Devotional Thoughts

Ephesians 1:9-14    "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  (10)  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  (11)  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  (12)  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.  (13)  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,  (14)  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." I admit that I am going very slow in this first chapter of Ephesians. ...

Matthew 4:1-2    "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred."   The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in all the same ways we are tempted (Hebrews 4:15). We are, by our sin nature, prone to temptation and often likely to yield to the same. Jesus did not have our sin nature, so how was it that He was tempted? This is yet another sacrifice that He made for us so that our High Priest (Jesus) could be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. In the last verse of Matthew, chapter three, Jesus saw heaven opened. The Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a dove. The voice of God spoke on that occasion, declaring that Jesus was His beloved Son, and that He (the Father) was well pleased with Him (the Son). It appears that immediately following His baptism that the Spirit (perhaps still in the form of a dove) led Jesus up into the wil...

Ephesians 1:7-12   "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;  (8)  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;  (9)  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  (10)  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  (11)  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  (12)  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." I am using several verses of Scripture because Paul wrote long sentences. A few days ago, we saw that 7 times in 11 verses, the spiritual blessings that are listed are in Christ. It's very important to...

Matthew 3:13-17    "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."   To me, there is no more powerful phrase in the scripture than, “then cometh Jesus.” Every scene that Jesus ever walked into became something powerful and exceptional. When He came into this world, the angels of heaven sang and declared His birth. When He came to be baptized of John, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God. When He came to...

Ephesians 1:3-7    "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  (4)  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  (5)  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,  (6)  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  (7)  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" I pray that as we look at these verses, we can find the peace and assurance that the Apostle Paul felt as he wrote these words. My thoughts concerning them will be brief, but I pray it will take each of us into a deeper appreciation of the work of our precious Lord in redeeming us "through His blood." Paul lis...

Matthew 3:5-9    "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."   John the Baptist was described in previous verses as the “voice of one crying in the wilderness.” John did not go into any area begging people to be baptized. He stood where God sent him and preached the truth of the coming kingdom of heaven. This message drew men and women to come seeking baptism. As far as scripture tells us, the act of baptism had not been done before John came. John was of the lineage of th...

Ephesians 1:3    "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" Yesterday, we spoke of the blessedness of God. Isn't it wonderful to think upon the greatness and goodness of our Lord. The child's blessing before a meal states it simply, "God is great. God is good." And then to know that out of that greatness and goodness, "Jesus loves me." My heart begins to fill with great joy and gladness when I think of the God of all creation even thinking about me and then knowing that He bestowed His love upon me. Out of His great love and mercy, He has blessed us (He has blessed me) with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Think about that - "All spiritual blessings." The basis for those blessings are listed in the verses that follow and, the Lord willing, we will look a little more closely at them. But for now, I have one thought that ...

Matthew 3:1-4    "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."  The Greek word translated here as “came,” carried the idea “to have arrived (See Strong’s).” Webster’s 1828 Dictionary in part describes the word “arrived” to mean “to gain or compass by effort, practice, study, enquiry, reasoning or experiment.” My point is simply this: John the Baptist did not “just happen” to show up in the wilderness of Judaea when he did. God’s purpose was being fulfilled in John’s coming. Isaiah (who was called in the Greek, Esaias) prophesied of the coming of John the Baptist (Isaia...

Comfort Food, you have heard that phrase before. It is a phrase you may intuitively know what it is, but it is one that may be difficult to give a good definition. I came across this definition I thought was rather good. It is, “food associated with emotional comfort, familiarity, and a sense of well-being, often connected to home, family, or positive memories.  That is a good understanding of what “comfort food” is, don’t you agree? Well from a spiritual perspective, would not it be appropriate to think of this much beloved Psalm as the believer’s “comfort food” for their souls. For it has fed the souls of countless numbers of God’s people through the ages. It is connected to the Christians true home, his true family, and the positive memories of it continue to be a source of encouragement. This is especially so for those who have gone through the hardest and darkest of times. One of the hardest and darkest of times is the death of a loved one. Psalm 23 has been the most popular p...

Ephesians 1:3   "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" Let your mind dwell on the first part of this verse. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is a true statement and stands on its own strength. No matter what the situation in my life, "God is blessed." In my highest point of joy and gladness, I can heartily say, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." But also in my lowest point, I should also say, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is a part of the action of praising our God. We saw several weeks of being reminded that we are to constantly praise our Lord. As long as we have breath, we are to praise Him and declare boldly His blessedness. "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  (2)  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not...

Matthew 2:19-23     "But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,  Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.  And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." Herod sought to kill Jesus from the moment he heard that He had been born. Even though this great event happened practically under his nose, Herod had no idea concerning Jesus’s birth or the time it occurred. In his desire to destroy the very Truth of God, Herod ...

Matthew 2:12-15     "And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son." Many times in life, we are warned of God. Thayer’s Greek definitions interprets “warned of God” as meaning “to give divine command or admonition.” Sometimes that warning comes from the Scriptures. Other times, it may come as that still, small voice that whispers in our hearts to do (or not do) a thing, or, as in ...

Ephesians 1:1-2    "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:  (2)  Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." I could not get the book of Ephesians out of my thoughts as I was trying to seek God's will concerning my devotions after completing the Psalms. I kept going back and forth with other thoughts until I read these first two verses this morning. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to begin this book in a manner that gives the ultimate example of God's grace and mercy. He writes concerning himself and the absolute change that God makes in the hearts and minds of His people. I hope to be able to concisely say what I see in these verses. We know the person Saul used to be, but now He speaks in terms of God's grace, mercy, love, and peace. When he was on the road to Damascus, Saul was in no way seeking the peace of the people who wer...

Matthew 2:7-10    "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.  When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."   The wise men were following a star that was leading them to Jesus. Scholars tell us that, depending on exactly where they came from in the east, they had been traveling for two to six months before reaching Jerusalem. That time does not take into account the time they would have spent preparing to make such a journey. Whatever the exact period may have been, it was not quick and it was not easy. Herod was extremely interested...

Matthew 2:1-4    "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born."  We often see a number of myths surrounding the coming of the wise men. They are often referred to as three wise men. In truth, the Bible does not tell us how many there were. These wise men brought three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh), but the only thing we can know for certain about their number is there was more than one. The manger scenes we see often show the wise men at the manger with the shepherds and a star standing brightly over stable. Again, the Bi...

Psalm 150:1-6   "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.  (2)  Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.  (3)  Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.  (4)  Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.  (5)  Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.  (6)  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." I'm so thankful this morning to say that I have breath in my lungs. There are some days that the humidity affects my breathing; yet, I can say I have breath in my lungs. How about you? For me to say and know that I have breath in my lungs, then this Psalm applies to me. I can't play the trumpet or psaltery or harp. I only can make a noise on a timbrel. I used to play the dulcimer, but it's been a long ...

Matthew 1:21-23     "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,  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. " The angel of the Lord had appeared unto Joseph to comfort him concerning Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph was assured that his espoused wife had not been unfaithful to him in any way. The angel then began to unfold more of the story for Joseph. Mary would have a son, and his name would be called Jesus (Jehovah is salvation – see Thayer’s Greek Definitions). Jesus’s birth was simple: He was born into this world in the same physical process as every other baby ever born. However, there was a powerful exception in His conception in that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and carried in ...

Matthew 1:18-20    "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."    In Isaiah 7:14, God promised us a sign concerning our Saviour. The Scripture tells us that “ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The birth of Jesus Christ came in this manner (was on this wise) as a sign from God to His people that He was faithful to the promise He made to Abraham. Although the engagement gift had bee...

Psalm 149:1-5    "Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.  (2)  Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.  (3)  Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.  (4)  For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.  (5)  Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." Why do you think the Holy Spirit inspired so many Psalms about praise? It seems to me that praise is an exercise of the soul that gives strength to us even in times of struggle. It is when we lose our praise that we are at our weakness in our spiritual walk. If we are honest with ourselves, there are days when we have to put forth more effort to praise than at other times. Yet, we are to praise the Lord at all times. It isn't because it makes God feel better w...

Matthew 1:1    "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."     Some people love to trace their family heritage. They enjoy seeing how far into the past they can find their ancestors. My immediate forebears were McGrady, McPeak, McCraw, and Hill. As you can probably tell, I am heavy on the Scottish, Irish, and Welch influence, and I can trace family lines back into the 1600’s. In the case of my maternal Grandfather Hill, the records I have found go back even earlier to the 700’s.   My Grandfather Hill would have gotten quite a thrill to learn that one of his ancestors in the 700’s was a king. I am sure that it was not a large kingdom nor notable on a grand scale. It is what I would term a “fun fact.” However, that knowledge is not going to fundamentally change my life or yours.   When the book of Matthew begins with the “generation” of Jesus Christ, he is not giving an all-encompassing look into Jesus’s ancestry....

Psalm 148:13-14    "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.  (14)  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD." As always, I encourage you to read the entire Psalm. The Psalmist lists those things and people who are to praise the Lord. He lists more reasons for praising the Lord. But these last two verses speak volumes when we can look into them and see who the writer is speaking of. We know this was written at least a thousand years before Christ came to this earth; yet throughout the Psalms, we have seen glimpses of Jesus. Psalm 2, Psalm 22, and Psalm 41:9 speak specifically about Jesus and events in His life which was to come. But this morning, as I read today's Psalm, I see Jesus in these last two verses. You see, above all the other reasons for praising the Lord, Jesus stands alone as the g...

1 Corinthians 16:22-24    “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” Paul closes this epistle with a strong warning to the church and a strong desire that they be blessed. It almost seems contradictory without some close inspection and diligent consideration of all that Paul has written to the brethren at Corinth (and to us). It begins with a lack of love for the Lord Jesus Christ. The Greek word translated here as “love” is the word phileō, which means “to be a friend to or have affection for” (see Strong’s). As we consider the things Paul has addressed in his letter, we can clearly see that there were brethren there who did not have the proper affection for Jesus. They had put their confidence in men like Paul, Apollos, and Peter, thus bringing division among the brethren (1Co 1:12). Some of them had embraced a great fornication, such as even t...

1 Corinthians 16:19-21    “The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss. The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.” As Paul begins to close out his first letter to the church at Corinth, he makes it plain that the churches were aware of each other, even without the modern technology that allows us such ease of communication today. The apostle makes reference to the churches of Asia, and our minds turn immediately to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. However, the church is more, and goes deeper, than the place where people congregate to worship. After mentioning the churches of Asia, Paul then sends them a salutation from his friends and fellow-laborers, Aquila and Priscilla. This was not just a personal greeting however: it was from them and the church that was in their house. Paul’s state...

Psalm 147:1-5    "Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.  (2)  The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.  (3)  He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.  (4)  He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.  (5)  Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite." The Book of the Psalms closes out with consecutive songs of praise. Each one lists various works of God in the universe and in our hearts that are worthy of our praise. I must admit that all too many times I am negligent of offering proper praise unto the Lord for things that may even be overlooked. It is too easy to take things for granted. I'm speaking of things that are of absolute importance to us, but go unnoticed - until they fail to work properly. Today's Psalm, when read in its entirety, speak of the ...

1 Corinthians 16:15-18    “I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth. I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.” Paul calls the attention of the brethren to some saints among them that were an example of Christian living. Stephanas and his household were among the first at Corinth (Corinth and Athens were cities in the province of Achaia) to be blessed to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were baptized by Paul but were not caught up in the division among the brethren, some of whom claimed to be of Paul, others of Apollos, etc. (1Co 1:10-13). Stephanas and his house had addict...