A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Beginning Right (#19940721)
by Kenneth B. Cumming, Ph.D.

“And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel” (I Kings 22:41).

During the period when the Jewish nation was split into two kingdoms, some remarkable contrasts were apparent. Jehoshaphat had a godly father: “Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God” (II Chronicles 14:2). Ahab had a despicable father: “But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him” (I Kings 16:25). Perhaps a better example of the truth of Proverbs 22:6 could not be cited. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

A second difference was in their works. “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him” (I Kings 16:30). He started by marrying the unthinkably wicked idolatress, Jezebel, the daughter of a foreign king, and then became a coward. Because of his wife’s pressure, “he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria” (v.32). Instead of peace, Israel had many conflicts with surrounding nations. Finally, because he disobeyed the Lord, Ahab was slain in battle (I Kings 20:42; 22:35).

Jehoshaphat had the great wisdom to know what to do with the word of God. “He turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD” (I Kings 22:43). He set up schools and enlisted capable teachers to train the people in Scripture. “And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people” (II Chronicles 17:9). The result was that “the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around about Judah” (v.10). A right start can bring great blessing. KBC

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The Godhead (#19940722)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

The term “Godhead” occurs three times in the King James translation. Each time it translates a slightly different Greek noun, all being slight modifications of the Greek word for “God” (theos, from which we derive such English words as “theology”). It essentially means the nature, or “structure” of God, as He has revealed Himself in His word.

The first occurrence is in Acts 17:29: “We ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” Men have been guilty throughout the ages of trying to “model” the Godhead, but this leads quickly to idolatry, whether that model is a graven image of stone or a philosophical construct of the mind.

What man cannot do, however, God has done, in the very structure of His creation. “The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20). His tri-universe (space, matter, and time, with each component unique in definition and function, yet permeating and comprising the whole) perfectly “models” His tri-une nature (Father, Son, Holy Spirit—each distinct, yet each the whole).

This analogy can be carried much further, for this remarkable tri-unity pervades all reality. The tri-universe is not God (that would be pantheism), but it does clearly reflect and reveal the tri-une nature of His Godhead.

The last occurrence of the word is in our text. Although we cannot see the Godhead in its fullness, that fullness does dwell eternally in the Lord Jesus Christ. All that God is, is manifest in Him. “And ye are complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10). HMM

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Our High Priest (#19940723)
by Connie J. Horn

“For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).

The high priest of the Old Testament performed regular and continual offerings on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. Christ is now our High Priest, but His function is quite different. “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12). “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, . . . but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24).

As our text informs us, our High Priest is “holy,” and “pure,” as in He “offered Himself without spot to God” (Hebrews 9:14). He is “harmless” and the blood He shed was “innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). He is “undefiled,” and we have been begotten unto “a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled [untainted, uncontaminated], and that fadeth not away” (I Peter 1:3,4).

The Pharisees and Scribes murmured against Jesus saying, “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Luke 15:2); and Paul said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Timothy 1:15), yet our High Priest is “separate from sinners,” that is, “He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21).

He is “made higher than the heavens.” Thus, “we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. . . . Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16). CJH

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The Flesh Of A Little Child (#19940724)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (II Kings 5:14).

The familiar story of Naaman the Syrian was cited by the Lord Jesus as an example of God’s concern for people of all nations: “Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus [Elisha] the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27). It is also a striking picture of salvation.

Naaman was a great and highly acclaimed general, but nevertheless was stricken with an incurable and loathsome disease. Similarly, any natural man, no matter how powerful, is afflicted with the lethal disease of sin. Before this proud official could be cured of his leprosy, he had to humble himself in several ways. First, he had to accept the advice of a slave girl from an enemy nation; then journey to that nation and its prophet, whose God his own nation had repudiated; travel still farther at the word of the prophet (who would not even come out to meet him); and, finally, immerse himself seven times in the despised river Jordan. Though he resented being so humiliated, his condition was hopeless otherwise, so he finally did all these things, and God marvelously healed him!

The leprous flesh became as the flesh of a little child again, but first he had to manifest the obedient faith of a little child. The same principle is true for every lost sinner. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (James 4:10). Jesus said: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3,4). HMM

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Arise, My Soul, Arise (#19940725)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

There is a beautiful old hymn, seldom sung anymore, entitled, Arise, My Soul, Arise, written by the great hymn writer, Charles Wesley.

Let us use its five verses to focus our thoughts these next five days.

Arise, my soul, arise; Shake off thy guilty fears; The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears: Before the throne my surety stands, (repeat) My name is written on His hands.

At first reading, the theme of the song seems unclear, until we recognize that the sinner is being enjoined to come to salvation and by the power of the sacrificial blood shed on his behalf, receive forgiveness and eternal life.

Because “Christ . . . hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2) “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access” (Romans 5:1,2) to the Father, who alone has the power to forgive our sins. We have no need to fear rejection, for “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1).

As we see in our text, we can arise and “come boldly unto the throne of grace,” where God the Father reigns. We have assurance of access because our “surety of a better testament” (Hebrews 7:22) is “a great high Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14), and “who is (seated) on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1). Here He requests the Father’s “mercy and . . . grace” on our behalf, for He knows us by our names which are already “written in (His, i.e., ‘the Lamb’s book of life’ [Revelation 21:27]” “from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 17:. JDM

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For Me To Intercede (#19940726)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Wherefore, He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

The second verse of the moving old hymn, Arise, My Soul, Arise, speaks of Christ’s intercessory work on our behalf and the basis on which His prayers are accepted.

He ever lives above; For me to intercede, His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead. His blood atoned for all our race (repeat) And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Our text contains the primary thought Christ is our intercessor, pleading with the Father to save us from our sins, for which the penalty has been paid by His “sacrifice . . . for this He did once, when He offered up Himself” (v.27). It is “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:19) which pleads for our forgiveness. He does this for us because He “loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5) as we come to God in repentant faith.

Because Jesus was Himself a fully righteous man, He could die on another’s behalf; because He was fully God the Son, His death was sufficient to pay the penalty for the whole human race “Jesus Christ the righteous; And He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:1,2). “Thou art worthy . . . for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Only in this way can we come “to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling” (Hebrews 12:23,24). JDM

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Forgive Him, Or Forgive (#19940727)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (I Peter 2:24).

The third verse of the majestic hymn by Charles Wesley, Arise, My Soul, Arise, relates how the crucified but risen Intercessor, Christ, pleads with the Father to save a sinner, and why His prayers are heard.

Five bleeding wounds He bears, Received on Calvary. They pour effectual prayers; They strongly plead for me. “Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry, (repeat) “Nor let that ransomed sinner die.”

When Jesus was crucified, they “pierced (His) hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16) and “pierced His side” with a spear (John 19:34). After His resurrection His disciples would view these five wounds (Luke 24:39; John 20:27). It was from these wounds that His blood flowed, “and without shedding of blood (there) is no remission” of sins. “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:22,28). Our text for today declares that it was His “stripes,” literally “wounds” which heal us of our deadly sin sickness. His death provides life and health and righteousness.

If “the effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16), surely the pleadings of Christ, a perfectly righteous Man, are of infinite strength. “Neither pray I for these alone [i.e., His disciples], but for them also which shall believe on me through their word . . . (that they) be with me where I am” (John 17:20,24).

As a truly repentant sinner comes in faith to God seeking forgiveness for his sins, Christ pleads “Forgive him, oh, forgive.” “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all” (Timothy 2;5,6). JDM

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His Spirit Answers To The Blood (#19940728)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).

The fourth verse of the precious old hymn, Arise, My Soul, Arise, speaks of God the Father answering the request of God the Son and granting salvation to a repentant sinner, adopting him into His family.

The Father hears Him pray, His dear Anointed One; He cannot turn away The presence of His Son. His Spirit answers to the blood, (repeat) And tells me I am born of God.

As Christ the Messiah (which literally means “the anointed One”) hung on Calvary’s tree, God the Father turned away, unable in His holiness to look upon Christ as He bore “the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me” (Psalm 22:1) He cried in His agony. But once God’s righteous justice was satisfied, the Father turned back and answered Christ’s prayer, even from the horns of the altar, as it were (Psalm 22:21). “I and my Father are one,” Christ had said (John 10:30), and once sin’s penalty was paid, there would be no more separation.

And when a sinner comes to God, claiming the blood of Christ as a full payment for his sins, and Christ, Himself, prays for the sinner’s full forgiveness and acceptance, the Father cannot turn away, for “He loved us, and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10).

In our text, the same Spirit which raised up Christ grants the spiritually dead sinner new life, and declares him to be born of God. “Marvel not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again” (literally, “born from above”) (John 3:7). “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (I John 3:1). JDM

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Father, Abba, Father (#19940729)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“. . . They are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:14,15).

Charles Wesley’s great hymn, Arise, My Soul, Arise concludes in the fifth verse with a stirring testimony of the joy of salvation.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear. He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear. With confidence I now draw nigh, (repeat) And, “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ” (II Corinthians 5:17,18). As our text explains, once we have received the spirit of adoption, we are the sons of God—He owns us as His child. This is a “new” thing. We who formerly were estranged from our Creator have been reconciled to Him. “Old things” such as the bondage to fear, are “passed away.” The close-knit ties are strong, “for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. . . . I will not fear what men shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5,6).

Now that He is our Father, we have direct access to Him. “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” (James 4:. As an earthly father desires the best for his children, “how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” (Matthew 7:11). “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And . . . we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (I John 5:14,15).

This father/child relationship goes deep. The term “Abba, Father” reflects a most sensitive and loving bond, perhaps best rendered “O Sweet Daddy.” “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:20). JDM

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Our Cross: Death Of Pride (#19940730)
by Connie J. Horn

“Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

Some in evangelical circles today would say that one’s “cross” is some particular suffering, such as a chronic illness or the death of a loved one. However, the Bible speaks about a daily cross that is universal to all believers. Where Christ speaks about the “cross,” the context always includes the believer’s daily dying to oneself. “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

Note our verse for today. It is significant that one of the major factors in this denial of oneself is a willingness to put aside the pride that loves the praise of men more than the praise of God. In fact, the first discourse on the “cross” in Matthew 10, although directed specifically to the apostles, is instructive to us, as well. It includes the admonition, “beware of men” (10:17), and “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (10:28).

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: . . . And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (10:34–38).

Let us determine that we will shoulder the cross of the death of pride daily, “not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16), and, like Moses, esteem “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” (Hebrews 11:26). CJH

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Wisdom And Prudence (#19940731)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25).

The attributes of wisdom and prudence are prized very highly by the world and its leaders, but worldly wisdom and pragmatic prudence are incapable in themselves of comprehending the spiritual concepts in the plan of God. The Lord Jesus, in fact, considered this very truth a cause for thanksgiving! One does not need either education or wisdom to appropriate the true wisdom of God, for even a young child (in fact, only one who becomes like a child) is able to understand true wisdom. “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

The fact that most of the world’s scholars reject the word of God is not surprising, because God promised this would be the case! “It is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent,” for “the world by wisdom knew not God” (I Corinthians 1:19,21). Genuine wisdom and prudence are found only through the revealed word of God. There, however, “He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence” (Ephesians 1:. God desires that our “faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. . . . 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” (I Corinthians 2:5,7,8). The abounding wisdom and prudence of God are hidden from the wise and prudent of the world, but are life and joy to all who come with the believing trust of little children. HMM

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The Aroma (#19940801)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor” (Ephesians 5:1,2).

Incense in Scripture has a variety of rich and meaningful usages, particularly as related to the blood sacrifice. “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; . . . and thou shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee” (Exodus 30:1,6). Without this incense, it was impossible to meet with God in this prescribed way. It was to be offered both morning and evening (Exodus 30:7,8). Great care was to be taken in its preparation (vv.34–36), and it was not to be used for any other purpose (vv.37,38).

In the New Testament we find a totally different application of this principle. As in our text, we see that Jesus Christ Himself has become an offering and a “sweet-smelling savor” to God. His freely offering Himself is an example to us to live a life of sacrifice and love.

While He was the final sacrifice, we are to “present (our) bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is (our) reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). This may even take the form of material “things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18).

In the mind of God, our life of sacrifice is a sweet-smelling savor. “Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish” (II Corinthians 2:14,15). Without our willing, living sacrifice, we cannot approach God, but with it, we are a “sweet savor of Christ.” JDM

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The Unmuzzled Ox (#19940802)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn” (Deuteronomy 25:4).

This Mosaic regulation would seem rather insignificant, except that it is quoted twice in the New Testament. I Corinthians 9:9,10: “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?” Yes, but that is not the main purpose behind this law. “Or saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.” The application is drawn in verse 14: “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” That is, supporting financially those who devote full time to God’s work is not “charitable giving,” but compensation for services, with the pay to be provided by those who receive the benefit of their labors.

This is even more clear in the second reference: “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward” (I Timothy 5:17,18), the latter part quoting words of Christ (Luke 10:7). Incidentally, note that both New Testament and Old Testament Scriptures are considered divinely inspired and authoritative on any subject with which they deal.

The subject here is just compensation for those who devote their time, training, and abilities to the work of the word, under the call and leading of God, as recognized by the people of God. This seemingly insignificant principle, if faithfully obeyed, would greatly enlarge the effectiveness and outreach of the Christian witness in the world. HMM

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Ye Or Thee (#19940803)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6).

In perhaps His primary teaching on giving, prayer, and fasting, Christ used an interesting blend of singular (thee, thou) and plural (you, ye) pronouns. Since even pronouns as recorded in Scripture are inspired and profitable, there must be a lesson to be learned from them.

Although Christ begins the passage using the plural pronoun, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them” (v.1), evidently addressing the large group assembled, He switches and speaks in the singular. In the verses dealing with giving (vv.2–4), with praying (vv.5,6), and with fasting (vv.17,18), He uses the singular pronoun and singular verbs over 30 times, but each teaching is balanced by a comparison, in the plural, to those who practice these deeds wrongly (vv.1,5,16).

Evidently, our Lord is stressing the need to do these things privately, as opposed to publicly. Public giving and public fasting are often done to gain the praise of men, and to appear overly spiritual. “They have their reward” (v.5). Public prayer is certainly not improper, and indeed Christ uses the occasion to teach on public prayer by giving what has come to be called “The Lord’s Prayer” (vv.9–15), again in contrast to improper public prayer (v.7). But public prayer can never totally substitute for private prayer, for there is a continuing need for the intimately personal “closet” time with our God. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret” (v.6).

In each case, “thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (vv.4,6,18). JDM

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In The Spirit (#19940804)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

When a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, believing on Him as Son of God and personal redeemer, the one who saves him from his sins, a wonderful event takes place. The Spirit of God enters his very body, there to reside and to guide his new life in Christ. Henceforth he is, whether he senses it or not, “in the Spirit.” “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9).

The believer’s body even becomes a temple in which the Spirit can reign over his life. “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” (I Corinthians 6:19,20).

In addition to leading us (through the Scriptures which He inspired and through the circumstances which He ordains), “The Spirit (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). “Hereby know we that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit” (I John 4:13).

The indwelling, comforting, leading, witnessing Spirit is not alone, for Jesus promised that, when the Comforter comes to “be in you,” then through the Spirit, “I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:17,20). Thus we can “be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

Such a marvelous relationship will surely transform our lives. As our text exhorts us: “If we live in the Spirit” we should certainly “walk in the Spirit.” The practical result is then obvious. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). HMM