Days of Praise

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July 13, 2023
He Became Poor
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

The doctrine of Christ’s kenosis, or self-emptying, is one of the most amazing of all biblical truths. The extent to which He who was not only “in the form of God” but also “equal with God” condescended to “make himself of no reputation” (the translation of kenoo in Philippians 2:6-7) is utterly beyond human comprehension.

He who once sat on the throne of the universe came to Earth “lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). Throughout His public ministry, He had “not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Because He had no money to pay the tax, He had to catch a fish with the necessary coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:27). In His agony at Gethsemane, none of His friends would pray with Him, and when He was arrested they all “forsook him and fled” (Matthew 26:40, 56). No one defended Him at His trial.

On the cross, the soldiers stripped away His only personal possessions—the clothes on His back—and then “parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take” (Mark 15:24). When He died, His body had to be buried in a tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:59-60). No home, no money, no possessions, no defenders, not even a tomb of His own in which to lie.

But He had a cross on which to die, and because He was obedient to the death of the cross, “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). Through His poverty we become rich, through His homelessness we have a mansion in heaven, and through His terrible death on Calvary we have everlasting life. Yes, we do know the grace of Christ! HMM

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July 14, 2023 Son of Man “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” (Revelation 14:14) This is the last of some 87 New Testament references (84 in the four gospels, one in Acts, none in the epistles, two in Revelation) to Christ as the Son of man. Here we see the Son of man coming on a white cloud from heaven (just as He had ascended into heaven after His resurrection) as the conquering King of all the earth. What a contrast this is to the first New Testament reference to the Son of man. “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). From humility and poverty on Earth to power and riches in heaven, and for all eternity—this was His journey when Christ left His heavenly glory to join the human family. In between the poverty and the power lay the whole human experience, for He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Finally, as Son of man He must die for man’s sin, for “the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:7). Even in heaven He is still the Son of man, for Stephen saw Him thus: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). There is, indeed, a great man in the glory! Christ called Himself “the Son of man” much more often than “the Son of God,” though He will eternally be both, the God/man. He delights to identify with those whom He has redeemed, for He “is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” asked Jesus. Then we say with Peter, “Thou art...the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13, 16). HMM

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July 15, 2023 God's Well-Designed Creation “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” (Psalm 139:14-18)   All of God’s creatures are fearfully and wonderfully made. Just look at the direct hand of God in the well-designed formation of a baby, as described in today’s passage.   Lamentably, Darwin’s Pandora’s box of death-based, anti-design, hit-and-miss ideology is alive and well in many origins teachings, conflicting with the theology that’s celebrated in this psalm. Regrettably, many believers are “evolutionized” in their thinking. They hold on to the vestiges of natural selection, which treats the chaos, mutations, and death that sin thrust into God’s originally “very good” creation as though they are the building blocks God used to create! Many have sold out to anti-design theory, evolution’s “center of gravity” for Darwinian ideology. In fact, natural selection’s broken randomness is counter to God’s “wonderfully made” design as depicted in Psalm 139.   We see the reverse of randomness as we view the marvelous Designer’s works. We must turn from past compromises and examine God’s ordered creation through the lens of Scripture, praising Yahweh’s wisdom, power, and genius, and proclaiming, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). CM

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July 16, 2023
Knowing Jesus Christ
“I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:24)

Today’s verse records the response of a demonic host just before Christ cast it out. In Mark 1:34, we are told that Jesus “suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.”

One thing we can learn from this is the uselessness of a mere intellectual knowledge of Jesus Christ. Playing off this idea, James 2:19 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” The problem is that the demons knew who Christ was—as did many of the scribes, Pharisees, and other Jews of the day who witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand—but this knowledge was not unto salvation.

A mere knowledge of the truths and doctrines of Christianity will never save one’s soul. This type of intellectual acknowledgement is no better than the belief of the devils who knew that Jesus is Christ. Clearly, our faith in Jesus needs to be of the heart as well as the head. Our knowledge, faith, and love of Christ should also have a sanctifying effect on our affections and our lives.

Let us not only believe that Jesus is God’s Son and the Savior of the world but rejoice in Him and cleave to Him with purpose of heart. Let us not merely be acquainted with Him by head knowledge but by daily prayer imploring His mercy and grace. “The life of Christianity,” said the reformer Martin Luther, “consists in possessive pronouns.” It’s one thing to say “Christ is a Savior” but quite another to say “He is my Savior and my Lord.” True Christianity is one of daily relationship and dependency on the Lord Jesus Christ. JPT

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July 17, 2023
The First Love
“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 the very heart of the moving prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ in the upper room before His arrest and crucifixion. As we hear Him pray, we are translated back in time, before time began, and there we encounter the indescribable love within the counsels of the triune Godhead—Father, and Son, and Spirit—three persons, yet one God.

Then, after speaking of this love, Jesus prayed—in the final words of His sure-to-be-answered prayer—“that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (v. 26).

This love—the love within the Trinity—was the primeval love and, therefore, is the spring from which flows every other form of true love—marital love, mother love, brotherly love, love of country, love of friends, love for the lost, or any other genuine love.

It’s appropriate that the first mention of love in the Old Testament refers to the love of a father (Abraham) for his son Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and then that the first reference to love in the New Testament (Matthew 3:17) speaks of the heavenly love of God the Father for God the Son. In both cases, the son is called “beloved,” yet in both cases the father and son are prepared to go to the altar of sacrifice, that the will of God might be done and a way of salvation be provided for lost sinners.

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). One day—as He prayed—we shall be with Him, see His glory, and even experience His own eternal love in our hearts. HMM

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July 18, 2023
Thine, O Lord
“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

This is one of the great doxologies of Scripture, originally a part of King David’s prayer at the time of Solomon’s coronation as his successor. Although David and Solomon were the greatest kings of Israel, and two of the greatest kings in the world of their age, David rightly acknowledged that the Lord Himself was the true King, not only of Israel, but of all heaven and Earth. He is head, the supreme ruler, over all.

This is the first occurrence in Scripture of the great testimony of worship: “Thine is the kingdom.” In the modern world, however, there are relatively few who acknowledge Him as King of creation. Except for a small minority, most people believe that the universe has evolved and man is king.

But David’s prayer will be echoed again in the great prayer of the cherubim: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). Then, soon afterward, “the four and twenty elders” utter their prayer: “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty...because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned” (Revelation 11:16-17).

Someday, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. “Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion....Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth....Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:6, 10, 12). In that day, “there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3). HMM

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July 19, 2023 They That Wait upon the Lord “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) This is one of the best-loved promises of the Bible, for it is easy to grow weary and faint in our mortal bodies, even when doing the work of the Lord. The answer, we are told, is to “wait upon the LORD.” But what does this mean? The Hebrew word (gavah) does not mean “serve” but rather to “wait for” or “look for.” It is translated “waited for” the second time it is used in the Bible, when the dying patriarch Jacob cried out: “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD” (Genesis 49:18). The first time it is used, surprisingly, is in connection with the third day of creation, when God said: “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place” (Genesis 1:9). That is, the all-pervasive waters of the original creation, divided on the second day of creation, now are told to wait patiently, as it were, while God formed the geosphere, the biosphere, and the astrosphere, before dealing again with the waters. Perhaps the clearest insight into its meaning is its use in the picture of Christ foreshadowed in the 40th Psalm. “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). “The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary” (Isaiah 40:28), and His gracious promise is that we can “renew our strength” (literally, “exchange our strength,” our weakness for His strength!) by “waiting upon [Him].” We wait patiently for Him, we gather together unto Him, we look for Him, we cry unto Him, we trust Him, and He renews our strength! HMM

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July 20, 2023 Fellowship with the Father “...and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3)   One marvelous reason for which God has adopted us (Ephesians 1:5), indeed part of the very “calling” to become God’s children, is to fellowship with the great God of creation (1 Corinthians 1:9)! Jesus prayed in John 17 that His chosen disciples might have the same kind of relationship with the heavenly Father that Jesus Himself had throughout eternity. Our minds may not totally grasp that wonder down here—except as we try to understand something of the key of walking “in the light” (1 John 1:7). The nature of light in our universe gives us clues.      Light is unchangeable; one cannot make light dark.      Light exposes everything (reveals and brings clarity).      Light is the sustainer of all life as we know it. The nature of darkness is also very instructive.      Darkness is driven away by the smallest spark.      Darkness covers everything (hides and obscures).      Darkness will kill all life as we know it. “The path of the just is as the shining light....The way of the wicked is as darkness” (Proverbs 4:18-19). The promise of fellowship with God is that He “will lead them in paths that they have not known” and that He “will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight” (Isaiah 42:16). Therefore, “let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Since we were “sometimes darkness” (Ephesians 5:8) but have been delivered from “the power of darkness” (Colossians 1:13), we should no longer “fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11). HMM III

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July 21, 2023
Why Did Christ Die?
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

This passage is often considered the defining passage of the gospel, stating the great truth that Christ died for our sins, then was buried (thus stressing that His resurrection was a physical resurrection, not just spiritual), and then rose again. As such, it’s interesting that verse 1 that introduces it (“I declare unto you the gospel”) contains the central mention of the more than 100 times the Greek word for “gospel” occurs in the New Testament.

However, it does not say why Christ died for our sins. It was not just to pay for our salvation and make us happy. There are, in fact, numerous references to His substitutionary death that do give us further insight into just why Christ died for us and our salvation.

For example, “he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). And consider Galatians 1:4, in which Paul tells us that Christ “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.”

Peter’s testimony and explanation was that the Lord Jesus “his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). John said: “[God] loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:10-11).

There are many other verses to the same affect. Christ did not die merely to save our souls but to empower us to live in a way that would glorify God right here on Earth. HMM

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July 22, 2023
A Still, Small Voice
“And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
(1 Kings 19:12)

Elijah was in hiding for his life, even though God had spectacularly answered his prayer with fire from heaven. Jezebel, however, had not been intimidated by Elijah’s victory and swore she would kill him. He fell into such depression that he wanted to die. If Jezebel could not be impressed with fire from heaven, how could Elijah ever hope to defeat her and her armies? Not even an angel could remove his doubts.

But then was sent “a great and strong wind,” and “after the wind an earthquake” (1 Kings 19:11). But the Lord was not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire. God finally reached Elijah with “a still small voice,” and that voice assured him that God was well in control of all circumstances. Similarly, Moses told the children of Israel, as they faced the Red Sea: “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13).

It was prophesied of the Lord Jesus that “he shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.” Nevertheless, it was also promised “he shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth” (Isaiah 42:2, 4; see also Matthew 12:19-20).

In our human impatience, we think God should always move immediately in great strength. Unless there are large numbers of converts and displays of power, we grow discouraged, like Elijah. But God more often speaks in a still, small voice and works in a quiet way. “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you,...And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:18, 21). HMM

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July 23, 2023
Christ in Suffering and Triumph
“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.” (Revelation 1:8)

In the final book of the Bible occur seven great “I am” assertions by the glorified Christ, all speaking of His ultimate victory. However, in the book of Psalms occur seven vastly different “I am” statements by Christ, all speaking prophetically of His sufferings. These are in four of the wonderfully fulfilled Messianic psalms, all written 1,000 years before Christ, yet each psalm cited in the New Testament is fulfilled by Christ.

“But I am a worm, and no man” (Psalm 22:6, comparing Christ to a mother “scarlet worm” who dies so that her young may live, and in so doing gives off a scarlet fluid that protects and nourishes her young).

“I am poor and needy” (Psalm 40:17).
“I am...a stranger unto my brethren” (Psalm 69:8).
“I am full of heaviness” (Psalm 69:20).
“I am poor and sorrowful” (Psalm 69:29).
“I...am as a sparrow alone upon the house top” (Psalm 102:7).
“I am withered like grass” (Psalm 102:11).

In contrast to these lonely sufferings of Christ, there are the glories that shall follow. The first of the seven “I am’s” of Revelation is our text above, and four of the others proclaim the same great truth (Revelation 1:11, 17; 21:6; 22:13).

The self-existing One, the “I am,” Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who created all things (Alpha), will one day triumph and make all things new forever (Omega). Listen to the other two wonderful testimonies: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore” (Revelation 1:18). “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16). HMM

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July 24, 2023
Water and Spirit Conversion
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

John 3:16, the most quoted Bible verse in history, is declared by our Lord Jesus Christ at a private meeting with Nicodemus, a “ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1) who was a key member of the Pharisees (John 7:47-50). If you only focus on the famous words “for God so loved the world,” the rich color of our Lord’s point is entirely missed. Nicodemus also missed Christ’s point, asking, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9). The great prophet Ezekiel has the answer: “For I will take you [future restored Israel]…[and] sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean….A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit….and [I will] cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezekiel 36:24-27).

Having New Covenant implications with Israel’s future conversion, this passage clearly describes anyone in the kingdom who repents and trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. In fact, unless the Lord transforms our hardened hearts, we cannot be in His kingdom. The water and Spirit point to the hidden work of the Holy Spirit (who’s like the blowing wind, John 3:8) in producing cleansed and renewed hearts (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5).

After Nicodemus asked, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). That evening, Nicodemus walked away undecided and unchanged. What’s your response to our Lord’s urgent call? CM

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July 25, 2023 When God Repents “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.” (1 Samuel 15:29) There are a number of Scriptures that speak of God repenting. For example, in the days before the great Flood, “it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth” (Genesis 6:6). In the same chapter containing our text, God said: “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments” (1 Samuel 15:11). Yet, the Scriptures plainly teach that God changes not. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent” (Numbers 23:19). Bible critics have made much of this apparent “contradiction” in the Bible. There is no contradiction, of course. The words translated “repent” in both Old and New Testaments are used of actions that indicate outwardly that a “change of mind” has occurred inwardly. It’s precisely because God doesn’t repent concerning evil that His actions will change toward man when man truly repents (this human “repentance” can go either way, changing from good to evil, or vice versa), and God will respond accordingly, since He cannot change His own mind toward evil. Thus, He said concerning national repentance, “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them” (Jeremiah 18:8). That is, if the nation truly repents, then God will change His own projected course of action. He seems outwardly to “repent” specifically because He cannot repent in His inward attitude toward good and evil. God has greatly blessed America in the past, but America’s people have drastically changed in recent years. Can the time be long coming when God must say: “It repenteth me that I have so favored this apostate nation?” HMM

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July 26, 2023
Too Hard for God?
“Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:14)

This rhetorical question posed to Abraham by the Lord was in response to Sarah’s doubts concerning His promise that they would have a son. It would, indeed, require a biological miracle, for both were much too old for this to happen otherwise. With God, however, all things are possible, and He can, and will, fulfill every promise, even if a miracle is required.

This same rhetorical question was asked of the prophet Jeremiah. “Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:26-27). The One who created all flesh, who raises up kings and puts them down, could surely fulfill His promise to restore Israel to its homeland when the set time was come.

But Jeremiah had already confessed his faith in God’s omnipotence. “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee” (Jeremiah 32:17). The God who called the mighty universe into being would not fail to keep His promise and fulfill His will.

Actually, the word translated “hard” in these verses is more commonly rendered “wonderful,” or “marvelous,” or an equivalent adjective, referring usually to something miraculous that could only be accomplished by God. For example, “marvelous things did he...in the land of Egypt” (Psalm 78:12). “For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone” (Psalm 86:10).

The first occurrence of the word (Hebrew pala), however, is in our text for today. There is nothing—no thing—too hard for the Lord, and we should never doubt His word! HMM

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July 27, 2023
That Old Serpent
“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:2)

This prophetic vision given to John leaves no doubt as to the identity of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. That “old serpent” (literally, “that primeval serpent”) who deceived our first parents into rebelling against the word of God is none other than the Devil, or Satan, often viewed in Scripture as typified by a “great dragon” (Revelation 12:9), the fearsome animal of ancient times, probably the dinosaur.

His ultimate doom is sure—he will be bound a thousand years, then finally be “cast into the lake of fire...tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). At present he is not bound, for “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We must be sober and vigilant, “lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

His devices are manifold, but all are deceptive (he was the most “subtle” of all God’s creatures, Genesis 3:1), malevolent, and designed to turn us away from the true Christ. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

He is a great deceiver. He can appear as a fire-breathing dragon or a roaring lion, deceiving us into fearing and obeying him instead of God. He can also be “transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), deceiving us into trusting the “feigned words” of his “false teachers” (2 Peter 2:3, 1) instead of the Holy Scriptures of the God of creation. Our recourse against his deceptions is to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). HMM

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July 28, 2023 Good Courage “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.” (Joshua 1:6) This admonition to be strong and of “good courage” (Hebrew amass) is given some 10 times in the Old Testament, plus another nine times using a different word (chasaq). The first occurrence of amass is in Deuteronomy 3:28, where it is translated “strengthen”: “But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.” Christians today surely need good courage to face a dangerous world with all its temptations and intimidations, but nothing today could compare to the challenge facing Joshua. Trying to lead a nondescript multitude of “stiff-necked” desert nomads into a land of giants and walled cities would surely require courage beyond anything we could imagine today. But Joshua had access to invincible resources, and so do we. “Be strong and of a good courage,” God told him. “Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).   Giants and walled cities are no match for the children of God when He goes with them, for “if God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). God did go with Joshua, and the Israelites defeated the giants, destroyed the walled cities, and took the land. And we have the same promise today, for “he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Courage is really another name for faith, and “what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:21). HMM

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July 29, 2023 Remember the Day of Rest “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.” (Exodus 20:8-10) The Hebrew word for “remember” actually means to “mark” or “set aside.” The Israelites didn’t need to be told to “remember” the sabbath, because all nations had been keeping time in weeks ever since creation (Genesis 2:1-3). (Note the references to the sabbath in the sending of God’s manna, prior to the giving of this commandment [Exodus 16:23-29].) But they did need to be reminded to mark it as a holy or rest day, as God had done in that first week. The Hebrew word for “sabbath” does not mean “Saturday” any more than it means “Sunday.” It means, simply, “rest” or “intermission.” The institution of the sabbath (that is, one day out of every seven days to be “set aside” as a day of rest, worship, and remembrance of the Creator) was “made for man” and his good (Mark 2:27). It was even of benefit to the animals used by man (note the mention of “cattle” in the commandment). It had been a pattern observed since the completion of God’s six days of creation and making all things at the very beginning of world history (note Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:11). It is still appropriate today, as well. “There remaineth therefore a rest [that is, ‘a sabbath-keeping’] to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). All men have a deep need to remember their Creator and His completed work of creation at least once each week, as well as His completed work of salvation—especially in these days when both of these finished works are so widely denied or ignored. HMM

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July 30, 2023
What We Have Now in Christ
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:15)

The one who is trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord has many wonderful possessions that cannot be seen with our physical eyes but that are as real and permanent as if we were already in heaven. Many of these (only a few of which can be listed here) are noted by the present tense of the verb “have” (Greek echo).

First of all, as our text indicates (and these are the words of Christ!), we who believe in Him have—right now—eternal life. Our sins have been taken care of by the sacrificial death of Christ, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7; see also Colossians 1:14). Our sins will be remembered against us no more, because we have already been eternally redeemed. Then, also, in spite of all our sins and failures, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

One of the great resources we now have, but use so seldom, is the capacity to “think God’s thoughts after Him.” “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Having the mind of Christ should keep us from sin. Nevertheless, “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Not only do we have an advocate defending us, but we have a priest as our mediator. “We have a great high priest,...Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14).

Finally, we already “have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). And all this is only the beginning! “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard...the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). HMM

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July 31, 2023 Rightly Divide the Word “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) This command is for us to “give diligence” (Greek spoudazo) for God’s approval by “rightly dividing” the word of truth. That which is to be rightly divided is not in doubt: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The end goal is to “display yourself” as one who is, therefore, approved by God. The key is to “rightly divide” the Scriptures. The Greek word orthotomeo, only used this one time, has several shades of meaning: to cut straight, to cut straight ways; to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course; to make straight and smooth; to handle aright; to teach the truth directly and correctly. Two passages emphasize the way to “divide” the Scriptures. When Isaiah asked rhetorical questions about how to learn and understand biblical knowledge, the answer was “precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:9-10). Thus:      Find the major pieces first.      Find the supporting elements next.      Find the pieces throughout the text. Solomon, as the “wise preacher,” noted that one who would teach the people knowledge must have given “good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs” (Ecclesiastes 12:9).      Pay attention to the words (meanings, context).      Penetrate (research) the teaching (text first, then books).      Organize the information for teaching purposes. This kind of study preparation requires a “workman”—one who is willing to give the diligence necessary to produce the powerful sayings built on the “word of truth.” If properly prepared, the workman will never be “ashamed.” HMM III

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August 1, 2023
How To Pray
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24)

Jesus promised that “whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23). This condition for answered prayer and its resulting fullness of joy is not just a formula with which to end a prayer. “In my name” implies representing Him and what He stands for, so that our prayer could truly be His prayer as well.

For example, our prayer must be in His will. “If we ask any thing according to his will...we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

We need also to recognize that God’s great purpose in creation is of higher priority than our own personal desires, so this should be of first order in our prayers. Jesus said, “When ye pray, say, Our Father....Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” (Luke 11:2). We can also pray for our own needs, of course, especially for God to “deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:4), the closing request in His model prayer.

It is good to seek God’s wisdom in all our decisions and undertakings so that we can be confident we are indeed in His will, but our request for such guidance must be sincere and in willingness to act on His answer. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God....But let him ask in faith” (James 1:5-6). And it should be obvious that the request be made with a clear conscience before God. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).

But when we are indeed confident that we are praying “in His name” with all that this implies, then we should pray earnestly, for “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16), and when the answer comes—as it will, in God’s time—then our joy indeed will be full! HMM

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August 2, 2023
From the Beginning
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

One reason we trust that the early chapters of Genesis describe history just as much as other Scriptures is that the New Testament agrees with the plain details of Genesis. What did the apostles and those they recorded say happened in the beginning?

Luke 1:70 quotes John the Baptist’s father, Zacharias, as saying, “As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.” He said that prophets have been revealing God’s words from the world’s beginning. Possibly he considered Adam a prophet since he was present during the creation week. Consistent with this, Genesis 5:1 lists Adam as responsible for his own “book,” or written record, which presumably began in Genesis 2:4. The Lord Jesus named Adam’s son Abel a prophet in Matthew 23:35. Thus, both testaments agree that prophets were around right from the start.

Romans 1:20 teaches that creation has been revealing the Lord’s “invisible things,” meaning His supernatural essence, “from the creation of the world.” Psalm 19:1 also asserts that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” Ever since God made the immense heavens, they have testified to the infinite immensity of their Creator. This means people were there to comprehend that message—from the beginning.

Similarly, Hebrews 1:10 quotes Psalm 102:25, saying God laid the foundation of the earth “in the beginning,” not billions of years after the beginning. Genesis says the same. The whole Bible agrees about what God did from the very beginning. Will we submit our beliefs to what He has said? BT

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August 3, 2023
"I AM" in the Pentateuch
“And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.” (Genesis 15:7)

There are seven “I am’s” in the book of Genesis. The first is a beautiful figure of speech (“I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward,” Genesis 15:1), but the others are all names and titles of God. The first of these is in our text above, identifying Jehovah Himself (the LORD) with the “I am.”

The next is Genesis 17:1: “I am the Almighty God.” The Hebrew here is El Shaddai (“God the nourishing sustainer”), also found in 35:11. Next is in 26:24: “I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee.” Then, “I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac” (28:13). “I am the God of Bethel” (31:13). Beth-el means “the house of God.” Finally, God says: “I am God, the God of thy father” (46:3).

In Exodus, there are 21 places where God says “I am.” Most of these are merely variations of the different names of God as noted above in the “I am’s” of Genesis, but six do give new insight. The first, of course, is the great assertion of Exodus 3:14 where God identifies Himself as “I AM THAT I AM.” The others: “I am the LORD in the midst of the earth” (8:22); “I am the LORD that healeth thee” (15:26); “I the LORD thy God am a jealous God” (20:5); “For I am gracious” (22:27); “I am the LORD that doth sanctify you” (31:13).

In the remaining books of the Pentateuch, the phrase “I am the LORD your God” occurs very frequently, but there are two important new “I am’s.” “I am holy” occurs six times (e.g., Leviticus 11:45), and “I am thy part and thine inheritance” is recorded in Numbers 18:20. The great theme of all these claims and names of God is that the mighty God of time and space is also a caring, personal God. We can trust Him, and He cares for us. HMM

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August 4, 2023
Sanctified Through the Word
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

This powerful Scripture is actually part of Christ’s great prayer for His disciples recorded in John 17. But the prayer was not just for them, because later He said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20).

Christ’s earnest prayer is for His people to be sanctified, which is denoted by the Greek verb hagiazo that’s part of what’s known as the holiness word group. As holiness relates to the saints, it means to be set apart from the world and obedient to God’s Word.

However, God’s Word is not just to be obeyed but to be feasted upon for the strength to obey. The persecuted prophet Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). Christ spoke of the sanctifying empowerment of His Word when He said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

It’s not just the reading of God’s Word but the dynamic combination of the Holy Spirit in the meditation on God’s Word. Christ said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak” (John 16:13).

Keeping all this in mind, let us remember Peter’s exhortation: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). JPT

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August 5, 2023
The Will of the Lord
“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17)

There is no more exalted theme in the world than the will of God, nor is there a more important practical question than how to know the will of God. Of greatest significance is the recognition that it is His will—not man’s will—that’s important.

God desires for us to know His will—both His will in general, as revealed in Scripture, and His specific will in each particular decision. The latter must in every instance, of course, be fully compatible with the former, as the Holy Spirit, who leads us, will never contradict the Scriptures that He inspired. Thus, an indispensable prerequisite to finding the personal will of God is knowing His general will.

The general will of God is expressed, first of all, in the fact of special creation (Revelation 4:11). Then Christ became man in order to accomplish God’s will (Hebrews 10:7) as our sin-bearing substitute. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). It is His will that this should provide salvation to all who believe. “This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life” (John 6:40). This in turn entails individual regeneration of all who receive Him, “which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).

Furthermore, His will includes absolute security in Him (John 6:39), our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), and ultimate glorification (John 17:24). Thankfulness in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and a virtuous (“well doing”—1 Peter 2:15) life are also God’s will. A believer who understands, believes, and obeys God’s general will is then prepared to know and follow His specific will. HMM

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August 6, 2023
The Presence of the Lord
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)

The presence of the Lord can be either a cause of fear or a source of blessing. Adam and Eve were greatly afraid of His presence because of their sin, and their son Cain “went out from the presence of the LORD” (Genesis 4:16) because of his sin. Yet it will also be to many a time of great joy. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19).

The difference, of course, is the presence or absence of unforgiven sin in the presence of the Lord. Most of the 16 occurrences of the phrase stress the judgmental aspect. Those who reject Christ’s offer of forgiveness through repentance and faith in His death for our sins will eventually be banned forever from His presence, like Cain. “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: [They] shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

But for those who have repented of their sins and trusted in Christ for salvation, the prospect of the coming and personal presence of the Lord Jesus is one of joyful anticipation, for “in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

When He comes again, we shall be presented “faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24) and shall thenceforth “ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). HMM