A Daily Devotional

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The Father's Love for the Son

"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

In this remarkable verse, God the Father, speaking from heaven itself, introduces His beloved Son to the world. This is the first New Testament reference to "love," just as the Father's love for the Son was the first love that ever existed. As Christ prayed in the upper room: ". . . for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).

There are many other references to the Father's love for the Son, including two to the voice at His baptism (Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) and two more in the upper room prayer (John 17:23,26). One great reason for that love is the following: "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life" (John 10:17).

The extent of the Father's love for His blessed Son was all-encompassing. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand" (John 3:35). Furthermore, "the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth" (John 5:20).

God also spoke of His "beloved Son" on the Mount of Transfiguration, as cited four times (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; II Peter 1:17). Thus there are seven references in the New Testament to the Father's heavenly testimony to His beloved Son. Similarly there are seven passages where the Son Himself testifies of that Fatherly love. In addition to the six cited above, Christ said: "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you" (John 15:9).

Seven testimonies from the Father and seven from the Son! Surely the Father loved the Son with a perfect love. And yet--"Herein is love . . . that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10). Such love for unworthy sinners merits nothing less than total thanksgiving from us.

AWESOME  their is no way i can express in all the Universe of The  Love that God the Father has for His Son.What a love circle between the Father and the Son and i once express that by being the Holy Spirit...Love in Jesus Def

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God of All Graces

"Now the God of peace be with you all" (Romans 15:33).

Our God of all the world has been known by many names in Scripture (Elohim, Jehovah, Adonai, etc.), but He is also identified, especially in the New Testament, as the God of many virtues and graces.

Our text calls Him, for example, the "God of peace." The same appellation is given Him in Romans 16:20, Hebrews 13:20,21, and Philippians 4:9. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." "Now the God of peace . . . Make you perfect in every good work to do His will." "The God of peace shall be with you." He is even called the very God of peace who will "sanctify you wholly" in I Thessalonians 5:23.

He is "the God of hope" in the beautiful invocation of Romans 15:13. "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing."

To the sorrowing, He is "the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort" (II Corinthians 1:3). And, of course, He is the "God of love," as Paul reminded the Corinthians in closing his last letter to them. "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you" (II Corinthians 13:11).

The Apostle Peter wound up his first epistle by reminding his own readers that their God was "the God of all grace." "The God of all grace, . . . make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (I Peter 5:10).

In summary, our gracious God is the God of peace, the God of hope, the God of all comfort, the God of love, and the God of all grace. He is also "the Father of mercies" and "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17; 15:26). And the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, is of God, "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30).

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The Wisdom of This World

"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (I Corinthians 1:20).

The scholars and scientists and intellectuals of this world may be held in great esteem by men, but to God, their humanistic reasonings are foolishness. In fact, the evolutionary philosophy which dominates the "wisdom of this world" has led to our modern amoral culture, to racism, to imperialism, to communism, Nazism, to New Age pantheism, humanism, atheism, abortionism, and to all manner of evil and foolish beliefs and practices.

Yet many modern evangelicals feel they must accommodate the wisdom of this world in their own schools and churches, forgetting that "the world by wisdom knew not God" (I Corinthians 1:21). God has warned us not to follow "the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought" (I Corinthians 2:6). Why should we waste precious time in teaching our students or our congregations the wisdom of this world that not only is false and harmful, but is soon coming to nought? The only valid reason at all for doing so is to teach them what’s wrong with it, so that they can "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh" (I Peter 3:15).

Above all, they must not accommodate the wisdom of this world in their own worldview. God has gravely warned against the evolutionary philosophy of the world (II Peter 3:3-6) in these sobering words: "Seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness" (II Peter 3:17).

Therefore, "If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (I Corinthians 3:18,19).

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The Paths of the Lord

"All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies" (Psalm 25:10).

One of the great promises of the Bible is that God will lead those who follow His will and honor His word. "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6).

All these paths are paths that experience His mercy and confirm His truth, as our text assures, if we obey His word--that is, if we keep His covenant of grace and believe the promise of His testimonies. They are paths leading to life everlasting. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life" (Psalm 16:11).

The paths into which God directs us may sometimes seem strange, or even dark and dangerous, but we have His assurance that they lead to light and peace. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18). The ways of God's true wisdom "are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace" (Proverbs 3:17).

The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful testimony of the paths of God. "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). The paths may be by still waters or through the valley of death's shadow, but God's goodness and mercy follow us in these paths, and finally they lead to the house of the Lord forever.

If we have trouble on occasion discerning the path into which God is directing our steps, we can find guidance in His word, for "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). We can always pray in assurance: "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight" (Psalm 119:35). Finally, we can also pray daily: "Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies" (Psalm 27:11).

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Take Heed

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:4,5).

This warning by Christ has special relevance in these latter days when there are multitudes of "false Christs, and false prophets" (Matthew 24:24), not only in the so-called "New Age" movement but also (in view of the fact that "Christ" means simply "anointed") in all kinds of religious, political, and educational areas of influence, and are, as Jesus warned, deceiving many. Therefore His urgent warning: "Take heed!"

This is a frequent emphasis in the New Testament. For example, Paul warned the Ephesian elders: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. . . . For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you" (Acts 20:28,29). Note also the warning to the Hebrew believers: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12). To anyone who feels overconfident in his own ability to withstand such deceptions and temptations, Paul warns: "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (I Corinthians 10:12).

Many similar warnings exist, and therefore we do well to take heed also to the safeguards that God has provided. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (I Timothy 4:16).

Continue in sound Biblical doctrine! For "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place" (II Peter 1:19).

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Astonishing Doctrine

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine" (Matthew 7:28).

This is the first mention of "doctrine" (Greek, didache) in the New Testament, and as such it is significant that it refers to the doctrines taught by Christ in the so-called Sermon on the Mount. It is also significant that there are four other verses telling us that His hearers were "astonished at His doctrine" (Matthew 22:33; Mark 1:22; 11:18; Luke 4:32) in addition to the statement in Acts 13:12 that a certain new convert had been "astonished at the doctrine of the Lord" when he heard Paul preach.

The astonishing aspect of the doctrine of Christ is indicated by Mark. "They were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22). No wonder He could speak with authority! "My doctrine is not mine," He said, "but His that sent me" (John 7:16). Paul could also teach this astonishing doctrine because he was careful to teach only the word of God. And so can we if we likewise believe and teach only in the context of the inerrant, doctrinal authority of God's word.

It has become fashionable today, even in many evangelical churches, to avoid "indoctrination" in favor of "discussion" and "personal Christianity." This is a great mistake and largely accounts for the increasing secularization of our society and the weak testimony of the Christian church. In the Bible, teaching and doctrine are the same, so that true teaching is indoctrination, and teaching "all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20) is an integral part of Christ's great commission. It is imperative that we, like Paul, teach "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27), for "whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God" (II John 9).

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They Have Their Reward

"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward" (Matthew 6:2).

Evidently in our Lord's day there were individuals who, when they went to the synagogue to give of their money, did so with great show, even having a trumpeter go before them to announce their actions. They also prayed openly "standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men" (v.5). Jesus called them hypocrites.

The Greek word for hypocrite was used primarily for a stage actor--one who acted as if he were another person, perhaps using a large mask to hide his true identity. In this case, the hypocrite played the part of a generous person, or a pious person, who, out of a heart of concern for the poor, or out of genuine love for God would give or pray abundantly. But under the "mask" was only a desire to have others recognize and glorify him. Perhaps they received the applause of the onlookers to which Jesus remarked, "They have their reward" (v.5), even as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets receive theirs.

The word "have," an ordinary word, is here modified by a prefix which changes its meaning to "have in full" and was commonly used on business receipts to mean "paid in full." No payment or service was expected to follow the close of the transaction.

How sad it is when we do "Christian" work today for the praises of men and not the glory of God. Whatever comes of our work will be here; there will be no more reward to follow. Rather, let us give, or pray, or work, in secret, as it were, "and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly" (v.4).

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Our Lord's Thanksgiving

"The LORD Jesus in the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you. . . . after the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood" (I Corinthians 11:24,25).

"In everything give thanks" (I Thessalonians 5:18) should be the daily practice of every believer. It is a privilege not to be neglected. "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). There are many things mentioned in Scripture for which all should be thankful. But what about our Lord, for what was He thankful?

   1. Our Lord was thankful for the Father’s spiritual enlightenment given to newborn ones in the family of God. "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I THANK thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and has revealed them unto babes" (Luke 10:21).
   2. Our Lord was thankful that His Father’s ear was always open unto His prayer. "And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I THANK thee that thou hast heard me, and I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 11:41,42).
   3. Our Lord was thankful that soon His body would be broken and His blood shed for a world of lost sinners. The bread and the cup, mentioned in the above text, symbolized His coming sacrificial death. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Every believer should be thankful in the same three areas as our Lord: conversion of souls, prayerful access to the Father and for Christ’s, once and for all, sacrifice.

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When We Abide In Christ

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me" (John 15:4).

The Lord Jesus has told us to be careful always to "abide" in Him. The Greek word means "remain," "endure," "continue," or "dwell." He is to be our motivation, our standard, our home, our everything. When we do abide thus in Him, the Scriptures indicate that it will make a great difference in our lives right now, as well as in the life to come.

For example: "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (I John 2:6). Furthermore, "whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not" (I John 3:6). Love for our Christian brethren will be evident, for "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light" (I John 2:10). We will obey His word, for "he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth |same word| in Him, and He in him" (I John 3:24).

In Christ’s discourse on the vine and the branches (John 15:1-16) are several wonderful promises to the Christian. "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" (v.5). "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (v.7). "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain |same word| in you, and that your joy might be full" (v.11). "I have chosen you . . . that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (v.16).

If we dwell in Christ, we actually are abiding in the Father and the Spirit also. Jesus said that "the Spirit of truth . . . dwelleth with you," and "|my Father and I| will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:17,23).

Therefore, let us "abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (I John 2:28).

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Judging Error

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:17,18).

In order to mark and avoid those professing Christian teachers and leaders who are promoting doctrinal heresy (thus causing divisions among Christian believers), it is obvious that we must exercise sound Biblical discernment and judgment. This judgment must be based on "the doctrine which ye have learned" from God's word. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).

Such decisions are not to be based on supposed scholarship, tolerance, or eloquence, for such teachers "by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Instead, we must know and apply God's word, the Holy Scriptures. We must be like the Bereans, who, when they heard new teachings, "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).

It is sadly true today that many who call themselves Christians have compromised with the pseudo-scientific worldview of evolutionary humanism that controls all secular schools and colleges, hoping thereby to avoid the "offense of the cross" (Galatians 5:11), and to remain on good terms with "the princes of this world" and "the wisdom of this world" (I Corinthians 2:6).

They do this for their own personal gain or prestige, however, not serving Christ, "but their own belly" (Romans 16:18). Those who are "simple," Bible-believing Christians are, therefore, not to be "deceived" by their "good words," but to "mark" and "avoid" them.

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On All the Heathen

"For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head" (Obadiah 15).

The Book of Obadiah was possibly the earliest of the prophetic books of the Old Testament and is certainly the shortest, with its single chapter. Its theme is God's coming judgment on the Edomite nation, not only because of their general wickedness, but particularly because of their abusive treatment of their Israelite relatives (Jacob's brother Esau was the father of the Edomites).

The prophecy of Obadiah contains (in our text) the first mention (chronologically) of the coming "day of the LORD." Although it appears at first to focus especially on the Edomites, it is really looking far ahead to the end times, when the judgments of that day will be "upon all the heathen." There have been many precursive and partial fulfillments of this prophecy, as nation after nation has been brought down throughout history under God's judgmental hand. Edom, in particular, has long since vanished as a nation.

There is a great day coming, however (actually a period of time), called in the Bible "the day of the Lord" (also "that day," "the great day of His wrath," and other such terms), when all the heathen (that is, the "Gentile nations," including the United States) will be judged by the God who created them, who died to redeem them, and who has been repudiated by them. "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: . . . and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Revelation 19:15). Our own heathen nation (U.S.A.) has been spared thus far because of our Biblical foundations, our care for God's people, Israel, and our missionary efforts, but these are fast disappearing, and our time, like that of Edom, will surely come.

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God's Sovereignty

"And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?" (Exodus 4:11).

This divine rebuke to Moses was occasioned when Moses complained of his inability to speak eloquently for God before Pharaoh. It is also a rebuke to each of us who would dare question God's wisdom in making us as we are--even with all our innate defects and handicaps. With our very limited knowledge of God's purposes and our very shortrange view of eternal priorities, we are ill-equipped to prejudge His ways with us.

To those who questioned why a man should be born blind, for example, Jesus answered: "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him" (John 9:3). As another example, when certain believers complained about the lethal illness of a loved one, Jesus replied: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4).

The steadfastness of Stephen's faith as he was stoned to death led to Paul's conversion, though at the time it must have seemed difficult for his Christian brethren to understand and accept. In another context, but stating a principle highly relevant to such questions, Jesus reminds us: "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter" (John 13:7). God is not capricious, but He is sovereign. Whatever He does is right, by definition, and whatever He allows is for a holy purpose. "Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" (Romans 9:20).

It should be enough for now to know that He knows, and that when suffering comes, for His sake, it is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness" (Hebrews 12:10).

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The Opened Heavens

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war" (Revelation 19:11).

This is the final climactic reference in the Bible to God's opened heavens. Sometimes, as in this verse, heaven is opened in judgment; sometimes in blessing. Sometimes it is the atmospheric heaven that is open; sometimes the heaven of heavens where stands the throne of God.

The first such mention refers to the world-destroying flood of Noah's day when "the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11). The second mention, however, speaks of blessing. God had "opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat" (Psalm 78:23,24). The windows of heaven rained down the waters of death, while the doors of heaven rained down the bread of life! Ezekiel also saw the heavens opened in judgment (Ezekiel 1:1), but God told Malachi: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse . . . and prove me now . . . if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10).

At the baptism of Jesus the heavens were opened and men heard the great testimony of the Father concerning His beloved Son (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:21). Jesus promised Nathanael: "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open" (John 1:51), and Stephen and Peter actually saw the heavens open (Acts 7:56; 10:11).

Finally, the Apostle John reported that "a door was opened in heaven" (Revelation 4:1), and he saw the Lord on His throne--twelve specific references (four in the Old Testament, eight in the New) to the opened heavens.

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The Gospel of Peace

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Isaiah 52:7).

Surprisingly, there are more verses containing the word "peace" in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah (King James Version) than in any other book of the Bible. The central occurrence (15 before, 15 after) is in our text, speaking of those whose feet travel with the beautiful gospel (that is, "good tidings," mentioned twice in this verse) of peace. The one proclaiming this gospel is said to be publishing salvation; announcing the imminent reign of God the Savior over all the earth.

The first mention of "peace" in Isaiah speaks of the coming King and His reign, and so does the final occurrence. First: "The government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called . . . The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Then, in Isaiah's last chapter we read: "For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to |Zion| like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream" (Isaiah 66:12).

This wonderful gospel of peace is specifically mentioned just twice in the New Testament. The first is a direct quotation from our text. "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:15).

The second is in connection with the Christian's spiritual armor. The "beautiful feet" that are to carry the good tidings are, most appropriately, to be "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15). It is our high privilege to be among those whose feet travel upon the mountains, and across the plains, and over the seas with the beautiful gospel of peace and salvation.

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Memory and the Holy Spirit

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).

John wrote his detailed discourses of Jesus (almost half of the verses in John's gospel consist of His words) approximately fifty years after Christ spoke them, yet John was able to report them verbatim because of the supernatural memory of them brought back by the Holy Spirit. The same must have been true for the other Biblical writers as they recalled words and events of years before.

In a real, though different, sense, the Holy Spirit also can "bring to our remembrance" the words of Scriptures just when they are especially needed in witnessing or for personal guidance or some other need. This will only be operational, of course, if they have first been stored in our memory, either by direct memorization or by such frequent reading and studying of the Bible as to make it a part of our subconscious memory.

Recall how the unlearned fisherman Peter was able to quote long passages of Scripture when he needed them (see, for example, Acts 2:16-21,25-28,34,35). He had apparently spent much time in studying and even memorizing key portions of the Old Testament. Jesus, of course, frequently quoted Scripture in His conversations and Paul quoted Scripture abundantly in his epistles. Should we not do the same?

Scripture memorization has been a great blessing to many Christians over the years, but seems to have become almost a lost art in this day and age. Nevertheless, Christ has promised answered prayer "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you" (John 15:7). So, as Paul urged, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3:16).