A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Firstfruits

"Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." (Proverbs 3:9)
 
There are seven New Testament references to "firstfruits," all of which are metaphorical applications of the Old Testament commandment to offer the firstfruits of one’s increase to the Lord. We now have to give our own firstfruits to the government in the form of "withheld" amounts from our wages. It is still good, nonetheless, to honor the Lord with the "firstfruits" equivalent of our increase, regardless of the government.
 
The New Testament references are all beautiful spiritual applications of this concept. At His resurrection, Christ Himself has "become the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20). When we receive Christ, we receive our eternal salvation first of all in terms of "the firstfruits of the Spirit" (Romans 8:23). Furthermore, we ourselves are, to Him, a sort of firstfruits pledge of future growth. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:18).
 
This thought is also applied to the first converts of a new mission field. Paul speaks of "the firstfruits of Asia" (the western part of Asia Minor) and "the firstfruits of Achaia" (southern Greece) in Romans 16:5 and 1 Corinthians 16:15, respectively. He also speaks of believing Jews as having preceded Gentiles into the kingdom as a holy firstfruit (Romans 11:16) to the Lord.
 
The last of the New Testament references to firstfruits relates to the 144,000 Israelite witnesses in the coming great tribulation. "These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb" (Revelation 14:4). Beautiful and pointed though these metaphors may be, however, they in no wise lessen our responsibility to honor God with our own firstfruits. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Glorifying God Through Praise

"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God." (Psalm 50:23)
 
The great summarizing commandment of the apostle Paul was, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). That is, every aspect of our lives should be so ordered as to glorify God in whatever we say and do.
 
This is a difficult rule to follow, for how do we determine whether such and such an action glorifies God or not? Nevertheless, there is one thing we can do which we can be absolutely certain does glorify Him--that is, offering to Him our praise and our thanks. We should offer praise for His person and work in general, thanks for what He is and does for us in particular. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me!"
 
This is His assurance and our incentive to praise Him in all things. "In every thing give thanks," says the apostle, "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
 
On this last day of the year, especially, praise and thanks should pour from our hearts and lips, if we would "ordereth our conversation aright." "Bless the LORD, O my soul," says the psalmist, "and forget not all his benefits" (Psalm 103:2). Most of us all too commonly tend to forget all His benefits and fret over our troubles and burdens.
 
If we desire to glorify God, on the other hand, we should recount all our blessings and leave our burdens with Him. In the words of the old hymn: "Count your many blessings, see what God hath done!" Then will "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) fill our hearts and minds, enabling the indwelling Holy Spirit to "shew the salvation of God" not only to us, but in us and through us to others. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

All Things New

"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." (Revelation 21:5)
 
The coming of a new year is a good time to consider that glorious time to come when Christ will make everything new again. In the present age, all things "shall wax old as doth a garment" (Hebrews 1:11) under the bondage of the universal law of decay and death; indeed "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Romans 8:22).
 
"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). There, in the "new Jerusalem," we shall each have "a new name" and sing "a new song" (Revelation 21:2; 2:17; 5:9). We shall have new bodies, "fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21), and a new dwelling place, prepared by Christ Himself among the "many mansions" in His "Father's house" (John 14:2).
 
And all the old and dying things will be completely and forever gone. "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 21:4). "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10).
 
What a "Happy New Year" that will be! In the meantime, we have His "new covenant" and have each been made "a new creature" in Christ (Hebrews 12:24; Galatians 6:15). Since all His words "are true and faithful," we know His promises are sure. Therefore, already, "old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" through faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

 Seeking Worshippers

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23)

Here is an amazing revelation--that the omnipotent God of creation should actually be seeking those among His creatures who would freely come to love and worship Him! How could He possibly have to seek anything?

Yet Jesus said He does! In some inscrutable way, it satisfies the infinite heart of God when we respond to His sacrificial love in gratitude and worship.

We see this also in the experience of the ten lepers. All ten had been cleansed of their leprosy, but only one, a Samaritan, returned to give thanks to Jesus. Note the wistfulness in Jesus' reply to the cleansed leper: "Were there not ten cleansed?" He asked, "But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger" (Luke 17:17-18). The Lord indeed takes note both of the few who truly appreciate Him and also of the many who take His blessings for granted.

In the house of Simon the Pharisee, for example, the Lord Jesus took special note of the woman who washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, anointing them with the precious ointment in her alabaster box. But He also noted that self-righteous, critical Simon had provided no such services at all. Then He said, "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little" (Luke 7:47).

Whether or not we fully understand, the Lord does seek those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Therefore, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Infallible Proofs

"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3)
 
To the first Christians, faith in the deity of Christ was not a blind leap into the dark. Only God could defeat death, and they knew--beyond all doubt--that Jesus Christ had risen bodily from the tomb. They had seen Him, touched Him, and eaten with Him, alone and in crowds, in closed rooms, and out in the open.
 
The term "infallible proofs" translates a Greek word used only this one time, meaning literally "many criteria of certainty," and it is significant that the inspired Word of God applies it only to the resurrection of Christ. It is not too much to say that Christ's resurrection is the most certain fact in all history, and many large volumes have been published setting forth the evidences thereof. No wonder the apostle Peter could say, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).
 
The apostle John testified thus: "The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us" (1 John 1:2). John not only saw Him in His resurrection body, but also in His glorified body, hearing Him say, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:18).
 
It is true that we, like the first Christians, must believe on Christ to receive salvation, but this faith is not a credulous faith, a leap into the dark. It is a reasonable faith, based on many infallible proofs, and we can, therefore, trust Him with our eternal souls. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

True Deliverance

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matthew 6:13)
 
Certain Christian workers practice what they call a "deliverance ministry," but true biblical deliverance is better defined in terms of today's verse, which, of course, is the last petition in the prayer which Christ taught His disciples to pray. True deliverance is deliverance from evil, whatever form that evil might take, and preservation until God's kingdom comes. Let us observe several scriptural accounts of true deliverance.
 
Note that the Greek word for deliverance has the connotation of "rescue," and this is its first occurrence in the New Testament which makes its usage here especially significant. That the Lord will indeed provide such deliverance, if we pray for it in sincerity, is affirmed in many testimonies and promises. Burdened with the problems of his old sin nature, Paul cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But then the answer comes: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:24-25). Even as his anticipated martyrdom was approaching, Paul could still testify, "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:18).
 
Peter also assures us that "the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Peter 2:9). He is able to deliver His people from all the evils of this present evil world, to keep them and prepare them for the glory and the power of His coming kingdom, for He Himself is the Deliverance. "As it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer |same word|, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Romans 11:26). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Earth Made New Again

"And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever." (Psalm 78:69)
 
There are a number of passages in the Bible which state unequivocally that the earth, in some form, is going to continue eternally. "One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
 
However, this present earth and its atmospheric heavens must first be purged of all the age-long effects of sin and the curse, which now affect the very elements (or "dust of the earth"). Therefore, "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).
 
Evidently, this fiery cataclysm is not an annihilation of the earth and its atmosphere, but rather a great exchange of energies. The earth's very elements will probably be converted into sound and heat energies by mass-energy nuclear-conversion processes, in order to burn out the great fossil beds and all other relics of sin and the curse. Then, however, God will reverse the process, converting these and other energies back into matter, thus "renewing" the primeval earth, which originally had been "very good" (Genesis 1:31). "We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13).
 
It is this new earth (that is, the earth made new) which will then continue forever. "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain" (Isaiah 66:22). "Because the |creation| itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Then we shall forever "be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Day of Rest

"God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." (Genesis 2:2-3)
 
Why would God sanctify His day of rest (cessation from creating)? Four observations point us toward the answer.
 
First, His rest is the perfect conclusion to His work of creation. After God completed His creation work (Genesis 1), we don't find Him scrambling around the universe to fix poor designs, to educate Himself on parts of the universe beyond His knowledge, or to quell opposition to His reign. Instead, He rests--perfectly in control of all He has done, knowing everything about all He has created, and ruling absolutely in supreme freedom. What a fitting celebration of His character!
 
Second, His rest is ongoing. "The works were finished from the foundation of the world" (Hebrews 4:3). Since creation, God has never second-guessed His activity, tried to create the universe again, or given any hint that His initial creation was somehow flawed. It was exactly how He designed and planned it from the start. Who else could create so perfectly and completely?
 
Third, His rest is holy. No man has ever created like God did, and, therefore, no man ever rested like God did. While man enjoyed a measure of rest (from toil) in the beginning, he lost it when he sinned (Genesis 3:17-19), and he has been laboring against opposition to his rule ever since then. God's rest is utterly unique.
 
Fourth, His rest is wonderful. God can withhold rest from His fallen and depraved creatures. Yet He offers rest to those who believe through Christ! "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
 
What profound and glorious reasons God had to set apart His day of rest! NTJ

[Soldier4Christ]

God Remembers

"And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged." (Genesis 8:1)
 
This verse contains the first mention of the beautiful word "remember" in the Bible, and it tells us that God remembers! During the awful cataclysm of the Flood, the most devastating event thus far in the history of the world, God still remembered the faithful obedience of Noah, and He even remembered every living thing!
 
We may forget many things, but God remembers: "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name" (Hebrews 6:10). Nor does He ever forget a promise. The first mention of "remember" in the New Testament is the Spirit-inspired testimony of Zacharias: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people . . . to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham" (Luke 1:68, 72-73). That promise had been made 2,000 years before, but God remembered.
 
God even remembers the sparrows: "Not one of them is forgotten before God" (Luke 12:6). And He certainly remembers His own children: "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14).
 
Even after the children of Israel had gone deeply into idolatry, He could still say, "I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness" (Jeremiah 2:2).
 
God remembers the evil as well as the good, of course. The one thing He chooses not to remember is the sinful past of those who have come to Christ for forgiveness. "And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

If by Any Means

"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." (Philippians 3:11)
 
The usage of this seemingly insignificant phrase, "if by any means" (Greek ei pos), follows a significant order of development in the New Testament. Occurring only four times, it is used to express the urgency of an object sought, and the background needs and means for its attainment.
 
The context of the first occurrence is the presumed need for physical comfort and security. "Because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter" (Acts 27:12). This particular goal, however, was never attained.
 
The second is a more noble object, that of reaching an area of spiritual ministry. "Without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers," Paul said. "Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you . . . that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift" (Romans 1:9-11).
 
The next occurrence speaks in even greater urgency, the object being the conversion of Paul's Jewish brethren. "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles. . . . If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them" (Romans 11:13-14).
 
The final occurrence is in today's verse, speaking of the supreme importance of a Christ-centered life: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). By all means, therefore, we should, like Paul, seek to live for Christ, minister to others, and win souls for Him. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Heart of Our Understanding

"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." (1 Corinthians 14:20)
 
The wise man wrote long ago, "With all thy getting get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7). However, we need to be sure that the understanding we acquire is not perverted by the spirit of this world. When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he emphasized the contrast between a darkened understanding and a spiritually illuminated understanding.
 
"Walk not as other Gentiles walk," he exhorted, "in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Ephesians 4:17-18). A blinded heart produces a darkened understanding.
 
Paul prayed, rather, that God would give them "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened" (Ephesians 1:17-18). We need an understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit, not darkened by a hardened heart.
 
By the same token, as today's verse commands, we should seek to attain a mature understanding of the things of God, not remaining stagnant at the elementary level of understanding. It is dishonoring to the Lord who called us into His family to remain spiritual children. We should exhibit the faith of a little child, and be as free from malice as a little child, but in understanding we must grow! "For when . . . ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again . . . the first principles of the oracles of God . . . who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:12, 14). "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Justification

"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." (Genesis 7:1)
 
This is the first mention of the great doctrine of justification in the Bible--that is, being seen as "righteous" by God. The same Hebrew word is translated "just" in Genesis 6:9: "Noah was a just man." The reason why Noah was seen as righteous and therefore as just, or justified before God, was that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8). This is the first mention of "grace" in the Bible. The first mention of "faith" or "belief" is also associated with justification. "|Abraham| believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
 
Thus, justification is by grace through faith in the Old Testament and certainly in the New. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" and also "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:24; 5:1).
 
Justification--that is, being seen and proclaimed as perfectly righteous, even in spite of past sins, must of course be authorized by God the Creator. "It is God that justifieth" (Romans 8:33). That God can indeed be both "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26) is based entirely on the substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Christ who conquered death. "Being now justified by His blood," the Lord Jesus Christ "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 5:9; 4:25).
 
Now, although we are freely justified by grace through faith, such justification inevitably generates good works also, for "by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Battle Is the Lord's

"And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:47)
 
These were the ringing words of faith uttered by young David as he faced the Philistine giant, Goliath. Without armor, or spear, or shield, and with only a sling and five smooth stones, David confronted the nine-foot champion of the pagan army in the name of the true God, and soon the giant lay dead with his face to the ground.
 
The battle must always be the Lord's. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). Spiritual battles are not won by bullets, nor by ballots, nor by any human means. "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7). "There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. . . . Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy" (Psalm 33:16, 18).
 
We even have a mandate to attack the enemy in His stronghold. Christ taught, "Upon this rock |of faith in Christ as divine Savior| I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18)
 
It is easy, in trying to do a work for God, to rely on human abilities and devices, but these will fail, for the battle is the Lord's. When the battle is going well, we must not boast, for the battle is the Lord's. When the battle is going hard, we must not despair, for the battle is the Lord's.
 
He is our strength. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Things We Know

"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1 Peter 5:4)
 
In these days of relativism, situational ethics, and changing mores, it does a Christian good to note the many things in Scripture we can know, things we can count on, things that do not change. Following is a sampling of such truths, with little comment, intended to encourage the reader to extend the list, perhaps as an ongoing project.
 
We can know that Christ is God: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30).
 
We can know that we are saved: "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life" (John 6:47).
 
We can know we are His dear children: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God" (1 John 3:2).
 
We can know His protection: "And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28).
 
We can know He answers prayer: "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14).
 
We can know He will help us through temptation: "In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18).
 
We can know how we should act: "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done" (John 13:15).
 
We can know He desires us to speak on His behalf: "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).
 
We can know that He will come again: "I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3).
 
We can know of our eternal rewards, as in today's verse: "An inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

If So Be

"If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:3)
 
The little phrase "if so be" (Greek ei per) is used four times in the New Testament, each time setting forth a vital spiritual result established on the basis of a vital spiritual premise. The premise in today's verse is that a new Christian has truly experienced the saving grace of Christ. The result will be that these "newborn babes" will truly "desire the sincere milk of the word" (1 Peter 2:2). The "word" (Greek logikos) is always both pure and reasonable.
 
Then, "ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). When a person truly receives Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells his body, and the result is that he will henceforth live in the guidance of the Spirit instead of the flesh.
 
But this life in the Spirit will necessarily entail suffering for the sake of Christ, and this is the premise that assures our future inheritance and glorification. The indwelling Spirit bears witness that we are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:17).
 
Finally, our future resurrection is assured by the certainty of the bodily resurrection of Christ. "We have testified of God," Paul says, "that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not" (1 Corinthians 15:15). Christ's resurrection is proved as well as any historical fact has ever been proved, so the dead surely rise also.
 
These "if-so-be's" of Scripture, although seemingly expressed in the form of conditions, actually speak great assurances. The true Christian life is one of thirst for the logical words of God, guidance by the indwelling Spirit of God, certainty of future resurrection, and anticipation of a glorious inheritance in Christ. HMM