1
| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15| 16| 17| 18| 19| 20| 21| 22| 23| 24| 25| 26| 27| 28| 29| 30It makes a world of difference whether you stand at the cross of Christ and see the hatred of the unbelieving Jews, and the shed blood and pain which He endured, or whether you look at what He was earning for us through that suffering and death.
It makes a world of difference also whether you look simply at your own afflictions, or at that which these afflictions will bring you. Thus in II Corinthians 4:17 we read, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
Look at those bodily afflictions and you will see what Adam brought upon man through his sin. If you look no deeper, you will judge the punishment of God to be falling upon the afflicted. But if you look into the heart of the child of God who is being afflicted, you see the work of God's grace whereby He is bringing that child of God to heavenly glory. As Paul says to the Philippians in chapter 1:21, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Get that! For the child of God to suffer and die brings him gain, not loss. This is certainly true when the affliction is persecution because of faith in God. It is that to which Paul refers here in II Corinthians 4:17 . These afflictions will be "for a moment," but they bring us to everlasting glory in a life completely without affliction.
When you look at what God did to your soul you see what He will do pretty soon to your body. Sooner or later men are going to see our dead bodies in coffins. But take hold of this comforting truth that through death God brings our souls out of all misery and pain into an endless life of heavenly glory. Therefore it is also a sign that the body will be raised, when Christ returns, and will be changed into one that will never have an ache or pain, but enjoy an everlasting fellowship with God in a more wonderful world than Adam and Eve enjoyed before they fell into sin. Fear not if the world persecutes. Look at what God is doing.
Read: II Corinthians 4 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Hebrews 3:1-19
Psalm 104:1-23
Proverbs 26:24-26
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Quote for Reflection:
“Having ascended, Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God in this same nature which He assumed with us. This is so that we may be assured that since we are in His protection no evil can happen to us. True, He permits us to be hampered by our flesh and to be surrounded with many miseries. But what of it? He is always ready to stretch out to us His hand, and we must be certain that although we suffer for a time the end of it will be for our salvation…Although I am weak, there is Jesus Christ, who is powerful enough to make me stand upright. Although I am feeble, there is Jesus Christ, who is my strength…Yes, the devil is called the prince of this world. But what of it? Jesus Christ holds him in check…There are devils above us who make war against us. But what of it? Jesus Christ rules above, having entire control of the battle…Yes, I am here subject to many changes which may cause me to lose courage. But what of it? The Son of God is my Head and exempt from all change. I must, then, take confidence in Him. This is how we must look at His Ascension.” (John Calvin, Sermon 15 on the Deity of Christ).
Ever since man fell into sin, he has been restless. For the curse which fell upon mankind, when Adam sinned, gives man no rest. Resting is not ceasing from all activity. Man must cease from his physical activity, and take the rest of sleep in order to be able to work the next day. But while he sleeps, his heart keeps beating, and his body is performing the work of making it able to take up work once again as before.
When then in Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Came unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and will give you rest, " He is not promising us idleness and inactivity. Do we not read of God resting the seventh day after creating heaven and earth and all their creatures? And is He inactive today? Do we not also in Hebrews 4:9 read that "there remaineth to the people of God" a rest? Will we then be idle in the new Jerusalem? No, we shall be very busy serving and praising God.
To enter into that blessed rest we must come unto Christ. For He earned it for us and opened the way for us to enter into it and enjoy it. He made it possible for restless people to have an end to their restlessness, and for them to enjoy being active in heavenly glory. His cross finished the work of salvation so that we could begin to walk in love for God.
And since we cannot get rid of our load of sin and guilt which is upon us, we have this call to come to Christ, Who removed our load of guilt which we hopelessly try to get rid of, and opened the door for us to come where, with body and soul, we may serve God every moment of everlasting life.
Seek then your salvation in Christ, for there is no rest for the weary except through Him. On His cross He cried out that it is finished. Through Him we can enter the glorious state and condition of serving God with perfect souls in glorified bodies.
Read: Hebrews 4 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 3:16-27;
Ezekiel 4;
Ezekiel 5;
Ezekiel 6:1-14
Hebrews 4:1-16
Psalm 104:24-35
Proverbs 26:24-26
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Quote for Reflection:
“The magnitude of the punishment (of sinners, MD) matches the magnitude of the sin…Now, a sin that is against God is infinite; the higher the person against whom it is committed, the graver the sin—it is more criminal to strike a head of state than a private citizen—and God is of infinite greatness. Therefore, an infinite punishment is deserved for a sin committed against Him.” Thomas Aquinas
What lies ahead for the world of unbelievers is the opposite of that which the believers will forever enjoy. This is presented to us in Revelation 21:3 , where we read, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Now, a tabernacle is a dwelling place; and here we have the place where God will dwell with His people. He needs no dwelling place. He is not limited to one place. He is the everywhere present God. He has, however, promised, and is preparing, a place where His people will have fellowship with Him. That is the truth presented in this verse. Look then and see that there is a dwelling place which God makes for His people so that they may have sweet communion with Him.
This life with God will be far richer than what Adam and Eve enjoyed before they fell into sin and death. Their fellowship with God was wonderful, but it was far more limited than the one now being prepared by God through Christ and His cross. This dwelling place brings us, as the next verse states, where God wipes away all tears from our eyes, where there is no death, sorrow, crying, or pain. And that means that here will be boundless and endless rejoicing, singing, and delight. For we shall be with God as we are with Christ, Who is God come in our flesh. Take hold of that word "Behold." Look at and into the blessings which God has realized for us through His Son and which will be given us, as far as our souls are concerned, the moment we die, and fully when Christ returns and gives us glorified bodies.
Here is the rest which we considered yesterday: dwelling with God and knowing to a wonderful degree His love for us as revealed in and bestowed upon us through Christ. Behold this blessedness now by faith in God and in His Christ.
Read: Revelation 21 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 7;
Ezekiel 8;
Ezekiel 9:1-11
Hebrews 5:1-14
Psalm 105:1-15
Proverbs 26:28
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Quote for Reflection:
And these things, whatsoever sense we now have of them, were those on which the salvation or damnation of these Hebrews did absolutely depend. For unless they were prevailed on to forego that priesthood which was now abolished, and to betake themselves alone unto that more excellent one which was then introduced, they must unavoidably perish; as, accordingly, on this very account it fell out with the generality of that people, their posterity persisting in the same unbelief unto this day. And that which God made the crisis of the life or death of that church and people, ought to be diligently weighed and considered by us ... And God in like manner doth oftentimes single out especial truths for the trial of the faith and obedience of the church in especial seasons. And when he doth so, there is ever after an especial veneration due unto them" (Hebrews, vol. 5, p. 363). John Owen
It might seem strange. In fact it may even appear to be that which should not have been written in our holy Bible. For in Psalm 2:4 we read, '"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision."
However, if you turn to Psalm 37:13 and Psalm 59:8 , you will find the same statements. For God is not laughing because He is pleased with what He sees and hears. That He shall have them in derision reveals that He considers all the works of the unbelievers to be folly. The idea is that our God considers all the attempts of the ungodly to destroy His church to be sheer folly. The point is that our God does not worry. He does not in fear watch Satan, the antichrists, and the whole world of unbelievers as they attack and try to destroy His church. All things are always completely under His control.
Satan with all the fallen angels and human enemies of God's church have their plans, and think that they will succeed in getting the godless kingdom of the Anti-Christ established and victorious. But the almighty God, our covenant Father, knows the folly and hopelessness of their plans.
Here is a truth we should hold on to tightly. Here is that which should make us laugh, not in the sense of expressing delight in the world's attempt to set up its devilish kingdom, but in the peace of mind and joy that all is well.
The world is today striving desperately to do what the unbelievers tried when they began building the tower of Babel. But they failed then and are going to fail again. The kingdom of the Antichrist will stand briefly. But rejoice in the truth that even in this the ungodly world shall serve God's plan and purpose. Satan, the Antichrist, and all the ungodly are but tools in God's hand to work all things together for our good. Our victory is sure.
Read: Psalm 37:1-17 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 10;
Ezekiel 11:1-25
Hebrews 6:1-20
Psalm 105:16-36
Proverbs 27:1-2
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Quote for Reflection:
"Abraham was truly the covenant-head of his posterity in the line of Isaac and Jacob, in whose descendants the promises made to him were fulfilled. It was in virtue of this covenant with Abraham, that the Jews inherited their distinguished privileges as a nation ... which brought them into the relation of a ‘peculiar people’ to Jehovah; and hence, in his patriarchal character and acts, he stood forth as the representative or federal head of the nation, so far as all the promises, privileges, and institutions of the Judaical were concerned. He was both their natural progenitor and their covenant-head, by the appointment of God ... Therefore, when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek as a priest of the most High God, and received a blessing from him, it was a historical fact intentionally introduced by God’s providence, with a view to its becoming a feature of the type (so to speak) which Melchizedek, in his history and functions, was foreordained to present, of the supreme and eternal High Priest." F. S. Sampson
When in Philippians 4:6 Paul tells us to be careful for nothing, he is not telling us to be careless. The Greek word Paul uses here means to worry. We are told not to worry, but instead to put all our trust in God and in all the promises which He gives us in Christ.
That becomes very plain when in verse 7 he writes, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.". What is more, he exhorts us to let all our requests be made known unto God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
Our hearts and minds must be fixed upon God's promises, but also on what He wrought for us through Christ Jesus, His Son and our Savior. Do that and you will have peace of mind and heart. The idea is that we must not doubt God's ability to keep the promises which He gave us, but also that no matter what happens, God is fulfilling every letter in every promise which He has given us in Christ. We may be sure that, at the cross of Christ, His mother, the disciples, and other men and women who believed in God and in His Christ, were filled with care and anxiety, and worried about the outcome of it. But all that changed when He arose from the dead. For then they saw that His cross had not put an end to His work, but that by it He realized more blessedness for His people.
We also, as we approach not only darker days and persecution, but also our own sicknesses, losses, and bereavements, must not worry. Instead we should take hold of the truth which we find in a versification of Psalm 149 : "His saints shall not fail, but over the earth their pow'r shall prevail; All kingdoms and nations shah yield to their sway. To God give the glory and praise Him for aye."
Read: Philippians 4 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 12;
Ezekiel 13;
Ezekiel 14:1-11
Hebrews 57:1-17
Psalm 105:37-45
Proverbs 27:3
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Quote for Reflection:
“The eye prepares the way for hand and foot. The foot, in its carriage of the body, safeguards the eye. Each member ever cares for and serves the others. More beautiful figures of love and good works are not to be found than those derived from the body with its members. In the members we daily bear about with us, and with which we are continually familiar, God has described the law of love in a living and forcible manner. Upon the principle there illustrated, the Christian should act, conducting himself in a way to profit not himself but others, and having a sincere interest in them. Under such conditions, schisms and sects could not spring up among us.” -Martin Luther
The longest book of prophecy is Isaiah, which has 66 chapters. In Isaiah 55:6 we find this striking exhortation: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near."
This verse, however, is better translated, "Seek ye the Lord in His finding, call ye upon Him in His nearness." For the Hebrew preposition used here basically is "in," not "while" He is near. For God does not change. His name "Jehovah" means "I Am." He does not change, and does not "plead" with men to "accept" an "offer" which He will withdraw. This militates against Ephesians 2:1 which tells us that we are spiritually dead before He begins salvation in us. To those whom He did not eternally choose in Christ, God presents salvation only in the sense of setting the truth before them, not in the sense of inviting, begging, pleading that they accept it.
But there is a place where God can be found, and where He graciously is near His elect children. He is near them in Christ His Son. And it is in Christ that we can call upon Him and be heard. We must seek Him in Christ, and call upon Him in Christ, after He has already implanted in us the spiritual life which Christ earned for us.
The blessed fruit of such seeking in Christ is in the next verse: He will have mercy upon us and abundantly pardon. He will enable us to believe in Him that He is merciful and does pardon us through the cross of Christ. The awesome truth is that only when we, by His grace, seek Him and call upon Him will we experience the blessings which come through His Son. Then we not only know that Jehovah saves, but we will be enjoying that salvation. Seek Him then in Christ. Call upon Him through Christ and you will receive the joy of salvation, and be assured of its fullness when Christ returns.
Read: Isaiah 55 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 14:12-23;
Ezekiel 13;
Ezekiel 14;
Ezekiel 15;
Ezekiel 16:1-41
Hebrews 7:18-28
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 27:4-6
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Quote for Reflection:
“Train Up a Child…”: “Let me conclude by emphasizing that this is a command, a calling. It comes especially to parents, but also to the whole church. There is a generation arising in our midst. There is a world and a Satan out there attempting to draw them away. How will they be kept? Yes, only by God’s grace. But grace never means carelessness. On our part, they will be kept, only by diligent teaching. God will use that to continue and preserve His covenant.” -Rodney Kleyn
There were in Old Testament times men of God to whom God gave much material wealth. There was Job with his host of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys. There was also Solomon, who was an extremely rich man. And today there are children of God who have more luxurious homes, more beautiful clothes, and more effective means of transportation than those Solomon had. All this is well. It is God's gift. But what counts is the gift of spiritual riches. Jesus expressed this very plainly in Luke 12:21 , when He concluded His parable about a foolish rich man, who was an unbeliever, who lost all his earthly goods, because God took away his life. Concerning him Jesus said, "So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God." That man had said to his soul, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." He went into the everlasting torment of hell! He could not take with him the smallest part of the earthly treasures, which he had not received as that wherewith to serve God.
Here we are taught to be, first of all and very seriously concerned with being rich spiritually, with blessings from the hand of God through His Son and His cross. What counts is whether we are rich toward God, not how much earthly treasure we have for a short period of time. What counts is what we will have everlastingly after we have left this life which is a continual death. What counts is not what we have materially in this present life, but what we will receive when this life ends, and our souls go to their everlasting goal. Our bodies for a while will be in the grave; and then earthly treasures will mean nothing to them.
Let us then seek the kingdom of God. Jesus applied this parable with the words, "Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Read: Luke 12:11-31 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 16:42-63;
Ezekiel 17:1-24
Hebrews 8:1-13
Psalm 106:13-31
Proverbs 27:7-9
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Quote for Reflection:
“…do we attend to the Word with reverential devotion? When the judge is giving his charge from the bench, all attend. When the Word is preached, the great God is giving us His charge. Do we listen to it as to a matter of life and death?” -T. Watson
Through the years there have been wars between nations. In fact, the first child to be born, namely Cain, in anger killed his brother Abel. Because people want earthly things they fight to get possessions.
Now, fighting is not always sin. In fact God tells us in Ephesians 6:11 to "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." This means that we must fight against Satan, because he is fighting us through men. God told us in the day that Adam sinned that we would have to fight, because there would be enmity between the serpent and his seed and the woman and her seed. He also in that declaration assures us that we will have the victory.
We can in that light understand that we need armor in a very dangerous battle. And we can be thankful to God that He gives us protection. He changes His elect children and makes them hate the devil and all the sin he brings into this world. The devil hates those whom God has changed spiritually so that they love God and hate sin. Let us not forget that this spiritual battle is far more important than physical warfare of men who hate men for worldly reasons and carnal craving.
Now our fighting must be spiritual, not physical. we must be fighting against the lie, against false doctrines, against sin of every kind, and against all the attempts of the devil and his soldiers (men and fallen angels) which tempt us to walk in sin, and thus in hatred against God, Whose law we must keep fully and constantly.
Seek your protection then from all false doctrines which today are increasing in number and subtlety. Never give in to a false doctrine. Fight against all attempts to get us to turn away from God. And remember what happened to Adam and Eve when they agreed with Satan. Seek all the protection you can against Satan and his lies and love of sin.
Read: Ephesians 6:10-19 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 18;
Ezekiel 19:1-14
Hebrews 9:1-10
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 27:10
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Quote for Reflection:
“Be humble. Be lowly. The best man in the church is the man who is willing to be a doormat for all to wipe their boots on, the brother who does not mind what happens to him at all, so long as God is glorified.” -C. Spurgeon
One who claimed to be a shepherd of Christ's sheep once said, "Christ died for our sins. Dare we make His martyrdom meaningless by not committing them?" Must we make Christ's death on His cross the reason for us to commit sin, so that His cross gets more meaning and importance? Did not the apostle Paul write in Romans 6:1, 2 , "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Salvation does not mean simply that our guilt is removed, and that we now are righteous before God. It also means that we are made holy, and that salvation implants in us love for God, and thus the desire to be pleasing in His sight in all that which we do. The evidence that He died for us is that we have been given love of God, and in that love want to be pleasing in His sight. It reveals, that salvation does, that we want to walk as our Savior did, walk in obedience and love for God.
Would you want to drink poison so that the skill and wisdom of your doctor would be revealed? Being cured, would you want to take even more of that poison to give that physician more honor and credit for his skill? Instead, you would be making it possible for your mortician to earn a bit more money by your funeral.
No, of course not! Likewise, if you are saved from sin, you are saved from the love of sin. If Christ died for your sins, He will cause you to be born again with a life that wants to walk every step of the way in the obedience wherein He walked.
With Paul you will say, "God forbid." You will take hold of the truth in verse 23 that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is everlasting life. That means a life like that of Christ Who saved us.
Read: Romans 6 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 20:1-49
Hebrews 9:11-28
Psalm 107:1-43
Proverbs 27:11
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Quote for Reflection:
Note how the voice of the flesh is always saying "my," "my." Get rid of this "my" and rather say: "Glory to Thee, O Lord!" And then you will be saved. For the prudence of the flesh is such that it seeks only its own, and it fears its own misery more than failure to glorify God, and thus it seeks its own will more than God's will. And thus we must have a different mind toward God than toward man." ~Martin Luther, Works, v. 25, p.376.
As was pointed out yesterday, salvation not only saves us from the punishment we deserve, but also from the love of sin. We must not take man's word about this, but Christ 's. For in Mark 8:34 He says, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me."
The point here is: that we come into heavenly glory only by coming after Christ. We must walk after Him in God's holy law. And to do this we must deny ourselves and take up our cross, and follow Christ. In the beginning of history Adam turned away from God and went the way his flesh wanted. Yes, this was the way designed by Satan and suggested to man by him. Adam agreed to go the way of sin. We now must deny this evil desire wherewith we were born.
That we take up our cross means that we willingly suffer what the world wants to inflict upon us. It cannot mean taking up Christ's cross. On it He cried out that "It is finished." It means that we suffer at Satan's and his followers' hands. It means that we confess Christ to be our Savior. And it means that we are willing to suffer the ridicule, mockery, and pain the world wants to inflict upon us. We must walk after Christ, no matter how much affliction the world heaps upon us. Only by following Christ will we arrive where He is in heavenly glory. No, we do not earn that glory by that walk. Christ paved the way to glory, and He gives the life and strength to follow Him. If we do not come after Him, we are coming against Him. Then we are not following Christ but following Satan; and that leads to hell and its everlasting woes.
Deny your flesh and its love of sin. Confess God to be your God; and do this not simply with your lips. Do it with all your works. Come after Christ no matter what it costs physically. You will then have assurance of everlasting blessedness with Christ in glory.
Read: Mark 8:34-38 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 21;
Ezekiel 22:1-31
Hebrews 10:1-17
Psalm 108:1-13
Proverbs 27:12
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Quote for Reflection:
Man's heart is restless till it finds its rest in God. There is no resting place in this world or in anything it contains. Godliness with contentment is great gain, but all gain without godly contentment is frustration. Coveting is a fire, the more you feed it, the more it burns. ...So the more a person's coveting is satisfied, the more it is unsatisfied. The more he gets, the more he wants. Coveting grows larger and larger with every satisfaction, and in the end the person is more miserable than at the beginning. ~John Gerstner, Reasons for Duty
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