February 28, 2023
Luke 12:48 “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more”
This part of this verse is about privilege and responsibility for just as the two go together in man’s eyes, they are also joined before the Lord. When the Jews left Egypt and were traveling to the promised land, they needed water and the first time, God told Moses to take his staff and strike a rock. Water flowed from the rock and they went on their way. The second time they were without water, God told Moses to speak to a rock but Moses disobeyed and struck the rock with his staff as he did the first time. The water still flowed but because of Moses’ disobedience, God would not let Moses enter the promised land. This is not a type of God barring us from heaven because we do not perfectly obey His will but it is a lesson that the more ability, talent, and knowledge of truth God gives us the more we are held responsible. Moses was the leader, a man that represented God to Israel and God held him responsible to set a pattern of obedience and loyalty to the Almighty. When we ask God to enlarge our territory and when He opens doors and gives us more blessings we will be held accountable for what we do with what He has given. This is also the thought behind the parable of the talents, or money, in Matthew 25. The wise servants recognized the value of what they held and the responsibility of their privilege to be able to use it for their lord and acted wisely. But the foolish servant behaved as if he had no responsibility to use what he had been entrusted with for the betterment of his master and was judged to be a wicked and slothful servant. Some people are genuinely ignorant of how much blessing the Lord has given them and they never reach a place where they see their responsibility to use what they have for the glory of God. But when we hear the truth and the power of God’s Word calls us to step up and serve the master by putting what He has given us to use, the Holy Spirit removes our darkness of ignorance and brings us into the light. The greater the privileges God has granted bring higher levels of responsibilities to do God’s will. In the natural, a company holds the 60-dollar-an-hour craftsman far more responsible to make the company a success than they do the 10-dollar-an-hour janitor and if they don’t, they will soon be out of business. This does not excuse laziness on any level but does repeat the truth of today’s verse, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more”. May we use all God has given us to do all we can, the very best we can, for as long as we can, for the glory of God!
_____________________________
February 27, 2023
Psalms 27:8 “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek”
The Lord is always with us and has promised He will never leave us or forsake us. We can reach out to Him anytime day or night and the Bible says in Psalms 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry”. But there are times when the Lord draws us intimately to Himself and it is in this sense that we see today’s verse, as an invitation from the Lord to seek His face. When a little child looks earnestly into the eyes of its mother and searches her face, there is a mysterious connection made that is beyond words and a bond is formed that nothing can replace. When Moses was meeting God on Mount Sinai, Moses spoke in Exodus 33:18, “And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory”. Moses knew the Lord, he talked with Him, and he had seen God’s power but Moses was asking for something else: a connection with the Lord that was personal and intimate. The Bible tells us Moses was not able to see the glory of God in fullness but what he was able to view caused his skin to glow so brilliantly that the people could not bear to look at Moses when he came down from the mountain. When we encounter the Lord personally and are humbled before Him, we are changed by His glory. The Lord calls us into His presence and His invitation is made possible when Jesus died for us on the cross and the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The presence of the Lord, typified by the Holiest of Holies, is open to us. May our hearts cry out as David’s heart in today’s passage, “thy face, LORD, will I seek”. Whatever people expect to get out of their religion and their religious routines, their souls can not be satisfied until their hearts cry, ”Thy face, Lord, will I seek”. Many saved people are unaware that what they need is not more religion and church activities but the fullness of God’s power and presence. God is saying, “Seek ye my face” but they are seeking everything else. They put it off because they are too busy with their hurried lives to enter into His presence. They have jobs to do, housework piled up, sporting events, activities of pleasure, and a million other things to seek and chase. Their response to God’s invitation reminds us of the words of Felix in Acts 24:25, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee”. As part of David’s prayer in this Psalm, he says in verse 9, “Hide not thy face far from me”. God doesn’t compete with this world for our attention and He will not share us with the stuff of this life. If it seems He has hidden His face, it is because we have allowed a wall of unbelief or an allegiance to something else or some sin to block our view of Him. He is still saying, “seek ye my face”.
_____________________________________
February 26, 2023
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”
The Lord says in Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Human words have a degree of power and influence but there is nothing that compares to the Word of God. If we look back to the beginning of all things, all matter, all the universe, and the that exists in the natural realm came into being because God spoke them into existence. The Bible says in Psalms 33:6, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” and in Hebrews 11:3, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”. It is not the words of humans that call us to repentance and salvation, but today’s verse shows us that it is the Word of God that penetrates our hearts like a sharp, two-edged sword and the Word of God makes a difference on the inside of us that is a supernatural action of God. People can deliver splendid sermons and speeches and self-help and motivate us to make decisions and choices but one word from God can change us eternally as nothing else can. The departure from the Word of God as a foundation of faith has been gradual but continual through the decades until nowadays, what we hear from pulpits is a mixture of human thought and ideas, psychology, and “spiritual gibberish”. The scriptures tell us the Word of God is the sword of the Holy Spirit and when the minister of truth swings the sword of the Spirit, sin is attacked, Jesus is exalted, salvation is proclaimed, and the door to heaven is illuminated. The Word of God is the bread from heaven and the Bible says in Job 23:12, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food”. It’s no wonder the enemy always tries to stop the Word of God from being read, studied, preached, followed and honored. It’s no wonder he has tried to dilute it, change it, ban it, burn it, and make it a laughing stock of “progressive society”. But when the heavens and earth pass away, and they will according to 2 Peter 3:10, and when all humanity’s time on this planet as we know it has come to an abrupt end, The Word of God will still be standing eternally. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever: and again in 1 Peter 1:25, “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you”. Maybe we need to make the little song we used to sing as children our theme: “The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me. I stand for Christ on the word of God, The B-I-B-L-E.
_________________________________
February 25, 2023
Acts 16:31 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”
Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten, and thrown in jail in the city of Philippi for preaching the gospel. At midnight, they were praying and singing praises to God and the Lord struck the prison with a mighty earthquake that flung open all the doors and loosed all the prisoner’s bonds. The Philippian jailer ran to Paul and Silas and asked them in verse 30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”. The answer they gave him in today’s verse, contains some of the most precious words in the New Testament:” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”. Some people may take it as words just said to the jailer but it’s much broader than that and is a promise of salvation to us but also a promise of hope for our families. Those of us who are saved and know the supreme importance of the eternal destination of our souls want our children and grandchildren to also be saved more than anything else we could hope for them. In our minds and within our hearts there are always prayers directed to the Lord to draw them to Himself, to open their understanding of His Word, and to guide them in ways of truth. We pray they will be protected from the lies and contamination of this world and that they will have a testimony that their faith is in Christ alone for salvation. Our vision of the future with Christ is that our families will be there in heaven and that as the old hymn says, the circle will be unbroken. At times when it seems our children and grandchildren are interested and involved in everything except the things of the Lord, we can turn to this verse for comfort and consolation that the Lord’s Word said we will be saved and our house. We can put our foot down on the rock of His promise and declare Joshua 24:15, “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”. Sometimes our children, just like many of us did, walk away like the prodigal son in Luke 15 but we have the promise that the eyes of the Lord are on them and that He knows how to reel them in no matter how far they drift. It has been a great blessing and encouragement to hear the recent news of revivals on college campuses and even though there have been some that seem critical, it’s always a wonderful thing when people look to God. None of us have always had the right motives, at times we’ve all made sloppy messes of our faith, and yet the Lord was patient and merciful to us. It’s a good thing when people, young and old, look heavenward to seek the Lord the best way they know how and we can be sure the Lord is fully aware. May that revival fire cover us all, our children, grandchildren, our neighbors, and our enemies.
__________________________________
February 24, 2023
Luke 14:16-18 “Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse”
This parable of the great supper or feast, speaks of God’s plan for humanity. He has prepared a place in eternity for all who will accept the invitation. The parable is at first a reference to the Jews because Jesus came to them first as the Bible says in John 1:10-11, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not”. Those who were invited, all made excuses as to why they were turning down the invitation but the sum of the matter is that they just didn’t want to go. The things of their life and what they possessed were far more important and interesting to them than what the Lord offered. It’s incredulous that people would turn down the invitation and opportunity to go to heaven but they do and they do it in a flippant, casual way as if to say, “it’s not all that important”. Those who turned down the invitation to the great feast made lame excuses as if to say, “I don’t want to go so don’t bother me with any more invitations”. Every day people are given the opportunity to look to the Lord and trust in Him and every time they turn away as if heaven and eternal life are not important. In the parable, when those that were invited refused, the door was then opened to the poor, the handicapped, and then to anyone anywhere that wanted to come. When the Jews turned away from the Lord’s offer of eternal life, the door of heaven was opened to all gentile nations, to anyone who will believe in Jesus. And now, the gentiles are the ones making excuses as to why they will not be saved. The human heart is so filled with darkness, minds are so fallen in depravity, and human will is so contaminated and controlled by sin that the masses turn away from the message of Jesus Christ and make any and every excuse imaginable to refuse His gift of life. In this light of truth, the words of our Lord are shocking when He said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”. If God means what He says and heaven is real and it is forever, then why do people make light of the invitation and choose to not believe God and accept His offer? Because unbelief and sin constitute who we are and we’d rather have this world and its temporary stuff than the eternal things of God. The depth of our depravity can only be overcome by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the conviction they work in the hearts of people.
__________________________________________
February 23, 2023
Job 3:26 “I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came”
Some trouble can be avoided if we make good choices but many times trouble just happens. The Bible says in Job 14:1 that our days are few and full of trouble. Family trouble, car trouble, trouble on the job, financial trouble, trouble with the neighbors, trouble in the church, trouble with our health, and the list goes on. Sometimes it seems trouble gangs up on us and hits us one after another and that’s the gist of today’s verse where the Hebrew is saying “I was not secure or happy, I was not in a peaceful, restful place, and yet trouble kept coming”. It’s interesting the word translated “quiet” here is the Hebrew “nûach”, the root of the name “Noah”. Noah lived in times of great trouble but after the Lord was finished, Noah and his family in the ark landed on Mt Nebo where the Bible says the ark came to rest. The violence of the civilization before the flood was gone and mankind got a new start. While we can’t escape trouble, we have the comfort of knowing the Lord will always be with us in our troubles. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation (trouble), that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”. The Lord helps us in our trouble and gives us the ability to help others when they are in trouble. When situations come against us that we cannot solve, we can choose to either focus on the problems or run to a place of safety in God’s unfailing Word. It’s in our nature to get mired down with all the circumstances of our troubles and before long, they dominate our every waking moment. We might want to tell others all about our situation and keep rehashing the details over and over. But God’s ear is ready to hear our cry and the Bible says in Psalms 34:17, “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles”. The Lord does not say there are situations that He is unable to handle but He says in Jeremiah 32:17 that there is nothing too hard for Him. By the power of the Holy Spirit and armed with the Word of God, we can speak to mountains of trouble as Jesus said in Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith”. The Bible is filled with accounts where people were in trouble and the Lord came through for them. What He has done for others, He will do for us. Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him”.
_____________________________
February 22, 2023
Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men”
Peter and the other Apostles preached the good news of Jesus after the day of Pentecost and it upset the Jewish religious leaders so much that they had the preachers arrested and jailed. But the Lord sent an angel who opened the prison doors and set them free, telling them to go to the temple and continue preaching. When they did, they were accosted again and brought before the religious leaders that warned them to stop preaching about Jesus. It was then the men of God said, “We ought to obey God rather than men”. It was not a rebellious statement or one of haughty arrogance but simple facts that when it comes to the things of God, the message and testimony of hope in Christ far outrank any forces of this world. Not often, if at all, are we told to be silent in this country because we are free to talk, preach, testify, hand out Bibles, and most everything else where we proclaim the Lord. But our censure is more likely to be peer pressure or the fear of what others might think about us if we are vocal or public with our faith in Jesus Christ. We can mess with our smartphones while sitting in a restaurant without giving it a thought but to pause, bow our heads, and give thanks for our food when others might be watching us is a matter altogether different. Or if we are on a business trip for the company and we’re invited out to eat and the host chooses a bar or a location that is against our convictions for Christ, peer pressure can work against us to get us to go along with the crowd rather than to obey the Lord’s will for us. Peter and the apostles could have said, “ok, if you don’t want to hear the truth, we’ll just go somewhere else and preach”. Or they could have changed their message to make it less offensive. But they stood their ground to do what they knew the Lord wanted them to do, choosing to obey the call to minister no matter what pressure was being put on them to be silent. The pressure of the world can be intense and we can always think up many excuses as to why we should probably just give in and stay quiet. It’s uncomfortable to go against the flow and the enemy and our flesh are always right there, pressuring us to stop rocking the boat and give in to a compromise or easy way out. When the apostles walked away from the council, the Bible says in verse 41, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name”. Doing what is right and refusing to give in to the pressure to go against the Lord’s plan for us might cause us some embarrassment or awkward moments. But the privilege to honor the Lord and stay true to His call on us is priceless.
______________________________
February 21, 2023
Psalms 61:5 “thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name”
Your personal testimony of how the Lord saved you is your own and all of us have a unique story of how it happened. Sometimes I like to remember how my dad and mom were saved at a revival meeting so many years ago and how God changed our family after their conversion. Prior to them being saved, no one on either my dad’s side or mom’s side of our family followed the ways of God. The Lord used my dad and mom to win their families to the Lord as declared in today’s verse, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD”. Our family has a heritage of several generations now that know the Lord and follow Him as a result of the little revival meeting many years ago where dad and mom were saved. Some families have great histories they can trace back many hundreds of years and they take immense pride in such ancestry. It has been said that almost every family in the Appalachians claims to have had an Indian princess somewhere in their past. Then there are the families that pass down treasures of generational wealth and privilege to the descendants: land, businesses, heirlooms, priceless artifacts, and long-established family names. But the heritage of those that trust in the name of the Lord far exceeds all the world’s wealth, recognition, properties, and exalted histories. Many of us, if we look back into our family trees will find that while we didn’t descend from apes we did descend from people that were certainly not of royal blood. My wife and I, like our parents, have amassed very little worldly wealth to leave for our children. What we will leave behind that is the most valuable for them, is a testimony of where we will be when this life is over. Our children and grandchildren can have confidence that they can follow us to a land where no one grows old and where we’ll never be separated again. If only they will trust in the same Jesus we trust. We will pass on the hope of eternal life as the Bible says in Titus 1:2, “which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began”. So many people leave their families with no forwarding address and no testimony that they have been saved. What a priceless treasure for us to give our children and grandchildren here and now: the words of how we were saved, the details of how it happened, and the encouragement that they too can believe Jesus died for them and be saved. What an incredible heritage to pass along and what a joy our family can have when they say goodbye down here, knowing there’s another meeting place. This is the heritage of those that fear (trust) His name.
________________________________
February 20, 2023
Psalms 103:1 “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name”
The word “Bless” here is sometimes translated as praise and worship yet it carries the meaning to kneel in submission and reverence with the head bowed low, bending at the waist. It is not the posture of the body, although it is a wonderful thing to kneel and bow down before our Creator and Savior, but notice here the verse says ‘bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me”. It is that which is within us that submits to God and His supreme authority. In our incredibly rushed lifestyles, we sometimes hurry through our prayers and worship, too busy to stop long enough to allow our souls to reach out to God. Psalms 103 lists things we have received from God that make us want to bow before Him and cry, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name”. He has forgiven all our sins and healed all our diseases. He has protected us and covered us with kindness and mercy. He has satisfied us with good things and made us strong. Concerning our sins which He forgave, the Bible says in verse 12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us”. When we are tempted to complain, when it feels like we’re being treated unfairly, whenever our thoughts start shifting towards ingratitude, let’s open the Bible, turn to this Psalm, and read it aloud, lingering over each verse. Its words promise, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” and tells us, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him”. God’s compassion for us is declared in verses 13-14, “Like as a father pitieth (has compassion on) his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust”. The Lord never forgets that we’re made from dirt and that we are weak and powerless without him. He understands that we are helpless even though in our pride we won’t admit it. When we see Him as our loving, caring, and patient Heavenly Father and us as His little children, it helps put our condition into perspective. Verse 2 says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” and speaks of our tendency to forget how good God has been to us and how many blessings we have received and continue to receive. We pray we will never take God’s goodness for granted and that we will never forget He is the one who loves us, saved us, sustains us, blesses us, and will forever be “our Father, which art in heaven”.
_________________________
February 19, 2023
Titus 3:8 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men”
Three verses before this one is where we find one of the great declarations of salvation apart from our good works: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”. Yet here we are told we should constantly teach that all people who believe in God should be careful to keep doing what is right. The scripture goes on to say that it is because good works are good and helpful for people. Let’s make note that it does not say good works secure our salvation or make an impression on God but they are for man’s benefit. In 2 Peter 2:8, the Bible says Lot was a righteous man and had a righteous soul. But the story of Lot, a man God called righteous, is a story of a believer that lost everything he had, His home, his family, all his possessions, his honor, and his testimony. Somewhere and at some time, he made bad choices that caused him to abandon the lifestyle of faithful Abraham and he ended up in Sodom. Some might say that even though his wife turned into a pillar of salt from her disobedience, at least he got his unmarried daughters out of Sodom. But as we well know from the end of his story in Genesis 19, he could not get Sodom out of the hearts of his daughters. Lot’s legacy is that he became the father of the Moabites and the Ammonites, both nations that were enemies of Israel and known for their unbelief. Good works are important because they are a foundation for truth, integrity, faith, and blessings. Individuals, families, communities, and nations that practice and promote good works make strong people that are secure and safe. It was the abundance of good works and trustworthy people that allowed us a few generations ago to leave our doors unlocked and have verbal agreements that made as sure a contract between people as if they had signed a legally binding document. Our nation believed and proved that good works solidified homes and produced generations of hard-working, honest citizens. Good works were a part of our honor and people kept their promises, acted civilly, and raised children to be respectful, considerate, and level-headed. Why shouldn’t we teach that everyone, especially those that believe in God, should do what is right and live a life of good works? Thank God for those that still follow the ways the Lord laid out for us and strive to live by the Bible code of Galatians 6:10, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” and 3 John 1:11, “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God”.
________________________________
February 18, 2023
Micah 7:18-19 “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”
If we do not look beyond the coming tribulation and the apostasy of the church world, it’s easy to be overcome with gloom and doom. If we do not lay hold on the promises of God, that He is forgiving, long suffering, and full of mercy, we might be blinded by the occasions of His wrath. And notice here the Bible says that “he retaineth not his anger forever”. Believers know God’s grace and they know that even though He will deal with a fallen world and their hatred of Him, what He pours out in tribulation is but for a moment and even then, the scriptures here promises us that He will always overcome our sins. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”. The Lord delights in mercy. He tells us in Romans 5:20-21, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord”. Somehow, even many fundamentalists in our unintentional replacement theology, have taken the Old Testament presentation of the fire and smoking presence of the Almighty on Mount Sinai and the slaying of thousands at the giving of the Law and tried to wrap it around the church age. If that is the case of who the Lord is, He would have surely destroyed us all long before now. The human race would have been wiped out in God’s wrath right after the Day of Pentecost because even the coming of the Holy Spirit didn’t stop man’s unbelief. But today’s verse asks the question, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?”. When the final chapter of creation and earth history is finished, grace will prevail! The Law, legalism, self-righteous religion, humanism, man’s theories, and all of mankind’s sin and the fall will pass away and the grace, mercy, and love of God will rule eternity. The future is bright and filled with hope. The coming storm of the tribulation will come and, in terms of eternity, will quickly pass. Jesus Christ will be crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords and grace will prevail. A well-known part of this verse is where He casts all our sins in the depths of the seas. In the words of the old hymn, “I Stand Amazed in The Presence”, “How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be; How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me!”.
___________________________________
February 17, 2023
Galatians 4:19 “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you”
After Paul’s conversion, he made his first missionary trip and fell ill during his travels. He was nursed back to health by the people of Galatia which is now part of North-Central Turkey. As he was recovering, he taught people about Jesus Christ and many were saved, forming the Church at Galatia. After he left, Galatia was infiltrated with teachers who claimed to be Christians but taught that believers must also follow certain parts of the Jewish Levitical Law. The Book of Galatians addresses this false doctrine that tries to mix the truth of grace with the law. It is a rebuke to those who have turned away from the true gospel of God as said in Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ”. It is a perversion of the gospel to add to or take away from the message that salvation is only by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus. Paul uses the analogy of natural birth to explain how during his first visit, they were born again as he labored among them, preaching the gospel. Yet a few years later, he is in sorrow again for them because they had not been transformed into the likeness of Christ. God’s will for us is not that we should be like the fanatical Pharisees that obsessed over every minute detail of the law and all its interpretations but that we are like our Savior and follow Him, imitating His ways. It’s a blessing and a matter of joy to every parent when their baby is born to hear people say, “it looks just like its parents”, or, “it has its father’s eyes”. It is pleasing to our Heavenly Father when we are transformed into the image of Jesus as the Bible says in Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren”. The legalists in the Galatian church were trying to shape the Christians into something they envisioned just as some churches and denominations are trying to pressure their members into a pattern they have imagined. But the real meaning behind Galatians is that Christ has made us free, declared in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage”. Or, as our Lord said in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. May our prayer be that Christ will be formed in us and that the world will see His reflection in us.
____________________________________
February 16, 2023
James 4:14 “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away”
The average person in America lives 27,500 days. It’s not something we like to think much about but the scriptures here tell us that we are not here for long. If you want an eye-opener, take your age, multiply it by 365, subtract that number from 27,500, and that’s an estimation of how many days you might have left if you live to be 75. Hopefully, we’ll all live to be a hundred and stay in good health but the fact remains that we’re on a journey and our time on this earth is just a part of it. A small part compared to eternity. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:15-16, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil”. We could paraphrase that as we should be very careful how we live and make good, wise choices because there is evil all around us. Sometimes we say things like, “Make every day count”, and “make the best of your opportunities and situations”. Many of us start the day by quoting Psalms 118:24, “This is the day the LORD has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad today!”. My wife put this verse in large letters on our bedroom wall and when we wake up every morning, it’s right there to remind us that this might be our last day so let’s make it a good one! We have opportunities every day to be a blessing to others, to point them to Christ, to speak words of grace and life to them, and show them mercy. We have the privilege to live in kindness, follow love, extend forgiveness to those who wrong us, and guard our tongues against gossip, slander, and belittling talk. We can stand up for the underdogs, reach out to the discouraged, comfort the suffering, and be a true friend to those in need. The world needs the light of salvation and they usually will not walk into a church to sit through a sermon and even there, they might not see Jesus through all the religion. They need to see Jesus Christ in us and when they do, this makes every day count. It redeems our days on this earth for God’s glory and our joy. Our vaporous life takes on real, everlasting meaning and we invest in the Kingdom of God. Take your number of days left, look around you for open doors and opportunities, and decide that every day you have remaining is going to be a day spent being a blessing.
__________________________________
February 15, 2023
Isaiah 55:1-2 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness”
In 1965, the Rolling Stones blasted the world with their hit song, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”. Then 22 years later in 1987, U2 reminded us of the search for elusive satisfaction when they recorded, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. The world drops a breadcrumb trail of promises, offers, and pictures of what it has that it says can satisfy us and people spend their money, time, and energy searching for the things to make them happy. Yet they are always as the Bible says in Proverbs 27:20, “the eyes of man are never satisfied”. God told us through the words of Isaiah over 2,700 years ago that He can satisfy all who are hungry and thirsty until they are satisfied. He uses the metaphor of bread and water that relieve our physical hunger and thirst to speak to us about the longing within us that is constantly on the prowl, reaching out for something to fill our inner needs. The Lord reminds us we spend what we have but it never brings satisfaction. It’s an endless cycle of worldly hope followed by disappointment and waste. The Stones and U2 made millions off their hits that portray this frustrating circle but they do not offer a solution as if we are doomed to look for and never find satisfaction all our days. The Bible says in Psalms 107:9, “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness”. Mary, the mother of Jesus, said in Luke 1:53, “He hath filled the hungry with good things” and our Lord said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”. God can give us the very things, the very essence of all that is good, and what He gives fills the need within us to be satisfied, secure, loved, and happy. The world will never find contentment because the things it uses to fill the void are attempts to substitute the things we need from God. Humanity is incomplete without God and starving for His love. They are empty, confused, and stuffing themselves with the world’s garbage with one hand and pushing away the goodness of God with the other. They become addicted to materialism and sin and pay the price with their souls. But God remains faithful to extend His hand of mercy and grace and all who will receive His gift that He calls the bread and water of life, find what they are looking for and can say, “now I am satisfied”.
_______________________________
February 14, 2023
1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins”
Valentine’s Day is synonymous with love and today the world will give gifts, eat tons of chocolate, and pack restaurants as people proclaim their love for each other. But the world’s definition of love is far different from God’s kind and those who do not live in the power of God’s love know little of true love. We think about the love of Jesus as He suffered and died for us but today’s verse speaks of the love of our Heavenly Father that sent His only begotten Son in an act of unspeakable love even while we were rejecting Him. Our love is usually conditional and apt to waver and change depending on our frame of mind and state of emotions. We can love someone one minute and despise them the next. But God’s love is not based on His feelings or our loving Him in return. It is given to us freely as an extension of His will. The Bible says in 2Thessalonians 2:16-17, “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work”. We can not be separated from the love of God as declared in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. People sometimes abuse and abandon their children, hate each other to the point of murder, use love as a weapon to satisfy their selfishness, and turn against the ones that love them most. But God’s love never fails. God’s love, along with His mercy and grace, follows us every step we take and it’s not because we love Him that He loves us, He just does. If we could get that fact in our thick heads that God loves us and not only us, He loves the whole world. We used to sing about it when we were children and we all quote John 3:16 but sometimes, we can’t fully reach the place of Ephesians 3:17-19, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God”. God’s love is bigger than we think it is and when we stand in His presence, we will be there with Him for all eternity because we have been saved by love. For anyone who feels unloved on this Valentine’s Day or anyone who is confused as to what love means, God is love and God loves us.
________________________________
February 13, 2023
Exodus 5:2 “And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go”
The Pharaohs were believed to be divine intermediaries between their many gods and the Egyptians. As such, they were worshipped as gods. When Moses appeared on the scene saying, “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness”, Pharaoh was asking a legitimate question because the Egyptians did not have the knowledge of God Almighty. We can read arrogance into Pharaoh’s words because he was worshipped as a god by his people but there was more than that. He genuinely didn’t know about the Lord. The hearts of humanity today are asking the same question because they have no knowledge of the only true God. When the Holy Spirit, through the pen of Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth, He said these words in 1 Corinthians 15:34, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame”. Our mission is to reveal God to this lost world and point people to Jesus Christ. Humanity is looking for a God and all people serve someone or something even if it is themselves. The knowledge of God has been obscured by the lies of the enemy and the depravity of our sinful flesh and as the letter written to Corinth says, it’s a shame on believers when the world does not see Christ in us. The greatest revelation of God is through our love for the Bible says in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”. Pharaoh and all of Egypt finally had their eyes opened to the Lord God Almighty as He showed Himself through the ten plagues to be supreme over all the gods they trusted and worshipped. The day is coming when the world will come face to face with the Lord they do not know as the Bible says in Revelation 1:7-8, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”. What a joy it is to know Him through Jesus Christ, to be filled with God in the person of the Holy Spirit, and to be a child of the most High God by the new birth. Let’s pray that our families and friends, our neighbors and co-workers, and even our enemies can see Jesus Christ in us and come to know Him as their Savior. May their hearts no longer ask, “who is the Lord?” but may they too know him as the Bible says in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection”.
________________________________
February 12, 2023
Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”
If we just look around us on this earth, it’s hard to find hope. The big business of news reporting fills our minds with discouraging stories, always telling of horrific disasters and shocking accounts. The Doomsday clock keeps ever-ticking towards humankind’s final hour and not a single person or group of people on this planet has the answers to pull us out of this freefall. But believers are not a part of the doomsday crowd because we know there is an unfailing hope which the Bible calls here, “that blessed hope”. In fact, there is no other such great hope besides this one given to us by God’s promise: the appearing of Jesus Christ. The world sees the future from a godless perspective and looks to some conglomeration of science, politics, and education to save humanity. They’ve had multiple thousands of years to get it right and despite all their efforts, we’re pushed to the brink of the collapse of the earth. The foolishness of the world is that they are not able to save themselves but fight against the Lord of Heaven and Earth who is their only salvation. Praise God for the hope of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. These verses are followed by verse 18, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words”. Among professing Christians there are some that deny the return of our Lord. They are mentioned in 2 Peter 3:3-4, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation”. The Bible refers to them as “willingly ignorant” of the truth of God’s Word. Our hope, our blessed hope, is the coming of Jesus and as the hope of this world continually fades away, our hope shines brighter and brighter like a beacon from heaven’s shores. Heaven’s news report is the everlasting truth of God’s Word and its headlines read, “Coming soon: Jesus and all His glory. Prepare to meet Him”. We’ve read about it, heard sermons about it, sung songs about it, and believed it with all our hearts but very soon our faith will end in sight. The day Jesus was taken from this earth into heaven, the Bible says in Acts 1:10-11, “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven”.
_____________________________
February 11, 2023
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”
Sometimes it may seem we’re never getting anywhere or even that we’re losing ground. For over 40 years, I preached, pastored, and held revivals. When I was diagnosed with cancer and the surgeon was going to remove my vocal cords in treatment, it was confusing because I had envisioned myself continuing to preach in some capacity until I got too old or passed on to heaven. But when I was in the operating room, right before the anesthesiologist put me under, the presence of the Lord and His peace filled me so completely and powerfully that all doubts, all fears, and all confusion was taken away and never returned. The Holy Spirit overwhelmed me with the confidence that because I belong to Jesus, my past, present, and future are safely in His hands. Looking back now two and a half years later, I can say that the Lord moved me from one ministry to another and that He is using my wife and me in a different way; a way that has brought us and our immediate family into a greater place of peace and joy than ever before. He is answering prayers in the lives of our children that we’ve been praying for years. For all of us, our best attempts to serve the Lord down here are sometimes pockmarked with failures, mistakes, seasons of unfaithfulness, and times of disasters. It is God that is working in us and through us to complete the plan He purposed for us. He knows our failures and shortcomings before they happen and yet He faithfully continues His work. It’s not our great organizational skills, our loads of talent, or our mountain-sized faith that causes us to triumph. It is God’s grace, mercy, power, faithfulness, purpose, and sovereignty that ensures that when our race is run, we will hear Him say, “well done”. In Hebrews 12:2, the Bible calls Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith”. He started His eternal redemptive plan in us because He gave us the faith to believe (Romans 12:3). And today’s verse assures us with confidence that what He started He will complete. We may have some seasons of success, times of abundance, and moments of great faith. And then we may have seasons of disappointment, times of lack, and moments of overwhelming doubt. Through it all, we will run our course and cross the finish line in victory because God will never leave us, forsake us, or fail us. The enemy may try to get us to think we’ve messed up so badly that God can’t fix it. Or tell us we’re not talented enough, spiritual enough, or good enough to carry on and that we’ve let God down. But the enemy is a liar and He knows that we are children of the King. We have the blessed assurance of Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.
__________________________________
February 10, 2023
Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil”
Getting angry is not a sin because the Bible tells us Jesus got angry a few times such as in Mark 3:5, “And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts”. We also know the Bible speaks of God’s anger such as Psalms 7:11, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day”. Jesus was angry because He was going to heal a suffering man and the religious crowd around Him had no compassion for the sick man. But had contempt for our Lord because they thought He was breaking one of their Sabbath Day rules. We should get angry when lawlessness raises its ugly head in our communities. We should get angry when children and others are abused especially when crooked laws and corrupt legal systems do not punish the abusers. And there are many other times when evil and wrong are allowed to flourish unchecked and our leaders and governments do nothing to stop it. But the Bible says when we are angry, we are not to allow the power of anger to lead us into sin. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of self-control (Galatians 5:23) and will help us guard our tongues, refrain from violence and revenge, and exercise patience while we wait upon the Lord to move. The scriptures also tell us to place a limit on our anger where the phrase “let not the sun go down upon your wrath” means we are to work through our anger before the day ends. Anger contaminates us and robs us of the peace and joy God has for us. It has a way of seeping deep into us, taking root in our hearts, and producing bitterness, revenge, rebellion, and a host of other sins that pull us away from God and can cause us to say, act, and do things that harm us and others. All this is coupled in these verses, which are one sentence, with “neither give place to the devil”. The enemy can use our anger to pull us down, to get us brooding and smoldering, and acting against God’s Word. There may be times we get angry but there should not be times when anger is controlling us. We are called to be peacemakers, to be kind and compassionate, and to overcome evil with good. Those of us with short fuses can look back on the times we allowed anger to spill over and we know once the damage is done, it’s hard or impossible to repair the mess it makes. Following the wisdom of teaching like Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” means we can turn anger into blessing and use our words to bring peace. When we are angry at injustice, the Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:8, “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they”. The Scriptures say in James 1:20, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God”.
_____________________________
February 9, 2023
James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you”
If you believe the Bible, then you believe the words of 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. The enemy’s plans are to sidetrack people away from God, wreak havoc in their lives, and destroy everyone and all else he can. He uses anything and every weapon he has to disrupt and we know from John 10:10 he is the thief that stalks us and our families to steal, kill, and destroy. But the Lord does not leave us at the mercy of our enemy and today’s verses give us a way forward to victory. When the enemy and the forces of hell are charging against us and he is attacking, the very first thing the Lord tells us is to submit ourselves to God. Stop, go quickly to the throne of grace, and bow before the Lord God Almighty. It doesn’t matter if we’re on our knees, although that is a good place to be, or just crying out to God from wherever we’re sitting or standing. The important part is that we completely give ourselves into the hands of God. The word submit here is a military term and means to completely place ourselves under God’s authority. Then we resist the devil where the word “resist” is a combination of two words which mean to plant your feet firmly and push back with a force. In this case, we take our stand on the cross, blood, and resurrection of Jesus and push back by declaring the Word of God. The Bible says the sword of the Holy Spirit is God’s Word and the weakest believer can stand strong against our enemy by affirming the Word. Our Savior taught us by example when He faced off with the devil in the wilderness temptation. Every tool of deception Satan swung at Jesus, our Lord countered and rendered powerless by declaring God’s Word of Truth. The Bible says when we submit to God’s authority and resist the enemy, he will run from us. It’s good to walk through our house and pray over our families declaring, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. It’s good to speak the Word over our problems and over our choices saying things like, “God is working all things for my good” and “I have the mind of Christ”. Every attack of the enemy, every roar he roars against us can be stopped and repelled by the Word of God. Then the Bible says we draw close to God. We praise Him, worship Him, thank Him, and spend time at His throne of grace and the Bible says He will draw close to us. The nearness of His presence is a comfort that nothing in this world can match. Our Heavenly Father desires that His children walk close to Him and live delivered from the devil’s influence and attacks.
____________________________________
February 8, 2023
Proverbs 14:9 “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour”
We all deal with sin in some manner. Sometimes we ignore the issue as if it doesn’t exist or deny it’s a real thing. Or, we relabel it as if by changing what we call it, it somehow changes its seriousness and diminishes its power. Then there’s today’s verse where we foolishly laugh at sin and try to make it a joke. When believers raise the sin issue and preachers mention it, this world sneers as if we are imbeciles not realizing that God Almighty has already called them fools. It is unpopular and untrendy to draw the line between good and evil and the world has created confusion where what we call evil is actually what God calls good and vice versa. We’ve seen this generation turn away from God’s truth to a form of godliness that is intimidated by the world’s pressure and the fear of losing status and congregations. They’ve manufactured their own man-centered gospel, free from the mention of mankind’s sinfulness and its wages: death. The irony is that the thing we ignore, that we relabel and that we laugh at, pretending it’s not even an issue is the very thing that is destroying us and will eventually damn our souls. Sin must be obliterated and the only thing that can do it is the righteous blood of Jesus Christ. When we deal with sin by placing our faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin, then by the power of God we are made righteous and God’s favor covers us. Sin is the only thing that separates us from God and that blocks His favor. When our sin is taken away by Christ’s blood, we are not rendered spiritually neutral, we are simultaneously made righteous, clean, and justified as if we had never sinned. My dad was a fine fellow and loved God. But when he was in his early 70s, he had a heart attack. He survived it and the hospital made him an appointment with a heart doctor. When my dad went to his appointment and the doctor began telling him how he could recover and prevent another attack, my dad laughed and said, “I didn’t have a heart attack, I think I had a reaction to an insect bite”. The doctor tried to convince him that he indeed had a heart attack and my dad began to argue vehemently until he made the doctor angry. She said, “If you don’t believe the truth, then go home and die with another one”. Dad walked out the door, went home, and died from a massive heart attack a few months later. When the world mocks the truth about sin, they’re mocking a time bomb that will without fail destroy them just as heart disease took my dad’s life while he laughed about it. Without the blood of Jesus, we cannot escape our sin no matter how good we try to be or think we are. And we cannot avoid the judgment of death because the Lord tells us in Ezekiel 18:4, “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die”. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
____________________________________
February 7, 2023
1 Corinthians 2:11-12 “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God”
The things of this world which here the Bible calls the things of man are understood through our senses and human reasoning. All our learning is based on this and our educational system has compiled this human knowledge to educate us. Everything from the language we learn to the arts and sciences is taught and learned from the human perspective. But the things of God are not part of this body of knowledge and they are not learned from the human perspective but through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, using the Word of God, teaches believers and gives them understanding and wisdom to see both creation and the things of God with heavenly wisdom. When our spiritual eyes and understanding are opened, then we begin to look at all of our lives and the world around us from a God-revealed view and it changes the way we speak about life, our circumstances, our interpretation of things and events, and the way we relate to the past, present, and future. The Bible says in verse 13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. Many Christians, perhaps because of their immaturity of faith or their persistence to follow the world’s ways, continue to live with the human, earthly perspective and they don’t transition their thinking and worldview to that which the Holy Spirit is revealing. They live with a shallow understanding of spiritual things and sometimes even seem to rebuff those who view life and eternity with the open eyes of faith. The scripture says in verse 14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”. Too much preaching and teaching are rooted in human perspectives and either by the way the Word of God is handled or the way the message of the gospel and the things of God are presented, spiritual truth is obscured. People can sit through an hour of rambling and remain unaffected and unchanged. While it may be entertaining, emotional, or instructive it is not the spiritual truth of God given by demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit. Verses 4-5 say, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God”. Sometimes it is referred to as “the unction” taken from 1 John 2:20, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” and means a heavenly connection, an anointing that bypasses human reasoning and worldly wisdom and brings Spiritual sight. May the Lord fill us with the Holy Spirit and help us grow in His wisdom and understanding.
__________________________________
February 6, 2023
Psalms 119:82 “Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?”
In these last days before the coming of our Lord we have the hope of His appearing but we also see sorrow and suffering all around us. Children are suffering and families are in duress. People are filled with anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse is epidemic, and violence is an everyday event. The Bible told us that as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the day when Jesus returns. It’s easy to be overcome with sorrow because it seems there is no end to the turmoil in sight. The Psalmist wrote today’s words during a time when it looked like there was no hope. He had been so long crying out to God and looking for relief that He said “Mine eyes fail for thy word” meaning that he was so weary in looking for help in God’s word and waiting for God to move on his behalf, it caused him to say, “when wilt thou comfort me?”. We have some Christian friends we love dearly and they have been through some of the most severe trials imaginable including the death of their child. And now their little precious grandchild has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. For months they and all their friends have prayed that they can have relief from all that is assailing them. Yet the trials continue and although we know what the Bible says, that God is with us in our troubles, that His ear is listening to our cries, we still can’t help but ask as David did, “where are you Lord and when will You help?”. In such situations, the world might say that God is failing His people but faith says His great hand is still upon us and that He will bring us through the storms and bring us out. We may not be able to cry any more tears because we’ve cried so long and we may not have any words left to say because we’ve said all we know. But the Sovereign Lord rules His creation and He and His people will prevail. Yes, these are uncertain, perilous times, and a sense of foreboding hangs over this world. We see the elements and nations prophesied for the world’s final conflict all lining up in their places and moving ever closer to the fulfillment of their destiny. In all this, we read Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”. God’s promise is Hebrews 10:37, “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry”. Our real home is not here, but with Christ in heaven. And at its best, this life and all that is around us are under the curse of sin and will soon pass away. We will win some victories here but our great victory lies ahead when we meet Jesus in the air.
___________________________________
February 5, 2023
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”
The first chapter of Isaiah opens with God pointing out to His people how far they have walked away from Him. He tells them in verse three that even farm animals know where their food is and their owner that provides it but God’s people do not know or even consider their creator and provider. He tells them it is useless to attempt any more correction because they have already felt the effects of His chastisement but will not turn back to Him. But the verse we’re looking at is one of the most precious calls to salvation in the Bible and it reveals God’s willingness to forgive us and cleanse us no matter how darkly we have been stained by sin. It is an invitation to come to the Lord and reason with Him. The word “reason” means to present both sides of an issue and come to an agreement or conclusion. The Creator of all things opens the door into His presence so that we can be forgiven and made clean. There have been so many times in revival meetings and church services where this verse has been read and quoted during the invitation to receive Christ Jesus and many people have responded to the power of its words. The preaching of the Word lays our sins bare before the Lord because the foundation of truth concerning our condition is the Law of God. The Word of God shines the light into our darkness and exposes our sin. When sin is revealed and our hearts are convicted, the same Word offers the cure, the remedy for our sin which is the blood of Jesus Christ. Nowadays, we sidestep the issue of sin and then ramble on with our soothing words of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of humanity and there is no conviction. When there is no conviction, there is no conversion and people continue in their sin with the false hope that somehow, without the miraculous new birth, they’re just fine. Like Nicodemus, they’re religious but lost. Isaiah presents God’s cure for our sin over 750 years before Jesus was born but the grace of God to forgive us can be clearly seen in the text. The Lord gives us a personal, open invitation to come to Him and He is willing to completely heal us of our sin. There is great kindness and mercy in His invitation and a sense of urgency as He says, “Come now”. It is unreasonable and foolish beyond words for people to ignore His invitation and argue that they are just fine without His salvation yet they continually do. We who know God’s power to save love this verse and its words give us great comfort and hope. We see in it, the outstretched arms of God reaching down to us, pulling us out of the mire of sin, and cleaning us up, making us fit subjects for heaven.
____________________________________
February 4, 2023
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit”
God didn’t call us out of darkness into His family to live immorally. But He called us to avoid and walk away from the things that are not His best for us. The call to holiness is perhaps one of the most neglected teachings nowadays because we are afraid of the repercussions. If we teach the discipline of sanctification, people might get angry and leave the church or we might seem out of touch with current trends. So, mums the word and we never challenge people with the undivided scriptures such as Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. We will teach them to follow peace but ignore the other part which is to pursue holiness, and the message ends as if we’ve faithfully presented the truth. But the Bible says if we despise or disregard the call to holiness and refuse to obey in this matter we are not pushing away man’s teaching, we are pushing away God. It is true that we are not saved by our works and our righteousness is the imputed merits of Jesus Christ. But this call to holiness is not about earning salvation but about living a victorious, clean, honest, and separated life to honor God and protect ourselves and our families from the world’s impurity. In the natural sense, we want the best for our children and we want them to be free from the slavery of addictions and lifestyles that destroy them. We teach them early to take care of their bodies, we protect them from predators, we make sure they are safe, and we teach them good manners, good hygiene, and good common sense. God our Father wants His children to have lives that are pure and filled with His blessings and power. Why would we push back on the doctrine and calling of moral holiness when God says it is His desire for us? It is our rebellion against the truth and our deep-seated depravity that echoes the actions of our first parents Adam and Eve who in effect, said “we don’t have to do what God wants for us, we will push aside His will for us and do what we want”. When we follow Jesus, the Bible says of Him in Hebrews 7:26, “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens”. Our Lord lived a life of love and compassion yet He lived without conforming or compromising with the world and its ways. We have been forgiven and delivered from sin so that we can live free from its grip and power over us. The enemy screams that following the call of holiness is a restriction for us and that it keeps us from enjoying ourselves and having fun. But he is a liar because it is a path of freedom, a way of life that brings us into a rich and open relationship with God, and a life that allows us as described in Acts 24:16, “to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men”.
_________________________________
February 3, 2023
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”
We are given three things here that form the essence of continual worship. We might think worship is when we meet at church and a time is given to some songs we call “worship music” and for a few minutes, we honor God, speak His name, and count our blessings. But God’s will for us in Christ is to always be rejoicing, always be praying, and always thanking God in every situation. Such a frame of mind and heart is a stream of continual worship. We may or may not be worshipping during our scheduled worship sessions but when our hearts begin to rejoice regardless of our circumstances and that rejoicing comes from knowing we belong to Christ, that He lives within us, and that He is working all things for good on our behalf, we are worshipping. As we grow in grace, rejoicing becomes not so much what we do as what we are. The Holy Spirit fills us and His presence is a fountain of joy. Likewise, we might think that praying are the times we bow our heads or pause to direct some words heavenward a time or two a day. But prayer is when we are communicating with God and it is not dependent on whether or not our eyes are closed, if our head is bowed, or if we are in some praying posture. Prayer is not even the words we say as it can be inaudible. When our hearts and minds look to God, we are praying and the Holy Spirit is making intercession for us. It’s good to have a place of prayer where we get alone with God, shut out the world, and spend time talking to Him. But again, as we grow in grace, the Holy Spirit will continually direct our desires, our burdens, and our thoughts to the Lord. He will also bring the Word of God into our minds and hearts and no matter where we are or what we’re doing, we are in communication with God. The third part of God’s will for us does not say “for everything give thanks”, but “in everything”. The Lord is never unaware of where we are or what is happening to us. We are not victims of circumstances but our lives are hidden with Christ in God. So, in every situation and at all times, Jesus Christ is our Lord and we give thanks. If it’s bread and water or steak and potatoes, we give thanks. If we can understand our situation or if it makes no sense at all, we give thanks. If our prayers are answered the way we hoped or if God is taking us another route, we give thanks. When everyone is on our side and cheering us on or if they have all turned against us, we give thanks. The Lord is not laying down some harsh commandments here, but giving us words of encouragement. His will is for us to have joy, to look to Him in prayer, and have a thankful heart.
__________________________________
February 2, 2023
Psalms 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee”
The word Jerusalem means “city of peace” and “a place where peace is taught”. Throughout its history, it has been anything except peaceful. Currently, as it stands as a symbol for all of Israel, it is a constant place of hatred, killing, bombing, and unrest. But when we look in God’s Word, Jerusalem, sometimes referred to as Zion named after one of the hills upon which it stands, occupies a central place in all of the scriptures. The prophecies for the future also point to Jerusalem as the prominent place where end-time events will unfold. Today’s verse calls for prayers for the peace of Jerusalem showing it holds a special place in God’s heart. The Bible says in Psalms 132:13-14, “For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it”. In Zechariah 1:17, we find, “and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem”. Again, the Bible says in Zechariah 8:3, “Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain”. In our age of apostasy when the Bible is no longer believed and false teaching has infiltrated many of our churches, we have abandoned the view that the Lord has never and will never change His mind about Jerusalem. But those who trust the Word of God as infallible and eternally true, fully believe God will establish His chosen people and His chosen city as the center of the earth before the new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem descends. We get a glimpse of this throughout the scriptures as in the description of the future glorious temple in Ezekiel 48:35, “It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there”. When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are looking ahead as we pray to the time when Jesus will sit on the throne and His kingdom will be established. God will fulfill the promise of Luke 1:32-33, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end”. Not only are we encouraged to pray for Jerusalem’s peace, we are promised blessings when we love God’s city. We close today’s devotion with Micah 4:1-2, “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem”.
___________________________
February 1, 2023
Ecclesiastes 11:6 “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good”
Most of the parables and imagery of the scriptures are about nature and agriculture. The Lord uses shepherds, livestock, trees, plowing, sowing and reaping harvests, bodies of water, and the such to teach spiritual truth. Today’s verse is the picture of the farmer with his bag of seed sowing from morning until evening. It is a reference to our lives and that daily we are sowing seeds of some kind and we don’t always know what our harvest will be. We do know that whatever we sow, concerning good and evil, we will reap what we sow. But as far as how the Lord will bless what we do in His Name, He is the one that determines the outcome. What seeds are you carrying in your seed bag? Every day that we live will be spent doing something and whether or not we are aware of it, we will sow seed. Words we speak, actions we do, and situations we involve ourselves in are opportunities to sow goodness, truth, and blessings. In the agricultural sense, the ground we sow into is everywhere around us: our homes, jobs, social media, school, and anywhere and everything we touch or involve ourselves. In the instruction of this scripture, we should start very early for the word “morning” here means at daybreak. We can begin our days sowing seeds of selfishness or seeds of faith. We can spend our day pleasing ourselves and searching for pleasure or we can purpose to please God. We can begin by daily looking heavenward, directing our thoughts and prayers to Jesus in the hope that He will use us to bring honor to Him and be a blessing to others. When we carry seeds of kindness, mercy, compassion, love, and forgiveness and sow them into the lives of others we will reap what we sow. When we give of ourselves and our resources, sowing into the work of the Lord and sacrificing our time and energy, God will not forget our labors of love (Hebrews 6:10). Many counterfeit ministers have used this idea by falsely teaching that if people give money to them, God will restore their money with incredible excess. But the truth is stated clearly here, “for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good”. God will do what He wills with the seed for all things belong to Him. Our job is just to keep sowing in faith, keep doing what is right, keep honoring the Lord, and keep being a blessing to others. Our hope is that souls will be reaped for the kingdom, that lives will be rescued and blessed, and above all that God will be glorified. In the words of the old hymn “The Great Reaping Day” by R.E Winsett, “Every act you perform is as seed to someone, for the influence will never die. Then be careful each day what you do, what you say, for you’ll meet it again by and by”.