Devotional Thoughts

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...

Psalm 146:1-3    "Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.  (2)  While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.  (3)  Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."  In that relatively short poem, she describes the manner in which love is shown. It seems in these last Psalms, that the writer is doing that on a greater level in showing how and why his love for the Lord grows each day. We saw several things listed in yesterday's 145th Psalm and today's Psalm continues that vein of thought. The Psalmist tells us today that his intention is to love and give praise unto the Lord until the last breath leaves his body. Because of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we know that after the last breath in this earthen vessel leaves, we shall praise the Lord in ...

1 Corinthians 16:12-14    “As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.” It seems apparent by the division that Paul had named among the brethren at Corinth that Apollos had been with them. Not only had he been with them, but he was very well thought of by some. This was clearly seen when Paul rebuked them because some said they were of Paul, others of Apollos, still others of Peter, and finally some of Christ (1Co 1:12). Knowing that Apollos was well respected among them, Paul had entreated him to go and visit the church at Corinth. It was not Apollos’ mind to go to them at the time of Paul’s choosing, which may be part of the reason why Paul spoke to them about receiving Timothy if he came. It would appear that Apollos wa...

Psalm 145:1-2     "I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.  (2)  Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever." Notice the "I will's" of these two verses: "I will extol thee. I will bless thy name. I will praise thy name." David seems to have been overcome in the moment by the attributes of God and His mercy toward us. David's commitment was to lift up the name of the Lord in every way and at all times. Isn't that a good commitment for us to make also? As I read through this Psalm, David lists some of the things that came into his heart as he made these commitments. I will list them by verses and ask that we all meditate upon them and make the same commitment as David. Verse 3:  "Great is the LORD." Verse 8:  "The LORD is gracious." Verse 9:  "The LORD is good to all." Verse 13: "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom." Verse 14: ...

1 Corinthians 16:8-11    “But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.” As Paul relays his plans to the Corinthians to come and spend time with them, he further details his labor in the Lord. Here he shares that it is his intention to remain at Ephesus until the observance of Pentecost. He further outlines that this is not just some wish or whim on his part. There has been a mighty entrance (great door) opened for Paul at Ephesus. With the opening of this door, he has been granted a powerful witness to the Ephesians. Note that Paul did not say he had opened a great door, but rather that a great door had been opened unto him. As messengers of the gospe...

1 Corinthians 16:5-7    “Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia. And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go. For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.” As Paul works toward the conclusion of his letter, he seeks to assure the church at Corinth of his plan to come and see them. He did not leave the time of his arrival completely ambiguous. He told them he would come to them when he had passed through Macedonia, which was about 365 miles from Corinth. Considering that a day’s journey in Biblical times has been estimated to be twenty to twenty-five miles, it would take Paul about sixteen days assuming he traveled that distance every day. He did not intend for them to take his journey lightly or assume an “I may or may not attitude” about his coming. He let them know that they were his destination at t...

INTRODUCTION   Romans 11:33-36 are the concluding verses to the apostle’s doctrinal treatise; a treatise which commenced in Romans 1 and continued through Romans 11:32. The apostle expresses his amazement at God’s ways in a captivating doxological statement in verses 33 through verse 36,  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.  The term “doxology” comes from the Greek word doxologia, which means “giving glory.” As we read through it, we cannot help but to be impressed by Paul’s description of the glorious persona of God in all of His perfections. Scripture is much like an onion. It has many lay...

Psalm 144:1-4     "Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:  (2)  My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.  (3)  LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!  (4)  Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away." Psalm 144:15    "Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD." David was considered to be a great warrior king. We remember him slaying a bear and a lion in order to protect his sheep. We definitely remember him going against the giant, Goliath, with only his sling in hand. David was looked up to by his followers. Enemies admired his prowess. It would have been easy to get built up in himself and think more highly of himself than he should. BUT, he realized...

1 Corinthians 16:1-4    “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.” In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, there are two instances that stand out to me regarding how we are to treat the saints of God. Galatians 6:2 says we should take up each other’s load. In verse ten, we are told not to grow weak in doing well.  Our concern for the saints of God should be such that when they are burdened, we feel ourselves to be under the same weight. At the close of chapter fifteen of First Corinthians, Paul admonishes us to abound in the work of the Lord. He immediately turns to seeing to the needs of t...

1 Corinthians 15:57-58    “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” It is important to always know who to thank for our blessings. Ultimately, whatever our situation and whatever help we may have along the way, the thanks belongs to God. The victorious life we live is lived because of God’s great grace and love. He is worthy of our thanksgiving every day of our lives. Notice that Paul did not we should be thankful that God allows us to be victorious. He did not say we should be thankful that we were able to help God make us victorious. He did not indicate in any fashion that we were in involved in this victory at all, other than to be recipients. We are victorious in life because it has please God to give us the victory! This wonderful victory that is already ours (noti...

1 Corinthians 15:54-56    “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” How glorious it is to consider the morning when it was discovered that the tomb was empty! Just as He said He would, Jesus had laid down His life and had taken it up again (Joh 10:18). This authority was given Him by His Father, and there was no power anywhere that could prevent this from happening. The mortal body of Jesus had put on immortality and incorruption as displayed by the fact that it was no longer bound by the natural law. Yet, Paul tells us that although Jesus had risen from the dead that all enemies were not yet destroyed (1Co 15:26). Death was overcome in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but it is not yet destroy...