December 31, 2024
Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert”
Sometimes the Bible tells us to look back and sometimes it tells us not to look back. It seems a contradiction but the Lord wants us to look back and remember the good things of God and what He has done for us but to forget the past with its sins, failures, and times of discouragement and look forward to God’s promises and blessings. The world around us follows the same old dog and pony show it holds on to: The same old sins, the same old fascination with its anti-God and anti-Christian rhetoric and posturing, and the same old beliefs and arguments that making the same stupid decisions will one day magically work out for the good. Sometimes the religious crowd is just as bad with their repetitive, overused, religion-speak phrases and stuck-in-a-rut forms of godliness that can be summarized as “heard ‘em, once, you’ve heard ‘em a million times”. And, while it’s true there is value in repetition because we need to hear some things repeatedly to get them down in our spirit so faith can have a solid foundation, God also wants to do new things, things that move us higher. In today’s verses, He’s telling His people to stop thinking about the hard times of their captivity and the suffering they went through because He’s getting ready to do something new for them. He is going to do away with what seems like barriers and impossible circumstances. As we close 2024, maybe we can think about a New Year and our God who wants to use the same Word of God but do a new thing, in a new and different way. We can reach new and different people, and help refresh those who are tired and discouraged. We can move forward by declaring Psalm 40:3 “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD”. Maybe we can trade in our old pre-programmed, worn-out, and dead religious routines and church rituals that we use every Sunday and have used for decades. We can shout Psalms 98:1-2 “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory”. Maybe the saints can come marching in instead of slouching in. Praise God! A new year, new hope, and mercy that’s new every day! And this just might be the year our Lord returns!
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December 30, 2024
Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”
The word for “walk” here, means to march like a soldier, and as a metaphor in this verse, means “to frame one’s conduct by a certain rule” (Mounce). This aligns with Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”. We live in the Spirit because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life. Before Jesus saved us, we were spiritually dead because of our sins and could not Spiritually respond to the things of God. We may have done church stuff, talked about God, and appeared religious but there’s a difference between the unregenerated person who is religious but lost and one who has been born again. The difference is that the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus now lives in us and He is the source of our life. So, if we are alive because of Him, today’s verse tells us to allow the Holy Spirit to direct the course of our lives. One of my determinations or resolutions for the coming year is to daily claim the promise of the fullness of the Holy Spirit and learn to follow more fully His lead for my life. I am alive in Jesus Christ and I want to walk in the Spirit. I want the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be who I am: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All these attributes are a reflection of Christ to the world around me and when that is what people see, it testifies to them that Christianity is not a label we wear but a life we live. It’s a life lived according to Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. When people see believers showing anger, selfishness, sinful behaviors, evil-speaking, and causing division, they’re not looking at someone who is alive and walking in the power of the Spirit. My prayer is: “Lord fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me be led by His power. Help me get in line with His urgings and open my understanding to the Word of God He brings to my mind and heart. Cause the fruit of the Spirit to be my desire and purge me of everything that is not Your will for me. In Jesus’ name”.
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December 29, 2024
Deuteronomy 31:8 “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed”
After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years because of their unbelief, the Israelites were ready to enter into the land God had promised them. They were a new generation of people, the first generation had died during the 40 years and Joshua was about to lead them across the Jordan River into a place of blessing and beauty. But any time our lives go through great changes, there can come moments of uncertainty, and periods of fear when we face unknown circumstances. While we are in our normal routines, there is a sense of security and we know what to expect. When we follow the Lord and serve Him, He often calls us out of our comfort zones. Moses, inspired by the Holy Spirit, spoke the words in today’s verse to encourage the Israelites as they left 40 years of normalcy and crossed the river to what was for them, the unknown. While these promises were given to Israel, we know they are meant for us also because God repeats the thought for the New Testament church in Hebrews 13:5, “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”. Great changes are taking place in the world around us. America has a new president and administration taking office in a few days. Our congress is about to change and we are told there will be many new actions undertaken by our government. Countries and nations around the world are voting for new leaders and people are calling for change to restore stability and order. We hope things will get better and that peace will prevail. But believers have the promise that the Lord goes before us and that despite what happens in the world, God’s eyes are upon His people and He will always be with us. He will never fail us or forsake us. An alternate form of the promise is in Isaiah 45:2, “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight” giving us the picture of God going before us to work in circumstances and situations to make our path better. There will always be curves and bumps in the road we travel but the Lord will always be our Navigator and He will make our trials doable.
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December 28, 2024
Luke 19:8 “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold”
Zacchaeus was a publican, the Bible word for tax collector. He was a Jew but he worked for the Roman government which controlled Israel in those days. Zacchaeus kept the tax records of all the people in his area and made sure they paid their taxes to Rome and most tax collectors were infamous for making people pay more than the Romans demanded and pocketing the surplus. The Bible tells us he was very rich meaning he had scammed a lot of people in his life. The tax collectors were despised by the Jews who considered them to be some of the vilest of sinners because they saw them as traitors, siding with the enemy, and taking advantage of their neighbors. But when Zacchaeus met Jesus, faith rose up in him and he did an about-face. Today’s verse shows him closing the door on his old ways and becoming a follower of truth. The end of 2024 and the start of a new year would be a good time to examine our lives and ask the Lord to show us anything in us that’s not His will for us. And, like Zacchaeus, we could turn away from things that are holding us back. It’s a good time to forgive those who have done us wrong and lay aside the desire for revenge. We can pray for greater compassion and understanding for our enemies and purpose to become peacemakers and restorers. Laura and I want to focus on our family and double down on our prayers and interactions with them. At the same time, we want to disentangle ourselves more and more from this world and seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray for open doors and opportunities in 2025 to do good, to reach out to those in need, and to be aware that every day is a day of new mercy and goodness from God. Zacchaeus had a terrible, dishonest past. People may have written him off as a lost cause. But God gave him a fresh new start with a life of integrity and hope. We can be sure that no matter where we are in our journey and what lies behind us, the Lord is ready to help us shut the door on the past, walk away from all that is not God’s will for us, and be the people of God He has called us to be.
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December 27, 2024
Psalms 62:5 “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him””
The word “expectation” here in the KJV is often translated as “Hope” but I like the word expectation. It’s stronger than hope because we can hope for something that might or might not become reality. But with God, when we have His Word on something, we can expect it to happen. What is your expectation for the coming 2025? From our human perspective, the scriptures tell us in John 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” No matter who is president, (And we hope the next four years are better than the last four) there will be problems, unexpected situations will happen, and we will all have personal trials and battles. Job described the human condition in Job 14:1, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble”. But no matter what happens to the world around me and no matter what comes against me, I expect God to be good to me, be faithful to keep His promises, and hear me when I pray. My expectation is that God will work all things for my good, bless me abundantly, and cover me with His favor like a shield. He will direct my steps, give me power over all the power of the enemy, and be my rock and fortress through all my trials. If I go through the fire, He will be with me just as He has from 2020 through 2024 when I faced cancer twice. All my needs will be supplied and God within me will always be greater than anything the world, the flesh, and the devil throws against me. I expect 2025 to be a blessed, wonderful, and God-filled year because our God never changes. All those things and more are what I expect from God today and in the future. The encouragement in today’s verse is for us to wait only upon God and anchor our expectations in Him. Don’t just believe it can happen, but expect it to happen. Expect your prayers to be answered because God promised He will. Expect to walk in victory because He said we are more than conquerors. Expect to be planted like a tree beside the waters, to bear fruit unto the Lord, and whatever you do will prosper (Psalms 1:3). Expect it by faith because you are a child of God and He has given His Word on the matter. Faith is what pleases God and faith is what moves Him on our behalf. 2025 is going to be a wonderful year of hope, and blessings, and we are going to do greater things for the Lord than we did in 2024!
December 26, 2024
John 6:5-6 “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do”
Several thousand people, 5,000 men plus women and children, showed up to hear Jesus teach and Jesus asked Philip how they were going to feed them. He didn’t ask the question so Philip could help Him brainstorm the situation and together they could come up with a solution. He asked to test Philip’s faith to teach Philip, and the other disciples, to look to Him for the answer. The problem was enormous. Thinking about feeding thousands of people when you have no food and money to buy food. Even if they had the money, the logistics of locating a food supplier close by who had that much food and then transporting all the food to the place where they were meeting was too much. The only solution the disciples could come up with was that Peter, who may have been already thinking about food, had spotted a young boy in the big crowd who had brought his little lunch. But that was only enough food to feed the lad and couldn’t even be considered considering the size of the crowd. But the Bible tells us here, that Jesus, “knew what He would do” before He asked the question. Sometimes life’s questions are a test to see if we’re going to trust God for the answers, believing that even before we come to Him, He already knows what He is going to do. The answer to the dilemma that day on the hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee was a miracle so wonderful, so unbelievable to human reasoning, that it should serve to teach us that our God can and will supply all our needs. Jesus took a boy’s lunch and fed everyone until they were full. The disciples were learning that in any situation, they could turn to Jesus and say, “Lord, we don’t see a way to solve this but we know You always have a way”. That’s a prayer we can pray every day when we’re faced with things that seem unsolvable. I know firsthand from seeing Him come to my aid through the years that He will faithfully supply all our needs. If it seems like I write these things too often, it’s because we sometimes too easily forget that God is more than able to help us in our times of trials. We solve the problem if we can, but when we can’t, He already knows what He will do to help us.
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December 25, 2024
Matthew 2:1-2 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him”
When the wise men came to see Jesus and worship Him, the Lord was just a newborn, a tiny baby. As Spurgeon pointed out, had not spoken a word, performed no miracles, and was unknown to the world except for Mary, Joesph, and a few bedraggled shepherds. Yet he began to draw people to Himself as an infant. The wise men testified of his royalty, spoke of “his star”, and declared they intended to find Him and worship Him. The world may scoff and ridicule the Son of God but His phenomenal power is like a people-magnet; He attracts those who would otherwise just pass Him by. From the manger to the cross and from the cross to His place beside the Father in heaven, Jesus Christ is seeking and saving those who are lost. Our sinful nature tries to push Him away and we may find His great Name offensive and divisive. But He keeps seeking, searching, and drawing us. He declared in John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” speaking of His death on the cross and how He has the power to reach us even when we are not looking for Him. And, today thousands of years removed from the event, even people who do not claim Christ as their Savior, still wear the symbol of the cross on their necklaces, earrings, and tattooed on their bodies. The world may try to ignore Jesus Christ and remove His name from society but His great power is still at work. On this Christmas Day, maybe you, like me, remember well the day you surrendered to His drawing power and received His gift of eternal life. You remember how the Christ-child, who became the resurrected Savior, changed your life forever. We can say like Mary His mother in Luke 1:46-47, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour”. To all of you who are reading this devotional, from Laura and me, we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
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December 24, 2024
Luke 1:30-33 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end”
Mary lived in the little village of Nazareth, a tiny hamlet with about 500 citizens. Until Gabriel appeared to her, Mary was not mentioned in the scriptures and neither was the small town she lived in. Some have pointed out that Nazareth was never named in any historical records outside the Bible. But God often uses small things and unnoticed, uncelebrated people to carry out His plans. Mary, who was low in social acclaim, was hand-picked by the Lord to serve His purpose. The Almighty God covered her with His favor so that all the honor and glory of her part in the Christmas story would belong to God. We honor her not because of what supernatural abilities she had to use on our behalf but because she was a vessel God chose to bring the Christ child into the world. The promises given to Mary in today’s verse are astounding because part of them have been fulfilled and part of them will be happening soon. The first five parts, that she would conceive, give birth to a son, call His name Jesus, He would be great, and be called the Son of God, has happened. The next three promises which will be fulfilled at the close of this dispensation, are: He will be given the throne of David, He will reign over Israel, and His kingdom will be everlasting. While some accept the first five promises literally, they deny the last three as though God didn’t mean what He said and, in their unbelief, wave them off, scoffing at their implications. It would be a sad Christmas indeed if the story of Him who was born King of the Jews ended with Jesus disappearing back to heaven, Israel in disarray and confusion, the world wallowing in wickedness, death still claiming every person born, and Christianity fading from the scene like an old worn-out, outdated fable. But the Christmas story will never end for it is rooted in these eternal promises given to Mary and nothing can change these Words of God. Nothing argued against them, all attempts to interpret them by human unbelief, and all the scoffing against them by religious wannabes will not stop their fulfillment.
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December 23, 2024
1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil”
A spiritual atomic bomb went off the day Jesus was born and laid in a manger. From the beginning of creation, Satan had his way and sin was in control. The result of sin, death, was king. The Bible says in Romans 5:17, “…by one man’s offense death reigned by one”. The enemy knew the potential danger the Christ-child was to his kingdom and stirred the heart of Herod to try to destroy Him. But He did not understand the fullness of God’s plan until the Lord was resurrected from the dead. The scriptures tell us in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”. So, the mystery of Jesus’ birth, included the reason for His manifestation given in today’s verse: that He might destroy the works of the devil. The sin-destroying bomb went off that first Christmas morning and the works of the devil will continue to crumble and fall until the moment he is cast into the lake of fire. The victory our Lord won over death, hell, and the grave is our victory for all those things dominated us because of our sin. The works of the devil are still evident in the world around us but the salvation of Christ has freed us from the prison of sin, abolished death, and given us the power of the Holy Spirit that we no longer have to serve sin. Soon, all creation will witness the fulfillment of Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”. The day is coming when all traces that the devil existed will be completely wiped away. All the damage, sorrow, and destruction he has caused will be eternally forgotten. And the One we have to give thanks and praise for that is the One whose birth we celebrate this week: Revelation 5:13, “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever”.
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December 22, 2024
Psalms 4:3 “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him”
The phrase, “set apart” means to put a difference, show marvelous, separate, make wonderfully, and distinguish. The Lord’s people, those who are His because of their faith in Jesus Christ, are set apart by the plan and purpose of God. This is a powerful verse that concerns our place with Christ and how the Lord has made a difference in us for Himself and no power on earth can change that. Jesus came to break down all the walls and barriers between us and God and unite us with our Heavenly Father. The Bible says in Colossians 1:21-22, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight”. Jesus said in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me”. He was set apart from before His birth for God’s purpose and we who belong to Him are also set apart for the glory of God. Our lives only have purpose when they are completely submitted to Him. Before the baby Jesus was born, He had already declared in Isaiah 50:6, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting”. Christ was set apart to stand in our place and we are set apart to receive His glory. It’s humbling to know that the Lord loves us so much that He takes pleasure in His children and blesses them, answers their prayers, protects them, and calls them by His name. We are set apart as declared in 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 marvelous 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”. When we believe the Christmas story and, by faith, follow Jesus to the empty tomb, we become as declared in Ephesians 1:4, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”.
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December 21, 2024
Luke 1:74-75 “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life”
These verses are part of the words of prophetic praise spoken by Zechariah when his son John (the Baptist) was born. The prophecy is given first to Israel and that part has not yet been fulfilled because they have not been delivered from their enemies. Every day we hear about the hatred around the world against the Jews and they have fought continually for their existence through the ages. But the time is coming when this prophecy will be fulfilled and Israel will be safe from all who hate the Jews and scheme to destroy them. For believers, these verses foretold our deliverance from the power of sin and the devil and the freedom we now have in Christ. The Bible says in Colossians 1:12-13, “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”. But the part that we will serve Him without fear, seems to contradict the scriptures which repeatedly tell us to fear the Lord. One way to consider this is that the Old Testament revelation of God was one where God was feared for His wrath and judgment. God was seen as a God of war and there was no indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Jews appeased the wrath of God by blood sacrifices and the prophets warned of the mortal danger of provoking God. When Jesus came, He completely satisfied God in righteousness and holiness and now God, through our faith in Jesus, imputes or transfers the attributes of Christ Jesus to us. We no longer fear the wrath of God and in the place of fear, we have a reverence and adoration for God. In one sense, the depth of that reverence is one of the meanings of fear but God doesn’t want us to be intimidated by Him but to have the reverence due to who He is. This reverence extends to His Name and His Word and by it, we set God apart from all else. We can serve Him in holiness and righteousness because we have been made righteous and holy by faith in Jesus Christ. In this season of Advent, approaching Christmas Day, let’s praise the Lord for the freedom we have in Jesus and the life He has given us to come boldly to God and enjoy His presence.
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December 20, 2024
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”
Judgment is not a theme we usually consider at Christmas. But the baby Christ in the manger was born destined to face God’s judgment. Not His own judgment, but ours. We can not look upon the tiny baby in the manger without considering the journey He would make from the cradle to the cross and remember that He made that journey because of God’s love for us. Even though there were some like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus who loved Jesus, the story of His life was foretold by the scriptures in Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not”. That was His story the first time He came; hunted for like an unwanted animal by King Herod, the object of an unsuccessful murder attempt by the people of His hometown, and despised and judged like a common criminal by the religious authority figures of His time. And then, hanging and suffering on the cross, He carried every sin we could imagine, all our sins, on His back as He endured the wrath of God’s judgment in our place. Yes, the Christmas celebration is the celebration of Jesus Christ our Hero, the Godman who came to our rescue when no one else or nothing else could. But praise God the story doesn’t end with manger to the cross episode. The last words of today’s verse tell us the rest of the story: “And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”. When He returns, there will be no sin issues to settle because He was offered as a sacrifice once and for all. When He returns the Baby in the manger will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Oh, how the devil and the enemies of the cross of Christ hate the good news of the second coming of Christ. They sneer and try to pass it off with sarcastic remarks as if those of us who believe it and look for it are somehow unrefined and boorish. But we love the Word of God that speaks of the return of our Lord in Hebrews 10:37, “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry”.
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December 19, 2024
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons”
When the Bible speaks here of the fullness of the time, it means when the time was right. Jesus came into the world at the exact time God had purposed and planned. It might seem odd to us that the era of Christ was so far removed from our modern conveniences. If Jesus had been born when there was better mass communication, He could have gotten His message out to a larger audience. But He came at a time when the major invention was still the wheel and battles were fought face to face with swords and spears. No electricity, no printing presses, and no mode of travel except for feet, horses, and donkeys. Yet that was when God planned to bring Him into the world. One key to this timing is in the words, “To redeem them that were under the law”. This speaks of the Law of Moses and that law was specifically given to the Jews. Gentiles were not under the law because we were not part of the covenants. That truth is sometimes hard to grasp now that we live in the dispensation of the grace of God and we tend to interpret all the Bible from a Christian point of view. An example is all the legalists who want to drag people back to the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments as if they were given to the church. But praise God, Jesus not only redeemed those who were under the law, but His redemption plan extended to all of us who were not part of the Old Testament covenants. While we embrace the Old Testament and value it as the inspired Word of God, we know that all that happened and was recorded then is a big arrow pointing directly to Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of it all. We love John 1:11-13, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”. We have every reason to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, the One who came at the right time to bring eternal redemption to all who will believe.
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December 18, 2024
Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible”
The Christmas story is one of two miraculous births. The Bible says John, whom God sent to prepare people for the coming of Christ, was born to Elizabeth who was barren when she was “in her old age” (Luke 1:36). The scriptures do not tell us how old she was but the Bible says she and her husband Zacharius were “well stricken in years” (Luke 1:7). Jesus was born to a young virgin and came into this world without an earthly father. This Christmas season reminds us of the power of God to do what no one else can do. Today’s verse, “For with God nothing shall be impossible”, gives us great hope and faith to believe that God can do anything. From the birth of Jesus Christ, throughout His life, and His glorious resurrection Jesus did what was impossible to us. No sickness was too great for Him to heal. No Storm too powerful for Him to stop. No person was too dead for Him to resurrect. No foe too strong for Him to defeat and no problem or circumstance too complex for Him to solve. With God, nothing is impossible. The Lord has done great things for us and our lack of faith is the only thing that limits God from doing even greater. When Jesus visited His hometown, He had all power in heaven and earth and if they had believed Him, there was no limit to how He could have helped them, answered their prayers, and blessed their lives. But they turned away from Him and the Bible says in Matthew 13:58, “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Faith honors God and faith is how we approach Him. When we anchor our faith in His Word that nothing is impossible for Him, we open up our lives for greater answers to our prayers, greater blessings, and greater opportunities to serve Him. When God said in Psalms 81:10, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it”, He is telling us that when it comes to His provisions and power, the more we open ourselves to the impossible, the greater He will work in our lives. But the reverse is also true. The greater our unbelief, the more we close our mouths, then the less God will work on our behalf because He operates by our faith. Let’s read the Christmas story again and let its miracles sink down into our hearts and believe that just as nothing was impossible back then, it is still the same with God. He specializes in the impossible.
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December 17, 2024
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”
We look back to the creation of the universe and believe that what God said was true. He spoke into the darkness, “Let there be light” and light came to be. It is an expression of the glory of God as the Bible says in Psalms 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God”. Light is so much a part of all we know about the world around us, its existence goes without thinking until it is absent. When the power goes off and we scramble to find a flashlight, we’re reminded how much we appreciate light. In the spiritual realm, darkness is the normal state and it is so much the way things are that it is not until the light of God’s truth is spoken to us that we are aware of the greatness of the darkness we are in. The Bible says in Psalms 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light”. The same God who commanded light to appear in the beginning, also brought light into our hearts by the man Christ Jesus as the verse says He gave, “The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” If when looking at God’s creation, revealed by light, we can see the glory of God, we can look at Jesus Christ and see God’s glory. Christ’s glory is declared in John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world”. When Jesus was transfigured, changed in form, on a mountain in the presence of Peter, James, and John, the scripture tells us in Matthew 17:2 that He was, “Transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light”. The light of God, from the power of the Spirit of Christ, now shines in us. By faith when we read the Bible, we visit the manger, see the baby Jesus, and walk with Him as He matures into a man. We see Him do great works and follow Him to the cross. Then, we stand at the tomb and see that it is empty and watch Him ascend back to heaven where He came from. In all of these things, we see the glory of God in Him and we trust Him to be who He said He is: The Son of God, the Savior of the world.
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December 16, 2024
Luke 1:49 “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name”
Verses 46 through 55 of Luke 1 are sometimes called, “The Prayer of Mary” and are wonderful words that honor and magnify the Lord. Even though they were given by the inspiration of God, they give us insight into the heart and mind of young Mary. She knew the scriptures well and God’s Word flowed through her when she spoke these words. It speaks of her upbringing and of the faith that was instilled in her in her childhood. This verse reminds us of Psalms 126:3, “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad” and this statement of praise should always be ready on our lips because it sums our whole testimony of how good God is to us. It’s easy to get caught up in the complaining, discouraging, language of the world around us and if we’re not mindful, we can find ourselves finding fault, seeing the downside of things, and losing our place of peace. But when we take a step back, away from the constant bombardment of a negative, godless world, we can see ourselves and our lives in the light of truth. The Mighty God, our Creator, loves us with eternal love. Despite our sins and rebellion against Him, He has drawn us to Himself and forgiven all our trespasses, and will never again remember them against us. He daily supplies our every need and He covers us with blessings and favor. Even in our tough times, He walks with us and comforts us with the Holy Spirit and His Word. He has saved us, forgiven us, given us His name, and promised us a future that’s wonderful beyond description. Mary’s words of praise are our words of praise and we reject the message of this world that sneers at God and His goodness. This Christmas season, and every season for that matter, is a time of reflection on God’s mercy and grace, shown to us by the gift of His Son. We remember the words of 1 John 4:9, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him”. Let’s shout aloud the words of Mary in Luke 1:46-47, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour”!
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December 15, 2024
Luke 1:45 “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord”
When God makes a promise, He will never fail to deliver what He said. This fact is the ground of our faith and the steadfastness of the Lord is our hope. But God’s promises and plans are not to be approached passively as if we have no part in them. We might think that because God always brings what He says to pass, it will happen no matter what we do or don’t do. But today’s verse is part of what Elizabeth said concerning Mary and links Mary’s faith to what God promised. Gabriel gave her God’s Word, she believed it, and God would cause it all to happen. Mary’s part was to keep trusting, honoring the Lord, and waiting until the promise was fulfilled. An important part of this story is that the promises God gave were not all fulfilled at the time of Jesus’ birth. Some looked ahead, far into the future, and in the time span of Jesus’ birth and childhood, it may not have been difficult for Mary to trust what God said. But when she saw Him being rejected, hated, and then crucified, it must have been difficult for her to hold on to the Words of promise and keep trusting despite the circumstances. It’s a lesson about faith for us when we receive a promise from God’s Word and then it seems it will not come to pass or we come against great opposition as we wait for the conclusion of the matter. Elizabeth’s words, “Blessed is she that believed” give us confidence that we also will be blessed when we hold fast to what God said. Our faith is alive and active when we continue to trust when we can’t see the answer or when circumstances seem to be blocking God from working. We pray, “Lord, I don’t see a way but I know that with You there is always a way and what You said will come to pass”. In Mary’s case, starting with Herod who tried to kill Christ, and then when it seemed like Jesus was never going to be the King and was finally killed, her faith was tested. But God’s plan spans long periods of time and works through a lot of circumstances. Praise the Lord, what He said will happen and will happen right on time!
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December 14, 2024
Colossians 1:18-19 “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell”
When we look to Jesus, we’re looking to God. This fundamental truth is the basis for Christmas and the church is built on it. When Jesus asked His disciples who they believed He was, Peter replied in Matthew 16:16, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Our Lord then replied, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. Some teach that Jesus was saying He would build His church upon Peter whom He referred to as “Rock” and they use the Day of Pentecost after the resurrection when Peter preached the first post-resurrection message and many were saved. But a better view is that our Lord was saying He would build His church on the foundation of the truth in Peter’s declaration, that Jesus is the Son of God, identifying Jesus as God. When we look at our representations of the nativity, it’s hard to comprehend that the baby in the manger is the One described in the verses above, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell”. It is repeated in Colossians 2:9, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”. It might seem we spend too much time doubling down on this fact but many cults claiming to be Christian, along with religions that acknowledge Christ in some way, deny Christ’s deity. Even among evangelicals, some hesitate to see Jesus as fully divine. But the scriptures plainly tell us that Jesus is God. 700 years before Christ’s birth, Isaiah declared His divinity in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”. It’s the beauty of the Christmas story as given by 1 John 1:1-3, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ”.
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December 13, 2024
1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”
If we are Christians, no matter what church we attend, denomination or non-denomination we prefer, style of worship we enjoy, or translation of the scriptures we use, there should be no argument among us about the summary of the truth of Jesus Christ in today’s verse. It should be without controversy. There is enough in this verse to unite us around the fundamental elements of our faith as stated in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”. All of us who have a desire to follow the Lord are reaching out to Him with our flaws, our battles with our human nature, and our imperfect faith. God was manifest in the flesh, the essence of the Christmas story. This refutes all who deny the Deity of Jesus and want to see Him as only a teacher or prophet. He was justified by the Holy Spirit at His baptism and at His resurrection, the Holy Spirit declaring who He is. He was seen by angels. They came to Him to strengthen Him after He was tempted by the devil (Mat 4:11) and when He was agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion (Luke 22:43). He is preached to the Gentiles and believed on throughout the world. This is the gospel mission declared by our Lord in Matthew 28:19,” Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. And, after He finished His earthly ministry, He ascended back to heaven where He is now making intercession for us to our Heavenly Father. We are His disciples and especially in our celebration of Christmas, we have every reason to lay aside our petty differences and fellowship in the power of Romans 15:5-7, “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God”.
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December 12, 2024
1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him”
We often hear sermons and devotions promoting unity in the church. We are encouraged to love each other, practice forgiveness, and see ourselves as unique yet a member of the body of Christ. But this verse, embedded in a discourse about abstaining from fornication, reminds us that we are united as one spirit with God. It’s another view of our relationship with Him that speaks of our oneness with the Lord which is both humbling and powerful at the same time. We know that the Holy Spirit is within us and that wherever we go, He is with us. Yet the word “joined” here means glued together, cemented, fastened together, and is an astonishing thought of so many things relating to our salvation and God’s plan for us. Let’s look at the words of 2 Corinthians 6:1, “We then, as workers together with him” where the “him”, is the Almighty God. When we see ourselves woven together with other believers and Jesus Christ Himself into God’s fabric of grace, what a view! It spotlights how secure we are, how strong we are as one body, how blessed we are, and how plugged-in we are to all the things of God. God is working, performing His will on this earth and we are alongside Him, participating in His plan. What we do and say reflects who He is and He is joined to us in a way that His light and power can show through us. He wants us to be filled with His Spirit, filled with knowledge and understanding, and walking in His power. We are not joined to this world but we are separate from all that is ungodly, unholy, and all that is contrary to His will. The story of the Nativity and all its participants is a story of God coming down to earth to forever change His relationship with humanity. He not only is Emmanuel, God with us, but He is in us, with us, and united to us in such a way that we will never be separated from Him. Let’s let the words of our Lord in St John 17: 21-22 sink deeply within us: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one”.
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December 11, 2024
2 Corinthians 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”
The text of the first verses of this chapter speaks of the generosity of the church of Macedonia and how they went above their abilities and gave abundantly to the ministry. In this light, the grace of our Lord here refers to all He has given us and not just the gift of salvation. The scriptures point to how Jesus Christ was rich before His entrance into the world as the baby in a manger. Before He became the man Christ Jesus, the Lord was with the Father in glory. His pre-incarnate state is declared in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist”. Yet for our sake, he became a poor man, identifying with us in our human condition. It is the Christmas story. Some have described it as He threw off the robes of heaven’s royalty and put on the flesh of mortal man. He was not poverty-stricken or destitute because He never begged for what He needed but He was a poor man as the scriptures tell us in Luke 9:58, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”. It is Christ in His poverty that we best understand the gift of God because He had no money to finance His kingdom. But He was a friend of sinners, a healer of the sick, a companion to those who were outcast and despised by the wealthy and religious crowds, and despite His poverty, He gave of Himself to all who would receive Him. Because He made Himself poor, when we run to Him and receive Him as our Savior, He lifts us from sin’s poverty into the unspeakable riches of Christ. He is no longer the poor servant He was in His incarnation, but the scriptures tell us He is now, “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come”. (Eph 1:21). Because Jesus came and entered into our poverty, we will enter with Him into His eternal riches as joint heirs.
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December 10, 2024
Luke 1:38 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her”
When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he came unannounced and unexpected. The message from the Lord, he gave her, was unbelievable with human reasoning and meant her life was about to change in ways we can’t imagine. Sometimes when we consider that she gave birth to the Christ Child, we forget the personal sacrifice she made in being a part of God’s plan. We can’t forget the words Simeon spoke to her in Luke 2:35, “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also” and we know the suffering of her journey to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, and all the while enduring the shame and mockery of people who questioned the parentage of her son. But her words in today’s verse reveal her faith in God and her strength and courage as a servant of the Lord: “Be it unto me according to thy word”. When our hearts are submitted to the will of God for our lives to the point we can say what Mary said, it’s a wonderful place but also frightening to our flesh. We know following the Lord brings great blessings but we also know people walk through the fire, get thrown into lion’s dens, face savage giants, and get crucified. Surrendering our will might seem simple on the surface but it means we abandon our dreams and ambitions and embrace God’s plans for us. It means we wrestle within ourselves to deprive our old nature and human will of their power and we give all that over to the Lord. Jesus showed us that in an extreme example in the Garden of Gethsemane when His struggle to submit caused Him to sweat blood. But a life fully surrendered brings the greatest blessings and, in the end, the greatest reward. Let’s consider Mary’s words this Christmas Season and use them as an example for our prayers as we give ourselves, our abilities, our resources, and all else of our lives completely to the will of God. It reminds us of the words of the hymn that go, “I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all”.
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December 9, 2024
Matthew 4:16 “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”
The Bible gives us this verse after Jesus left His hometown of Nazareth and settled in Capernaum. He lived there in an area the Bible calls, “Galilee of the Gentiles” referring to the large number of Gentiles living there. We might think the Lord would have made Jerusalem, the place of the Temple and the religious hub, the center of His ministry. But Christ didn’t come to reform Judaism but to open the door to a new and living way. He began preaching in an area that the scriptures describe as a place of darkness and the shadow of death. Into this darkness and death, God sent the light of His Son. The irony is that the world claims to love light, freedom, and truth. People and their institutions pretend to champion honesty, integrity, and transparency. But in reality, the light of truth is hated by a sinful world. The Scriptures tell us in John 3:19-20, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”. When our sins are exposed and the path we are walking is revealed to be the way to destruction, God sends us a moment or a season of conviction when we must either harden our hearts to the truth and turn away from the gospel or turn away from sin to the Savior. All who see their sin in the light of God’s truth and acknowledge they are sinners when they ask God to forgive them, He will. Jesus said in John 6:37, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”. Unlike the dark, macabre celebrations of Halloween, Christmas is a season of light and celebrations of joy. On a dark, quiet night, the shepherds were awestruck with a choir of angels and the glory of God shone down upon them. A shining star led the wise men to Christ and we decorate our homes and Christmas trees with stars, lights, and symbols of joy. Believers testify that we were once in the darkness of unbelief but now we are children of the light. Let’s look again at that baby in the manger. 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”.
December 8, 2024
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”
The word hunger here isn’t speaking of a little desire for a small snack to hold us over until our next meal. It means to be famished, starving for sustenance. Just as hunger is a real and painful thing in the natural, it’s just as real in the spiritual and helps explain why people are driven to satisfy something within themselves with anything they can think of. We hunger for a lot of different things and experiences but how many of us see ourselves hungering for righteousness? And yet, our souls within us came from God, belong to God, and are always reaching out for God like a hungry person reaches for food. This helps us understand John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst”. There is a hunger, a longing within us that wants and needs to be close to our Heavenly Father. We mistake the urging by thinking it’s a gnawing in us that can be satisfied by material things but when we get those things, the hunger remains. No other person, no amount of money, and no piles of possessions can replace an intimate, comforting relationship with our Creator. Even as a believer, there are times when I am compelled from within to get alone with God, pray to Him, and experience the anointing of His presence. I become restless and driven by the hunger for His touch, the soothing peace of His Word, and the assurance of the Holy Spirit within that my Father is close to me. What do you hunger for and what do you want more than anything? We cannot achieve righteousness on our own and any righteousness is a reflection of God’s glory, showing through us in the power of the Holy Spirit. Adam and Eve could not replace the shekinah glory they lost with fig leaves and we can not satisfy our hunger with anything but Christ alone. In this Christmas season, let’s rejoice to know there is always an open door into the presence of God and we are wanted and welcome there. Jesus is that door and when we draw close to Him, the baby in the manger becomes to us, the Bread of life. Psalms 107:9, “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness”.
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December 7, 2024
1 Peter 2:25 “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls”
The shepherd theme is throughout the scriptures and it was not by chance that the first people that were told of Jesus’ birth were shepherds. The King of Heaven and Earth was born in a tiny village, into a humble family, and laid in an animal’s feeding trough: A manger. The first subjects that came to where He was and witnessed his arrival, were a band of bedraggled shepherds. Not exactly the entrance we would expect when the Almighty Creator of all things came and visited the world and people He created. We can look back to Abel, perhaps the first shepherd, and see that God made the lowly, despised shepherd as a type for His Son. One of the most well-known and loved chapters of the scriptures, Psalms 23, begins, “The Lord is my shepherd” and continues with descriptions of how Jesus, as our Shepherd, cares for us. Not only does God use the Shepherd as a type, but He calls us sheep. Psalms 100:3, “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture”. We’ve all seen the paintings and drawings of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, holding the lamb in His arms reminding us that we were all lost sheep but the Good Shepherd left the 99 and came looking for us. That’s the picture of today’s verse and we take comfort in knowing we are in the tender care of our Savior and Lord. The prophet described Him in Isaiah 40:11, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young”. In 1 Peter chapter 5, the Bible speaks of the elders and leaders in the church as shepherds and refers to Christ in verse 4 as the “Chief Shepherd”. It’s a description of those who are called to serve the Lord as shepherd types, following the example of Jesus in caring for and gently leading the church. It says they are not, “lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” Just as David was a shepherd-king, Jesus is also our shepherd-king. It’s a wonderful thought for this Christmas season, to know His arms of mercy and favor surround us and that His rod and staff comfort us. Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
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December 6, 2024
Matthew 19:22 “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions”
This verse is from the story of a young man who came to Jesus, asking what he could do to gain eternal life. From the conversation he had with the Lord, we know that he didn’t just want religion, he already was following the Law of Moses. He wanted the assurance of salvation. But his heart was divided between his desire for Christ and his desire for the things of this world including riches and possessions. In the end, he made his choice to pursue this life and its wealth and possessions. The Bible said, he sadly walked away from Jesus. It makes us pause and wonder why someone would choose what doesn’t satisfy them over the gift of eternal life, joy, peace, and contentment. But it’s the ploy of the enemy and our unbelieving nature that will not turn loose of the things that hurt us and defile us in exchange for the thing that gives us salvation. It’s not just wealth and possessions that can blind us to God’s gift. Sometimes people will not believe the Bible is God’s Word so they will not believe John 3:7, “You must be born again”. Or, they think Jesus is not the only door to heaven so they trust their own goodness or another religious teaching. Then, some believe we are just animals and there is no heaven or hell and when we die, they think there’s nothing else. Some mean to respond to God’s invitation to trust in Christ but for whatever reason, they keep putting it off. I’m sure all of us could list reasons why some people will not trust in Christ alone for salvation. But all the promises given to us, those we hold precious during this Christmas season, center around the birth of the baby in the manger. He came for a specific reason; not to be just another teacher or prophet. He was the Almighty God in the flesh. Hear the prophetic words of Isaiah 9:6 written 700 years before Jesus was born: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”. If only this young man, and all others who turn away from Christ, would believe the words of Isaiah 51:11, “They shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away”.
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December 5, 2024
Psalms 139:1-6 “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it”
This outstanding Psalm describes how God knows and understands us in detail. The image we sometimes have of God, of some being far removed from the earth, sitting on a throne as an old, white-haired grandfather, and casually watching the earth at a distance, is a lie. God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and He is everywhere, a thought that pushes back against the small, limited understanding we have of the Almighty. This Psalm tells us how He knows us individually and not in a passing recognition, but He knows us in every aspect. The words, “Thou hast searched me, and known me”, means He has examined us thoroughly to our core and completely understands us. The enemy has set a trap of lies that we are just another number, just one more creature to God. It’s the view that pictures God as disinterested in us as individual persons. We think of God in the heavens and us here on the earth and a vast distance between us. It’s a lonely, helpless view. But God is ever-present and keenly aware of us. He knows us because He created us. He understands our individual traits and composition. God knows our strengths and weaknesses and He is ready to save us, help us, be a friend, and a constant companion. He wants us to know Him, to talk to Him, and to have faith that He is always with us. We return to these verses when we feel alone, think that no one understands us, or when it seems heaven is too far away to care. God has always been with us but in this Christmas season, as we celebrate Christ, the God with us Emmanuel who came in a body just like ours, we rejoice to know the Lord’s presence differently. God as a man just as we are yet without sin, knows us by feeling our humanness and experiencing life as we live it. God with flesh and bones, God who identifies with us on every level.
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December 4, 2024
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 versions have replaced the word “Study” here with phrases such as, “Do your best, put forth much effort, and give diligence “. But the meaning is the same: God wants us to take His work seriously and double down on our efforts to be the best we can be for His glory. When we do, it is “approved unto God”. If you have a plumber or repairman working on your house, you want him to give you his best work, not some half-hearted shoddy job to barely get by. When we go above and beyond and excel at what we do in God’s kingdom, the Lord is honored and our witness is greater. I like the word “Study” in the KJV because it challenges me to approach what God says in His Word like someone looking for treasure and I believe it fits well with the words, “rightly dividing the word of truth”. Believers who ransack the Bible to gain the best understanding can become strong in the Lord and the power of His might because the Word of God comes alive in them. We know what the Lord says about sin and salvation and can boldly declare Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” We are not ashamed to walk in God’s ways and we don’t back down to a naysaying world because we stand on 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty”. When we know the difference between Law and grace we are not ashamed to declare Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” God calls us to do our best, to apply ourselves to living the way that pleases Him, and to gain the best understanding of the Scriptures so that we can be as accurate and trustworthy as we can be when representing Him. That makes me want to pick up my Bible, open it up, and study the Word of God with a passion far greater than pursuing anything in this life.
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December 3, 2024
John 21:17 “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?”
Before Jesus was arrested, tortured, and crucified, Simon Peter had declared in Matthew 26:33, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” Our Lord’s response in verse 34 was,” Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.” Peter replied, “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” It’s a glimpse into all of our minds when we boast about our abilities or even as in Peter’s case, the steadfastness of our love and devotion. After the resurrection, the scriptures give us this account of when Jesus met with His disciples on the shore of Galilee and the Lord confronted Peter by asking Him three times, “Do you love me more than these?”. It is not clear in the text if Jesus meant the other disciples or the fish they were eating and the life of a fisherman which Peter had before he followed Christ. Maybe God left it ambiguous so we can consider it both ways and for us, the question remains, “Do we love the Lord?”. This is not a devotion to scold any of us about our lack of depth in our love for Jesus Christ but to stir up our faith as we reach out to God in this season of Christmas. We love the Lord and while our love is imperfect, we can grow in our relationship with Him and as we do, our love for Him and His Word will grow. The Bible says in 1 John 2:5, “But whoso keepeth his word (does what Christ says), in him verily is the love of God perfected (matured, made full): hereby know we that we are in him”. The love we have for Christ is also seen in the way we love each other. The Bible says in 1 John 4:12, “No man hath seen God (the Father) at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us”. God has certainly declared His love for us and has done so repeatedly in His Word. As we approach the coming of Christmas Day, may the Lord help us daily to declare our love for Him and show that love by declaring we love the Lord, honoring and praising Him, reverencing His name, and showing the love of Jesus Christ to everyone.
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December 2, 2024
Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people”
The night Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds in a field outside of Bethlehem and announced the birth of Jesus as, “Good tidings of great joy”. Since then, the word joy has been a part of our Christmas tradition and has been on Christmas cards, decorations, and in songs such as, “Joy to The World”. But for many, whatever Christmas has morphed into is anything but a season of joy. We’ve all heard people say things like, “The holidays stress me out. I’ll be glad when they’re over.” No matter how many sermons and Christmas plays we see that encourage us to return to the true meaning of Christmas, it’s hard to go against the modern flow and return to a place where the simple truth of the baby in the manger, God with us, is central to our celebrations. This year, my wife and I set a fifty-dollar limit on what we will spend on each other’s gift and we’re trying to walk our celebrations back to where we keep our focus on Christ and refuse to be distracted by this world. The Holy Spirit produces God’s joy in us and it’s one of the big three mentioned in Galatians 5:22 where the fruit of the Spirit are listed: Love, joy, and peace. Amazingly, those are the things we all want Christmas to bring and when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, they come automatically. I want the power of the joy of the Lord because the Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the LORD is your strength”. I want the refreshment of joy because the Bible says in Psalms 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”. And, I want the Lord to take me back to where I was overwhelmingly grateful for salvation as the Bible says in Psalms 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”. Considering the blessings of Christmas means we meditate on the good tidings of great joy and remember that when we received the Christ child as our Savior, even the angels in heaven rejoiced at our salvation (Luke 15:7). My prayer is, “Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit and may the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, and peace, be evident in my life and a testimony to others that I belong to You.
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December 1, 2024
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”
Today begins the Advent and although many churches do not teach Advent customs, it is a wonderful thing that can direct our hearts towards the true meaning of Christmas. During the Advent, we are reminded daily of the wonder of Christmas as we worship the Lord and draw closer to Him in the month we celebrate His birth. On this first Sunday of Advent, we look back to the Old Testament prophets who foretold His coming. We remember that hundreds of years before Jesus was born in a manger, His appearance had been promised. This verse above was given 700 years before Jesus and was quoted in Matthew 1:23 declaring that the birth of Jesus was a fulfillment of that promise. On the first Sunday of Advent, we meditate on our hope in Christ. Before the Lord came as Emmanuel, God with us, people longed for and hoped for His birth. When we read the account of Simeon in Luke 2, we are told of a man who waited for the One who would comfort Israel and the Bible says God promised Him he would not die until he had seen the Savior that God would send. It’s sad when we do not approach Christmas Day with the same hope and expectation that the birth of our Lord forever changed the way God deals with humans. In Jesus Christ, God identified with us in all parts of our lives. The Hope of the Old Testament believers was fulfilled in the incarnation of the God-Man. But as we think about the hope of His coming, we also look in hope to His return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We see both comings at the same time and day by day, as we move closer to Christmas Day, there is a longing in our hearts for His return just as there was a longing in Simeon’s heart for His birth. Advent means, “arrival” or “coming” and as we prepare our celebrations, purchase gifts, and plan our Christmas meal, we do so with the anticipation of Christmas Day. For some, it’s a season of parties, drunkenness, and excessive and compulsive spending on more junk. But for believers, we live with the hope, that the Bible calls the “Blessed Hope” and the birth of Christ is the first step towards His return to rule and reign.