DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 2.4.23

 God'sEverlasting Covenants “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for aneverlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” (Genesis17:7) The phrase “everlasting covenant” (or “perpetual covenant”) is used no less than 16 times in the Old Testament, plus once in the New Testament. It always refers to a covenant promise of God to man, made in grace, for only He can make an everlasting promise. The first everlasting covenant was made with Noah (Genesis9:16), a promise never to send a worldwide flood again, sealed with the sign of the rainbow. The second is recorded in today’s verse and was God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants. The promise was to give them “the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession” (Genesis17:8), and the seal was to be the rite of circumcision. Many of the “everlasting covenant” promises have to do with Israel. Some were stated unconditionally, but others were “broken” because of man’s rebellion against God’s covenant terms. One of the latter was the covenant of the Sabbath. “Wherefore the childrenof Israel shall keep the sabbath...for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed” (Exodus31:16-17). The last reference is the most important of all: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, workingin you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews13:20-21). HMM --------------------- Jesusand the Flood “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew24:38-39) The Lord Jesus Christ not only believed in the special, recent creation of all things by God (note Mark 10:6-8), but also in the worldwide Flood of Noah’s day, including the special preservation of life on the Ark. The Flood in which He believed was obviously not a “local flood,” for He compared it to the worldwide future impact of His Second Coming. Neither was it a “tranquil flood,” nor a “selective flood,” for Jesus said, “The flood came, and destroyed them all” (Luke17:27). It is clear that He was referring to—and that He believed—the Genesis record of the great Flood! There it says that the whole earth was “filled with violence” (Genesis6:13), having first been filled with people, and that the resulting world-cleansing deluge was so cataclysmic that “every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowlof the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth” (Genesis7:23). Indeed, “the flood came, and took [literally ‘lifted’] them all away.” This is what Jesus said, and what He believed, and therefore, those who are truly His disciples must also believe this. The destructive effects of the Flood can still be seen today not only in the biblical record, but also in the abundant evidences of cataclysmicdestruction in the rocks and fossil graveyards all over the world. To refuse this evidence, as do many modern intellectuals, can only be because they “willingly are ignorant,” as Peter said in referring to this testimony (2Peter 3:5). HMM ------------------------ Citiesof Refuge “Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, whichshall be cities of refuge.” (Numbers35:14) When the Israelites entered the promised land, God told Joshua to provide six “cities of refuge” into which those who had slain someone could flee for refuge until a trial could ascertain the facts and render a proper verdict. As such, these cities are a typeof Christ, through whom “we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews6:18). The names of the six cities are given in Joshua 20:7-8 as Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan. The meanings of these names seem planned especially to foreshadow this spiritual application. Kedesh means “holy place,” and Christ in the New Jerusalem is the ultimate refuge, for “the Lamb [is] the temple of it” (Revelation21:22). Shechem means “strong shoulder,” which answers to the “strong consolation” we have in Christ when we flee to Him for refuge. Hebron means “fellowship,” and we who have come to Christ have been “called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1Corinthians 1:9). Bezer means “strong hiding place.” The Scripture assures the believer that “your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians3:3). Ramoth means “high place,” and when we are hidden in Christ, God also has “made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians2:6). Finally, Golan apparently means “enclosure for captives,” and this would speak of our being set free from sin and death to become captive to Christ. “When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive” (Ephesians4:8). Thus, the cities are appropriately named both for their immediate purpose and as a picture of Christ as the Savior of sinners. HMM --------------------------- IncorruptibleThings “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vainconversation received by tradition from your fathers.” (1Peter 1:18) Not all the wealth of the world can redeem a single soul, for gold and silver are merely corruptible elements in a world under “the bondage of corruption” (Romans8:21). Everything in the physical creation is decaying and dying. In fact, one day all these “elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2Peter 3:10). Even the very seeds that transmit life are “corruptible seed” (1Peter 1:23), and all mankind is “corruptible man” (Romans1:23). Modern science recognizes this universal principle of decay as one of its most basic laws—the law of increasing entropy. Even in this corruptible world, however, some things are incorruptible. There is the “incorruptible...word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1Peter 1:23). Even though “heaven and earth shall pass away,” the words of Christ “shall not pass away” (Matthew24:35). We are redeemed, not by silver and gold, but “with the precious blood of Christ” (1Peter 1:19). God Himself is the “uncorruptible God” (Romans1:23), and He has “begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away” (1Peter 1:3-4). We work, not as others “to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1Corinthians 9:25). Finally, these dying bodies will themselves be redeemed, “for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1Corinthians 15:52-53). HMM -------------------- LopsidedChristians - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. �1 John 3:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/lopsided-christians/- Listen I�ve met people who have an impressive knowledge of the Bible, know Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and have a vast knowledge of history. They dazzle you with what they know.But their personal life is in shambles. They can�t keep a marriage together. They can�t live right before God. And they�re always falling into sin and different troubles. The problem is they�re imbalanced. Theyhave the knowledge. They have the doctrine. And if you were to sit down and talk with them, they would know far more than you may know. But their life is out of balance. I�ve seen this sometimes with people who love to study Bible prophecy. It�s almost like a hobby for them. Understand, I�m a firm believer in the imminent return of Jesus Christ.I believe the rapture of the church could happen at any time. But some people, in their zeal to see Bible prophecy fulfilled, jump to conclusions. With that said, there are Christians who are lopsided in another way. They don�t know much doctrinally or what the Bible teaches on certain subjects, but they�re passionateabout their faith in Jesus Christ. You might hear them say things like, �Let�s not quibble over doctrine. I just love Jesus.� That sounds nice, but it�s a dangerous statement. The Bible clearly teaches that in the last days there will be false Christs, false gospels, and even false miracles. If we�renot careful, we might end up loving the wrong Jesus. We might end up believing the wrong gospel. That is where doctrine comes in. We need the balance of having both areas working together. The Bible tells us, �And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure� (1 John 3:3 NKJV). We can have an understanding and belief in prophecy and facts and figures. But if it isn�t affecting the way we�re living, then we�re missing the point. ------------------------------- We�re in This Together - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. �Ephesians 4:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/were-in-this-together/- Listen When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you become part of the church. You are a part of the body of Christ. And because we�re all together in this new family, we shoulddo nothing to unnecessarily disrupt it. In Ephesians 4 the apostle Paul used the human body to illustrate the church. He wrote, �For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorioushope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all� (verses 4�6 NLT). Paul was saying that we need to keep unity in the church. For instance, all the parts of your body need to work together. Your brain sends signals to your hands, and yourhands do thus and so, working together. You don�t want your hands to break loose and do their own thing. In the same way, the church must work together as a body. We are part of the body of Christ, and we need to cooperate with each other. However, Paul wasn�t saying that it doesn�t matter what we believe as long as we work together. Sometimes in our desire for unity, we can end up embracing the wrong peopleand the wrong beliefs. We do not want to have unity with someone who doesn�t believe in the essentials of the Christian faith. That doesn�t mean we�re rude. We can disagree and still be pleasant. But unity between brothers and sisters in Christ is a different issue. We might have differing viewpoints on the order of prophetic events or some other thing. But we shouldn�tbreak fellowship over that. We build our unity on the truth of what we have learned in Scripture, on the fundamentals of the Christian faith. ------------------------------- TheIndwelling Christ �And they glorified God in me.� (Galatians1:24) One of the greatest doctrines of the Christian faith is the amazing truth that the Lord Jesus Christ indwells each believer through His Holy Spirit. �Christ liveth in me,� said the apostle Paul (Galatians2:20), and, since that was true experientially as well as doctrinally, he could invite people to see Christ and hear Christ and follow Christ by seeing and hearing and following him. This might seem incredibly arrogant if it were not real. He could say, for example, that �it pleased God, who separated me from my mother�s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me� (Galatians1:15-16). And he could say, as in today�s verse, that those who heard him �glorified God in me.� He also commanded, �Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you� (Philippians4:9). The Lord could say to His disciples, �He that hath seen me hath seen the Father� (John14:9), and no one thinks it inappropriate because He fully manifested the heavenly Father in word and deed. Similarly, Paul said that �the truth of Christ is in me� and referred to �Christ speaking in me� (2Corinthians 11:10; 13:3), noting that Christ was �mighty in me toward the Gentiles� (Galatians2:8). This was not boasting, for Paul acknowledged that �in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing� (Romans7:18). Still, he was bold to exhort, �Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ� (1Corinthians 11:1). Now the same Spirit of Christ who dwelled in Paul also indwells all true Christians, for �if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his� (Romans8:9). We should be able to say with Paul, in practice as well as theory, that �Christ liveth in me.� HMM ----------------------- God�s Recipe for Revival - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org 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 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/gods-recipe-for-revival/- Listen In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln said, �We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. . . . But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious handwhich preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.� One person in the Oval Office, in Congress, or on the Supreme Court cannot get to the deepest part of America�s problems. That is because our deepest problems are spiritual.And the only hope for America is a spiritual awakening. God gave us His recipe for revival when He said, �If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land� (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV). There�s an interesting nuance regarding the word �pray.� Of the twelve Hebrew words employed to address this verb, the one in this verse means �to judge self habitually.� God didn�t say, �If My people who are called by My name will love themselves . . .� We already do that. Rather, God was saying that we need to judge ourselves. That means we are to come into God�s presence and say, �Lord, if there is anything in my life that is displeasing to You, show it to me.� Like the psalmist, we should pray, �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). We are to set aside our own aims, goals, ambitions, and desires in life, giving up our own wills. That is what it is to follow Jesus. -------------------------------- Getting Back to God�s Original Design - byGreg Laurie � www.harvest.org Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. �Psalm 51:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/getting-back-to-gods-original-design/- Listen At my house we have electronic gadgets, like most people do, and each one has an alarm. The microwave signals when my food is ready. An alarm on the dryer lets me know thatit�s time to take the clothes out. The printer signals when it�s out of paper. And all these gadgets also have error codes. When an error code appears, I have to consult the user�s manual to find out what�s wrong. Then I�ll try to correct the problem. I think there are multiple error codes flashing across the United States today. We�re standing at a crossroads. We have never been in worse shape morally. Crime continuesto explode. Families continue to splinter. And the fabric of society continues to unravel. Meanwhile, God has given us His user�s manual for life: the Word of God, the Bible. It tells us what to do when a society unravels. And what we need today in America�and aroundthe globe�is a far-reaching, Heaven-sent revival. The word revive means �to restore to original condition.� A lot of people today like to restore old cars, and they�re sticklers about original paint and original parts. Theywant the original equipment. In the same way, to be spiritually revived means to get back to God�s original design. Charles Finney, who was part of a great revival, described it this way: �Revival isnothing more or less than a new beginning of obedience to God.� A real revival isn�t something that we start or stop; it�s something that God supernaturally does. There are times in history when God has intervened. Each of these divineinterventions has come during a very dark time when there was a moral breakdown. Then God, in His grace, stepped in and brought about a spiritual awakening. We need a real revival today. We need to see God work because our nation needs it as never before. ----------------------------------------- God'sGreat, Unsearchable Deeds �I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I blessthee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.� (Psalm145:1-3) Psalm 145 is the only psalm in which �A Song of Praise� appears in its title. This is David�s last of nine acrostic poems, in which the first word in each verse begins with a successive Hebrew letter, with the format conveying both completeness (from A to Z)and the importance of memorization and meditation. Also note the alternation between exclamations of praise (vv. 1-2, 4-7, 10-12, 21) and descriptions of Yahweh�s greatness, goodness, and steadfast love (vv. 3, 8-9, 13-20). God does �great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number� (Job5:9). Implied are both the wonder of God�s activity and the inability to plumb the depths of His nature, including His greatness, might (Psalm145:3), wondrous deeds (vv. 4-6), and saving righteousness (v. 7). David expands this theme, stressing God�s dependability in answered prayer for personal protection (vv. 14-20). The New Testament echoes this elevation of God�s awesome acts. �O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!� (Romans11:33). Paul underscores Christ�s fathomless treasures in the preaching of the gospel (Ephesians3:8). So, believers, bask not only in the wonder of His redemptive gospel but also in His provision in life�s irregularities. Finally, by praising and speaking the good news to others, we teach all generations about our Lord Jesus Christ�s great works. CM ---------------------------