A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Son of God/Son of Man
 
"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20)
 
It is significant that although Christ clearly taught that He was the unique Son of God, He most frequently referred to Himself as Son of man, earnestly desiring that people understand His true and representative humanity.
 
The very first use of the phrase is in Psalm 8:4: "What is . . . the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Although David may have been thinking of all "sons of Adam" in general, the writer of Hebrews applied the passage specifically to Christ (Hebrews 2:6), "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9). In order to save lost men, God in Christ had to become man through supernatural incarnation. Then, as perfect, sinless man, He could represent us before God, finally tasting death for every man.
 
The vital importance of the incarnation is affirmed by John: "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:2-3). It is noteworthy that Satan and his evil spirits would recognize Christ as the Son of God (Matthew 4:3; 8:28-29), but never as the Son of man! This reluctance seems also to characterize all the occultic philosophies of the so-called "New Age" movement, as well as all ancient and modern pantheistic religions. They speak glibly of "the Christ" as a spirit which might come on many, but bitterly refuse to acknowledge that the man Jesus was actually the Son of man, God incarnate.
 
Finally, it is thrilling to realize that, although He only became the Son of man through His incarnation, He will always remain the Son of man! John saw Him in His glory--as we shall see Him in eternity--as "one like unto the Son of man" (Revelation 1:13; 14:14). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Tears in Heaven
 
"He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it." (Isaiah 25:8)
 
It may be surprising to learn there are tears in heaven, but there are three places in the Bible where we are told that God will wipe away our tears there. This promise appears first in the Old Testament in our text--a text which is quoted in the New Testament as applying to the events of the second coming of Christ. "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). The graves will be emptied and death itself will die when Christ comes again! But there will still be those tears, even after death, which God must wipe away.
 
The other two occurrences are in the last book of the Bible, both again in the context of the return of Christ, "|who| shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Finally, in the new Jerusalem, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 7:17; 21:4).
 
But why should there be tears at all when death has passed away? The Scriptures do not say specifically why, but it seems probable that these may be tears of regret at lost opportunities, and tears of sorrow for unsaved friends and loved ones. It does say that, in the new earth, we shall somehow "look upon" the lost (Isaiah 66:22, 24) and that even some of the saved "shall suffer loss" when their works in this life do not "abide" in the judgment (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). But then, after these tears are shed, God will graciously wipe them away, and there will never be sorrow or crying anymore. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Good Shepherd
 
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1)
 
The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the best-loved chapter in the Bible, with its beautiful picture of Christ as the Shepherd. This chapter finds its New Testament exposition in John 10:1-30, where Christ identifies Himself as "the good shepherd" who "giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).
 
These two chapters (Psalm 23; John 10) are probably the two greatest chapters in the Bible on the security of the believer in Christ. This theme seems woven by divine inspiration into the very structure of the passages. For example, there are six verses in the poetic structure of the psalm, each containing a different testimony concerning the providing and protecting Shepherd. In similar fashion, there are six times the word "shepherd" is used in John 10, each referring again to the work of our Good Shepherd. There are also six references in the other books of the New Testament where Christ is referred to as a shepherd.
 
The intensely personal aspect of the 23rd Psalm is evidenced by David's use of the first person pronouns ("I," "me," "my," etc.) no less than 17 times in its six verses, all expressing his absolute trust in the Lord. Similarly, the word "sheep" is used 17 times in John 10, with the grand theme again stressing the security of the sheep. This number "17" repeatedly seems to crop up in Bible passages related to our security in the Lord. As one example, the famous passage ending the eighth chapter of Romans lists exactly 17 things that can never "separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:35-39).
 
In any case, this marvelous psalm of security concludes (as it began) with a great promise and testimony, which can be paraphrased as follows: "Surely |Christ's| goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me as long as I live, and then I will dwell in God's great heavenly family through all the ages of eternity!" HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Clothing
 
"And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle." (Revelation 1:13)
 
In the beginning, at the creation of Eve from Adam's side, "they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25). There was no need for shame at their lack of clothing, for neither had any consciousness of sin or moral guilt. They were truly "one flesh" (v. 24), aware that their physiological differences had been divinely created to bring about God's purposes for His creation. Any embarrassment would have been quite unnatural.
 
But soon sin entered; they rejected God's purposes and plan for their lives. Satan had promised they would acquire wisdom, but what was their first taste of wisdom? "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Genesis 3:7). Their shame must have been multiplied many times over as they heard God pronounce the dreadful curse on all of creation as a result of their sin. And then they had to watch as two of their animal friends (probably sheep) were slain, sacrificed to "make coats of skins" (v. 21) for their covering.
 
Many years later, another Lamb was slain for sin, stripped of His clothing and hanged on a cruel cross, bearing unthinkable shame. "I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture" (Psalm 22:17-18). Today, having conquered sin and death, He reigns in heaven, "clothed with a garment down to the foot" (text verse). In His death, He arranged for us some day to be "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white" (Revelation 19:8), having "washed |our| robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Problems, Problems, Problems
 
"And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest." (Psalm 55:6)
 
The 55th Psalm is a psalm of "complaint" (v. 2) by David, and gives an insight into his thought process as he tried to deal with the great problems and burdens that were overwhelming him. His first instinct was to run away from them, flying like a dove far off into the wilderness.
 
The prophet Jonah (whose name means "dove") tried that strategy years later, only to encounter even worse problems (Jonah 1:3, 15). One does not solve problems by fleeing from them.
 
Then, David decided to berate those who were causing him trouble and to complain about them to the Lord. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice" (Psalm 55:17). The words "pray, and cry aloud" here actually mean "complain and mourn." "Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues" (v. 9). "Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell" (v. 15). His burdens were all the heavier because those whom he had trusted as friends and colleagues were now using deceit and guile against him (vv. 11-14), and the injustice of it all was almost more than he could endure. But complaints and imprecations were also unsatisfying: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).
 
Finally, the Lord gave him an answer, and David found the rest for which he had been so fretfully searching. Here it is: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" (Psalm 55:22). The last phrase of the psalm is "but I will trust in thee" (v. 23).
 
The way to deal with burdens and problems is not to flee from them or to fret about them, but to turn them over to the Lord: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

'God's Story'
July 20, 2009
 
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand." (1 Corinthians 15:1)
 
The word "gospel" comes from the Anglo-Saxon "god-spel," meaning "God-story." The Greek word is euaggelion, from which we get our word "evangel," and it means literally "a good message" or "good messenger." The prefix eu or ev means "good," and aggelion means "messenger." Thus, the gospel is the great story of God that is to be preached as by an angel dispatched from God. The word normally is used in the sense of "good news" or "glad tidings," but this good message is specifically God’s story, sent to lost men from a loving, caring, and saving God.
 
As our text says, it is a message to be "declared" by its messenger, then "received" (literally "once and for all") by its hearers. It is the message "by which also ye are saved" (v. 2) and "wherein ye stand." Then, verses 3 and 4 declare the very heart of that which is to be received and believed--the substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is a dynamic gospel--"the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16) for every true believer.
 
It is a "glorious gospel" (2 Corinthians 4:4) through which Christ "hath brought life and immortality to light" (2 Timothy 1:10). It is the "gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15) and brings "the fullness of the blessing" (Romans 15:29).
 
Its duration is "everlasting" (Revelation 14:6) and its foundation is the primeval making of "heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Revelation 14:7) by Christ Himself (Colossians 1:16). The apostle Paul gravely warns against "any other gospel" than this gospel, which he had preached (Galatians 1:8-9). This gospel, this glad story of God’s grace in creation and salvation, is to be preached "to every creature" (Mark 16:15). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Peace Makers
 
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)
 
In this seventh (out of nine) of the Beatitudes with which Christ began His Sermon on the Mount occurs the first mention in the New Testament of the important word "peace."
 
But how can one be a peacemaker? Note that Christ did not say: "Blessed are the pacifists." There are many today who talk about peace, but how does one make peace?
 
The answer lies in the example of Christ Himself. He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and He "made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself" (Colossians 1:20).
 
The real problem is that there can be no lasting peace between man and man, as long as there is enmity between man and God. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:18).
 
With that problem settled, we are now in a position to become true peacemakers, for we also can lead others to God through Jesus Christ. He "hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we . . . pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
 
As ambassadors for Christ, we are true ambassadors for peace. The best possible contribution we can make toward world peace, racial peace, industrial peace, family peace, or personal peace is to help people become reconciled to God through faith in the peace-making work of Christ on the cross. "These things I have spoken unto you," says the Lord Jesus, "that in me ye might have peace" (John 16:33). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

For Me to Love is Christ
 
"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
 
There are many motivating reasons for serving the Lord. One, of course, is His many merciful blessings on our behalf. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).
 
Then there is the incentive of rewards: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:12). There are also many rewards even in this present life for dedicated Christian service: "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy 4:8).
 
The great need of the lost is also a tremendous motivation for Christian service. This was the burden of Paul: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more" (1 Corinthians 9:19).
 
But surely the greatest of all motives is the constraining love of Christ. Not our love for Him, which is poor and weak at best, but His love for us. This is the constraining compulsion which makes us live and love and witness for Him. Because He loved us so much, therefore we no longer live for ourselves, but unto Him, who died for us.
 
As our text notes, if Christ died for all, that can only mean that "all were dead," or more literally, "all died." Therefore, if we live, it is because we have been "bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20), the terrible price of the never-equaled suffering and the uniquely cruel death of the sinless Son of man. "For to me to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Teach and Preach Continually
 
"And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." (Acts 5:42)
 
The Great Commission was given to every Christian and implied a daily ministry of witness by life and word. The early Christians took it seriously, as our text implies. Even when they began to be persecuted for it, this merely led to a wider proclamation of the gospel. "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word" (Acts 8:4).
 
The command of Christ was to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), and this required every Christian to be involved every day. The "gospel" includes the entire scope of the person and work and teachings of Jesus Christ, so both preaching and teaching are involved. Furthermore, Christ did not say "send," but "go!" Although it is vital that missionaries be sent and supported as they go to "the regions beyond," each believer must go to those he can reach, as ability and opportunity allow. "Jerusalem . . . Judaea . . . Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8) were all to be reached not consecutively, but simultaneously, and this would require both personal and financial participation by every Christian.
 
The message was to "teach and preach Jesus Christ," in all His fullness. Their witnessing was to be "unto me" (Acts 1:8). It was to be both in public and in private--"in the temple, and in every house." They were to pray to "the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest" (Luke 10:2), and also to train "faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).
 
And the result of this intense first-century dedication to the Great Commission was that "the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly" (Acts 6:7). However, the work has never been completed, and the command is still in effect. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Those Thees and Thous
 
"And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do." (Exodus 4:15)
 
These words of God, spoken to Moses concerning the mission he and his brother Aaron were to undertake at Pharaoh's palace, are one of numerous examples in Scripture where the King James translation uses several different forms of the second-person pronoun. In this one verse, we see the words "thou," "thy," "you," and "ye," all fulfilling this function. Most modern translations would translate this sentence: "You shall speak to him . . . and I will be with your mouth . . . and will teach you what you shall do." Why would the King James translators use four different forms of the pronoun when only "you" and "your" are used in modern versions?
 
The fact is that the Elizabethan-age English was able to make much finer distinctions than modern English. That is, "thou," "thee," "thy," and "thine" were used for the second person singular, where as "ye," "you," "your," and "yours" were the corresponding words for the plural. Different words also were used for subject, object, and possessive modifier, as is still true for first and third-person pronouns.
 
In our text, God was telling Moses that he (Moses) was to speak to Aaron, and that He (God) would then teach both of them, not just Moses, what they were to do. This distinction is clear in the King James English, but not in modern English. This is one of numerous examples where such fine points in the King James language are lost in modern translations. In the Lord's Prayer, for example, "yours is the kingdom" could suggest that many will possess the kingdom, where "thine is the kingdom" clearly recognizes one God alone. Clear words are important for clear meanings, and Jesus said, "My words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Things We Can't Do Without
 
"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12)
 
There are many things in this world that we can easily get along without, but some that are absolutely essential: First of all, we need Christ. Otherwise we are like the Gentiles described in our text--"without Christ . . . having no hope, and without God in the world."
 
Secondly, if we were ever to be saved, Christ must shed His blood for our sins, for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). In order for His death to be effective for our salvation, He was "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
 
Then, before Christ’s work actually becomes effective in our personal salvation, it must be believed and received by faith, for "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Hebrews 11:6). This faith must be true faith, which transforms the life, for "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). Works do not bring salvation, but saving faith brings "things that accompany salvation" (Hebrews 6:9).
 
Among those things that accompany salvation is holiness, "without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Another is the privilege of chastisement! Our heavenly Father must deal with His errant children in loving discipline. Otherwise, "if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye . . . not sons" (Hebrews 12:.
 
There are thus seven things we cannot do without. We cannot do without Christ, without the shedding of His blood, without His sinlessness, without faith in Him, without works for Him, without holiness unto Him, and without chastisement by Him. He said, "Without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). But with Him, we have everything. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

They Shall Never Perish
 
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:28-29)
 
What rich blessings Christ promises to those who "hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (v. 27). To think that the omnipotent Creator knows us, and gives us eternal life! He is certainly powerful enough to see that this life is in no danger, either from our own weaknesses ("they shall never perish") or from the enemy without ("pluck them out"). Temporary eternal life simply cannot be. The eternal life which He gives lasts for eternity.
 
Actually, the promise "they shall never perish" is very strong in the original Greek. A repeating negative precedes the word "perish," and the specific form of the word "never" literally includes "eternally," or "forever." A more complete rendering would then be, "they shall not, in no wise perish, no, not for eternity."
 
The word "man" is not in the original, and the word "any" is more properly translated "any one" or "any being." This includes Satan--no match for the Savior. He is powerless to pluck or snatch us from either the Father's or the Son's hands. How could we be any more secure?
 
Note that the Father gave us to His beloved Son as gifts of His love. In turn, Christ values these precious gifts so much that He holds us securely in His hand, so tightly that no created being can snatch us away. The Father even assists in providing us this security, for we are also in the "Father's hand," and "I and my Father are one" (v. 30).
 
When we consider the size and strength of the Creator's hand, we can understand why no one, not even Satan, can snatch us out of its protective care. JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Growth in Christ
 
"And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more." (1 Thessalonians 4:10)
 
It is not enough merely to be saved; the babe in Christ should grow into Christian maturity. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). The babe will grow on milk for a time, but soon he needs more. "For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:13-14).
 
Nor is it enough just to grow in knowledge of God’s Word, though this is vital. In our text, Paul was commending the Thessalonians for the evidence of Christian love in their lives. But then he urged them to "increase more and more." "I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment" (Philippians 1:9).
 
Like the Thessalonians, our faith also needs to grow. "Your faith groweth exceedingly," Paul wrote (2 Thessalonians 1:3). The apostles "said unto the Lord, Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5), and this could well be our prayer, too.
 
We ought also to be growing in grace. The very last word of the apostle Peter, before his martyrdom, was this: "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). One measure of grace is the grace of giving and, as Paul urged the Corinthians, "see that ye abound in this grace also" (2 Corinthians 8:7).
 
Unlike our physical life, we ought never to stop growing in our spiritual life. Our measure cannot be less than that of "a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we . . . may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:13-15). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Wonderful Words of Life
 
"Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them." (Psalm 119:129)
 
Modern liberals may ridicule Bible-believing Christians as bibliolaters, but the fact is that it is not possible to place the Bible on too high a pedestal. "Thy testimonies are wonderful," the psalmist says, for "his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6), whose testimonies they are.
 
Consider just how wonderful are the Scriptures. They were written in the heart of God even before the creation. "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89). Then, "at sundry times and in divers manners," this eternal Word of God was conveyed to men, as God "spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets" (Hebrews 1:1). Finally, it was complete, and the last of the prophets concluded it with an all-embracing warning: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life" (Revelation 22:18-19). Crit ics who tamper with the words of the Bible are on dangerous ground, the psalmist said: "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever" (Psalm 119:160). Jesus said: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).
 
Eternal in the past; inviolable in the present; forever in the future! All we shall ever need for our guidance is to be found in God's wonderful testimonies: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable. . . . That the man of God may be perfect" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
 
It is not possible to have too high a view of Scripture, "for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" (Psalm 138:2). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Our Listening God
 
"O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." (Psalm 65:2)
 
There come times in each life when loneliness overshadows like a cloud and no one is there to listen and provide counsel. Or perhaps there is some problem so personal and intimate that it seems unfitting or too embarrassing to share with anyone else.
 
But God will listen! No need is so small, no place too remote, no burden too heavy, that He who is the "God of all grace" and "the God of all comfort" (1 Peter 5:10; 2 Corinthians 1:3) will not listen and care. "The LORD will hear when I call unto him" (Psalm 4:3).
 
Young people sometimes complain that their parents won't listen to them; wives may say their husbands don't listen; sometimes it seems that no one will listen to our questions or ideas about anything. But "the LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth" (Psalm 145:18). Therefore, "pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah" (Psalm 62:.
 
But how can He listen? After all, God is far away upon His throne. The risen Savior ascended far above all heavens, to sit down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. How can the Father hear when we whisper a prayer in our hearts that no human could hear?
 
God is indeed up there, but He is also right here! Jesus said: "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). Our God is a tri-une God, and He can be both in heaven and in our room, and even, as the Holy Spirit, within our very hearts. Of course, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18). But for those who confess and forsake their sins, "his ears are open unto their prayers" (1 Peter 3:12). HMM