January 31, 2024
1 Corinthians 8:3 “But if any man love God, the same is known of him”
Our God, all-knowing and all-wise, knows the heart of every person. We don’t have to prove anything to Him because He even knows our thoughts and when we love Him, this verse tells us He knows it. The scripture says in 2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity”. In ancient times, documents were often sealed with a wax seal with the name or symbol of the person issuing them embossed into the wax. The seal was an identifying and legal means of proving authenticity. We bear the seal of God in the person of the Holy Spirit living within us as the scripture says in Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise”. The Bible says in John 10:3-4, “To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice”. We are precious to the Lord and every one of us is carefully guarded, our names are recorded in heaven, and every detail of our lives is known and considered by our Heavenly Father. One of the enemy’s ploys is to try to cause us to think of ourselves as insignificant, as someone that the Lord never thinks about or considers. But when we honor Him, love Him, and look to Him He knows it and He reaches to us with the compassion and care of a loving Father. The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him”. May our prayer be that we love Him more and more and have hearts that are filled with praise and gratitude. We don’t have to prove it, He already knows.
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January 30, 2024
1 Peter 1:22-23 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever”
There are two words relating to love in this sentence that speak loudly to us. The first is that our love for each other should be unfeigned. Unfeigned comes from a word that means to act out a part on a stage and in this case, it is a picture of someone whose love is not genuine but is an act to be seen by others. We call those people hypocrites and it is similar to the words of Romans 12:9, “Let love be without dissimulation” where dissimulation means pretended and false. We are living in times where the words of Matthew 24:12 are being fulfilled: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold”. True love is scarce and because people are lovers of their own selves (2 Timothy 3:2), they have little room in their hearts for others including their families, spouses, children, and friends. It doesn’t take long for some people’s professed love to turn to despite and even hatred. The second word is “fervently” and means intensely, without ceasing, and earnestly. It speaks of the depth and fervor of our love, the kind that 1 Corinthians 13 describes and which is spoken of in Song of Solomon 8:6, “For love is strong as death” and in verse 7, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it”. We are encouraged to love people with an intensity, an unrelenting force that has no equal in this world because our hearts are pure, we have been born again from above, and the eternal Word of God is within us. This kind of love is pure and genuine and follows the teaching of 1 John 3:18, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth”. We’ve all heard people say things like, “Well, I love that person BUT…” and what follows the BUT, is usually a laundry list of things they don’t like about the person, sins they think the person has committed, and old, rancid things from the past, much of which is second-hand gossip. The Bible says love covers a multitude of sins and the ability to speak blessings and favor over those that we might be tempted to accuse is a mark of our loving them and obeying the truth through the Spirit.
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January 29, 2024
Psalms 27:13 “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living”
One of the things the enemy tries to get us to doubt or at least question, is the goodness of God. Whenever we go through a trial or a painful, troubling situation he whispers to us that if God loved us like we say He does and if He was good and kind, then He would protect us from such troubles. But God doesn’t always deliver us from the fire but like He did with the three young Hebrew men in Daniel 3, He walks with us through the fire. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when Nebuchadnezzar the king saw the fourth man in the fire and saw them walk out of the furnace unhurt, He turned his heart towards God and issued a decree forbidding anyone to dishonor the Almighty God. Their dilemma in the fire was God working for good to change a king’s heart and put to rest all the attacks of Babylon against the Jews and the Most High God of Israel. God’s goodness is at work all around us and unless we have the faith and vision to see it, the news of the world and the violence and evil we see would overwhelm us as said in today’s verse, cause us to faint which means, to lose heart. When Moses boldly asked God to allow him to look upon the Almighty, notice what God said in Exodus 33:19, “And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy”. When the Lord’s presence passed by Moses, the Bible says in Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”. God identified Himself as the Lord of abundant goodness. Let’s see the goodness of God at work every day and everywhere. It isn’t luck or good fortune, it’s the goodness of God reaching down to us and showing us His mercy, grace, and loving-kindness. In Psalms 107, three times the Bible says, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”. We proclaim Psalms 100:5, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations”.
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January 28, 2024
Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”
Hebrews 11 is a list of saints in the Old Testament who lived by faith. The foundation of salvation for people of all ages and dispensations is faith and the Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please God. Under the law, people who tried to obey the law only pleased God when they did so by faith and their faith produced their works. When God accepted the blood of sacrifices, He did so only when the one who gave the offering did so because they trusted the Word of God’s law. And, all the while these Old Testament saints lived, their faith looked past their present age to the time of the Messiah. If we think the promise of a Messiah was unknown to ancient believers, we are fooling ourselves because Jesus said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad”. Today’s verse tells us the Old Testament saints did not receive the fulfillment of the day of Christ but by their eyes of faith they looked forward in time, saw it, were confident of the certainty of Christ’s appearing, and embraced that precious hope where the word “embraced” means to salute or wave at someone you recognize at a distance. Then the Bible says, they lived their lives as strangers and pilgrims on this earth and verse 14 tells us they looked towards another country, heaven, and the words here carry the meaning of a homeland, a place of their own. If these believers of the past could embrace the day of Jesus without receiving the promise, how much more should our faith arise and lay hold on the truth of the gospel because it has happened, it was witnessed, and the Holy Spirit makes it real to us?
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January 27, 2024
Genesis 4:6-7 “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him”
Cain came to a crossroads and had a choice to make. He could either obey God and offer a sacrifice that pleased God or he could choose to ignore God’s will and go in another direction. We know what he chose and we know the outcome. He disobeyed God, killed his brother, and became an outcast. It’s interesting to see that while he was in his dilemma, the struggle within him to either choose God’s ways or to rebel, caused him to be angry and sad, the meaning of the phrase, “thy countenance fallen”. The Lord gave Him a simple truth: If he would just do well, and do what is right, he would be accepted by the Lord. The word “accepted” means elevated, exalted, cheerful, and honored. God was telling him to just do what is right and he would be happy, blessed, and lifted up. But the stubbornness and pride of his heart moved him to disobey God. Instead of being blessed, he became cursed. In this time of grace, Jesus did all the things that please the Father and when we come to Christ, His obedience is transferred to us. We become exalted, elevated, and honored in Him. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:6, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved”. This world will never accept us when we do not follow its ways. Its words are those of Luke 7:32, “They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept”. The world rejects us when we don’t dance to their shenanigans and respond to their demands. When we reach the crossroad of faith and we place our trust in God’s Son, heaven welcomes us as a child of God and accepts us completely. We are approved, and sealed with the Holy Spirit, our names are written down, and our eternal future is secure with God as His precious family. What a wonderful promise: Accepted in the beloved.
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January 26, 2024
Galatians 5:25-26 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another”
God has blessed each of us with both spiritual and material blessings and He has promised that He will supply all our needs. We differ in our abilities, talents, and resources but those differences are not things to separate us but gifts to use in God’s kingdom to help and bless others. Today’s verses warn us against living in such a way that we promote ourselves, irritate each other, and become envious. If the Holy Spirit is our life and life source, then we should follow the Holy Spirit’s guide. The word walk here is the Greek word that means to walk or march in a straight line, to keep in step as in a military advance. As the Holy Spirit directs us, we march forward under His leadership, sensitive to His call to go here or there or to move in a certain direction. And, all the while, we fight against the monster of envy. Envy is sometimes used interchangeably with jealousy but they are different. The definition of envy is, wanting what someone else has, and can be either a material possession, a talent or skill, or anything that person has. It is similar to covetousness. Jealousy is the feeling that you might lose something or someone you value to another person. A similar verse is Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves”. This gives us the truth that there is no competition between believers but we all honor each other and value the gifts God has given us individually. When we see someone who the Lord has blessed with greater talent, more possessions, and greater honor, we do not envy or covet that person’s blessings but we thank God for them, honor them, and know that when it comes time for the Lord to bless and honor us, He will do it when and in a way that’s best for us and His kingdom. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:9, “Let love be without dissimulation” which means our love should be real, genuine, and free from pretentiousness. When we are able to celebrate others in their successes and abilities without being envious or jealous, we are walking in the Spirit and following His leadership of love.
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January 25, 2024
Proverbs 4:18-19 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble”
The power of faith, the Word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit within us give us the light of hope in these dark times. If all the hope we had for the future, for us, our children, and grandchildren was only in the government, science, or the economy, we would be in darkness just as the world is. This darkness is the path of the wicked and the scriptures here say that they do not know what makes them stumble because of the depth of the darkness. But the Bible says in Psalms 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light” and in Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. We have God’s Word as a light that lets us see clearly even when the darkness of despair, the gloom of uncertainty, and the fog of sin is all around us. We know what God has promised and we know that He will never fail. We all started walking in God’s light the moment we were saved and as we walked, God made things clearer and clearer to us. As we grew in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, we turned more and more away from this world and its darkness and we embraced Jesus who is the light of the world. And, the more closely we follow Him, the brighter the light as the Bible says in today’s verse, it “Shineth more and more unto the perfect day”. We know how it will all end. Jesus will return and He will set all things in order. All sin, suffering, sorrow, and death will be destroyed and never again will there be war, worry, and woe. On a personal level, the more we travel this life the closer we are to our eternal home. And, the Bible tells us in 1Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”. The future is bright with hope and expectation. We are children of the light and we do not walk in darkness because the Bible says in Colossians 1:12, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
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January 24, 2024
2 Kings 6:17 “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha”
The king of Syria was waging war against Israel and with every move Syria tried to make to defeat Israel, the Lord would tell Elisha in advance, Elisha would tell the King of Israel, and Israel would be ready for the Syrian attack. When the King of Syria found out that it was Elisha who was upsetting his plans, he sent an army with horses and chariots to Elisha’s city and surrounded it to capture Elisha. It looked like a dire situation and Elisha’s servant cried out to Elisha, “Master, what are we going to do?”. Elisha spoke the words of verse 16, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” and prayed the prayer in today’s verse that the Lord would open the servant’s supernatural vision so he could see the reality of their situation. When God did, the servant saw that the army of the Almighty God, with horses and chariots of fire, was protecting them. The account helps us understand that there is an unseen world around us and God is aware of our needs. He knows when the enemy is fighting against us and He is always there with heaven’s protection, ready to intervene on our behalf. The New Testament says in Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” and the answer to this question is, “Nothing can overpower God’s protection for us”. The Lord is called our shield, our deliverer, our fortress, and our hiding place. The power of His angels, one of which killed 185,000 enemy soldiers in one day, is stated in 2 Kings 19:35 and God’s angels are dispatched on our behalf. May the Lord open our spiritual understanding and increase our faith so that we can take courage and comfort whenever we seem overwhelmed by the forces that are against us. We are loved by our Heavenly Father and we are protected by Him. Those that are for us, are far greater and stronger than any that are against us.
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January 23, 2024
Luke 8:52-53 “And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead”
The Bible says a man named Jarius came to Jesus and fell down at His feet, begging for help. He had a 12-year-old daughter, his only child, and she was dying. The Bible says Jarius was a ruler of the synagogue, a term meaning he was like a modern bishop or pastor. When Jesus arrived at Jarius’ house, people were already crying and moaning as was customary in their day when someone died because the child was already dead. When Jesus responded that she was not dead but asleep, it only took a second for all the wailing and crying to turn to raucous laughter and jeering. They began to make fun of Jesus as the scripture says, “They laughed him to scorn” meaning they loudly, and insultingly made fun of Him. One thing that strikes us is the inappropriateness and rudeness of their behavior. They were at the home of a respected, honorable family whose only child had just died and they went from pretending they were sorrowful to gaudy laughter in a moment’s notice. The depth of evil in the human heart is a testimony to the horribleness of our sinful nature. But it is the way of the world to mock God and jeer at the name of Jesus. Of the gospel, the scriptures say in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness”. Believers have been publicly humiliated through the centuries as the Apostle Paul pointed out the plight of the Apostles and church leaders in 1 Corinthians 4:9-10, “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake”. That day, although the Bible does not specifically tell us, Jesus put their laughter to silence when He raised the little girl from the dead and there will come a time when prideful, sinful humanity will no longer scoff and jeer at the Lord. The scriptures declare in Isaiah 2:17, “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day”.
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January 22, 2024
Luke 10:36-37 “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise”
Our Lord spoke these words about the good Samaritan when He was teaching that people are to love God and to love their neighbor as themselves. The good Samaritan was a man who put himself into a wounded man’s situation and went above and beyond compassion to help someone he didn’t even know. There are innumerable truths we can draw from the story because it pictures some people who walked by the wounded man, doing so in the name of religion, perhaps professing their care and concern while they passed on by. It’s about the unwillingness to get involved with someone who needs help and thinking we can remain loyal to the Lord without reaching our hands to those in need. The failure of religion is on every level. It never satisfies the religious person because it never satisfies the heart that’s empty of the presence of the Lord. It never satisfies the needs of the world because it’s too wrapped up in its selfish pursuits and doesn’t meet the world’s need for love and mercy. And, it never satisfies the Lord because it seeks to replace Him with a man-made system of symbols, words, and religious structure. The church is presented with the truth of 1 John 3:16-17, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”. Shamefully, we will continually spend gobs of money on buildings, maintenance, and programs where we only attend a couple of hours a week and brag about a few bucks we’ve spent on some occasional outreach. Our public statements of beliefs, carefully defining how we are more Biblical, rooted, and enlightened than perhaps other groups, ramble on for pages while our mission statements and intent to serve others are a few short sentences. The Lord’s words, “Go, and do thou likewise” still stand as eternal truth and reveal the heart of God concerning this matter. May the Holy Spirit guide us to revise our mission statements, our personal intents, and our view of those around us. It’s a lot easier to pass by on the other side of the street but that’s the way of religion, not the way of Christ.
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January 21, 2024
Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”
These are times of need. The Bible describes the last days, the days before the Savior appears, and sets all things in order, as perilous, uncertain times. Like the days before the flood, violence covers the earth and people are immoral in ways indescribable. Many people are filled with anxiety and fear and they cannot find a place of peace. Our hope is that Jesus identifies with us in all our trials and He feels our sorrows. The words in today’s verses tell us that He has compassion for us in our helplessness and He tells us to come to Him. It is the same thought as 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care (anxiety) upon him; for he careth for you”. No matter how many times we read this scripture, its truth remains fresh and inviting, hopeful, and comforting. The Bible says in Psalms 103:13, “Like as a father pitieth (loves and comforts) his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear (trust, reverence) him”. Our Savior extends an invitation to come to Him and there are no restrictions. He doesn’t say, “Come when you are worthy. Come when you meet my demands. Come when you get your act together. Or, come when I have time for you”. He just tells us to walk right up to His throne of grace, boldly as if we have the right and favor to be there. Which we do by His precious blood, Hebrews 10:19, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus”. We need Jesus now. We need His comfort, His assurance, and His help. Our families need Him, our churches need Him, and our nation and world need Him. We need to know we are welcome and wanted in His presence and that He always has a place at His feet for us to rest and find grace to help us. He will never turn us away and He always understands our situation. May these words encourage us to stop procrastinating, stop looking elsewhere for answers and aid, and quickly come to the throne of grace.
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January 20, 2024
1 Peter 4:1-2 “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God”
People have always asked the question: “Why does God allow suffering”? We usually answer that it’s part of the fallen, sinful human condition and that when the curse is finally lifted, all suffering will cease. But in the life of a believer, suffering has a purpose because we belong to God, body, soul, and spirit and if He chose, He could eliminate all suffering. Today’s verses give us the understanding that times of suffering help us in our battle to surrender ourselves completely to God’s will. Jesus suffered and the Bible here tells us to “Arm ourselves” with the same mindset of Jesus Christ, where the words “Arm yourselves” is a term picturing taking up weapons to fight a war. How is it we ignore the words of 1 Peter 2:21, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” and act as if suffering is not, and should not be, a part of our Christian walk? Our flesh is excited by and drawn to pleasure and somehow, we’ve come to believe that living for the Lord is also to be simply pleasure and anything else is not God’s will. It doesn’t mean we are wallowing in illicit sins, just that there’s a better place for us to walk closer to the Lord. God allows suffering to put the brakes on the nature of the flesh and put it into an uncomfortable place where the soul can cry out to the Lord for help and direction. Plainly said, suffering keeps the works of the flesh from being pleasurable, and in the season of suffering, we start seeking the ways of God. The phrase, “He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” tells us that no matter what is causing the suffering, be it the pain of persecution or something that makes the flesh uncomfortable, the end result is that it brings us to a place of no longer living to the lusts of the flesh but to the will of God. Instead of a negative season of weak faith, suffering becomes an open door of opportunity to more fully seek God’s purpose and give ourselves completely to Him. Basking knee-deep in blessings may make us want to praise but times of suffering cause us to fervently call upon the Lord in humble submission.
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January 19, 2024
Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”
The Word of God contains the accounts and stories of how the Lord worked in the lives of people in the past. He directed them, performed miracles, and stood with them throughout their lives and the Bible tells us here that the records of the past are given to us to help us know that God is with us and to give us hope. Sometimes it’s tempting to come to a part of the scripture and think, “I’ve already read that” and skip past the section. But every time we read and reread God’s Word the Holy Spirit buries the truth deeper into us and the power of the Word gives us comfort and assurance. It is like the wise man who built a house in that parable of Luke 6:48 of which the Bible says the fellow, “Digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock”. We oftentimes say the rock is Jesus and that is true but the Bible also says in John 5:39 that the scriptures testify of Christ. It is all the same because Jesus is the Word of God and when we know what has happened in the past, and how God has remained faithful to His people, we know the Lord will not fail us in our times of need. In today’s verse, the word “patience” refers to enduring, sustaining, perseverance, and steadfastness and gives us a picture of trials we go through, burdens we must endure and bear, and seasons of testing and hardships. We need the accounts of the three young men in the fire, Daniel thrown in the Lion’s den, Esther being put in a jam to save the Jews, and Joseph in his times of betrayal and suffering. We need to remember that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We need to know that what He has done before He is more than able to do it again and those things written before are for our benefit, our learning so that we can take comfort in the Lord. In the words of the Hymn “It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)”, “It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you. It is no secret what God can do”.
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January 18, 2024
Isaiah 40:28 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding”
People of all nations and races talk about God and yet many people live as if there is no God. And some who claim to believe in God doubt that He has absolute power over His creation. The question given to us here is, “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard?” and declares the everlasting God to be the Creator and Lord of all. We are called back to a place of recognition of the Almighty, a reset back to the truth of our faith to consider His unlimited power, His matchless strength, and His unsearchable wisdom. In a world of confusion where all the emphasis is placed on humans and their abilities, how easily we can get swept off the foundation of the simple surety of who He is. But we need the confidence that not only is God who He is declared to be, but that also He reaches to us to give us the power and strength we need. Consider verse 29, “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength” and verse 31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”. If we trust in our own strength and abilities, pride will block us from humbly relying on the Lord. But when we admit our weaknesses and call for His help, He will never fail us. Just as a loving parent will run to the aid of their child in need, the Lord will hear our cries and answer us. We love Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” and it is a promise that fits perfectly with today’s verse. The New Testament declares it as such: 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”.
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January 17, 2024
Psalms 103:1-3 “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities”
It’s getting more difficult for people nowadays to find good jobs with benefit packages. Companies do not want to fund retirement plans, insurance coverage, vacation and sick days, and many of the other perks that used to make jobs attractive. But the Lord has not changed in His ways and these verses call us to praise the Lord with all that is within us and to not forget all the benefits He pours on us. Five things are mentioned here and begin foremost with Him forgiving all our sins. All of them. Of all He does for us, that is the most important because He is the only One who can forgive sin and He takes care of them all when we come to Him in faith, trusting the finished work of Jesus. Many foolish tongues rattle on about sin and sinfulness as if it’s something we can do something about and all the prattling about sin is as if we are to live sin-conscious. But God’s will is that we live Christ Jesus conscious and glory in the cross where the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Living continually conscious of sin is to live in bondage to that from which Christ has set us free. The Bible says in Romans 6:17-18, “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness”. It’s not a cycle of ups and downs with God when He is happy with us when we’re more or less doing ok and mad at us when we fail. That’s the teachings of people who will not believe that what Jesus did on the cross is according to Hebrews 10:14, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”. And, the sanctification part is not what we achieve by our works but what has been imputed to us as declared in Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”. Jesus paid it all, we receive it all through faith in Him, and all our sins are forgiven.
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January 16, 2024
2 Peter 1:13 “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance”
We remember the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, in Matthew 25, where the Bible says, “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept”. But the scriptures do not picture God’s people as a bunch of half-asleep, disengaged, and lethargic saints. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober”. Today’s verse tells us we need to get stirred up, a word that means, “to wake up, awaken, arouse from sleep, render active, and excited”. No matter how the world around us appears hopeless and grim, there is great hope in the Lord and He has never lost His power to save to the uttermost, do the impossible, and hold us steadfast in the worst of storms. He is ready to save our families, deliver people from addictions, answer prayers, and do what no one else can do. When it seems there are no answers and no way out, then look again because with the Lord there is nothing beyond His ability. We need to remember what He has already done: How He performs miracles, always shows up on time, and has defeated death, hell, and the grave. His Word is alive and is forever established in heaven. His Word breaks the bars of iron, breaks the chains of darkness, and sets captives free. The same Word that in the beginning said. “Let there be light” is still reaching out to all men to offer mercy and eternal life. Our children and grandchildren have hope. Our neighbors and coworkers have hope. Those bound by drugs, alcohol, and destructive lifestyles have hope and the Lord Jesus Christ is that hope! And, above all that, we have the blessed hope of Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”. In the words of the angel 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”. Let’s get stirred up and let’s speak words of encouragement to others to help them get stirred up. The Bible says in Romans 13:11, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”.
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January 15, 2024
Psalms 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased”
No matter how much we study the Bible, seek God’s truth, and grow and mature, the words of Isaiah 55:8-9 remain steadfast: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts”. God reveals Himself as He wills and does as He will. The New Testament declares in Romans 11:33, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”. Notice that these words end in an exclamation mark denoting the expression of strong emotion, astonishment, and importance. For us, it means we trust the Lord regardless of whether we understand what He is doing, how He is doing it, or His timing in the matter. When Jesus was agonizing in the garden before His arrest and crucifixion, He ended all His pleading to His Father with the words, “Thy will be done”. Sometimes our prayers are attempts to get God to do things our way, to have Him solve our problems from our perspective, give us our requests, and accept our reasoning as the best course of action. The truth is that if God sometimes answered our prayers the way we pray them, we would be in bigger messes and get what we end up detesting. We often pray from our emotions, from the circumstances as we see them at the time. But God knows what we need before we ask Him and He knows the best path forward, the best solutions, and has the power to do what we cannot think or imagine. He will always and faithfully do what is best for us. The Bible tells us He is in the heavens, a phrase that means He is above all this world, above all its rulers and governments, and above all and any other power. He reigns supreme and our best course is to bow and submit to His supreme will. Keep praying, keep believing, but keep acknowledging Psalms 18:30, “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him”.
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January 14, 2024
1 Peter 2:9-10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy”
The church age, beginning with the rejection of Jesus by the Jews and continuing through the final church age of Laodicea, is called the “Mystery” several times in the New Testament. One such time is Colossians 1:26-27, “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. The very idea that the words spoken to Israel in places like Deuteronomy 7:6, “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth” would someday apply to Gentile was unthinkable before the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Yet here we are, covered with God’s grace and offered the gift of eternal salvation. And all we have to do, is receive it by faith and then we are called chosen, royal, set apart, and the people of God. Hallelujah! Notice how the Bible tells us, “In time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy”? This should cause us to stop in our tracks, humble our hearts, and praise the Lord that His plan was to include us in the family of God. Ours is a salvation all about the grace we receive from Jesus Christ. It is not a part of keeping the laws of Judaism or measuring up to the standards given to them that brings us into God’s favor. It is faith alone in the finished work of Jesus that pleases God in this time of the Church age. In a world filled with religion, much of it claiming to be Christianity, that demands effort on our part to win God’s forgiveness, we proclaim: Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”.
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January 13, 2024
Luke 4:13 “And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season”
Our Lord faced the devil in the wilderness and was tempted after He had fasted for 40 days. When He was physically at His weakest, Jesus faced our enemy and defeated him with the written Word of God. God in the flesh used the written Word to stop the enemy’s attacks and this should tell us something about God’s will for us in using the Word of God to be victorious. Today’s verse tells us that when that round of testing ended, the enemy left the Lord for a season. The word season here also means until another time or for a more opportune occasion. The enemy never stops with his attempts to derail us and is always looking for what he thinks are the right moments to attack. But just as Jesus had angels come and minister to Him in the time of His battle, we have many promises from God that we are not alone in our times of trials. The Holy Spirit is within us and the Bible says in 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”. And, there is the comfort of Psalms 34:6-7, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them”. Some people are too devil and demon-conscious and speak as if they are trapped in a warfare where they are nearly at his mercy. But the truth for God’s people is that God will never abandon us, He is never surprised at the enemy’s attacks, and He always will fight for us and always has a way for us to escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). The enemy looks for times when we seem weak and vulnerable or times when he can set us up by our circumstances. But Praise God the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place”.
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January 12, 2024
Mark 8:27 “And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?”
Jesus asked this question not because He didn’t know the answer but because He knew the hearts of all men. But He was setting His disciples up to make them think about who He really was. For those of us who know who He is and believe what the Bible says about Him, we answer with Peter as is said in Matthew 16:16, “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. And yet, if we were to ask who Jesus is to people all around the world, 69%, 5,382,000,000, would answer either that He didn’t exist, He was just a man, or that He was a religious leader. Of those who identify as Christian, recent polls show that as many as 60% of them do not believe Jesus is the only way to heaven, especially in the 18-40 age group. All these numbers tell us that around 91% of the world does not believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the only way to heaven. It gives new insight into the Lord’s Words 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”. Believers often live surrounded by Christian friends, are involved in a local church, listen to Christian music, have homes that are Christ-centered, and make the Bible the pattern for their lives and lose sight that we are a small minority of the world in our faith. And, how have we come to know and confess Christ? The Words of Jesus’ answer to Peter’s confession tell us: Matthew 16:17, “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven”. Spiritual truth comes to us from our Heavenly Father. James 1:17-18 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures”.
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January 11, 2024
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice”
We are encouraged here to always be rejoicing and it is repeated as if to reinforce the truth deep within us. That is because most people are not inclined to be always joyful but rather to worry and complain. People who are always glad about everything seem oddly suspicious in a negative, cynical world. But the Bible lays a careful foundation as to why God’s people ought to be rejoicing, which means “to be glad, to thrive, to be well, cheerful, happy, healthy, and apt to greet others with words and exclamations of goodwill”. It’s hard to find people like that even when believers are assembled in church to worship. The scriptures tell us in Luke 10:20, “But rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven”. If the bottom line, the sum of all reality is that we’re going to live eternally in either heaven or the lake of fire and we’ve been saved, then we have a reason to always be rejoicing. Do you believe God is merciful and good? Then the Bible says in Psalms 31:7, “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy”. For all the times the Lord has helped us, answered our prayers, delivered us from trouble, and shown Himself to be a faithful friend, we have the words of Psalms 63:7, “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice”. Every morning when we wake up and realize the Lord has given us another day of life, we declare Psalms 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”. And even in times of trials and troubles, we know that God is working all things for our good and we can take comfort in the words of 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”. We are always loved by our Heavenly Father and cared for by Him, and He will never stop working on our behalf. No wonder we are encouraged to always rejoice in the Lord. There is no reason to do otherwise.
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January 10, 2024
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 clearly recognized Jesus as the Son of God for he said so in John 1:34. But no matter how strong we are in the faith, there will come times when our faith is tested and this seems to be the case when John was thrown into prison. He sent two of his disciples to Jesus to reaffirm what he had already declared. We can only guess as to what caused John to ask. Maybe it was because he wondered if Jesus was the Son of God and if he, John, was anointed to herald the Messiah, then why was he in prison and why was Jesus not changing the plight of the Jews who were under the thumb of the Romans? Sometimes our circumstances make it look like things are not going the way they should be. And then, doubts come into our minds that maybe we’ve misunderstood what God said He would do or that, for some reason, He is not going to help us. When Jesus sent word back to John reassuring Him, He did not scold John for his question or lapse in faith and was not rude in His answer. God knows that at our best, our faith is weak and prone to waver and He does not get angry or disappointed with us. But He keeps helping us stand when we are weak, He keeps reassuring us when we are doubtful, and He keeps reminding us of His faithfulness and love for us. It’s not about how powerful we are in our faith; it’s about how merciful and gracious God is in His care for us and how steadfast He is in His promises. We don’t always keep our word and we don’t always keep the faith but He always keeps His Word and always remains faithful to us. Our part is to do like John and look to Christ when our faith falters and find reassurance in Him. We don’t throw in the towel and walk away but we look to the Lord in our times of doubt and He will remind us that nothing can separate us from His love and nothing will ever cause Him to fail in His promises to us.
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January 9, 2024
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”
Contrary to one of the mantras being shouted today, “It’s my body and it’s my choice”, the Bible tells believers that our bodies don’t belong to us. Jesus bought and paid for us completely, body soul, and spirit. Not only do we not own ourselves, but our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit Who lives within us. There is also some confusion as to how we view the body, sometimes identifying it with the works of the flesh. But The works of the flesh are not products of our physical bodies but rather manifestations of our carnal minds and fallen Adamic natures. That is exactly one of the reasons the Holy Spirit lives with our bodies: to give us the power to subdue the old nature and bring it into subjection to the will of God. Our bodies can bring glory to God when they are freely submitted to Him. Take for example the words of Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”. When we use members of our bodies, our hands, eyes, mouths, and so on to do the things that are right before the Lord our bodies bring glory to God. When our mouths speak the truth, refuse profanity, and our words are aligned with God’s Word, we glorify God. When our hands reach for and handle the things that honor God and avoid the substances and behaviors that are not God’s best for us, we glorify God with our hands. And, when we do as the Bible says in Psalms 101:3, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes”, we glorify God with our eyes. Our bodies are precious because until we get our glorified bodies, they are how we manifest Christ to a lost world. It is through our bodies we carry out Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.
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January 8, 2024
Zechariah 6:12-13 “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
This is an amazing prophecy in these verses. We know from Ezra 5:1-2 that Zechariah and the prophet Haggai worked together with Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple after the Babylonian exile. Darius the Great, the Persian king who made the decrees to pay for and protect the temple rebuilding project is mentioned in the scriptures in connection with the temple Zerubbabel built. Today’s verse does not speak about that temple but looks ahead to the one that will be built by One who is called, The BRANCH. The BRANCH is a title of Jesus the Messiah used elsewhere in Isaiah 4:2, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 33:15, and in Zechariah 3:8. There is a faction of Jews who are hard at work planning and preparing to rebuild the temple and we can follow their work through their organization, The Temple Institute. They have completed all the items that will be used to reinstitute Temple worship and are actively cross-breeding cows on several different farms around the world to produce a Red Heifer that’s needed to consecrate the articles of the temple to begin their ceremonies. They are also working to find a place to reconstruct the temple either on the Temple Mount or some other place they believe God will allow. This temple they are planning is perhaps the one the antichrist will sit in as God when he deceives the Jews and the world into believing He is the Messiah. But it is not the one Jesus will sit in as King and priest. He will build His own temple as prophesied in today’s verses and will not occupy a throne previously used by the man of sin. Twice in today’s verses, it is declared that “He shall build the temple of the Lord”. Notice here that the Bible says, “Behold the man”, the same words used by Pilate in John 19:5 when they brought Jesus before the crowd, humiliating and mocking Him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns. But when today’s verses are fulfilled, He will be King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and a High Priest forever.
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January 7, 2024
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”
When Jesus was on the cross, He was not a sinner and God did not make Him a sinner. The words here tell us that He was made sin meaning all the sins of mankind were upon Him even though He himself was still sinless. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” giving us the picture of our Savior dying on the cross and all the sin of the whole world loaded upon His body and yet inwardly, He was the perfect, sinless Son of God. The plan of God carried out on the cross was to put all of our sins on Jesus and all of His righteousness on us. Looking back to Adam, we see that before the fall he had his own righteousness but in salvation, we do not have our own righteousness but as declared here, we have God’s righteousness. Sometimes Christians describe themselves as “Just an old sinner saved by grace” and when we look at ourselves from our human understanding that is how we might see things because we’re remembering the past when we were dead in sins and we are aware that we are not able to live a perfect, sinless life. But if we see ourselves with God’s eyes, there is no memory of our past and no awareness of our sinfulness. We are completely righteous just as Jesus Christ is righteous and we are new creations, justified before God as if we had never sinned. It might not seem important to change the way we see ourselves and start walking upright, clean, holy, and forgiven before God but that’s the way God sees us and that is how we live free from the condemnation of sin. As long as we continually see ourselves as sinners we remain sin-centered and sin-conscious when God wants us to live completely free with a heart that does not condemn us. Because of Jesus, we are holy, spotless, and righteous children of God. We are wanted by Him and welcome in His presence. There is no memory of our sins, they have been eternally removed and placed where even God can never see them again.
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January 6, 2024
Psalms 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all”
This past Friday, I finished my 30th and last scheduled radiation treatment for the tumor discovered in my neck. Before the treatments began, the doctors said that by the 10th treatment, my esophagus would be so swollen and blistered I would be unable to swallow and they surgically installed a gastrostomy tube, a feeding tube that goes straight into my stomach. Sometimes with the high level of radiation they gave me, people lose their ability to swallow altogether. My wife and I began praying that I would not lose my ability to swallow and she prayed for me daily, proclaiming the Word of God over me from Isaiah 43:2, “When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned”. Every radiation session, throughout the procedure, I would say that promise over and over and receive it as the Word of God for me in my time of need. Praise the Lord, I finished all my treatments and never lost my ability to swallow. The day of my last treatment I had a double cheeseburger and onion rings. My esophagus, especially the throat area, is a bit sore but not at all as sore as I was warned it would be. I never used the feeding tube and only lost two pounds throughout the treatments. I have one chemotherapy session left next week and Laura and I claim God’s protection and healing. Today’s verse says we will have many afflictions, an adjective meaning bad, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, painful, miserable, sad, and distressful but the Lord promised to deliver us out of them all. I certainly would not choose the path I’ve been traveling these past 3 years but I take great comfort to know that even in the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord is with me. It is not the valley of death, it’s just a shadow, meaning it has no substance and in all our trials, God is our deliverer and He is working all things for our good and His glory.
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January 5, 2024
2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”
God’s will for us is that we will be transformed so that we imitate Jesus. This is something that the law or any form of legalism can not do because the power of the transformation can not be done by our attempts at good works or sinless living. Like the Jews who had a veil of unbelief covering their hearts that blocked God’s power from changing them, there is a veil of unbelief that covers us and keeps us from being transformed. The only thing that can remove the veil of unbelief is declared in verse 16, “Nevertheless when it (nation of Israel) shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away”. Likewise, when we turn to the Lord in submission, we become open-faced, a word meaning “unveiled”. Just as we can see our natural likeness in a mirror, called a glass here, when we begin to resemble Christ, He can be seen in us and His glory becomes a witness to His presence. The Bible says we are changed into the same image in progressive steps as said here, “from glory to glory”. The Old Testament had a glory of its own but never the glory of transformed lives like the transformation by grace in the New Testament. Sometimes we think we can put pressure on ourselves or others to change by demanding we measure up to spiritual or moral standards rules. But while we might change some behaviors, the transformation resulting in the glory of Christ reflected in us and the resulting image of the new creation is the work of the Holy Spirit and only He can move us from glory to glory. It begins by “beholding” the Lord, a word that means more than looking casually. It means to look carefully, to study the details. And the more we behold Him, the more we begin to change into His likeness. Let’s declare that 2024 will be a year of change for us as we open God’s Word, turn our gaze away from this world, and look into the face of Christ and the Holy Spirit will transform us.
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January 4, 2023
Hebrews 13:16 “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”
There is a view of Christianity that says it’s hard to live for the Lord and that it requires great effort and sacrifice. Some of the songs we used to sing reinforce this thinking like, “I’m Climbing up the Rough Side of the Mountain”. But what God wants for us is simple and summed up perfectly in this short verse: Do good and don’t forget to share what you have with others. The sharing part is the meaning of the word, “communicate”. None of us do it perfectly, we all miss the mark, fall short, and make messes but God doesn’t expect perfection from us. Jesus has already achieved that and by faith in Him, we are covered with His perfection by imputation. Our part is to do good, do the right thing, and allow the Holy Spirit to direct us to share what the Lord has given us. All the while, this is the sacrifice of giving of ourselves that pleases God. What follows, is the promise in Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister”. Doing good sometimes goes against the thinking of the world around us and goes against the norms of our families, workplaces, and maybe even the church we attend. People often get caught up in gossip, evil speaking, selfish actions, and compromising behaviors but we are called to do what is right even if when doing it, we go against the flow. It might mean we have to choose new friends or stop going places and doing things that tempt us to compromise and pull us away from God’s plan for us. But God will always bless us when we do good and any friends that we might lose by doing what is right, He will replace with people who help build us up in the faith and point us to the Lord. The Bible doesn’t just say God is pleased in this, but that He is “Well pleased”.
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January 3, 2024
Romans 12:14 “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not”
The Bible here is repeating the message of Jesus as our Lord taught in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”. The word “persecute” in today’s verse means in any way whatever to harass, trouble, or mistreat (Thayer’s Greek Definitions). We can judge the depth of our spiritual walk not by how much we praise, live holy, or talk the Christian talk but by how we love people especially those who harass us or treat us badly. God calls us to not only forgive them but to go further and bless them. Bless means to praise, celebrate with praises, speak well of, and ask God to cause them to prosper. A good start for this new year would be to forgive anyone and everyone who has wronged us, and go a step further and begin to bless them. Until we learn to do this, we will remain stuck at this crossroad and cannot go deeper into our relationship with God. We miss the entire meaning and blessing of 1 Corinthians 13 and we miss the meaning and blessing of forgiveness, mercy, and a life of grace and goodwill. Loving our friends and those who treat us well is not a test of our faith but loving our enemies is. And, when we start down the path of complete forgiveness and love towards those who treat us poorly, we must do it by faith because it goes against the nature of our flesh. Usually, we must speak the words of forgiveness and love before we feel it in our hearts and we must act upon God’s Word before we feel like doing it. The flesh always wants revenge, and retribution, and wants to get even and settle the score, The flesh wants us to hold a grudge, condemn our enemies, and speak evil of them. But God’s ways are not our ways and may we live in 2024 with a forgiving heart and speak words that bless all people even those who do us wrong.
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January 2, 2024
Romans 8:35 & 37 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”
Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble and verse 35 above spells out some of it. But too often our eyes are always on the trials and the enemy tells us the problems are too big, that they’re not going away, and that becomes our focus and anxiety. Remember that when David faced Goliath he did not once mention Goliath’s size or strength and he did not shrink away in fear. The Bible says David declared 1 Samuel 17:46, “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” and he ran towards the giant. David’s faith was that the Lord would do what he could not do and he understood the principle of today’s verses. God’s people have no reason to fear that anything can separate us from God’s love. And, in all circumstances where the world and its hellish devices come against us, we are more than conquerors. Not just a deliverance where we barely escape but words mean we will always,” overpower in victory, be abundantly victorious, and prevail mightily”. It might not seem that will be the case when we are in the middle of a battle, facing what looks like insurmountable odds, staring down an unwanted medical report, or feeling trapped in a situation and seeing no way out. But God’s Word will never fail and by the power and grace of Jesus Christ, we will always prevail mightily. God’s people are not losers, bound by the forces of this world and the enemy. God is with us and we are free, delivered, and have the promise of the Almighty God that He will always cause us to triumph. We might as well declare 2024 as a year of victory because if God is for us, nothing can stand against us.
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January 1, 2024
Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness”
A new year speaks of a fresh start, a time to put anything negative or bad behind us and to begin anew with greater hope, more steadfast faith, and expectation of blessings. We might make new resolutions to break old habits, start doing things that will make our lives better and healthier, and repair any grievances we have with people who have wronged us or that we have wronged. With God, we don’t have to wait until a new year to get a new start because He promises us in today’s verse that every morning His mercy towards us is new. The word “Mercy” here means His favor, kindness, and steadfast love. People may hold grudges for years and they may spend their lives blaming and accusing others they believe have done them wrong but not so with the Lord. The Bible says that His compassions, His great and tender love for us never fails. We completely misunderstand the nature of God if we see Him as vengeful, brooding over our errors, or allowing wrath to build against us and looking for ways to punish us or pay us back for our sins. The book of Lamentations was written about Israel when they were at their worst in their love for and obedience to God and yet God calls to them to remind them, that He is not overcome with vindictiveness, eager to punish them. But even in His determination to correct their errors He is filled with compassion and steadfast love. We all need new starts, times of refreshing, and times when we turn over a new leaf. We need the truth of Romans 6:4, “Even so we also should walk in newness of life”, points where we lay aside the stale, exhausted, and stuck-in-a-rut ways of doing things and rise to higher and renewed standards. It can be simple things like my wife and I just ordered new study Bibles to begin this new year to give us a new challenge to grow in our study of God’s Word. But the main point is that the Lord wants us to know He’s not holding our past against us and that He is always ready to help us to daily walk in His new mercy, covered by His compassion, and trusting in His faithfulness. Each morning, we declare Psalms 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”.
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