A Daily Devotional

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Jesus The Bible Teacher



“And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44,45).

On the day of His resurrection, the Lord Jesus had given a wonderful session of Bible teaching to two of His followers on the road to Emmaus. “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the thing concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Later that same evening, Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles and the other disciples, probably in the upper room, and gave a similar study to all of them together, as summarized in our text above.

We can learn much from our Master Teacher concerning how we also should teach the Bible, for it was He, through “the Spirit of Christ” (I Peter 1:11), who in effect wrote the Bible in the first place. Note in both cases, for example, that the whole Bible speaks of Christ in prophecy, or type, or in other ways. Note also that He began with the writings of Moses, which means first of all the account of creation and primeval history which is the foundation of all the rest.

It is evident, too, that He regarded “all the Scriptures” to be of divine authority, which “must be fulfilled,” either at His first coming or His second coming. He believed implicitly in plenary inspiration of the Bible, as well as the miracle of fulfilled prophecy.

Finally, even in the case of these closest followers, it was essential that the Holy Spirit “open their understanding” if they were really to “understand the Scriptures.” All who would hope to be teachers of the Word today should teach as He taught, for He is our teacher.

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All Rights Reserved

“And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand” (I Samuel 25:33).

Abigail was the wife of Nabal, the churl who selfishly slighted David and his men. She prevented David from punishing Nabal and it is instructive to note David’s blessing upon her, in particular the phrase, “avenging myself with mine own hand.” David was, however, avenged, for “it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died” (I Samuel 25:38).

Paul teaches us to “avenge not (our)selves, but rather (to) give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). God reserves and retains the right to avenge.

Nabal’s shepherds had been guarded by David’s men, but when the time came to be recognized as protector, David and his men were rebuffed by Nabal and sent away. In capsule, this is a picture of Christ, our Deliverer and Protector being rejected, and then God, in righteousness, judging the rejector. It is Christ who was “once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28), who “by His own blood . . . entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (v.12). He then is the “righteous judge” (II Timothy 4:, and those who reject Him will, as represented at evil Babylon, be given “the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath” (Revelation 16:19). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” but “he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:16,36). In His sovereignty, God has reserved all rights to vengeance on those who reject the salvation that He, in His own great love, reserved the right to purchase.

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With Christ

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2,3).

The apostle Paul, looking forward to the time when we shall “ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17), wrote: “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you”(Philippians 1:23,24).

The fact is, however, that we can be “with Christ” even while still abiding in the flesh, as Paul himself emphasized. This is the great principle called positional truth. “Positionally,” we are already “with Christ,” for that is where God sees us and how He relates to us. He has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

Before we could be raised up with Christ, however, we first had to die with Him. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). God even saw us as buried with Christ when He was buried, and this is the great truth symbolized in our baptism. “We are buried with Him by baptism into death” (Romans 6:4).

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more” (Romans 6:8,9). He died for us, so our deserved death became His substitutionary death, and His victorious resurrection becomes our own unmerited deliverance from death in eternal resurrection life. This is our position now, and our assured everlasting possession then, for we are with Christ, who “dieth no more.”

This truth is not only a wonderful doctrine, but as we see in our text, a real incentive for godly living.

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Rejection At Home

“Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house” (Mark 6:4).

A town will give great honor to a “home-town boy” if he makes good in athletics or the entertainment world. But if he becomes known as an influential Christian, the home-town folks usually are embarrassed about it.

Jesus Himself experienced this. He grew up in Nazareth, and it was there that He had “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). When He returned to Nazareth, however, after the early days of His ministry, “as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read” (Luke 4:16). He was already recognized there as proficient in the Scriptures, and they had heard tales about His miracles, so the invitation to speak was natural, but there were certain mumblings. “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” they said. “Whence then hath this man all these things?” (Matthew 13:55,56).

At first, “all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22). But then, as He applied a key prophecy to Himself, and rebuked them for their unbelief, they “were filled with wrath” and tried unsuccessfully to slay Him (Luke 4:28,29).

“Neither did His brethren believe in Him” (John 7:5), and only His mother was with Him when He was crucified (John 19:25). As David had written prophetically, “I am become a stranger unto my brethren . . . for the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (Psalm 69:8,9).

Perhaps those Christians who have been rejected by their family and former friends can identify with Jesus when He said: “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35).

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Free To Choose (#19930703)
by David E. Rush, M.S.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

In our major universities, the dominant theories of man’s behavior are deterministic. The only question being debated seems to be how much behavior is determined by heredity (genes) and how much by the environment. The pervasiveness and power of determinism are fully rooted in mechanistic, atheistic evolution. For if evolution is accepted, we must proclaim it the “creator” of our minds and thoughts, as well as of our bodies. It is commonly taught that every thought we have—every feeling of love, hate, fear, joy, purpose—can all be reduced to chemical processes of the brain, which is itself a product of blind and purposeless evolution.

There is only one way out of this bleak picture—one the universities usually don’t consider—that of supernatural creative intervention. True freedom, that is the freedom to choose, comes as a gift of God. Everyone possesses this gift, and God desires that we use this gift to choose rightly—to choose life. “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Some, of course, use their gift to choose against God: “For they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD” (Proverbs 1:29).

To sum up, if we had evolved, this feeling of freedom we have would be illusory; but we have not evolved, and this feeling of freedom we have is true freedom, given by God. Let us determine to use it as He wills, and choose Him, and life.

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Our Source Of Freedom


“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Freedom of choice is a gift God gives to all men. However, after we decide to follow God and accept His gift of grace for salvation, we soon find that we are often too weak to choose what we know to be right.Unless we have the ability to do what we ought to do, instead of merely what we want to do, then we are not fully free. Paul agonizes, “for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. . . . For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members”(Romans 7:15,22,23). But Paul doesn’t leave us hanging; he shares the answer. The answer is the Lord Jesus, the One whom God sent “to preach deliverance to the captives . . . to set at liberty them that are bruised . . . (to make us) free from the law of sin and death” (Luke 4:18; Romans 8:2).

Most of the founding fathers of our country were Christians and understood Jesus to be the origin of freedom. Even those who were not Christians seemed to recognize God as the ultimate giver of freedom. That’s why, together, they could say: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are . . . liberty. . . .” They were able to proclaim this bold Declaration because they had, as they wrote to the earthly king who would soon declare war on them, “a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.” So then, all freedoms, whether free will, political freedom, or the ultimate freedom of Christ, come from God. But many in our country today seem to worship freedom while ignoring its Author. This is another form of worshiping the creation but not the Creator, and is idolatry. We must remember that, if we are “free indeed,” it is because the Son has made us free.

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Are You Still Free?

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Corinthians 3:17).

Any infantry officer knows that the most important part of any successful operation is the “consolidation” phase. After the objective has been taken, the natural inclination is to relax, but well-trained troops know they must immediately dig in and prepare for counterattack. Gains that are not consolidated will soon not be gains after all. As Christians, our battles are not, of course, against “flesh and blood” but against “spiritual wickedness,” for which we need to put on “the whole armor of God” to do combat (Ephesians 6:12,13). As we gain freedom in certain areas of our lives, we must fortify, protect, and nourish that freedom, or it can be lost once again.

To do this, we need to recognize what we are now, “being made free from sin, and become servants to God” (Romans 6:22). We are not set free to do whatever we want, but whatever God wants. “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more . . . ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake . . . only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (I Corinthians 9:19; II Corinthians 4:5; Galatians 5:13). The Christian idea of freedom is to become God’s slave in the hope of hearing Him one day say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

Gaining freedom—and consolidating it—is therefore a continual process, accomplished by being a servant in God’s army. “If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31,32). “I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:45)—the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21).

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The Fire Of God’s Judgment



“For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24; also, Hebrews 12:29).

God uses His fire either to purify and cleanse the believer (blessing) or to bring devastating judgment upon the world of sinners. We need to focus here on God’s consuming fire of judgment.

It all began in Genesis. Adam and Eve were barred from the tree of life by “a flaming sword which turned every way” (3:24). Next, “the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire” (19:24). In Egypt,“there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous” (Exodus 9:24). Nadab and Abihu offered “strange fire before the LORD . . .and there went out fire from the L SIZE="-1">ORD, and devoured them” (Leviticus 10:1,2). In Korah’s uprising, “a fire from the LORD consumed” them (Numbers 10:35). Elijah prayed fire down from heaven in I Kings 1:10,12. Malachi predicted a future day of burning (4:1).

In the New Testament Jesus spoke very graphically about going into “hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched!” (Mark 9:43). He also told of a rich man who died and was “tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). One day Jesus will have to say to those who reject him, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus would come “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God” (II Thessalonians 1:. Jude mentioned, “others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire” (v.23). John wrote, “and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

From Genesis to Revelation the Bible cries out, the hard but necessary word, “FIRE!” “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3).

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Hastening His Coming


"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:.

These very familiar words of the Lord Jesus are commonly considered as a statement of His Great Commission, commanding us to go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Actually, however, it is not given here as a command, but rather as a declarative statement--indeed a prophecy--saying that we shall witness for Him to the very ends of the earth.

Then, His disciples were promised that "this same Jesus" would return (Acts 1:11), with the promise clearly tied to the prophecy. Just a few weeks previously they had asked: "What shall be the sign of thy coming?" (Matthew 24:3). And Jesus had answered: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (v.14). Mark recorded His answer very simply: "The gospel must first be published among all nations" (Mark 13:10).

Peter says that the Lord may seem to have delayed "the promise of His coming" because He "is longsuffering . . . not willing that any should perish," urging us to "account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" (II Peter 3:9,15), suggesting that we should be "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (II Peter 3:12).

We can hardly draw any other conclusion from such passages than that, if we want the Lord to return quickly, we can hasten His coming by fulfilling His command and His prophecy, doing whatever we can to publish His gospel among all nations. His coming has always been imminent, because this could well have been done--and can be done--at any time. But it evidently has not been done yet.

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Fear Of Witnessing


“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18).

Every Christian knows that he or she should witness for Christ, but most are very reluctant to speak in His name very often. The most obvious reason for this hesitancy is fear. Sometimes we may be actually forbidden, as were the apostles, to teach of Him, but their courageous answer was: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29), and so they prayed: “Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy Word” (Acts 4:29).

More common than fear of physical persecution, however, is fear of ridicule, or loss of prestige or position. Such fear is out of character for real Christians, “for God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7). If we love the Lord and those for whom He died, we must learn to conquer our fear of men.

One of the saddest rebukes that could come to a Christian is the indictment lodged against those believers who, because of their high position, refused to take an open stand for Christ: “Among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42,43). How often do modern professional and business men—even theologians—compromise their stand for Christ and His inerrant Word because of fear of peer pressure in what should be their spheres of influence and testimony.

May God give us the courage of Paul. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” he wrote, “for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Romans 1:16).

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The Daily Cross


“And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

This same conversation and challenge is also recorded in Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34, except that only Luke included the term “daily.” Except for one brief reference in Matthew 10:38, this conversation marks the first explicit reference in the Bible to the practice of crucifixion, and it apparently assumes that the disciples were already well aware of this typically Roman method of execution.

“Taking up the cross” referred to the usual requirement that each condemned man haul his own cross to the place of execution. Jesus knew that He would soon have to be doing this Himself (John 19:16,17).

Christians sometimes use this phrase without appreciation of its true meaning, thinking of some burden, such as sickness or poverty, as “the cross” they must bear. Such things can be serious problems, of course, but they are not instruments of execution, such as a cross. In effect, the Lord was telling His disciples that following Him must mean nothing less than a daily willingness to die for Him, if need be. As Paul would say: “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20); “I die daily” (I Corinthians 15:31).

Many disciples have, indeed, suffered martyrdom for Christ’s sake, but all should at least be willing to deny themselves each day. “Taking up the cross” does not necessarily mean dying as Christ did, but it does mean consciously dying each day as “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24), and they gladly affirm this testimony: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).

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The Uttermost Parts Of The Earth


“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Psalm 2:.

This colorful and comprehensive phrase, usually translated “ends of the earth,” occurs no less than thirty times in the Old Testament and five in the New. The verse in our text is God’s promise to His Son (v.7), and it appears again and again. For example: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:. “Now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:4); “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD” (Psalm 22:27).

This divine Son, whose future dominion will extend to the uttermost parts of the earth, is also the Creator of the ends of the earth. “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4). He who both created and will ultimately regain all the ends of the earth will also be their judge. “The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His anointed” (literally, Messiah; I Samuel 2:10).

For the present, however, He is still “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3), both as Creator and as coming King, by all the nations of the world. Nevertheless, He has provided “salvation unto the ends of the earth” for all who will receive Him (Acts 13:47), and He has both commanded and prophesied that His followers must be “witnesses unto me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:. The great message we carry from Him is: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22).

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Reach Out



“Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints” (Philemon 5).

Here Paul is writing to a beloved Christian brother, Philemon. It is a message that bonds their hearts and quickly seals the oneness they know and feel in their Lord. But this written letter is just a manifestation of a persistent prayer relationship that has been going on continuously for some time—“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers” (v.4). How many are in our own prayers continually, for whom we are thanking God for bringing into our lives?

For many, sweet are the times when we call to memory the fragrance of past fellowship, and write those notes of endearment that keep the bond of the past alive. Yet the messages have become more historical in content about family and recreation, and less about the “victories in Jesus.”

What has happened in us that we feel ill at ease writing about our faith, that it may become effectual (v.6)? Is it that “every good thing which is in (us) in Christ Jesus” (v.6) has become dull and ineffectual? Are we dry and empty and without recent victories to keep our faith alive? Are our circumstances routine and humdrum so that even reading God’s Word is a chore, or even worse, a bore?

Just when we reach the bottom, we receive that love letter that rejuvenates our great joy and consoles our love by the sender’s love. And as that letter, or note, or card, or call comes our way, “the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother” (v.7).

More to the point, though, is, what will the message say? Will it contain mere platitudes, or truly lift up our spirit because it brings a testimony of radiance—the “love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus”?

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One God



“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

This great verse has been recited countless times by Israelites down through the centuries, setting forth their distinctive belief in one great Creator God. The Jews had retained their original belief in creation, handed down from Noah, while the other nations had all allowed their original monotheistic creationism to degenerate into a wide variety of religions, all basically equivalent to the polytheistic evolutionism of the early Sumerians at Babel.

But along with its strong assertion of monotheism, there is also a very real suggestion that this declaration, with its thrice-named subject, is also setting forth the Triune God. The name, “L SIZE="-1">ORD,” of course, is Yahweh, or Jehovah, the self-existing One who reveals Himself, while “God” is Elohim, the powerful Creator/Ruler. “Jehovah our Elohim is one Jehovah” is the proclamation. A number of respected Jewish commentators have acknowledged that the verse spoke of a “unified oneness,” rather than an “absolute oneness.” The revered book called the Zohar, for example, even said that the first mention was of the Father; the second one the Messiah; and the third, the Holy Spirit.

The key word “one” (Hebrew achad) is often used to denote unity in diversity. For example, when Eve was united to Adam in marriage, they were said to be “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Similarly, on the third day of creation, the waters were “gathered together unto one place,” yet this gathering together was called “Seas” (i.e., more than one sea; Genesis 1:9,10).

Thus, Israel’s great declaration should really be understood as saying in effect: “The eternally omnipresent Father, also Creator and Sustainer of all things, is our unified self-revealing Lord.”

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Before Their Time



“The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come” (Isaiah 57:1).

How tragic it seems when promising young Christian men or women are cut off “before their time.” Even more painful is the sudden death of a child, before there was ever the opportunity for it to grow up at all. Yet the Christian believer can be confident that such events do not occur before God’s time, for He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). We know that God loves us, because He sent His own beloved Son to die for us. Therefore, “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

It may well be that God has allowed the righteous to perish and the merciful to be taken away, in order to spare them from “the evil to come,” either increasing tribulation in the world, or perhaps the further growth of incipient sin in their own lives. It may be that their “untimely” departure “to be with Christ which is far better” (Philippians 1:23) will be used of God to lead others to Christ and salvation. It also should give their loved ones greater incentive to learn more of God’s Word and its gracious promise, as well as to forsake sin in their lives. In those situations where death seems to have been hastened because of zeal for the Lord, their loved ones can rejoice that the martyr’s “crown of life” (Revelation 2:10) is awaiting them.

Other reasons may exist which we cannot understand now, “for who hath known the mind of the Lord?” (Romans 11:34). But we do know that even a sparrow “shall not fall on the ground without your Father” (Matthew 10:29).

We may not fully understand now, but He does all things well.