A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Valentine's Day
 
"Who so findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." (Proverbs 18:22)
 
Embedded in many of our customs and holidays are a mixture of pagan and biblical principles. Saint Valentine’s Day is no exception. Mystery surrounds who Valentine really was. He was probably a priest martyred in 269 A.D. at Rome. Among Roman Catholics, he is called the patron saint of affianced couples, beekeepers, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, and young people. He is one busy (and confused) man!
 
In the Western world, the emphasis is on human expressions of love and friendship. That is certainly of importance and, when guided by the biblical principles, a godly ardor worth commemorating.
Here are a few guidelines to remember this season:
 
• "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9).
 
• "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22).
 
• "See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently" (1 Peter 1:22).
 
• "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25).
 
• "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
 
The objective of every kind of biblical "love" is stated in Paul’s prayer for the Philippian church: "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9).

[Soldier4Christ]

Waiting Patiently
 
"I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." (Genesis 49:18)
 
This heartfelt cry of the dying patriarch, Israel, expressed his lifelong--but still unfulfilled--yearning for the coming of God’s promised Savior. This is the first occurrence in the Bible of the word "salvation" (essentially the same in the Hebrew as "Jesus"). It is also the first occurrence of "waited for," meaning, essentially, "looked for," or "waited patiently and expectantly for." This attitude of Jacob (Israel) has been shared by the people of God down even to the present day.
 
Significantly, the first occurrence of the equivalent Greek word in the New Testament expresses the same concern on the part of no less a man than John the Baptist when he inquired expectantly of Jesus: "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3).
 
Even though He has indeed come, bringing salvation, we still must wait patiently for the complete fulfillment of His promises when He comes again. It was the prayer of Paul that the Lord would "direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ" (2 Thessalonians 3:5).
 
It is not only believers who are "waiting for . . . the redemption of our body." Because of sin, "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" and consequently, "the earnest expectation of the |creation| waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God," when it "shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:23, 22, 19, 21).
 
Finally, it is significant that the last reference in the Bible to waiting for something once again deals with the same promise. "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 21).
 
It may seem long, but the promise is sure: "Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).

[Soldier4Christ]

The Watchers
 
"This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men." (Daniel 4:17)
 
Who are these mysterious "watchers" who are so concerned that we know that "the powers that be are ordained of God" (Romans 13:1), sometimes even including the "basest of men?" They are mentioned in the Bible only here in the fourth chapter of Daniel (see also vv. 13, 23), all three times evidently synonymous with "the holy ones," beings who come down from heaven. Such phrases could apply only to angels, created to serve the Lord and the "heirs of salvation" (Psalm 103:20, Hebrews 1:14).
 
The word is used here in reference to Nebuchadnezzar's vision and period of insanity. Although it is used nowhere else in the Bible, it occurs frequently in such apocryphal books as "Jubilees" and "Enoch," where it refers both to God's holy angels and to the fallen angels, who have direct interest in people on earth, as they "watch" them--even on occasion directly controlling events that affect them.
 
In any case, the Bible does indicate that "the angels desire to look into" the outworking of the gospel in the hearts of men (1 Peter 1:12), and that "unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Ephesians 3:10). Children, as well as adult believers, also seem to have guardian angels who "watch" them (Matthew 18:10, Acts 12:9-15).
 
This is a mysterious subject, because we cannot see these "watchers," but we at least need to know they are there. In fact, we can praise God that "the angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and deliverth them" (Psalm 34:7).

[Soldier4Christ]

Baptism in the Holy Spirit
February 17, 2009
 
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
 
This is a definitive verse on one of the great themes of the Bible. The preposition "by" is the Greek en, which can take many meanings (by, with, through, etc.) depending on context, but is most frequently and most naturally rendered simply as "in." The baptism in one Spirit is the theme of this passage, teaching us that every one of the "brethren" (v. 1)--those who "speaking by the Spirit of God" have acknowledged Jesus to be their Lord (v. 3)--have been "baptized into one body," the body of Christ Himself.
 
This baptism is accomplished in the Spirit for every genuine believer, Jew or Gentile, slave or master, male or female, young or old. Furthermore, the passage is actually in the past tense: "|In| one Spirit |were| we all baptized into one body." This baptism does not take place repeatedly in one's life,  but once, at the time of true conversion. There are only seven explicit references in the Bible to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. All except our text are referring to the initial baptizing work of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). It deals with the ongoing work of the Spirit in all future instances of true conversion to Christ. Since His first baptism of Jewish believers (Acts 2) and then of Gentiles (Acts 11), all--both Jews and Gentiles--are baptized in the Spirit into the body of Christ.
 
Therefore, let true Christians rejoice that the Holy Spirit has placed each of them securely in the body of Christ, united to Him and sharing His resurrection life, with all functioning together through "the same God which worketh all in all" (1 Corinthians 12:6).

[Soldier4Christ]

Disciples and Servants
 
"The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord." (Matthew 10:24)
 
Note the two-fold relation of the believer to the Lord Jesus Christ expressed in this verse. We are His disciples and servants; He is our Master and Lord. Each of the two relationships is vital. The word for "disciple" means "pupil."
 
The word "master" is the same as "teacher." The Lord Jesus, therefore, is our teacher, and He teaches us through His Word--the Holy Scriptures. It is our function to learn His teachings and, of course, to believe them. No Christian (one under the authority of Christ) has the right to reject or even to question one of the teachings of His Word (Matthew 5:18-19). The lord-servant relationship goes even further. The word for "servant" is actually "bond slave." The "lord" of a slave was his owner; the word itself means "supreme ruler" and is the title commonly assigned to God Himself in the New Testament. Thus, if a disciple is to believe the word of his master without question, the servant is to obey the word of his lord without hesitation.
 
But the world scoffs at the teachings of God's Word, and will try to persecute those who seek to follow them. The unbelieving world--even the religious world--responded to the teachings of the Master by ridiculing Him, then torturing Him, and finally hanging Him on a tree to die.
 
Yet we are to go to the same world with the same teachings. "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21). "As thou hast sent me into the world," He prayed, "even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:18).
 
He does warn us. "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).

[Soldier4Christ]

The Self Life
 
"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24)
 
This despondent cry follows Paul's disturbing monologue on the inner strife between his two natures (Romans 7:13-24). Here the apostle describes the conflict that goes on in the life of every Christian, until the self-life is completely subjugated and the will of Christ reigns supreme. The ascendancy of self is indicated in these verses by the fact that the personal pronouns "I," "me," "my" are used no less than 35 times in verses 15-24 alone as Paul records his inner thoughts and feelings (e.g., "that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I"--v. 15). Such a testimony is pervaded with introspection, relating everything to self instead of to Christ. No wonder the conclusion is so miserable: "O wretched man that I am!"
 
Unfortunately, this is the status of most Christians whose interests are almost completely self-centered. Most Christian books and sermons are designed to appeal to such personal interests, and the explosive modern growth of Christian professional "counseling" likewise reflects the existence of multitudes of self-centered Christians.
 
But the happy and useful Christian is the one whose concerns and activities center around others and who earnestly seeks to follow and honor Christ and His Word. And this is exactly the conclusion to which the apostle Paul comes in his melancholy soliloquy. "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" he cries. Immediately the answer comes: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:24-25).
 
We do still have to battle the old nature, but in Christ we have both the incentive and power to "put off the old man with his deeds" (Colossians 3:9), and to "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).

[Soldier4Christ]

Whom Shall I Fear
 
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
 
David had more than his share of opposition. His father and older brothers thought little of him. King Saul relentlessly pursued him. His generals oftentimes conspired against him. His own son tried to usurp his throne. If anyone had opportunity to trust God for deliverance, David did.
 
In this psalm--an anthem of trust--David reveals his special relationship with his God which buoyed him in times of trouble. As we read in our text, his Lord was his light, salvation, and strength, and so He is to us.
 
The Lord is my light: When we walk in His light, we do not stumble. Enemies are not able to hide in the dark and catch us by surprise. He vanquishes the darkness. "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me" (Micah 7:8, see also 1 John 1:5-7).
 
The Lord is my salvation: God delivers His children from physical and spiritual danger, including deliverance from the penalty of sin. "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake" (Psalm 79:9).
 
The Lord is the strength of my life: God is our defense, a place of refuge. "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower" (Psalm 18:2).
 
Even in the face of seemingly overwhelming opposition, we have no need to fear. Our focus should be on the source of deliverance, rather than on the problem. "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD" (Psalm 27:14).

[Soldier4Christ]

How Christ Learned Obedience
 
"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Hebrews 5:
 
This verse is a very difficult verse. The Lord Jesus Christ was the very Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the omniscient God, perfect wisdom and complete truth. How could it be that one who knows all things would have to learn anything? Even more particularly, how would He have to learn obedience? He was always obedient to His heavenly Father. "I do always those things that please him," Christ said (John 8:29). He surely did not have to be chastised like a disobedient child in order to learn obedience, as the verse seems on the surface to be telling us.
 
He was indeed a Son, and He was never disobedient, but He had to become obedient through actual experience. He "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:. The "things which he suffered," as the innocent Lamb of God, are beyond all human understanding, and His willingness to obey His Father even in this ("nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" -- Luke 22:42)  demonstrates the ultimate obedience.
 
There are many things which one can learn in theory, but which are only really learned in practice. The Lord Jesus Christ knew all things by omniscience; nevertheless, He had to learn obedience by actual experience. "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, . . . to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10).
 
Once having passed this test, He had been "made perfect" as the succeeding verse assures us, and thus has become "the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). No act of obedience which He urges upon us can ever be as difficult as the things which He was willing to suffer to provide forgiveness and salvation for us.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Days of Yore
 
"For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?" (Deuteronomy 4:32)
 
This challenge was given by Moses to the children of Israel as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land. It was vital that they cease all complaining and begin to behave in a manner appropriate to their stature as God's chosen people.
 
For this they needed to regain a sense of historical perspective, and Moses urged them to study the history of the world since the beginning. Presumably, this would be possible only through studying the Book of Genesis, "since the day that God created Adam |same word as 'man'| upon the earth."
 
It is significant that "the days that are past" were implied by Moses to have begun essentially at creation, with no hint of any long geological ages before that. The 25 or more centuries from Adam to Moses had provided enough history to instruct that particular generation about God's plans for the world, and to prepare them for their own key role in their accomplishment, and to appreciate the real meaning of their own lives as they awaited the promised redeemer who was to come someday with salvation.
 
Now if the Israelites needed a true historical perspective, we need one today far more. In addition to what they had, we now also have the history of Israel, the first coming of Christ, God's completed revelation, and the Christian dispensation from which to learn and profit. Our understanding of God and His purposes should be far greater than theirs, so we have much greater responsibility. May God help us to study and believe and understand all that has gone before, as recorded in His Word, so that we also can be prepared to fulfill our own role in God's great plan of the ages for eternity.

[Soldier4Christ]

Elisha's Bears
 
"And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." (2 Kings 2:23-24)
 
This account has occasioned much criticism by skeptics, charging Elisha with petulant cruelty in sending bears to kill the little children who were taunting him. Actually, it was God who sent the bears, not Elisha.
 
The fact is, however, that Elisha did not curse little children at all. The Hebrew word for "children" used with the phrase "little children" can be applied to any child from infancy to adolescence. The word for the 42 "children" torn by the bears, however, is a different word commonly translated "young men." Actually, both words are used more often for young men than for little children.
 
The situation evidently involved a gang of young hoodlums of various ages, led by the older ones, with all of them no doubt instigated by the pagan priests and idolatrous citizens of Bethel. The bears which suddenly emerged from the woods "tare" (not necessarily fatally in all cases) 42 of the older hooligans.
 
The jeering exhortation to "go up, thou bald head," was both a sarcastic reference to Elijah’s supposed ascension, as well as an insult to God’s prophet. This was actually a challenge to God and could not be excused. So God made good--in miniature--on a warning issued long before: "And if ye walk contrary unto me. . . . I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children" (Leviticus 26:21-22). It can be a dangerous thing, for young or old, to gratuitously insult the true God and His Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

The 'Shall Not's of Scripture
 
"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing." (Psalm 34:10)
 
Many worldly-minded people tend to resent the Bible as a book of prohibitions, or "thou shalt not"s, as in the Ten Commandments. The fact is, however, that many of God's most precious promises use the phrase "shall not" in a diametrically opposite way, not listing prohibitions, but provisions!
 
As a beautiful example, there is the opening verse of the much-loved 23rd Psalm--"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Or, as in the words of our text, "they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing."
 
There is the great promise of salvation and everlasting life: "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation" (John 5:24). Following salvation, there is the promise of divine guidance. "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). With such assurances, we can rejoice with the psalmist: "The Lord . . . is at my right hand, I shall not be moved; . . . Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand" (Psalm 16:8, 37:24). No matter how great the trial, the Lord will not leave us. "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee" (Isaiah 43:2).
 
God's Word and God's purposes can never fail. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). "Sin shall not have dominion over you" (Romans 6:14).
 
We should never resent God's "negative" commands, for His gracious "shall not" promises are far greater!

[Soldier4Christ]

A Tree of Life
 
"She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her." (Proverbs 3:18)
 
The tree of life in the Garden of Eden was a literal tree, whose marvelous fruit apparently had the medicinal ability to retard the aging process indefinitely, even for men and women under God's curse (Genesis 3:22-24). This amazing tree will be planted again along the streets and rivers of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:2-3).
 
The writer of Proverbs used this tree and its health-giving qualities as a symbol of four attributes of a God-centered, spiritual life which can bring blessing to all those touched by it. First of all, true wisdom is like a tree of life, imparting true happiness to all those partaking of it, then guarding it.
 
Next, "the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30). A life exhibiting genuine righteousness, like one manifesting genuine wisdom, yields wholesome spiritual fruit to those in real contact with it.
 
The third figure is given in Proverbs 13:12. "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." There is nothing more rejuvenating to the spirit than for a dream suddenly to come true after long-continued hope has almost gone. An abiding, confident, always-continuing life of hope is a tree of life.
 
Finally, "a wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4). "Wholesome" here means "healing." One can become a veritable tree of life by using his God-given privilege of speech not to complain or criticize; not in vulgarity or foolishness, but to help, encourage, instruct, and comfort.
 
May God help each of us to be a spiritual tree of life by attaining and demonstrating true wisdom; by living in genuine righteousness; by always maintaining an attitude of confident hope; and by speaking only words of edification that "minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29).

[Soldier4Christ]

Created by Christ
 
"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 3:9)
 
In the context of this verse, Paul is testifying concerning his divine call to preach the gospel, especially proclaiming God's great plan to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
 
In support of this revolutionary concept, Paul refers to the great fact of creation. All men, and indeed, "all things," had been created by one God. Furthermore, it was by the Lord Jesus Christ that God had created all things. Before the revelation of this mystery, the Gentiles had been "without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). The phrase "without God" (Greek atheos, from which we get the word "atheist") is used only this once in the New Testament, and it indicates plainly the barrenness of all pagan religions. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13).
 
Thus, by Jesus Christ, all things were created, and by Jesus Christ "all things" will be gathered "together in one" in the "dispensation of the fullness of times" (Ephesians 1:10). This is all part of the same "mystery of his will," according to the preceding verse, Ephesians 1:9. In the last chapter, Paul again refers to this now-revealed "mystery" when he urges the Ephesians to pray that he might be able to "make known the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19).
 
Thus the "gospel of your salvation" (Ephesians 1:13), which we like Paul are commanded to make known, is the glorious news that Jesus Christ is both Creator and Consummator of all things, and that by His work of salvation all who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, receive eternal salvation. "All things were created by him," and He has shed His blood "to reconcile all things unto himself" (Colossians 1:16-20).

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The Holy Ghost in David
 
"For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness." (Psalm 95:7-8)
 
It is an interesting coincidence that verses 7-11 of Psalm 95 are quoted almost verbatim in verses 7-11 of Hebrews 3. The two writers are both referring, of course, to the 40 years of wandering by the children of Israel in the wilderness.
 
The Hebrews reference contains an important insight on biblical inspiration. It is introduced by the words "the Holy Ghost saith" (Hebrews 3:7), showing that God was actually the real author of the psalm. Then, the same phrase ("To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation") is quoted again in Hebrews 3:15, but this time it is introduced merely by "it is said."
 
Then, remarkably, it is quoted still a third time (Hebrews 4:7), where it tells us that God was "saying in David" this grave warning. In other words, the same Scripture was attributed both to David and to the Holy Spirit. Perhaps even more significantly, the phrase "it is said" is seen to be equivalent to "God says." All of this is a clear affirmation of the divine inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures.
 
Finally, the fact that the same warning ("Harden not your hearts") is cited three times in the space of just 19 verses, all quoting the original warning in Psalm 95:8, must mean that God considers it extremely important that we harden not our hearts! It is possible that even a child of God can become so involved in doubts concerning God’s Word that he becomes useless to God and thus simply must be allowed to die in a spiritual wilderness, never knowing the great blessings of a life of obedient faith. "The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart" (Psalm 19:. Our hearts should rejoice at His Word, not be hardened against it.

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Paul at the Finish Line
 
"Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen." (2 Timothy 4:21-22)
 
These are the final words of the apostle Paul, written shortly before he was beheaded. Despite his faithfulness and fruitfulness in the Lord’s service, he was now penniless, lonely, and cold. Yet he was not complaining. "I am now ready to be offered. . . . I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (vv. 6-7).
 
He did yearn to see Timothy, his beloved son in the faith, before he died. "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me" (v. 9). "Without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy" (1:3-4).
 
Paul made one especially touching request of Timothy. "The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments" (v. 13). Paul didn’t even have a coat in the cold prison, and winter was approaching. Yet, even under such miserable circumstances, he still desired to keep reading and studying, preparing himself better for any future service the Lord might still have for him.
 
What a contrast there would be between his present circumstances--abused by his enemies and forsaken even by most of his friends--and the glorious reception awaiting him in the near future! "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day" (v. .
 
Paul has left us a worthy example. He had kept the faith, had gladly suffered the loss of all things for Christ (Philippians 3:, and was still studying, witnessing, teaching, encouraging, and exhorting, even to the day of his death.