Saturday, April 18, 2009

The Final Word

2 Peter 3:18

Much can be learned from the death bed of men and women. In those final words, we get a brief insight into what is most important to them in this life, before they pass into the next. Joan of Arc, before burning at the stake said, “Hold the cross high, so I may see it through the flames!” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Lord, help my poor soul”, and the so-called prophet Nostradamus went down with this prophecy, “Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here”.

We have all heard of the last sayings of Christ on the cross, but we know nothing of the last words of the great apostles of the early church. What might Paul or Peter or John have said in their final moments? This side of heaven, we may never know, but we do know the last thing that they wrote down as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Peter says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) Peter’s final words are an encouragement to the reader to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

Paul’s final writing comes from a prison cell in Rome, where he writes to his young friend Timothy, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:22) Paul, just like Peter, brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and again prays grace on the reader. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

John receives the Revelation of Jesus Christ and views many things that he is not even able to write down. After having seen these things, he begs Jesus to come quickly (Revelation 22:20). One would think that this would be a great place to close his final book, by begging for the return of Jesus, but John has one more thing to say, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21) Again, just like Peter and Paul before him, John brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and His wonderful gift of grace. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

I ended each of the previous three paragraphs with the same sentence, "’Grace’ is on his mind at the end”. I did this to show you that of all that each of these great apostles could have said, it was another mention of God’s wonderful grace that came from their pen. We could spend hours showing what each man’s definition of grace was but without that kind of time, let’s just say that “grace” was the topic of their hearts, all of the time.

If dying words reveal the character of the individual, then we have an insight into what moved the pillars of the early church. It was not works righteousness or shows of emotion that turned their hearts, but it was the message of undeserved grace and favor. May it be our dying word as well.

Friday, April 17, 2009

The Chosen Generation

1 Peter 2:9, 10

Please don’t skip today’s devotion if you think that title denotes that this is aimed at youth! If you are a young person, read on; it will help you. If you are not young in years, just praise God that you are wise in spirit and read on also! “The Chosen Generation” is not a new title for the latest, trendiest youth group in America, but rather the title for the church of Jesus Christ, as given by the Apostle Peter.

The word ‘chosen’ is the Greek word ‘elektos’ from which we derive the English word, “election”. It is used by Peter to show that the church of Jesus Christ is no accident, but rather we were a pre-determined act of God from the foundation of the world. Even before Adam sinned, God saw the necessity of the cross.

Along with being chosen, we are also a ‘generation’ or a “race, or nation”. This Greek word is first used in the New Testament when Jesus shares the parable of the kingdom as a “net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind” (Matthew 13:47). The word ‘kind’ is the same as ‘generation’, so we see that we come from all over the world with different races, cultures and creeds, but we are all “chosen” through Christ’s blood.

Prior to the Old Covenant, the head of each family was considered the family priest (Genesis 8:20). When God gave the Old Covenant at Mt. Sinai, He promised that if Israel would obey Him perfectly, they would be a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6). They disobeyed severely, so the Lord took that priesthood and confined it to one family within Israel; the Aaronic priesthood in the tribe of Levi (Exodus 28:1). Now, with the giving of the New Covenant, all believers are referred to as “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), and this priesthood is by birthright. As Aaron’s priesthood passed through bloodline to his sons, so does Christian priesthood pass upon us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

We are also a “holy nation” which has nothing to do with nationality or race. This nation is not recognized at the United Nations, and it has no flag or borders. The nation that we belong to is not of this world, though we belong to nations that are. It is called “holy”, not by works which we do but by the perfect work which He has done.

Don’t be offended by Peter’s usage of “peculiar people” in verse 9. It has nothing to do with ‘weird’, though I have met a few of those too! The Greek phrase that Peter uses is also used by the Apostle Paul when he says, “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:14). The phrase “purchased possession” is the same as “peculiar” in Peter. The Apostle is telling us that we are not only chosen and priests and holy, but we have been purchased by God.

The purchase power of God is wrapped up in the blood of Jesus. Paul said, “And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself” (Colossians 1:20). His blood is what purchased all of humanity. We are purchased, and thus, we are His “possession”. It should make it a bit easier to face the world today knowing that you are chosen as His very child. Walk like it!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Live For Today

James 4:13-15

The blood of Jesus Christ has freed us from two terrible vices: yesterday and tomorrow. Our yesterdays can hold us in guilt and regret. The guilt is over sins that we committed and mistakes that we made and the regret is for things that we could have and should have done, but we did not for one reason or the other. Our yesterdays loom large because they always scream, “What might have been!” Christ’s death removed all condemnation over yesterday, setting us free from this prison of guilt and regret (Romans 8:1).

The other terrible vice is tomorrow. Tomorrow has yet to come, so it holds limitless possibilities and potential for great error. Because the enemy always emphasizes our weaknesses, our tomorrow’s can paralyze us with fear and torment, scaring us away from taking chances today, for fear that we will ruin that tomorrow. Christ’s blood at Calvary was to assure us eternal life and the ever-cleansing power of forgiveness of sins. In Jesus there is no fear of tomorrow, for it is in His hands.

James warned, “Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). This warning is to people who put off for tomorrow what they should take care of today, namely their eternal soul. So many people in this world are putting off thinking about eternity because they feel that they have all of the time in the world. We know that people die tragically every day, but we never actually think that it will be us. We all think that we will die old in our beds, with plenty of time to ponder our eternal destination. While some get this opportunity, all do not, and James reminds us that it will all be over very soon.

Living in the moment is allowing Jesus to take the reins of life and captain your vessel. Your past is checkered and spotted, but none of that matters in Christ, for He has removed the sin. Your future is uncertain in human terms but is all secure in the skillful hands of the Father. Rest where you are, for that is where He is!

I spent a portion of my life always wondering if there was something else. I dreamed of living somewhere else and doing something different. I was very insecure about who I was and always thinking that I could be better if I were someone else. Every passing moment of everyday is another chance to change everything, so I began to live by that thought. If I am unhappy with something, I cannot live in regret as to how I got there, and I can’t fear what tomorrow might hold, but I can do something today.

If you are unhappy with yourself; fix it. If you want more knowledge; get it. The possibilities are endless for you, because you are a child of the King. He has great things for you and He wants you to reign in this life through the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ. Stop living in the past and stop putting everything off until tomorrow. Start now and you are one day closer to being where you want to go.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

His Goodness Will Hunt You Down

Psalms 23:6

The Psalmist is so confident that his Shepherd is good that he opens the final verse of the 23rd Psalm with “Surely goodness…” There is no doubt that goodness and mercy will come his way. When the sheep have the past experience of watching their shepherd protect them and bless them, they are confident that He will always do so.

It is important to note the word that the English uses in this verse, and how different that it is from the original Hebrew. David says that goodness and mercy “shall follow me all the days of my life”, but the word ‘follow’ is a bit misleading. The Hebrew word for ‘follow’ is ‘radaph’ which means, “To pursue, to run after, to chase” or literally, “to hunt you down”. It is first found in Genesis 14, when Abram finds that his nephew Lot has been kidnapped. Abram assembles his own army of 318 men and “pursued them unto Dan” (Genesis 14:14). The word ‘pursued’ is ‘radaph’.

Just as Abram hunted the kidnappers down and brought them to justice, the Holy Spirit is saying through the Psalmist that we can be assured that God’s goodness and mercy will hunt us down as well. This entire Psalm has been about the accompaniment of our Good Shepherd. If He leads, we follow. If we leave the path, He restores us. If we are hurt, He heals us. It even shows Him go with us into areas that He did not lead us. The finality is that as we follow the footprints of the Shepherd, His goodness and mercy follow close after us.

We do not have to look for the goodness and the mercy, for it will look for us. Many believers have become sidetracked and discouraged because they are always looking for goodness and blessings. They have actually turned Christianity into one big blessing, rather than the relationship that it is. Follow after blessings and you will always be on the chasing end. Follow after Jesus and the blessings will chase you!

David found that dwelling in the house of the LORD for ever was the most blessed thing. He commented that he would rather be a “doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalms 84:10). It was for this cause that he wanted to build the temple, but God deferred that honor to his son Solomon. David was a New Covenant thinker living in an Old Covenant world. You and I are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19), so we dwell in His house forever. This promise in Psalms 23:6 is ours everyday because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Follow your shepherd today and fully expect that He is going to do the same to you with good things in your life and mercy in your spirit.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Provision for the Sheep

Psalms 23:5

Occasionally, the Bible shows us a side of God that is quite motherly. Jesus came from God’s bosom; a term we don’t often equate with fathers (John 1:18), and Jesus was referred to as “Lamb of God” (John 1:29), another ‘soft’ example. No matter how old we get, our mothers keep right on being ‘motherly’, and this verse in the Shepherd’s Psalm speaks volumes toward that fact.

Moms are always making sure that the kids have plenty to eat. My mother did it to me (and still does) and I watch as my wife does the same thing with our two kids. She not only will not allow them to skip a meal, she wants to make sure that they eat plenty at that meal, and every mother sends enough money with their child when they go out with someone else, “in case you get hungry”.

God prepares a table for the sheep, “in the presence of mine enemies” (Psalms 23:5). Only a parent’s love is more concerned with whether or not you eat than with the fact that your enemies are watching. God seems content with us just eating, as if He is assuring the believer, “You eat; I’ll take care of the enemies”.

Part of His provision for us in the presence of a world full of turmoil is His healing power. When the shepherd would settle the sheep down for the evening in a safe place, he would go around the flock and check each sheep for injuries. As he inspected each individual sheep, he could give special care to their needs, careful to apply the salve to whatever might need it. He also carried a horn of oil with him to anoint the sheep if necessary.

The anointing of the sheep has little to do with God smearing His Spirit on you for service or a sermon. There is certainly anointing attached to the doing of God’s work, but in this scripture it spoke of the shepherd applying oil to the face and head of the sheep in order to keep the flies off of them. The ‘fly’ in the Bible is most commonly a type of demonic spirits. The Greek rendering for Beelzebub is “lord of the flies”, and it was this pseudo-deity that Jesus was accused of being linked with (Matthew 12:24). When the Good Shepherd anoints us with His Spirit, it is to keep the demonic powers of lying and accusation from annoying us. Appeal to His Holy Spirit for relief from these pests.

Finally, the provision speaks of abundant grace and favor with the phrase, “my cup runneth over”. This is not a “just enough” blessing; this is a “too much” blessing! When the Shepherd provides for His own, He does so with as much as they will take. Paul said that we can receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness. If we do, we shall “reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). Don’t receive “enough”, receive the cup running over.

Prepare for His provision today. He will feed you even as your enemies watch it happen. He will smear His comforting Holy Spirit on you, even as all of hell comes against you. He will pour out His goodness and favor until it spills over and affects those around you. He is your Good Shepherd; let Him be truly good today.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Peace in the Valley

Psalms 23:4

There is a change of direction in the 4th verse of the great Shepherd’s Psalm. Notice that in verse 2, “he maketh me…” and “he leadeth me…” Then in verse 3, “He leadeth me…” occurs again. In each instance, the Shepherd is leading and providing for the direction of His sheep. The Psalmist then says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” (Psalms 23:4). In this verse there is no mention of the sheep being led, only that they walk through of their own free will. This is a type of all of us wandering off of the beaten path of righteousness (verse 3) and into the dark valleys of life.

There are three important things to note about this journey into the valley. First, we should remember that it is only a valley, and valleys do not go on forever. They are simply depressions between mountains, so there are brighter days to come. This valley also has a name, “the valley of the shadow of death”. It is not “Death Valley”, it is only death’s shadow that we will see while here. Only a small child or an animal would fear a shadow on a wall, thinking that it might be a dark individual chasing them, but a mature adult would not harbor such fear. We know that in order for there to be shadows, there must be light shining on the other side of an object. Based on the fact that Malachi calls Jesus the “Sun of Righteousness”, who do you suppose that light might be?

Second, David says, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”. David has no fear because he knows that shadows cannot hurt him. No matter what evil lurks in the valley, causing the shadows, David has confidence in the Shepherd, realizing that Jesus’ very presence will calm the storms of doubt and fear. You have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), so do not accept it! As the old song says, ‘There is nothing to fear when Jesus is near; I’m living in sunlight now’.

Finally, “thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”. The rod is used by the shepherd to attack the predators that lurk near the flock. The Hebrew word for ‘rod’ as used here is typically translated ‘scepter’ or even ‘tribe’. It denotes more than a mere stick of wood; it is symbolic of the authority of God and His covenant keeping ways. He protects the sheep with the rod of His Covenant, bound to care for us by the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ.

The staff has a crook at the end of it, used for pulling wayward sheep out of ditches and trenches. When we slip off of the path, the Shepherd will put the staff under our shoulders and pull us close to Him. The staff is also a symbol of the healing and restorative power of God. Elisha placed his staff on a dead child and the life came back to him (2 Kings 4:29-37). The staff of our Good Shepherd will bring life back to weary legs.

Even though the Shepherd does not lead us into the valley of the shadow of death, He will not merely wait on the other side for us to emerge either. If we go in, He will go in, though it may not be in His perfect plan for us. Remember, no matter what you are going through, He will go through it with you. Do not blame yourself, for there are valleys between mountains and while He may not lead you into it, He will always lead you out.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

The Paths of Righteousness

Psalms 23:3

Our Shepherd is in the business of soul restoration. The only time that the Hebrew word ‘shuwb’ is translated as ‘restoreth’ in the Bible is here in verse 3; and it means “to return, to bring back and to refresh”. The ‘soul’ is what the Shepherd is refreshing, and this word is the same Hebrew word that is used at creation to describe the different “living creatures”. This word is all-encompassing, dealing with the life, the emotions and the passions of man.

The Psalmist is showing us that our Shepherd not only provides for our wants (verse 1) and our needs (verse 2), but that He also refreshes our body and our mind. The physical and emotional needs of His sheep are just as important to Him as the spiritual needs.

Sometimes we view God as caring only for things that affect our spirit man. We tend to see Him as concentrating entirely on our level of faith or whether or not goodness is coming from us, and this takes the personality out of God’s relationship with His creation. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and that does not exclude the physical and the emotional.

The colon that comes after the phrase “He restoreth my soul:” tells us that whatever comes next is precisely HOW He restores us. “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalms 23:3).

In the Middle East, when a shepherd wants to take his flock to high ground it is often for safety and for green grass. The sheep are not built for traveling great distances, with their short legs and broad bodies. Trying to lead them up a steep incline is nearly impossible without being forced to carry most of them. To ease the journey up a mountain, the shepherds will lead the sheep, single-file along a pathway that wraps around the mountain. Though it takes a bit longer to get to the top, the progressive sloping and the smooth, worn dirt of the path make it easy for the sheep to arrive at the destination. The shepherds commonly refer to these paths as “the paths of righteousness”.

Jesus, our Great Shepherd, will lead us up these paths for the sake of His name. As we journey along life’s way, His righteousness will show forth through our lifestyles and our actions. While we are the ones arriving at the glorious destination, with our minds and bodies refreshed, He is getting the glory. Jesus preached as much in His Sermon on the Mount, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good woks and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

You cannot lead your way to righteousness. Our efforts will always fall short of the mountain’s peak, but if we will allow Him to do the leading, our following will be simple and our soul will be restored.