Days of Praise

[phkrause]

December 13, 2024
Seeing and Believing
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

Jesus was willing to give doubting Thomas the visible evidence he wanted before he would believe. However, He did give His disciple a mild rebuke.

There is an important principle here. Thomas was willing to believe but only when the visible evidence was too strong to question. Neither the promise of Christ that He would rise from the dead nor the testimony of His chosen apostles that the promise had been fulfilled was sufficient to convince him, and the Lord was disappointed.

When God has spoken plainly in His Word, that ought to be sufficient for those who really believe Him. Yet again and again Christians allow their faith to be shaken by some new cosmic theory, or age estimate, or something else. No matter how strong the biblical case for the worldwide Flood may be, for example, many Christians will not believe it until all the geological questions can be resolved. Even though the Bible unequivocally teaches that all things were created in six literal days (see Exodus 20:11), many Christians won’t accept this until they can see overwhelming scientific evidence of a young earth. In fact, some will never believe in either recent creation or a worldwide Flood until all the conventional scientists accept them first.

God has allowed many visible evidences of the truth of His Word to be revealed. There is a strong scientific case for biblical creation, and we are justified in believing God’s Word, even where we don’t yet see any visible evidence. As Peter said concerning those who believe implicitly in Christ and His Word: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). HMM

[phkrause]

December 14, 2024
Much More
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:9)

The fifth chapter of Romans is sometimes called the “much more” chapter because of five wonderful “much more” verses. The first is our text for the day, consisting itself of a commentary on the tremendous truth in the preceding verse. That is, because of the tremendous love expressed by God “in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8), we shall also be delivered completely from the just wrath of a holy God.

Then, there is the truth of verse 10: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Formerly His adversaries, we are not only delivered from God’s wrath on sin, but also delivered from sin’s power, because Christ’s life becomes our life once we are restored to complete fellowship with Him.

Thirdly, we have more abundant grace. “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (v. 15). His grace is far greater than all our sin.

Next, there is verse 17. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Note the progression in these “much mores”: saved from wrath; saved unto righteousness; a life abounding in grace; and, now, a life of victory.

Finally, and in summary: “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (vv. 20-21). HMM

[phkrause]

December 15, 2024
Do-Gooders
“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” (3 John 11)

The term “do-gooder” has come to be sort of a sarcastic putdown of people who are actively doing good deeds and trying to persuade others to also do good. Standards today have become so confused that actions once considered wrong are now considered quite normal, as easily seen from the plots of Hollywood movies, radio talk shows, and newspaper sports pages. Those who try to call people back to righteousness are ridiculed as officious do-gooders.

But it should be remembered that God Himself was doing good first. “He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). Not only did the Lord do good in creating and upholding our beautiful world, but He continued to do good when He became man. As Jesus of Nazareth, He “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).

Therefore, if we who know Him as our Savior would be like Him in our lives, we also must do good. Human standards of goodness may change, but God’s standards do not. As our text confirms, the very mark of the born-again nature is doing good, for “he that doeth good is of God,” while he who follows evil “hath not seen God.” Many other Scriptures remind us of the same truth: “To do good and to communicate [that is, ‘share with others’] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). Christ even commanded us to do good to our enemies. “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you” (Luke 6:27).

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). HMM

[phkrause]

December 20, 2024
Take and Eat
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)

Paul here explains that when the Lord Jesus offered Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross, He did what was required to rescue any sinner from the curse of the law. Two connections add poignancy to this divine rescue operation.

The first connection involves the first created couple. They ignored the words of their Creator and listened instead to this false promise: “Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened” (Genesis 3:4,5). They ate. The death Curse came.

They would not have eaten that fruit if they did not believe that doing so would add something desirable to their lives. We’ve known since then that “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).

But the Father broke our Curse by sacrificing His Son, who was “made a curse for us” (our text). What, then, remains to be done? Though Adam and Eve ate a physical fruit, we must take in a spiritual food—the fruit of Him who hung on a tree for us.

The Lord Jesus instituted a regular supper to remind His followers of His sacrifice for them. “And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body” (Mark 14:22). When we take and eat that symbol of the Lord’s body, we remember that He was “wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5) in general and for each one of us in particular. BDT

[phkrause]

December 21, 2024
Idolatry Lives Today
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” (1 John 5:21)

These final words of the apostle John’s letter seem like an abrupt ending, but the Greek construction is significant, emphasizing the duty of personal effort in combatting idolatry. In the Greco-Roman world, moral compromise was inseparably linked with the worldly ideologies of idol worship. Idolatry’s trap led many unbelievers and believers alike into sinful practices, resulting in serious consequences.

Idolatry’s influence permeated the early church just like it did the nation Israel (2 Chronicles 24:18), so Paul commanded the church to “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14). Idolatry can be found in every heart and is an over-dependence on someone or something. It can be a physical object like creation (Romans 1:25), a property, a person, an activity, a role, a hope, a pleasure, or a temporary comfort—anything substituted for a love for the Creator. The human heart is inclined toward idolatry, so beware its multifaceted faces:

• Worshiping anything/anyone instead of God (Romans 1:21, 23; 1 Thessalonians 1:9).
• Revering anything/anyone in addition to God (1 Kings 11:4-8).
• Treasuring anything/anyone more than God (Colossians 3:5; Ezekiel 14:4, 7).
• Idolizing anything/anyone as a means of worshiping God (Exodus 32:4-5).
• Exalting our own conception of God and not the true God of Scripture (Psalms 50:21).

Believers need to recognize the potential ways we are tempted to disobey God through our preoccupation with self-made idols. Believers, keep yourselves from idols. CCM

[phkrause]

December 24, 2024
First Advent Names
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Matthew records two names for Mary’s first child: Emmanuel and Jesus. In today’s verse, an angel told Joseph to go ahead and marry Mary since her pregnancy was divine. The name Jesus transliterates the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Yeshua. The Hebrew yasa, “to save,” lies at its root. Jesus is not just a savior but the Savior! “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour” (Isaiah 45:15). “We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).

What qualifies the Lord Jesus to be our Savior? First, He must be one of us—born of a human mother—our kin. We’ve known of this since the Curse: “And I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). We needed the seed of the woman, and God supplied Him!

But each human’s own sin requires propitiation. This disqualifies us from saving ourselves, let alone others. Second, therefore, we need this man to also be sinless God, hence the second name from Matthew, quoting Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). The one and only holy God “was made in the likeness of men….Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:7,9). What name? Jesus, God with us, our Savior. BDT

[phkrause]

December 29, 2024
Why?
“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20)

In this scientific age, it is essential for us to remember that “science” can never answer any question beginning with “why.” Scientific research seeks to answer questions of “what” and “how” and sometimes “where” and “when,” but it can never deal with “why” questions. Such questions require a moral or theological answer.

Probably the most vexing of all such questions is: “Why do the righteous suffer?” Or put another way: “Why is there evil in a world created by a God who is good?” The question becomes especially poignant when personal calamity comes and we ask, “Why did this happen to me?”

Many think the book of Job was written to answer such questions, for Job was one of the most godly men who ever lived, yet he suffered more than anyone. But God answered Job’s searching questions only by pointing to the wonders of His creation. God has made us for Himself, and He is “forming” us for His own holy purpose; that is all we need to know right now. “What I do thou knowest not now,” said Jesus, “but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7).

Yet, even Jesus in His human suffering cried out on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). We do know, at least in part, the answer to this question. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

For answers to the other “why” questions, we may well have to await God’s own time. Until then, “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28), and we can say with Job: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). HMM

[phkrause]

January 4, 2025
Declaring the Unknown God
“As I...beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” (Acts 17:23)

The people of Athens were known to be quite religious, worshiping a host of nature gods. They had even set up an altar “to the unknown god.” Paul pounced on this point of contact to declare unto them the God they didn’t know.

He starts by laying the foundation: this God, he claims, is the Creator. He not only “made the world and all things therein,” but He is also “Lord of heaven and earth” (v. 24). To cause to exist and then to rule over all of creation, one must be omnipotent. He is much too great to dwell in “temples made with hands” (v. 24). How ludicrous to think He might need anything, including the worship of men, “seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (v. 25).

This God “hath made of one blood all nations of men” and “hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (v. 26). To know all men, their race, futures, and details of their lives, God must be omniscient, eternal, boundless. He has done this so “that they should seek the Lord” (v. 27). He is not hard to find, for He is “not far from every one of us.” He is the sustainer and source of all life. “In him we live, and move, and have our being;...we are also his offspring” (v. 28), totally unlike gods of “gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (v. 29).

But mankind has not known this God. He has been patient but hates sin and “commandeth all men every where to repent” (v. 30) to gain forgiveness based on the work of “that man whom he hath ordained” (v. 31) as a final sacrifice, or as righteous judge. We can be sure of this because, when the sacrifice was slain, God “raised him from the dead” (v. 31).

Some mocked at the declaration of this mighty God (v. 32); some refused to act; but others believed (v. 34). JDM

[phkrause]

January 17, 2025
Saving Faith
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” (James 2:14)

The well-known apparent “conflict” between James and Paul focuses especially on this verse. The apostle Paul says emphatically: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet James, also an apostle, insists: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20).

But no real conflict exists. In our text there is a definite article before the word “faith.” James’ question is, literally, “Can that faith save him?” This is obviously intended as a rhetorical question with a negative answer. In the context, James teaches that a “profession of faith” is not enough to produce salvation if that faith “have not works.”

Since that kind of faith does not save, then what kind of faith does save? The answer is given by Paul in the very verses quoted above. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that [i.e., that faith which is the inference in the original] not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” In other words, true saving faith is not a man-generated faith of some kind, it is a supernatural gift of God! And that faith does save, because it is part of the new nature implanted by the Holy Spirit when a new believer is born again. Furthermore, this faith does inevitably produce good works, for the verse following says that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Faith must be faith in something, and true saving faith must be centered in the saving gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in His inerrant Word. Such faith will inevitably result in a changed life and good works. That is the faith that saves. HMM

[phkrause]

January 21, 2025
Hardened or Sprinkled Heart?
“Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Romans 11:25)

In Romans 11, Paul explains that while Israel is unbelieving, many Gentiles will hear the gospel and find new life in Christ. What does blindness mean here, and how does it happen?

The King James Version translates the Greek word porosis as “blindness” and “hardness.” It means to grow calloused through stubbornness. The most famous biblical example surely is the pharaoh of the Exodus. First, the Lord foretold Pharaoh’s hardening heart. Then, “when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15). He hardened his own heart by refusing to submit to God. Then he did it again! “And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also” (v. 32).

Only after that does Scripture say, “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses” (Exodus 9:12).

This real human provides a living example of the heart-hardening that the New Testament describes in principle. At first, “when they knew God, they glorified him not as God” (Romans 1:21). Next, “wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts” (Romans 1:24). In the same way, God gave both Pharaoh and the pharisees of Jesus’ day up to the hardening of their own hearts. “Because of unbelief they were broken off” (Romans 11:20).

And yet Jesus stands ready to soften the heart, make wise the mind, and rebuild the seared conscience of any who “will hear his voice” and “harden not your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:7) Therefore, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22). BDT

[phkrause]

January 26, 2025
The God of the Gourd
“And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.” (Jonah 4:6)

In the brief story of Jonah, the Lord has given us a striking insight into His providential ways with His people. He “prepared” four special instruments for revealing His will and His great concern for the people God wanted to help. Each involved a very ordinary thing, functioning in an extraordinary way (providential miracles, as it were).

First, “the LORD had prepared a great fish” (Jonah 1:17), both to save Jonah from drowning and to enable God to convince him of the urgent necessity of fulfilling the ministry to which He had called him. Then, after he had preached in Nineveh and God had spared the city, Jonah became angry and wanted to die, so “the LORD God prepared a gourd...that it might be a shadow over his head” (4:6). Jonah was thankful for this providential shade from the heat, but he was still not thankful for the sparing of Nineveh. Therefore, “God prepared a worm,” and by the next day, “it smote the gourd that it withered” (4:7). Furthermore, “God prepared a vehement east wind” (4:8), and the blasting heat angered Jonah more than ever, so that he again wanted to die.

Finally Jonah was able to hear what God was really saying to him in all these circumstances, and he realized the tremendous scope of God’s mercy and compassion for the lost.

As with Jonah, God speaks to us through ordinary things in providential circumstances. Whether by a marvelous deliverance or a comforting provision, a sudden loss or a mighty storm, God leads us into His will and transforms our lives and hearts to conform to His love. “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). HMM

[phkrause]

January 27, 2025
Three Freedoms in Christ
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

We grow up “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation” (Philippians 2:15), suffering temptations from three angles. One angle tempts us to fulfill “the lust of the flesh.” “The lust of the eyes” tempts us to desire that which is off limits. “The pride of life” tempts one “to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3). Even worse, no one has the power to deliver himself from these three angles. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Jesus can deliver! He offers freedom from each angle of temptation.

Satan approached Eve and Adam from these three angles, and they fell. We inherited their sin nature since we descended from them. But Matthew 4:1-11 records how Jesus followed His Father’s will at each of the same three angles the devil presented to Him. He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). His victories qualify Him to free us.

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). Those who repent of sins and trust Christ can begin living in the freedom to serve the Father instead of the flesh, to desire Him over the world’s empty substitutes for knowing Him, and to enjoy His acceptance instead of having to pridefully labor to be somebody. “But now having been set free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22). BDT

[phkrause]

February 8, 2025
Too Holy to See
“And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

Skeptics sometimes complain that if there really were a God, why doesn’t He simply show up? The Bible has two responses.

First, as today’s verse suggests, if God did “simply show up,” His glorious, radiant holiness would obliterate any nearby sinners. For this reason, He hid His full glory when He did show up. For instance, during Moses’ ministry, “on the third day in the morning,…there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16).

Indeed, “clouds and darkness are round about him” (Psalm 97:2), and “he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies” (2 Samuel 22:12).

God once took the form of a man to hide His glory enough for Jacob to wrestle Him. “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [face of God]: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).

Last, what do these dealings reveal? His grace! In His grace He shows up in ways that preserve even the wicked. He shields us from His overwhelming brightness because “the Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart...that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered” (Joel 2:12, 32). “We shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9), for “he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2), even the skeptic. BDT

[phkrause]

February 12, 2025
Lessons from the Rich Fool
“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20)

This sobering verse gives in a nutshell God’s evaluation of people whose dominating concern is the accumulation of material possessions. Such a person is, by the Lord’s own testimony, a fool.

But before the man in this parable became a covetous fool, he first became a self-centered clod, interested only in his own desires. In the verses comprising his monologue (Luke 12:17-19), he used the personal pronouns “I” and “my” no less than 11 times and then even addressed himself using the pronoun “thou” or “thine” twice more.

Satan was the first to be covetous and proud: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:...I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). Lucifer’s primeval, self-seeking covetousness brought rebellion and sin into the angelic host and then into the human family. Ever since his fall, he has used this deadly sin of self-centeredness to keep men away from God and to lead them into all kinds of other overpowering sins.

In the case of the rich man, his pampering of self had led him into a life of such greed and covetousness that he was still concerned only with his own personal comfort (“eating and drinking”) right up to the day of his death. He “thought within himself” (Luke 12:17), giving no thought whatever to God’s will or the fact that all his possessions really belonged to God. Multitudes over the ages have been overtaken by this same sin of self-centered covetousness, perhaps never more pervasively than in modern America, even among American Christians. To anyone of such covetous spirit, the day may soon come when the Lord will say, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” HMM

[phkrause]

February 13, 2025
God Our Habitation
“LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.” (Psalm 90:1)

These are the tremendous opening words of the oldest psalm in the book of Psalms called, in its superscript, the “prayer of Moses the man of God.” Moses must have written it shortly before his death as he looked out over the promised land and realized that he himself would never live there (Deuteronomy 34:4-5). It did not really matter though, for he had lived in many places and none of them were really his home. He lived for a brief while in a basket on the river as a baby, then in a queen’s palace, then 40 years in Midian, and 40 more years wandering in the wilderness.

Furthermore, he meditated on the men of God of previous generations (after all, he had compiled all their ancient records in the book of Genesis) and found that they, too, like the apostle Paul 1,500 years later, had “no certain dwellingplace” (1 Corinthians 4:11). Adam was expelled from the garden; Noah lived for a year in an Ark on a worldwide sea and lived the rest of his life in a devastated earth; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in tents in Canaan, and their descendants lived as slaves in Egypt.

Yet wherever they were, the Lord was with them. He was their dwelling place, and this was Moses’ first thought as he composed his great prayer. He also had written down “the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death” (Deuteronomy 33:1). Its climax was this great assurance: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (v. 27). The “refuge” of this promise is the same Hebrew word as “dwelling place” in our text.

We, like they, are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13), but “underneath are the everlasting arms.” Where the Lord is—there home is! HMM

[phkrause]

February 24, 2025 Waiting for Jesus “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) It is fascinating to note all the occurrences of the word “salvation” in the Old Testament. Most are translations of the Hebrew yeshua, which corresponds to the name “Jesus” in English. For example, the verse above could just as well read “behold, God is my Jesus;...the LORD JEVOHAH is my strength and song; he also is become my Jesus.” Hebrew parents usually gave their children names that had significance. Thus, when Gabriel instructed Joseph to name Mary’s son “Jesus,” they would recognize immediately that they were, in effect, to name Him “Salvation,” because “he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). We can easily imagine that Mary and Joseph spent many hours together poring over their Bibles and reading again all the great prophecies of the coming Savior—especially those in which His very name, yeshua, had been anticipated. The first of these was in the dying words of their ancestor, Jacob, after whom Joseph’s own father had been named (Matthew 1:16). In almost his last words, the dying patriarch had exclaimed: “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD” (Genesis 49:18). We can at least wonder whether they wondered if Jacob, in his prophetic vision, had actually seen Jesus and cried out, enraptured, “I have waited for thy Jesus, O LORD!” Then, in Habakkuk 3:13, they could even have found both His name and His title (“anointed” = Messiah = Christ). Thus, “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed [i.e., Jesus thy Christ]; thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked” (i.e., Satan—note Genesis 3:15). In any case, we can be sure that Joseph and Mary “marvelled at those things which were spoken of him” (Luke 2:33). HMM

[phkrause]

February 26, 2025
Lessons from Amos: Seek the Lord
“But seek not Bethel....Seek the LORD, and ye shall live.” (Amos 5:5-6)

Bethel had a long history with Israel. Abraham camped near Bethel when he first entered the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:8) and “called on the name of the LORD” at Bethel when he returned from Egypt (Genesis 13:3-4). Jacob’s dream of the ladder took place at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-12, 19), and later it was there his name was changed to Israel (Genesis 35:9-15).

However, Bethel eventually became Bethaven, the “House of Idols” (Hosea 4:15), after Jeroboam I established a temple to the golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-33). And much later, Assyria, after the destruction of Israel, left false priests at Bethel to corrupt the land (2 Kings 17:27-34). The place became a substitute for the person of God.

The danger comes from showing more concern for property than people. The kind of place (one’s denomination) substitutes theology for truth, or the experience gives more credence to intuition than inspiration. Worship of place or event supersedes the worship of God. Both substitutes will produce error.

The admonition of Amos is to “seek the LORD” (Amos 5:6). The promise is that if we seek the Lord, we “shall live.” We will not find God in a place but in a person (Acts 4:12). We cannot find God in a campaign but in a commitment (Matthew 6:33). We surely will not find God in promises from men but in power from God (2 Peter 1:4). HMM III

[phkrause]

February 27, 2025
Lessons from Amos: Don't Enter Gilgal
“But [do not]...enter into Gilgal...for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity.” (Amos 5:5)

Gilgal was the place of new beginnings. Twelve memorial stones from the Jordan were set up at Gilgal after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River (Joshua 4:3). The nation was circumcised there in preparation for their possession of the land (Joshua 5:5). The Passover was celebrated (Joshua 5:10), and the miraculous manna ceased (Joshua 5:12). The victorious campaign in the hill country of Judea extending to Kadesh-barnea and Gaza was conducted from Gilgal (Joshua 10:15). The great battle at the waters of Merom was conducted from Gilgal (Joshua 10:43; 11:5). Saul was crowned Israel’s first king at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:15).

Yet, the activity at Gilgal began to obscure the Word of God. Saul compromised and sacrificed at Gilgal to try to gain God’s blessing. His desire for political favor resulted in direct disobedience to God.

A zeal for “righteous action” without obedience can result in evil. Jephthah’s foolish vow and subsequent bad leadership led to a horrible slaughter (Judges 11–12). Micah’s selfish desire for a personal priest led to terrible apostasy (Judges 17–18). A Levite’s false zeal for revenge led Israel into civil war (Judges 19–21).

When activity substitutes for holiness, the cause starts to justify the activity. Activity then becomes necessary to preserve the cause, and dedication to the activity is equated with loyalty and holiness. In many cases, preservation of a memorable event overrides biblical truth. We don’t need “activity” at Gilgal as much as we need “abiding” in Christ. The “branches” need the “vine” (John 15). HMM III

[phkrause]

February 28, 2025
Lessons from Amos: Don't Pass Through Beersheba
“But...pass not to Beersheba.” (Amos 5:5)

Beersheba (well of the “sevens”) became a location of some importance in Israel’s early history. Hagar, the Egyptian bondwoman who bore Ishmael, was rescued by God at Beersheba (Genesis 21:14-19). Abraham improved the well at Beersheba and settled there, built a grove, and “called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33). It was at Beersheba that Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-4).

Beersheba figured prominently in the life of Israel. Isaac made a covenant with the Philistines there, repaired the well, and lived at Beersheba for many years (Genesis 26:17-33). Historically, Beersheba is best known for the political oaths ceremoniously confirmed there with the secular nations around Israel.

At Beersheba, truth later became equated with tradition. Substituting the wisdom and traditions of man (Mark 7:3-13) or the world’s logic (Colossians 2:8) for truth can be very dangerous.

• God looks forward not backward. Historical places and events are lessons not laws.
• God wants obedience not activity. Past victories are to be praises not patterns.
• God demands truth not compromise. Successful negotiations are directives not doctrines.

“Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:14-15). HMM III

[phkrause]

March 6, 2025
Jesus Wept
“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

This two-word verse is packed with meaning. Jesus hears his close friend Lazarus is quite ill, and Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, urgently send for Jesus. But Jesus waits two days before journeying to Bethany to see them, and Lazarus dies.

Jesus arrives at the tomb with the grieving sisters. His heart breaks for his friends, and He weeps with them (John 11:35). This is astonishing considering that Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead only moments later.

Why would the Son of God openly weep while knowing He was about to restore Lazarus to life? The answer is clear: Jesus loves us. The depth of His compassion is beyond comprehension. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus, our all-powerful Creator and Redeemer, describes His own character, telling us He is “meek and lowly in heart.”

Jesus’ love for us today is no less than His love for those three siblings. He empathizes with us when we struggle under the burdens of this broken Earth (Hebrews 4:15), and He mourns with us when we grieve.

No doubt Jesus’ resurrection miracle instantly changed Mary’s and Martha’s tears of grief into tears of unspeakably great joy. This miracle was a clear sign of Jesus’ own upcoming resurrection and His absolute power over creation and even death.

On the last day, when we meet Jesus face to face, we will be overcome with joy, and Jesus will enfold us in His arms, the same arms that have held us from the moment of our conception, and welcome us home to the place He’s prepared for us (John 14:3). “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain….Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:4-5). MJS

[phkrause]

March 17, 2025 Three Mindsets for Joy “And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith.” (Philippians 1:25) Bible expositors often call Philippians “the joy book.” In it, Paul mentions “joy” or “rejoice” 14 times—all while he was imprisoned! Paul certainly found his source of joy from way outside his circumstances. He also mentioned “mind” seven times. This might suggest that the key to joy lies in how we choose to think. The epistle offers three key mindsets that should bring believers joy. The first mindset is unity. “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). In particular, our mindset should unify around the gospel—the good news that a holy God saves vile sinners who repent and trust His only Son Jesus, the resurrected One. The second mindset that sets us up for joy is humility. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” who “took upon him the form of a servant” and “humbled himself” (Philippians 2:5, 7-8). For how can we lose joy when we’ve already dropped our desire to have things our way? Instead, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (v. 3). The last mindset is to “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). When we sever ties with the things of this world—whether bank accounts, the praises of men, or entitlement to happiness—then we clear enough clutter from our minds that simply knowing the Lord takes over. Unity in the gospel, humility in service, and detachment from worldly things bring peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). BDT