Devotional Thoughts

Matthew 9:13 – But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. When I was a boy in school, I remember asking my teacher what a certain word meant. She gave me a most annoying direction, saying, “Look it up in the dictionary.” At the time, I wondered why she wouldn’t just tell me the answer straight out. Only when I began to teach students myself did I comprehend. Sometimes the struggle to learn is as important as the knowledge gained. Experience is the best teacher of the most important lessons, the ones that form our character. No one can  make  a great disciple out of you. The gift of faith gives one belief, but undisciplined faith can be easily misled. Instead, Christ tells we must go and learn what it means in the Scriptures when it says “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” In another place, the Lord said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: an...

John 1:29    "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Today, we look at John's testimony concerning Jesus.  I saw things just now as I read through the verses 29-34 that I had never stopped to notice. They are things that have been there all the time, but I'm not sure that I ever stopped to take note of them. I say that to encourage each one to continue reading and studying your Bibles. There are beautiful things that we might miss, but then they will be revealed as we need to know them. In our text verse, John makes the beautiful declaration that I suppose every minister has used as a text at some point in their ministry. As John was baptizing, he looked up to see a man walking toward him. As he observed this man (we know it was Jesus), John boldly spoke, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."  I remind us that Jesus and John were cousins on thei...

John 1:11-13    "He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  (12)  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  (13)  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."  What is meant by this statement? I suppose there are many interpretations as with many other statements in the Bible. Let me use a simple example as to how I see this declaration concerning Jesus. Last night I began to pray and ask the Lord to show me the best way to explain my view of this particular verse of Scripture. Then, I believe, He opened my thoughts concerning something that will take place. Yesterday, a very good friend sent me an email telling me he had ordered a book on a particular subject. He said I should "receive" the book on Monday or Tuesday. I just showed one view of receiving; that is...

John 1:6-8     "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light." We've talked about Jesus since we began this study of John, and we will continue to talk about Jesus. But these passages tell us about a man who was sent to announce the arrival of the Messiah. This man's name was John. This John is not the same John who wrote this book; rather this man sent by God was John, the Baptist. I bring this fact into the devotion now because while traveling through the book, we will see that John (the writer) does not identify himself until the very end of the book. And when he finally identifies himself, it is not by name. He truly was a man of God who loved beyond words the Lord Jesus Christ. Would that I could be more like John, the beloved. The name John means "God is a gracious giver."...

John 1:4-5    "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." "In him was life."  At face value, this might seem to be saying, "Yes, Jesus was alive." That is a true statement, but it goes much deeper than that.  To me, this statement says that all life originates in this Living Word, the Lord Jesus. These words expand on the statement just previous to that. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:3)  Life itself is found in the being of this Word which was with God and was God in the very beginning. There was no life spoken into this universe without the power of this Living Word. The statement goes deeper than physical life. This statement goes to the very heart of the matter concerning our eternal spiritual life. "In him was life." There is no eternal life outside of Jesus Christ. When speaking to...

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning." Now... How is that word going to be related, connected, identified with us? "The Word was made flesh." That which was spoken by God would be manifested in, by, and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's look at just a few of the words, spoken by God, being fleshed out by Jesus, the Living Word. What words were made flesh? We have already seen the passage in Revelation and know the word spoken, the determination, that Jesus would be the sacrificial Lamb of God was made before the foundation of the world. That Word (covenant, promise) was made flesh and carried to completion when Jesus laid down His life on the cross.  Then we find God speaking the words to Adam and Eve as He cast them out of the Garden of Eden: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15) Th...

John 1:1     "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "In the beginning was the Word." This was not the beginning of the Word; rather, the Word was already there IN THE BEGINNING. I think I might have made better grades in English if I had been as interested in word meanings, sentence diagramming and verb tenses when I was in school. Our view of Jesus must begin before the beginning of time. The first thing God created was time. He created it for our benefit, not for His. Before He created time, God is. Or as He told Moses, "I AM." There is no changing with God. He always has been and He always will be - the same.  Yes, I still have trouble explaining that one to myself, much less to children when they ask, "Where did God come from?" The same applies to all three in the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They were already there "in the beginning." Yes, the Son of God was already there when...

John 1:1-3    "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." When did Jesus come into existence? We know the little baby, Jesus, was conceived in the womb of a virgin named Mary. We know His literal body was born into this world a little over 2000 years ago. We have the account of His conception of the Holy Ghost and birth in Bethlehem. We rejoice in these great truths that Jesus, our Saviour, was born. Many in that day believed him to be Joseph's son. He was called the son of the carpenter. He was called the Prophet from Nazareth. He was perceived as being a good man who went about doing good. He was perceived by others as a trouble maker who was trying to overthrow the government. People had many different ideas concerning this One born to Mary. We are blessed to be able to look at thi...

Matthew 3:8 – Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance How many times have you ever said, “I’m sorry?” If you are like me, that number is very high. We say the words, but do we mean it? We express sorrow, but does it make us change our behavior? Repentance is the real goal, not sorrow. Repentance is changing direction or turning away from a pattern of behavior. Sorrow is only a motivation for repentance, but it is a common one. If we sorrow over sin and repent, God forgives. The Bible tells us that indeed God desires penitent followers. A penitent man seeks God’s will and not their own. The consequences of sin are known. Sadness, suffering and death await the unrepentant sinner. Therefore, John cried out for God’s people to Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. As the forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord’s coming by calling for the people to turn away from sin to the truth and covenant of God. Christ and the Apostles continued this basic m...

Philippians 4:21-23    "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.  (22)  All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.  (23)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." We come to the close of the Philippian letter. I admit it's with somewhat of a sadness. I, personally, have enjoyed this study of Paul's letter. I feel I have seen more of Paul's personality this time through the letter. I'm thankful.  Such is the case today also, I see Paul's love for God's people shining through these final words. "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus."   I feel these words carry a double meaning. He is encouraging the people in Philippi to greet one another in a loving, Christian manner, but I believe, since he is unable to be there physically, he is also asking the folks who read this letter to greet all the others for his sake. For those who are Andy Griffith fans, you will...

Philippians 4:20    "Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." The word, "now", is considered to be a position in time. At what time should I be glorifying God? Now, I should be glorifying God. Paul was in prison as he wrote this. Was he under the expectation of glorifying God when things were going against him? After all, had he not glorified God by going from place to place? Had he not glorified God by preaching the Gospel? Had he not glorified God when stones were pelting his body? Had he not glorified God when he stood against the idols of the land and proclaimed Jesus Christ is Lord? Had he not then glorified the Lord God? Was he, or anyone else, expected to give glory to God under such dire circumstances?   Not only did Paul say the present moment was the time to glorify the Lord, he added a definite "amen" to the statement.  It is as if Paul was making the statement and then tacking these words to the end of the statement, ...

Philippians 4:19    "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." The Word of God is full of contrasts. Anyone who has heard me preach a few times will tell you that one of my favorite words in the Bible is "but".  It is a conjunction of contrast and is usually followed with good news. A few verses prior to this, Paul acknowledged the Philippians had gone through a rough time. There had been a time when their giving had flourished. They went through a period of time when they could not support as they once had been able to do.  Please understand this teaching is not merely about giving of our finances. Paul is speaking to a much greater subject than that. My God shall supply!  What a wonderful statement to be able to make. There was no doubt in Paul's heart and mind concerning the ability of his God. It wasn't a matter of hoping God would supply, as in maybe He will and maybe He won't. My God SHALL SUPPLY!...

Philippians 4:13    "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." One of the most detrimental statements made by the child of God are the words, "I can't". We restrict ourselves and our accomplishments in God's service by thinking we are unable to do what the Lord places on our hearts and minds. If the Lord directs us to do something, He has already given the ability to do it. When properly understood, this passage is a great source of strength and encouragement. I say properly understood because some might be tempted to take the first five words and try to make them stand on their own.  I hear people say, "I can do anything I want to."  Well, that may or may not be true, but things that are contrary to the Lord will be met with great opposition. Contrary to popular belief, nothing can be done that is contrary to the Lord's will and purpose. We have to go no farther than King Nebuchadnezzar. When he tried to exalt himself ab...

Isaiah 40:29 – He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Weariness is a real problem. Our minds and bodies can only take so much before finding respite. The soul also needs rest, what are we to do? There is so much work! Thankfully, God designed the human body, indeed the whole earth, to have seasons of rest. We have summer and winter, day and night, and certainly the Sabbath or Sunday. “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27). As we learn more about the cosmos, we find that Earth was made to have these seasons and cycles on purpose, and all nature relies upon periods of labor and rest equally. We all need rest, and God has provided us the means to get it. When our responsibilities threaten to overwhelm us and demands upon us keep us from natural rest, we can find rest and renewed strength in the arm of the Lord. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will ...

Philippians 4:10-11    "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.  (11)  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." The devotional this morning concerns verse 11, but I saw something of interest while looking at verse 10. I saw the word, careful, and wondered about the word, careful, in verse 6.  We are not privy to the minds of the interpreters when they were translating from the Greek to English, so this is not to criticize them at all. Though the English word is the same, they come from different Greek words. I won't attempt to even spell the Greek words but will attempt to show the meanings are quite different. In verse 6, we saw the meaning was "be not careful"  (anxious) about much.  In verse 10, Paul is commending them for being "careful" (full of care) for him. This wor...

Philippians 4:8-9    "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things  (9)  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." Truly the inspired Word of God is remarkable in its content and in the manner it is presented. That should not surprise us for we also know that our Heavenly Father is the God of order. I begin the devotional in that manner this morning because recently we talked about the "peace of God" and in today's verses, Paul easily transcends from the peace of God to the "God of peace."  It is one thing to seek peace in our lives, but the absolute truth of the matter is that we will not have the true peace of God until we earnestly seek f...

Philippians 4:6-7   "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  (7)  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Mothers always tell their children to "be careful".  In the times we are now living with the pandemic, children are telling their parents to "be careful". This is always good advice for anyone, isn't it?  So now do we read Paul saying to just throw caution to the wind and not to be careful? For reasons that I will not go into for this devotion, I still prefer the King James Version of the Bible. I do admit that it takes some extra time and energy to look up the word meanings, but what is that in comparison to the time Jesus spent on earth and specifically on the cross for me?  With that being said, now we must ask the question: What does the word, careful, mean in this passage? First, b...

Philippians 4:5    "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." I know the folks at Grace Church are probably tired of hearing me say this, but in my old age, I am finally appreciating the meaning of words.  This word, moderation, could mean different things to different people. We are told to eat in moderation; that is, do not eat too much, but eat enough to satisfy and provide the proper nutrients to the body. Moderates are those people who do not seek the extremes in life. We do not necessarily want to be at the top of the list, but we do not want to be at the bottom of the list either. We want to be somewhere in the middle of the scale.  Moderation may mean something else to you, besides these meanings. It is important to have a good Bible Dictionary when studying the Word of God so that we do not jump to conclusions as to the particular meaning of a word.  In this particular passage of Scripture, the word moderation carries the meani...

Matthew 6:33 – But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. “But” can be a powerful word. It changes the direction of a whole idea, and no book uses this word more masterfully than the Bible. Just a few examples show the importance of this simple conjunction and its power… Joshua 24:15b – … but  as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Psalm 9:7 –  But  the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:  but  fools despise wisdom and instruction. Isaiah 54:8 – In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment;  but  with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. Luke 12:31 –  But  rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. In the Gospel, Jesus refreshed and renewed the call for obedience to God and invigorated...

Philippians 4:4    "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." There is much repetition throughout God's Word. If something is mentioned only once, it still remains to be truth. But when it is repeated, we should stop and take notice. Especially when it is repeated in such a short measure of words in a sentence. "Verily, verily, I say unto you." "Truly, truly I say unto you." Jesus often used this method for us to pay close attention to what is being said.  Paul uses the approach of saying, Rejoice, and again I say, Rejoice. Should we stop and pay attention to these words? I think, yes. The word rejoice carries the meaning of being full of cheer and gladness. The phrase, "Be of good cheer," is used seven times and each of them are in the New Testament. Jesus made the statement five times and Paul made it twice in the book of Acts. Bear with me as I put these statements together to form a better understanding of "rejoice....

Philippians 3:20-21    "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:  (21)  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Paul concludes the thoughts concerning our pressing toward the mark by reminding us that not everyone has the same approach and outlook toward life. There are those who only mind earthly things and their end is destruction while our conversation is in heaven, or heavenly matters. The word, conversation, in this passage means our citizenship is in heaven. For you see, only those whose citizenship is in heaven can appreciate the conversations concerning heavenly matters. Though Paul has been talking about our striving to be like Jesus as we walk on this earth, the origin for that conversation is in heaven. The Holy Spirit guides us in these things and places the desire wi...

Philippians 3:16    "Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." Paul had just stated that he had not yet arrived at the place of understanding to which he was striving.  Going back a few verses, he said he was willing to give up everything else in order to gain understanding and experience the Lord Jesus Christ. Can we take that in for just a moment? Granted, Paul had seen the resurrected Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. He knew the glory of which he was preaching. We haven't seen the physical being of  the risen Lord Jesus, but as children of God we have indeed experienced His presence in our lives. As I read Paul's statements, I have to stop and ask myself if I truly understand that this knowledge of Jesus Christ is a true treasure in this field of life. I have been told that no two people see the rainbow exactly alike. Our view of the rainbow is from our own individual perspective. Each child of...

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. – Luke 16:10 Who didn’t dream of great things as a child? Maybe your dream was to travel the world or be famous. Perhaps you imagined yourself as a general of an army or leader of a large family. On the other hand, you might have dreamed of owning a huge house or home at the beach. Everyone has dreams, and sometimes they come true but rarely as we imagined. Greater by far is the person that relinquishes their dreams to God’s care to mold and fulfill in His special way. Jesus of Nazareth was one such person as was Peter, James, John, Paul and the rest of the Apostles not to mention other men and women of the Bible and still others you may know. What the Bible tells us clearly is that if we are faithful in the least part, the Lord will entrust greater things to us. Whether it is the sheep first tended by David before he became king of Israel or Ruth’s gleaning i...

Philippians 4:1    "Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved." "Stand fast in the Lord."  For me, there are no better words with which to live.  We are still in a rough time of life.  Surely no one thinks that a change is coming soon. We are under a spiritual attack and we cannot expect things to go away soon that are meant to weaken our faith.   My heart breaks that families have been broken as a result of this pandemic. Lives have been lost. Things have changed. When out in public, people look at each other with somewhat of a distrust.  Church congregational families are struggling. All of these things weigh heavily upon us and bring about such a great need for the words of Paul, "Stand fast in the Lord." Spiritual warfare must be fought with spiritual weapons. Some feel they must stand in their own determination and their own might to go up against this foe.  I go ...