A Daily Devotional

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AMEN PR, satan has been attacking the sacredness of marriage, as Christians we ought to do all we can to make sure that marriage remains sacred as God intended it to be, marriage should be between one man and one woman. Marriage is something that should be considered very carefully. It should be forever, and it is something that needs to be worked on by both husband and wife. Both should be in the Lord and the husband should love his wife as Christ loves His church, the wife should have godly submission towards her husband.

Amen sister. It is something that both husband and wife must work together on. It cannot be one sided, but a true union. Just as it is in our union with Jesus Christ.



 

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A Lion in the Way


"The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets" (Proverbs 22:13).

Today there are no known lion populations in the Middle East. But at the time of the Old Testament, they were still fairly common, enough so that the indolent could use it as an excuse to stay indoors. As such, this "king of the beasts" is often used both metaphorically and literally in the Scriptures as a picture of power, danger, and ferocity. We know that both Samson (Judges 14:5-6) and David killed lions(I Samuel 17:34-35).

Twice a lion is utilized by God to bring fatal judgment on a disobedient Israelite (I Kings 13:23-24; 20:35-36). There is even a specific situation where God sent lions into the communities: "And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them" (II Kings 17:25). But there is a promise to those who do fear God: "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet" (Psalm 91:13).

In the New Testament the lion is used to picture the fierce, powerful attack of Satan. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:. But just as David experienced God's victory over the physical lion, we can trust God for strength to fight off Satanic attack. Indeed, in the very next verse we are told to resist him "steadfast in the faith." However, the day is coming when the lion will no longer be an animal to fear. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them" (Isaiah 11:6).

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Accepted In The Beloved


“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

This wonderful verse assures that all who have been saved by God’s grace have been “accepted” by the Lord. However, this is not just a marginal acceptability. The Greek word occurs only one other time in the New Testament, and there it appears in the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary. “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). That is, we are not merely accepted; we are highly favored by God!

This is not because of our own personal merits, of course. It is because God sees us as in His Son; He loves us because He loves Him, and we are in Him.

Although Christ is called God’s “beloved Son” seven times in the New Testament (each time directly by the Father Himself), there is only one other time when He is spoken of simply as “the beloved.” This is in Matthew 12:18 (quoting Isaiah 42:1), “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon Him.”

The love of God the Father for His beloved Son is the root source of every other love in the universe, for it is the one love that is eternal. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). This is what it means to be highly favored in the beloved! This was the prayer of Christ on His way to Gethsemane the night before He went to the cross.

We who are in Him, are predestined to be with Him in glory, to behold His glory, and forever, as redeemed sinners saved by grace through faith, to be “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (text verse).

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The Spiritual Senses


“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Psalm 34:.

Frequently, Scripture uses our five physical senses in a figurative way to help us comprehend our interaction with the heavenly realm of God’s presence and power.

We can “see,” for example, with spiritual eyes. Paul prayed thus for the believer: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

Similarly, we are privileged to hear the voice of the Lord with spiritual ears. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). “A stranger will they not follow, . . . for they know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:5).

The sense of touch is the sense of feeling, and God can both touch and be touched. We read, for example, of “a band of men, whose hearts God had touched” (I Samuel 10:26). Of Jesus Christ, it is said that He is not a remote deity “which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). Even people who never knew Him can perhaps “feel after Him, and find Him” (Acts 17:27) if they truly desire His great salvation.

We can even become “unto God a sweet savor of Christ” (II Corinthians 2:15). To the world, the faithful Christian life and testimony can either be “the savor of death unto death” to those who refuse it, or “the savor of life unto life” (II Corinthians 2:16).

Finally, we are exhorted actually to taste the Lord, and see that He is good! His Word will be, according to our needs, either “sincere milk” (I Peter 2:2), “strong meat” (Hebrews 5:14), or “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).

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Prayer Of The Whole Heart


“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12,13).

There are many promises and instances of answered prayer in the Bible. Unfortunately, many of us really don’t seem to believe them, and therefore don’t experience the answers to our prayers. Halfhearted praying may sometimes secure partial answers, but God exhorts us to pray wholeheartedly. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

The principle is timeless, and is stressed often in the Word. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3). God’s resources are unlimited, but our motives must be pure, and our prayers must be from the heart. “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:6). “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).

In addition to right motives and genuine faith, there must be deep sincerity as we pray from the heart. “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” said Jesus (Luke 18:1), who Himself found it necessary to pray long and earnestly. “Rising up a great while before day, He . . . departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

The early church followed His teaching and example, and saw His blessing. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14). “And they continued steadfastly . . . in prayers” (Acts 2:42). “We will give ourselves continually to prayer” (Acts 6:4). Consequently, “The word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly” (Acts 6:7). God is honored when we search for Him and pray to Him with all our hearts.

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Diligent Faith


“Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” (Hebrews 4:11).

At first glance, this verse seems to command opposite actions simultaneously. On the one hand, “we which have believed do enter into rest” (Hebrews 4:3), and on the other, we are to “labor,” implying work. Some Greek words translated as “labor” do, indeed, have the connotation of toiling, or weariness, as in Matthew 11:28: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” However, the Greek word for “labor” in our text verse is only translated thus in this one particular instance. It is more commonly translated “diligence” or “diligent,” and means to use speed, to make an effort, to be prompt, or earnest. Hebrews 3:7,8 (quoting Psalm 95) further explains: “To day [denoting readiness or promptness] if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” We are enjoined to “be not slothful” (Hebrews 6:12) or “dull of hearing” (5:11), “for unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [the children of Israel]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). We are to be “followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12).

Although we who believe and have entered into His rest have “ceased from [our] own works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:10), our diligent faith produces “good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity” (II Peter 1:5–7).

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In The Lord's Army


“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Timothy 2:3,4).

This is a day that has been set aside in America to remember those who served in conflict in the Armed Forces. The memory of these good soldiers calls to mind the words in our text, where Paul adjures each of us to be disciplined and hardened soldiers of Jesus Christ.

This verse is well known to many people, but there is little doubt that we view this verse in far too shallow a fashion. In these days of relative peace and prosperity, we lose sight of what it was really like to be in armed conflict, and tend to think this passage is teaching that we should not be overly materialistic—that we should be willing to give up some of the pleasures and luxuries of life to be more effective soldiers of Jesus Christ.

We need, however, to remember that a soldier in a real war gives up virtually all comforts, perhaps even going without meals or a place to sleep. Totally left behind are father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children. Nothing can be permitted to “entangle” the soldier, for his sole duty is to serve, obey, and please his commanding officer—even to die, if need be, on the field of battle. Without such commitment, the battle will likely be lost.

Could it be that we as soldiers in the service of Jesus Christ have not been the disciplined and dedicated soldiers that we should be? Have we, in essence, been “playing” at war—not having the discipline or desire to make the sacrifices necessary for victory? Since ours is a cause far greater than that of any nation at war, should not we be willing to do whatever it takes to “please Him Who hath chosen him to be a soldier?”

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Not Many Wise Men


“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (I Corinthians 1:26).

For the most part, the rich and famous of this world, the wise and powerful, have always looked down on the followers of Christ and the Scriptures. This seems increasingly true today, and many believers have been led to compromise as a result. Rather than being discouraged by the intellectual snobbery of educated and powerful unbelievers, however, we should rejoice in this further proof of the prophetic inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

This passage is, in fact, a remarkably fulfilled prophecy, true for almost 2000 years. Christians have founded great universities to train people in God’s truth, only to see them taken over, one after another, by the ungodly leaders of this present world. Missionaries have carried the gospel to heathen lands, only to be superseded by wealth-seeking materialists who exploit and subvert their converts.

Paul did not say “Not any,” of course, but “Not many.” God always has raised up a few brilliant or powerful men (such as Paul himself) who have devoted their abilities and influence to the Lord and His Word, but these have always been the exception. There have been a few godly kings and generals, a few Christ-honoring artists and musicians of great talent, but they are far outnumbered by the others.

But we must remember that God said long ago that that was the way it would be. “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence” (I Corinthians 1:27–29).

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The "shall Not's"


“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” (John 3:16).

There are many wonderful promises to the believer listed in the gospel of John. Let us consider seven of these which teach of things which “shall not” happen to the believer.

Teaching of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Christ said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Similarly, “Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Furthermore, He taught: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Our deepest needs are met in Him.

Having once believed, we are placed into His family and He promises “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28). In Him, we are utterly secure. Why? “He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Consequently, we have no fear of death. “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25,26).

As the familiar verse in our text tells us, if we only believe “that He gave His only begotten Son,” we shall “not perish, but have everlasting life.”

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Abiding Words


“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

In order for the words of the Lord really to abide in us, it seems clear that we should commit as many of them to memory—not only in our minds, but in our hearts—as we possibly can. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart,” the psalmist said, “that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

There are many promises of blessing to those who have God’s word in their hearts. “For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips” (Proverbs 22:18). “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; . . . Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1,5).

Both the apostle Paul and the apostle Peter have noted the importance of Scripture memorization. Paul says: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

Peter’s exhortation is as follows: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets [i.e., the Old Testament Scriptures], and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior [i.e., the New Testament Scriptures]” (II Peter 3:1,2). The words “be mindful” mean essentially “recall to mind.” Since the Scriptures cannot be recalled to mind unless they've first been installed in the mind, nor can they abide in our hearts unless we first hide them in our hearts, now is the time to begin!

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The Son Of Consolation

“And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet” (Acts 4:36,37).

The apostles renamed this unique servant to match his God-given gift of building up others. Let’s look at this trait in action. When Saul of Tarsus was converted to become the apostle Paul, there were many believers who were skeptical about his transformation. Indeed, “they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26). It was Barnabas who came alongside as a comforter to Paul and who served as a character witness for the acceptance of Paul by those at Jerusalem.

The other side of this behavior of consoling others is that of exhorting others. After the church acknowledged that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles also, Barnabas was sent out to Antioch to minister to new believers in that city. Upon arriving, he saw evidence that the grace of God was exhibited in the lives of these believers, and exhorted both believers and non-believers to “cleave unto the Lord” (Acts 11:23). As a result, “much people was added unto the Lord” (v.24).

It is evident that Barnabas could be such a great consoler because he himself was filled with the Holy Spirit. His life and testimony radiated the presence of Christ, so much so that Barnabas was referred to as “a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith” (v.24). His walk with God was so committed, that as he was chosen for missionary work, “the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:2,3).

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The Meek Of The Earth


“Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger” (Zephaniah 2:3).

This phrase, “the meek of the earth,” occurs three times in the Bible (see also Psalm 76:9, which promises their salvation; and Isaiah 11:4, which assures them justice). Our text promises deliverance from God’s wrath.

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5), said Jesus, referring to the promise of Psalm 37:11: “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

There are many other similar promises: “The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way” (Psalm 25:9). “He will beautify the meek with salvation” (Psalm 149:4), so we need to put on “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (I Peter 3:4).

That meekness is not weakness is made clear from the first use of the word in the Bible. “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Moses was strong and courageous, but also deeply humble and self-sacrificing; a man of prayer and trust in the word of God, willing to defend it at all costs. The Lord Jesus defined meekness in terms of His own human character: “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

A meek spirit enables a Christian to maintain composure in the face of opposition, to accept adversity without complaint; promotion without arrogance; demotion without resentment. It produces a peace which no trouble can disturb and which no prosperity can puff up. Therefore, as our text commands: “Seek meekness!”

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Israel's Confession Of Faith

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5).

As stated in the Law, Deuteronomy 6:4–9 was to be recited by all Jews both morning and evening, for it contains God’s basic plan for passing on the message of God from generation to generation.

The primary teaching is contained in verse 4. There is only one God, indivisible, although in three persons. His divine uniqueness precludes the worship of any other deity. The response to this message is that we should love that God with our entire being. Jesus Christ recognized this as the first and greatest commandment (Mark 12:30), teaching that obedience to it fulfilled one’s duty to the entire law.

The message was so important that God even gave the mechanics for passing it on. In verse 6, we see that “these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” Each person, particularly parents (v.7), needed a heart commitment to God’s commandments, statutes, and judgments (vv.1,2). Next, they had to commit themselves to raising up a godly heritage. “Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children” (v.7). This teaching was to be first of all, oral teaching. They were also to dress in such a way that it reflected their commitment to the law of God (v. and they were to place visual reminders of the law of God all around their homes so that the children were constantly reminded of the things of God (v.9). Christians need to discover the truth of this passage. We must not merely assume the godly teaching of our children, but also actively cultivate it. At stake is not only the personal walk of our children, but also the eternal message of God. JDM November 18 - CHRISTIAN PROPORTIONATE GIVING

“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (I Corinthians 16:2).

Although the New Testament writers frequently commend and encourage generous giving to the Lord’s work (e.g., II Corinthians 8,9; Philippians 3:10–19), this seems to be the only verse where a systematic method of giving is suggested. The only references to tithing in the New Testament are set in the context of either the Jewish or patriarchal economies and so are not directly applicable to the Christian economy, although the principles are instructive.

The particular collection referred to in our text was for what we today would call a “designated offering,” but probably this principle of regular and systematic giving for the over-all work of the Lord was also carried out in similar fashion, since no other method is ever prescribed in the New Testament for Christians. Although tithing is not specifically mentioned as the standard, the principle of proportionate giving is clearly commanded. Those who have been most “prospered” by the Lord should contribute the most, but all should contribute something out of what the Lord has given them. Recall that Jesus gave special commendation to the poor widow who gave “all her living” (Mark 12:44), and that Paul gave special commendation to the Philippian believers whose “deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (II Corinthians 8:2).

Their giving was also to be regular and systematic, on “the first day of the week,” not just sporadic or impulsive. Of course, if a person received wages say, only once a month, it could all be given on the first Lord’s day following, since it was only that day on which he had been “prospered,” as it were. And it should, of course, be given cheerfully and thankfully (II Corinthians 9:7,11).

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Christian Proportionate Giving


“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (I Corinthians 16:2).

Although the New Testament writers frequently commend and encourage generous giving to the Lord’s work (e.g., II Corinthians 8,9; Philippians 3:10–19), this seems to be the only verse where a systematic method of giving is suggested. The only references to tithing in the New Testament are set in the context of either the Jewish or patriarchal economies and so are not directly applicable to the Christian economy, although the principles are instructive.

The particular collection referred to in our text was for what we today would call a “designated offering,” but probably this principle of regular and systematic giving for the over-all work of the Lord was also carried out in similar fashion, since no other method is ever prescribed in the New Testament for Christians. Although tithing is not specifically mentioned as the standard, the principle of proportionate giving is clearly commanded. Those who have been most “prospered” by the Lord should contribute the most, but all should contribute something out of what the Lord has given them. Recall that Jesus gave special commendation to the poor widow who gave “all her living” (Mark 12:44), and that Paul gave special commendation to the Philippian believers whose “deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (II Corinthians 8:2).

Their giving was also to be regular and systematic, on “the first day of the week,” not just sporadic or impulsive. Of course, if a person received wages say, only once a month, it could all be given on the first Lord’s day following, since it was only that day on which he had been “prospered,” as it were. And it should, of course, be given cheerfully and thankfully (II Corinthians 9:7,11).

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Faithful In Ministry

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (I Timothy 1:12).

Paul, in a similar manner to Daniel, walked closely to the Lord and made known to those around him the benefits of a dedicated life. Daniel had the impossible task, just like the other wise men of Babylon, to reveal, and then to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The one big difference favoring Daniel’s success was that he had dedicated his life to serving God and had all of God’s resources at his disposal. He knew that his God could and would reveal the matter to him so as to bring glory unto Himself. “I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter” (Daniel 2:23).

Enabling leads to good works: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (II Corinthians 9:. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

The result of being available, willing, and faithful to the work of the Lord may be more far-reaching than is immediately apparent. After the survival of Daniel and his friends from the fiery furnace, the king decreed that all people should honor Daniel’s God. “Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. . . . Because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort” (Daniel 3:28,29).