A Daily Devotional

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The Ministry Of The Saints (#19950121)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (I Corinthians 1:2).

This salutation to those “called saints” at Corinth (the words “to be” are not in the original) makes it clear that all who “in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” are the saints of God. The word “saint” means “one who is sanctified,” or “set apart,” having been called to serve the Lord.

That service is varied, and many striking figures of speech are used in the Bible to describe it. In the first place, the saints are “witnesses unto me” (Acts 1: and, therefore, “ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20). The words and deeds of believers are to serve as an actual Bible to those who may not read God’s word. “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (II Corinthians 3:3).

Christ applied the figure of candlesticks to the churches addressed in Revelation, with Himself in the midst (Revelation 1:12,13). Similarly, we are enjoined to “shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:15,16). This light is not merely the light of a godly life, but the light of God’s revealed truth, for we constitute “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15).

In relation to Christ, we constitute “the body of Christ, and members in particular” (I Corinthians 12:27) and have been presented “as a chaste virgin to Christ” (II Corinthians 11:2). One day we shall reign with Him as “kings and priests unto God” (Revelation 1:6). HMM

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Great Swelling Words (#19950122)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage” (Jude 16).

This picturesque phrase, “great swelling words,” is the King James Version translation of huperonkos, which literally means “super-massive,” with the implied noun “words” added because of the context.

The word is used only one other time in the New Testament, in the parallel passage in II Peter 2:18: “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.”

Both apostles, in context, are warning against false teachers who, after somehow obtaining positions of influence among the spiritually immature believers in the body, would then seek to lead them back into worldly ways of thinking and acting. Peter compares those who heed such words to washed sows going back to wallow in the mire (II Peter 2:22).

Such teachers may appear very intellectual and charismatic, with their “feigned words” (II Peter 2:3), promises of “liberty” (I Peter 2:16), and flatteries (see text above), but it is a deadly mistake to follow them. Both Peter and Jude give various ways by which to recognize them. They may actually deny the redemptive work of Christ (II Peter 2:1), or seek to undermine those whom God has placed in authority (2:10). Perhaps most commonly, they are interested in worldly gain or prestige for themselves (II Peter 2:14; Jude 11). They also may practice and encourage carnal life styles (Jude 4; etc.).

Other characteristics of these deceptive teachers are given in these two key chapters and, by all means, young believers need to be alert to this danger, staying close to God’s word and obedient to His will. HMM

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The Word Of His Grace (#19950123)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctifed” (Acts 20:32).

Many beautiful descriptors are used in the New Testament to illustrate the powers of the word of God, both spoken and written. For example, the Lord Jesus is called “the word of life” in I John 1:1, and Paul, speaking of the Scriptures, reminded the Philippian Christians that they should be “holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:16).

Jesus called the Scriptures, which were to be spread through the world like seed sown in a field, “the word of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:19). The apostle Paul called them “the word of faith which we preach” (Romans 10:. Quoting a particular Scripture, he spoke of it as “the word of promise” (Romans 9:9).

As his witnesses and ambassadors, it is to us that He “hath committed . . . the word of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:19), wherewith we are to beseech men to be reconciled to God. Paul also said that “the word of truth” was nothing less than “the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13).

The writer of Hebrews called it “the word of exhortation” (Hebrews 13:22). In writing through John to the faithful church at Philadelphia, the Lord Jesus commended them because they had “kept the word of my patience” (Revelation 3:10).

But undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and meaningful of such metaphors of God’s word is the one found in our text (and also in Acts 14:3), that is, “the word of His grace.”

There is no grander theme in the Bible than the unmerited, abundant, inexhaustible, saving grace of God in Christ, and it is fitting that God’s eternal word be known as “the word of His grace.” The book, in fact, ends on this very note. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21). HMM

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In Heavenly Places (#19950124)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20).

This fascinating phrase (actually the Greek simply says “in the heavenlies”) is found only in the Ephesian epistle where it occurs five times. That it does mean heavenly places, rather than “heavenly things,” is evident from our text. Christ in His physical resurrection body is now in a particular place, and that place is where He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

In principle now—and ultimately in actuality—we also have been made to “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). In the meantime, however, we must also struggle with the demonic powers who still, like Satan, have access to God’s presence to accuse us of sin when we yield to their inducements. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places [actually the same phrase, ‘heavenly places’]” (Ephesians 6:12).

And when, by the grace of God and the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit, we are victorious in this conflict, it becomes a glorious demonstration throughout heaven, to fallen and unfallen angels alike, that Christ’s salvation is genuine and truly works in our lives. All of this is “to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10).

No wonder, with all these glorious events taking place in heaven, the apostle Paul introduces this epistle with a doxology! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). HMM

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Sleeping (#19950125)
by Norman P. Spotts, D.D.

“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me” (Psalm 3:5).

There are times when it is extremely difficult to sleep. Adverse circumstances, fears, griefs, and heartaches can grip us and cause sleepless nights. In Psalm 6 David experienced this type of sleeplessness: “Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears” (vv.2,6).

There are times when we must spend the night crying out to God for peace and direction. But on the whole, we should still be able to find rest throughout the night even though grave problems surround us. Peter seems to be the classic example of one who had the distinct possibility of being beheaded the next morning, yet was sound asleep when the angel came to release him from prison (Acts 12:6,7). He didn’t spend a sleepless night worrying.

David eventually learned, despite the problems, how to get a good night’s sleep, leaning on the following two promises. The Lord would sustain him. “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me” (Psalm 3:5). That same sustaining power is available to everyone who claims God’s preserving presence. David experienced this as a direct result of answered prayer. “I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill” (Psalm 3:4). The Lord would protect him. “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:. David depended upon the moment by moment protection of God. He understood, and so should we, that, “He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3,4). God is awake, so why fear? He has promised to sustain and protect us. NPS

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Unanswered Prayer (#19950126)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (I Peter 3:12).

There are many wonderful promises of answered prayer in the Bible, some of which seem both unlimited and unconditional. On the other hand, there are also many warnings of unanswered prayer. This seeming anomaly merely cautions us again that every Scripture must be interpreted in context—both the immediate context and the broader context of all the Scriptures.

For example, Jesus said: “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” But in the same “upper-room” discourse, He also said: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 14:14; 15:7). This is a very significant condition, attached to what—out of context—might have seemed an unconditional promise.

Our text indicates that overt sin in one’s life will certainly hinder God in answering our prayers. So will selfish praying: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3). And so will unbelief: “When ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). Poor home relations also could be a factor. “Husbands . . . (give) honor unto the wife . . . that your prayers be not hindered” (I Peter 3:7).

Even when we are confident that we are fully right with God, the desired answer must still be in His will. “If we ask any thing according to His will . . . . we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (I John 5:14,15).

Finally, there is the question of timing. “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). Therefore, the believing prayer of a man righteous before God surely will be answered in God’s time and way. HMM

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Dominion Mandate (#19950127)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28).

This was God’s first commandment to the man and woman He had created. They were to exercise dominion “over all the earth” (v.26); not a despotic dominion, as some have insinuated, but a responsible stewardship.

In order to subdue the earth, we must first understand its processes. Thus, research is the foundational occupation for fulfilling the divine mandate. Then this knowledge must be applied in technology (engineering, medicine, agriculture, etc.). It must be implemented for use by all (business, commerce) and transmitted to future generations (education). The creation can also be described and praised in the humanities and fine arts. The dominion mandate thus authorizes all honorable human occupations as a stewardship under God.

The mandate was reaffirmed to Noah after the flood (Genesis 9:1–10) with the additional institution of human government, a change made necessary by the entrance of sin and death into the world. Thus all the occupations we now call the social sciences (law, civics, counseling, etc.) have been added to God’s authorized vocations.

The tragedy is that leadership in practically all these fields has been taken over by secularists and humanists, so God’s primeval commission has largely been subverted. Christians today need a renewed vision and commitment, not only to Christ’s second great commission of evangelism, but also to His first mandate of responsible world stewardship. Therefore, “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23). HMM

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Survival Rations (#19950128)
by Kenneth B. Cumming, Ph.D.

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come” (I Corinthians 11:26).

Remembering Jesus’ act of love for us is the essence of the communion service. In such a simple practice, we have an object lesson of what He did and why. Concerning “this bread,” Jesus said, “Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), which is in contrast to the sign of the manna which sustained Israel during their sojourn until they arrived in the promised land. It met their physical needs until “the land” took over.

What was the meaning behind this sign? Jesus said: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (v.51). God gave manna as a temporary measure to keep the Israelites alive. But, all those that ate it eventually died. Jesus said He was the permanent solution to hunger: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (v.35).

Jesus Himself must be “eaten” (appropriated) for the benefit to be transferred to the user, not that the bread of communion mystically enlivens the partaker, but rather the act of acceptance of Jesus’ love for us in His dying for our sins provides eternal life. Believing on Jesus as the effective antidote for our sin enables us to live forever with Him. John 12:24 gives more understanding of what Jesus did: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Continuing on for the believer in God’s presence after this life involves the death, burial, and resurrection of the “corn of wheat” (Christ) so that “much fruit” (you and I) might live eternally. KBC

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The Tragedy Of Jeroboam (#19950129)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin” (I Kings 14:16).

There are a number of men in Biblical history (e.g., Saul, Solomon) whose careers started out with great promise and ended in great tragedy. Perhaps the saddest case of all was that of Jeroboam. In addition to our text, there are at least 14 other places where he is charged with causing Israel to sin (I Kings 15:26; etc.).

Yet Jeroboam could have been a great leader for God. “The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.” Furthermore, because of Solomon’s apostasy in his old age, God told Jeroboam: “Behold I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee” (I Kings 11:28,31).

But when Jeroboam finally did become king over the ten tribes, he feared that the faith of his subjects, centered as it was in Jerusalem, would cause him to lose control, so he established a substitute religion for them, nominally theistic, but actually pantheistic, “and this thing became a sin” (I Kings 12:30). Initially similar to the true faith set forth in the Mosaic laws, this idolatrous pantheism soon became as licentious as the Baal worship of the heathen, and God had to remove them.

One can easily note an American parallel today, not merely in one leader, but in a multitude of educational, political, and religious leaders. Like Jeroboam, they have for several generations departed from the God of their fathers, substituted the idolatries of modern evolutionary humanism, and have “made America to sin.” The day may come when, like Israel, the Lord removes America out of His sight, because of its dissembling leadership. HMM

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The Philosophers (#19950130)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered Him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18).

The important ministry of Paul in Athens, the cultural center of the world of his day, was climaxed in this confrontation with two groups of philosophers, representing the spectrum of all humanistic evolutionary systems of past or present. The Epicureans were essentially atheists, devoted to the cultivation of pleasure as the chief aim of life. The Stoics were pantheists, dedicated to passive acceptance of whatever happens.

In all essentials these were no different than the evolutionary humanistic systems of the present day. Any philosophy that rejects special creation also must reject the atoning death and bodily resurrection of the Creator, so the Athenian philosophers regarded Paul’s preaching as nothing but strange babbling.

Paul did not try to “dialogue” with them in the context of their own philosophies, but appealed rather to the evidence of creation and their intuitive awareness, supported by the ancient traditions of the entire human race, that their “UNKNOWN GOD” was the “God that made the world and all things therein” (Acts 17:23,24). Furthermore, this Creator God had demonstrated His identity to all men “in that He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Since these ancient pagan philosophies were essentially no different from either modern atheistic evolutionism, pantheistic Eastern evolutionism, or popular street-corner evolutionism—all rejecting or ignoring the God of the Bible—we might do well to emulate Paul’s method of reaching them. HMM

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All The Fountains Of The Great (#19950131)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11).

Our text describes the primary physical causes for the flood of Noah’s day, as well as the primary sources for the vast waters which covered the earth. The first source is very interesting from a geological point of view, and to grasp some semblance of its meaning is necessary if we would understand the flood.

As the “deep” in Scripture usually refers to the ocean (i.e., Genesis 1:2), so the “great deep” which was “broken up” evidently speaks of great subterranean reservoirs or chambers deep inside the earth, all of which spewed forth their contents at the same time. This breakup continued all over the earth for 150 days (cf. Genesis 7:11; 7:24; 8:2).

The reference to “broken up” merits attention, for it implies a wrenching of the earth’s crust, a great tectonic event. The same word is used in Numbers 16:30–33 to describe the supernatural opening up of a great pit into which the rebellious Korah and his followers and their families fell, thereby squelching their mutiny against Moses’ leadership.

Any such breaching of the earth’s crust results in earthquakes and if occurring under water, results in devastating tsunamis (sometimes called tidal waves) traveling through the water at speeds approaching the speed of sound. Continued pulsation of these fountains all over the earth for 150 days would totally restructure the surface of the earth, demonstrating God’s hatred for the sin of the antediluvian world. Coupled with the other factors involved in the flood, it is no wonder that “the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished” (II Peter 3:6). JDM

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Human Foolishness/god's Wisdom (#19950201)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18).

The very idea that a man condemned as a criminal and executed by crucifixion 2000 years ago could provide eternal life for people of all times and places does, indeed, appear to the natural mind as utter foolishness. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him” (2:14).

Jesus Christ is more than man, however, and His death was more than death! Therefore, “we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1:23), and to all who believe, it becomes the very power of God unto salvation! “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching [that is, by the preaching of this presumed human foolishness] to save them that believe” (1:21).

When we see our maker suffering as a criminal and dying for our sins, it brings us to deep repentance and grateful love. Then, when we know He has triumphed over death and was raised bodily from the grave, we rejoice in sins forgiven and the assurance of our own resurrection. No longer is the preaching of the cross foolishness! Rather, “we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (2:7). “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and “the foolishness of God is wiser than men” (3:19; 1:25).

This divine wisdom, however, and its saving power are available only to those who will allow their natural, unbelieving minds to be open to the inner conviction of the Spirit of God. HMM

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Church Leadership (#19950202)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (I Peter 5:1).

The leaders of the churches established after Christ were critical, not only to the ministry of each church, but also to its survival. Correspondingly, numerous New Testament passages deal with their qualifications and function. In our text, Peter exhorts these men to proper leadership through service and informs them of a reward waiting for them.

First we notice that Peter addresses a group of elders, not a single individual in sole authority. No example is given in the New Testament of any church which has grown past infancy which has not incorporated the wisdom of a group of spiritually mature men into its leadership, although there may be a single leader among this group.

The primary function of such godly leaders is to “feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof” (v.2). Note especially that the flock of which they are shepherds is God’s flock among them, not their own flock. A true flock leader takes strong and careful “oversight” but does not usurp ownership.

Those leaders are to serve “willingly,” not under “constraint.” Their motive should be “of a ready mind” and “not for filthy lucre,” or financial gain (v.2). Moreover, these leaders must not be “lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (v.3). They should lead by serving, thereby establishing a mindset of service in the rest.

Finally, Peter reminds the leaders that faithful, sacrificial service will be rewarded, for “when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (v.4).

May God continue to grant willing, faithful, sacrificial servants to lead each local flock. JDM

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The Law Of Christ (#19950203)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Although Christ has set the believer free from legalistic bondage, he is now under a still higher law—the law of Christ. It is also called “the law of the Spirit of life” which has made us “free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

The law of Christ does not consist of many detailed ordinances which we are duty bound to obey. It is a law, rather which we want to obey, out of love for Christ. “Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). Paul says that “the end of the commandment is charity [that is, ‘Christian love’] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (I Timothy 1:5). James calls it “the royal law,” defining it simply as: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (James 2:.

Instead of a law bringing us into bondage, it is “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25), setting us free from slavery to sin. It not only gives us the desire to please the Lord, but also the will and the ability to do so.

It is not as though we are now without law and thereby free to indulge our carnal appetites. Paul explains his own new nature thus: “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more . . . (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ)” (I Corinthians 9:19,21).

In Christ, “the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,” and He is “the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 3:21; 10:4). But though we “have been called unto liberty,” Paul commands us to “use not our liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). Thus, to believe in Christ is also to obey Him. HMM

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Can A Christian Not Sin? (#19950204)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1).

If the question is asked: “Does a Christian not sin?” then the answer is, no. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. . . . If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (I John 1:8,10). Even the most godly Christian does sin occasionally—in thought if not in deed, in omission if not in commission. The God-given antidote is I John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

But there is a danger if we use such verses as an excuse for sinning or for taking sin too lightly. If the question is asked: “Can a Christian not sin?” then the answer is, yes! God indeed, in Christ, has made every provision necessary for a believer never to commit sin, and we are without any legitimate excuse whenever we do.

This must be so for at least two reasons. In the first place, Jesus Christ in His humanity is our example, and He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He accomplished this, not because of His deity, but solely in His humanity.

Secondly, God has commanded us not to sin, and He would never command us to do the impossible. For every temptation, there is a way of escape (I Corinthians 10:13), and we have no excuse if we fail to take it. Our only recourse is to repent and confess the sin.

Our text commands us to sin not! But then, it also reminds us that Christ is our great advocate before the Father. He is righteous and has already taken our sins away as our propitiatory sacrifice, so “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). HMM