Live under God's authority

Friday, October 25, 2013 Devotions: Ps 31, 35; Ezra 3:1-13; 1 Cor 16:10-24; Mt 12:22-32 YHWH, I take my refuge in You, my Rock and Fortress. Guide and protect me as I live this day. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, faithful God. I will rejoice and be glad for You are steadfast in love and mercy. My adversaries scorn me, but my times are in Your hand, not theirs. Let Your face shine upon Your servant. Hide me in the covert of Your presence. Contend with my enemies and put them to shame who seek to disgrace me; help me take the log from my own eyes, that I may serve others more effectively. There is none like You, my Lord! I will thank You in the presence of Your saints; vindicate me according to the righteousness of my Lord Jesus the Messiah. Great is YHWH, Who delights in the welfare of His servants. In the seventh month, Tishri, the sons of Israel gathered to Jerusalem. Jeshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the scion of kings built an altar to YHWH and began to sacrifice upon it, burnt offerings mornings and evenings. They kept the Feast of Booths. And they funded the masons and carpenters, sending provisions to the Sidonians and Tyrians, in order to begin the construction of a temple for the Lord. In the second yeart, in the second month, Zerubbabel and Jeshua appointed Levites to oversee the work of the Lord's house Jeshua and the men of his family, and Kadmiel and his sons, all descendants of Judah, supervised the work of the workmen in the temple's construction. When the builders laid the temple's foundation, priests and Levites came forward and sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, 'For He Is good; His steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.' And the people shouted a great shout of praise; and the elders among them wept with joy; so the listeners could not distinguish joy from sorrow, elation from weeping. And the sound was heard afar. Paul concluded his first Corinthian letter with instructions and greetings: Put Timothy at ease when he visits you; he is doing the Lord's work, just as I am. And send him back to me speedily. I urged Apollos to visit you, but he would not at this time. He'll come when he has opportunity. Be watchful; stand firm in your faith; be courageous and strong. And whatever you undertake, do it in godly love. Be led by those steadfast in faith and good works, like Stephanas and his household, the first converts in Achaia. Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus have visited me and refreshed my spirit. Recognize such men! The churches in the province of Asia send their greetings, as does the house church led by Aquila and Prisca. I write this in my own hand: let them be cursed who do not love the Lord. Our Lord, come! Marana Tha! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you, and my love also, in the Messiah Jesus. Amen. Jesus healed a man made blind and dumb by demonic possession. Seeing this, the people speculated that Jesus might be the promised Messiah, the Son of David. But the Pharisees asserted that Jesus dominated demons by the power of Beelzebul, prince of demons. Jesus knew their thoughts and confronted the Pharisees: 'Every divided kingdom is laid waste; no divided city or family can stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided and cannot continue. If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people exorcise? But if I do this by the Spirit of God, then God's kingdom has come upon you! No one can enter and plunder a strong man's house unless first he binds the strong man. Those not with Me are against Me; those scatter who fail to gather with me. I tell you this most solemnly: every sin and blasphemy done by mortals will be forgiven save one: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, in this age or the age to come.'