A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Arise, My Soul, Arise
 
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
 
The beautiful old hymn entitled "Arise, My Soul, Arise" was written by the great hymn writer Charles Wesley. Let us use its five verses to focus our thoughts these next five days.

         
        Arise, my soul, arise; Shake off thy guilty fears;
        The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
        Before the throne my surety stands, (repeat)
        My name is written on His hands.

 
At first reading, the theme of the song seems unclear, until we recognize that the sinner is being enjoined to come to salvation and by the power of the sacrificial blood shed on his behalf receive forgiveness and eternal life.
 
Because "Christ . . . hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2), "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access" (Romans 5:1-2) to the Father, who alone has the power to forgive our sins. We have no need to fear rejection, for "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).
 
As we see in our text, we can arise and "come boldly unto the throne of grace," where God the Father reigns. We have assurance of access because our "surety of a better testament" (Hebrews 7:22) is "a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God" (Hebrews 4:14), and "who is on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Hebrews 8:1). Here He requests the Father's "mercy, and . . . grace" on our behalf, for He knows us by our names which are already "written in the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 21:27) "from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 17:8). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

For Me to Intercede
 
"Wherefore, he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)
 
The second verse of the moving old hymn "Arise, My Soul, Arise" speaks of Christ's intercessory work on our behalf and the basis on which His prayers are accepted.

         
        He ever lives above; For me to intercede,
        His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead.
        His blood atoned for all our race (repeat)
        And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

 
Our text contains the primary thought Christ is our intercessor, pleading with the Father to save us from our sins, for which the penalty has been paid by His "sacrifice . . . for this he did once, when he offered up himself" (Hebrews 7:27). It is "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:19) which pleads for our forgiveness. He does this for us because He "loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5) as we come to God in repentant faith.
 
Because Jesus was Himself a fully righteous man, He could die on another's behalf; because He was fully God the Son, His death was sufficient to pay the penalty for the whole human race: "Jesus Christ the righteous; And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). "Thou art worthy . . . for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Revelation 5:9).
 
Only in this way can we come "to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling" (Hebrews 12:23-24). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Forgive Him, Oh Forgive
 
"Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24)
 
The third verse of the majestic hymn by Charles Wesley "Arise, My Soul, Arise" relates how the crucified but risen Intercessor, Christ, pleads with the Father to save a sinner, and why His prayers are heard.

         
        Five bleeding wounds He bears, Received on Calvary.
        They pour effectual prayers; They strongly plead for me.
        "Forgive him, oh, forgive," they cry, (repeat)
        "Nor let that ransomed sinner die."

 
When Jesus was crucified, they "pierced hands and feet" (Psalm 22:16) and "pierced his side" with a spear (John 19:34). After His resurrection His disciples would view these five wounds (Luke 24:39; John 20:27). It was from these wounds that His blood flowed, "and without shedding of blood is no remission" of sins. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many" (Hebrews 9:22, 28). Our text for today declares that it was His "stripes," literally "wounds," which heal us of our deadly sin sickness. His death provides life and health and righteousness.
 
If "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16), surely the pleadings of Christ, a perfectly righteous man, are of infinite strength. "Neither pray I for these alone [i.e., His disciples], but for them also which shall believe on me through their word . . . be with me where I am" (John 17:20, 24).
 
As a truly repentant sinner comes in faith to God seeking forgiveness for his sins, Christ pleads "Forgive him, oh, forgive." "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5-6). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

His Spirit Answers to the Blood
 
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:11)
 
The fourth verse of the hymn "Arise, My Soul, Arise" speaks of God the Father answering the request of God the Son and granting salvation to a repentant sinner, adopting him into His family.

         
        The Father hears Him pray, His dear Anointed One;
        He cannot turn away The presence of His Son.
        His Spirit answers to the blood, (repeat)
        And tells me I am born of God.

 
As Christ the Messiah (which literally means "the anointed One") hung on Calvary's tree, God the Father turned away, unable in His holiness to look upon Christ as He bore "the sins of many" (Hebrews 9:28). "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1) He cried in His agony. But once God's righteous justice was satisfied, the Father turned back and answered Christ's prayer, even from the horns of the altar, as it were (Psalm 22:21). "I and my Father are one," Christ had said (John 10:30), and once sin's penalty was paid, there would be no more separation.
 
And when a sinner comes to God, claiming the blood of Christ as a full payment for his sins, and Christ Himself prays for the sinner's full forgiveness and acceptance, the Father cannot turn away, for "he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
 
In our text, the same Spirit which raised up Christ grants the spiritually dead sinner new life, and declares him to be born of God. "Marvel not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again [literally, 'born from above']" (John 3:7). "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Father, Abba, Father
 
"They are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8:14-15)
 
Charles Wesley's great hymn "Arise, My Soul, Arise" concludes in the fifth verse with a stirring testimony of the joy of salvation.

        My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear.
        He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear.
        With confidence I now draw nigh, (repeat)
        And, "Father, Abba, Father," cry.

 
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). As our text explains, once we have received the spirit of adoption, we are the sons of God--He owns us as His child. This is a "new" thing. We who formerly were estranged from our Creator have been reconciled to Him. "Old things," such as the bondage to fear, are "passed away." The close-knit ties are strong, "for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. . . . I will not fear what men shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5-6).
 
Now that He is our Father, we have direct access to Him. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8). As an earthly father desires the best for his children, "how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11). "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And . . . we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" (1 John 5:14-15).
 
This father/child relationship goes deep. The term "Abba, Father" reflects a most sensitive and loving bond, perhaps best rendered "O Sweet Daddy." "We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Come Forth as Gold
 
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7)
 
These words of Peter are certainly applicable today, but they have always been true. That proper character and testimony are of supreme importance to God was certainly recognized by godly Job in the midst of his heavy trials, for he claimed: "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). The context for this stirring statement of faith proves instructive.
 
Just as most people do, whether Christian or not, Job appealed to heaven for relief from his troubles (v. 3). Job felt he was suffering unjustly and wanted to state his case before God (v. 4), but more importantly, Job desired to know God’s will in the matter. "I would [i.e., desire to] know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me" (v. 5). He knew God well enough to know that God had a purpose in his suffering, and Job asked for knowledge of that purpose. Job knew God’s goodness; that He would not punish him for his questions, and felt that greater understanding would give him strength to continue. But without God’s revelation, Job knew he was unable to understand or even find God (vv. 8-9). God mercifully and lovingly allows trials to discipline, guide, and develop us. Such trials will, in the end, work to our advantage as impurities are removed, leaving behind only that which is lasting and precious.
 
The goal of our lives should be to bring "praise and honour and glory" unto our Lord, and if tribulation can best accomplish these goals, so be it! As David said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word" (Psalm 119:67). God knows what is best for us. He knows what He is doing, and we can rest in that fact. JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Wisdom Mine
 
"Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?" (Job 28:20)
 
In one of his monologues, the patriarch Job compares his search for spiritual understanding to man's explorations for metals and precious stones. "There is a vein for the silver," he said, "and a place for gold. . . . Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone" (vv. 1-2).
 
These all are easier to find than true wisdom. "It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold" (vv. 16-19).
 
Neither have animals discovered it. "The fierce lion passed by it. . . it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air" (vv. 8, 21). "The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me" (v. 14).
 
"But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?" (v. 12). Job is driven to ask: "Where must one go to find and mine the vein of true wisdom?"
 
It is certainly "not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought" (1 Corinthians 2:6). The mine of evolutionary humanism which dominates modern education and scholarship will yield only the fool's gold of "science falsely so called" (1 Timothy 6:20).
 
Job found true wisdom only through God, and so must we, for only "God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof . . . unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:23, 28). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the ever-productive mine, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Multitudes in Hell
 
"The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword." (Ezekiel 32:21)
 
The subject of hell is largely ignored today, even by evangelical teachers and pastors. This is a tragic mistake because multitudes are there already, and multitudes living today will soon be there. It is good to preach the love of God, but God also commands us: "Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 23).
 
The Lord, through Ezekiel, has given us a graphic picture of those in earlier ages who are now in Hades, awaiting the final judgment. The great Pharaoh of Egypt, along with his countrymen, had practiced the Egyptian religion with all its complex concepts and rituals, but religion, in itself, will not keep one from hell. When Pharaoh died and had "gone down" to "hell" (actually, this word in the Old Testament is sheol, equivalent to the Greek Hades a great pit deep in the core of the earth), he found many there already from the centuries before him. Some specifically named (Ezekiel 32:22-30) are Asshur, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, and Zidon, each with their multitudes. Esau, Jacob's brother, was also there (same as Edom). These, significantly, come from all three original branches of Noah's family. All had come from a godly ancestor, but that did not save them. "When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but . . . worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (Romans 1:21, 25).
 
All of these individuals whose final end is explained in Scripture verifies the warning of Christ: "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13). Only those who worship the true Creator, receiving Christ as personal Savior from sin, will be saved. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Guarding the Word
 
"Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words." (Psalm 119:57)
 
Three stanzas within the 22 stanzas of Psalm 119 have all eight Hebrew terms used to describe the Word of God. How appropriate it is that the central theme in these verses (vv. 57-64) provides us succinct ways to keep (guard) His Word.
 
Principally, our "whole heart" must be involved in seeking the "favour" of God (v. 58). The "great commandment" (Matthew 22:38) rests on loving God with "all" of our hearts. If we seek God’s blessing, both during our earthly life and in the eternity to come, we can "trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
 
Such a heart thinks (considers, reckons) about the ways of God and turns (turns back, corrects) its "feet unto testimonies" (Psalm 119:59). The godly life is not an unplanned life. The godly life seeks to understand and obey the words of God’s Word. And the godly life makes "haste" and will not delay in keeping His commandments (Psalm 119:60).
 
Circumstances may cause temporary difficulties in the life of a godly person (Psalm 119:61), but he will not forget the laws of God. Rather, he will rise at "midnight" (the deepest time of trouble) to give thanks to our Lord "because of thy righteous judgments" (Psalm 119:62).
 
The one who wants to guard the Word of God is a companion of those who fear God and keep the precepts of the Word (Psalm 119:63). The godly heart sees the mercy of the Lord everywhere and longs for the "Creator of the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 40:28) to teach it the eternal statutes of His word (Psalm 119:64). May "such an heart" (Deuteronomy 5:29) be ours as we seek to serve Him. HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

Heir of All Things
 
"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." (Psalm 16:6)
 
Psalm 16 is a Messianic psalm, climaxing in the great prophecy of Christ's resurrection (v. 10). It quite possibly reflects the prayer of the Lord in Gethsemane just before His betrayal and arrest. Yet, as He anticipated the awful "cup" He must drink (v. 5), He could still look beyond the cross to the great inheritance He would one day receive from His Father. "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance," He could say (v. 5), and then, "I have a goodly heritage."
 
His Father has promised: "I shall give thee the for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" (2:8). As the Son of man, He becomes the heir of all the promises made to the first man, Adam, and therefore must "have dominion . . . over all the earth" (Genesis 1:26). Accordingly we read, "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one" (Zechariah 14:9).
 
Therefore, God "hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things" (Hebrews 1:2). As Son of God, He had created all things, and as Son of man, He will inherit all things.
 
Then, by His amazing grace, He has promised that we will share in His great inheritance! "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:7). "The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:16-17), "begotten . . . again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-4). We do indeed, with our Savior, have a goodly heritage. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Kingdom
 
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2:44)
 
In these days, and in earlier times, there has been much idealistic talk about a coming "new world order" in which all nations will become as one, and there will be no more war or poverty. Many people thought (some still do) that world communism would bring this about. Others look to a worldwide Islamic government to accomplish this. Various would-be world emperors (e.g., Hitler, Napoleon) have come and gone. Many pin their hopes on the United Nations. All the various "New Age" cults and organizations are working toward such an end. And, strangely enough, many Bible-believing Christians still think that the Christian church can bring about such revival and reconstruction of the coming chaos that we can Christianize and then rule the world.
 
They are all wrong. There is a kingdom coming which will bring perfect peace and righteousness, and it will last forever, but men will not accomplish it. "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts [not that of men!] will perform this" (Isaiah 9:7).
 
In the climactic end of Nebuchadnezzar's prophetic dream image (most of which has already been fulfilled), Daniel has assured all succeeding generations that "the God of heaven [not the United Nations—not even the church!] shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed." "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth" (Psalm 72:8). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Receiving from the Word
 
"Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word." (Psalm 119:65)
 
The good that comes from the hand of the Lord is "according unto thy word," a common phrase in Psalm 119 that occurs in 11 of the 22 stanzas.
 
Interestingly, the psalmist twice emphasizes that it was important for him to be "afflicted" before he learned something of the gracious provision of the Lord (Psalm 119:67, 71). The Hebrew word anah is used widely in the Bible, the most famous passage prophesying about the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:4).
 
Although affliction does not necessarily come because of personal disobedience (even though that surely happens among us), often the Lord uses an occasion to drive home a concept of holiness or obedience (according to His Word) that will bring His favor or, more properly, bring us in line with His Word so that we may experience the "peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11).
 
Three times the psalmist asked his Lord to teach him or let him learn from the Word about the eternal principles of righteousness (119:66, 68, 71). Three times he insisted that he will keep and delight in the holy laws and principles of which he is aware (119:67, 69, 70).
 
The core theme of this simple message focuses on the passionate commitment of the psalmist to learn and obey the Word of God. No past history can negate God's faithfulness. No present difficult circumstances can thwart God's promises. Thus: "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver" (Psalm 119:72). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Great Physician
 
"But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." (Matthew 9:12)
 
It almost goes without saying that a person who is seriously ill would do anything to regain health. But the sad fact is, few people really pay attention to their health until they are threatened with its loss.
 
On the other hand, testimonies without number have been chronicled which relate an individual's refusal to acknowledge the claims of Christ until he or she had been stricken with personal problems or physical illness. "You've got to be on your back before you will look up," so the saying goes. But what does the Great Physician have to offer the one whose health seems to be strong from an outward perspective?
 
Instead of being well, however, the Bible says that everyone is born into this world with a dreadful disease in our souls called sin. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), "and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:15). The sin disease is most tragic when we do not feel it and do not know we have it. "Because thou sayest, I . . . have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17). Jesus Christ is the only One who can heal us, "Neither is there salvation in any other" (Acts 4:12). And just as He never sent anyone away who came to Him on earth for physical healing (Matthew 12:15), so "him that cometh to me [i.e., Christ] I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37), when he comes seeking salvation.
 
Certainly one of the most important steps in this process of being healed of our sin sickness is recognizing our desperate need for healing. When we say, "Be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee" (Psalm 41:4), He will respond with forgiveness, grace, and healing. JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Seducing Spirits
 
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." (1 Timothy 4:1)
 
This very cogent warning by the Holy Spirit, spoken "expressly" (or "with special clarity") for those living in the latter days, predicts an unusual outbreak of seductive demonism--not just in pagan, idol-worshipping, or animistic cultures, but in "Christian" nations, where they can lead many to "depart from the faith" which their forefathers once professed. Christians, therefore, should not be taken by surprise at the vast eruption of witchcraft, New-Age mysticism, Eastern occultism, rock-music demonism, drug-induced fantasies, altered states of consciousness, and even overt Satan-worshipping cults that have suddenly proliferated in our supposedly scientific and naturalistic society. Behind it all are the "seducing spirits" and "the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephesians 6:12).
 
It should be obvious that Christians must completely avoid all such beliefs and practices. "I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils" (1 Corinthians 10:20). "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing" (2 Corinthians 6:17). Even "innocent" fun (Halloween parties, ouija boards, dungeons-and-dragons games, etc.) and well-intentioned (but many times superficial) exorcism of apparent demon-possession by Christian workers have often led to dangerous demonic influences in the lives of Christian people, as well as in Christians who have sought supernatural experiences or revelations. In anything that even touches on occultism or demonic influence, the advice of Peter is relevant. "Be sober, be vigilant; becau se your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Watchful Sobriety
 
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
 
Several words are used in Scripture to imply spiritual watchfulness, and each has a slightly different meaning. Only as we compare and combine these words do we get the full force of the Scripture exhortations to watchfulness.
 
One such word is the Greek word agrupneo, translated "watch." In Mark 13:33 we read, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." The word literally means to be sleepless and comes from two Greek words meaning "to chase" and "sleep." It implies a purposeful and active state of awareness.
 
More commonly used is gregoreo. It is a stronger word, meaning to arouse oneself and shake off lethargy, implying activity as on the part of one who is fully awake. "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith" (1 Corinthians 16:13), and "continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). "Watch ye, therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh" (Mark 13:35).
 
A third word is nepho, which literally means to abstain from drink which would produce stupor, as well as sleep, and therefore conveys the additional idea of sobriety. By combining the teaching of these three words, we are instructed not only to keep awake but to keep active and to avoid the intoxication of this world's seductive pleasures.
 
In our text, we see that we are not only to be sober (nepho) and vigilant (gregoreo), but we also see the reason why. Our "adversary the devil" is a vicious opponent. He stalks us both day and night with brutal cunning. We dare not underestimate him by figuratively closing our eyes in sleep or dulling our senses with intoxicants. "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober" (1 Peter 1:13). JDM