A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Going Thither (#19950307)
by Kenneth B. Cumming, Ph.D.

“And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go” (I Samuel 9:6).

How do we find our way in the jungle out there? Although it isn’t easy, there is a way; find a true man of God and follow him. The identity of several men of God makes for an all-star cast: Moses, Elijah, Elisha, David, and Timothy. But there were others such as Shemaiah and Igdaliah who spoke for God but are not as well known today.

Notice that our study verse gives us three traits that are found in such people. First, a man of God must be an honorable person. “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:26). Secondly, a godly man’s words must come to pass. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:22). That prophet shall die: “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die” (v.20). Thirdly, a godly man should be an instructor. “And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God” (I Samuel 9:27).

Paul expands our understanding of this office: “But thou, O man of God, flee these things [previous verses on pride]; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (I Timothy 6:11). In the jungle or city, look for a man of God to follow or, better still, become that person of God that others can follow. KBC

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Emotional Decisions (#19950308)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended” (Mark 4:16,17).

In Christ’s parable of the sower, some of the seed (representing the word of God—Luke 8:11) fell on stony ground with little depth of earth. It sprang up immediately, but then quickly withered away. According to Christ’s interpretation in our text, this represents the common situation in which a person makes an emotional decision to receive Christ without any real understanding of what it means. Such persons “have no root in themselves,” and when they suddenly realize that being a Christian inevitably brings persecution “for the word’s sake,” then they “fall away” (Luke 8:13).

Modern evangelistic techniques too often generate such superficial conversions. Once such ephemeral converts fall away, they may well react so negatively to God’s word as to be beyond reach the next time. “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning” (II Peter 2:20).

It is urgently important, therefore, that both evangelists and personal workers be thorough in their explanation of the gospel to potential converts, so that both mind and heart are willingly submitted to Christ. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6,7). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Christians And The World (#19950309)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word” (John 17:6).

In the wonderful intercessory prayer of Christ for His disciples just before His death, there are several important references dealing with the relation of the Christian believer to the world around him. In the first place, according to our text, they have been called out of the world, and thus are not really a part of its system any more, once they belong to Christ.

Yet, they necessarily must still live in the world. “These are in the world. . . . I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (vv.11,15). They are not of the world, however, for they have been separated from the world, and unto Christ, whom the world continues to crucify daily. “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (v.14). Like Christ, they are bound to be hated by the world.

Nevertheless, Christ has sent them into the world as His witnesses. “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world . . . that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. . . . I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (vv.18,21,23).

And the most wonderful thing about all these relationships to the world we live in is that God planned them even before He created the world! “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” (v.24). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Blood Of Abel (#19950310)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24).

There are three references to the blood of Abel in the Bible, with each instance indicating that the shedding of Abel’s blood by his brother Cain was a type of the shed blood of Christ. In fact, the very first reference to blood in the Bible (thus, by the “law of first mention,” a reference of foundational significance), is God’s accusation to Abel’s murderer: “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10).

Abel was the first of multitudes through the centuries whose blood has been shed because of their witness for divine righteousness (note I John 3:12). This indictment of human wickedness reached its zenith in the spilling of the blood of the one who was perfectly righteous. “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias” (Matthew 23:35; also Luke 11:50,51).

But if the blood of Abel cries out for vengeance, along with “the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6), the blood of Christ Himself, as our text assures us, speaks of better things than those called forth by Abel’s blood. There was an old covenant, demanding blood for blood, with the atoning blood of animals substituting for that of sinners. “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant” (Exodus 24:. But Jesus “is the mediator of the new testament . . . for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament” (Hebrews 9:15), and with His blood, we have “our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience . . . to serve the living God” (Hebrews 10:22; 9:14). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Love For All The World (#19950311)
by Kathleen L. Bruce, D.Miss.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

The first covenant of salvation—to Adam and Eve—in Genesis 3:15 (the woman’s seed would bruise the head of the serpent which tempted her) sounds like God may have intended for such salvation to be universally effective for all mankind. Again in the Noahic Covenant, God made a promise of survival, an “everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth” (Genesis 9:16).

But as we see God’s plan begin to unfold, we may be tempted to doubt that God wanted every member of the human race to experience His salvation, for in Genesis 12 God focuses His program on only one man—Abram—whom He calls and promises to bless. From Abram the nation of Israel came, and they became the people of God and experienced God’s special guidance and blessing. Of particular importance is that God chose to reveal His eternal written word through them.

But let us look again at God’s call to Abram. In Genesis 12:2 God not only says “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,” but He also promises that “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (v.3). God is sharing His wider perspective and exposing His great heart of love for all by declaring Israel to be a whole race of priests on behalf of the rest of the nations (Exodus 19) and a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6).

Eventually the ultimate love of God was realized “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4), “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). KLB

[Soldier4Christ]

Dark Sayings Of Old (#19950312)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us” (Psalm 78:2,3).

Most people do not think of parables—especially the parables of Christ—as dark (i.e., hidden) sayings, but rather as figurative illustrations to help people comprehend some spiritual teaching. But Christ used parables to conceal truth, not to reveal truth! “Therefore speak I to them in parables,” He said in response to the disciples’ question as to why He was speaking in parables; “because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matthew 13:13). The principle is this: a person must first believe and obey the light he has already received, before God will give Him further light. “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath” (Matthew 13:12).

Thus the parables of both Old and New Testaments are not of any obvious interpretation. They require study, meditation, and obedience to comprehend, but then they bring great blessing. “Every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52).

The “dark sayings” of Scripture are not to be associated with occultism or darkness, of course. The word simply means something hidden from the world, but transparent to eyes of faith and love. “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. . . . Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. . . . But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (I Corinthians 2:7,8,10). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The House Of The Lord (#19950313)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).

The theme of the house of God is prominent in the book of Psalms. The phrase, “the house of the LORD,” occurs seven times plus once each for “the LORD’S house” and “the house of the LORD our God.” There are three references to “the house of God,” one to “the house of my God,” and one to “the house of our God.” Then, “thy house” is mentioned eleven times, making a total of at least 25 explicit references to the house of the Lord in the book of Psalms alone.

Many of these passages refer, of course, to the actual temple in Jerusalem. On the other hand, since it was in the temple’s holy place that the Shekinah glory dwelled and where the high priest met once each year with God on behalf of the people, there naturally follows a personal metaphorical application with the house of the Lord referring to the spiritual presence of the Lord in the life of each believer.

In our text the psalmist expresses as his highest desire that of continually dwelling in God’s presence all the days of his life. A number of the other references express the same holy desire, and the New Testament response is that indeed, “ye are the temple of God, and . . . the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (I Corinthians 3:16).

It is wonderful to “dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,” but that is not all we can look forward to. The glorious concluding assurance of the 23rd Psalm is even greater. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalm 23:6). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Abounding Christian (#19950314)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also” (II Corinthians 8:7).

In spite of all their faults of carnality and divisiveness which the apostle Paul had to rebuke severely, the Christians in Corinth were exemplary in certain Christian traits. They had an abounding faith and abundant understanding of God’s word, and abundant ability to expound it. They also abounded in diligence and in love for their great teacher, Paul.

There are many other Christian virtues in which believers should abound. They should “abound in hope” (Romans 15:13), and they should “abound to every good work” (II Corinthians 9:. The apostle Peter exhorted believers to add “virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity,” stressing that their own fruitfulness as Christians required that “these things be in you, and abound” (II Peter 1:5–8).

Even this is not all. Paul prayed for the Philippians “that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment” (Philippians 1:9). But he also wrote: “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ” (II Corinthians 1:5).

A Christian, therefore, should not be just a nominal Christian, but an abounding Christian! Finally our text exhorts us to “abound in this grace also.” In context, this grace is the grace of liberal giving of financial resources, seemingly one of the most difficult of all graces in which to abound, and thus one of the surest measures of an abounding Christian. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The God (#19950315)
by Norman P. Spotts, D.D.

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

Among the cardinal doctrines of the faith is the deity of Christ. Nothing is more precious to the believer than to understand that our Lord Jesus Christ is “fully God.”

One of the major cults of today states that Jesus should never be referred to as “God,” but only as “a God.” They say that the Greek New Testament never uses the definite article “the” with “God” in direct reference to Christ. However, the following verses from the Greek text will show just the opposite.

Matthew 1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Greek—“With us The God.”

John 20:28: “And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.” Greek—“The Lord of me and The God of me.”

Hebrews 1:8: “But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Greek—“Thy throne, O The God, is for ever and ever.”

Titus 2:13: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Greek: “The great God and Savior of us, Christ Jesus.”

II Peter 1:1: “To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Greek—“The God of us and Savior Jesus Christ.” Or, “Our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is truly “The God” and should be exalted and worshiped as such. John, in Revelation 1:8, refers to Jesus as “The Almighty!” May our hearts be stirred and humbled when we consider who Jesus really is. NPS

[Soldier4Christ]

Righteous Judgment To Come (#19950316)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness” (Psalm 9:.

Judgment is coming for every person, “as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Many people don’t believe it, and still more don’t seem to care, but judgment is coming! Be certain of this. We must all meet God our maker someday.

Furthermore, “He shall judge the world in righteousness,” for He is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:13). “He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth” (Psalm 96:13; also note Psalm 96:10; 98:9).

All is lost if God judges righteously, however, for “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and “cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10).

But “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, . . . and 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 5:19,21). The Lord Jesus the Son of God, our Creator/Redeemer, has taken our judgment on Himself, and “there is therefore now no (judgment) to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Consequently, “the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). God can both judge righteously and yet graciously save all who receive Christ by faith: “Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Jesus Christ is not only our Creator and righteous Judge, but also our Redeemer, Mediator, Advocate, and Savior! HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Things To Beware (#19950317)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

There are three Greek words translated “beware,” all of which stress watchfulness and potential danger. In a world under the control of Satan, there are many of his devices which can deceive and undermine the faith and life of the unwary Christian.

Our text cautions against false prophets who appear to be true prophets (or teachers, or pastors), but whose apparently spiritual teachings are subversive of Biblical truth. John warns that “many false prophets are gone out into the world” (14:1), and Jesus said they “shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:11). Jesus also warned that His followers should “beware of . . . the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:12). These sects have their respective modern counterparts in the hypocrisy of legalists and the skepticism of liberals, both of which are destructive of true Biblical faith and life.

Very relevant to today’s humanistic intellectualism is the warning of Colossians 2:8: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” This is the Bible’s only reference to philosophy, here equated evidently with “vain deceit.”

Finally, the apostle Peter says: “Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness” (II Peter 3:17). In context, Peter is referring to those Christian brethren who have distorted the Scriptures in order to seek an accommodation with the naturalistic world view of establishment intellectuals (II Peter 3:3–6,16). Thus, Peter, John, and Christ Himself would urge constant wariness on our part. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Life In Christ (#19950318)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1.4).

A host of biochemists and other scientists have tried for over a century to determine how life evolved from nonlife. Such a quest is absurdly impossible, for the simplest imaginary self-replicating system would be infinitely more complex than the most elaborate machine ever designed by man. Life can come only from life. The first human life, indeed the first living system of any kind, could only have come by special creation from the living God. “For I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

Thus, “in Him we live, and move, and have our being;” and He is “not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:28,27). The Lord Jesus Christ is the one “by whom also He made the worlds” and who now is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:2,3). The beating of our hearts, the breathing of our lungs, the very atoms of our bodies, are continually sustained by Him. Were He to withdraw His power for a moment, life would cease and all light would become darkness. Even those who reject Him and blaspheme His name owe their very existence to His power and grace.

“As the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). Life is “in Him;” He alone can conquer death and raise the dead. “As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will” (John 5:21), for as “the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (I Corinthians 15:45).

Thus, “he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (I John 5:12). Through faith in His sacrificial death and resurrection life, “ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Henceforth is Christ Himself “our life” (Colossians 3:3,4). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Promised In Writing (#19950319)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

For those of us who have trusted God for salvation, based on the finished work of Christ on the cross, God has already done for us the most difficult and costly thing He could ever do. He graciously sent His only Son to planet Earth, and then to the cross and the grave, in order to make forgiveness and eternal fellowship with us possible. We are now adopted children in His family, joint-heirs with His beloved Son, Jesus Christ (vv.16,17,29, etc.) from whom we will never be separated (vv.35–39), “whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (v.15).

Consider our state when all this was done for us. It is easy to love a beautiful baby that needs someone to care for it; but we were not at all attractive. We were filthy sinners, born in sin and habitually choosing to offend God’s holy nature by succumbing to “the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). Furthermore, we were even “enemies” of the cross at the time “we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10). Outside of His eyes of love and grace we would have appeared more like a repulsive maggot than a beautiful baby.

It stands to reason that He who has already done the most difficult, yea, infinitely difficult thing for us out of His great love, will continue to manifest that love to us, especially now that we are of His family. As our text tells us, He will “freely give us all things.” With our best interests at heart, He will see that “all things work together for (our) good” (Romans 8:28).

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31). JDM

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Unceasing Prayer


"Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17).

This is, no doubt, the shortest commandment in the Bible, and seemingly the most difficult to obey. How could anyone possibly pray without ceasing? What about sleeping, or working, or other necessary pursuits?

Paul himself claimed to pray without ceasing. For example, he wrote to the Roman church: "For God is my witness, . . . that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers" (Romans 1:9). To the Thessalonians he wrote: "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith . . ." (I Thessalonians 1:2-3). In his very last epistle he wrote: "I thank God . . . that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day" (II Timothy 1:3).

It is obvious from such references that Paul did not mean we should be uttering prayers continually, but rather to be continually in a prayerful attitude and never to stop the regular practice of prayer. In like fashion, the Lord Jesus said: "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). In the parable following this command, He spoke of God's "own elect, which cry day and night unto Him" (Luke 18:7). This would further imply that our prayerful attitude and regular practice of specific prayer should be taking place every day and every night. We should never "faint"--that is, "lose heart"--if the answer isn't what or when we hope, but keep on praying anyway. When it's the right time, He will, indeed, answer "speedily," and in the right way (Luke 18:.

To pray without ceasing means simply to be free to communicate quickly with Him, night and day, always in an attitude of prayer. "If ye abide in me," He said, "and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

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One Day As a Thousand Years


"Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (II Peter 3:.

It is sad that many Christians today are so eager to appear intellectual, they are willing to compromise God's clear revelation to do so. God has made it as clear as plain words could make it, that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Exodus 20:11). Yet because evolutionary "science" has alleged that the earth is billions of years old, multitudes of evangelicals have fallen in line, rejecting God's plain statement of fact and then trying to find some interpretive loophole to hide behind.

Our text verse is perhaps the key verse of the so-called "progressive creationists" who try to correlate the days of creation in Genesis with the supposed 4.6 billion-year system of evolutionary geological ages, by citing Peter as agreeing that "one day is a thousand years."

No, Peter is saying that "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years!" That is, God can do in one day what might, by natural processes, take a thousand years. In context, the apostle is condemning the last-day uniformitarians (those who teach that "all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation") as "willingly ignorant" of the tremendous significance of the historical facts of Creation and the Flood (II Peter 3:3-6). Real written records only go back a few thousand years, and to attempt to calculate any date before that requires use of a premise which, in context, the Scriptures have just condemned! God says the uniformitarians are willingly ignorant and then urges those who believe His Word to "be not ignorant." The only way we can know the date and duration of creation is for God to tell us, and He says He made all of Heaven and Earth in six days, and not so long ago!