May 31, 2023
Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels”
When we are not rejoicing, maybe it is because we are not seeing things as they are in God’s eyes. The imagery of this verse is of someone who is all dressed up in beautiful clothes and wearing splendid jewels and accessories. The phrase “decketh himself” is the same as when we refer to someone who is “all decked out” meaning they’re dressed to the nines. When we spend our lives conscious of our sinfulness even though we have been saved and our sins have been eternally washed away, we could say that our focus is on ourselves from a pre-salvation point of view. From that perspective, we will always see ourselves as unworthy, failing, and far short of God’s glory. But God’s eyes see us as today’s verse declares dressed in clothes of salvation and wearing the robe of righteousness. We are as someone who is being married and looking their best. God’s children have been made clean, they are pure by the blood of Christ, and they are fully accepted. We have every reason to rejoice as the Bible says in 1Thessaloinins 5:16, “Rejoice evermore” and in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice”. The enemy hates who we are in Jesus Christ for we have been made what angels will never become: Heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus. God has set His love on us and all of creation is for God’s glory through us, His beloved children. We are the apple of His eye. We are so special to the Lord that He has called us His treasures, His jewels of grace. That’s why the scriptures encourage us to sing, praise, clap, and make a joyful noise to the Lord. The Bible says in Psalms 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy”. Even a crashing, ear-numbing cymbal can be an instrument of praise. Even more so let us greatly rejoice, be glad, and lift up our voices and our hands to the God of our salvation!
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May 30, 2023
Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”
When the Holy Spirit gave these words, the Roman Empire dominated much of the civilized world. Christians were often persecuted for their faith and suffered at the hands of those who despised them and the gospel. The way of the cross is sometimes the path of unimaginable suffering. But it is not only the suffering by persecution that is being pictured here but the human condition, in general, that causes sorrow and pain and falls to believers and unbelievers alike. It is said of our Lord in Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”. Much of our Lord’s sorrow came from identifying with the sorrow and pain of people. Our eyes of faith look beyond this present time to that day when all the suffering of this life will be over and eternal joy will be all we ever know. The glory which shall be revealed in us, the peace that awaits, and the treasures of heaven can not be compared to anything this life deals us no matter how severe and sorrowful. Whatever we face here is temporary and we have the promise of our Lord in 1Corinthians 10:13, “but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. And yet, there awaits a place with God, a place indescribable, a place that we can not imagine, a place that Jesus has prepared for us that will be our eternal home. The Bible tells us that the former things, all that relate to this life with its sin curse, suffering, and death, will pass away. If you are going through a trial, if you are suffering and in pain, or if you’ve been dealt a crushing blow by something that seems unfair, look to the promises of God that reminds us that He is always with us in our troubles and always pointing us to when there’ll be no more sorrow, no sickness, no sadness, and all things will be made new.
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May 29, 2023
Isaiah 2:4 “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more”
On this Memorial Day, we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, dying while fighting for our freedom. And not only ours but because freedom is what America represents, many died fighting for the freedom of others. They may have been strangers to us but they were precious in freedom’s cause. My wife remarked yesterday that many Americans turn Memorial Day and its weekend into a long 3-day party and perhaps do not even pause to remember the innumerable people who died for us, many suffering as prisoners of war and some whose remains were never found. And all the tens of thousands of families who endured the loss of their cherished family members who were cut down by the horror of war. Special events will be conducted today, graves will be decorated, and speeches given that help us remember and greatly respect and honor those who sacrificed their lives. And while there will be some people who take their freedom for granted as if it is cheap and another entitlement, many of us will fly our flags, bow our heads, and thank Almighty God for being free and for the ones who died in our place. Today’s scripture, a part of the verse that speaks prophetically of the day when nations will no longer make weapons but tools for agriculture, reminds us that God has a plan for the future where war and the “art” of war will be abolished. I can hardly wait for that day when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will end all the sorrow and suffering and peace will cover the earth. The Bible says in Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea”.
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May 28, 2023
1 Corinthians 4:15 “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel”
10,000 people teaching and instructing, and yet not many who actually win people to the Lord. As it was in Paul’s day things are still the same today. The salvation of precious souls is the heartbeat of Jesus Christ and His church and when this gets pushed aside in favor of our ideas and programs it’s not just sad, it’s dangerous. Our children and grandchildren need the message of God’s grace. Our neighbors and coworkers deserve to be told of God’s mercy. Our nation is floundering in unbelief and the only rescue is the message of John 3:16. And yet we go on, thousands of us, teaching and talking our heads off and persuading others to our point of view while the real picture of the cross of Christ remains hidden. We’re concentrating on building a bigger church, growing congregations, and expanding Christian influence. But what if we miss the message of Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”? What if multitudes attend churches, hear countless sermons and teachings, and then pass into eternity never having heard the simple plan of salvation? In this verse today, a father of the faith is someone who brings the gospel to people and points them to the Savior. It’s not to say we don’t need sound doctrine, foundational teachings, and expository teaching of the scriptures but above all, we need to know Christ as the Bible says in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection”. It would be far better to preach and teach the salvation message often than to assume everyone knows it and seldom mention it. Jesus didn’t present Nicodemus with a lofty message of theology and dazzle him with a well-crafted sermon although He could have. But he said simply, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. May the Lord give us the wisdom and patience to share the gospel of Christ and may the Holy Spirit draw the unsaved to the cross.
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May 27, 2023
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”
Every day we live we have the opportunity to serve the Lord in some capacity. Our job is to remain faithful and steady in His work and refuse to be distracted from our purpose. That is the encouragement for us here, to stay on track, firmly press forward, and excel in what we do for Jesus Christ. The promise is that what we do for Him will not be in vain. People may not give us credit or recognition, those we help may forget the sacrifices we made, and what we do may be dismissed as insignificant or foolish but the Lord is keeping our record. The Bible says we will appear at the judgment seat of Christ and the record of our service will be examined. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:13-14, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward”. And yet there is a danger that we can live out our lives always for some other purpose than God’s glory. Some of our efforts may be religious and yet not to honor God but to gain personal, earthly rewards like money, favor with people, or a good name in our social circles. If so, the Bible says all that will be destroyed at the judgment seat: 1 Corinthians 3:15, “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire”. Imagine a lifetime of work, contributions, and opportunities, and then all of it be wiped away for eternity as if it had never happened. All of it was in vain. This is the meaning of our Lord’s words in Matthew 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”. May we keep doing what we’re doing for the glory of God and remain faithful in His work. Our rewards lie ahead. As in the words of the famous sermon of the late RG Lee, “Payday Someday”.
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May 26, 2023
Hebrews 13:1-2 “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”
The definition of “strangers” here looks back to the “Let brotherly love continue” and is speaking of believers we may not be acquainted with. In Bible times, when people traveled, they looked for a place to stay the night and Christians avoided the inns and other public facilities of those times as they were known as places of immorality and lewdness. Instead, they stayed in Christian homes in the area and so this verse carries the meaning of showing hospitality in such cases. It does a step beyond taking someone to lunch or “paying forward” in the drive-through line. We’re taught in Philippians 2:3-4, “In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others”. Just like Abraham and Lot, those who show kindness could be in the presence of heavenly messengers. Much speculation has been made about the interaction between angels and humans but the Bible gives some information concerning this. In Psalms 34:7, the scripture says, “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them”. Examples such as Acts 12:7, “And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands” show us the Lord sends angels at certain times to help His people in trouble. Daniel tells of his night in the lion’s den in Daniel 6:22, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me”. So, the scriptures have many accounts of angels coming alongside people and engaging with them in speech and actions, and often the people didn’t know they were angels. But the banner we walk under is verse 1 which means, “keep loving each other” and this can’t be overstated especially in these times of which our Lord Jesus spoke prophetically in Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold”.
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May 25, 2023
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty”
No one in their right mind can deny that we are in a mess and not just in America but the whole world. We’ve gone far beyond shocked and sickened by the daily news until we’re numb to almost everything we hear and see. Here in the USA, we’ve seen the trustworthiness of our leadership hit rock bottom until nowadays we seem like a ship without a sail or rudder. A cloud of uncertainty hangs over us and we watch as waves of drug and alcohol addictions flood every corner of our nation. People are distressed, families are broken, and it looks like the enemy has us bound to where there is no escape. Want to get a real picture of gloom and misery? Look ahead a few months to those running for office in our next national elections. But God’s Word still rings loud and clear for us to pray intently and give thanks for all people especially those in authority. Notice the progression of encouragement here, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks. That alone is a worthy study in itself. Our nation, as it always has been, is in the hands of God and the Bible says in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” where the word “reproach” means shame and disgrace. We can talk continuously about how we have fallen, how the crown of glory and honor has slipped from our head. We can lash out against the sin and depravity we see around us but only the Lord can turn us from the path and destination we are headed. In the time of Jesus on earth, Rome was a spectacle of sin, violence, and debauchery but the Lord’s message was not against Rome but against the wickedness within the system of religion that supposedly represented the Lord. Today’s verse calls us to pray for those in authority because the moral quality of our leadership affects our lives. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn”. Let’s not be discouraged because God, our eternal hope, is still on heaven’s throne and the Bible says in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will”.
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May 24, 2023
Psalms 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”
This verse is referenced in 1 Peter 3:11 as a pattern of how to love life and have good days. Such a simple plan of walking away from evil and choosing to do good, of identifying the path of peace and following it does more for us than shelves full of self-help books and countless counseling sessions. The Lord wants us to have lives that are happy and filled with goodness and in this dispensation of grace, we are not trying to win His favor and secure salvation by our efforts to live good lives and follow peace, Jesus has already taken care of that. How we live is for our benefit, for the blessing of our homes, and a testimony to others of God’s grace. Simply refusing to do what is wrong and doing what is right should be our standard, how we raise our children, how we treat our spouses, how we go about our business, how we work for our employer, and how we treat others. It should be the way we are known by our fellowman, that we are trustworthy and full of integrity. The word evil here means “bad” and covers all things that are morally wrong, injurious, unkind, disagreeable, and just plain dubious. The words we speak, the attitudes we have, and how we act should be as unto the Lord. A life void of offense towards God and man (Acts 24:16) matters much more than how often we attend church, proclaim our own goodness, or try to straighten out the sins of others. The way of peace is a way of great blessing. Would to God that children were raised in homes where there was great peace. If only professing Christians would make peace a priority in our churches and our daily lives. In the kingdom sermon, Jesus taught in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God”. The word “peacemakers” here means not only those who are peaceable people but those who create an environment of peace and strive to maintain peace. Those who seek to unite others and put away strife. The prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9:6, prophetically announced the birth of our Lord, calling Him, “The Prince of Peace”. May the Holy Spirit help us to refuse what is wrong, do what is right, and walk in peace.
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May 23, 2023
Psalms 9:1-2 “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
Has the Lord been good to you? Can you claim as your own, the words of Psalms 126:3, “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad”? Has He saved your soul as the Bible says in Isaiah 38:17, “but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back”? Has He answered your prayers, remained a faithful friend, been a shelter from life’s storms, and supplied your needs? If so, then today’s verse calls us to praise the Lord and testify of what He has done for us. It encourages us to be glad and rejoice in the Lord. The world, with all its sorrow, sickness, and death offers no hope and no solutions but the Lord is with us and delights to bless us and care for us. These devotions often remind us of the greatness of the Lord and how he has all power in heaven and earth. But it’s a personal thing with us because He shows His power and glory to us personally by working in us and for us. At the beginning of our salvation, He did for us what no other can do and I love how it states it in Psalms 86:13, “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell”. It was not just a casual rescue but we were in the deepest hell, destined to be eternally separated from God. But the Lord came down from heaven to us and brought us out. The Bible says in Psalms 150:6, “Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD”. We show forth His marvelous works by telling how good God has been to us. We have no bad reports and we have no complaints. May our words be those of Psalms 145:2-5, “Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works”.
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May 22, 2023
Psalms 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit”
The promise here is to people who are brokenhearted and crushed. We don’t have to look far around us to see someone that fits one or both descriptions and maybe even ourselves are in such a place. Life can deal such painful blows that we carry the scars as long as we live. Listen to any parent who has lost a child and they will tell you that while time may help with dealing with the loss, the pain never goes away. Talk with people who have been abandoned, abused, and hurt by others, some of whom may have been people or family they trusted and you will hear their sorrow and wounded spirits. Any words we may try to speak to them to bring them comfort and any acts of kindness we offer to try to ease the pain will not heal them. They need the Lord who is the only healer of broken hearts and contrite or crushed spirits. The first sermon our Lord Jesus preached was recorded in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord”. Notice He said He came to heal the brokenhearted and rescue the bruised and that word bruised means crushed. Jesus knows our pain and feels our sorrows. At the tomb of Lazarus, while Mary and Martha suffered the dearth of their brother, He wept. When He looked at the city of Jerusalem and thought about the destruction that was coming to it, He wept. He hears us when we cry to Him and He is ready to help us. The word “saveth” here means to succor and means to come to one’s aid and give help. It is the same sense when used describing Jesus in Hebrews 2:18, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted (tested), he is able to succour them that are tempted”. Let’s encourage the brokenhearted and those crushed to look to the Lord and tell them He is ready to help. Let’s take comfort that we have a friend who will not only help us through life’s pain but can bring healing to our wounds. Oh, what a Savior!
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May 21, 2023
Psalms 119:71 “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes”
The word “afflicted” here means to be put down, to be downcast, and to be humiliated. It has the sense of being troubled and suffering. No matter how strong our faith is, it’s hard to see such times as good but this verse says plainly that it is a good thing for us to be afflicted. When things go awry, when something happens that disrupts our life, when people hurt us, or any number of things that cause us grief we get frustrated, angry, disappointed, and sometimes downright depressed. But these are times for us to learn to trust the Lord, to lean on His wisdom, and to find assurance in His Word that God is in control and nothing escapes His eyes. It doesn’t mean that everyone who is afflicted comes out better because some become bitter, revengeful, and stubborn against the Lord. It is speaking to those who are following God’s ways, who are growing in grace and relying on the Word of God to be their shield and protection. It’s frustrating when we’re in a trial that we can’t resolve and no matter how hard we try, we remain stuck in the event. It’s tempting to lash out in anger, to try to force the issue no matter the consequences. But the Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”. God knows what we’re up against and He will not allow this world and its devices to have dominion over us. Even sin no longer has dominion over us because its power has been broken by Jesus Christ. So then we wait upon the Lord to deliver us, to vindicate us, and to help us to hold fast to our faith in the One who only has to speak and all things obey His command. Afflictions encourage us to pray, to seek God’s face and then He reveals Himself as a Father and a friend. How many trials have we already been through and the Lord brought us out? How many times have we cried out for help in a situation where we were in trouble and the Lord came to our rescue? Our trials have strengthened our faith and they’ve taught us that no matter what happens, the Lord will never fail.
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May 20, 2023
Psalms 67:1-2 “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations”
The Lord, the Righteous Judge, has every right to turn his anger towards the world for our sins and unbelief. He has every right to withhold blessings and turn away His gracious face. And yet here we are praying a prayer for God to show us mercy, to bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That phrase gives us the picture of the Lord looking at us with the acceptance of a Father looking lovingly and well-pleased with a child. It’s the thought of a happy, smiling face. How different this is from the austere, frowning countenance of an indignant, wrathful judge. But the desire for mercy, blessings, and favor is not for selfish reasons so that we can have abundance and pleasure but it is so the world can come to know the Lord and receive healing. Everywhere there is violence, suffering, sickness, and death and this prayer looks to God for His power to help all people trapped in the horrors of sin. We do not want the destruction and death of people but their salvation and restoration. We long for the day that verses 5-7 are fulfilled: “Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him”. It is the thought of the words of the Lord’s prayer that say, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”. Praise the Lord that with Him, there is mercy and pardon. There is blessing and favor. There is complete restoration. And when the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayers, we pray with forgiveness, compassion, and love for people just like ourselves that deserve no mercy but in Jesus Christ can find mercy. We see them through the eyes of our Savior when He prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”. Our faith sees the reality of verse 3, “Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee”.
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May 19, 2023
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
Most translations have removed the word “study” here and replaced it with “do your best” or “be diligent to secure God’s approval”. But such move the emphasis away from the encouragement to study which keeps the focus on our source of inspiration, the Word of God, and simply gives a baseless thought to put forth our best effort in our work. The context of the verse is Paul’s teaching to Timothy how to be a good minister for Jesus Christ and today’s verse carries the message that our responsibility is to “rightly divide” the Word of truth, also something that has been obscured in most translations. So much of the error that has crept into Christian teaching comes from mixing the Law with grace, failing to set Israel apart from the church, teaching Apostolic commissions as though they apply to all, and using the gospels with their kingdom message as a code for the salvation message. When we do not set the dispensations in order as the Bible gives them, we end up with a mess that reeks of legalism, emotionalism, and replacement heresy. When some think of studying the Bible it’s not the Bible they study but the writings of others that have written about what they think about the scriptures. We become not students of God’s Word but students of other people and we will invariably pattern our interpretations on their views as we are in effect, their disciples. All the cults reference the writings and sayings of their founders and leaders and hold them to be just as inspired or more so than the Bible. Mormons, for example, are called that because it identifies them not with the Bible, but the Book of Mormon written by their founder which they have elevated to sacred status just as if it is the inspired Word of God. Many identify with John Calvin and see themselves as “Calvinists” which they believe sets them apart as followers of the teachings and views of John Calvin. And the list goes on endlessly. But may the Lord help us identify only with Jesus Christ and may the Holy Spirit open our understanding of the Word of God. May our prayer be that we have a hunger to study the Bible and allow it to speak to us as it has for many generations of believers that call themselves, “Christians”. Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus”.
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May 18, 2023
John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it”
The Jewish religious leaders had just backhanded Jesus by insulting Him, accusing Him of being born of fornication. Apparently, people had taken notice of the timeframe between the marriage of Joseph and Mary and the birth of Jesus and concluded He was conceived before their marriage. Jesus then pointed out their parentage and directly called them children of the devil because their actions and unbelief mirrored those of Satan. They were wicked deceivers with murderous hearts. This verse tells us much about the enemy and lays bare his nature and character. Some believe he is called a murderer here because he instigates people to kill each other and others believe it is referring to the fact he brought sin into creation and then sin brought death. Both are true and our Lord does not mince His words when calling the devil for who he is and neither should we. It is difficult to comprehend the utter wickedness of the religious Jews especially when we know that while professing faith in God they delighted in the torture and murder of Christ. It was not a drunken mob of renegade misfits screaming “crucify him”, but the very leaders who supposedly represented Almighty God to the people. This hatred of the Way, the Truth, and the life did not end with the Lord’s death but has been a component of every generation and every people from the beginning of time until now. And it’s very much alive today. Just as those demanding the Lord’s death wore the robes of respectability, those who demand the death of the truth today wear the attire of scholarship, religion, progress, and influence. No matter how we try to spin it by whimpering that the love of God covers them, they are enemies of the truth and just like those whom Jesus addresses, their father is the devil. The Word of God declares it plainly in Philippians 3:18-19, “(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”.
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May 17, 2023
Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”
Jesus was always teaching His disciples to not worry and to not be afraid. Even in the Lord’s presence and watching Him do miracles from raising the dead and stilling horrendous storms they needed His continual assurance that everything was going to be fine. The word “careful” in today’s verse means to be filled with worry, anxiety, and over-concerning about our circumstances. If we believe God is who He says He is, that He is all-powerful, all-wise, and has control over every detail of His creation then we believe nothing is too hard for Him. If we believe He loves us and is working all things for our good then we believe that whatever happens to us He is either causing it to happen or allowing it to happen. When the dust settles and the storm is over, we will always and without fail come out on the other side in victory. God will not allow it any other way. The Lord is telling us that in the times we are tempted and prone to distress, we should pray which often is the last thing we do. Whatever our need is in the moment, the Lord is ready to help us, and note that He says, “in everything” we should go to Him in fervent prayer thanking Him He is already working to fulfill His will in us. Praying moves our focus from what we need or fear to the God of heaven and earth who is more than able to help. The result is given in next verse 7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Praying moves us from a place of anxiety and worry to a place of peace. The enemy wants to stop us from praying because He wants to steal our peace. In a sense, worry is our unbelief saying that God does not mean what He says. When the first signs of anxiety hit us may the Holy Spirit remind us that God is waiting for us to call on Him and his Word declares in Psalms 46:1-2, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea”.
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May 16, 2023
1 Peter 2:1-3 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
When I was a kid, I remember wanting to be big or at least tall like some of my uncles. It never happened. I stuck at 5’8” like my dad and now that I’m a senior citizen and slumped over a bit I’ve lost an inch or two of that. God’s will for His children is that they grow from spiritual infancy to become big and strong as believers and it all starts with the milk, the basics, of the Word of God. The unfortunate truth is that many Christians remain baby believers until they die. For some reason or reasons, they never learn and understand the foundational truths that are necessary to step into spiritual maturity. The closing words of today’s verse, “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” look back to Psalms 34:8, “O taste and see that the LORD is good”. It reminds us that if indeed the Lord is good, also the meaning of the word “gracious” in this verse, then there is every reason in the world to put aside all the things that stunt our spiritual growth, things like evil, slander, deception, and hypocrisy and fill our minds and hearts with God’s Word. Christian music and worship may seem like a good diet and in their place there’s room for them in our lives but nothing takes the place of the pure, powerful, and eternal Word of God. Some of us have Bible apps and use them in parts of our studies but we learned what we learned from good old-fashioned study Bibles that we ransacked from cover to cover, running references, and underlining key phrases and verses. We often laid them out before us on the floor when we knelt, cried, and pleaded with God to open our understanding of the treasure of His Word. Even today after many years of studying and reading the Bible there are times when I get out my favorite ones, those that are so worn that the pages are loose and the covers battered and I review verses I underlined and marked years ago when I was a babe in Christ, beginning to grow in grace. The Word of God will change us, strengthen us, and establish us. Faithfully immersing ourselves in the fundamentals of truth, the milk of the Word, will mature us until we can begin to eat the meat of the Word.
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May 15, 2023
Nehemiah 6:16 “And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God”
The world does not like to give God credit for the impossible. When a miracle happens, they quickly dismiss it and try to explain it away. Before the Jewish people could return home from their 70 years of exile, the Lord gave Nehemiah the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the huge stone walls that surrounded Jerusalem and repairing the gates. The people who had settled in the area while the Jews were in Babylonian captivity, didn’t want to see the Jews return and they were against the wall being rebuilt. But when the Lord decrees a matter and gives His people the power to accomplish His will, all that seems impossible is made possible. The impossible task that might have taken years to accomplish with a handful of workers was finished in 52 days. Today’s verse tells us that when their enemies saw God’s people had finished rebuilding the wall and repairing the gates and Jerusalem was once again fortified at such a speedy pace and despite all the opposition, they lost their arrogance and were forced to acknowledge that it was the Lord that brought it all to pass. The angel said to the virgin Mary in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” and nine months later, Jesus was born. The Bible is filled with accounts where God did what no one could imagine possible. Abraham and Sarah had a son when they were so old their bodies were well past child-bearing years. People walked on water, dead people were resurrected, and young David killed a mighty giant. When the Lord purposes something, even something that defies natural laws, nothing can stop Him. And when He chooses to use us, there’s no power on earth that can stand in our way to fulfill His will. The enemies of faith, like those Nehemiah faced, are always hollering from the sidelines, “You can’t do that. You’re too weak. You’re not talented enough. You’re going to fail. You’ve made too many mistakes in your past”, and blah, blah, blah. But it isn’t us in our own power that’s doing it. Just like the completed work of Nehemiah and the workers proved, when God is for us, no one or nothing can stand against us.
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May 14, 2023
Luke 10:20 “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven”
In Luke chapter 9, the Bible says Jesus sent His 12 disciples on a mission to preach the gospel of the kingdom. He also gave them great power over all evil spirits and power to heal the sick. Then in this chapter, He called 70 more disciples to travel in pairs throughout the land to preach the gospel of the kingdom and heal the sick. When they returned, they were filled with joy because as they went in the name of the Lord, they had authority over demons. But Jesus gave them the words in today’s verse to explain that our greatest joy should be because our names are written in heaven and not just because we have any successes in ministry down here. It is not wrong to enjoy the Lord’s work and to be filled with joy when He uses us. But nothing compares to the miracle of the new birth, to the miracle that God chooses to forgive hell-deserving sinners and adopt them as His dear children. It is an unspeakable miracle that we, made from the dust of the earth, have a welcomed access into the presence of Almighty God and have been made citizens of His eternal heaven. It is a miracle that all our sins, our transgressions that should have been our sentence of death have been so completely forgiven and washed away that God no longer remembers them. The source of our greatest joy is that we can now stand before God clean and holy, as though we had never sinned. Pity those who are striving to make themselves clean enough to enter heaven when the Bible says in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”. Do you know your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If so, then you have a reason to rejoice and to keep on rejoicing. As an old hymn says, “I’m living now for Jesus, I’m happy night and day, because my sins are gone; my soul is filled with music, with all my heart I say, “I know my sins are gone!”.
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May 13, 2023
Psalms 40:2-3 “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God”
We were in the grocery store recently and like all stores nowadays, they had the music blaring so loudly you couldn’t concentrate on what you were shopping for. I noticed they were playing the same old top 40 songs that have been worn out for 50 years but they keep getting played over and over as if there’s nothing else to listen to. I vowed the next time I have to shop there I’m going to take some earplugs to block the distraction. It’s the same with some people. They keep singing the same old sad songs of defeat, failure, discouragement, disappointments, anger, revenge, and past regrets. It may not be literal songs, but it’s the same thoughts and whispers that tell us we’re failures, that we’ve messed up so badly that even God can’t help us. Songs that say we’re always going to live trapped where we are with no way out. But praise God today’s verse tells us the Lord has rescued us from a horrible pit of sin, that He has pulled us out of a trap of miry clay (alluding to our fleshly nature), and that He has placed us in a safe, secure place of victory and deliverance. And then, He has given us a new song to sing, a song of praise and honor to Him! A part of our transformation in Christ is the renewing of our minds taught in Romans 12:2, “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. God’s will for us is to know that we’ve been delivered from the power and trap of sin and that we have been set free to enjoy His blessings. We do not follow the mindset of the world with its gloom and doom but the Lord has given us a new life and we walk as new creations. When the Israelites were freed from Egypt’s bondage, they kept saying they wanted to go back because they still had a slave mentality. But God’s will for them was to know they had been set free. He brought them through the Red Sea and He had the blessings of the promised land waiting for them. It’s time for us to sing the new song. We are no longer bound to this world, to sin and death. But we are people who have been delivered, blessed beyond comprehension, and filled with the glory of God!
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May 12, 2023
Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”
The last words Jesus spoke from the cross, “It is finished” takes in a lot of territory. It meant His earthly ministry was finished, His suffering on the cross was finished, and the work of redemption for us was finished. Jesus died once and there will never be another need for another sacrifice for sin. This is made clear by today’s verse and also in other scriptures such as 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” and Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many”. For us, it means that what happened on the cross paid our sin debt in full and by the price of the blood of Jesus, we are perfected forever. The word perfected means complete, finished, found perfect. We do not see ourselves the way God sees us because we are fully aware of our flaws and imperfections but God sees us in the finished work of Jesus and just as Jesus was perfect God sees us perfected. The Bible says in Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”. The enemy tries to twist the meaning of “them that are sanctified” by implying that only those who achieve self-sanctification are perfected. But the scripture declares our method of sanctification in Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”. Notice, here again, it is said the sacrificial body of Jesus Christ sanctified us “once for all”. Praise God for Jesus of whom the Bible says in Romans 6:9-10, “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God”. In the plan and mind of God, with whom Jesus Christ is yesterday, today, and forever, we are already in heaven because nothing can alter what Jesus has done for us. We rejoice in the words of Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”.
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May 11, 2023
1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God”
Do you know for sure that you are saved? It’s a simple question but the most important one you’ll ever consider. Sometimes people answer the question with, “I hope so”, “I think so “, or they deflect it by saying, “I’m a pretty good person” or “I believe in God”. But today’s verse tells us God wants us to know with certainty that we are saved where the word “know” means to be sure with a deep settled and absolute knowledge. Every church, every minister should have the goal of leading people into the fullness of the knowledge of the faith in Jesus Christ. When this life is over it will not matter how well-prepared our programs were, how aesthetically pleasing our stage decorations and trappings, or how well-constructed and up-to-date our church budgets and goals were. What will matter most is whether or not people were saved and how we fulfilled the Lord’s commission by teaching them the way of grace. It would be far better to preach the plan of salvation every Sunday even if people questioned its repetitiveness than to have one single soul enter eternity from our church pews uncertain as to God’s plan to redeem us. Shame on us when we concentrate on insignificant topics just because they seem more interesting to us than “Ye must be born again”. The words of Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation” should always be a foundation of our preaching and teaching until every soul can say with absolute confidence, “I know I am saved, I’m absolutely sure I’m trusting in Christ alone”. When we are sure of our salvation, then we want our children and grandchildren to know they are saved. We want our neighbors and friends to be certain they have eternal life. And when we walk in the depth of God’s love, we will pray that even our enemies and those who oppose the gospel will come to the light of Christ and know Him as their Savior with full assurance of faith. May the Holy Spirit draw us to the simplicity of the question, “Do I know for sure I am saved” and help us answer, “I know I am, I’m sure I am because I have believed on the name of Jesus, the Son of God”.
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May 10, 2023
Mark 13:37 “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch”
The word “Watch” here means to stay awake, be alert, and be on guard, and was first spoken to the Jews Jesus was preaching to at that time. Those who listened to His words and warnings were able to flee Jerusalem to safety a few years later when the Roman legion commanded by Titus destroyed the city and slaughtered the people. But the command to watch has a broader meaning because our Lord said, “And what I say unto you I say unto all”. It points to our present time when we know the coming of the Lord is imminent and God will unleash a time of tribulation on the world. The danger of such a time catching people spiritually asleep is alluded to in the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25:5 and was foreshadowed by the sleeping disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was about to be arrested and His time of suffering began. We watch because we know the events unfolding in front of our eyes are the things the Lord said would come to pass right before He appears. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:28, “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” and also in Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ”. Our charge is twofold: take the message of salvation to the world but all the while, watch because we do not know the day or hour of His return. Faith in God’s promise keeps our hearts and minds aware that He will come again and it is a large part of our foundation as believers. The lost need to be warned that this earth is not forever and neither are their lives here. Christians need to be reminded to do God’s work while the opportunities are before us because the Bible says in John 9:4, “the night cometh, when no man can work” speaking both of the earthly ministry of Jesus ending and also of the ending of the dispensation of the church ages. But just as surely as Jesus was taken back into heaven, we have the promise in Acts 1:11, “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”. Our duty is to watch.
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May 9, 2023
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God”
The key word in these verses and in the verse that precedes them is “reconciliation”. The word means to exchange and here it refers to the desire and will of God that lost people be restored into full fellowship and favor with Him. We are told in verse 18 that we have been given the “ministry of reconciliation” which sheds light on our role in God’s salvation plan. We represent Him as ambassadors and urge people to come to Christ because He is the One that brings us into full favor with God. The great commission is in our hands and the Holy Spirit directs us to live a life of love and speak words of truth so that people will be drawn to Jesus Christ. We are not urging them towards a denomination or church affiliation but towards faith in the finished work of our Lord. The words “we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” is our heartbeat towards the lost and it means, “we beg you on behalf of Christ: make peace and be reunited with God”. Jesus is not imputing our sins to us, because our sins were imputed to Him and this is God’s plan to restore us into favor by His gracious love. Sometimes the world hears the message of condemnation and wrath as if they are expected to change themselves by doing better before they come to God to be reconciled or restored. But the provision for change has already been included in the new birth and only by the Holy Spirit after we are forgiven can we begin to walk as new creations. As ambassadors, we not only represent our Lord but we are examples of those that He has fully restored and by our love one for another we show that we are His followers. The “word of reconciliation” the Lord has given us are the words of John 3:16 and other words of truth that give hope to those who are estranged from the Lord. What a privilege! What a ministry! What a calling, to be able stand for the Lord and tell others about the goodness of God!
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May 8, 2023
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”
There’s an old hymn that says, “In times like these you need a Savior, in times like these you need an anchor”. It was true in 1943 when it was written and it’s more relevant today than ever as we approach the midnight hour of the Lord’s appearing. We see the foreshadowing of the apocalyptic red horse and its rider of which it is prophesied in Revelation 6:4, “power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another”. No leader, no wise man on earth, and no scientist has any answers as to how to keep us and our families safe. But with the Lord, there is peace and today’s verse promises “perfect peace” to those whose minds are fixed upon Him. Because when we trust in Him, we know he can not and will not fail us. Some may scoff at this, never having experienced that deep, abiding peace of Jesus Christ. Others know it’s true but will not change their lives and lifestyles to follow Christ in such a way as to make Him the Lord of their lives. Once patterns of living are established and we have our “normal” routines of life it sometimes takes a miracle or a life-changing circumstance to shake us loose from our self-made prisons and walk in the freedom of God’s plan for us. How many people today fit the words of Psalms 107:11-12, “Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help”? When our minds are fixed, stayed, and firmly established on the Lord, we have the promise of Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. May we purpose in our hearts to allow the mind of Christ to rule us, that we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring our thoughts and imaginations into subjection so that we are focused on the Lord and the things of God. May we pray for the fullness of His Spirit and then the peace of the Lord will rule (Colossians 3:15).
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May 7, 2023
Psalms 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”
It may be that these words from this Psalm have been read at more funeral memorials than any others because they are words of hope. When we are young, they have little or no meaning to us but as we age, the assurance of the Lord’s presence in times when we are in the valley of the shadow of death is precious. I have heard my dad tell the story many times of what happened when he was standing by the bedside of my dying grandfather, George Washington Bradley. In his last few moments of life, grandad looked up as if staring at something and then smiled and raised his arms upward like a child reaching for its mother. He did this three times and then sighed his last breath. A miracle of this story is that my granddad spent most of his life unsaved but in his old age, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Yet no matter at what point in our life journey we are saved the promise is that in the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord will be with us. I do not doubt that the moment he died, my granddad was looking at the angels who came to carry him into the presence of the Lord. In Luke 16:22 The Bible tells the story of the poor beggar Lazarus and how the angels came to carry him into a blessed afterlife when he died and we have no reason to doubt that the Lord sends His angels to accompany His people when they pass from this life into their heavenly home. Years ago, Jesse Peters, a man in our community who was strong in faith, as he died asked people in the room around him to step away from his bed to make way for the angels he saw entering his room. This hope mentioned in Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” is not something unusual because it has been God’s desire for us before we were created. The way to heaven is well prepared, paid for by the blood of Jesus, and available to all who will believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He is their Savior if they will but ask Him. When we must walk the valley of the shadow of death, it will not be a time of evil but of unspeakable blessing in the presence of our Lord.
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May 6, 2023
1 John 2:12 “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake”
The words “little children” are not a designation of infancy but a term of endearment as one might say, “dear children”. It is speaking in love to all of us who are the children of God by faith. We are reminded of the most important thing, the most valuable thing in the world or eternity for that matter: personal salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”. Even though coming to God and receiving His gift of eternal life is what this life is about, it is the thing that is ignored, fought against, procrastinated, and refused. We spend our days concerning over anything and everything except where we will live in eternity. All the while God is reaching out to us in love to encourage us to choose life and live forever. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live”. Those of us who have been saved have a treasure and today’s verse reminds us that we possess the gift of God as spoken of in Matthew 6:20, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”. From the moment of salvation and onward the Lord will always be with us and we have His unfailing promises. Then, when this life ends, we have the glory of heaven waiting for us. We have so many reasons to rejoice daily and if for nothing else the fact that we are saved should give us the greatest joy because what God has given us, no one can take it away. What comforting words our Lord Jesus spoke in John 10:27-29, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand”.
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May 5, 2023
Matthew 11:2-3 “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born and was sent from God to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. The Bible records John’s declaration about Christ in John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” and in verse 34, “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God”. But today’s verse tells us when John was in prison, he either became unclear about the ministry of Jesus or was doubting whether or not He was the Messiah. No matter how spiritual we are or how great our faith is, there will be times just like John when we need reassurance in the things of the Lord. We can only speculate as to why John’s faith wavered but maybe it was because he had been arrested and put in prison and that was something he never saw coming. God doesn’t usually reveal the steps ahead in the path of life we’re walking and circumstances can catch us by surprise. Yet He is faithful to us and nothing can happen except He has foreseen it and allowed it. We often use Joseph as a good example of this and can put ourselves in his place when we are going through hard times. The Lord was with him every step and was working unseen to fulfill God’s purpose even though it looked like Joseph had been forsaken and forgotten. God completed His will in Daniel, the three Hebrew boys, and even the gentile King Nebuchadnezzar when he lost his mind and went crazy for a while in Daniel 4. It is normal for us to go through seasons of uncertainty and doubt and even though our faith may seem weak, the Lord is teaching us it’s His faithfulness and grace that is carrying us and not our own power and abilities. Ezra recognized that his success in obeying the Lord was because God was helping him as he said in Ezra 7:28, “And (God) hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me”. Seasons of doubt and uncertainty cause us to seek the Lord just as John sent his disciples to Jesus for assurance. Such times humble us and cause us to rely more fully upon God. Our time of weakness is God’s time to glorify Himself in us as the scripture says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us”.
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May 4, 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”
These verses encourage us to live in a way that brings us blessings and honors the Lord. The sum of the matter is, “Keep rejoicing, keep praying, and keep being thankful”. The enemy wants us to concentrate on what we don’t have or the particular situation we are in. But faith rises above what we see and declares we are more than conquerors and that the victory has already been won. We can rejoice even when it looks like failure and disaster is all around as the scriptures say in Habakkuk 3:17-18, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation”. Keep rejoicing, keep praising the Lord, keep worshipping, and keep speaking the truth over the problems because our God will never fail. We keep praying because prayer directs us to the One true and living God who controls the universe. He tells us to pray even when it seems there is no answer, when we don’t feel like praying, when we’ve already prayed the prayer a hundred times, and when our unbelief tries to make us throw in the towel and quit. We kneel and pray, we stand and pray, we sit and pray, and we pray when we’re lying down in bed. Prayer changes things because prayer is how we reach heavenward. Jesus prayed, sometimes all night and even when He was dying on the cross, He was praying. Jonah prayed to God from the whale’s belly. The apostles prayed when they were in jail. The disciples knew the importance of prayer so they said to Jesus, “Teach us to pray”. The enemy and our flesh try to shut down our prayer life but the Lord encourages us to keep praying. And then there is the always being thankful part. It comes from the truth that God is good, that He loves us, and that He is our provider. It comes from knowing He is everywhere and is working all things for our good because He cares for us. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”. If we approach each day with a thankful heart and refuse to listen to the negative, ungrateful, skeptical, and nay-saying world around us, we can shine like lights in a dark, unthankful world. These times are characterized in 2 Timothy 3:2 which says people are, “unthankful, unholy”. We will reap what we sow. If we sow complaining, bitterness, unthankfulness, prayerlessness, and evil speaking, we will reap the same. May the Holy Spirit open our understanding to the way we are living and may He help us to live rejoicing, praying, and with a thankful heart.
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May 3, 2023
Mark 12:32-34 “And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God”
When this scribe asked Jesus which of the commandments was the greatest, the Lord answered him in verses 30-31, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these”. When the scribe answered back that when we do these two, it is greater than all offerings and sacrifices, our Lord said, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God”. Jesus was saying that it is upon these truths that the kingdom of God is established. Remember Christ taught in Luke 17:20, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation” and in verse 21, “behold, the kingdom of God is within you”. In one sense, the kingdom of God is not the same as the kingdom of heaven because the kingdom of God is the ruling power of the Lord within us that directs our thoughts and actions. The kingdom of heaven, where the throne of God is established, is the realm distinct from the kingdoms of this fallen world and its curse. Jesus told the scribe the whole point of the law was to bring us into a loving relationship with God and with each other. The law could not accomplish it, as the Bible says in Romans 8:3-4, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. All the things pertaining to righteousness, doctrines, ordinances, customs, personal sanctification, and so on are peripheral to the main work of salvation. The Holy Spirit lives within us so we can accomplish what God wanted for us and that is to love Him and love each other. That’s what happens when the kingdom of God is established in us. Sadly, sometimes we miss this point and get sidetracked in our doctrines, church organizations, religious views, baptisms, spiritual gifts, tithes, sundry philosophies, and a million other things. When the Holy Spirit calls us back to the basics, He revives us first to commit our ways to the Lord in reverence and honor for Him and then He begins to break down the barriers we’ve built between each other. We begin forgiving, showing kindness, overcoming evil with good, abandoning revenge, and loving others as Christ loves us. Anything else is far from the kingdom of God.
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May 2, 2023
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”
No matter how much we grow in grace and mature in the faith, there are days when we need this verse more than ever. It is a rock of safety, a shelter from life’s storms where we can run to and be safe. When the unexpected happens, when our best plans fall through, when we fail in our most noble pursuits knowing that God exists and that He is the creator of all things just isn’t enough. Knowing we are saved and that heaven is our home is wonderful for the future but when we need comfort right here and right now the Lord has given us this verse, an anchor to hold us fast until we are delivered from whatever has hit us. There are days when we don’t think about Romans 8:28 because we don’t need it at that time. Our life is smooth sailing and nothing seems amiss. But there are other days when this verse is all we can think about because, without it, it looks like everything is wrecked. The parts that speak loudest are the words “all things” which is the Greek word “pas” which Thayer’s Greek Lexicon tells us means “every, any, each, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything” and it means nothing is excluded. It means everything from that flat tire to the worst imaginable circumstance is in the hands of God. The thought is followed by verse 31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” where the word “who”, the Greek word “tis” also means “who, what, and what manner of thing”. Of course, the answer to this question is, “nothing”. Praise the Lord! The hard part is enduring the hardships until God brings us out and shows us how He has been with us and working all things for our good even when it seemed He wasn’t. Jesus experienced this in His time of suffering and death and the Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:2, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. It relates that Jesus knew all the pain He was going through was leading Him to a place of joy where He would be resurrected as the Savior and King. Even though it seems I write a lot of devotions along these lines, we need to keep this in front of us as we forge through these uncertain times. Times when we go through sickness, bad Doctor’s reports, problems with our children and grandchildren, troubles in our jobs, and disappointments in general. These are the end times, times of uncertainty, times of a growing darkness in our world, and times when, as the Bible says in Psalms 37:35, “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree”. Let’s encourage ourselves in this rock-solid promise, one that will never fail, and let’s encourage each other to keep pressing forward. Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee”.
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May 1, 2023
Isaiah 1:11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats”
The Jews of Isaiah’s time were engaged in their religion. They and their priests carried out the worship and offerings, and they observed the Holy Days and festivals. They kept the Sabbaths, paid their tithes, and dressed according to the Levitical Law. Yet God told them in today’s verse none of it was pleasing to Him. What He wanted, is described in verses 16 and 17, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow”. The religious works were a part of what He wanted from them but they were not the important part just as Jesus taught in Matthew 23:23, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone”. The Pharisees were keen on minding the tiniest details of the law but fell short of living the way God wanted. God was not telling His people to stop practicing their religion but to turn away from sin and start acting upon the principles of truth, goodness, kindness, and benevolence. It is not different today when we go to church, participate in worship, give an offering, and show outward signs of religion and then practice our pet sins, treat people unkindly, turn away from those in need, and have no compassion for suffering people. This is what is addressed in 2 Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”. Outwardly it appears as something that pleases God and may even sound Biblical but people’s hearts are not changed and they are not moving closer to the Lord. It’s all just an empty exercise, an imitation of true worship. Its power is generated by the flesh, by our programmed, planned methods, well-practiced and rehearsed performances, and carefully contrived and scripted messages, fashioned to remain neutral and non-offensive. People hear and view it, feel like they’ve had a religious experience, and walk away unchanged, back to the same carnal lifestyles and patterns as before. Christianity is a life of growth, of the abandonment of all that is not God’s best for us, and of moving ever forward into a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Lord. God’s will for us is not just that we bear some fruit or occasional fruit but as stated in John 15:8, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples”. Piles of offerings, records of perfect church attendance, or any other things we do in religious endeavors are not things that delight the Lord. But to love Him, love one another, turn away from wrong, and follow good are well pleasing to God.
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