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The LORD is near Daily Devotional for 2023

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Sunday, December 31, 2023

The Three Appearings of Christ

To those who eagerly wait for [Christ] He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Hebrews 9:28 NKJV

The Three Appearings of Christ
There are three appearings of Christ associated with the full aspect of salvation found in Hebrews 9:24–28. These three appearings have a past, a present, and a future bearing.

1. “He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). This happened in the past. It is an objective, historical work outside of ourselves which was done on our behalf by Christ. He was born to this end; “He appeared,” and He finished...More



Saturday, December 30, 2023

Keep Building

Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”
Nehemiah 4:10 NKJV

Keep Building
In about 445 bc, Nehemiah came to Jerusalem. Since the city’s destruction in 586 bc, 140 years earlier, it had remained mostly uninhabitable (Neh. 7:4). Now, with Nehemiah’s encouragement, people from other Judean towns joined in to repair the city walls. There was immediate opposition by those who did not want Jerusalem to prosper. Through ridicule, insult, and outright aggression they tried to stop the work. In response, the...More



Friday, December 29, 2023

Christ the Morning Star

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
Revelation 22:16 NKJV

Christ the Morning Star
Jesus is “the Bright and Morning Star.” Others will know Him in all His kingly glory as the Root and Offspring of David; the world will know Him as the Sun of Righteousness that will arise to chase the darkness away, and bring healing to this sorrow-stricken world; but only the Church will know Him as “the Bright and Morning Star.” When the sun shines, the stars cannot be seen. He has not yet arisen above the horizon of this dark world as the Sun of Righteousness, but while...More



Thursday, December 28, 2023

Abraham and the God of Glory

The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, “Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.”
Acts 7:2–3 NKJV

Abraham and the God of Glory
It is remarkable that the God of glory has revealed Himself as the Father of glory (Eph. 1:17), as the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8; Jas. 2:1) and as the Spirit of glory (1 Pet. 4:14). The God of glory, who called Abraham and attracted him to Himself, delivering him from idols, has also called us by drawing us to Himself, away from every form...More



Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Let Us Begin Where Samson Ended

Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
Judges 16:30 NKJV

Let Us Begin Where Samson Ended
We have at the very end of Samson’s life a lesson emphasized for us, that if we are to be true victors, we must be victors over self. It was when Samson had done with Samson—alas, it was at the end of his life—he was done with the power of the enemy too. What is it that makes a happy deathbed for a...More



Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Lessons on Jehoiachin (3)—To Do You Good in the End

Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon … and [Jehoiachin] ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life.
2 Kings 25:27–29 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiachin (3)—To Do You Good in the End
We see a magnificent picture of God’s goodness in the release of Jehoiachin in the 37th year of his reign, when he was 55 years old.

Manasseh humbled himself before God when in prison in Babylon; he was...More



Monday, December 25, 2023

Joy to the World (3)—Joy Inexpressible

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10–11 NKJV

Joy to the World (3)—Joy Inexpressible
The good news that the angel brought the shepherds was to be great joy to all people. It brings great joy because it is the good news that God sent the Savior to redeem sinners. That wonderful news produces joy that is “inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). It is interesting to note that joy was not only...More



Sunday, December 24, 2023

Prophecies of Christ (3)—Where He Would Be Born

They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” … He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace.
Micah 5:1–2, 4–5 NKJV

Prophecies of Christ (3)—Where He Would Be Born
The prophet Micah, a contemporary of...More



Saturday, December 23, 2023

Joy to the World (2)—Good News

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10–11 NKJV

Joy to the World (2)—Good News
The angel appeared to the shepherds and encouraged them not to be afraid—which is a theme surrounding the birth of the Lord Jesus (Lk. 1:13, 30, 74; Mt. 1:20). The angel goes on to say, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” This could read, “I announce good news.” The word translated...More



Friday, December 22, 2023

Joy to the World (1)—Do Not Be Afraid

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10–11 NKJV

Joy to the World (1)—Do Not Be Afraid
While the Lord Jesus was being born in the city of Bethlehem, outside the city, shepherds were keeping watch over their sheep that night. “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid” (Lk. 2:9). It is interesting to note that every time...More



Thursday, December 21, 2023

The Divine Comforter

Comfort, yes, comfort My people!
Isaiah 40:1 NKJV

The Divine Comforter
God means to comfort His people, but in doing so He has to bring before them very definitely their true condition in His sight; and then He shows His remedy. The first part of this message may not sound very comforting, and yet God must begin that way. God wounds that He may heal; He kills that He may make alive. We never know Him in the fullness of His power to sustain and comfort until we have come to the end of our own resources. In His gracious ministry of comfort, God always begins by showing us our need and our dependence...More



Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Practical Exhortations From the Apostle Paul

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 NKJV

Practical Exhortations From the Apostle Paul
The mostly practical part of the Epistle to the Romans begins with chapter 12. Paul shows in all his letters that he is a teacher, but not in a theoretical way. It is interesting how he introduces the following practical instructions here: through grace! God’s grace is not only for the sinner’s salvation, but also for the daily...More



Tuesday, December 19, 2023

To Serve and Follow Him

That in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossians 1:18 NKJV

To Serve and Follow Him
Do you think we shall want to talk about self when we get to heaven? I am sure that when the glory shines into our hearts, we will talk of nothing but Christ. If I am in sorrow and anyone talks about the world, does it cheer the heart? No! But if he talks of Christ and all His glory, the heart gets comfort directly. Why so vexed about self, so troubled in spirit? And why is there so little to be heard of Christ, who has brought us to where we get all the mind of God and of heaven? I should like to get the...More



Monday, December 18, 2023

Prophecies of Christ (2)—His Virgin Birth

Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God” … But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:10–14 NKJV

Prophecies of Christ (2)—His Virgin Birth
This crucial prophecy was given under very trying circumstances. King Ahaz was one of the very worst kings of Judah....More



Sunday, December 17, 2023

God’s Estimate of the Blood, Not Ours

When I see the blood.
Exodus 12:13 NKJV

God’s Estimate of the Blood, Not Ours
Where the blood was sprinkled, salvation was the result; and where no blood was seen, the plague fell. God passed through the land that night in judgment, and “there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Ex. 12:30). In the houses of Israel there was one dead: the lamb, the victim, the substitute. In the houses of Egypt there was one dead: the firstborn. In the houses of Israel the lamb had died instead of the firstborn, and that brought peace to many a household that night.

You might have gone...More



Saturday, December 16, 2023

The Flesh and the Spirit in a Believer

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
Romans 8:5 NKJV

The Flesh and the Spirit in a Believer
No person ever becomes better or worse. A person’s state may become better or worse, but his nature remains precisely what it is. When one is saved, that nature does not become better; his sinful nature received from Adam remains as sinful as ever. But he receives from God a new nature that is itself absolute perfection. It is the nature seen in the Person of the Lord Jesus—a nature...More



Friday, December 15, 2023

Lessons on Jehoiachin (2)—Humility and God’s Care

Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive.
Jeremiah 29:1 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiachin (2)—Humility and God’s Care
In chapter 29, we read that Jeremiah wrote a letter to the captives who had been carried away because of the discipline of God on His people. Jeremiah gives them several instructions from the Lord to settle in Babylon, seek the peace of the city, and pray for it—“for in its peace you will have peace” (Jer. 29:7)—as well as stern words concerning the false prophets among...More



Thursday, December 14, 2023

Does God Hate Sinners?

You hate all workers of iniquity.
Psalm 5:5 NKJV

Does God Hate Sinners?
In recent times the idea has been suggested, from verses like this one, that God hates sinners. This stems from a misunderstanding of the characteristic differences between the Old and New Testaments.

The Old Testament addresses a man’s acts and his guilt, not his nature and his state. It deals with sins, the fruit—not with sin, the root. From Leviticus 4–5, some try to teach that the trespass offering was for sinful deeds and the sin offering was for a sinful nature. Simply reading Leviticus 4 is sufficient...More



Wednesday, December 13, 2023

God Has Visited His People

They glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
Luke 7:16 NKJV

God Has Visited His People
When we talk about visiting people, we usually mean to sit with them and talk for a while. It is certainly an important ministry to spend that kind of time with others. Everyone needs to be refreshed, and there is nothing like a face-to-face visit!

But the biblical use of the term is a bit different. On several occasions in both the Old and New Testaments, God is said to visit His people—and it is never simply for a social call. When...More



Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Prophecies of Christ (1)—Who He Would Be

The Lord will build you a house. And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled … that I will set up your seed after you … and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him … I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.
1 Chronicles 17:10–14 NKJV

Prophecies of Christ (1)—Who He Would Be
King David had long wanted to build a temple to house the ark of the covenant. The prophet Nathan...More



Monday, December 11, 2023

Recorded for Eternity

Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer.
Nehemiah 11:17 NKJV

Recorded for Eternity
Mattaniah was one of the men who were chosen by the casting of lots to dwell in Jerusalem. He was part of that remnant who were living in Judah after the period of Babylonian captivity. The population of Jerusalem was very low. This under-population problem was solved by casting lots among the inhabitants of Judah and moving people into the city from the surrounding towns and villages. Mattaniah was placed on this list of...More



Sunday, December 10, 2023

Revel in Him

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself.
Hebrews 12:3 NKJV

Revel in Him
We know that the wages of sin is death. We know that Adam and Eve were warned that the day they ate of the fruit of the tree, which would be sin, they would die. We also understand that all have sinned and there was nothing we could do to resolve this problem—neither riches, nor works, nor our own self-righteousness could make us right with God. So by faith we understand and gratefully accept the finished work of our substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.

But we wonder...More



Saturday, December 9, 2023

Paul’s Example of “First Love” for Christ

Use diligence to come to me quickly.
2 Timothy 4:9 JND

Paul’s Example of “First Love” for Christ
Second Timothy has often been called Paul’s spiritual “last will and testament,” not only for Timothy but for any next generation of believers. Paul’s purpose in writing this letter from his cold prison cell was to encourage Timothy to continue on and not give up. Through this letter, Paul also challenges all believers to be true overcomers. What does that mean? Paul’s desire was for Timothy to keep following the Lord Jesus, no matter how difficult the circumstances, obstacles, or...More



Friday, December 8, 2023

Lessons on Jehoiachin (1)—Humility and Deliverance

Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner.
2 Kings 24:12 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiachin (1)—Humility and Deliverance
Aside from the fact that Jehoiachin did evil in the sight of the Lord, his surrender to Nebuchadnezzar is the only action reported from this king. But in fact, this is the only action worth reporting, and we can learn something important from it.

The words Jeremiah had prophesied concerning Jehoiachin were now fulfilled: he and...More



Thursday, December 7, 2023

Call Upon the Lord

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
Psalm 91:15 NKJV

Call Upon the Lord
This is what God says about a person who trusts completely in Him. His circumstances may be difficult, perhaps so difficult that he has no choice but to call upon the Lord. His call may be imprecise, impulsive, and born of need—an impulse prayer for help. But just such a call has its promises. God gives a fourfold promise:

“I will answer him.” This is the first thing the believer needs in suffering, the assurance that we are not calling...More



Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Paul’s Tears (3)—Our Resource

Wherefore watch … And now I commit you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give to you an inheritance.
Acts 20:31–32 JND

Paul’s Tears (3)—Our Resource
We have considered Paul’s tears in his service, and Paul’s tears as he warned the Ephesian elders about what was going to come. What then is our resource in these days? The apostle did not leave these elders, or ourselves today, without anywhere to turn.

First he tells us we need to watch. We need to be on guard. We must remember that we are on a battleground, not a playground. We should...More



Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Paul’s Tears (2)—In Warning

Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
Acts 20:31 NKJV

Paul’s Tears (2)—In Warning
We have seen that Paul had tears in his service in this world. In verse 31, we also see that he shed tears as he warned the saints about what was going to come. He saw what would happen after his departure from this world. He knew what was going to come to that which is so precious to Christ, the Church of God which God purchased with the blood of His own Son (Acts 20:28–29). In a similar way, Moses knew what would happen to the children of...More



Monday, December 4, 2023

Paul’s Tears (1)—In Service

Ye know how I was with you all the time from the first day that I arrived in Asia, serving the Lord with all lowliness, and tears, and temptations, which happened to me through the plots of the Jews.
Acts 20:18–19 JND

Paul’s Tears (1)—In Service
What could cause the apostle to shed tears? Paul’s address to the elders of Ephesus in Acts 20 tells us what caused him tears.

In verse 19, the apostle tells us what characterized his service for the Lord: “all lowliness, and tears, and temptations.” In His service, Paul reflected the character of the Lord Jesus, who was meek and...More



Sunday, December 3, 2023

Outside the Camp

Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
Hebrews 13:12–13 NKJV

Outside the Camp
The book of Hebrews mentions no writer but begins with God. It shows the New Testament revelation to be consistent with the Old Testament, and at the same time to be in great contrast to it. Indeed, prophecies, types, and persons are seen to have their marvelous fulfillment in God now speaking from heaven in the Person of His Son, the Creator and Upholder of all things. His eternal...More



Saturday, December 2, 2023

Midnight, Twilight, and Daylight

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night.
John 3:1–2 NKJV

Midnight, Twilight, and Daylight
The history of this man who came to Jesus by night is very charming, because we see in it what I call progress in a man’s soul. We do not all get into the light in a moment, by a jump as it were; as a rule we get on slowly. True, this was the beginning with Nicodemus, for wherever the Holy Spirit mentions Nicodemus, He records the fact that he came to Jesus by night. John 3 tells us of his coming; the seventh chapter refers to him as “he who...More



Friday, December 1, 2023

Following Mentors or Living by Faith

Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
2 Chronicles 24:2 NKJV

Following Mentors or Living by Faith
Queen Athaliah had “destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah” (2 Chr. 22:10). This was a wicked act by one who was a worshiper of Baal. But God intervened. He put a godly priest, Jehoiada, and his pious wife, Jehoshabeath, in the right place at the right time. They rescued Joash and hid him. Joash had been both preserved from harm as a child and brought up under the godly nurture of Jehoiada the priest.

Joash was only one year...More



Thursday, November 30, 2023

A Love That Is Irrevocable, Undeniable, and Unsurpassable

The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you.

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

Deuteronomy 7:6–8 NKJV; Psalm 91:14 NKJV; Isaiah 38:17...More



Wednesday, November 29, 2023

God Hates and Punishes Pride (2)

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Proverbs 16:18–19 NKJV; Proverbs 29:23 NKJV

God Hates and Punishes Pride (2)
Throughout Scripture our great God shows us that He hates pride and deals with it most severely. Examples in God’s Word show us how individuals brought catastrophe upon themselves and many others because, in their pride, they set themselves to resist God.

In Exodus...More



Tuesday, November 28, 2023

God Hates and Punishes Pride (1)

These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look.

The Lord of hosts has purposed it, to bring to dishonor the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

Proverbs 6:16–17 NKJV; Isaiah 23:9 NKJV

God Hates and Punishes Pride (1)
Throughout Scripture our great God shows us that He hates pride and deals with it most severely. Some examples of this are:

In 1 Timothy 3:6 pride is referred to as the condemnation of the devil. Isaiah 14:12–17 and Ezekiel 28:12–19, which are addressed to the king of Tyre, in...More



Monday, November 27, 2023

Lessons on Jehoiakim (3)—Rejection of God

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.
2 Kings 24:1 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiakim (3)—Rejection of God
Jehoiakim had been established by Pharaoh. But from his fourth year as king, Nebuchadnezzar went up and Jehoiakim became his servant. This is also the time of the first deportation, when Daniel, among others, was taken up to Babylon. The time of the nations had begun since the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. But after three years, King Jehoiakim rebelled against the king of Babylon. God...More



Sunday, November 26, 2023

The Lord Jesus Went Out (3)

He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull … where they crucified Him.
John 19:17–18 NKJV

The Lord Jesus Went Out (3)
Matthew’s Gospel describes the Lord twice as One who “went out” (Mt. 13:1; 24:1). These instances were followed by His going out, carrying His own cross (Jn. 19:17). Solemn event! On that cross, the sinless One was going to be made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21) during the three hours of darkness. True, He was cast out (Heb. 13:11), but prior to that, the Lord went out Himself: although they took Him, He was in charge, as seen in His going...More



Saturday, November 25, 2023

The Lord Jesus Went Out (2)

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
Matthew 24:1 NKJV

The Lord Jesus Went Out (2)
In Matthew 13:1 we read that the Lord “went out” and left Israel’s leaders in order to concentrate on a new part in His ministry. At that occasion, He presented the parable of the Sower: despite being rejected, Christ continued a work of God as the divine Sower. And so He kept on sowing and teaching the Word, until His final rejection and death. Today, from the glory, He continues His work as Sower; after the rapture, He will also...More



Friday, November 24, 2023

The Lord Jesus Went Out (1)

Jesus went out from the house and sat down by the sea.
Matthew 13:1 JND

The Lord Jesus Went Out (1)
Why did the Lord Jesus go out? He had come to His people, Israel, according to the prophecies of the Old Testament. Many of God’s predictions were fulfilled, partly or entirely, when Christ came into this world and started His public ministry in the land of Israel. There are other prophecies that will be fulfilled in relation to His second coming.

Based on Scripture, the Jewish leaders had made a list of criteria in order to test anyone who would present himself as a possible Messiah....More



Thursday, November 23, 2023

Thanks Be to God

By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

Thanks Be to God
Christ is sitting as the accepted Sacrifice at the right hand of God. In that fact, there is something that tells us of the marvelous greatness of God in condescending to accept anything from us. How marvelous that He should keep that magnificent gift of His love ever before Him as the accepted Sacrifice, and then turn to poor things like you and me, and say, “I am looking for a sacrifice from you; I desire that there should come forth...More



Wednesday, November 22, 2023

The Strength and Warmth of Christian Fellowship

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor … and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12 NKJV

The Strength and Warmth of Christian Fellowship
This is a text typically used for weddings. But the author obviously has a broader scope in mind when he writes about relationships and their blessings.

Right in the first sentence he talks about effort. It does indeed take effort to maintain a relationship well. This applies in principle to all situations “under the sun” in which we are put together as human beings. But relationships among...More



Tuesday, November 21, 2023

The Godly Preserved in the Last Days

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men … The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Psalm 12:1, 8 NKJV

The Godly Preserved in the Last Days
The Lord, and His words, are the resource of the righteous in a day when the faithful fail from among those who profess the name of God, and when lawlessness and wickedness prevail on every side.

A work of evil may be secretly undermining all that is of God while, at the same time, there may be a public display of the lawlessness of man.

The godly...More



Monday, November 20, 2023

Lessons on Jehoiakim (2)—Rejection of the Word

[Jehoiakim] was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.
Jeremiah 36:22–23 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiakim (2)—Rejection of the Word
When the word of the Lord that was written by Baruch under the dictation of Jeremiah was read to Jehoiakim, after only three or four columns, he cut and burned the writing in spite of the fact...More



Sunday, November 19, 2023

Christ Bore Our Condemnation

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 NKJV

Christ Bore Our Condemnation
Have you ever got hold of the wonderful truth of being in Christ Jesus? For “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Why? Because there is nothing left to condemn. “Well,” you say, “that is a bold statement.” I do not deny it, for I know the blessedness and joy of it! There is nothing left to condemn—if you are in Christ Jesus.

The truth of the gospel is this, that when the Lord Jesus was upon the cross, not only was He...More



Saturday, November 18, 2023

Paul and Barnabas (5)—The Ministry of Reconciliation

Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working.
1 Corinthians 9:6 NKJV

Paul and Barnabas (5)—The Ministry of Reconciliation
Everyone who is familiar with the New Testament and its history holds the apostle Paul in high esteem because of his labors for Christ. Similarly, when we consider Barnabas, it is always with admiration for his character and service, “a good man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24). However, when we think about them as a ministry team, our minds tend to fixate on the incident at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey:...More



Friday, November 17, 2023

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (4)—Abigail’s Warning

Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him!
1 Samuel 25:25 NKJV

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (4)—Abigail’s Warning
Previously we considered the depths of frustration Abigail must have felt if she would publicly call her husband both a scoundrel and a fool. As a scoundrel, Nabal’s character was corrupt and worthless, literally, a “son of Belial.” As a fool, he possessed no godly wisdom, whether in business or at home. Abigail was certainly neither a scoundrel nor a fool, and this inequality in their...More



Thursday, November 16, 2023

Heaven Opened on Christ and on the Believer

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him.
Matthew 3:16 NKJV

Heaven Opened on Christ and on the Believer
We find in the Word four memorable occasions on which the heavens open. Christ is the object of each of these revelations; each has its special character. In the above verse, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, and He is acknowledged the Son of God.

At the end of John 1, He declares Himself to be the Son of Man. There, He mentions heaven being opened, with the angels of God ascending and descending upon Him. He is,...More



Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Being Where God Wants Us to Be

The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah 2:10 NKJV

Being Where God Wants Us to Be
Initially, Jonah refused to do what he knew to be the will of God. Has that not been true of all of us? But God brought Jonah to his senses and delivered him! Jonah came up from the depths of the sea humbled and chastened, but scarcely broken, for the concluding chapter of his book shows that he still had much to learn. But he had experienced the power of God to lay low those who rise up against His will, and he was also assured that, come what may, God will never cast off His...More



Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Christ Praying About His Mission—Despite Opposition

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles.
Luke 6:12–13 NKJV

Christ Praying About His Mission—Despite Opposition
The Lord had challenged the scribes and Pharisees about whether it was lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it. They would not answer Him, and He healed the man with a withered hand. But the scribes and Pharisees knew no shame, and, driven by madness,...More



Monday, November 13, 2023

Lessons on Jehoiakim (1)—Rejection of the Messenger

There was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king … killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Jeremiah 26:20–21, 23 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiakim (1)—Rejection of the Messenger
Uriah prophesied against Jerusalem and the land, “according to all the words of Jeremiah” (Jer. 26:20). Jehoiakim did not...More



Sunday, November 12, 2023

A Divine Love

Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
John 13:1 NKJV

A Divine Love
It is a common saying that love is blind, but I look upon it as a slander upon love. Most certainly it does not and could not apply to the love of Christ. He knew all that was in us, and He knows now all our ways and all our weakness and all our follies; but He loves us notwithstanding all, and in the power of that love He acts toward us in order to deliver us from all that He sees in us and about us which would...More



Saturday, November 11, 2023

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (3)—Abigail’s Endurance

Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him!
1 Samuel 25:25 NKJV

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (3)—Abigail’s Endurance
Along with Abigail’s wisdom and grace, there is the very practical matter of her strength to endure in a difficult marriage. “Nabal” means “fool.” Consider the depths of frustration Abigail must have felt if she would publicly call her husband a fool and a “scoundrel”—literally, a “son of Belial,” an expression describing a worthless, corrupt person. Perhaps Nabal was a...More



Friday, November 10, 2023

Paul and Barnabas (4)—Failure Is a Teacher

Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
2 Timothy 4:11 NKJV

Paul and Barnabas (4)—Failure Is a Teacher
It is sometimes said, “It takes a lot of grace to recognize a little grace,” and Barnabas truly had that disposition toward John Mark. He saw in him someone who had great potential, and he wanted to encourage it. This was Barnabas. Perhaps in his disagreement with Paul he had pushed too hard (Acts 15:39). He had missed God’s timing for Mark in ministry, but in principle he saw that John Mark would be useful in God’s work.

The US Navy Seals have a...More



Thursday, November 9, 2023

A Hand Full of Rest

One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 NASB

A Hand Full of Rest
Work is a blessing. Anyone who ever had to look for a job for a long time, or even lost one, knows this from experience. God had given Adam work as an occupation, even before he and his wife fell into sin. However, the fact that work is laborious, that one has to fight—literally or figuratively—against thorns and thistles in the process, is a consequence of sin. How does God want us to do our work? In Ecclesiastes, the Preacher describes three options: two that he...More



Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Some Basic Principles Underlying the Study of Prophecy (2)

We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
2 Peter 1:19 NKJV

Some Basic Principles Underlying the Study of Prophecy (2)
The messages of the prophets were directed in first line to immediate situations and needs, but their writings always look far beyond these immediate situations. Thus, most prophecies can be said to have a double, and often even a triple fulfillment, the more immediate of these generally foreshadowing the more distant ones. Israel’s blessings were often...More



Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Some Basic Principles Underlying the Study of Prophecy (1)

Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7 NKJV

Some Basic Principles Underlying the Study of Prophecy (1)
Prophecy is the revelation to man—before it happens—of God’s purpose and plans. God has been pleased to share His purpose and plans with His servants, the prophets. Prophecy is never given merely to satisfy man’s curiosity about the future. No prophecy of Scripture is of any private or independent interpretation—all must be understood as being a part of one vast design, fitting into place in harmonious relation to the whole...More



Monday, November 6, 2023

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (2)—Abigail’s Grace

Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness … And he has repaid me evil for good.”
1 Samuel 25:21 NKJV

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (2)—Abigail’s Grace
David’s words were accurate. He and his men had indeed shown kindness to Nabal, protecting his shepherds and flocks in the region of Carmel while Nabal remained at home a few miles away (1 Sam. 25:2, 15). When Nabal simply mocked him in return, David’s anger was aroused, showing that his motives were not entirely pure. David expected some favor in return, and the injustice of...More



Sunday, November 5, 2023

God’s Love Displayed (3)—Christ Forsaken by God

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?
Psalm 22:1 NKJV

God’s Love Displayed (3)—Christ Forsaken by God
Christ is the chosen One of God, the delight of His Father in whose bosom He ever abides (Jn. 1:18). It is specifically as the sinless, spotless Lamb of God that Jesus Christ had to suffer the judgment for our sin and be forsaken of God. Darkness surrounded this scene, and we tread lightly here, for this is holy ground. We therefore limit ourselves to what Scripture tells us of it (cf. Mt. 27:45–50).

This...More



Saturday, November 4, 2023

The Qualifications of Our High Priest

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.
Hebrews 7:26 NKJV

The Qualifications of Our High Priest
Aaron and his sons were not at all suited to meet our need; their qualifications were far short of what is required. A High Priest fully suited to us must have infinitely higher characteristics: “The law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever” (Heb. 7:28).

First, this High Priest...More



Friday, November 3, 2023

Lessons on Jehoahaz (3)—Losing Our Wealth to This World

Pharaoh Necho put [Jehoahaz] in prison … and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. Then Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim … Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give money according to the command of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, from every one according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necho.
2 Kings 23:33–35 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoahaz (3)—Losing Our Wealth to This World
These...More



Thursday, November 2, 2023

Paul and Barnabas (3)—Who Was Right and Who Was Wrong?

And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts 15:39–41 NKJV

Paul and Barnabas (3)—Who Was Right and Who Was Wrong?
The contention between Paul and Barnabas over what to do with John Mark came to a climax, and to human eyes, it had a sad ending. We are surprised at what happened, shocked even. Not only had there been a “sharp contention” between these two men of God, but it had ended with them separating, as far as being...More



Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (1)—Abigail’s Wisdom

When the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you … this will be no grief to you … that you have shed blood without cause.
1 Samuel 25:30–31 NKJV

Gleanings From the Life of Abigail (1)—Abigail’s Wisdom
Abigail shines as one of the brightest lights of the Old Testament. She spoke these words to David during the days when he lived as a fugitive from King Saul. David and those with him had protected the shepherds and flocks belonging to Nabal, Abigail’s wealthy husband. Yet when David asked Nabal for some token of favor, he replied with insult...More



Tuesday, October 31, 2023

God’s Love Displayed (2)—Christ Rejected by His People

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
John 1:11 NKJV

God’s Love Displayed (2)—Christ Rejected by His People
The Lord Jesus was rejected as the Creator who had claims on this world (Jn. 1:10), but also specifically by the nation He had chosen.

God chose Abram out of a land of idolatry and made him into a nation which found itself under forced labor in Egypt. Their cries went up and God heard them. He sent Moses and his brother to lead the people out with a great deliverance, yet at the very first trial we witness the hardheartedness of this nation. Instead of...More



Monday, October 30, 2023

We Have a Savior

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior.
Acts 5:31 NKJV

We Have a Savior
I am more than ever struck with the way in which Scripture gives prominence to the Person of Christ, as a testimony of the gospel. Christ is in the glory of God, having by His death first settled the question of sin. Christ, who is in the glory of God as the proof that God is completely glorified in the putting away of the sins of all who believe in Jesus, and in whose face shines the glory of God, is the Savior for a sinner today and forever.

Just think for a moment what an immense thing it...More



Sunday, October 29, 2023

He Sat Down

He, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down in perpetuity at the right hand of God.
Hebrews 10:12 JND

He Sat Down
The cross was the manifestation of goodness, in the midst of the wickedness of the world, in a way never to be found anywhere else. During Christ’s lifetime the heavens would open upon Him, and testify to His perfection and the Father’s delight in Him; and thus I learn the terrible evil of the heart that could resist such goodness. When I come to the cross, what a wretched creature I see myself to be; I have hated this blessed One, and, more than that, my sins brought Him...More



Saturday, October 28, 2023

Lessons on Jehoahaz (2)—When the World Has Its Say

The king of Egypt deposed [Jehoahaz] at Jerusalem … Then the king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.
2 Chronicles 36:3–4 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoahaz (2)—When the World Has Its Say
Jehoahaz and the people are now directly affected by the consequences of Josiah’s meddling in the affairs of this world, when he wanted to oppose the king of Egypt. When Necho heard that Jehoahaz was made king by the people of the land, he deposed him as king in Jerusalem,...More



Friday, October 27, 2023

Paul and Barnabas (2)—When Godly Motives Clash

Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another.
Acts 15:37–39 NKJV

Paul and Barnabas (2)—When Godly Motives Clash
Paul and Barnabas were about to begin their second missionary journey. Barnabas was “determined” to bring along John Mark, a young relative of his, who had accompanied them on their first journey. Paul “insisted” that they not take Mark with...More



Thursday, October 26, 2023

God’s Love Displayed (1)—Christ Rejected By the World

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
John 1:10 NKJV

God’s Love Displayed (1)—Christ Rejected By the World
In the above verse we have some fundamental concepts rehearsed for us: 1) He was in the world; 2) the world was made through Him; and 3) the world did not know Him.

We witness His wisdom, His power, and His greatness as Creator; as such, He is truly worthy to be praised (Rev. 4:11; Col. 1:16). How marvelous to realize that in all this vastness, complexity, and beauty, He has deigned to pay particular interest to the habitation...More



Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (4)

My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.
1 Samuel 2:1 NKJV

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (4)
Hannah’s heart was full of worship and praise for who God is and what He has done. She is occupied with about ten different attributes that describe who God is! Her brokenness was used by God to cause Hannah to think on His strength (1 Sam. 2:1), His holiness (2:2), the uniqueness of God (2:2), His omniscience (2:3), the justice of God (2:3), His omnipotence (2:4), the Great Provider (2:5), the Sovereign One (2:6–8),...More



Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Noah, Daniel, and Job

“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness … Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.
Ezekiel 14:12–14 NKJV

Noah, Daniel, and Job
The prophet Ezekiel served the Lord while living in Babylon with other Jewish captives. Daniel was already in Babylon too, forced into royal service. The kingdom of Judah still existed, but unrighteousness was rampant. Only about five years after Ezekiel received this message, Nebuchadnezzar came against Judah one final time. Jerusalem was...More



Monday, October 23, 2023

Paul Unhindered

Paul stayed two full years in his own rented lodging and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching things about the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
Acts 28:30–31 NASB

Paul Unhindered
It happens sometimes that we leave the key of the entry door in some secret place. Once we find it, we can access the house again. Similarly, some New Testament authors put the “key” to their writing at the end of their book or letter. This key provides insight into the character of the epistle or book and gives a clue how to read, understand, and interpret it. It...More



Sunday, October 22, 2023

The Ram in Scripture (5)—The Consecration of the Priests

Thou shalt take the second ram … and thou shalt slaughter the ram, and take of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and … of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot.
Exodus 29:19–20 JND

The Ram in Scripture (5)—The Consecration of the Priests
Our God and Father had so much more in mind for us than being simply saved from the judgment we deserved. He would have us to be priests for Himself. In this portion of Scripture we see the consecration of the priests, and two rams are used.

First, a bullock is offered...More



Saturday, October 21, 2023

Paul and Barnabas (1)—A Great Team

Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”
Acts 15:36 NKJV

Paul and Barnabas (1)—A Great Team
God had linked together the apostle Paul and Barnabas in a special bond. They were a great ministry team, and as a team, had been mightily used by God.

In their early days, Barnabas had been used by God to convince the frightened and suspicious saints of Jerusalem that Saul (Paul) of Tarsus was truly converted (Acts 9:26–27). Barnabas instinctively knew...More



Friday, October 20, 2023

Teach All the Children

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Isaiah 54:13 NKJV

Teach All the Children
God knows how to comfort. Here He comforts those from Israel who accept His judgment as just. He calls them “afflicted one, tossed with tempest, and not comforted” (Isa. 54:11), and tells them that they will not remain in this condition much longer. And not only they themselves will experience His liberating and helping grace, but He will also bless the coming generations.

The word used here for “taught” is rendered elsewhere “to be...More



Thursday, October 19, 2023

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (3)

It happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard
1 Samuel 1:12–13 NKJV

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (3)
When considering Hannah’s deep sorrow, and her prayer, it may be instructive concerning those times when we do not know what to pray for. Sometimes, when the pain is so strong, the hurt is so deep that we do not know how to pray. Paul reminds us, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought” (Rom. 8:26). He...More



Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Lessons on Jehoahaz (1)—The Form of This World Is Passing Away

The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.
2 Kings 23:30 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoahaz (1)—The Form of This World Is Passing Away
It is quite interesting that it is specifically mentioned in 2 Kings 23:30 that Jehoahaz had been anointed as king. Was it not the case for all the other kings? Yet, it is mentioned for him, even though he reigned only three months. This reminds us of the works and glory of man. “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,...More



Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Making the Most of What We Have (3)

The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
Proverbs 11:26 NKJV

Making the Most of What We Have (3)
The picture we have in this verse is that of the farmer who has a good supply of grain, from which is made bread, which is often called the staff of life. In a time of necessity when people are hungry, perhaps even starving, this farmer is holding it back, keeping it off the market, waiting for an even more advantageous time to sell it. His selfishness brings him hatred and cursing, while people appreciate and bless the person who helps meet...More



Monday, October 16, 2023

Finding Strength in God When Things Are Dark

David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6 KJV

Finding Strength in God When Things Are Dark
Happy is he who could rise from the very deepest depths of human misery, up to God, and His never failing resources! Faith knows God to be fully equal to all human need, human weakness, human failure, and human sin. God is above all, beyond all, beneath all; and the heart that apprehends Him is lifted above all the trials and difficulties of the way.

There is no condition in which the Christian can find himself in which he may not count upon God. Is he crushed beneath the...More



Sunday, October 15, 2023

The Ram in Scripture (4)—Trespass Offering

And his trespass-offering shall he bring to Jehovah, a ram without blemish out of the small cattle according to thy valuation, as a trespass-offering unto the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him before Jehovah, and it shall be forgiven him.
Leviticus 6:6–7 JND

The Ram in Scripture (4)—Trespass Offering
In this section we are reminded that every sin against our neighbor is first of all a sin against God (Lev. 6:2). This is a solemn reminder. In this portion of Leviticus we are given some very specific sins that may be committed, such as stealing from someone. The trespass...More



Saturday, October 14, 2023

Only Five Words

I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:19 NKJV

Only Five Words
Reading this verse in context we understand that Paul is dealing with the issue of the gift of tongues in the Church, and the need for understandable speech.

However, there are those who never open their mouths in the assembly meetings to praise or pray or read a portion of Scripture or speak a word of ministry. Some are afraid or have an inhibition, thinking that they are not eloquent, comparing themselves to others. Let us...More



Friday, October 13, 2023

Praise the Lord

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 NKJV

Praise the Lord
So ends the Book of Psalms, and therein is presented to us the result, as far as the earth is concerned, of the coming of the Lord into it. He is indeed the blessed Man of the first psalm, “who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law He meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:1–2). Every breath that He took was a “Hallelujah!”—a “Praise the Lord!” Every...More



Friday, October 13, 2023

Lessons on Jehoiakim (1)—Rejection of the Messenger

There was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king … killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Jeremiah 26:20–21, 23 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiakim (1)—Rejection of the Messenger
Uriah prophesied against Jerusalem and the land, “according to all the words of Jeremiah” (Jer. 26:20). Jehoiakim did not...More



Thursday, October 12, 2023

Lessons on Josiah (3)—Want to Make a Difference?

Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him … Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God … And the archers shot King Josiah.
2 Chronicles 35:20, 22–23 NKJV

Lessons on Josiah (3)—Want to Make a Difference?
Josiah’s intervention against Necho is the last major event of his reign. Josiah became involved in the struggles and disputes of this world, and this marked the end of his useful walk for God. He had been at peace...More



Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (2)

Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
1 Samuel 1:8 NKJV

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (2)
No one understood just how deep Hannah’s bitter pain went or just how broken she felt. Her husband sought to help by reminding her just how good her situation was by saying, “Am I not better to you than ten sons?” Perhaps he meant well, as so many do when they try to help one who is deeply hurting. But he just did not understand the broken spirit. Eli the priest misjudged her,...More



Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Don’t Be Afraid, Timothy

God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion.
2 Timothy 1:7 JND

Don’t Be Afraid, Timothy
When Paul left Timothy in Ephesus, the Lord entrusted great responsibilities to this young disciple, who was the apostle’s delegate. After some time, Paul wrote him a letter with more instructions, promising he would come back (1 Tim. 3:14–15). But the apostle was arrested and sent to Rome. There he was put on trial, facing execution. Against this background—a struggle of life and death—Paul wrote Timothy to encourage and instruct him...More



Monday, October 9, 2023

Making the Most of What We Have (2)

The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Proverbs 11:25 NKJV; Luke 6:38 NKJV

Making the Most of What We Have (2)
The King James Version of 1611 renders the first clause of this verse, “The liberal soul shall be made fat.” While the word fat generally has a negative connotation in North America today, this word has a positive meaning in the text...More



Sunday, October 8, 2023

The Ram in Scripture (3)—Devotion

Thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red.
Exodus 26:14 JND

The Ram in Scripture (3)—Devotion
Here we have the skins of the ram to be used in the tabernacle.

We do not have space to even begin to sketch out the symbolism in the tabernacle. We commend this very profitable study to our readers. First of all it speaks of Christ, secondly of His people, and thirdly of our approach to God.

One of the coverings of the tent was to be of rams’ skins dyed red. This would speak to us of Christ’s complete devotion to His Father even unto death, the red...More



Saturday, October 7, 2023

Learning From the Master

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning He awakens; He awakens My ear to hear as the those who are taught.
Isaiah 50:4 ESV

Learning From the Master
From a prophetic point of view, this word speaks of Christ. When He lived on earth, He did not need to be taught, but heard “as those who are taught.” At the same time, this is a very practical word for His disciples today, for us; for “those who are taught” are disciples. Disciples learn from their master by following him, by imitating...More



Friday, October 6, 2023

Heavenly Things in Hebrews

Having therefore a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession.
Hebrews 4:14 JND

Heavenly Things in Hebrews
Heavenly calling 3:1—The Lord Jesus is described as Apostle and High Priest. As Apostle, He comes from God to man on earth; as High Priest, He goes from man to God in heaven. He came from heaven and went to heaven, calling us there with Him.

Heavenly gift 6:4—This section is a solemn warning against apostasy—falling away. They had “tasted of the heavenly gift,” the gift of the Holy Spirit. They experienced...More



Thursday, October 5, 2023

A Perfect Man and a Perfect Work

I have glorified You on the earth.

John 17:4 NKJV



A Perfect Man and a Perfect Work

Who but the Lord could look up to heaven and say to the Father, “I have glorified You on the earth.” Alas! Fallen man has dishonored God on the earth. Man was made in the image and likeness of God, to be a true representative of God before the universe. If, however, now that man has fallen, the world were to form its ideas of God from man, the conclusion would be reached that God is an unholy, selfish, cruel, and vindictive being, without wisdom, love, or compassion. This indeed is the terrible...More



Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (1)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3 NKJV

Hannah: A Vessel Broken by Sorrow (1)
David reminds us that “the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite [crushed] spirit” (Ps. 34:18). Hannah is an example of one who was crushed by deep sorrow; her brokenness is recorded for us in 1 Samuel 1.

Hannah lived during the period of the judges, when men were not following God’s laws, but each “did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25). Her husband Elkanah had another wife named Peninnah, who had children. Peninnah...More



Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Lessons on Josiah (2)—To Continue in Spite of All

[Josiah] stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
2 Chronicles 34:31 NKJV

Lessons on Josiah (2)—To Continue in Spite of All
A thing that is striking about Josiah’s character is his perseverance despite the fact that there seemed to be no future, no matter what he could do! His commitment to God was unwavering! Nothing was going to stop him from doing according to “the words of the...More



Monday, October 2, 2023

Making the Most of What We Have (1)

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.
Proverbs 11:24 NKJV

Making the Most of What We Have (1)
What are we doing with that which our Lord has entrusted to us to use for His glory? “Do business till I come,” He has told us (Lk. 19:13). The proverbs of wise King Solomon give us practical pointers on how to use what He has given us for maximum benefit and gain while we await His return. Let us look at one of these.

Many Israelites were farmers. They grew barley and wheat on their allotments to feed...More



Sunday, October 1, 2023

The Ram in Scripture (2)—The Substitute

Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt-offering instead of his son.
Genesis 22:13 JND

The Ram in Scripture (2)—The Substitute
Our verse above is the second mention of the ram in Scripture. Abraham is told to take his son, his only son whom he loved, and to offer him for a sacrifice on one of the mountains of Moriah.

This chapter gives us a beautiful picture of the divine Father and His divine Son whom He loves: “The Father loves the Son” (Jn. 3:35). We...More



Saturday, September 30, 2023

As a Man Spares His Own Son

“They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”
Malachi 3:17 NKJV

As a Man Spares His Own Son
The third expression of how God deals with His own as a man with his son is found in the last book of the Old Testament, in the Book of Malachi. This book describes a very sad state among the people of Israel. Most of them were unfaithful and could only expect the judgment of God. But there was a faithful remnant among them who were walking in the fear of the Lord. We find in this chapter a...More



Friday, September 29, 2023

As a Man Disciplines His Son

Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.
Deuteronomy 8:4–6 NKJV

As a Man Disciplines His Son
God’s care for His people does not only mean that He carries them as a man carries his son, but also that He disciplines them as a man disciplines his son. The fact that God our Father disciplines us proves that we are His beloved children: “My son, do not despise...More



Thursday, September 28, 2023

As a Man Carries His Son

In the wilderness … you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.
Deuteronomy 1:31 NKJV

As a Man Carries His Son
There are a few verses in Scripture that describe God’s behavior towards His people as the behavior of a father towards his son. In today’s verse, we have, “as a man carries his son.” Moses in Deuteronomy is looking back on the forty years of wandering in the desert and how God carried them through in His mercy and grace. That these forty years of wandering in the wilderness were the result of...More



Wednesday, September 27, 2023

A Prayer for God’s Will

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Colossians 1:9 NKJV

A Prayer for God’s Will
The apostle Paul probably never had the chance to visit Colosse. But one day he heard about a work of God there, about people who had come to faith in Jesus Christ. This immediately triggered something in him: from that day on, he began to pray for these young Christians and had not stopped since.

We can do the same, praying for everyone with whom we are...More



Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Great Is His Faithfulness

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:22–26 NKJV

Great Is His Faithfulness
Jeremiah wrote this when Judah was in a period of decline, culminating in the destruction of the temple and seventy years of captivity in Babylon. The people had turned away from the...More



Monday, September 25, 2023

The Ram in Scripture (1)—The Promise Secured

He said to [Abram], Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon … On the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram.
Genesis 15:9, 18 JND

The Ram in Scripture (1)—The Promise Secured
We would like to consider how and where the ram is spoken about in Scripture. The ram is a male sheep, which often has substantial horns. The ram speaks of strength, and the Hebrew word is sometimes translated “mighty.”

All of the animals used for sacrifice mentioned in Scripture have something to teach...More



Sunday, September 24, 2023

The Privilege of the Lord’s Supper

“Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.” So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
Luke 22:11–13 NKJV

The Privilege of the Lord’s Supper
The two disciples, Peter and John, found things just as Jesus had told them. They had been directed to follow a man carrying a pitcher of water, which speaks to us of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The room to which this...More



Friday, September 22, 2023

Lessons on Josiah (1)—To Resolutely Follow the Lord

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David … In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.
2 Chronicles 34:1–3 NKJV

Lessons on Josiah (1)—To Resolutely Follow the Lord
It is worth noting that, in contrast to Manasseh and Amon, Josiah committed himself at a young age to seek the Lord. This would have a decisive impact on the rest of his life, and for the better! The choices we make and the...More



Thursday, September 21, 2023

Four People Who Said “My Lord” (4)—Paul the Apostle

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
Philippians 3:8 NKJV

Four People Who Said “My Lord” (4)—Paul the Apostle
Paul was under house arrest and chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote these words to his beloved Philippians. In this epistle, he presents practical Christian experience based on the knowledge of Christ: 1. Christ our life in chapter one; 2. Christ our example in chapter two; 3. Christ our object in chapter three; 4....More



Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Believers Today Can Learn From Job’s Example

The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before … Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.
Job 42:10, 12 NKJV

Believers Today Can Learn From Job’s Example
Job was the subject of God’s wise workmanship, just as is true in the life of every believer. But there was a lesson that Job did not easily learn. Indeed, Job had an upright character, and he had serious, real respect for the greatness of God. Also, his conduct toward others was commendable. Spiritually, Job had relatively little to...More



Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Riches of Liberality—Riches in Glory

We make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 8:1–2 NKJV; Philippians 4:18–19 NKJV

Riches of Liberality—Riches in Glory
One purpose of the Epistle to...More



Monday, September 18, 2023

Refreshing the Lord Jesus

He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; therefore He shall lift up the head.
Psalm 110:7 NKJV

Refreshing the Lord Jesus
Even though the Lord suffered so much, not only on the cross but also as He walked this world, yet there were some “brooks” that refreshed the Lord on the way. Let us consider some of these occasions—you may remember others as well.

—Mary sitting at the feet of the Lord, enjoying His Word (Lk. 10:38–42); and later, anointing Him with the alabaster box of precious ointment of great price (Jn. 12:1–7).

—The poor widow’s offering (Mk....More



Sunday, September 17, 2023

Who Is Worthy?

Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?
Revelation 5:2 NKJV

Who Is Worthy?
In Revelation 5, we have the redemption glories of Jesus, and there we see Him, as the Lamb slain, in the midst of the throne. The cry is sent forth, “Who is worthy to open the scroll?” In the hand of God there is a scroll. That scroll contains the purposes and counsels of God with regard to the earth. There goes out this challenge, “Who is worthy?” John says, “I wept much.” He knew he was not worthy himself, and he looked for someone to come up who was worthy. Would not Joseph, Moses, Samuel,...More



Saturday, September 16, 2023

Watching and Doing

Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching … Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
Luke 12:37, 43 NKJV

Watching and Doing
Thus we have two things, namely, “watching” and “doing.” Which does Christ value most? The former, unquestionably, as is proved by the higher reward attached to it. To have Christ serving us in the glory is something far beyond any position which He may in His goodness assign to us.

Let us, then, ever bear in mind, brethren, that our blessed Lord values, above all things, that loving...More



Friday, September 15, 2023

Lessons on Amon (3)—Tomorrow Is Not Ours

[Amon] did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them. And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself.
2 Chronicles 33:22–23 NKJV

Lessons on Amon (3)—Tomorrow Is Not Ours
We know the expression, “Like father, like son.” But was it really the case with Amon? In fact, Amon was different from his father in one important thing. Perhaps you have already noticed it when reading his deeds in the above verse: “he did not humble himself...More



Thursday, September 14, 2023

Four People Who Said “My Lord” (3)—Thomas Called the Twin

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:28 NKJV

Four People Who Said “My Lord” (3)—Thomas Called the Twin
Thomas was not in the room when Christ first appeared to the gathered disciples (Jn. 20:24). The other Gospels mention this interesting disciple, but it is only in John that we get his personal details. The first striking detail is his nickname: “the Twin.” It is unknown whether this was given to him in childhood or from Christ, who had the habit of giving His disciples names (Mk. 3:17; Jn. 1:42). Thomas has been likened to “Eeyore,” the character in...More



Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Rooted in Christ

I say this to the end that no one may delude you by persuasive speech … As therefore ye have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and assured in the faith, even as ye have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:4, 6–7 JND

Rooted in Christ
Paul was in prison in Rome, far from the believers in Colosse. Epaphras had informed him that the enemy was attacking them. This was an all-out attack on four different fronts. Paul’s remedy, given by the Lord to equip the believers, was also multifaceted. We must equip ourselves according to...More



Tuesday, September 12, 2023

God Uses Sufferings for Our Good

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. You are good, and do good, teach me Your statutes...It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.
Psalm 119:67–68, 71 NKJV

God Uses Sufferings for Our Good
We often wonder and sometimes even speculate who the author of this longest and very wonderful psalm may be. But there is no question about agreeing with the thoughts it expresses. Today’s verses are found in a section acknowledging the value of the sufferings the psalmist had experienced. Not knowing the author of the psalm, we have no reason to...More



Monday, September 11, 2023

Our Abiding Home

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2 NKJV

Our Abiding Home
For the comfort of our hearts the Lord discloses to us the new home: “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Not only have we Christ in the glory our unfailing resource, but we have the Father’s house as our abiding home. For let us note that the word “mansions” is really “abodes,” a home which, once it is reached, will never more be left; there we shall...More



Sunday, September 10, 2023

An Overflowing Heart

My heart is welling forth with a good matter: I say what I have composed touching the King. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God hath blessed Thee forever.
Psalm 45:1–2 JND

An Overflowing Heart
The psalmist here was far from merely repeating things that he had heard. His heart was overflowing, his whole soul delighting in contemplating “the King”: therefore he spoke what he himself had composed concerning Him, his tongue being as the pen of one who writes with free-flowing ease. For he was not trying to...More



Saturday, September 9, 2023

Prayer and Confession

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
James 5:16 NKJV

Prayer and Confession
This passage in James 5 shows that every circumstance can lead us into stronger spiritual health. As verse 13 says, if we are suffering, we should pray; if we are cheerful, we should sing to the Lord. Then verse 14 asks, “Is anyone among you sick?” Such a case calls for specific prayer by faithful, mature leaders of God’s people. Of course, this instruction does not prohibit collective prayer by all of us. But how encouraging it would be for one who is sick to...More



Friday, September 8, 2023

Four People Who Said “My Lord” (2)—Mary Magdalene

They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.
John 20:13 NKJV

Mary Magdalene was one who deeply loved the Lord Jesus Christ. He had delivered her from seven demons; hence, as one who had experienced the grace of the Lord, she was very attached to Him (Lk. 8:2). We learn from her that heart affection for Christ—even when it is lacking knowledge—is rewarded with spiritual intelligence, and in her case, even beyond that of the apostles. To her was given the commission from Christ to go to “My brethren” with the astounding message that Christ had risen and would...More



Thursday, September 7, 2023

Lessons on Amon (2)—Multiplying Sin

[Amon] did not humble himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; for he, Amon, multiplied trespass.
2 Chronicles 33:23 JND

Lessons on Amon (2)—Multiplying Sin
Amon multiplied his trespass, or sin. It is a strong expression. What does it mean? The particular sin of Judah was idolatry. We read a second very similar expression in 2 Chronicles 36:14: “All the chiefs of the priests also, and the people, increased their transgressions, according to all the abominations of the nations.” As king, Amon was especially responsible for leading the people to do what was right...More



Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Called by the Physician

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
Luke 5:31–32 NKJV

Called by the Physician
The tax collector Levi answered the call to follow Jesus. Immediately he made a big meal for his new Master in his house. Everyone present was allowed to participate. It was not such a noble company coming together here: the Pharisees and scribes contemptuously called them “tax collectors and sinners” and reproached Jesus’ disciples.

When Jesus heard this, He Himself took the initiative to answer for...More



Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Waiting

O Lord—how long?
Psalm 6:3 NKJV

Waiting
As we learn to trust the Lord, perhaps no spiritual challenge is more difficult than waiting. A number of the Psalms and several of the prophets repeat that prayer, “How long?” It is the cry of a heart which believes God can be trusted while also feeling keenly that dull ache of soul which often accompanies a long season of waiting.

Consider the Book of Esther. It is a dramatic story, and we might often read the main events without noticing the details. For example, what must it have been like for Esther, Mordecai, and all the Jews in Persia...More



Monday, September 4, 2023

Christ Is Sufficient

To the end that their hearts may be encouraged, being united together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God; in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge. And I say this to the end that no one may delude you by persuasive speech.
Colossians 2:2–4 JND

Christ Is Sufficient
Paul’s intense spiritual battle in prayer was for the believers to be encouraged and united. The enemy seeks to discourage and divide. He knows that when we are encouraged, we are ready to produce fruit for God; he also knows that when...More



Sunday, September 3, 2023

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (4)

I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly, I will praise You.
Psalm 22:22 NKJV

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (4)
Our text today is resurrection language. We find in John 20:17, after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus declared the name of the Father, saying to Mary, “Go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”

In Hebrews 2:12 we see this verse quoted referring again to our resurrected Lord, in the midst of the assembly, leading His own in praise to the Father! This points to a coming day...More



Saturday, September 2, 2023

Are You Washed?

The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7 NKJV

Are You Washed?
If I talk of having fellowship with God, I must be able to bear and to enjoy His presence. It is not that I am good, but that God has cleansed me. It does not depend on the degree of my filthiness, but on His power to cleanse. When I have washed something, I do not keep thinking whether it was much dirty or a little dirty, but that now it is clean. And so with saints, “you are already clean” (Jn. 15:3), and God delights to look on me because He has washed me. It does not depend on my great or little...More



Friday, September 1, 2023

Four People Who Said “My Lord” (1)—Elizabeth the Mother of John

Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luke 1:43 NKJV

Four People Who Said “My Lord” (1)—Elizabeth the Mother of John
There are four people found in the New Testament who each, at critical junctures in their lives, exclaimed, “My Lord.” Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias, Mary Magdalene, Thomas the disciple, and the apostle Paul are all recorded to have uttered these words. What an example and lesson for our hearts we find in each of these godly believers!

In today’s meditation, we will look at Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. What a...More



Thursday, August 31, 2023

The Call to Simplicity

But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, so your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3 JND

The Call to Simplicity
The tendency to hanker after the elaborate, the complicated, the far-fetched is always with us. The intellectual men of the world find the gospel far too simple, and they stumble at it. The trouble is, however, that believers whose strong point is their intellect, always have a tendency in the same direction, unless they walk in the spirit of self-judgment as regards intellectualism. If they do not maintain...More



Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Gideon and the God of Patience

Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.

Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress … “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

Romans 15:4–5 NKJV; Judges 6:11–12 NKJV

Gideon and the God of Patience
Gideon was in a winepress, out of sight of the enemy, working to get the food God was giving when the Midianites, Israel’s enemies, were destroying the...More



Tuesday, August 29, 2023

The Present Place of Christ

Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!
Acts 7:56 NKJV

The Present Place of Christ
The whole testimony of God now is to what Christ is in heaven; and we see the most amazing crowd of blessed things connected with Him there. People often talk of the heavenly calling as if it were but a piece of knowledge. It was not a piece of knowledge for Enoch to walk with God. Nor was it for Moses to realize the power of God while leading the people through the Red Sea. God being with him, he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

We are not Christians at...More



Monday, August 28, 2023

Lessons on Amon (1)—A Way That Seems Right

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
2 Chronicles 33:21–22 NKJV

Lessons on Amon (1)—A Way That Seems Right
We find in Proverbs the following verse: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12). We could say that about Amon. He continued in the path of idolatry in which his father had walked for a long time, although Manasseh eventually humbled himself greatly before God and recognized that the Lord is God. Manasseh clearly proved his repentance by his...More



Sunday, August 27, 2023

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (3)

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
Psalm 22:6 NKJV

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (3)
In Psalm 22 there are several descriptions of the Lord Jesus that point to His suffering and His unique person and position as the Messiah. First, in our verse we hear Him say prophetically, “I am a worm, and no man.” This word for worm appears about 31 times in the Old Testament and is often translated “scarlet” or “crimson.”

The worm that is being referred to here is called tola; it is a little worm that feeds on plants, and when crushed it makes a...More



Saturday, August 26, 2023

God Keeps His Promises

If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place.
Esther 4:14 NKJV

God Keeps His Promises
It is often noted that the Book of Esther does not once mention the name of God. No prophets are heard; no spoken prayers are recorded. The only writings consulted are the chronicles and laws of the Persian empire, not the Scriptures.

Yet God is present all through this account. One example is found in the verse quoted above. Mordecai was speaking to Esther about the decree that all Jews in the Persian provinces, which included the land...More



Friday, August 25, 2023

The Beast Versus the Son of Man

I saw a beast rising up out of the sea.

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.

Revelation 13:1 NKJV; Revelation 14:14 NKJV

The Beast Versus the Son of Man
From this solemn chapter of Revelation 13, we know that the times of the Gentiles will end in the most terrible form of dictatorship that the world has ever seen. Christendom, having apostatized from God, will fall into utter anarchy and confusion from which men will seek relief by submitting to a power that, though...More



Thursday, August 24, 2023

Judge, Lawgiver, and King

For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.
Isaiah 33:22 NKJV

Judge, Lawgiver, and King
The language of the current Israeli media sounds quite different from this prophet’s word. But when a remnant will have emerged from Israel, in the time of the seven-year tribulation, these faithful and steadfast ones will thus praise their God and Lord.

It is an almost poetic language the prophet chooses here; an enumeration which he concludes with a triumphant exclamation of confidence. He attributes three characteristics to God, which in current...More



Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Spiritual Formation

Teaching every man, in all wisdom, to the end that we may present every man perfect in Christ. Whereunto also I toil, combating according to His working, which works in me in power. For I would have you know what combat I have for you, and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in flesh; to the end that their hearts may be encouraged, being united together in love.
Colossians 1:28–2:2 JND

Spiritual Formation
Paul had been called by the Lord of Glory to be His spokesman, to lead people to Him and to teach them. For this service, the Lord had gifted the apostle with many special...More



Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Christ and the World Contrasted

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good.
Acts 10:38 NKJV

Christ and the World Contrasted
The world goes on with its religion and its philanthropy. It does good, builds its hospitals, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and the like; but its inward springs of action are not Christ’s. Every motive that governed Christ all the way along is not that which governs men; and the motives which keep the world going are not those which were found in Christ at all.

The unbeliever acknowledges Christ’s moral beauty, and selfishness can take...More



Monday, August 21, 2023

The Power and Centrality of Christ

[Jesus], being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Acts 2:23–24 NKJV; Revelation 19:10 NKJV

The Power and Centrality of Christ
They slew Him, God raised Him. And why? Because of the Lord’s high personal glory. He loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should be held by it. The hindrance to death’s power, as...More



Sunday, August 20, 2023

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (2)

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?
Psalm 22:1 NKJV

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (2)
Throughout the Old Testament, there are many animal sacrifices which typify the Lord Jesus Christ. The lamb, the ox, the ram, the goat, and the turtledove, all were slain on the altar for sacrifice. But in this psalm, Christ is compared to the deer of the dawn. A deer is a beautiful and graceful animal, here a deer of the morning, hinting at...More



Saturday, August 19, 2023

Lessons on Manasseh (3)—The Fruit of the Light

Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God … He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord … He also repaired the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:13, 15–16 NKJV

Lessons on Manasseh (3)—The Fruit of the Light
After Manasseh humbled himself greatly before the Lord, the Lord brought him back to Jerusalem. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. This was no mere change of thought in Manasseh’s life. The reality of his deep humiliation and of a true repentance...More



Friday, August 18, 2023

A Priest at the Right Hand of God for Us

We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.
Hebrews 4:14 NKJV

A Priest at the Right Hand of God for Us
The Christian is one who is not only forgiven but delivered. Christ has died for him, and he has died in Christ. Hence he is free, as one who is raised from the dead and alive to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. He is a new creation. He has passed from death to life. Death and judgment are behind him, and nothing but glory before him. He possesses an unblotted title and an unclouded prospect.

Now, if all this be indeed true of every child of...More



Thursday, August 17, 2023

Jonah’s Strange Complaint

So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
Jonah 4:2 NKJV

Jonah’s Strange Complaint
What a strange complaint Jonah has here, complaining that God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, great in kindness, and forgiving. How could he complain about this, seeing that he himself had been disobedient to God’s command, and if God were not these things, Jonah could have...More



Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Zacchaeus: A Story of Grace

He sought to see Jesus who He was: and he could not for the crowd, because he was little in stature.
Luke 19:3 JND

Zacchaeus: A Story of Grace
The story of Zacchaeus is unique to Luke’s gospel, and we only hear him speak once, at its close (v. 8). He had an image problem: he was a chief tax-gatherer, rich, and short (vv. 2–3). To his neighbors he was sinful (v. 7), no doubt because tax-gatherers were collaborators with the hated Roman power and had a reputation for being corrupt (cf. 3:12–13). A man in these circumstances tends to keep to himself.

Whatever others thought about...More



Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Job’s Darkest Day and His Best Day

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
Job 19:25–27 NKJV

Job’s Darkest Day and His Best Day
By the time we see Job in chapter 19, he has “hit bottom.” We see his deep pain, his discouragement at his circumstances, and of course his question, “Why?” He would see other dark days before the Lord would appear to him in chapter 38. He would continue his debate with his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar,...More



Monday, August 14, 2023

True Christian Experience

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 NKJV

True Christian Experience
“To me, to live is Christ”—this is Christian life and experience in its fullness. It has often been remarked, and is well worth remembering, that Christians have many experiences which are not properly Christian experience. The man described in Romans 7 is undergoing an experience which will be for his future blessing, but it is not properly Christian experience, though it is clearly enough the experience of a Christian. Christ Himself, dominating and controlling the believer so much that his...More



Sunday, August 13, 2023

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (1)

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?
Psalm 22:1 NKJV

The Psalm of the Sin Offering (1)
Four psalms which speak prophetically of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ each look at His death in a different way. Psalm 40 is the burnt offering psalm, which focuses on the purposes of God; Psalm 69 is the trespass offering, which emphasizes the penalty; and Psalm 22 describes the passion of the Lord as the sin offering. While there may not be one specific psalm that parallels with the peace offering, there are several that give the...More



Saturday, August 12, 2023

Paul’s Admonishment—Practice Based on Position

The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to His saints; to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory: whom we announce, admonishing every man.
Colossians 1:26–28 JND

Paul’s Admonishment—Practice Based on Position
God had entrusted to the apostle Paul a very special ministry: to show the believers who Christ is in heaven and how He is linked to them on earth. Called His saints, the believers—mainly taken from among the Gentiles, but also from...More



Friday, August 11, 2023

When Laws Are Ungodly

All the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage … They told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
Esther 3:2, 4 NKJV

When Laws Are Ungodly
As God’s people, we are sometimes confronted with situations like Mordecai’s. The law required everyone to pay homage to Haman. It is one thing to respect government officials, but it is another to revere a man as if he were God. When Mordecai refused, the...More



Thursday, August 10, 2023

Lessons on Manasseh (2)—A Bad Start

[Manasseh] did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:2 NKJV

Lessons on Manasseh (2)—A Bad Start
How was it that Manasseh had such a bad start as king? Yet, he was brought up in the knowledge of God’s truth. We can be sure that Hezekiah did indeed make known the truth about God to his sons, according to Isaiah 38:19, and this included his child Manasseh. But Manasseh also had his responsibility to receive the truth being told to him from his father.

In saying this, parents...More



Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (13)—Last Words

I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6–8 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (13)—Last Words
After the great fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64 ad, many people thought that the emperor Nero had set the city on fire. He accused the Christians, whom the...More



Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Christ’s Appreciation of Family

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
Luke 10:38 NKJV

Christ’s Appreciation of Family
At Bethany, we see Him adopting a family scene. Had Jesus disallowed the idea of a Christian family, He could not have been at Bethany, as we see He was. And yet, when we get Him there, it is only some new phase of moral beauty that we trace in Him. He is a friend of the family, finding, as we find to this day among ourselves, a home in the midst of them.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” are...More



Monday, August 7, 2023

Job’s Words Written in Stone

Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever!
Job 19:23–24 NKJV

Job’s Words Written in Stone
This amazing prayer of Job, coming out of the very midst of his deep sufferings, is worthy of our utmost consideration. It is hard to know when the Book of Job was written, or the era in which Job actually lived. Most Bible scholars, for various reasons, place Job in very early times. Some believe that he lived during the same time as the patriarchs found in Genesis.

Job wanted his words inscribed...More



Sunday, August 6, 2023

The Psalm of the Burnt Offering (2)

I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly; indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.
Psalm 40:9–10 NKJV

The Psalm of the Burnt Offering (2)
These verses belong to the second part of this messianic psalm, which presents the Lord Jesus as the Burnt Offering. Here we have the language of One who came to do the Father’s will, and we view a five-fold message that...More



Saturday, August 5, 2023

From Top to Bottom

The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Mark 15:38 NKJV

From Top to Bottom
The throne of the eternal Father has become the throne where the Nazarene is sitting, the One who died, “the Just for the unjust.” I can turn to that Christ and say, “Nothing can disturb me. That glorified Christ in God’s presence is the very ground of my peace.”

How did Christ get to this throne? Through death. If He had not died, He might have been there alone, but never in any connection whatever with poor sinners. He did die, and there the glory of God shines forth. Directly when...More



Friday, August 4, 2023

Are We Disciples?

Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
Isaiah 8:16 NKJV

Are We Disciples?
It was a difficult time in Israel. Its heyday under David and Solomon was over. People and land had separated into a northern and a southern kingdom. Thus, the former unity was no longer visible. Unfaithfulness to God was widespread.

The prophet Isaiah announces, “Therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them the waters of the River, strong and mighty—the king of Assyria and all his glory … he will pass through Judah” (vv. 7–8). Yet at this very time, God sees among His apostate people...More



Thursday, August 3, 2023

What Is Worship?

The hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth.
John 4:23 JND

What Is Worship?
Here is that which may well act on the conscience of a saint. Have you ever worshiped God your Father in spirit and in truth? Or have you been content hitherto to mingle with the world and take part in its music, its architecture, its rituals? You know well that anybody can take part in these things. It is bringing back again the very substance and means of idolatry.

Indeed, the apostle discerned this in the Galatians (Gal. 4:9) when they took up Jewish...More



Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Lessons on Manasseh (1)—The Objective of God’s Discipline

[Manasseh] did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.
2 Chronicles 33:6 NKJV

Lessons on Manasseh (1)—The Objective of God’s Discipline
We read that Manasseh provoked the Lord to anger. We too can sometimes provoke Him: “Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” (1 Cor. 10:22). As a child of God, if we behave like those who are without hope and without God, the discipline of our God and Father will also come upon us, and His discipline has a very specific purpose: it is so that we partake of His holiness (Heb. 12:10). And if we are exercised by it, it will...More



Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (12)—Still Pursuing

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind … This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me … Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth … Know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.
2 Timothy 1:7, 15; 2:15; 3:1 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (12)—Still Pursuing
Several references in the epistles as well as some of the early “Church Fathers” indicate that Paul was ultimately released from his imprisonment and traveled for a few...More



Monday, July 31, 2023

The Father’s Business

Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?
Luke 2:49 NKJV

The Father’s Business
Which of us would have said these words when we were twelve years old? His ways had been such that He would appeal to His parents as though they ought to have known from the tenor of His life what He was occupied with.

Philippians 3 shows how Paul, a man of like passions with ourselves, might tread the same path, seeing and estimating the beauty of Christ. The effect was, first, that he counted all else dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord; and secondly,...More



Sunday, July 30, 2023

The Psalm of the Burnt Offering (1)

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.”
Psalm 40:6–8 NKJV

The Psalm of the Burnt Offering (1)
Psalm 40 is a messianic psalm because it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ: His incarnation, the voluntary action of His coming, and the efficacy of His sacrifice.

In verse 6 we learn of the inadequacy of the Levitical sacrifices, “Sacrifice and offering You did...More



Saturday, July 29, 2023

Job’s Friends

Miserable comforters are you all!
Job 16:2 NKJV

Job’s Friends
One thing is clear about Job, he was no fair-weather believer; even in the darkest hours of his sufferings, he looked to God. However, he didn’t get any help from his friends. A well-known aphorism comes to mind when thinking of Job’s friends: “With friends like these, who needs enemies?”

At first his friends wept for him, sat with him, and were silent for seven days (2:11–13). They probably should have remained silent. Job did not hold back his view of their advice: “But you forgers of lies, you are all...More



Friday, July 28, 2023

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (4)—Paul

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:19 NKJV

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (4)—Paul
Paul suffered like no other New Testament saint had. “In stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned … Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?” (2 Cor. 11:23–25, 29). Languishing in a Roman prison, he...More



Thursday, July 27, 2023

Do Not Fret

Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Psalm 37:1–2 NKJV

Do Not Fret
Instead of fretting, let the godly trust in the Lord, and they will find that while the wicked “shall soon be cut down,” those who trust will dwell in the land and be fed.

Instead of fretting because of evildoers, let the believer delight in the Lord, and he shall be satisfied.

Instead of being stumbled and turned out of the right way by reason of the prosperity of the wicked, let the...More



Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Lessons on Hezekiah (3)—Deficient in Giving Glory

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up.
2 Chronicles 32:24–25 NKJV

Lessons on Hezekiah (3)—Deficient in Giving Glory
Hezekiah had been miraculously healed, and Judah miraculously delivered from the king of Assyria. God allowed Hezekiah to be tested by means of the visit of officials from Babylon in order to show what was in his heart. The facts of his miraculous healing and the great deliverance of the people from their enemies...More



Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Pain or Joy?

Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me.
Ezekiel 6:9 NKJV

Pain or Joy?
How little do we understand the Lord’s thoughts and feelings due to our disobedience! In the above verse, we have the Lord’s complaint against Israel in how He was crushed by their disobedience; “crushed” is a very strong word. Psalm 69, speaking prophetically of the Lord, says that reproach had broken His heart. When speaking to Judas, He asked, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man...More



Monday, July 24, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (11)—Godly Helpers

I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains … I am sending him back...no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me … receive him as you would me.
Philemon 10, 12, 16–17 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (11)—Godly Helpers
During his first imprisonment at Rome, Paul used the measure of liberty he had, though chained, in active service for his Lord. We appreciate the letters he wrote, usually associating another brother with him, like Timothy in this letter to Philemon, a well-to-do brother at whose home near Colosse an...More



Sunday, July 23, 2023

A Pleasant Aroma for God

Aaron’s sons shall burn [the peace-offering] on the altar upon the burnt-offering which lieth on the wood that is upon the fire: it is an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odor.
Leviticus 3:5 JND

A Pleasant Aroma for God
The peace offering was also exposed to the fire. Why? The fire depicts God’s holiness and righteousness, testing the sacrifice. Nothing inconsistent with God could be accepted. The peace offering passed the test, for it prefigured Christ’s perfect sacrifice. The testing by fire produced a sweet-smelling savor ascending to God, just as was true of the burnt offering (ch....More



Saturday, July 22, 2023

Martha Served

There therefore they made Him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at table with Him.
John 12:2 JND

Martha Served
We meet Martha three times in the Gospels. On the first occasion she received the Lord Jesus and His disciples into her house—a catering challenge. Evidently, she cherished Him and His ministry, and wanted to make a home for Him who had “not where He may lay His head” (Lk. 9:58). But as many of us have discovered, service can eclipse the Lord if we are not careful. This is what happened here: Martha became so preoccupied with all the things she had to do that...More



Friday, July 21, 2023

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (3)—The Lord Jesus

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
Luke 23:34 NKJV

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (3)—The Lord Jesus
Men hated the Lord Jesus. In fact, He said, quoting from Psalm 69, “Those who hate Me without a cause are more than the hairs of My head” (v. 4). The prophet Isaiah wrote, “He is despised and rejected by men” (Isa. 53:3). In Nazareth, Jesus warned the Jews that God’s grace would not be confined to them only, but would be extended to Gentiles also. This filled them with wrath, and they “rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the...More



Thursday, July 20, 2023

Ruled by Impulse

Herod feared John knowing that he was a just and holy man, and kept him safe; and having heard him, did many things, and heard him gladly.
Mark 6:20 JND

Ruled by Impulse
There is little that commends Herod to our consideration. He was self-willed and immoral. Yet because Herod respected John as a just and holy man, at least he knew enough to protect him from the murderous wrath of Herodias. It is not fully clear what took place when he, “having heard him, did many things.” Some feel the conversations perplexed Herod; others feel they began to change him. In any case, it seems he did whatever...More



Wednesday, July 19, 2023

God for Us

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 NKJV

God for Us
God does not always remove us from difficulty and danger. He does not take us out of this scene. The same things occur to us as to others, but it is a sweet thing to realize that God is our shield. It is not merely that we have escaped the danger; it was God’s mind to bring us into danger. He brought His people to the Red Sea, and to see the wrath of Pharaoh. He meant that they should be thrown upon His arm of power. He would endear Himself to us by delivering us from every perplexity. He...More



Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Lessons on Hezekiah (2)—Deliverance and Praise

This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness … The living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known Your truth to the children. “The Lord was ready to save me; therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”
Isaiah 38:9, 19–20 NKJV

Lessons on Hezekiah (2)—Deliverance and Praise
After reigning fourteen years, Hezekiah became sick and near to death. He was about thirty-nine. The prophet Isaiah told him to set his house in order...More



Monday, July 17, 2023

Job’s Children—On Earth and in Heaven

Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning … He also had seven sons and three daughters.
Job 42:12–13 NKJV

Job’s Children—On Earth and in Heaven
God had blessed Job and his wife with a large family; they had ten children in all, seven sons and three daughters (1:2). It appears that Job was somewhat worried about the spiritual state of his children—they seemed to enjoy the “good life” or party life a bit too much (1:4, 18). He would rise early in the morning and offer sacrifices for them (1:5) just in case they might have sinned. Then tragedy struck Job and...More



Sunday, July 16, 2023

The Fat of the Peace Offering

He shall present of the sacrifice of peace-offering an offering by fire to Jehovah; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards.
Leviticus 3:3 JND

The Fat of the Peace Offering
The fat of the peace offering is significant. Scripture records it for the first time with Abel’s sacrifice (Gen. 4:4), which was “more excellent” than what Cain brought (Heb. 11:4). This latter verse shows that the fat of the sacrifice emphasizes not only the excellence of the sacrifice, but also that it reflects something of the offerer. God’s Word often puts these two aspects...More



Saturday, July 15, 2023

Isolation—False and True

He has done all things well.
Mark 7:37 NKJV

Isolation—False and True
There are few things more pitiable than what we call “a disappointed man.” He is always finding fault with others. He has never discovered the real root of the matter or the true secret of dealing with it. He is isolated, but his isolation is utterly false. He is miserable; and he will make all who are weak and foolish enough to listen to him as miserable as himself.

How truly delightful and refreshing to turn from this dismal picture to the only perfect Man who ever trod this earth! His path was indeed an...More



Friday, July 14, 2023

Does He Care?

He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Mark 4:38 NKJV

Does He Care?
What shame must have been theirs when in answer to their cry He rose up from His sleep and calmed the elements with a word! How outrageous must their doubts of Him have seemed when the winds retired at His bidding and the waves obeyed Him!

Ah, why had they no faith? They might have stretched themselves beside Him and known the wonder of unbroken peace in the tempest, and made that night the most memorable by their confidence in...More



Thursday, July 13, 2023

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (2)—David

Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; wait for the Lord, and He will save you.
Proverbs 20:22 NKJV

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (2)—David
God anointed David to be king instead of Saul. After he killed Goliath and delivered Israel from the Philistines, the women made a new “hit song,” and performed it in Saul’s hearing: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam. 18:7). Out of jealousy, Saul sought for an opportunity to kill David.

David had to hide in caves, and in deserts. He had opportunity to exact his revenge when he and his men found Saul...More



Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (10)—Giving Thanks

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you … I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again … I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God … All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.
Philippians 1:3; 4:10, 17–18, 22 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (10)—Giving Thanks
These verses are from the letter Paul wrote to the Philippian believers...More



Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Lessons on Hezekiah (1)—Diligent in the Lord’s Work

Our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and they have abandoned Him … Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that His burning anger may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense.
2 Chronicles 29:6, 10–11 NASB

Lessons on Hezekiah (1)—Diligent in the Lord’s Work
The first thing Hezekiah did after the death of his father was to open the doors of the house of the Lord, repair them, and call the priests...More



Monday, July 10, 2023

Converted to Wait for the Son

You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven.
1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 NKJV

Converted to Wait for the Son
The coming of the Lord does not present itself, when we think of it rightly, as a thing we learn; but I see in Scripture that it is constantly identified with all the feelings and character of a Christian.

Now in the beginning of 1 Thessalonians, believers were said to have been converted to wait for God’s Son from heaven. He was a living, personal reality to them. There is a great deal more in the passage, but that is the...More



Sunday, July 9, 2023

The Peace Offering

He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and slaughter it at the entrance of the tent of meeting; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood on the altar round about.
Leviticus 3:2 JND

The Peace Offering
The peace offering: how wonderful! The one who brought it identified with his offering in that he rested his hand on the ritually clean animal. This sacrifice “supported” the offerer, as was the case with the burnt offering—though not with the dove because it was too small. Through the laying on of the hands, the excellent qualities of the blameless sacrifice were...More



Saturday, July 8, 2023

A True Ambassador for Christ

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:20 NKJV

A True Ambassador for Christ
None can be too bad for Christ. If the enemy of our souls cannot keep us from coming to Christ by deceiving us with the notion that we are good enough for God without Him as our Savior, he will often attempt to make us believe we are too bad ever to be saved. But this is impossible, for “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom,” says Paul, “I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15).

Surely, since the chief of sinners has been saved already, none need to despair. “Where sin abounded,...More



Friday, July 7, 2023

The Truth Stands Firm

(For He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Galatians 2:8–9 NKJV

The Truth Stands Firm
Although Paul appeared on the scene later than the first apostles of the Lord Jesus, yet his ministry was unreservedly approved by James, Peter, and John, who were recognized as pillars in the assembly....More



Thursday, July 6, 2023

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (1)—Joseph

You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20 NKJV

Responding to Hurts and Injuries (1)—Joseph
Joseph’s brothers hated him. One day they threw him into an empty pit and decided to kill him, but they altered their murderous plan and sold him instead for twenty silver-pieces, splitting the proceeds among themselves. He was brought into Egypt. Famine had stricken Egypt and Canaan, and when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent his sons, Joseph’s brothers, there to buy food! Don’t we just marvel at how God works!

In the meantime, Joseph had been...More



Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Lessons on Ahaz (3)—We Become Like What We Occupy Ourselves With

In the time of his trouble he transgressed yet more against Jehovah, this King Ahaz. And he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had smitten him; and he said, Since the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
2 Chronicles 28:22–23 JND

Lessons on Ahaz (3)—We Become Like What We Occupy Ourselves With
What we read is very sad. As Ahaz made his choices, to go his way and not to listen to the Lord, great difficulties had come upon him and the people. We would think that this would make him think...More



Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Job’s Wife Reconsidered

Then [Job’s] wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Job 2:9 NKJV

Job’s Wife Reconsidered
Job’s wife receives a fair amount of criticism, and perhaps, justly. Calvin, the famous theologian of Geneva, called Job’s wife “an instrument of Satan.” This is probably based on the fact that the words of Job’s wife immediately follow Satan’s attack upon Job (2:7–8). Many other Bible commentators follow this line of reasoning. Let us keep in mind that the apostle Peter had also once been the mouthpiece of Satan (Mt. 16:23), and he was forgiven...More



Monday, July 3, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (9)—On to Rome

The natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain … After three months we sailed … toward Rome … When the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us … Now when we came to Rome … Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.
Acts 28:2, 11–16 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (9)—On to Rome
The Lord saw to it that Paul and those with him were welcomed with kindness. Paul was bitten by a viper but suffered no ill effects, causing the people to say he was a god. He prayed for and healed the...More



Sunday, July 2, 2023

Remembrance of the Ultimate Sacrifice

The priest shall take from the oblation a memorial thereof, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odor. And the remainder of the oblation shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is most holy of Jehovah’s offerings by fire. No oblation which ye shall present to Jehovah shall be made with leaven; for no leaven and no honey shall ye burn in any fire-offering to Jehovah.
Leviticus 2:9–11 JND

Remembrance of the Ultimate Sacrifice
These verses remind us of the Lord Jesus whose whole life was a living sacrifice. During His life on earth, living among fallen and...More



Saturday, July 1, 2023

The Lord Knows the Difference

As He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman … touched the border of His garment … And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
Luke 8:42–45 NKJV

The Lord Knows the Difference
Peter and others thought the Lord’s question was peculiar: “The multitudes throng and press You,” they observed, “and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” (Lk. 8:45). But the Lord replied that power had gone out of Him, meaning someone had touched His garment with the touch of faith.

The woman did indeed believe that the Lord could heal her of her long illness. Matthew 9 and Mark 5 explain her...More



Friday, June 30, 2023

Influence (5)—The Levites

Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant with Levi may continue … The lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:4, 7 NKJV

Influence (5)—The Levites
The Lord commends the behavior of Levi. He is not referring to the whole tribe, of course, because these very priests to whom He speaks so severely were of that favored tribe. He refers to a remnant of Levi, like the sons of Levi in Exodus 32:26–29, and Phinehas in Numbers 25:7–13. But there were many of...More



Thursday, June 29, 2023

Lessons on Ahaz (2)—Vain Is Man’s Deliverance

At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help...So Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him.
2 Chronicles 28:16, 20 ESV

Lessons on Ahaz (2)—Vain Is Man’s Deliverance
Ahaz did not listen to the Lord’s word, and because of that his enemies came against him, and it went really badly for him and the people of Judah. The king of Israel even killed 120,000 soldiers and made 200,000 prisoners. But then we read of two surprising things.

First, a prophet was sent from God to the army of Israel to tell them something along...More



Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Hated By the Religious World

Because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
John 15:19 NKJV

Hated By the Religious World
The world is a vast system embracing every race, class, and false religion, having in common their hatred of God. The world by which the disciples were immediately surrounded was the world of corrupt Judaism. Today, the world with which believers are mainly in contact is the world of corrupt Christendom. Its outward form may change from age to age; at heart it is ever marked by alienation from God and hatred to Christ.

Why should these simple...More



Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Trusting the Creator

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.”
Genesis 15:5 NKJV

Trusting the Creator
What an amazing object lesson; what a sight that must have been as Abraham looked up to the Middle Eastern sky, what splendor what magnificence! David too was mesmerized as he gazed at the sky, perhaps as a shepherd out in the field at night, or when fleeing from Saul out in the wilderness. His thoughts bubbled over, exclaiming, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what...More



Monday, June 26, 2023

The Kingdom Appointed and the Flesh Revealed

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
Luke 22:24 KJV

The Kingdom Appointed and the Flesh Revealed
The Lord, ever full of gentleness and meekness, forgets Himself in His care for His disciples, and says to them, “He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” (Lk. 22:26). He knows how to teach them, by His own example, what the love of God is; and at the same time He shows them the grace which is in Him, and all the faithfulness for which they are indebted to Him. “Ye are they which have...More



Sunday, June 25, 2023

Grain Offering Prepared at Home

If you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. But if your offering is a grain offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil. You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. If your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
Leviticus 2:4–7 NKJV

Grain Offering Prepared at Home
God desires His people to bring to Him that which reminds Him of Christ and His sacrifice. That is...More



Saturday, June 24, 2023

Influence (4)—Jonathan

Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”
1 Samuel 14:6–7 NKJV

Influence (4)—Jonathan
If I am drawn by grace to follow the Lord Jesus more closely, with more affection and more energy, it may influence another to more energy and exercise in divine things, and we could then go on together in common...More



Friday, June 23, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (8)—Underway

“There stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me”...So it was that they all escaped safely to land.
Acts 27:23–25, 44 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (8)—Underway
Paul and some other prisoners were put in the charge of a centurion named Julius for the long voyage by sea to Rome. He treated Paul kindly at Sidon, their first stop, “and...More



Thursday, June 22, 2023

Lessons on Ahaz (1)—Adding Faith to God’s Word

The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub … and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear...This is what the Lord God says: ”… If you will not believe, you certainly shall not last.”’”
Isaiah 7:3–4, 7, 9 NASB

Lessons on Ahaz (1)—Adding Faith to God’s Word
At the beginning of Ahaz’s reign we see Isaiah going out with his son at the Lord’s command to meet the king. The hearts of the people were shaking in fear because of the Syrian king and the king of Israel who were jointly coming against Jerusalem. Isaiah had words of comfort...More



Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Agur’s Prayer (2)

Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die): remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:7–9 NKJV

Agur’s Prayer (2)
Agur asked the Lord for two specific things: integrity and contentment. We have looked at his desire for integrity; now let us look at the second part of this prayer, his desire to be satisfied with what God provided for him. This is called contentment. The apostle...More



Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Agur’s Prayer (1)

Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die): remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:7–9 NKJV

Agur’s Prayer (1)
Most of us have probably heard of the prayer of Jabez, but how familiar are you with the prayer of Agur? His prayer is actually the only recorded prayer in Proverbs. He asked the Lord for two specific things: integrity and contentment.

Agur wanted to live...More



Monday, June 19, 2023

Influence (3)—Simon Peter

Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.”
John 21:2–3 NKJV

Influence (3)—Simon Peter
After Peter’s tragic fall and denial of the Lord Jesus, no doubt crushed by a sense of the depth of his failure, he said to some of his companions, “I am going fishing.” He may have concluded that he was now a reject, of no further use to the Master whom he had followed, and that he would now have to return to...More



Sunday, June 18, 2023

Creator and Redeemer (2)

In Him all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Itself, having made peace by the blood of His cross—by Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now has It reconciled.
Colossians 1:19–21 JND

Creator and Redeemer (2)
When the Creator stepped into His own creation to become the Redeemer, God became Man. Paul, in presenting Christ’s greatness, emphasized that in Him the Fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell. Who can fathom this! Christ is...More



Saturday, June 17, 2023

The Perfect Expression of God’s Thoughts

The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose. The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north; the wind whirls about continually, and comes again on its circuit. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.
Ecclesiastes 1:5–7 NKJV

The Perfect Expression of God’s Thoughts
Ecclesiastes is the great, classic book on “philosophy,” written by Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. He confesses from the beginning of his book that philosophy only goes around in...More



Friday, June 16, 2023

The First and Last Words of Peter

Master, having labored through the whole night we have taken nothing, but at Thy word I will let down the net.

Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Luke 5:5 JND; 2 Peter 3:18 JND

The First and Last Words of Peter
These are the first and the last words of Simon Peter in Scripture. It has been said that he was the best fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. True or not, his experience let him down this time. He had expected empty nets and was astonished when a very full one exploded from the water (v....More



Thursday, June 15, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (7)—Before Agrippa

“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains” … Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Acts 26:27–29, 32 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (7)—Before Agrippa
King Agrippa and his sister Bernice had come to Caesarea to get acquainted with Festus. After they...More



Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Christianity in a Nutshell (3)—The Glorious Appearing

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:11–13 NKJV

Christianity in a Nutshell (3)—The Glorious Appearing
Paul wrote to Titus that the “grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Blessed truth revealed to us in the first coming of Christ! This was accomplished for us in the past. For the present, this grace teaches us that...More



Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Christianity in a Nutshell (2)—Grace Teaching Us

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:11–13 NKJV

Christianity in a Nutshell (2)—Grace Teaching Us
The apostle Paul wrote to his companion and fellow-laborer, Titus, in order to commission him to visit the assemblies in Crete. Titus would act as his deputy to establish elders in each assembly and to bring “sound doctrine” and other...More



Monday, June 12, 2023

Christianity in a Nutshell (1)—Grace Has Appeared

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:11–13 NKJV

Christianity in a Nutshell (1)—Grace Has Appeared
There are many difficult passages in the Word of God, and there are doctrines that are sometimes hard for us to articulate or even understand. The apostle Peter agreed with this assessment when he spoke about the apostle Paul’s writings,...More



Sunday, June 11, 2023

Creator and Redeemer (1)

He is the head of the body, the Assembly; who is the beginning, firstborn from among the dead, that He might have the first place in all things: for in Him all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Itself.
Colossians 1:18–20 JND

Creator and Redeemer (1)
Through His resurrection, Christ has introduced a new order of things, of which He is the Firstborn, just as He is of creation. The Creator stepped into His own creation in order to become the Redeemer. There was none else who qualified to redeem, and so, God the Son came—sent by the Father and...More



Saturday, June 10, 2023

Two Sons of Shaphan

Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

In their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.

Jeremiah 26:24 NKJV; Ezekiel 8:11 NKJV

Two Sons of Shaphan
Shaphan the scribe was an important figure in Judah. During Josiah’s revival, it was Shaphan who read the newly discovered book of the Law to the king (2 Ki. 22:8–10). A few years later, Shaphan’s son Ahikam proved himself to be one of the prophet Jeremiah’s only friends...More



Friday, June 9, 2023

God’s Gentleman

He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
Isaiah 42:2 NKJV

God’s Gentleman
This passage is definitely applied to our Lord in Matthew 12:17–21. It helped me greatly when I was a young man. Personally, I was so under the power of legality that I felt guilty if I rode in a streetcar without immediately rising to give my testimony. As soon as we left the corner, I would get to my feet and say, “Friends, I want to give my testimony for Jesus Christ, and I want to tell you how God saved me.” The conductor would come and say, “Sit down. We didn’t...More



Thursday, June 8, 2023

That No Flesh Should Glory

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God … But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
1 Corinthians 1:18, 27–29 NKJV

That No Flesh Should Glory
“To us who are being saved,” the message of...More



Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Influence (2)—Lot

Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!”
Genesis 19:12 NKJV

Influence (2)—Lot
When the two angels, sent by the Lord on their solemn errand to Sodom, were inside Lot’s house as his guests, and seemed to be in some danger of being molested by the wicked men of the city, the angelic messengers asked Lot a significant question: “Have you anyone else here?” With what pangs of conscience must Lot have listened to this question! Had he gone into Sodom alone he might have...More



Tuesday, June 6, 2023

The Comfort of Grace in a Cold World

Whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Romans 8:30 NKJV

The Comfort of Grace in a Cold World
It is well to be exceedingly simple in our apprehension of this great truth. Some imagine that we can never know that our sins are forgiven while here. Now, if we cannot know that our sins are forgiven, we cannot know that God’s Word is true, and Christ’s work perfect. Will anyone maintain this? If not, both rest on the same basis. The forgiveness of sins and the truth of God’s Word are linked together in the precious gospel of Christ. Doubt the forgiveness of sins, and you call into question...More



Monday, June 5, 2023

Appreciation for God’s Dwelling Place

But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
2 Chronicles 6:18 NKJV

Appreciation for God’s Dwelling Place
The very design of the temple was inspired by God, as David witnessed, saying, “The Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans” (1 Chr. 28:19). Much of it was in keeping with the architecture and layout of the tabernacle. As grandiose as this all was, Solomon knew all too well that even this splendid house was not fit for the glory of...More



Sunday, June 4, 2023

Christ’s Greatness

Who is image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation; because by Him were created all things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or authorities: all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all, and all things subsist together by Him.
Colossians 1:15–17 JND

Christ’s Greatness
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of the love of the Father (Col. 1:13). At the same time, He is truly God while He also represents God in this universe. Christ is the Image of the true God...More



Saturday, June 3, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (6)—Before Festus

[Paul] answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?” So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged … I appeal to Caesar.”
Acts 25:8–11 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (6)—Before Festus
The new governor, Porcius Festus, wasted no time. Three days after arriving at Caesarea he went up to...More



Friday, June 2, 2023

Abiding in the Sunshine

The Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
John 15:9 NKJV

Abiding in the Sunshine
The Lord says, “Abide in My love.” Our enjoyment of our blessings, as well as our power in testimony, will depend upon our abiding in the conscious sense of the love of Christ. Those other solemn words of the Lord, “You have left your first love,” indicate the first step on the road that leads to the ruin and scattering of the Christian company on earth (Rev. 2:4–5). When Christians walked in the enjoyment of divine love, nothing could stand against their united testimony. When they lost...More



Thursday, June 1, 2023

Influence (1)—Abraham

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:6 NKJV

Influence (1)—Abraham
There is no doubt that men’s lives influence, to some degree, the lives of others, especially of those who are near to them. Scripture gives us a number of examples which illustrate this principle at work. Its first occurrence was right at the outset of human history when Eve succumbed to the tempter’s allurements. It can be seen that she did not...More



Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV

The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ
There is no glory to be compared with that in the face of Christ. Under law, you never get the light of the glory of God shining into the heart of man, without the conscience being awakened. I cannot stand in the presence of God; it tells me what I ought to be, and if I am not that, I cannot look at the glory. But when I see the glory of God in the face of...More



Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Gideon’s End

So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals.
Judges 8:33 NKJV

Gideon’s End
Unfortunately, Gideon’s ending was not positive. When the men of Israel asked him to rule over them following the victory over the Midianites, he had said the right thing: “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you” (8:23). But while Gideon’s words were humble, his actions were not. After he rejected the throne, he lived like a king! He took many wives and had 70 sons. In fact, he named one of them, born by...More



Monday, May 29, 2023

God’s Call (11)—Suffering Now, Eternal Glory to Come

But the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, when ye have suffered for a little while, Himself shall make perfect, stablish, strengthen, ground: to Him be the glory and the might for the ages of the ages. Amen.
1 Peter 5:10–11 JND

God’s Call (11)—Suffering Now, Eternal Glory to Come
Our verse today is very precious. The God of all grace has called us. The God of glory called Abraham out of Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan. The God of all grace has called us out of “the present evil world” (Gal. 1:4).

We might have been satisfied just to be...More



Sunday, May 28, 2023

A Faithful Saying

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry … And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
1 Timothy 1:12, 14–15 NKJV

A Faithful Saying
The apostle Paul strongly emphasizes the truth and the value of the message with which he had been entrusted. It is a message basic to all true Christianity—a simple message, yet marvelously sublime. “A...More



Saturday, May 27, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (5)—Before Felix

Felix … sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”
Acts 24:24–26 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (5)—Before Felix
Five days after Paul had been brought to the Roman governor Felix, the high priest with the elders and an orator, Tertullus, came. They accused Paul of being “a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes”...More



Friday, May 26, 2023

Beware of Ritualism

Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there.
Joshua 18:1 NKJV

Beware of Ritualism
Years went by and the Israelites became complacent and took the presence of the Lord for granted. Their appreciation for the reality of God dwelling among them dimmed and they began to think in similar terms to the idolatrous nations around them. The ark of the covenant was treated as a mere religious relic and a decorative good luck charm. They therefore reasoned to remove it from Shiloh and bring it with them in their war against the...More



Thursday, May 25, 2023

How Do We Receive the Word

The ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Luke 8:15 NKJV

How Do We Receive the Word?
In the parable of the sower, the Lord described four types of soil. The seed that fell by the wayside, on rocky soil, or among thorns had no lasting growth. Only the seed that fell on good soil was able to produce any fruit.

The parable is recorded in three different Gospels, and it is nice to notice how each one describes the good soil. The seed is identified as “the word of the kingdom” and “the...More



Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Gideon’s Weapons

Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”
Judges 7:20 NKJV

Gideon’s Weapons
The story of Gideon should be a great encouragement to the Church in these last days of ruin. God does not need large numbers or especially gifted leaders to accomplish His purposes. We may not understand His plans, but we can trust His promises. After his army was reduced to just 300 men according to God’s command, Gideon equipped each one...More



Tuesday, May 23, 2023

God’s Call (10)—Called Out of Darkness

But ye are a chosen race … that ye might set forth the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness to His wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9 JND

God’s Call (10)—Called Out of Darkness
We once were darkness. We not only were in darkness, but we were darkness (Eph. 5:8). Apart from God’s grace, we would have been ultimately in the “gloom of darkness” forever (2 Pet. 2:17). But our God has called us out of that darkness. As He once called to Adam and his wife who were hiding from Him; and as He once called Abraham out of the darkness of idolatry in Ur of the Chaldeans, so He has...More



Monday, May 22, 2023

Christian Service and Its Motivation

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45 NKJV

Christian Service and Its Motivation
I would ask you to ponder deeply that verse which I have written: the Son of Man is come to serve and to give. This is a divine reality. Jesus came into this world to meet our need, to serve us in all that in which we need His precious service, and to give His life a ransom for many; to serve us by bearing our sins in His own body on the tree and working out a full and an eternal salvation. He did not come to get, did not come to take, He did...More



Sunday, May 21, 2023

Remember Me (6)—Make Use of the Opportunity

Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
Luke 23:42 NKJV

Remember Me (6)—Make Use of the Opportunity
The Scriptures predicted that the Messiah would be crucified along with criminals: “He was numbered with the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12). And not only through direct prophecy, as here in Isaiah, but also in “type” as seen in the life of Joseph (Gen. 40:21–22). The innocent Joseph was put into a prison house alongside Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. He was numbered with the transgressors. One of these was condemned, the other restored—a...More



Saturday, May 20, 2023

Paul’s Prayer for the Saints (2)

Giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for sharing the portion of the saints in light, who has delivered us from the authority of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love: in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:12–14 JND

Paul’s Prayer for the Saints (2)
God the Father has given His own Son, the Son of His love—called the Son of the Father in 2 John 1:3—to bring “many sons” to glory (Heb. 2:10). This new relationship is summarized in seven points in Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:

1. As sons, we enjoy an...More



Friday, May 19, 2023

Paul’s Prayer for the Saints (1)

We also, from the day we heard of your faith and love, do not cease praying and asking for you, to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so as to walk worthily of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God; strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father.
Colossians 1:9–12 JND

Paul’s Prayer for the Saints (1)
Paul was a man of prayer, and some of his prayers have been...More



Thursday, May 18, 2023

Gideon’s Test

And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me.“
Judges 7:2 NKJV

Gideon’s Test
Can you imagine how Gideon must have felt when the Lord told him his army was too big? They were outnumbered 135,000 to 32,000 to begin with—a factor of over 4 to 1. In accordance with the provision of the law (Dt. 20:8), over two-thirds of the soldiers who were fearful returned home, and suddenly he was down to 10,000 men. Then the Lord said that the people were still too many! You must be...More



Wednesday, May 17, 2023

The First and Last Words of Paul

And he said, Who art Thou, Lord?

The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

Acts 9:5 JND; 2 Timothy 4:22 JND

The First and Last Words of Paul
The first time we hear Saul speak, it is to answer the Lord’s question from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4–5). Saul had approved the killing of Stephen (Acts 8:5). Years later, Paul confirmed this in his address to the Jews in Jerusalem who tried to kill him (22:20). He never forgot that he was complicit in the death of a fellow Jew who was in Christ before him. No doubt as Saul kept the...More



Tuesday, May 16, 2023

A Balm of Healing

Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?
Jeremiah 8:22 NKJV

A Balm of Healing
A balm is an aromatic, medicinal substance derived from plants. Gilead was an area east of the Jordan River, well known for its spices and ointments. The balm of Gilead was a high-quality ointment with healing properties made from the resin taken from a flowering plant. There are three specific references to the “balm of Gilead” in Scripture.

In Genesis 37:25, we read of the caravan of Ishmaelites who had balm from...More



Monday, May 15, 2023

Love Divine

Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.
Song of Songs 8:7 JND

Love Divine
Pure love is strong, vital, unquenchable. No mere circumstance in the universe can put out its living flame. How much higher is this than people’s mere affections for one another! Divorce courts cry aloud the shameful vanity of the so-called “love” of couples who are married for a time, then no longer love one another! A little lapping of the waters of trying circumstances, shallow as they may be, is enough to...More



Sunday, May 14, 2023

Remember Me (5)—The Joy of the Lord

Remember me, O my God, for good!
Nehemiah 13:31 NKJV

Remember Me (5)—The Joy of the Lord
Four times in Nehemiah’s book, which records his work in Jerusalem, he prayed that God would remember him (5:19; 13:14, 22, 31). Nehemiah was continually under direct, personal attack, from both within and without. Through subtlety, intrigue, and threats of violence, the enemies of God did their best to derail him. Obviously the enemy did not want the walls of Jerusalem to be restored.

Nehemiah’s only resource was to cast himself upon God; he was doing God’s work, and the “joy of the...More



Saturday, May 13, 2023

God’s Call (9)—Called by the Gospel Unto Glory

God has chosen you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereto He has called you by our glad tidings, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 JND

God’s Call (9)—Called by the Gospel Unto Glory
Paul could give thanks for the Thessalonian saints, “brethren beloved of the Lord” (v. 13). We may not always feel loved, but we are loved by the Lord more than we can even understand.

We are told that God chose these believers (and us, too) from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of...More



Friday, May 12, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (4)—Endangered

The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by [Paul] to strike him on the mouth … some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “… we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
Acts 23:2, 12–13, 15 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (4)—Endangered
The Roman commander brought Paul before the Jewish council the day after the riot (Acts 22:23–25), hoping to find out why...More



Thursday, May 11, 2023

Gideon’s Altars

So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace.
Judges 6:24 NKJV

Gideon’s Altars
After Gideon realized he had seen the Angel of the Lord face to face, he feared for his life. The Lord comforted him by saying, “Peace be with you; do not fear.” One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that the Lord gives us peace that He might send us out to war! In response, Gideon built an altar to worship God, which he called YHWH Shalom: The-Lord-Is-Peace.

The same night, the Lord instructed Gideon to tear down the community altar of Baal on his father’s...More



Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Life for Overcomers

To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God … You will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life … He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Revelation 2:7, 10; 3:5 NKJV

Life for Overcomers
As a group, the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 experienced many difficulties of faith. In addition to severe persecutions, they had to address doctrinal...More



Tuesday, May 9, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (9)

His mouth is most sweet: yea he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, yea, this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Songs 5:16 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (9)
His mouth is most sweet. This verse concludes her description of her Beloved, a description that began in verse 10: “My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.” She spoke in verse 13 of His lips which are like “lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.” Her tenth and last description of Him is about His mouth. Whatever He says is pleasing to the Father. He knew the value of everything He said, because...More



Monday, May 8, 2023

Eternal Life

And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.
Matthew 25:46 JND

Eternal Life
How long is eternity? There are figures of speech that flippantly use terms like, “this is taking forever.” This is not meant to be literal. But when we speak of “eternal life” there is no exaggeration, and we certainly should consider it in a literal manner. Various ones have tried to explain the timespan involved with eternity in creative ways, yet these stories tend to engender a sense of boredom and restlessness rather than represent the glorious sentiment that will be...More



Sunday, May 7, 2023

Remember Me (4)—A Remnant Remembers

Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive … And they shall know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 6:9–10 NKJV

Remember Me (4)—A Remnant Remembers
Ezekiel was the quiet prophet; there was a long period of time in which Jehovah had forbidden him to speak at all; when his wife died he was not permitted to even mourn for her (3:26–27; 24:16–18). But when he did speak, his words were given to him directly from heaven.

Our text today is a word which Ezekiel was commanded to declare to the remnant of Jews. Firstly, the reasons for the...More



Saturday, May 6, 2023

God’s Call (8)—Called by Grace

God, who set me apart even from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace.
Galatians 1:15 JND

God’s Call (8)—Called by Grace
The call that has reached us is entirely grace. As the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 4:4–5, “Now to him that works the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but of debt: but to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.” In other words, if salvation, or anything else, is received because of our own works and our efforts, this is not grace. This would be simply receiving the reward for our...More



Friday, May 5, 2023

Pouring Out Your Heart

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him.
Psalm 62:8 NKJV

Pouring Out Your Heart
Our Father wants His children to call to Him with the burdens of their heart. Have you cried out to God in faith? Be assured that He is listening! Psalm 55:22 encourages us to, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Peter experienced this firsthand while in the midst of one of the fiercest storms this seasoned fisherman had ever endured. When the Lord invited Him to come, Peter stepped out of the boat:...More



Thursday, May 4, 2023

Are You Ready to Be Used?

Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
John 6:11 NKJV

Are You Ready to Be Used?
Both the Lord and the disciples saw the physical need of the crowd and had compassion on them. The Lord asked His disciples how the multitude could be fed. The disciples recognized their inability to do so, but the Lord was able. The disciples themselves searched for that which could be used and brought what they found to the Lord. He took what was available and, after having...More



Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Gideon’s Faith

Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor.”
Judges 6:36–37 NKJV

Gideon’s Faith
Sometimes we criticize Gideon for asking for signs after hearing God’s spoken word. Certainly, we should not use his fleece as a pattern for determining the mind of the Lord in our lives. But there is a lot we can learn from his story about faith, obedience, and living as overcomers despite overwhelming odds. Gideon asked for the signs of the fleece to confirm, not discern, God’s will and strengthen his faith. Although...More



Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (3)—At Jerusalem

The commander ordered [Paul] to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging … And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”
Acts 22:24–25 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (3)—At Jerusalem
Scripture gives us no details about the prisons Paul was frequently put into until we come to his final trip to Jerusalem. He was bringing a gift from Gentile assemblies for needy saints there. As he went, the Holy Spirit told him not to go, warning him...More



Monday, May 1, 2023

God’s Call (7)—Called into Fellowship

God is faithful, by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9 JND

God’s Call (7)—Called into Fellowship
Our verse begins with the wonderful expression, “God is faithful.” This is repeated three times in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, He is faithful to not allow us to be tempted or tested above what we are able to bear. He knows us and our spiritual strength, and so limits the extent of whatever testing may come. In 2 Corinthians 1:18, we read that God is faithful in what He says, directly or through His apostles. So Paul...More



Sunday, April 30, 2023

Remember Me (3)—A Man of Sorrows

O Lord, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Jeremiah 15:15 NKJV

Remember Me (3)—A Man of Sorrows
Jeremiah is known as the “weeping prophet.” He preached for forty years without seeing any apparent fruit for his labors and sufferings among God’s people. They did not listen to his warnings, and they actively persecuted him. Someone has said, “If you want joy, serve sinners; if you want sorrow, serve the saints.” This may be hyperbole, but there is more than just an element of truth in it. Jeremiah’s heart for God’s people and his sorrow...More



Saturday, April 29, 2023

At the Feet of Jesus

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thine understanding.
Luke 10:27 JND

At the Feet of Jesus
Luke gives four beautiful accounts of people at the feet of Jesus:

In chapter 7 a forgiven sinner now loving much—her heart was made right;

In chapter 8 a demoniac, now clothed and sensible—his soul was made right;

In chapter 8 a father, whose daughter had been raised in weakness, beseeching the Lord—his strength was made right;

In chapter 10 a woman, Mary, listening to His...More



Friday, April 28, 2023

You Must be Born Again—A Gospel Message

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
John 3:1–2 NKJV

You Must be Born Again—A Gospel Message
Nicodemus had a mere human conviction of Christ; he knew that He was a teacher come from God. When they saw His miracles, many believed on Him. How many Christians are like that now! Giving a mere human assent to who He is. It is not insincerity or dishonesty, but they do not really know Him. There...More



Thursday, April 27, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (8)

His legs, pillars of marble, set upon bases of fine gold: his bearing as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
Song of Songs 5:15 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (8)
His legs, pillars of marble, set upon bases of fine gold. The pillars of marble speak of His stability. What a contrast with our feeble knees and our tendency at times to “halt between two opinions.” The marble speaks of the white color that we have seen several times during the bride’s description of her Beloved. He is white, His eyes are washed with milk, His lips are lilies, His belly is bright ivory, and His legs are pillars of...More



Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Apostasy Then and Now

They shall go … to seek Jehovah; but they shall not find Him: He hath withdrawn Himself from them ...The princes of Judah are become like them that remove the landmark: I will pour out My wrath upon them like water.
Hosea 5:6, 10 JND

Apostasy Then and Now
With these words the Lord addresses Israel’s priests and princes. Yet His very reprimanding Israel shows how much He cares for His people. If He were indifferent, would He still challenge them about their relationship with Him? God charges the leaders with shifting the boundaries. The drift from what is of God into what is of man was the bane...More



Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (2)—At Philippi

The magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailor to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:22–25 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (2)—At Philippi
Here God lets us visualize one episode of what in 2 Corinthians 11 Paul refers to as “beaten with rods,”...More



Monday, April 24, 2023

God’s Call (6)—God Will Not Change His Mind

For the gifts and the calling of God are not subject to repentance.
Romans 11:29 JND

God’s Call (6)—God Will Not Change His Mind
In Romans 9–11, Paul discusses God’s ways with Israel in the past (ch. 9), in the present (ch. 10), and in the future (ch. 11). Today, individuals from Israel are saved and added to the Assembly of God (Eph. 2:13–18). However, God is not done with the nation of Israel. In a future day, this nation, which has been guilty of crucifying their Messiah, will be restored, and all the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will yet be fulfilled. This is our God...More



Sunday, April 23, 2023

Remember Me (2)—Victory in Death

Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God.”
Judges 16:28 NKJV

Remember Me (2)—Victory in Death
Samson had a special calling of God upon his life. He is one of three people in the Bible who was a Nazarite from birth: the prophet Samuel and John the Baptist were the other two. Normally, Nazariteship was a voluntary vow, and it was for a limited period of time (Num. 6), but Samson, like Samuel and John who followed him, was a Nazarite from the womb until death.

A Nazarite was someone who embodied the...More



Saturday, April 22, 2023

Digging Into the Word of God

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

2 Timothy 4:2 NKJV; Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV

Digging Into the Word of God
What is God performing when His Word is preached and taught? David would answer that the Word of God is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” and that “the entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Ps. 119:105, 130). According to the parable of the sower,...More



Friday, April 21, 2023

You Have Been Heard—The Answer Will Come

He said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.”
Daniel 10:11–12 NKJV

You Have Been Heard—The Answer Will Come
This precious answer to Daniel’s prayer must have filled his heart with adoration toward the living God. Daniel’s heart...More



Thursday, April 20, 2023

Following the Master

He goes up into the mountain, and calls whom He Himself would, and they went to Him. And He appointed twelve that they might be with Him, and that He might send them to preach, and to have power to heal diseases, and to cast out demons.
Mark 3:13–15 JND

Following the Master
Mark’s Gospel describes the Lord Jesus as God’s Servant and Prophet. He is also presented as the One who called disciples to follow and represent Him in this world after He would be gone to heaven. The above verses emphasize His greatness, even though He always was a humble Servant.

In Scripture, the mountain...More



Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Making a Beginning

In the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning.
Ezra 3:8 ESV

Making a Beginning
After decades of captivity for the Jews in Babylon, God stirred up the Persian ruler Cyrus to proclaim their liberty. More than 40,000 returned to Judah. After settling in their towns, they gathered in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices on the rebuilt altar and to observe the Feast of Tabernacles (Ezra 3:1–5). However, “the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid” (v. 6). Workers...More



Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Power for the Faint

They that wait upon Jehovah shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not tire; they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 JND

Power for the Faint
It is not because of lack of power that God does not give immediate release from trial and tribulation. His understanding is infinite, and He is working out His own counsels for our blessing when He permits affliction to fall upon us and continue to oppress us. We must learn the lesson put before Job: that man cannot fathom His plans, so should seek to submit without question to His providential...More



Monday, April 17, 2023

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (1)—Persecuted

In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned.
2 Corinthians 11:23–25 NKJV

Paul, Prisoner of Christ Jesus (1)—Persecuted
The phrases above list some of the sufferings the apostle Paul was made to endure during the early years of his involvement in the Lord’s service. He is not glorying in his tribulations here; nor does he mention these sufferings when giving his testimony before the Jewish mob in Acts 22 or when speaking before...More



Sunday, April 16, 2023

Remember Me (1)—A Request

But remember me when it is well with you.
Genesis 40:14 NKJV

Remember Me (1)—A Request
In many ways Joseph is a remarkable type of Christ: hated by his brothers, rejected and sold to the Egyptians, eventually exalted as Prime Minister over Egypt; a shadow of the sufferings and glories of the Lord Jesus—this we well know.

In the scene described here, Joseph was absolutely innocent of any crime yet had been languishing in prison for eleven long years. He had not been idle, however, and the warden of the prison put Joseph in charge over all the other prisoners.

As much as...More



Saturday, April 15, 2023

God’s Call (5)—Not of Our Works

That the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of Him that calls.
Romans 9:11 JND

God’s Call (5)—Not of Our Works
Romans 9–11 is written to reconcile the grace of the gospel which goes out to all the world with the special promises made to Abraham and his descendants. The apostle Paul begins with illustrations from Israel’s history.

First, we are told that “not all are Israel which are of Israel” (9:6). He uses the illustration of Isaac and Ishmael. We are reminded of Jehovah’s word to Abraham: “In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee” (v....More



Friday, April 14, 2023

The Christian’s Attitude in a Troubled World

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 NKJV

The Christian’s Attitude in a Troubled World
What a small thing is the wisdom of man! But what of that? The Lord is coming, and we belong to heaven. In the Church there is neither Greek, barbarian, nor Scythian (Col. 3:11). We are Christ’s servants, sure of our Master’s victory, a victory which will give peace to the whole world; meanwhile, in the place where He has set us, we are witnesses to the peace which God gives even now. The love and grace of God which set us...More



Thursday, April 13, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (7)

His hands gold rings, set with the chrysolite; His belly is bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires.
Song of Songs 5:14 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (7)
“His hands gold rings, set with the chrysolite.” His head is pure gold and so are His hands—His thoughts as well as His actions. The heavens are the work of His fingers (Ps. 8:3). His hand touched the leper and he became clean. It touched the eye of the blind and he could see. It touched the coffin of a dead young man, and when He told him to rise, he immediately sat up and spoke and was restored to his widowed mother (Lk. 7:11–17). The...More



Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Obedience and Dependence

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith”...So he went and did according to the word of the Lord...Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there”... So he arose and went to Zarephath...And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab”...So Elijah went.
1 Kings 17:2–3, 5, 8–10; 18:1–2 NKJV

Obedience and Dependence
Elijah comes on the scene during one of the...More



Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The Authority of Christ

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18 NKJV

The Authority of Christ
Authority is the right to exercise power. History has borne out the truth of what the 18th-century British politician, Lord Acton, said: “Power tends to corrupt; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This has been the track record of emperors and kings. The more power they acquire, the less their sense of morality.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the King of Israel. He began by cleansing the temple, thus securing God’s rights. But the scribes and Pharisees confronted Him by asking, “By...More



Monday, April 10, 2023

The First and Last Words of Nicodemus

Rabbi, we know that Thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that Thou doest unless God be with him.

Does our law judge a man before it have first heard from himself, and know what he does?

John 3:2 JND; John 7:51 JND

The First and Last Words of Nicodemus
Many were impressed by the signs the Lord Jesus did in Jerusalem but, impervious to His words, they believed on His name in an outward way only (Jn. 2:23–25). Nicodemus was different. This “teacher of Israel” (3:10) was one of the Pharisees, the strictest sect in Judaism, but he came to the “teacher from...More



Sunday, April 9, 2023

Resurrection and the New Creation

The Lord is risen indeed.
Luke 24:34 KJV

Resurrection and the New Creation
In resurrection, the Lord breaks forth, laden with the full fruit of complete victory over all the power of the enemy. The previous season had been man’s “hour, and the power of darkness” (Lk. 22:53), Satan’s time for the putting forth of all his strength. But wherein they dealt proudly, the Lord was above them (Ex. 18:11); and this is our comfort, that the enemy has been met in the height of his strength and pride.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus was the second morning in the history of creation. When...More



Saturday, April 8, 2023

Whom Are You Seeking?

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!”
John 20:15–16 NKJV

Whom Are You Seeking?
As we grow in the Lord and are occupied with Him, our affection for the Lord Jesus grows. But there are many things that can hinder and even block our vision of Him. This resurrection scene provides the antidote for hearts that have the vision of Christ...More



Friday, April 7, 2023

Consider Him

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself.
Hebrews 12:3 NKJV

Consider Him
When we reflect on the hostility that the Lord experienced, we bow our heads in worship.

He was the One who made all things, and by His power they not only consist but also subsist. Realizing this, how amazing to think that He was judged, abused, and dealt with in such a disgraceful way: the Creator by His own creatures! He came to be the Savior and yet as an infant was hunted down to be killed. Coming to His own, they received Him not.

He was the One who did all things...More



Thursday, April 6, 2023

Phinehas and the Holiness of God

Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, and rose up from among the assembly, and took a javelin in his hand.
Numbers 25:7 JND

Phinehas and the Holiness of God
We are living in a day of grace, and so we are not called to the kind of action that Phinehas undertook. However, the moral principles we may learn from this story are still relevant for us today. Many Christians in our generation refuse to take a stand against evil among the professed people of God. They condemn as “javelin throwers” those who take a stand out of love for the Lord and for His people. Grace...More



Wednesday, April 5, 2023

God’s Call (4)—The Effective Call to Blessing

But whom He has predestinated, these also He has called; and whom He has called, these also He has justified; but whom He has justified, these also He has glorified.
Romans 8:30 JND

God’s Call (4)—The Effective Call to Blessing
The first expression in our verse, predestinated, took place in eternity past, and likewise the last expression, glorified, takes us into eternity to come. In between we have God’s present dealing with His people today.

The word predestinated means to be marked out for blessing. In election God chooses people for blessing. In predestination, He chooses the...More



Tuesday, April 4, 2023

A Home in Glory

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2 NKJV

A Home in Glory
His coming will indeed close our wilderness journey. It will heal all the breaches among the people of God; it will gather together the divided and scattered saints. It will end the sorrows, the trials, and the labors of His people. It will take us out of a scene of darkness and death and usher us into a home of light and life and love. All this it will do and more, but, above all else, it will bring us into the company of Jesus. As He can say, “I...More



Monday, April 3, 2023

The Way of Peace

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear … The way of peace they have not known.
Isaiah 59:1–2, 8 NKJV

The Way of Peace
The book of Isaiah speaks often about peace, starting with the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:6 and closing with “peace like a river” in Isaiah 66:12. These are beautiful references, but in between there are many passages like the one above. The Lord has declared the sins of the house of...More



Sunday, April 2, 2023

The Cross Is Too Vast to Comprehend

The word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us that are saved it is God’s power … God has been pleased by the foolishness of the preaching to save those that believe.
1 Corinthians 1:18, 21 JND

The Cross Is Too Vast to Comprehend
There is nothing like the cross! It stands in all its solitary greatness and grandeur in the center of eternity. It is the wonder of every intelligent creature, for on it is inscribed not only evil and hatred of fallen beings, but also the goodness and love of God. Out of the shadows of the past we see it looming in all its brightness and...More



Saturday, April 1, 2023

A Mighty Man of Wealth

Naomi had a relation of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
Ruth 2:1 JND

A Mighty Man of Wealth
Boaz as a kinsman is a lovely type of Christ. Christ was able to do the part of the near kinsman in His death and resurrection. Two things come out in Christ the Savior: He is the full revelation of God, and He is a perfect Man too. There is a Man who can deliver you from the lake of fire, a Man who can bring you in righteousness to God, “a mighty man of wealth,” and His name, His peerless name, is Jesus.

He was rich. He had...More



Friday, March 31, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (6)

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, raised beds of sweet plants; His lips lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
Song of Songs 5:13 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (6)
What a difference between those who know the Lord Jesus and therefore love Him and honor Him, and those who do not know Him and, blinded by Satan, hate Him and despise Him. The former see His cheeks “as a bed of spices”; the latter see Him as despised and rejected of men, and as One to be smitten on His cheeks and spat upon. The unsaved say, “There is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isa. 53:2), but the saved will say with the...More



Thursday, March 30, 2023

God’s Call (3)—All Things Work Together for the Called

But we do know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to purpose.
Romans 8:28 JND

God’s Call (3)—All Things Work Together for the Called
Notice the phrase “all things.” This verse does not tell us that all things are good. We know that the circumstances of our lives are not always good. Bereavement, sickness, disability, and war in themselves are not good. These things came about because of sin being present in the world. Originally God declared His creation to be “very good” (Gen. 1:31). But now it is scarred by the results of...More



Wednesday, March 29, 2023

The Importance of Faithfulness in God’s Work

I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites … for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.
Nehemiah 13:13 NKJV

The Importance of Faithfulness in God’s Work
Nehemiah had a big work to do in restoring the walls of the city of Jerusalem, but the number of people to do the work were “few” (7:4). This was a critical situation, but there were some faithful ones with him, like Hananiah, who “was a faithful man and feared God more than many” (7:2). What a testimony to...More



Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Living in the Light of the Judgment Seat

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:8–10 NKJV

Living in the Light of the Judgment Seat
If we, like the apostle Paul, lived our lives in the light of the day that is coming, what a difference it would make. It is far easier to sing “Nothing but Christ as on we...More



Monday, March 27, 2023

The Waters of Marah

Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea … Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter … and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
Exodus 15:22–25 NKJV

The Waters of Marah
Marah is in itself never pleasant. The Christian’s spirit with regard to all the sorrow and sin that is in the world can never be apathy, never indifference. We are never placed in a position in which we should not be sensitive to the scene we are passing through. On the contrary, we are in the very position in which we shall...More



Sunday, March 26, 2023

Christ’s Obedience in Fulfilling God’s Will

I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.
Psalm 40:8 NKJV

Christ’s Obedience in Fulfilling God’s Will
This was our blessed Lord’s motive for coming into the world! He was not only willing to do God’s will, but also able to do it.

Moreover, He not only lived to do God’s will, but He was ready to die for doing God’s will. What a Savior! The citation of this passage in Hebrews 10 emphasizes that with Christ’s coming into this world an entirely new order of things has been introduced, in which there is no failure at all. It is the very opposite of...More



Saturday, March 25, 2023

The Spiritual Sense of “Hearing”

Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.
Genesis 27:21–23 NKJV

The Spiritual Sense of “Hearing”
Isaac believed the end of his life was near. He was at least 100 years old (as we calculate from Genesis 25:26 and 26:34), and he desired to bless Esau, his elder son....More



Friday, March 24, 2023

Christ the Standard and Touchstone

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of me.
John 6:57 NKJV

Christ the Standard and Touchstone
It is our sweet privilege to set the Lord always before us. He is our model. As He was sent into the world, so are we. What did He come to do? To glorify God. How did He live? By the Father. This makes it all so simple. Christ is the standard and touchstone for everything. It is no longer a question of mere right and wrong according to human rules. It is simply a question of what is worthy of Christ. Would He do this or that? Would He go...More



Thursday, March 23, 2023

What Can We Learn From Job? (4)

When Job’s three friends heard … each one came … to comfort him … they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

The Lord said … “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has … My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him.

Job 2:11–13 NKJV; Job 42:7–8 NKJV

What Can We Learn From Job? (4)
Hearing of Job’s calamity, three of Job’s friends come to visit him. They mean well, wanting to...More



Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Blinded Minds

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 NKJV

Blinded Minds
Even when the gospel is preached as it should be preached, there are found those who do not believe; and the explanation is that the devil has blinded their eyes. The sun in the heavens has not been eclipsed, but a very dark blind has been dropped over the window of their little room. The light of the gospel of the glory...More



Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Christian Intimacy

I commend to you Phoebe, our sister … Salute Maria, who labored much for you.

Timotheus, my fellow-workman.

Romans 16:1, 6 JND; Romans 16:21 JND

Christian Intimacy
A beautiful feature of New Testament Christianity is the unaffected, intimate manner in which the people of God address one another. Cultural norms may change from one place to another. Conventions in society may change with the passage of time. But the Word of God does not change. It is clear from passages such as Romans 16 and Colossians 4 that, when greetings were given, believers addressed one another on a first-name...More



Monday, March 20, 2023

The First and Last Words of David

What shall be done to the man that smites this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

Bless now Jehovah your God. And all the congregation blessed Jehovah the God of their fathers.

1 Samuel 17:26 JND; 1 Chronicles 29:20 JND

The First and Last Words of David
It is not until David is with the army of Israel, facing the Philistines, that we hear him speak. His words show how much he loved God and His people. Others trembled at Goliath’s threats, but he burned with indignation that...More



Sunday, March 19, 2023

Remember His Love

Keep yourselves in the love of God.

We love because He has first loved us.

Jude 1:21 JND; 1 John 4:19 JND

Remember His Love
How important it is for us to remember God’s love for us; this gives us strength. The apostle John refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn. 13:23). John did not boast about his love to the Lord but rather he enjoyed, bathed in, dwelt in the love of God for him.

When we read the story of Jonathan we read that he loved David as his own soul (1 Sam. 18:3). Similarly, Jonathan’s sister Michal loved David too and they married. But sadly...More



Saturday, March 18, 2023

Every Heir and Every Hair

Athaliah … arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.
2 Chronicles 22:10 NKJV

Every Heir and Every Hair
The wicked Queen Athaliah destroyed all the royal seed, the male descendants of King David. The whole sad story and happy ending is recorded in 2 Chronicles 22–23. Her effort to destroy the royal seed was thwarted by the intervention of godly Jehoiada. One child, Joash, was preserved. A dramatic moment in messianic history! The ancestor of Christ was preserved; had Joash been killed, the Savior could not have been born into the world (humanly speaking); but God’s...More



Friday, March 17, 2023

Our Heavenly High Priest

Such a high priest became us, holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and become higher than the heavens.
Hebrews 7:26 JND

Our Heavenly High Priest
Aaron and his sons were not at all suited to meet our need: their qualifications were far short of what is required. A high priest fully suited to us must have infinitely higher characteristics. First, He must be holy in character, having unvarying love of good and hatred of evil. Second, in conduct He must be harmless, having no element of disregard for the need or welfare of others. Third, in contact He must be undefiled, not in any...More



Thursday, March 16, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (5)

His eyes are like doves by the water-brooks, washed with milk, fitly set.
Song of Songs 5:12 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (5)
When the bride in the Song of Songs was asked by the daughters of Jerusalem what distinguished her Beloved from others, she had no difficulty speaking of His unique qualities. In the verse quoted above, she spoke of His eyes. The eyes express the inner feelings of a person, whether feelings of love and compassion or of hatred and anger. No one can see what is in somebody’s eyes unless one comes close to him. She has gazed long enough at the face of her Bridegroom to...More



Wednesday, March 15, 2023

There Is Nothing Good in the Flesh

We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.

I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells.

2 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV; Romans 7:18 NKJV

There Is Nothing Good in the Flesh
The greatest hindrance to the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer is self. Good self or bad self is still self. Self-esteem, self-worth, self-image, self-love are at best the occupation with the wrong man—the very man whom God has set aside and condemned in the death of Christ. God is not attempting to improve man in the flesh; instead He...More



Tuesday, March 14, 2023

God’s Call (2)—The Call to Service

And God called to him out of the midst of the thorn-bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I.

And Moses said to the children of Israel, See, Jehovah has called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri.

Exodus 3:4 JND; Exodus 35:30 JND

God’s Call (2)—The Call to Service
In our texts today, we see God’s call to two men to serve Him. In a similar way, He calls believers today to serve Him, too.

In 1 Corinthians 1:1, we see that the apostle Paul describes himself as a called apostle or apostle by calling. It was not his own decision to become an apostle, but the decision...More



Monday, March 13, 2023

What Can We Learn From Job? (3)

[Job’s] sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them … and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”
Job 1:4–5 NKJV

What Can We Learn From Job? (3)
There are important lessons on family life here. God had given Job a large family. His seven sons and three daughters enjoyed each other’s company,...More



Sunday, March 12, 2023

Christ Alone on the Cross

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?
Psalm 22:1 NKJV

Christ Alone on the Cross
The Gospels display the One in whom was no selfishness. They tell out the heart that was ready for everybody. No matter how deep His own sorrow, He always cared for others. He could warn Peter in Gethsemane, and comfort the dying thief on the cross. His heart was above circumstances, never acting under them, but ever according to God in them. We see that He was always sensible to them, and we often get in the Psalms expressions of what His heart...More



Saturday, March 11, 2023

The Joy of Sharing the Gospel.

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.
Philippians 1:12–13 NKJV

The Joy of Sharing the Gospel
It is always a sad sign, and an evidence of spiritual decline, when the heart loses its interest in the message of grace. Some are so occupied with the deeper truths of the Word of God that they allow themselves to speak slightingly of the simplicity of the gospel.

Paul was the preeminent teacher...More



Friday, March 10, 2023

A Word of Comfort From Isaiah (2)

A...smoking flax He will not quench.
Isaiah 42:3 NKJV

A Word of Comfort From Isaiah (2)
When a lamp burned down to the end of the wick, it would only sputter and smoke without making any light. Since such a smoldering wick was useless, it was put out and thrown away. The smoking flax represents people whose lives are worn out; there is more smoke than light coming from them. Their testimony has become ineffective. Perhaps you feel like a smoking flax. Has your light simmered down until it just smokes, almost gone out? Are you discouraged because your light does not shine brightly?

Our...More



Thursday, March 9, 2023

A Word of Comfort From Isaiah (1)

A bruised reed He will not break.
Isaiah 42:3 NKJV

A Word of Comfort From Isaiah (1)
Shepherds used to make sweet music with reeds, but they were useless when broken because the air could not go through, and when one became too bruised the shepherd would just throw it away. Are you a broken reed? Are you no longer able to make sweet music in the service of the Lord? If your life has been so bruised, your mind, your heart, or body, and you feel, “Oh, I am no longer any good to anybody,” perhaps the Lord Jesus is saying to you, “Come to Me; bring Me the bruised heart, mind, or body, and I will...More



Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Catching People

They enclosed a great multitude of fishes. And their net broke. And they beckoned to their partners who were in the other ship to come and help them, and they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were sinking. But Simon Peter, seeing it, fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord … And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; henceforth thou shalt be catching men.
Luke 5:6–8, 10 JND

Catching People
What does catching fish have to do with catching people? This miracle shows that, despite our shortcomings, Christ wants to use believers to “catch” people—to...More



Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Don’t Quit

These all died in faith … Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:13, 16 NKJV

Don’t Quit
Hebrews 11 has been called the “Heroes’ Hall of Faith.” It presents illustrations of faith, not in an abstract way, but in the real lives and circumstances of these Old Testament worthies. When we read through this chapter, we see the exploits of faith accomplished by these saints, what they did “by faith.” However, when we compare chapter 11 with what is recorded of them in the Old Testament, sometimes we notice the Holy Spirit puts...More



Monday, March 6, 2023

God’s Call (1)—From the Beginning

And Jehovah Elohim called to Man, and said to him, Where art thou?
Genesis 3:9 JND

God’s Call (1)—From the Beginning
The story of the fall in Genesis 3 is familiar to us. Man was created “upright” (Eccl. 7:29), but fell to the temptation of the serpent. Adam and his wife sewed fig leaves together to try to cover themselves. However, as soon as they heard God’s voice, they hid among the trees of the garden. They were guilty and they knew it. How wonderful is the Word of God! From the beginning we see what is true for sinners—even today.

If salvation is to come to mankind, God...More



Sunday, March 5, 2023

Do You Miss Me?

The Lord Jesus … said … this do in remembrance of Me.
1 Corinthians 11:23–24 JND

Do You Miss Me?
The Lord Jesus cannot bear to be forgotten by those He loves to the end. Worthless hearts, some may say truly. Yes, but Jesus cares for them: He has died to make them His, and counts on our remembrance of Him—giving us only that which may be the sweet expression of Him and His death for us. If the Supper of the Lord means anything then, it means this, that we love Him and miss Him in the world that has cast Him out. He invests it with just this character Himself: “For as often as ye shall eat...More



Saturday, March 4, 2023

What Can We Learn From Job? (2)

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience … Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

The Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils.

James 1:2–3, 13 NKJV; Job 2:6–7 NKJV

What Can We Learn From Job? (2)
Psalm 119:68 plainly states that God is good and does good. Sin is abhorrent to Him; it is totally...More



Friday, March 3, 2023

A New Nature That Does Not Change

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

A New Nature That Does Not Change
When God says that He does not change (Mal. 3:6), it does not mean that He decides not to change, but that by nature God is immutable—He is unchangeable. This only stands to reason, since any change whatsoever would put His deity in question. If God is perfect, then any deviation is away from perfection; conversely, if it is a change toward perfection, then it began from a position that was less than...More



Thursday, March 2, 2023

The Day of Vengeance

Surely He is God who judges in the earth.
Psalm 58:11 NKJV

The Day of Vengeance
The first portion of this psalm describes the condition of the world immediately preceding the judgment of the living nations. It will be evident that the government of the earth in man’s hands has entirely failed. The sons of men no longer speak nor act righteously.

As in the days that preceded the judgment of the flood, men were corrupt and filled with violence in their ways (Gen. 6:11); so, before the judgment falls upon the present world, it will again be manifest that their hearts are utterly corrupt...More



Wednesday, March 1, 2023

The Importance of Prophecy

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place.
2 Peter 1:19 NKJV

The Importance of Prophecy
The objection to the study of prophecy arises from a root of unbelief, sometimes deeply hidden, which supposes all blessing to depend on the measure in which a subject bears immediately on one’s self or one’s circumstances. Thus when some cry out that prophecy is not essential, I would ask, “Essential to what?” If they mean essential to salvation, we agree. But then on what ground do such objectors stand! The anxiety to examine only...More



Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Treasure in Earthen Vessels

It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:6–7 NKJV

Treasure in Earthen Vessels
When we come to realize how wretched the flesh within us is, then we need to see that God is teaching us to look away from ourselves and unto Christ. As we look unto Him, His moral features will be impressed upon us. Some of these features are obedience and dependence...More



Monday, February 27, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (4)

His head is as the finest gold; His locks are flowing, black as the raven.
Song of Songs 5:11 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (4)
The bride spoke of her Beloved as the absolutely holy One, who is distinguished from all others. Now she goes into more detail. His head is as the finest gold. The head is the source of thoughts, plans, and purposes. His thoughts and His purposes are pure as fine gold. David says of Him, “But how precious are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” (Ps. 139:17). The Beloved’s thoughts are expressed in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts...More



Sunday, February 26, 2023

They Talked About His Decease

Behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elias: who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:30–31 KJV

They Talked About His Decease
They talked of His decease which He was to accomplish: three precious and important words. They tell us of the intimacy, the personal intimacy, that there is between the Lord and the elect in the realms of glory. As it was in the Garden of Eden at the beginning, and then among the patriarchs, and then with the disciples and their divine Master, so will it be in the ages of glory. There will be...More



Saturday, February 25, 2023

The Urim and Thummim

Thou shalt put into the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, that they may be upon Aaron’s heart when he goeth in before Jehovah; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.
Exodus 28:30 JND

The Urim and Thummim
The breastplate of judgment was part of the priestly ephod. It was through the Urim (“lights”) and Thummim (“perfections”)—possibly precious stones that were kept in a pouch or pocket of the breastplate—that the Lord made known His thoughts. Exactly how, we do not know, but it was the high priest who used...More



Friday, February 24, 2023

What Can We Learn From Job? (1)

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
James 5:10–11 NKJV

What Can We Learn From Job? (1)
The story of Job is in all likelihood one of the oldest accounts in the Bible. It is set in the time before God had called Israel to be His chosen people on earth and had given them the Law. God is seen here still dealing directly with individuals, probably even before...More



Thursday, February 23, 2023

Waiting Upon God by Faith

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.”
Genesis 17:1 NKJV

Waiting Upon God by Faith
This is the fifth time we read that the Lord appeared to Abram, but the last recorded time God spoke to Abram was thirteen years earlier. Abram had experienced the Lord as he began to walk by faith in chapters 12–13. He had learned the importance of relying on His God in chapters 14–15 as he warred by faith. But now in chapter 16–17 Abram and his wife are finding it hard to wait on the Lord by faith. God had...More



Wednesday, February 22, 2023

In the Word and on Your Knees

He hath satisfied the longing soul and filled the hungry soul with good.
Psalm 107:9 JND

In the Word and on Your Knees
I look at the various New Testament Epistles as having been written along the lines of Psalm 107:9. There is satisfaction in the Christian’s Savior and Lord for all the longings created in his breast by the new birth, and directed by the Spirit. At the same time there is goodness beyond telling, the very goodness of God in Christ, which in blessing us puts anything like hunger forever at a distance. If you, therefore, read in order to learn Him, praying God to enlighten you, and...More



Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Paul’s Benediction to the Corinthians (3)

The communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV

Paul’s Benediction to the Corinthians (3)
Paul concludes his benediction to the Corinthian believers with “the communion [or fellowship] of the Holy Spirit.” This is the only time we get this expression in the Bible.

Christ told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after He returned to heaven. Indeed it was necessary that He return to heaven in order that the Holy Spirit could come. Christ would not abandon them, or leave them orphans—the Helper’s presence would be like having the Lord...More



Monday, February 20, 2023

Our Strong Tower

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Proverbs 18:10 NKJV

Our Strong Tower
The phrase “a strong tower” is only used three times in Scripture. The other two references help to explain it.

In Judges 9:46–49, Abimelech, Gideon’s son, attacked the tower of Shechem and it fell. It was only a tower. But in verses 50–53, there was a “strong tower” in a city called Thebez. Abimelech tried to destroy it too, but a woman dropped a piece of millstone on his head, and he was destroyed instead! The strong tower stood. It could not be...More



Sunday, February 19, 2023

The Throne of God and Our Feet

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
John 13:3–5 NKJV

The Throne of God and Our Feet
Here, then, we have a most marvelous presentation of Christ’s present service toward “His own which are in the world.” There is something peculiarly precious in the expression, “His own.” It brings us so...More



Saturday, February 18, 2023

The First and Last Words of Moses

Why art thou smiting thy neighbor?

Happy art thou, Israel! Who is like unto thee, a people saved by Jehovah?

Exodus 2:13 JND; Deuteronomy 33:29 JND

The First and Last Words of Moses
Moses might well have reigned over Egypt, but God was at work in his life and he “refused to be called son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction along with the people of God than to have the temporary pleasure of sin” (Heb. 11:24–25). Seeing an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, he killed him, thinking, says Stephen, “that his brethren would understand that God by his hand was giving...More



Friday, February 17, 2023

Dependence Upon God—A Constant Necessity

The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Romans 8:7 NKJV

Dependence Upon God—A Constant Necessity
There is no such thing as mending the flesh by even one atom. In innocence it broke down; without law it is grossly and horribly ignorant; under law, rebellious, not subject, neither could be. Bring in grace, and it spits in the face of the One who brings it in; put the Holy Spirit in a man, and the flesh lusts against the Spirit; put a man in the third heaven, and when he comes down the flesh will be puffed up about it (2 Cor. 12:7). The...More



Thursday, February 16, 2023

A Good Question

The people sent Sherezer … to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”
Zechariah 7:2–3 NKJV

A Good Question
The people were rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. They had returned from captivity long before, but after laying the temple’s foundation they were discouraged by opposition. For nearly twenty years their work ceased until God used Haggai and Zechariah to stir them up.

At this point in Zechariah 7, the people had been spiritually awakened and now asked...More



Wednesday, February 15, 2023

What Else Do You Need?

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
Genesis 15:1 NKJV

What Else Do You Need?
In chapter 14, Abraham had just had two great victories. First He rescued Lot, and then He resisted the temptation of the king of Sodom. He was able to do both of these things by relying on His God and enjoying the resources that were provided by Melchizedek, king of Salem, who is a picture of the Lord Jesus.

After these things, the word of the Lord appears to Abram preparing him for other...More



Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Paul’s Benediction to the Corinthians (2)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV

Paul’s Benediction to the Corinthians (2)
The end of Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians is something every believer should consider. How easily we sometimes glide over verses such as this benediction, thinking them relatively unimportant or unnecessary. We certainly believe them to be inspired, but somehow they are only viewed (subconsciously) as a poetic, if not mundane, punctuation to the main message.

Let us now consider Paul’s...More



Monday, February 13, 2023

Scruples of Conscience (2)—(Holi)days

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not … to the Lord he does not observe it … why do you judge … Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Romans 14:5–6, 10 NKJV

Scruples of Conscience (2)—(Holi)days
God had told His earthly people Israel to observe special feast days, telling them how, when, and with what sacrifices they were to be celebrated. While some Jewish Christians...More



Sunday, February 12, 2023

When the King Is at His Table

There they made Him a supper.

While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance.

John 12:2 NKJV; Song of Songs 1:12 NKJV

When the King Is at His Table
It was not often in this sad world that anyone made a supper for the Lord. There at last they spread a feast for Him who spread a feast for all the world. There the King sat at His table, and there the spikenard of the bride sent forth its fragrance. It had been blessed to sit at His feet as a learner and hear His word, but Mary’s spikenard sent forth no fragrance there.

It was blessed to fall at His feet...More



Saturday, February 11, 2023

The High Priest’s Breastplate

Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the sanctuary, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
Exodus 28:29 JND

The High Priest’s Breastplate
God had said to Pharaoh, “Let My son go, that he may serve Me” (Ex. 4:23). After the ten plagues, Israel had been delivered from Egyptian bondage so that they might serve the Lord. However, once they had been delivered from bondage and were going through the wilderness, it became clear that they were not able to serve Him. Even though they had said three times, “All that...More



Friday, February 10, 2023

The Christian Is an “Epistle of Christ”

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV

The Christian Is an “Epistle of Christ”
The apostle Paul had been in stressful situations, as found in other portions of this book: “We were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves” (2 Cor. 1:8–9). In spite of outward dangers, Paul does not faint or become discouraged. Instead he sees himself identified in...More



Thursday, February 9, 2023

Don’t Neglect the Instruction of Proverbs

My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck.
Proverbs 1:8–9 NKJV

Don’t Neglect the Instruction of Proverbs
In these words we have the divine reason for the book of Proverbs. God would save all who heed what is there recorded from the heartbreaking experiences and aimless wanderings of the man who was chosen to write them.

There are two ways of learning the emptiness of the world and the character of sin. One, and by far the commonest way, is to tread the thorny...More



Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Scruples of Conscience (1)—Foods

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself.
Romans 15:1–3 NKJV

Scruples of Conscience (1)—Foods
Beginning in Romans 14, the apostle Paul takes up difficulties arising from the cultural and spiritual backgrounds of the believers at Rome. Many new believers there were Jewish. The Law God had given His earthly people had told them which foods were clean and could be eaten and which were unclean and thus were not to be eaten. Gentile...More



Tuesday, February 7, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (3)

My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
Song of Songs 5:10 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (3)
As soon as the bride was asked about her Beloved, in what way he was more than another beloved, in what way he is unique and matchless, she had no hesitation in answering. She was delighted to describe her Beloved (vv. 10–16). We will now consider what she says.

The first thing that distinguishes Him is that He is white. The Bible uses the word white as a symbol of purity, as in Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as...More



Monday, February 6, 2023

Paul’s Benediction to the Corinthians (1)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV

Paul’s Benediction to the Corinthians (1)
A benediction is a theological term used to describe a short invocation for divine help, blessing, and guidance. It is traditionally read at the end of a Christian meeting or “service” before the people depart. In the New Testament there are several benedictions; these usually occur toward the end of an epistle or the end of a section of an epistle (Rom. 15:13; Gal. 6:18; Eph. 6:23–24; 1 Th. 5:23–24; Heb....More



Sunday, February 5, 2023

Things Seen at the Cross

He who did not spare His own Son.
Romans 8:32 NKJV

Things Seen at the Cross
The Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, humbled Himself and became Man. He took the lowest place. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. What must this have been for the Lord! What must it have been for the Lord when Judas betrayed him with a kiss! What must it have been for Him to have soldiers spit in His face, to be scourged by them, and to become the object of their rude mockery and scorn!

Yet more, how must it have affected Him to have to carry our sins, to be made sin for us, and then to...More



Saturday, February 4, 2023

A New Creation—Not According to the Flesh

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh … Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:16–17 NKJV

A New Creation—Not According to the Flesh
Christ is no longer bodily among us in this world, and because we also now live in connection with Him, a new order of things has come in. Even Christ Himself is known by us in a new way. Paul had not been among those who knew Christ “according to flesh” in the days of His flesh. But even if he had been, he would have known Him thus no longer. But also we know no man after the flesh.

As...More



Friday, February 3, 2023

The Table of Showbread

You shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
Exodus 25:30 NKJV

The Table of Showbread
The tabernacle in the wilderness was set up for the specific purpose that God might dwell among His people and be glorified in their midst. Of all God’s instructions, one point is striking in particular: the term continually occurs seven times in God’s directives given to Moses in Exodus.

Many things in the tabernacle system illustrate various aspects of Christ’s person and work. This helps us understand God’s desire that the things which speak of Christ should continue. As to the...More



Thursday, February 2, 2023

Do Not Receive False Teachers

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
2 John 9–11 NKJV

Do Not Receive False Teachers
Second John is the only epistle in Scripture addressed to a woman. It emphasizes the truth of Scripture that must be maintained diligently and faithfully, even by a gentle, tenderhearted woman and sister in the Lord.

Many deceivers...More



Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Care for the Member

The body is not one member but many … But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased … But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
1 Corinthians 12:14, 18, 24–25 NKJV

Care for the Member
Some time ago a man was moving a very large, heavy piano and in the process it fell on his big toe crushing it very badly, so much so that the doctors recommended amputation. The man refused, so over the months there were...More



Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Are We in Tune With Him?

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23–24 NKJV

Are We in Tune With Him?
Up to the knowledge you have of divine things, is your heart in tune with Him? Could you say, “Search me”? It is a painful process sometimes. “Lead me in the way everlasting.”

Beloved friends, there is a way everlasting, and it is in that way everlasting that God comes and searches the heart. Are you content to have every motive searched out? It must be so if our communion with God and...More



Monday, January 30, 2023

Separation From Sinful Associations

Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
2 Chronicles 18:1 JND

Separation From Sinful Associations
Jehoshaphat was one of Judah’s finest kings. He sought after God, walking in the ways of David his forefather. He removed idolatry throughout the land. He made sure that his people were taught the law of the Lord. When attacked by a confederation of hostile armies, he led his people in seeking the face of the Lord and later in praising Him for the victory. His prayer on that occasion vibrates with rich instruction for us.

But Jehoshaphat...More



Sunday, January 29, 2023

Christ Is Our Righteousness

Him who knew not sin He has made sin for us, that we might become God’s righteousness in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 JND

Christ Is Our Righteousness
When the father fell upon the neck of the repentant prodigal, and imprinted on his cheek the kiss of love, he said to his servants, “Bring out the best robe and clothe him in it” (Lk. 15:22). It was the best robe. There could be nothing superior to it. It was the highest possible character of fitness for the father’s presence. But the illustration fails to convey the full blessedness of the righteousness which every believer now is made in Christ,...More



Saturday, January 28, 2023

God’s View of Usefulness

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:9 NKJV

God’s View of Usefulness
A question often arises about “usefulness.” Satan often beguiles by it. He may have suggested to John that he would be more useful if he were to compromise a little, and keep out of trouble for the sake of being free for his service to saints. Useful to whom? To God or to men? God may be able to show out more of His glory by laying men aside. The...More



Friday, January 27, 2023

Eliashib’s Testimony

Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate.
Nehemiah 3:1 NKJV

Eliashib’s Testimony
When God’s people first returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, Jeshua the high priest helped rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:2, 8). Now, almost 75 years later, his grandson Eliashib (see Neh. 12:10) took the lead in repairing the city walls. It is God’s principle that His work must be done in a priestly character—that is, with a clear realization that we are serving in the presence of the Lord. It was good that Eliashib, a mature, older leader among his...More



Thursday, January 26, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (2)

Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?
Song of Songs 6:1 ESV

The Bridegroom and the Bride (2)
Two things led the daughters of Jerusalem to ask the bride of this lovely song this question.

First, they have been noticing her beauty. Not only is she beautiful, but she is most beautiful among women. That is, her beauty is unique. It is spiritual beauty. It is the beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. She is attired with compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, a...More



Wednesday, January 25, 2023

The Remedy for Carnal Christians

I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
1 Corinthians 3:1–3 NKJV

The Remedy for Carnal Christians
In reflecting on this portion of Scripture, we must bear in mind the great object the apostle Paul had before him. He longed to see the Corinthian saints lifted up and out of their...More



Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Salvation Even in Judgment

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7 NKJV

Salvation Even in Judgment
This wonderful verse sits in the middle of three chapters of fierce judgment against Nineveh. Nahum is called of the Lord to prophesy judgment on the very people who repented when Jonah had reluctantly preached to them. But time had passed and the people of Nineveh had gone back to their wicked ways. In the first chapter we read of the declaration of judgment, in chapter 2 of the power of judgment, and in chapter 3 of the finality of such judgment. Three chapters of...More



Monday, January 23, 2023

Coming Out and Gathering Together

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins.“
Revelation 18:4 NKJV

Coming Out and Gathering Together
Babylon the Great is the culmination of the present evil world that lies under the sway of the wicked one in opposition to God, just as in John’s day Rome epitomized the antagonism towards Christianity. Although it is often described as the apostate church, it actually encompasses a religious and commercial aspect. The first is emphasized in Revelation 17, where it is viewed as a corrupt religious system represented by a great harlot....More



Sunday, January 22, 2023

Jacob a True Worshiper

Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had talked with him, a pillar of stone, and poured on it a drink-offering, and poured oil on it.
Genesis 35:14 JND

Jacob a True Worshiper
Jacob’s experiences have been described for the instruction and encouragement of all believers. God’s wisdom was displayed in Abraham, the father of all believers, and in his life many features of God the Father come to light. Isaac’s birth and life provide illustrations of the Son of the Father, whereas in Jacob the emphasis is on a progressive work by the Holy Spirit, a work that ultimately led to a complete...More



Saturday, January 21, 2023

Serving the Lord Together (3)—John Mark

John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem … Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them to Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work … so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.

Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.

Acts 13:13, 15:37–39 NKJV; 2 Timothy 4:11 NKJV

Serving the Lord Together (3)—John Mark
The story of John Mark is one of the many accounts in Scripture showing God’s patience in training His servants, and how He...More



Friday, January 20, 2023

Beware of Turning Loose the Jackals

Samson went and caught three hundred jackals, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between the two tails. And he set the torches on fire, and let them run into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, and the olive gardens.
Judges 15:4–5 JND

Beware of Turning Loose the Jackals
Samson goes and takes jackals—a strange thing for a Nazarite to be tampering with: the unclean beast that roams around Palestine, the beast that feeds upon carrion, that hides the bones of its prey until it is ready to renew its...More



Thursday, January 19, 2023

The First and Last Words of Jacob

Sell me now thy birthright.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel … and [Jacob] blessed them: every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

Genesis 25:31 JND; Genesis 49:28 JND

The First and Last Words of Jacob
After hunting, Esau returns to the family encampment to find his younger brother has cooked dinner: “Feed me, I pray thee … for I am faint.” He receives the curt answer at the top of our page, Jacob’s first words in Scripture. He seems to have had them in mind for some time, waiting for the right moment to take advantage of his impulsive brother. That moment...More



Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Jesus Only

When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Matthew 17:8 NKJV

Jesus Only
I am very thankful that I live in a day when I have only got to do with Jesus. I have not to tremble before Moses now. I have not to fear Elijah now. I have not to think that redemption is to be got by what I ought to be, or by turning my thoughts in upon myself. Neither law-keeping nor reformation can meet my case. The moment has arrived when God the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, hear Him!” (Mk. 9:7). I have heard the voice of Jesus. Have you heard His voice? Have you not? Ah! Do you not...More



Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Serving the Lord Together (2)—Paul

I have appeared to you … to make you a minister and a witness … I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you.

Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing” … Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.

Acts 26:16–17 NKJV; Acts 15:36, 40 NKJV

Serving the Lord Together (2)—Paul
When Paul, then Saul of Tarsus, a raging persecutor, was nearing Damascus, intending to arrest believers...More



Monday, January 16, 2023

The Purpose of Wilderness Trials

Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:14–15 NKJV

The Purpose of Wilderness Trials
Paul’s two letters to the Corinthians are wilderness epistles, and the saints are viewed as having been set apart from the world by a divine call. To the eye of faith, this world has become a wilderness, providing nothing to sustain faith. As a Christian passes through this world, his desire and purpose should be to live a life of complete dependence and obedience...More



Sunday, January 15, 2023

The Destroyer and the Lamb

When He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.
Exodus 12:23 NKJV

The Destroyer and the Lamb
The “destroyer” was going to pass through the land of Egypt to kill the firstborn of every house. He was representative of Jehovah, an angelic being who had the power to destroy with death. Hence sometimes this “destroyer” is called, “the angel of death.” This angel of death passed over the houses in Egypt that were marked with blood. The blood would signify to him that a death...More



Saturday, January 14, 2023

How Good Is Your Vision?

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

How Good Is Your Vision?
How we view things in life affects the way we live our lives! Perspective is everything. This is true in our spiritual lives as well. The question for us to ponder today is, “How do we see the Lord?” Some see Him as a good man, others as a rejected man. He was indeed all of these. Pilate brought Him out before them and declared, “Behold the Man!” (Jn....More



Friday, January 13, 2023

Spiritual Encouragement From David (2)

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Psalm 62:8 NKJV

Spiritual Encouragement From David (2)
We have all heard the story of the man who built his house on the rock, and how the storms came for him despite having built on the rock. He did not avoid the storms, but his house would not be shaken by them.

Do you feel like you have waves beating down on you? What had once been a soothing rhythm of splashes as tides moved in and out now may seem like an incessant crashing of wave after wave. You may feel overwhelmed and doubts...More



Thursday, January 12, 2023

Spiritual Encouragement From David (1)

He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
Psalm 62:6 NKJV

Spiritual Encouragement From David (1)
David’s thoughts of God are vivid in their description. There was nothing more firm or dependable to David than his God. God is not one of many rocks, or on his top five list of defenses. David could say, “He only is my rock,” and “He is my defense.” Too often we rely on God, but only for some things; we turn to God in certain situations, but not in all of them. One cannot accurately and faithfully state, “I shall not be moved” if there is even an ounce...More



Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Serving the Lord Together (1)—Barnabas

Joses … named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet … Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark … Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.
Acts 4:36–37; 15:37, 39 NKJV

Serving the Lord Together (1)—Barnabas
Joses was a Levite, the tribe God had chosen to serve Him. Now a disciple, he sold his land in Cyprus and brought the proceeds to the apostles. They began calling him Son of Encouragement—Barnabas—the name we know him...More



Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Valuing Your Inheritance

Naboth said to Ahab, Jehovah forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee!
1 Kings 21:3 JND

Valuing Your Inheritance
Naboth lived in an evil day in Israel. King Ahab had sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and his wife, Jezebel, was even worse, urging him on in his evil course. There had been a short-lived revival when the prophet Elijah had defeated 850 false prophets on Mount Carmel and all the people had shouted, “Jehovah, He is God!” But the Word of God gives no evidence that this wonderful confession really touched the lives of the people. They...More



Monday, January 9, 2023

Showing Forth Christ’s Praises in Our Life

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9–10 NKJV

Showing Forth Christ’s Praises in Our Life
In bright contrast to Israel’s rebellious rejection of their true Messiah, the beloved saints of God today are said to be “a chosen generation.” Here is the true election of God, those chosen by Him whose knowledge brought into...More



Sunday, January 8, 2023

The Priest Who Never Dies

That … we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge … even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:18–20 NKJV

The Priest Who Never Dies
Our text today would have had a special resonance for these Hebrew believers who were wavering between going back to the temple system in Jerusalem and continuing on in the walk of faith in Jesus Christ. This epistle had the perfect answer for them by pointing them to the Law of Moses, which they fully trusted as inspired by God, pointing them to the cities of refuge found in Numbers...More



Saturday, January 7, 2023

The Bridegroom and the Bride (1)

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
Song of Songs 5:9 JND

The Bridegroom and the Bride (1)
Solomon wrote the three books that follow the Psalms. In the first, Proverbs, he uses the title “Lord.” In the second, Ecclesiastes, he speaks of “God,” but in the third, The Song of Songs, he uses only the pronoun “He.” Yet in all of these Solomon was speaking of the same Person, the Lord God, Jehovah Elohim, who is Jesus our Lord. The Song of Songs opens with the statement, “Let...More



Friday, January 6, 2023

The Purpose of Tests

We also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance; and endurance, experience; and experience, hope.
Romans 5:3–4 JND

The Purpose of Tests
Experience! This is quite a popular word these days in the world of computers, cars, sports, and other things. With God, it already existed a long time ago. As part of God’s school, experience can be paraphrased as the ability of passing a process of being tested, with the objective of passing the test—and, I might add, getting out of it stronger than before. This specific word “experience” occurs seven times in the New Testament....More



Thursday, January 5, 2023

The Preeminence of Worship

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God?”
2 Samuel 7:18 NKJV

The Preeminence of Worship
What was the effect of the Lord’s promises upon the heart of David? We have the answer in that one pithy statement: “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ‘Who am I?’” Mark the attitude, and ponder the question. They are full of deep meaning. “He sat.” This is rest and sweet repose. He wanted to go to work too soon. No, says God, you must sit down and look at My work, and trace My actings on your behalf in the past, the...More



Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Be Like a Locust

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Mark 1:6 NKJV

Be Like a Locust
John the Baptist’s diet of locusts and wild honey may not be one we would choose, but it sustained him. The locusts are especially interesting because, unlike most flying insects, they were classified as clean animals. According to Old Testament dietary laws, any flying insects which have jointed legs for jumping, such as locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers, were clean and could be eaten (Lev. 11:21–22). Other flying insects creep upon the earth...More



Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Sin Can Be Forgiven—But There Are Always Consequences

You have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.
2 Samuel 12:14 NKJV

Sin Can Be Forgiven—But There Are Always Consequences
When confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sins against Uriah and Bathsheba, David confessed and was assured that he had been forgiven. But although he was forgiven, the consequences of his sins would be very grave, not only for his life personally but also with regard to the honor and glory of God. His actions gave great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.

Years later King Manasseh had a similar experience. He sinned in...More



Monday, January 2, 2023

Abiding in Christ

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:4–5 NKJV

Abiding in Christ
Abiding in Christ presents our privilege, as well as our responsibility, to constantly walk in dependence upon Christ. As one has said, abiding in Christ is practical habitual nearness of heart to Him. If we have learned that fruit is the reproduction of the character of Christ, expressed by “love,...More



Sunday, January 1, 2023

A New Year’s Meditation—My Angel

Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
Exodus 23:20 NKJV

A New Year’s Meditation—My Angel
The children of Israel had been set free from the bondage of Egypt by the miraculous and mighty events which transpired at the Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea. God had been at work on their behalf and they had seen the salvation of the Lord. God had promised to bring them into a land of “milk and honey,” a promised land. However, they would spend forty years in the wilderness before getting there due to their...More




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