DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 11.17.23

 Total Abstinence “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war againstthe soul.” (1 Peter 2:11) The command to abstain occurs only a few times in the New Testament, but there are three occurrences that are especially relevant for Christians today. One of these is 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, thatye should abstain from fornication.” The Greek word here actually applies to any type of sexual relationship outside of marriage, and the command is not merely for temperance or for “love” in one’s non-marital sexual relationships, but for total abstinence. This exhortation is perhaps needed more today than at any time since the days of pagan Rome, even for Christians and, unfortunately, Christian leaders. But that is not all. In the words of our text, we are also urgently exhorted to “abstain from fleshly lusts” since these carnal desires are in mortal combat with our very souls. One must avoid situations that might initiate or encourage fornication or its kindredactivities. But even that is not sufficient for the serious Christian man or woman. “Now we exhort you, brethren,...Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians5:14, 22). The word here means anything that in outward form might appear to be evil, regardless of whether it is really wrong in itself or not. The Lord desires that we “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Titus2:10) and that we “give none offense” (1 Corinthians 10:32). A believer cannot afford to be careless in this warfare against his soul. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). HMM ----------------------- Mortified “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of thebody, ye shall live.” (Romans8:13) To mortify something means to put it to death. Paul taught in our text and in other passages that the “deeds of the body,” or its fleshly actions and appetites, all that pertains “to the old man,” should be mortified, or put to death. This mortification is first of all judicial—Christ having been put to death in our stead. “Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans6:6). But the mortification must not stop there, with only a positional death. It must also be an actual mortification in practice, for “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in theSpirit” (Galatians5:24-25). “For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Romans6:19). Elsewhere, Paul identifies specific deeds and attitudes that must be mortified. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence [or evil desires], and covetousness” (Colossians3:5). The first four listed will be recognized as various forms of sensual sins, indicating how detrimental this category of sin is to spiritual life. The fifth is covetousness, or inordinate love of money and material things. These five comprise deadlysins to men and women of any historical age—particularly our own. If they are not put to death, they bring death, “for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh” (v. 6). The choice is clear! It will be either death to the flesh, or death to the spirit. JDM ------------------------ Christat Creation “When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he establishedthe clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep.” (Proverbs8:27-28) This chapter contains a beautiful description of some of God’s works during the creation week when God, in Christ, was creating and making all things. Christ Himself, personified as the divine wisdom, the word of God, is speaking. Verse 27 speaks of His pre-existence before the creation of the space/time universe itself. At first the “earth” matter was “without form,” with only a great “deep” of water. Then God “set a compass” on the face of the deep, activating the gravitational forcesthat brought it into spherical form. The Hebrew word for “compass” means “sphere,” the same word used in Isaiah 40:22, where it is said God “sitteth upon the circle [i.e., ‘sphere’] of the earth.” Then God “established the clouds above.” The word for “clouds” means “thin mists,” undoubtedly referring to the waters “above the firmament” (Genesis1:7). Finally, He strengthened the fountains of the deep, locking them under the “foundations of the earth” (Proverbs8:29). The same strong fountains of the deep would later be broken up at the time of the great Flood. When the earth was finished, He “rejoiced in the habitable part of his earth” (i.e., Proverbs 8:31). In all these and the other mighty works of creating and making all things, the Lord Jesus Christ assures us “I was there!” That further assures us, of course, that through all the ages to come, He will be there. This remarkable eighth chapter of Proverbs concludes with the following exhortation, more relevant today than ever: “For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all that hate melove death” (Proverbs8:35-36). HMM ------------------------------- HeShall Speak Peace “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall becut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.” (Zechariah9:10) This wonderful prophecy follows immediately after the verse predicting the coming of the Messiah into Jerusalem riding upon a lowly donkey’s colt (v. 9). That prediction was fulfilled by Jesus as He came into Jerusalem on that last Sunday before His death andresurrection (Matthew21:4-5), but the prophecy in our text was certainly not fulfilled at that time. There have been wars somewhere in the world practically every year since Jesus came. Nevertheless, the day will come when He shall indeed speak peace to all the nations. Early in the last century, the nations had fought a great war that was supposed to end all wars. They celebrated the armistice that ended that war on November 11, 1918, and established an annual holiday called Armistice Day. But many other wars followed thatwar, so the name was changed to honor the veterans who had fought in any of those later wars as well. However, there is still no real peace in the world. The fact is that there can be no lasting peace between men and other men until there is peace between men and God. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can make such a peace, for He alone is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah9:6). Indeed, He has already paid the price to make such true and eternal peace, for He “made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself” (Colossians1:20). In that great coming day when He returns to Earth to establish His kingdom, “he maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth” (Psalm46:9), “and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isaiah2:17). HMM ------------------- Trustthe Timing - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. �Matthew 7:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/trust-the-timing/- Listen Can you think of a time in your life when you acted impulsively and came to regret it? Maybe you bought a car or a house on an impulse, and now you�re sorry you did so. Maybe you signed a contract that you didn�t read carefully or entered into a business dealthat you should have considered more. Or maybe you made a marriage commitment that you didn�t bring before the Lord in prayer, and you have regretted that. I�ve come to discover that God�s timing is just as important as God�s will. There are times when we pray about something and God says no. But that doesn�t necessarily mean that His answer always will be no. It means that is His answer for now. Sodon�t give up. That is why the Bible tells us to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking (see Matthew 7:7). On the other hand, there are certain things we may ask God to do, and He always will say no. Those are things that are in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches. In the Book of Exodus, we find a story about a man of God who had bad timing. If he were in a race, he would be the guy who comes out of nowhere to take the lead and thensuddenly self-destructs. His name was Moses. If we were to draw up a short list of people whom God has used in a powerful way, certainly Moses would be at the top. He was Moses, the great lawgiver and the man who, throughhis personal godliness and integrity, kept three million people from turning to idolatry. But perhaps the best description of all is this one: Moses the man of God. Yet Moses was a bit on the impulsive side. Even though Pharaoh�s daughter had adopted him and raised him in the royal household, Moses knew who he was. He was a true believerin the Lord God. Underneath those Egyptian robes of royalty beat the heart of a Hebrew. Moses� heart was in the right place, but his actions were foolhardy, to say the least. He took action, and it was the worst mistake of his life. In Exodus 2 we read, �Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During hisvisit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand� (verse 11�12 NLT). Clearly God did not tell Moses to do this. Moses looked in all directions, but he should have looked up. If he had done that, God would have said no. Sometimes we want the will of God, but we will go about it in our own way. God wants us to do His will in His way in His time. --------------------------------- The Cover-Up - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. �Numbers 32:23 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-cover-up/- Listen Some years ago, I read a humorous article about someone who decided to rob a Baptist church in North Carolina. But he was more than six feet tall and weighed 235 pounds. Andwhen he tried to escape with his loot through a bathroom window, he got stuck. It took four police officers pushing and pulling him to get him out of the window. His sin found him out. Moses warned the children of Israel, �But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out� (Numbers32:23 NLT). He knew this from firsthand experience. After Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating one of his fellow Hebrews, he probably thought the Hebrew people would applaud him. He may have been hoping they�d say, �ThatMoses is something! He�s the grandson of Pharaoh, but he risked everything to help us. He�s our new hero.� However, things didn�t go as Moses had hoped. The next day when he saw a couple of Hebrews fighting, he walked up and tried to settle the dispute. But one of them said, �Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Areyou going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?� (Exodus 2:14 NLT). Moses thought he had hidden his sin, but he suddenly realized that everyone knew. He also realized that he was in trouble. When Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to kill Moses.So, Moses fled for his life into the wilderness. Moses lost everything: his position, his people, and his reputation. But he hadn�t lost God. He did the wrong thing in the wrong way at the wrong time. His timing was horriblyoff�by about forty years. Though Moses was gifted to be a leader, he wasn�t quite ready yet. His heart was in the right place, but he went about it the wrong way. He made a huge mess for himself, and it seemed as though everyone had turned against him. But God hadnot turned against Moses. And what looked like the end of his life actually was the beginning of a new one. He found a family that befriended them. He married one of the daughters in the family and ended up watching her father�s sheep. He probably thought that was where he woulddie. But God had other plans. Moses was a leader in training. It has been said that Moses spent forty years in Pharaoh�s court finding out he was a somebody. He spent forty years in the wilderness finding out he was a nobody. And thenhe spent forty years finding out what God can do with a somebody who realizes they are a nobody. Are you trying to cover up something right now? Is there some secret sin in your life? If so, then just come out with it and confess it, because sooner or later, it will beexposed. Nothing is hidden from God. ------------------------- EarnestlyContend �It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faithwhich was once delivered unto the saints.� (Jude 1:3) After Jude had responded to the Holy Spirit�s prompting to direct his thoughts away from writing a gospel account, the intensity of the growing battle for �the faith� came into focus. Perhaps Jude was aware of Paul�s observation that we do not �wrestle� againstordinary forces, but our battle deals with the �spiritual wickedness in high places� (Ephesians 6:12). The special word chosen by the Holy Spirit to speak to this struggle in Jude�s letter was epagonizomai. The core word (agonizomai) is used in the famous passage �I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith� (2Timothy 4:7). Paul also notes what �great conflict� he felt for the church at Colosse (Colossians 2:1) and that Epaphras was �always labouring fervently� for them in his prayers (Colossians 4:12). The object of this spiritual struggle was �the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.� Two matters are of importance in that little phrase. First, �the faith� is a specific designation used in the New Testament to incorporate the basic doctrines ofthe New Covenant. It does include, but does not limit itself to, the belief that results in salvation. The early churches were �established in the faith� (Acts16:5). We are to �stand fast in the faith� (1 Corinthians 16:13) and to come to a �unity of the faith� (Ephesians4:13). Second, that body of doctrine was �once delivered to the saints.� Implicit in that comment is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to �guide [the apostles] into all truth� (John16:13). Both Old and New Testaments insist that we are not to add to or subtract from the words of God�s Word. Jude�s epistle emphasizes the awful judgment that comes upon those who would distort or disdain what is �the faith.� HMM III ---------------------- Who,What, and Why of Creation �Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and forthy pleasure they are and were created.� (Revelation4:11) Who: In eternity past, God spoke the physical universe into existence (Genesis1:1). �All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made� (John1:3). Unlike the triune Godhead, the matter-space-time universe had a specific beginning. What: Genesis 1�2 gives the only eyewitness account and historical framework for creation. God spoke into existence what previously had not existed (Hebrews11:3). The Hebrew words bara (divine creation through God�s command) and yom (the day-by-day pattern of God�s creation work) remove any wiggle room for evolutionary insertion into the first chapter of Genesis. God speaks and creates everything in six literal 24-hour days. �God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold,it was very good� (Genesis1:31). Nothing in His creation was a product of natural selection or death. Why: Man�s creation is listed separately because he was created in God�s image. �So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them� (Genesis1:27). God�s purpose for the entire material universe was humanity. �The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat� (2Peter 3:10). Everything will eventually be uncreated except for humanity. So, God created us according to His pleasure and, as the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, for us �to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.� Those of us who�ve placed our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ can �look for new heavens and a new earth,wherein dwelleth righteousness� (2Peter 3:13). CCM -------------------------- Turningfrom the Truth - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. �Ephesians 4:18 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/turning-from-the-truth/- Listen Moses had made a mess of things. He was a Hebrew who was raised in the house of Pharaoh, groomed to become the next leader of Egypt. Yet Moses was concerned for his fellowHebrews and the plight they faced. And one day on an impulse, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He looked to the right and to the left, and then he killed an Egyptian. When word reached Pharaoh, he put a contract out on Moses� life. So, Moses fled for his life into thewilderness. He settled down there and tended sheep until the Lord recommissioned him forty years later. God told Moses he was to go back to Egypt to the court of Pharaoh and demand therelease of his people. Understandably, Moses was reluctant. He offered some flimsy excuses as to why he wasn�t qualified, which the Lord refuted. God even performed some miracles to convince Mosesof the authenticity of his calling. And ultimately, Moses and his brother, Aaron, went to do what God had called them to do. Moses and Aaron went into Pharaoh�s court and demanded the release of the Hebrews. They probably were hoping he would say, �No problem! God has been speaking to me about that.God bless you.� But that isn�t quite how it went. Pharaoh basically said, �Are you kidding? There�s no way that is going to happen.� This reminds us that being in the will of God doesn�t mean that it always will be green lights, blue skies, and singing birds. Sometimes we think that if God wants us to dosomething, it will be an easy thing to do. It will happen, but it will be in His timing. And the devil will oppose us. We also find an important statement in Exodus 7. God said to Moses and Aaron, �But I will make Pharaoh�s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders inthe land of Egypt� (verse 3 NLT). Why did God harden Pharaoh�s heart? Some would think that Pharaoh had nothing to say about this, that he was simply a chess piece on the board of life. But that isn�t true.Pharaoh had a choice in the matter. He hardened his heart, and the Lord confirmed the decision he had already made. Pharaoh hardened his heart further, the Bible tells us, when his magicians counterfeited the signs. Then he hardened his heart even more when his magicians could not counterfeitthe signs. The Lord had given Pharaoh more than enough evidence to convince him that the gods of Egypt were false and the God of Israel was the true and living God. He was giving Pharaohthe opportunity to cooperate. But Pharaoh would have none of it. This reminds us that to turn from the truth is to become more thoroughly entrenched in darkness. If you have heard the truth, know what is right, and don�t respond, then youare in danger of getting a hardened heart. ------------------------------------- Forty Years in Training - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors�the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob�has sent me to you. This is my eternal name,my name to remember for all generations. �Exodus 3:15 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/forty-years-in-training/- Listen Moses was stunned, to say the least. He thought he was done. He had been living in relative obscurity, thinking he would never do much again. After all, he hadn�t heard fromGod for forty years. But suddenly one day God was speaking to him from a burning bush. What Moses didn�t realize was that God had been preparing him all that time. By watching a little flock of sheep, he was in training to lead a human flock, numbering overtwo million, to freedom. So there he was, standing before a burning bush. Moses had spent a lot of time in the wilderness. He saw a lot of tumbleweeds. He watched bushes catch fire and burn out. Butthis one was different. It continued to burn yet did not dissipate. Something ordinary was doing an extraordinary thing. In other words, God was doing something to get Moses� attention. And then He spoke. God told Moses that He had seen the suffering of His people, and He was appointing Moses to go to Pharaoh and take the Hebrews to freedom. Moses was an older man by that time. He was seasoned. Wiser. In effect God was saying to him, �Moses, look at that old bush. Do you see how it keeps burning? That is what I�m going to do with you. You will continue burning until Mypurpose is accomplished. Are you up for that?� God told him, �Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors�the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob�has sent me to you. This is myeternal name, my name to remember for all generations� (Exodus 3:15 NLT). We tend to look at these men through rose-colored glasses. Abraham had his lapses of faith, as did Jacob. Yet God was saying, �I am the God of men who have failed. I am theGod of ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things. There is hope for you. I�m not only the God of Abraham. I�m not only the God of Isaac and Jacob. I am the God of Moses.� He was calling Moses and giving him a second chance. He had been seasoning Moses and getting him ready for what was ahead. Moses didn�t know when he woke up that day thathis life would change forever. It came unexpectedly. When something out of the ordinary happens in our lives, it may be the Lord trying to speak to us. When we have an unexpected change of plans, when something we weren�t preparingfor happens, we think it�s the worst thing. Maybe something like this has happened to you recently. There has been a change in your plans. You wonder what�s going on. Maybe the Lord is trying to get your attention. It just might be the hand of God trying to say something or direct you in a certain way. And what may seem like a coincidence actually may be Providence. Disappointment isHis appointment. -------------------------------- DeadWorks �Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying againthe foundation of repentance from dead works, and a faith toward God.� (Hebrews 6:1) The phrase �dead works� can be found only twice in the New Testament. In the first (our text), it refers to the deeds of the unsaved sinner from which he must turn away in salvation, while in the second, later in the same epistle, it refers to unprofitabledeeds accomplished by the believer, from which we must also turn away (Hebrews 9:14). Dead works are certainly not good works, but neither are they necessarily evil works. Rather, they are ineffective, useless acts that count for nothing. They are as different from evil or good works as wild fruit is from good fruit or bad fruit. In this analogy, while bad fruit looks unappealing and would never pass for food, wild fruit may have the appearance of good fruit but lacks flavor and nutritional value and would provideno useful function even if it were eaten. In just the same way, dead works, which may be of some humanitarian value, lack life�not stemming from proper motives and not being propelled by love (1Corinthians 13:1-3) and thus accomplish nothing of lasting value. The non-Christian can pridefully indulge in such works, but this must be repented of at the point of salvation. Likewise, the Christian must replace his useless dead works with good works through the power of the Spirit of the living God. �How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?� (Hebrews 9:14) May we continually submit all our efforts to Him, recognizing that service to the living God does not entail our dead works. JDM ----------------------------------- Imitation and Infiltration - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. �2 Timothy 3:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/imitation-and-infiltration/Listen God directed ten plagues against Egypt, and each one of these plagues dealt with one of their deities. The Egyptians worshipped thousands of gods. They worshipped the NileRiver as a god. They worshipped the sun. And they worshipped the animals. In fact, they worshipped just about anything we could imagine. Interestingly, the serpent, specifically the cobra, was an important symbol for the Egyptians. And what was the first miracle that God performed through Moses and Aaron? Aaronthrew down his staff, and it turned into a serpent, which probably was a cobra. Pharaoh�s magicians said they could do duplicate that, which they did. But Aaron�s staff consumed the magicians� staffs. From this first miracle, God was saying to Pharaoh, �I am more powerful than you. My power is greater than your gods.� Still, Pharaoh didn�t believe. His heart only becameharder. Two of Satan�s most effective strategies are imitation and infiltration. He will try to stop a work altogether, but if that isn�t successful, then he will imitate. In thisway, he seeks to minimize the power and glory of God and neutralize the impact of someone�s life and testimony. For example, Jesus told a story about a farmer who sowed a field of wheat, but in the darkness of night, his neighbor came and sowed weeds among the wheat. This type of weed,also known as darnel, is almost identical to wheat in its initial stages of growth. To the undiscerning eye, it�s difficult to detect until later, when the weeds grow up and choke out the wheat. The devil uses cheap imitations in the same way. How many times have people said the reason they aren�t Christians is because there are so many hypocrites in the church? Thatputs followers of Jesus Christ in the very uncomfortable position of trying to defend people who don�t live what they say they believe. However, maybe they aren�t believers at all. Maybe they�re weeds among the wheat. See how effective that ploy could be? Someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus contradictsit by the way they live. Then a nonbeliever says that person is a hypocrite. Yet who is to say that individual is a hypocrite�or even a Christian? Maybe the devil is using such a person for the very purpose of keeping nonbelievers from coming to faith. The Bible tells us that Pharaoh�s� magicians, known as Jannes and Jambres (see 2 Timothy 3:8), were imitating what God was doing, thus making it look as though it wasn�t genuine.And it was a very effective strategy. We have to be careful. We�re living in critical times. While we read of many miracles in the Bible, no one ever claimed to have a miracle ministry. Believers in the earlychurch answered God�s call to preach the gospel to nonbelievers and teach the truth of God�s Word. Miracles happened when and where God wanted them to happen. This reminds us that signs and wonders should follow believers. But believers shouldn�t follow signs and wonders.