A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Judgment
 
"For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name." (Amos 4:13)
 
This awesome ascription of judgmental power to God is in the midst of a dire prophecy by Amos to the ten-tribe northern kingdom of Israel. He had reminded them of earlier judgments, including even that of Sodom and Gomorrah, concluding with the fearsome warning: "prepare to meet thy God, O Israel" (Amos 4:12).
 
Then, in our text verse, he seems to carry them still further back in time to remind them of an even greater destruction. The great winds of the earth, like its rains, first blew over its surfaces at the time of the mighty Deluge (Genesis 8:1), and the present mountains of the earth likewise rose out of the churning waters of the Flood (Psalm 104:6-9). It was at the time of the Flood that dark clouds first obscured the sunlight which before had perpetually shown through the pre-Flood "waters which were above the firmament" (Genesis 1:7), which had then condensed and fallen to the earth in great torrents from "the windows of heaven" (Genesis 7:11).
 
This awful judgment had come because the antediluvians, like the Israelites, had rejected their Creator and gone after other gods (Genesis 6:5). As if to confirm that he was, indeed, referring to the great Deluge, Amos, a few verses later, exhorted the Israelites to "seek him . . . that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth" (Amos 5:8).
 
It is dangerous and foolish for any nation or any person to question the true God of creation. He made all things, He knows all things, and He judges all things. "The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name."

[Soldier4Christ]

Wonderful Things to Come
 
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
 
This fantastic promise refers back to another great promise given by God to His people: "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him" (Isaiah 64:4).
 
The Old Testament promise applied primarily to the nation of Israel, but its New Testament extension incorporates it in a global promise to all who love the Lord of glory, "crucified" by "the princes of this world" (1 Corinthians 2:8), the One who was also the Savior of the world.
 
Comparison of the two prophetic promises yields three vital truths. These things that God has prepared for His loved ones have been in view "since the beginning of the world," and have been revealed in part by the prophets, who have been speaking also "since the world began" (Luke 1:70).
 
Secondly, those who "wait for him" in the Old Testament are synonymous with those who "love him" in the New. The apostle Paul joins both themes together when he says: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness . . . and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).
 
Finally, we cannot even begin to comprehend the glorious things God has prepared for those who love Him and wait for Him. In some measure, the Spirit later revealed them in part through John's eyes and ears, when he saw "the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven," and heard "a great voice out of heaven saying . . . God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:2-3). Then our eyes shall fully see, and our ears hear, and our hearts understand, the fullness of God's love in Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Wells of Salvation
 
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:3)
 
This beautiful verse is in the midst of a psalm of praise for God's deliverance of His people "in that day" (v. 4)--the coming day when the Lord shall return to the earth and reign "in the midst of thee" (v. 6). Until "that day" comes, however, we can appropriate its spiritual blessings right now.
 
The word translated "wells" is more often translated "fountains," denoting flowing springs of water that never run dry. It is first used at the time of the great Flood, when in one "day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up" (Genesis 7:11). On that day, the primeval fountains provided by God for the perpetual supply of living waters to the inhabitants of the "very good" world He had created were cleaved open, the living waters became lethal waters, and "all that was in the dry land, died" (v. 22).
 
But one day another fountain was cleaved open. As Jesus died on the cross, "a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water" (John 19:34). At the great Feast of Tabernacles, He had cried: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me . . . out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).
 
The blood and water flowed together from the deep fountain opened in the Savior's side that day, and their cleansing powers became a fountain of life to all who will drink. The waters again became living waters from a fountain that will never run dry, "a pure river of water of life . . . proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 22:1).
 
Then, wonder of wonders, there is not just one well, for all who believe likewise send forth "rivers of living water," as with eternal joy, we each share with one another, forever drinking from the never-drying wells of salvation!

[Soldier4Christ]

Christian Adornment
 
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)
 
This beautiful Old Testament verse speaks eloquently of the appropriate adornments and clothing of Christians. The worldly person may dress in costly garments and ornate jewelry, but these are no better than hastily sown fig-leaf aprons (Genesis 3:7) or filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), if they merely attempt to beautify an unregenerate life. Far better than even the elaborate ornaments and jewels at an oriental wedding are the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness prepared by God Himself, even though outwardly they may appear as mere "coats of skins" (Genesis 3:21).
 
Note the admonition of Paul in the New Testament. "I will therefore . . . that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works" (1 Timothy 2:8-10). Similarly, to Christian wives Peter says: "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter 3:3-4).
 
A Christian should also be clothed in "the whole armour of God . . . loins girt with truth . . . the breastplate of righteousness; . . . feet shod with . . . the gospel of peace; . . . the shield of faith . . . the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:13-17). Both by modest clothing and by a Spirit-controlled life, we thus ought to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" (Titus 2:10).

[Soldier4Christ]

Shutting the Kingdom
 
"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13)
 
Our Lord Jesus pronounced eight "woe's" in Matthew 23 on the religious leaders of His day. This one condemns them for refusing the liberty that Christ was bringing with the new covenant.
 
The first "formal" message that Jesus preached was taken from the great prophecy in Isaiah 11: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18).
 
Later, the apostle Paul noted that "before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed" (Galatians 3:23). These self-righteous leaders were so enamored with their positions and prestige that they refused to rejoice in the "liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Galatians 5:1) and kept the prison doors of legalistic self righteousness shut fast--even against those who were responding to the good news of the Kingdom!
 
It is interesting to note that Jesus condemned both groups (Pharisees and Sadducees) for the same problem. Yet they were much different in their positions. The Pharisees would be analogous to the fundamentalists of our day and the Sadducees to the liberals. Both camps claimed belief in "inspiration" and both camps prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture.
 
Their common error was distorting the truth of God with interpretations that clouded the message--thereby shutting up the doors out of unbelief that led into the "glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). May God keep us from such confusion.

[Soldier4Christ]

Moved with Fear
 
"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (Hebrews 11:7)
 
Noah was indeed a man of mighty faith, believing God's Word even about "things not seen as yet," preparing for a worldwide Flood in a day when God had never yet even "caused it to rain upon the earth" (Genesis 2:5). Noah was "a preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5) to an unbelieving world for at least 120 years (Genesis 6:3), "while the ark was a preparing" (1 Peter 3:20), without gaining any converts except his own family.
 
But why would he have been "moved with fear"? Noah was surely not afraid to die! He had "walked with God" (Genesis 6:9) for 600 years (Genesis 5:32; 7:11) before the Flood, and he was certainly not afraid to die and go to meet the Lord now.
 
Evidently it was for "the saving of his house" that he was afraid, realizing that his own children would soon be engulfed by the awful spirit of unbelief and wickedness that pervaded the antediluvian world, if they could not somehow be delivered from it. So he "prepared an ark," and his house was saved. "Come thou and all thy house into the ark," said the Lord, "for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). Although they could easily have refused, they all chose to follow Noah.
 
In a like manner today, God speaks to the head of each house: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31). A consistent example of obedient faith set by a godly father (or mother, if necessary) almost inevitably results in his (or her) children also trusting in the Lord for salvation. Every caring parent should resolve that, "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).

[Soldier4Christ]

Prepare to Meet Thy God
 
"Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." (Amos 4:12).
 
There is only one thing that everyone can know for sure. Not even death and taxes are certain, for some will never die. But "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).
 
Even those who don't believe in God, those who ridicule His Word, those who disobey His laws, those who worship false gods--everyone must some day meet God. There is no better advice than: "Prepare to meet thy God!"
 
If anyone should ask what God, the answer is the true God, the Creator. Not the false gods of pagan pantheism, not the natural systems and processes of evolutionism, but the one and only God of Creation. He is the one who knows the thoughts of man and "maketh the morning darkness" (Amos 4:13) for all who reject or ignore Him. The word here for "darkness" is used only one other time in Scripture and is synonymous with hell--"A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness" (Job 10:22).
 
In the coming judgment, "the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17). The message of Amos needs to be heard in every generation: "Prepare to meet thy God!" For "the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment" (Psalm 1:5), and the judgment is sure: "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," and for those who die unprepared, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 9:27; 10:31).
 
The only way to come into His presence prepared, of course, is through Jesus Christ, who is Himself the Lord of all the hosts of Heaven.

[Soldier4Christ]

Greater Damnation
 
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." (Matthew 23:14)
 
Among the eight "woe's" in Matthew 23 is this awful condemnation on religious leaders for misusing their office and misleading their followers. What they did was pretty serious, but the emphasis in the passage is on the "greater" result of their impact on many lives. James certainly had this incident in mind when he said, "My brethren, be not many masters |teachers|, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1).
 
Paul's second letter to Timothy listed a series of wicked attitudes that would characterize religious leaders in the last days, warning us about the prevalent conditions. They would have a "form of godliness" but would deny "the power thereof." Those of us who love the Lord are told to "turn away" from them, "for of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:5-7).
 
The overriding principle is this: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48). The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' day knew the Scriptures. Therefore, their hypocritical and destructive behavior received His harsh judgment.
 
Just so, all those who use their platform of leadership to distort truth and seek the praise of men (John 12:43)--whether in religious environs, in positions of political authority (as were the Pharisees and Sadducees), or merely the "masters" of academia--will reap "the righteous judgment of God" (Romans 2:5).
 
May the Lord give us the discernment to avoid "them which cause divisions and offences" (Romans 16:17).

[Soldier4Christ]

Double Damnation
 
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matthew 23:15)
 
Among the eight "woe's" in Matthew 23 is this frightening possibility that false teaching will produce double wickedness--a multiplying effect that redounds to terrible consequences. Jesus said that these self-righteous and hate-filled Pharisees were of the devil (John 8:44) and were so intent on resisting the truth that they were ready to kill if they could silence the message of liberty. Paul condemned Elymas the sorcerer as "full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness" (Acts 13:10).
 
During a great revival in Iconium, "the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren" (Acts 14:2). And they were not content with that. When Paul and his fellow helpers fled to Lystra, the God-hating group from Iconium followed them to Lystra and "persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city" (Acts 14:19).
 
Make no mistake about this issue; those who hate truth and God will turn their hate against the people of God. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you
. . . because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. . . . If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also" (John 15:18-20).
 
Our country has enjoyed some 250 years of liberty while centered on righteousness. But rising atheistic and secular favor has given boldness to the enemies of truth. May God grant us boldness to speak His Word (Acts 4:29) amidst "many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:9).

[Soldier4Christ]

Blind Guides
 
"Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!" (Matthew 23:16)
 
The 23rd chapter of Matthew contains some harsh denunciations as Jesus delivers the eight "woe's." Even the Greek word is a bit eerie; it is pronounced "oo-ah-ee!" Can you imagine this series of stern admonitions delivered to the faces of these self-righteous manipulators of truth? "Oo-ah-ee you scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees, hypocrites!" It must have given chills to everyone there.
 
The blindness that Jesus was condemning has both a practical and spiritual impact. Obviously, if one does not understand simple truth, the result is going to be either embarrassing or painful. "They be blind leaders of the blind," Jesus said. "And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:14).
 
The great Creator of the universe knows best how to guide His creation. If we, the stewards (Genesis 1:28), do not know or understand the Creator's instructions, we are bound to get into trouble. That "truth blindness" often results in "blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:24).
 
But the greater blindness is spiritual. Peter listed attributes on how to grow in faith and gain assurance. Then he advised, "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" (2 Peter 1:9).
 
In His messages to the seven churches, Jesus warned Laodicea, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17). His counsel: "Buy of me gold . . . and white raiment . . . and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see" (Revelation 3:18). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

Spiritual Cleanliness
 
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess." (Matthew 23:25)
 
Three of the eight "woe's" in Matthew 23 deal with a particular aspect of spiritual cleanliness. This one seems to emphasize personal cleanliness. The next verse amplifies the thought: "Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also" (Matthew 23:26).
 
The emphasis is on the internal heart. The biblical principle is very clear. If our hearts are not right, our lives will not be righteous. If what is "inside" is not clean, the "outside" will never be clean. Perhaps a list of the more obvious Bible references will help refocus our commitment.
 
• "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).
 
• "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things" (Matthew 12:34-35).
 
• "Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Romans 2:29).
 
• "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3).
 
May our "cup and platter" be as clean as God's holiness is able to make it and "let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter 3:4). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

Sound Doctrine
 
"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:13)
 
When Paul wrote to his two young disciples, Timothy and Titus, he stressed again and again the vital importance of maintaining sound doctrine in their churches.
 
"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome |same word as 'sound'| words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness" (1 Timothy 6:3; see also 1:10). "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:3). "That he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers" (Titus 1:9). "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1; also 2:8).
 
If the great apostle was so concerned that his pastoral disciples guard the doctrinal integrity of their first-century churches, he would surely be even more exercised today. These are times when false doctrines are rampant, and when sound (that is "healthy" or "whole") doctrines are often the object of compromise and distortion, or (even more commonly) simply ignored, even in evangelical churches.
 
Paul's command was to "hold fast the form" of sound words. Not only the so-called "spirit" of the words in Scripture, but the words themselves.
 
Such strict guarding of doctrine is vital for the spiritual health of the churches. Furthermore, such doctrinal integrity does not lead to cold orthodoxy, as some would allege, but is centered in the "faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." It is "the doctrine which is according to godliness." It is doctrine which is not only sound in the faith, but also "in charity, in patience" (Titus 2:2).
 
After all, it is the doctrine of Christ Himself, who is not only "the truth," but also "the way" and "the life" (John 14:6). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Weighty Matters

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (Matthew 23:23)

This particular "woe" among the eight in Matthew 23 is often only partially proclaimed. Usually, sermons are delivered about the "judgment, mercy, and faith" that are indeed the "weightier matters of the law"--but Christ’s somewhat offhand remark on the responsibility to tithe is either ignored or downplayed.

Surely the legalistic and public display of "obedience" to the law is condemned by Jesus. He rebuked these same men for their desire to show their spirituality. "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" (Matthew 6:2). But Jesus also said in our text that they "ought . . . to have done" the tithing of their wealth.

The condemnation is that this kind of hypocrite seeks only his name in a bulletin, or a plaque on a wall, or a brick in a walkway, or a wing in a hospital or museum, and is indifferent to the quiet, background work of ministry that doles out judgment, mercy, and faith.

Jesus measures "weightier matters" this way: "I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matthew 25:35-36). "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40).

If we wish to honor and please our Lord, He expects us to do both: faithful tithes and offerings, and judgment, mercy, and faith. HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

Without the Camp
 
"And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount." (Exodus 19:17)
 
This is the first of more than 30 references to events that took place outside the camp of the Israelites in the wilderness under Moses. In this first mention, it was "without the camp" that God first met with His people and gave them the Ten Commandments. The first temporary tabernacle was also "pitched . . . without the camp" (Exodus 33:7).
 
However, when the regular tabernacle was established, it was placed in the midst of the camp, and the camp was considered holy before the Lord. "For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp . . . therefore shall thy camp be holy" (Deuteronomy 23:14).
 
Accordingly, anything unclean was commanded to be banned from the camp (vv. 10-13), including even "the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp" (Hebrews 13:11).
 
Sad to say, however, the camp and the sanctuary did not remain holy, and God, in judgment, finally had to remove it from its place. Before its final removal, however, He whose blood had been foreshadowed by all the sacrifices did come personally to His people "to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26). This sacrifice, however, could no longer be offered in the defiled sanctuary. "Wherefore Jesus also . . . suffered without the gate" (Hebrews 13:12).
 
Now again, as in the beginning, God must meet with His loved ones personally, outside the camp. The organized "camps" of religion generally treat His disciples as misfits, and so, like outcasts, they must seek Him outside the camp. "Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach" (v. 13). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Spiritual Ugliness
 
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." (Matthew 23:27)
 
"Beauty is only skin deep" seems to be the modern secular equivalent of this "woe" in Matthew 23. The corresponding Old Testament statement is probably this: "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion" (Proverbs 11:22). This principle has lasted for millennia simply because it is easily observed in all cultures. Our Lord's application to the scribes and Pharisees was particularly pointed: "Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matthew 23:28). God is not interested in the "pretty outside" but in what's on the inside. "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
 
Hypocrisy and iniquity are the two attributes of "uncleanness" identified by Christ. The core of hypocrisy is the intent to deceive others, either with actions or words. And the core of the biblical teaching about deception is the false teacher--those who look like and talk like God's people, "but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). Iniquity is the biblical term for "without law." Such a person has no desire to submit to authority, and is both willing to do evil and is dangerous to be around. Cain murdered Abel, the Bible insists, "because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12).
 
Such a condition should never plague us. Jesus "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). HMM III