A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

The Price Of Sparrows


“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father” (Matthew 10:29).

This fascinating bit of first-century pricing information, seemingly so trivial, provides a marvelous glimpse into the heart of the Creator. Of all the birds used for food by the people of those days, sparrows were the cheapest on the market, costing only a farthing for a pair of them. In fact, they cost even less in a larger quantity, for, on another occasion, Jesus said: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?” (Luke 12:6). The “farthing” was a tiny copper coin of very small value, so that a sparrow was all but worthless in human terms.

And yet the Lord Jesus said that God knows and cares about every single sparrow! God had a reason for everything He created; each kind of animal has its own unique design for its own intended purpose. Modern biologists continue to waste time and talent developing imaginary tales about how all these multitudes of different kinds of creatures might have evolved from some common ancestor, but they would really be better scientists if they would seek to understand the creative purpose of each creature, rather than speculating on its imaginary evolution.

The better we comprehend the amazing complexity and purposive design of each creature, the better we realize the infinite wisdom and power of their Creator. Then, all the more wonderful it is to learn that their Creator is our Father! He has placed them all under our dominion, and we need to learn to see them through His eyes, if we would be good stewards of the world He has committed to us. We can also thank our heavenly Father that we “are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31).

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Whom They Pierced


“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).

For centuries now, Jewish scholars have pondered the meaning and interpretation of this verse, and as one might imagine, there have been many varied interpretations. Since they cannot allow admission that they themselves pierced Jehovah, some have applied it to the nation of Israel, with its persecutions in mind. But to resolve the issue the question must be answered, “Who is this ‘whom,’ who has been pierced?”

Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word translated “whom” is simply the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph and Tau, elsewhere denoting completeness and transcendency. Next, consider the fact that the primary name for God in Scripture, Jehovah, conveys a similar thought, although difficult to translate. Evidently the name Jehovah communicates, among other things, the all-encompassing and ever self-existing nature of God.

These two thoughts come together when our text for the day is quoted in Revelation 1:7,8. “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

It is as if Jehovah Himself is asking the question: “Do you doubt whom it is you pierced? I am the Aleph Tau, the Alpha Omega, Jehovah the Almighty, the beginning and the ending of all things.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Be Sure

“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

Most things in this life are uncertain; nevertheless, there are some things about which we can be absolutely sure. Just as God warned Adam that if he disobeyed His Word, he would “surely die” (Genesis 2:17), so He warns us that we can be sure our sins will ultimately be exposed. “The foundation of God standeth sure” (II Timothy 2:19).

On the other side of the coin, we can also be sure of God’s mercy and faithfulness, and we can be sure of the truth of His Word. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place” (II Peter 1:19). We also can be sure of His promised salvation. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast” (Hebrews 6:19). Thus we can, through faith and patience, show “the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (Hebrews 6:11).

Finally, we can be sure that our Lord Jesus, who came once to die for our sins, will come back again to complete His work of redemption and reconciliation. The very last promise of the Bible consists of His gracious words: “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20).

However, each of us must first make sure that we believe His sure word and have appropriated this sure hope. “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”(II Peter 1:10,11). We can be sure that our sins must be judged, but we also can be sure of His forgiveness, if we believe His sure promises and receive His sure salvation.

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Touch Not Mine Anointed

“And (David) said unto his men, the LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD” (I Samuel 24:6).

These words have been widely misappropriated in later times as a warning to any who would presume to question or rebuke an erring pastor or other Christian leader. In the theocracy of Israel, there were three groups of men specially chosen by God and then anointed for their offices-prophets, priests, and kings-and God indeed “suffered no man to do them wrong” (Psalm 105:14). However, all three offices were completely fulfilled in Christ. The Levitical priesthood has been abolished, and Christ is our eternal high priest. The prophetic office ceased with the completion of the Scriptures, and Christ has inherited David’s throne forever.

As far as New Testament anointing is concerned, this is now accomplished in every true believer. “Now He which . . . hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (II Corinthians 1:21,22). No longer are we dependent on special instruction and guidance from priests and prophets, for we have the written Word of God, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. “The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (I John 2:27).

Christians can, and should, learn and grow spiritually from godly teachers of the Word and faithful pastors of the flock, but all-leaders as well as learners-must continually be subject to correction from God’s Word, “neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock” (I Peter 5:3).

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The Suffering And The Glory

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (I Peter 5:10).

The sufferings of Christ have been chronicled in many portions of Scripture: “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair” (Isaiah 50:6). “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14). “All my bones are out of joint. . . . My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death” (Psalm 22:14,15). But God, after Christ was “made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,” has “crowned (Him) with glory and honor”(Hebrews 2:9). “For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect (complete, finished) through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). We who are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (I Peter 1:23) have “received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

“Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (I Peter 4:13). Christ must “needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead” (Acts 17:3) to “(take) away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and we, by faith, as children of God and joint-heirs with Christ, “always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (II Corinthians 4:10), but “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

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When Messiah Came


“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times” (Daniel 9:25).

This remarkable prophecy, given through the angel Gabriel to Daniel the prophet, actually predicted the date of the coming of Christ nearly 500 years in advance. From the announcement to the coming of “Messiah the Prince,” there would be 69 “weeks” (literally “sevens,” meaning in this context “seven-year periods”). That is, Messiah would come as the Prince 483 years after the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem. There is some uncertainty about the exact date of the decree, as well as the exact length of these prophetic years, but in each calculation the termination date is at least near, or in some, exactly the time when Christ entered Jerusalem to be acknowledged as its promised king.

However, Gabriel’s prophecy went on to say: “And after (the) threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off” (Daniel 9:26). That is, although he would come as promised, instead of being gladly crowned as king, He would be slain. Since the 483-year period terminated long ago, it is clear that Messiah must already have come, and then been put to death at that time.

The terms of this remarkable prophecy have been precisely fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone, and no one coming later could have done so. It is no wonder that He wept over Jerusalem, pronouncing her coming judgment, “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:44).

We, like He, should weep and pray for Israel. Yet, in God’s omniscient planning, “through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles” (Romans 11:11), and in this we can rejoice.

[Soldier4Christ]

Not This Man


“Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber” (John 18:40).

This is the attitude of the world toward its Creator and Redeemer. Jesus Christ “was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:10,11).

“Not this man!” they cried, and still cry today. “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). Even in a nation founded as a Christian nation, the name of Jesus Christ is banished from the schools, ignored in the halls of government, and blasphemed on the streets.

And whom will they choose instead of “this Man?” Then they preferred Barabbas, who was not only a robber, but also a revolutionary and a murderer (Luke 23:19). Today, they idolize the atheist Darwin, or the robber Lenin, or the revolutionary Mao, or the murderer Hitler, or any one of a thousand anti-Christs, but they will not have Christ.

What, then, will they do with Christ? “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him” (John 19:15) was the cry even of the religious leaders during His life here on earth, and it is little different today. “Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you” proclaimed Peter (Acts 3:14). “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ” (Acts 4:26).

The rejection of Christ today is often more subtle, but it is just as real. Rulers, industrialists, scientists, educators, and commentators all say, in deed, if not in word, that “(they) will not have this man to reign over (them)” (Luke 19:14). “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

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On His Side

“Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God He shall fight for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22).

As the people of Israel stood on the banks of the Jordan River facing the Promised Land, they were also facing some difficult times. Ahead of them were well-established kingdoms, fortified cities, and even giants in the land. Their enemies were experienced warriors, while the Israelites, recently freed from slavery, were not. From a human perspective, they had every reason to fear, but Moses taught differently. He claimed that God would fight for them; there was no need for fear. Indeed, there was plenty of evidence of this in Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt, their victories over enemies along the way, and God’s providence for them in the wilderness.

Abraham Lincoln was once asked if he felt that God was on his side, to which he responded that it had never occurred to him to ask, but he constantly asked himself if he was on God’s side.

And that is the key! If we are on God’s side, He will fight for us. He will not fight for us if we are involved in an improper cause. We must be about the carrying out of His will. If we know we are on His side, we have every right to expect Him to fight for us, and no right at all to be afraid.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (II Timothy 1:7,8). “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 8:15).

Our lives and efforts should be a constant testimony “that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever” (Joshua 4:24).

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Relative Hatred

“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

These seem like strange, even shocking words, coming from the Lord Jesus Christ as they do. It is obvious, however, that He is not urging hatred of one’s relatives here, but rather is referring to hatred in a relative sense—relative to one’s love for God and His will, that is.

Jesus has commanded us to “love thy neighbor” (Matthew 22:39), and even to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), so it is certain that He expects us to love our families. But love for God must be paramount. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind” (Luke 10:27).

There are some cases, however, when, in so loving the Lord, “a man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matthew 10:36). Happily, such cases are the exception, but, if ever such a choice has to be made, the one who would truly be Christ’s disciple must follow Him at all costs. For, as Jesus went on to say, “whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Even in such unfortunate cases, we are still commanded to “honor thy father and mother” (Ephesians 6:2), and to “provoke not your children to anger” (Colossians 3:21). The Lord Jesus has left us the example. Though His mission was long rejected by His human family (John 7:3–5), He remained patient with them, while at the same time placing God first. “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35). Eventually His mother was found among His disciples (Acts 1:14), as were at least two of His brothers (I Corinthians 9:5). Thus genuine love for God will often find itself reflected later in the love of one’s family for Him as well.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Blindness Of Israel


“What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded” (Romans 11:7).

One of the saddest aspects of our world is the blindness of Israel. Even the Orthodox Jews, who strongly affirm their belief in the Old Testament Scriptures, seem unable to see what the Scriptures clearly show, that their Messiah has come and gone. In the first book of the Torah, we read: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between His feet until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10). Ancient Jewish commentators agreed that Shiloh was another name for Messiah, but this very fact should prove to modern Jewish expositors that Messiah has already come, for the scepter (the symbol of national leadership) did depart from Judah, very soon after Jesus was crucified.

King David was the first descendent of Judah to attain the scepter of leadership among the tribes of Israel, and the divine promises were clear that Messiah would be in David’s lineage. That Jesus' legal father, Joseph, and human mother, Mary, were both in that lineage was shown in the genealogies of Matthew 1:1–17 and Luke 3:23–38, respectively, both of which were written when the genealogical records in the Temple were still intact. No one at that time ever questioned their validity, in spite of intense opposition by the Jews to the claims of Jesus and His disciples, that He was the Messiah. In 70 A.D., the records and the Temple were destroyed, so that no later claimant to the title could ever prove his right to the throne. Messiah had come, and was slain, so the scepter departed from Judah until He comes again. It is certain that Jesus was, indeed, the Jews' promised Messiah, and we should pray that God will soon open their eyes to see and believe.

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Who and What to Esteem


"Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward" (Hebrews 11:26).

We hear much today about the importance of self-esteem, with the implication that lack of self-esteem is the cause of many of the personal problems and antisocial activities of so many young people (and others as well) these days.

But this is not the Biblical perspective. The problem really is too much self-esteem. The Biblical command is that we should "in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" (Philippians 2:3). The man Moses was once a prince of Egypt, probably in line to become the pharaoh, but he chose Christ and the people of God instead, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" (text).

Paul the apostle could have become the greatest teacher and leader in the religio/political life of his own Jewish people, but he said: "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:7-8). In these verses, "count" is the same word in the original Greek language as "esteem."

Similarly, the apostle James assures us that we should "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations"--that is, trials that test your faith--"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:2-3).

Therefore, if we would truly conform to the will of God for our lives, we should be esteeming others more than cultivating self-esteem in ourselves, esteem knowing and serving Christ more than all the riches and fame of the world, and esteem it a joyful privilege when we are enabled to grow more like Him through the trials and testings He permits us to share.

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The Firstborn Of Every Creature

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” (Colossians 1:15).

A widespread cultic heresy based on this verse claims that Jesus Christ was not eternal, but merely the first being created—perhaps an angel—before becoming a man. Note, however, that the verse does not say He was the “first created of every creature,” but the “first born of every creature.” In fact, the very next verse says that “by Him were all things created” (v.16). He was never created, for He, Himself, is the Creator. “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).

He is “born” of God, not “made,” the “only begotten Son” of God (John 3:16). “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18). The eternal Father is omnipresent, and therefore invisible, inaudible, inaccessible to the physical senses. The eternally existing Son is the “image” of the invisible Father, the One who declares, reveals, embodies His essence. Although He is always “in the bosom of the Father,” yet He is eternally also “the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). He is the eternal, living Word, which was “in the beginning with God” (John 1:2), and which “was God” (John 1:1).

Thus the phrase, “firstborn of every creature” in our text, can be translated literally as “begotten before all creation.” The eternal inter-relationship of the Persons of the Godhead is beyond human comprehension in its fullness, and the terms, “Son” and “begotten” are the best human language can do to describe it. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the only begotten, eternally generated, Son of the Father, forever shining forth as the image of the otherwise invisible God.

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Peace Initiative

“And if the Son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again” (Luke 10:6).

Christ sent His seventy disciples out to witness “into every city and place” (v.1), but before they left, He gave them some instruction about what to do under various circumstances. One guideline was to test the reception of a home, by saying, “Peace be to this house” (v.5). If the disciples felt at peace, they were to stay and receive the hospitality given. If not, then they were to shake even the dust of the city from their being (v.11) and proceed along to a new destination.

The word “peace” is translated from eirene in Greek, or shalom, in Hebrew. It refers to wholeness or completeness in the inner parts of man, with need of nothing else, and should characterize each of us, as believers. “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (II Corinthians 13:11).

Still, there is more to this situation than simply a greeting and overnight stay, for within the verbal probe at the door, is a spiritual sensing of the receptivity to the gospel. These men went out two by two to preach the gospel of Christ, telling of His character and mission. The message they had was one of spiritual peace with God through acceptance of the work of Jesus—“the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” (v.11). Their message and mission were urgent, and could scarcely be wasted on those who were not interested.

Many times it is difficult to detect the presence of God’s Spirit in the heart of another. Here is one instrument—using man’s spirit of peace—to find God’s spirit of peace in the midst of those who are tender for the message of salvation. Reconciliation and fellowship follow. “He that heareth you heareth me” (v.16).

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A Song In The Darkest Night

“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26).

Here is a verse which surpasses all understanding, for it tells how our Savior joined in singing a psalm with His disciples just before going out into the darkest night of the soul which anyone would ever experience. There He would meet the fierce blasts of the wicked one trying to slay Him before He could even reach the cross. “This is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53), He would soon be saying to the arresting party accompanying Satan-possessed Judas, with his kiss of death.

But before that, He must struggle with Satan and the powers of evil, and even with His own human soul, as He began to taste that terrible cup. “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red . . . but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them” (Psalm 75:. This is the cup which He must drink, if He would bear God’s holy wrath on the sin of the whole world, as He had come to do.

No wonder, in the garden, He “began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy.” Soon He would say: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death” (Mark 14:33,34). The words speak of stunned astonishment and intense mental distress; sorrow so great as to kill Him even in the garden, had not an angel come to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43). Three times He prayed earnestly that He might somehow be spared the terrible cup that He was beginning to drink. Yet He could pray, “Thy will be done” (Matthew 26:42). “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11). And He could even sing on the way to shame and spitting, scourging and suffering like no one else would ever know, and then He would die for our sins on the cross.

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The Honest Apostles



“(We) have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (II Corinthians 4:2).

One of the most futile and foolish arguments of unbelievers is to accuse the New Testament writers of trying to foist off tales of a supernatural Christ on gullible people. The writings of these men contain strong condemnations of all dishonesty and deceit, and it is impossible that they could simultaneously engage in such a gigantic conspiracy as this would demand. Paul’s claim in our text, for example, would be the worst sort of hypocrisy in such a case. Peter said: “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word” (I Peter 2:1,2). John warned: “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:.

But the clinching proof of their honesty and sincerity was their willingness to suffer for their testimony. Paul said: “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labor, working with our own hands: Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat; we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day” (I Corinthians 4:11–13). All the apostles and writers of the New Testament (except John, who also suffered severe persecution throughout his long life) eventually died as martyrs for their faith, and it is incredible that they would have suffered and died for a message they knew to be a lie. We can have complete confidence that the New Testament records are honest reports of sincere and godly men.