A Daily Devotional

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Immortality or Resurrection

"Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen" (I Timothy 6:16).

In the Greek New Testament, there are two words translated "immortality." One is athanasia ("without death"), which is used in our text to describe God in His eternal essence. The other is aphtharsia ("without corruption"), used in II Timothy 1:10: " hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," and translated "incorruption." In I Corinthians 15:42: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption."

The doctrine of the "immortality of the soul" is a doctrine of both ancient paganism and modern "New Ageism." Such people all believe in some form of evolution and reject the doctrine of resurrection, which uniquely accompanies creationist religions. These false religions believe that, at death, the body decays but the soul continues to exist, either in an eternally disembodied state or reincarnated in some other body. Atheists, of course, believe that both body and soul cease to exist at death.

But Christ, who "hath immortality" and who has died for the whole world and triumphed over death, promises a bodily resurrection to all who believe on Him, assuring both incorruption and immortality forever. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (v.53). The law of entropy (involving decay, corruption, pain, sorrow, and disintegration) will be repealed when God's curse (Genesis 3:17) on the whole creation because of sin is removed (Romans 8:20-23; Revelation 22:3) and death will be abolished from His new creation forever.

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Fear Not


"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" (Matthew 10:28).

During the darkest days of World War II, when London was being rocket-bombed almost daily and Londoners were in daily fear for their lives, they were stirred by Winston Churchill's words (quoting President Roosevelt) when he said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!"

For the past few years, our own leaders and the news media have been reminding us daily that we are in a "War on Terror," yet encouraging us to be confident, as well as alert. The apostle Peter, concerned with the serious dangers faced by the early Christians, similarly encouraged them: "If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled" (I Peter 3:14).

We Christians certainly should be concerned about the possible dangers confronting us because of the "terrorists" of these latter days, but we need even more to keep all this in eternal perspective. As Christ said in our text, a far more serious danger -- awaiting both indifferent secularists in our own country and those whom we call terrorists from Muslim and Communist countries -- is the soon-coming judgment by our Creator because He is able to consign both soul and body to everlasting punishment in hell.

Therefore, our message to the terrorists, as well as to all unsaved men everywhere, has to be to "flee from the wrath to come" (Luke 3:7) through "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). As Paul said: "Knowing . . . the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. . . . We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Corinthians 5:11,20-21).

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The Mount of Olives
September 12, 2006

"And David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up" (II Samuel 15:30).

The Mount of Olives overlooks Jerusalem from the east. This first reference to it notes the sad occasion when King David had to flee Jerusalem for his life, escaping the conspiracy of his estranged son Absalom.

Just as David wept over Jerusalem as he left it, so would his greater son, Jesus, a thousand years later, weep over the city as He entered it from Mount Olivet (Luke 19:37,41). It was there that He gave the great prophecy of His second coming (Matthew 24:3). It was also there He went with His disciples after the last supper, and there He agonized in prayer, alone, in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:26,32). Finally, after His death and resurrection, it was from the Mount of Olives that He ascended back into heaven (Acts 1:10-12).

This is far from the end of the story, however. The Mount of Olives has an amazing role yet to play in the world's future, according to a prophecy given long ago. "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, . . . And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south" (Zechariah 14:1,4). Instead of a mountain there will be a valley, and "living waters shall go out from Jerusalem" (v.. Instead of a mountain for weeping there will be a stream of rejoicing, and "the Lord shall be king over all the earth" (v.9).

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The Psalm of Life


"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust" (Psalm 91:2).

This marvelous psalm of life and security follows a psalm of frailty and death (Psalm 90) written by Moses, who may have been the author of this psalm as well. For our devotional study today, attention is called to the change of personal pronoun throughout, implying a dialogue between three speakers.

The psalm begins as a godly teacher, or prophet, or perhaps an angel, bestows a benediction upon the believer: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1), ascribing the security of the believer to the character of God.

The believer responds to this blessing by avowing his trust in God and in His character (v.2).

To the testimony of the believer, the first speaker replies, expounding on the former blessing, detailing the protection provided by God (vv.3-8) and the blessings of that care. Note, "Because thou hast made the Lord , which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" (vv.9-12).

At the end, Jehovah Himself responds, confirming all that the speaker has said: "Because he hath set his love upon me , therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation" (vv.14-16).

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Who Is This?


"And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause Him to draw near, and He shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged His heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 30:21).

In this passage the Lord asks a question: "Who is this that engages His heart to approach unto me?" He is One who would "proceed from the midst of them." In other words, He would come from among God's people, Israel.

He would also be "their governor." Another prophet, speaking of the Messiah, wrote: "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end" (Isaiah 9:7). Additionally, this One would "approach unto" the Lord Jehovah. The prophet Daniel spoke of a "Son of man" who would approach "the Ancient of days" and be "brought" before Him (Daniel 7:13).

Jeremiah himself gives us more clues. In verse 9 of chapter 30, he wrote: "But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them." Historical David had died long before, but this new David would apparently sit on David's throne.

Jeremiah also mentions, in the last verse of the chapter, that this would be accomplished "in the latter days." The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, according to the apostle Peter, was "in the last days" (Acts 2:17); future from Jeremiah's perspective but past from ours.

Jesus certainly "engaged His heart to approach unto" His Father, as our verse said. He came to delight in and to do the will of His Father, and He also asked His Father to receive His Spirit while on the cross.

May each of us affirm that Jesus was and is the promised Messiah of God and draw "near" unto the Father by drawing "near" unto His Governor.

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The Mercy Seat


"And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat" (Exodus 25:21-22).

In the "holy of holies" of the tabernacle, God would meet with Israel's high priest once a year to commune with His people at a meeting place called the "mercy seat." The Hebrew word was derived from the word for "atonement," which in turn meant essentially a "covering" for the Ark of the Covenant. On the great day of atonement each year, the high priest was commanded to sprinkle the blood from the sin offerings on the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:14-15) to make an atonement for all the people.

This annual ceremony, of course, merely prefigures the full atonement which Christ would make one day when "by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9:12). Since this blood has been sprinkled once for all on the heavenly mercy seat, as it were, we are now "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Romans 3:24-25).

In this verse, the word "propitiation" is the Greek word for "mercy seat" (and is so translated in Hebrews 9:5). That is, Christ Himself, with His atoning blood, is our mercy seat, where we can meet with God. Thus, the golden, blood-stained mercy seat becomes the very throne of God Himself, where He meets with those who believe on Him for salvation. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (4:16).

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When Moses became Angry


"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26).

In our text, the verse instructs us to be angry and yet not sin. But the Bible clearly condemns losing one's temper. Indeed, just a few verses after our text we find: "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" (v.31). So when is it appropriate and when is it a sin to be angry? The life of Moses provides the answer.

After God's powerful demonstrations in bringing plagues upon the land of Egypt, Moses declared God's final judgment on stubborn Pharaoh. Exodus 11:8 records that Moses "went out from Pharaoh in a great anger." There is no divine condemnation for this just anger at the hard-hearted monarch. Also, when the children of Israel left Egypt they sinned against God by fashioning an idol. As Moses "came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot" (32:19). Here Moses became legitimately angry at gross sin against God.

But there is a third scenario that is recorded for us in Numbers 20. Moses was frustrated with the thirsty and murmuring Israelites. God commanded him to speak to a rock to obtain water from it. "And Moses . . . said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice" (vv. 10-11). God immediately reproved Moses for his angry disobedience. So we note that it is appropriate to be angry at hard-hearted disobedience and to express self-controlled outrage at sin. But anger is never justified solely because of frustrating circumstances and especially if it results in personal disobedience. "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:20)

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The Queen of Sheba


"And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions" (I Kings 10:1).

A thousand years after the famous visit of Sheba's queen to the court of King Solomon, Jesus made a remarkable spiritual application of her experience. "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42).

Solomon had prayed for wisdom, and the Lord gave him such legendary wisdom that the news even reached the distant land of Sheba, south of Ethiopia. We do not know what hard questions were confronting Sheba's queen at the time, but she finally decided she must find their solutions through Solomon and his God. God honored her searching faith, "and Solomon told her all her questions," so that she could testify that "the half was not told me. . . . Blessed be the Lord thy God" (I Kings 10:3,7,9).

In Jesus Christ "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). He who had given Solomon his great wisdom promises us that, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).

Truly the queen of Sheba will be a witness against our present generation in the coming day of judgment. People today turn to every variety of humanistic counselors for their training and guidance, but refuse to come to the one who is "made unto us wisdom" (I Corinthians 1:30). The "Wonderful Counsellor" (Isaiah 9:6), who is far greater than Solomon, who said "I am the truth" (John 14:6), and who promises that "the truth shall make you free" (8:32), is still inviting all from the uttermost parts of the earth to come.

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Moses and the Shining Face


"And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand . . . that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him" (Exodus 34:29).

Moses had been alone with God forty days and forty nights, simply communing with God and receiving the tables with the Ten Commandments. When he finally descended, the glory of God so radiated from him that the people could not bear to look at his face, and he had to wear a veil even to speak to them.

The council of Jewish leaders had a similar experience as they interrogated Stephen concerning his Christian testimony: "And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15).

None of us today ever seem to exhibit such glowing faces, nor is anyone likely to mistake us for an angel. But perhaps this is because we have not spent the time in His presence that Moses did; nor preached the Word in the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit as Stephen did. Nevertheless, we should have a different countenance than before we met the Lord. Men should be able to say of us as it was said of Peter and John: "They marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (4:13).

In fact, God even promises that this will be so to the extent that we spend time in His Word, which itself is alive with the light of His glory. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18).

May God enable us, therefore, to be "Holding forth the word of life," even "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15-16).

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Threefold Deliverance


"For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling" (Psalm 116:.

This is the beautiful testimony of the psalmist when the Lord answered his prayer: "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul" (vv.3-4). The Lord does, indeed, deliver our souls when we call upon Him for salvation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Divine deliverance, however, is more than deliverance from death and hell. "Therefore the redeemed of the Lord . . . shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away" (Isaiah 51:11). "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying" (Revelation 21:4). God delivers us from the penalty of our sins, from death and hell, right now, and then from all our sorrows and tears in the age to come, delivering us even from all the effects of sin forever.

But He also delivers us right now from the power of sin in our lives, which would otherwise come again to cause our downfall even after we have been saved. Many a fearful Christian, afraid that he is unable to hang on to the Lord, needs to know that it is the Lord who hangs on to him! "For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?" (Psalm 56:13). Our Savior, who died for our sins and rose again for our justification, promises this. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28).

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Altar Building

"And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him" (Genesis 12:7).

This is the first reference to Abraham building an altar in Scripture. Building an altar and making sacrifice to God denotes total dependence and reliance on Him. It implies saying no to self and yes to God -- in effect presenting one's self in submission to God as a sinner, trusting Him for gracious handling of one's sin, and discounting one's value apart from His work. Building altars became a habit with godly Abraham, the "Friend of God" (James 2:23), and he practiced it many times during his life (see also Genesis 12:8; 13:4,18).

We can surmise that at an early age, Abraham's son, Isaac, was taught this same practice. It doesn't seem that Isaac misunderstood or debated the situation, even when he himself was identified as the sacrifice to be slaughtered (Genesis 22:9). He fully trusted and worshiped the same God, and evidently agreed with Abraham's obedient act. Later, Isaac, himself, practiced altar-building at least once on his own (26:25).

Compare Abraham and his family to Lot and his family. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that Lot built an altar and recognized God as worthy of worship. No doubt as a direct result, Lot's wife, sons, and daughters totally rejected these ideas, preferring the sinful practices and mentality of Sodom. Lot was a true believer (II Peter 2:7-8), but his lifestyle and lack of "altar-building" rubbed off on his family, to the detriment of himself and the people of God ever since.

Here is the question: Do we want to be Christians who ignore proper worship and total submission to God and have families who do likewise? We don't build physical altars today, but we do need daily times of family prayer.

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Rest Only in Christ


"But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark" (Genesis 8:9).

Unlike the raven, which Noah had sent out first, the dove could not live on the carrion floating on the flood waters. After nine months cooped up in the ark, she had reveled in her freedom when Noah first released her from the window of the ark. Unaware of the outside perils while safe with Noah, she flew gaily off into the open spaces beyond, just like many a professing Christian, eager to cast off the constraints of his or her parental religion. "And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness" (Psalm 55:6-7).

But the dove could find no rest away from Noah, whose very name means "rest!" His father, Lamech, by prophetic inspiration, had called his name Noah, saying, "This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed" (Genesis 5:29). So she finally returned, finding rest once again in Noah's outstretched hands.

Just so, the Lord Jesus, in His greater ark of secure salvation, is waiting at its open window, with arms outstretched, inviting all those weary of the doomed world outside to return to Him. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Christ's message to the weary wanderer is: "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, . . . return unto me; for I have redeemed thee" (Isaiah 44:22).

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The Christian's Position


"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).

The search for identity and meaning can drive one to great successes or tragic failures. For the Christian, however, the question is answered throughout Ephesians.

We are chosen! We are selected as a favorite out of "many are called" (Matthew 22:14) "out of the world" (John 15:19). What a privilege! We are God's choice to bear His name, represent His cause, and share His glory throughout eternity.

In fact, we are "predestinated . . . unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself" (Ephesians 1:5). And "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).

Furthermore, we have been "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). That word, "accepted," is a specialized form of the word most often translated "grace." We have been "graced" by almighty God, who has set absolute boundaries around our lives, and made us His children. We were purchased "through His blood" (v.7) "that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar [that is, `precious'] people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).

Moreover, we are forgiven! (Ephesians 1:7). Our sins are "covered" (Psalm 32:1), "cast" behind God's back (Isaiah 38:17); removed "As far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12); "remember . . . no more" (Jeremiah 31:34); and cleansed "from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).

Hallelujah! Since we are God's children, we should have no identity crisis. We are a chosen, predestined, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, and holy people. Finally, we are predestined "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29).

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The Christian's Purpose


"According as He hath chosen us in Him . . . that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4).

In the grand purpose of our "selection" into God's family, two key words are used:

"Holy" (Greek, hagios) stresses dedication. A holy man or woman is distinctively God's, set apart for God's use; separated from the secular, and consecrated to God's service. All who are "chosen" are chosen to be holy.

The Colossian Christians were told to "mortify" the physical appetites, to "put off" their sinful mental attitudes and habits, and to "put on the new man . . . as the elect of God, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:5-12). The focus is character.

"Without blame" refers to our reputations. This character will only be fully realized in heaven (I Corinthians 1:, but there is a present responsibility to "present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . . And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind . . ." (Romans 12:1-2).

The character of holiness will become the cause of a lifestyle of blamelessness. We are to be the "sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

This holy and blameless condition will result in "the praise of the glory of His grace" (Ephesians 1:6) where God will someday "gather together in one all things in Christ" (v.10).

What a magnificent thought! The purpose for which we have been chosen, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven is to be holy in character and blameless in reputation, so that when God gathers us all together in Christ, we will be the praise of the glorious grace of God!

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The Christian's Prosperity

"God and Father . . . who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).

Given our high position in Christ, it follows that God would provide whatever is necessary to accomplish His purposes in and for us.

The "Beatitudes" of Matthew 5:3-12 provide a good illustration. Each "blessing" is designed to meet a need or fulfill a desire of God's "chosen" (Ephesians 1:4). The poor, meek, and persecuted are given ownership in the kingdom. The mournful are given God's special comfort. Those who hunger for righteousness are filled. The merciful will obtain mercy, the pure in heart will see God, and the peacemakers are identified as God's children. The longings of our souls and characters are all met by God.

The practical needs of "wisdom and prudence" are met, too (v.. Wisdom is knowledge focused toward useful application, and prudence is the ability to develop successful activities based on wisdom. The Word of God is the source of wisdom (Deuteronomy 4:1-6; Proverbs 1:1-6) and is inspired of God to be "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (II Timothy 3:16-17).

Furthermore, He has "made known unto us the mystery of His will" (Ephesians 1:9). "Kept secret" in the days of the Old Testament prophets (Romans 16:25-26), it is now made clear to us so that we can show ". . . unto the principalities and powers . . . by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Ephesians 3:10). These spiritual resources are available for every believer "to profit withal" (I Corinthians 12:7). We must pray that we do not waste these resources like the "wicked and slothful" servant in the parables of the talents and the pounds (Matthew 25:26; Luke 19:22).