‏‏‎ ‎90 Day Bible Challenge

Day 13 of 90 - Deut 1 - Deut 11

On Day 13, we read Deut. 1 - Deut. 11, and the verses that provoked me to tears were Deut. 6:10-12. It says, “When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt.”

As I read this words, I felt God scream from the mountaintop: “Don’t Forget Me.” I remember learning how to tithe when I was a little boy. My grandmother taught me to give a dollar of every 10 dollars I received. And I remember being in that phase where I would give to God, and I would see these supernatural surprises happening out of nowhere—money found on the street, random “holy $ handshakes” and I was in awe of how faithful God was to his word. It was small to some but major to me. Then, I got older, I got “smarter,” and I started to debate within myself. But all along, I felt God pulling me to honor him with my resources, with my relationships, and by giving Him undivided time in his presence. I drifted a little, but he never stopped blessing me. And it got to the point where the more successful I became, the more excuses I made. I settled for less presence, less sacrifice, and less surrender. 

But boy did God get my attention with this scripture. I strongly believe God is bringing you into a place of supernatural provision and prosperity. I’m not just talking about success according to man’s definition; I’m talking about unfathomable favor. I’ve seen God do it. I’ve seen God whisper my name in the wind, and next thing I know, I am preaching before thousands. I’ve seen God whisper my name in the wind, and next thing I know, I’m writing for stars and millionaires.

And God has no respect of persons. If he did it for me, He will do it for you. BUT….DONT FORGET HIM. Don’t forget to honor the God of your success. Because God will remove the gift when we forget the Giver.

Day 12 of 90 - Numbers 24:1-Numbers 36

Today we read Numbers 24-Numbers 36, and I got stuck on Numbers 26:51 which says that the total number of Israelites counted, after the census was taken in the end, was 601,730 men. Now I’m sure many people are wondering why this is so important to me. But, if you read Numbers the first chapter, you will discover that another census was done when the Israelites first entered into the wilderness. Moses counts all the tribes, and the total number of able bodied men, was 603,550 (not including women and children). So that means at least a million people were transitioning from one place to the next. And during this transition, several things happened. God sends plagues to destroy the complainers. The earth opens up and swallows the followers of Korah. God also destroys anyone who preferred to have died in Egypt; and in one episode he allows them to eat so much quail that they got sick to their stomach. So, many people fell off over the 38 year journey that Numbers documents. But when we get to Numbers 26:52 the Bible says the number of men is still at 601,730 able bodied men.

In other words, NOTHING LOST, NOTHING BROKEN. God will make up the difference in the end. You may have lost much over the last 3 years of your life. You may be disappointed that the people who started with you 30 years ago, are not here with you to celebrate your current season. But know this: God will make up the difference in the end. There are more for you than against you; and every loss isn’t a loss. Sometimes God needs to shave off dead weight so that you can grow. Sometimes God needs to remove distractions that are working against your mission. But over time, he will replace and replenish what you lost and restore everything you need to succeed.

Many of us have lost a lot of money investing into people, places and things that never turned around to say thank you. But don’t worry, God is going to make up the difference in the end. For God sees all, and God is not unrighteousness to forget your labor of love.

Day 11 of 90 - Numbers 12:1 - Numbers 23:30

Today was read Numbers 12 - Numbers 23, and there were SO many amazing nuggets! But my verse is Numbers 14:2.

By this point, the Israelites have been complaining so much, I’ve lost count. every time God delivered them, they found another reason to complain. What’s worse, they preferred their bondage over their freedom. They preferred to go back to enslavement, instead of embracing their emancipation. Which tells me that it is possible remove people out of Egypt, but that doesn’t mean Egypt is out of them. 

My grandparents started their church 30 years ago, and they were committed to radical evangelism. Every Saturday, they canvassed the streets of Newark, NJ to spread the good news of Jesus. One Saturday, they met a woman named Denise begging for food outside of a local McDonald’s. When they approached her, she was searching for food out of garbage can. My grandparents not only bought her food that day, they also introduced her to Christ, helped her to find a job, taught her the Word, and eventually moved her into their home. Denise was our family member for over 10 years. Every holiday, she sat at the table with us. She had a job and she learned how to budget. But some days, Denise would disappear. And whenever we went looking for her, Denise was right back at McDonald’s, searching for food in the garbage can. 

Like Denise, all of us have some “Egypt” that we don’t want to let go of. All of us have a familiar thing that imprisons us but intoxicates us at the same time. It’s called a weakness. We all have them. But this text showed me two major things. 

1) if your weakness wins, your promise becomes paralyzed. You can’t enjoy the new until you let go of the old.

2) complainers are contagious. And if you’re not careful, you’ll compromise your future because of your proximity to their problem.

Lesson: it is possible to remove people out of Egypt but that doesn’t mean Egypt is out of them.


Prayer: Lord, get Egypt out of me. ONCE AND FOR ALL. Amen.

Day 10 of 90 - Numbers 2:1-Numbers 11:35

Yesterday, we read Numbers 2:1-Numbers 11:35, and the words that leapt from the pages of scripture were “at the appointed time.” What I felt the Holy Spirit say was: OBEY NOW. ASK LATER.

As I read Genesis-Numbers over the last 2 weeks, I couldn’t help but notice how detailed God is. God gives specifics about fabric, colors, measurements, and types of wood. God also commands Israel to observe certain feasts at an appointed time. He instructs them to depart from a certain place or enter into another space at an appointed time. 

In Numbers 9:2, as the Israelites are preparing for Passover, God says it again: Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month.” When I parallel this command to God’s order to eat manna at a certain time, or else it will expire, I started to recall every moment God compelled me to write something, produce something, launch something, apply for something, at a certain time—and I put it off because I got busy. I started to think about certain seasons where I felt a strong impression to publish a book to bring awareness to God’s people about a situation that was near and dear to His heart, and instead of focusing on His word, I would put his priorities on the back burner to tend to other, more pressing things for other people. I figured I would get to it when I got to it. But delayed obedience is still disobedience. 

God not only cares about what you do; God also cares about WHEN you do it. If he didn’t, Jesus wouldn’t have stated “Seek FIRST the kingdom.” If he didn’t He would not have taken the time to show us in His word, how important it was to do something on a certain day, at a certain time. My question to you is, what has God been prompting you to finish before the end of the year, and you keep putting it off? You never know what your obedience is attached to. 

Lesson: God’s grace is limitless, but your assignment is not. Your instructions from God are time-sensitive, and He wants you to do it NOW. 

Day 9 of 90 - Leviticus 16:15-Numbers 1:54

Today we read Leviticus 16:15-Numbers 1:54, and I loved how practical Leviticus is. I was afraid of Leviticus because of the stigma attached to its strict moral code, but today, God opened my eyes as I read the end of Leviticus into the beginning of Numbers. 

Numbers 1:46 tells us that there were 603,550 men counted in total amongst the tribes. These men were able-bodied and at least 20 years old (and older). This census didn’t include women, children and other men. So we are literally talking about 1 million people leaving Egypt and heading to Canaan. 1 million people to guide. 1 million people to monitor. 1 million people to introduce to Yahweh. And these 1 million people sojourned for 40 years, with no outlets of electronics, entertainment, or fitness centers to burn off steam or to centralize their energy. In light of this, it makes sense why Moses had to give so many guidelines. These practical laws were “speed limits” that helped to ensure that God’s people would arrive to their destination safely. With no rules, disorder was guaranteed. And of the many guidelines listed in Leviticus, i loved the simple, to-the-point ones written in Leviticus 19. My favorite was verse 32 “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” I don’t know when we entered into this widespread era of disrespect toward our elders, but it has become a major issue. When I was born, I was trained to say “Yes sir” and “Yes ma’am.” I was raised to open doors for women, all women, and be hospitable and honorable. I was raised to say please and thank you and not cut off an elder who was speaking. But nowadays, we have lost respect for our elders. In our churches, we are so hungry for relevance that we are skipping an entire generation of wisdom. In our homes, we are calling them by their first names. In our academies, we see ourselves as equal to or better than them. And I just believe that there is so much untapped wisdom being withheld because we are going to grad school for things we need to be sitting under grandma for. 

Day 8 of 90 - Leviticus 4:27-Leviticus 16:14

Today we read Leviticus 4:27- Leviticus 16:14. And the verse that really hit me was Lev. 11:45. The operative word, for me, is Holy. And in today’s church, it seems that the three most controversial words are SIN, HELL and HOLY. These words aren’t preached about as often as other words. Nevertheless they are words that show up everywhere in the Bible. So what do we do with that? What do we do with the laws and rules of Leviticus and why do they exist?

This didn’t really make sense to me until I thought about my double hip replacement 3 years ago. Before I was approved to get the surgery, I had to endure several pre-authorization visits to my primary care doctor, my dentist and my orthopedic surgeon. Then Post-op, i had a manual full of things to eat, things not to eat, ways to exercise, how to clean the area where I had my surgery, and a list of prohibitions and medications to ensure that i would live after my handicap. I had to learn to walk again. I had to buy certain appliances in my home to ensure that I could still live in my house after this surgery.

As I read Leviticus today, I realized that God put all these measures in place for Israel because he wanted to live with them and he wanted them to live. Despite the introduction of sin in Genesis which really messed up intimacy between God and man, God was still willing to institute laws of protection and direction to ensure his chosen people could “co-habitate” with a Holy God. But the catch was, God is holy. And I pray I never forget that. I’m not just reading the Bible, I’m reading the Holy Bible. That is to say, Im reading it through the lens of holiness. God is asking us to be holy BECAUSE he is holy. God is not like people who demand that we do as he says but not as he does. Instead he sets the bar high and expects us to rise up and not settle down. The Israelites didn’t realize that these precautions were for their protection, but they were. 

Lesson- god may be protecting you by restricting you. Trust Him anyway! 

Day 7 of 90 - Exodus 30:1 - Leviticus 4:26

Today we read Exodus 30:1-Leviticus 4:26, and there were so many scriptures to choose from, but I settled on Exodus 31:3. There, we are told that God has filled a man (Bezalel) with the Spirit of God; and this is the first time we see that language in the Bible. Bezalel is what some would call an ordinary man. He is clearly not as holy as Moses because Moses is invited up to the mountain to talk with God, and it is because of his holiness that he is permitted to go up.

But Bezalel is at the bottom of the mountain. This text reveals how God can use unholy people to do a holy thing. Moses is entrusted with the details of the ark but God doesn’t let Moses build it himself. Instead God places his Spirit in/on Bezalel so that he can create what Moses could only conceive. Bezalel shows us the power that happens in a person when God breathes His spirit on their skill. Moses shows us the importance of leading without micromanaging. And this text shows us how God will sometimes connect us with people that most wouldn’t assume we should connect with—because they don’t come dressed in the garb of holiness and righteousness. But they have the skill to make it happen. 

Lesson: Look for divine partnerships in unexpected places. Who knows what God is up to?

Perhaps the person you hire, or the company you partner with, will come into the knowledge of Christ because of your willingness to work together. Who knows what happened to Bezalel as he built the ark of the covenant? And lastly Bezalel and others were competent to do what you can’t do. There are some things we don’t need to worry about, when we trust God and trust the people God sends our way!!!

Day 6 of 90 - Exodus 16:1-Exodus 29:46

Today we read Exodus 16:1-Exodus 29:46, and out of all the verses we read, Exodus 23:25-26 really ministered to me today. Over the last week, so many young people have died. So many healthy vibrant people were here today, and gone tomorrow. And if I’m honest, the fear of death crept upon me. But this scripture was medicine to my heart. God promised to give us a full life span. When we worship him, he will take care of our food and water. 

I don’t know about you, but death has a way of reminding you of what matters. Sudden death sobers you into intentional loving and living. But let the words written in Exodus 23 encourage you today. Don’t let fear creep in and bully you into paranoia. You will live for as long as God wills. You will thrive and flourish and accomplish all that God intends. Instead of fearing death, use death as a reminder to live and love on purpose. Use loss as the life coach you need to help you shake away from meaningless situations, and irrelevant relationships. 

Lesson: You cannot change what you cannot control, so why not control what can be changed: your now. 

Live now. Share now. Write now. Give now. Love now. My prayer today is that those who fear death and dying will be comforted by the undeniable sovereignty of God; that God is still in control. May we be jolted into hugging more tightly, laughing more frequently, confronting when necessary, and worshipping with our whole heart. You. Shall. Live.

Day 5 of 90 - Exodus 3:1-Exodus 15:27

Today we read Exodus 3:1-Exodus 15:27. All throughout our reading, we heard a consistent refrain. God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and command him to “let my people go.” These words have become a popular saying in sacred and secular spaces. Movies that recapitulate the Moses story, remind us of these words. Negro spirituals remind of us these words. But most of us stop at the WHAT without interrogating the WHY. The what is: LET MY PEOPLE GO. The why is: SO THAT THEY CAN WORSHIP ME.

 

The lesson I believe God is trying to tell us is twofold. Firstly, we are freed for purpose. God doesn’t just free us for our enjoyment. God frees us for his glory. Our freedom from bondage gives us access into a new life of abundance.

 

Secondly, that purpose is specific. We are freed from bondage so we can worship God. This implies to me, that it is impossible to worship God in chains. It is impossible to experience the joy of worship if we are in the prison of Egypt. So it makes sense for Exodus to be the book that expounds upon and elaborates on worship because Exodus, simply defined, means TO EXIT.

 

The children of Israel had to exit from the enslavement of their past, to experience the intimacy of worshipping a God who is faithful to sustain in the wilderness. The location of their worship must not be overlooked either. Because pre-wilderness they had to work for themselves. they were slaves to their masters and victims of their predicament. But when God frees us, He provides manna in the wilderness, a cloud by day to keep us cool, and fire by night to keep us warm. When we are in God’s will, it becomes God’s bill. He becomes RESPONSIBLE for us. (Responsible is my new favorite word). And the reason that speaks to me is because I don’t have to worry when I worship. When I enter into his presence, my fear of failure drowns in his presence. My fear of dying too soon, drowns in his presence. My separation anxiety drowns in his presence. My worry about finances, it all drowns in his presence.

 

Question: What is God calling you to EXIT so that you can ENCOUNTER Him?

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Day 4 of 90 - Genesis 41:1 - Exodus 2:25

Today we read Gen. 41:1-Ex. 2:25

Exodus 1:17 really spoke to me! the King of Egypt has ordered all of the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn male, and allow every female to live. But, “the midwives, HOWEVER, feared God and did not do what the King of Egypt told them to do.”

 

The primary word that jumped out at me was HOWEVER. The midwives heard the order, but opposed the king because they had a “HOLY HOWEVER.” They feared the King of Kings above the king(s) of this world.

 

In the same way, I believe God is raising up Modern Day Midwives who are not afraid to go against the grain of the popular vote. God is raising up men and women who will hear God above the noise, and despite opposition, they will carry with them a “Holy However.”

 

Many Christians in the marketplace have to make this decision everyday. Whether they have to take a righteous stand against a leader or a government position others agree with, God is calling us to speak up when something is inconsistent with our God conviction. God wants us to put his agenda first. And God is a God of life. God is a God of justice. God is a God who defends the marginalized; so he is placing radical revivalists throughout the world, to fight back against worldly kings and principalities. And if they threaten to take your job, don’t fret: God will give you another. If you have to defend your position, God will stand up within you. God has anointed you for such a time as this, to protect the Moses’ coming your way. stand up for righteousness. Don’t sign every document. Read the fine print and pray for guidance.

 

The midwives in Exodus understood a few things. First they understood: if I do not stand up for God, then Moses cannot get up and live. Second, they understood calling as something more than a platform from which to speak. Calling is also an assignment to cover. They had to cover Moses and every male born in that time.

 

Who are you covering? Who are you advocating for?

 

The beautiful thing about their decision to cover was that it was selfless. But God rewarded them anyway. Exodus 1:21 says “And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.”

 

Lesson: If I fear God, then fruitfulness is the consequence.

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