed. 

12 They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom.

13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. 

14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 

15 He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 

16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

17 “After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.

20 And praise be to God Most High,
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

Psalm 76:1-3

1 “God is known in Judah;
His name is great in Israel.

2 His tabernacle is in Salem;
His dwelling place also is in Zion.

3 There He broke the flaming arrows,
The shield and the sword and the weapons of war. Selah.”

NOTE: God’s High Priest overrides the reason for the war, which was about paying tribute to an earthly king. 

Hebrews 7:1-3 says of this King:

1 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 

3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.”

NOTE: Melchizedek re-establishes God’s Kingdom way. A tenth of the outcome of the victory was the amount which was required to take care of the needs of God’s ordained King-Priests, not an earthly king. Tribute was the earthly king’s counterfeit to tithing.

Let’s continue in Genesis 14:21-24

21 “The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people [Hebrew: souls] and keep the goods for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 

24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

NOTE: The king asked for the people, rather than the spoils of war. The Hebrew says that he asked for “the souls.” 

The enemy of our soul is after our soul, but as believer’s in Jesus Christ, our souls belong to God Almighty.

Now, let’s look at Psalm 110, and I will be reading from the NIV. This is a Psalm of David.

1 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
    “Rule in the midst of your enemies!”

3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind:
“You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at your right hand; He will crush kings on the day of His wrath.

6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

7 He will drink from a brook along the way, and so He will lift his head high.”

Jesus, our Savior and Lord, our High Priest before God, in the Order of Melchizedek, is the One Who intercedes for us still today, for our salvation, our deliverance, our healing, and our total well-being.

God fulfills His word through King David, in Hebrews 6:19-20

And I am Reading from the NIV:

19 “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

You will always have company on your journey with God, for Jesus Himself is praying for you.

On the Menu: Bread and Wine

Jesus instituted the partaking of Communion at the meal before His crucifixion. Paul also taught the Church at Corinth, the proper etiquette when taking Communion. 

1 Corinthians 10:15-17

15 “I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? 

And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 

17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.”

And in 1 Corinthians 11:22-24, Paul continues the thought…

22 “Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.

25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

Help me proclaim the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ today. 

The Apostle Paul tells us, in Ephesians 3:10-12, that when we proclaim the truth, we proclaim it to the principalities, powers and thrones in heavenly places. In this case we proclaim, Jesus died for me, so I am now off limits to the demonic powers in heavenly places. 

10 “to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him."

Let us give honor and tribute to Him, by remembering all He did for our salvation. Partake of bread and wine, or grape juice if you prefer, in celebration of His ultimate gift of Love for us, when He made it possible for us to become One with God.

Jesus, like Melchizedek, proclaims the Covenant Blessings upon those who believe in Him as their King and High Priest.

Matthew 5:1-16

1 “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2 and He began to teach them. He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 

15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'”

 And finally, the Apostle Peter reminds us, in 1 Peter 2:9-10

9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

There are many benefits given to us as members of the Family of God. Two of them we have learned about today are Communion and Tithing.

Communion: partaking of the Body and Blood of Jesus, by taking the bread and wine, instituted in the Priestly Order of Melchizedek. By doing so we partake in His eternal life, health and well-being.

Tithing: The natural response to being blessed by God is sharing that blessing with Him, by giving Him the King’s Portion — called a tithe, or ten percent of the blessing. By doing so we enjoy God’s continued provision and sustenance. 

In Abram’s case, it was a tithe of the spoils of war, because God gave him the victory. So do whatever the Lord tells you to do in your unique circumstances, and be blessed by Jesus, the High Priest of our souls, Himself.

At My Bistro: Episode 1

Devotional Series: 

At My Bistro - Episode 1 -- God Makes the Meal

Travel through time with me to the Year of Earth, 1

when God planted a Garden. He created everything necessary to prepare the first meal for His Creation. Pull up a chair and join me in the Bistro.

On the Menu: Fruit Salad

Daily Devotional: BE! Day 31: Be Strong

Daily Devotional: BE! 

Day 31: Be Strong

There are times in our life experiences when seasons change. Children graduate from school, people change jobs, or move to a new dwelling place. All these life events can bring a level of uncertainty and sometimes even fear. But God doesn’t want us to be afraid. God wants us to be strong, and very courageous.

Let’s look at some examples of how God helped others during their life-changing times.

Moses Passes the Baton to Joshua

In Deuteronomy 28, God declares the blessings that would come to the Ancient nation of Israel, when they obeyed Him, and the curses that would come, if they didn’t obey Him.

Let’s skip ahead to chapter 30 for now.

Deuteronomy 30 [NIV]

1 “When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, 

2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 

3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 

4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. 

5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. 

6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 

7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 

8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 

9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, 

10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

The Offer of Life or Death

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 

12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 

13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 

14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 

16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 

18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 

20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

1 “Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 

2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ 

3 The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 

4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 

5 The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 

8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Joshua 1

1 “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 

2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 

3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 

4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 

5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 

6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 

11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 

13 “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ 

14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them 

15 until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 

17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 

18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!” 

David Passes on the Kingdom to Solomon

1 Kings 2:1-4

1 “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 

3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 

4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’”

The lineage of Jesus Christ includes Rahab, the mother of Boaz.

Boaz married Ruth, the Moabitess, and they had a child named Obed. Obed and his wife had a child named Jesse. And Jesse  became the father of King David. 

[See Matthew 1 — Genealogy of Jesus Christ]

Psalm 27:13-14

13 “I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”

Luke 1:80 [regarding John the Baptist, Luke writes]

“And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.”

Luke 2:40 [regarding Jesus Christ, Luke writes]

“And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”

Jesus Passes on the Anointing to Us

Matthew 28:18

18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Paul Passes the Baton to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:1-3

1 “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

Encouragement 

Each generation experiences the passing of the baton in one way or another. God provides a way to make the transition from one leader to another easier to bear especially when grief, due to death, is involved, as we have seen in the lives of Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon, Jesus and His Disciples, Paul and Timothy, and the Apostle John and his congregation.

1 John 2:14

“I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. 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.”

We can be strong in times of difficulty, even in times of mourning, because God gives us His strength. He fills us with His good plans, so that we can keep moving forward into that which is to come.