All posts by broboinhawaii

Bible believing christian worshiping God in Hawaii and Pennsylvania
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Progressive Revelation – John MacArthur

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John MacArthur

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2).

When Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets [the Old Testament]; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17), He was affirming that Scripture progressed from promise to fulfillment, from partial to complete. We call that progressive revelation.

For example, the Old Testament anticipated Christ’s coming; the New Testament records His coming. The Old Testament writers didn’t understand everything they wrote because it didn’t always apply to their day. That’s why Peter said, “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit” (1 Pet. 1:10-12).

Progressive revelation doesn’t at all imply that the Old Testament is inaccurate. The distinction isn’t in the rightness or wrongness of the revelation, but in its completeness. Just as a child progresses from letters to words to sentences, so God’s revelation progressed from types, ceremonies, and prophecies to final completion in Jesus Christ and the New Testament.

Thought incomplete by New Testament standards, the Old Testament is nonetheless fully inspired by God. That’s affirmed often in the New Testament. Peter tells us that no human writer of the Old Testament wrote of his own will, but only as he was directed by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). Paul added that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, [and] for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16, emphasis added).

The Old Testament isn’t all of God’s truth, but all of it is true. And as you progress from the Old to the New, you see God’s character and redemptive plan unfolding in greater detail.

Suggestion for Prayer: Praise God for the fullness of revelation you enjoy in Scripture.

For Further Study:  Memorize 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

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Simply Wrapped – Greg Laurie

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greglaurie

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. —Luke 2:12

Some people will go to great lengths to wrap a Christmas gift. They will create beautiful, ornate packages. I have no wrapping ability whatsoever. My wrapped packages look horrible. For men, wrapping paper is merely an obstacle to keep us from what we really want. We don’t care about wrapping paper. We just want to know what’s inside the package.

God’s gift did not come to us in elaborate wrapping; it came in simple wrapping. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a very humble environment. Think how difficult the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was for Mary and Joseph. Then when they arrived, they had to stay in a little stable or cave where the animals were kept. The manger was just a feeding trough for the animals. And I think that place was very cold that night. I think it smelled like any other stable. It was a very unsanitary environment in which to bring a child into the world.

I don’t say that to detract from the beauty of Christmas. Rather, I say it to add to the beauty of what God did for us. The Creator of the universe, the Almighty God who spoke creation into existence, came and humbled himself to become a little baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem.

He was not laid in the manger in satin sheets, but in rags. He was not laid in a bed of gold, befitting a king, but in a feeding trough for animals. There He was—the greatest gift of all—in simple wrapping. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we might have a home in heaven.

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Unashamed to Share the Gospel – Charles Stanley

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Charles Stanley

2 Timothy 1:6-12

The apostle Paul understood the awesome responsibility of being entrusted with the gospel. Since he considered this calling a stewardship for which he would one day give an account to the Lord, he was willing to suffer for Christ’s sake in order to complete the task. As believers, we have this same obligation to share the gospel with whomever God places in our lives. However, we must ask ourselves if we have a similar level of commitment.

Paul felt compelled to tell people about Christ. In fact, he said, “Woe is me if I do not” (1 Cor. 9:16). No matter how anyone treated him, he wasn’t ashamed of the message of Christ. The prophet Jeremiah had a similar experience (Jer. 20:7-9). Even though he became a laughingstock and was persecuted for delivering the Lord’s message of coming judgment, he discovered that not speaking created a worse feeling inside—like fire in his bones (v. 9).

We may not want to warn people about God’s judgment for fear of driving them away from Him. But in reality, the lost are already far from the Lord and need to hear about His offer of forgiveness. Paul was willing to die to get the message out, yet too often we’re not even willing to face a little discomfort in order to share our faith.

We are surrounded by people who are desperately hungry for something, and they don’t even know what. Yet we have the answer to their need—and the responsibility to share it. Never be ashamed of the best news ever offered to mankind. It can change someone’s eternal destiny.

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Christmas Triumphant – Ravi Zacharias

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Ravi Z

Triumph, this time of year, seems to come in many shades of success. Try as we may to keep a perspective of cheer or charity or readiness for the coming of Christ, many of us feel most ready for Christmas when we have met every shipping deadline, reciprocated every Christmas card, and averted every scheduling conflict. Victories that we might otherwise find slight seem to become great feats during the holidays—finding a parking spot, getting the last box of Christmas lights in stock, beating the mailman to the mailbox. Other battles continue to brew over the accepting or rejecting of manger scenes, messiahs, and “Merry Christmases” in the face of less specific holiday tales and greetings. Though we may oscillate between who or what we are fighting against—the clock, the perfect hostess, the family stressors, the agendas of others—we seem to work toward Christmas one small feat at a time.

But as I sang the lyrics to a song during the lighting of the first Advent candle, I was silenced by the image of a victory we need do nothing but join.

Joyful, all ye nations rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th’angelic host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

The triumph we are invited to join as we celebrate Christmas is far bigger than our best Christmases and more real than our worst. There are generations of believers offering the same cries of victory shouted on the very first Christmas night: Christ was born! God came near. God is with us! The birth of Jesus was orchestrated at the hands of God long before the inn would be full or the shepherds would be in their fields by night, long before my traditions would seem etched in stone, or my culture would remove the Nativity from the public arena.

While there are perhaps some victories to rightfully seek this season, many others can likely be forsaken; for the triumph of a God who came near to bridge a separation forged long ago in the garden is a victory already won.  The triumph Christians ask the world to join as we celebrate Christ’s birth is a triumph known from the beginning, foreseen by the prophets, heralded by John the Baptist, and cherished by witnesses whose voices still cry out the incredible news of the Christmas story:

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying:

‘Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’”

ill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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CharlesSpurgeon

Morning “There is no spot in thee.” / Song of Solomon 4:7

Having pronounced his Church positively full of beauty, our Lord confirms his

praise by a precious negative, “There is no spot in thee.” As if the thought

occurred to the Bridegroom that the carping world would insinuate that he had

only mentioned her comely parts, and had purposely omitted those features

which were deformed or defiled, he sums up all by declaring her universally

and entirely fair, and utterly devoid of stain. A spot may soon be removed,

and is the very least thing that can disfigure beauty, but even from this

little blemish the believer is delivered in his Lord’s sight. If he had said

there is no hideous scar, no horrible deformity, no deadly ulcer, we might

even then have marvelled; but when he testifies that she is free from the

slightest spot, all these other forms of defilement are included, and the

depth of wonder is increased. If he had but promised to remove all spots

by-and-by, we should have had eternal reason for joy; but when he speaks of it

as already done, who can restrain the most intense emotions of satisfaction

and delight? O my soul, here is marrow and fatness for thee; eat thy full, and

be satisfied with royal dainties.

Christ Jesus has no quarrel with his spouse. She often wanders from him, and

grieves his Holy Spirit, but he does not allow her faults to affect his love.

He sometimes chides, but it is always in the tenderest manner, with the

kindest intentions: it is “my love” even then. There is no remembrance of our

follies, he does not cherish ill thoughts of us, but he pardons and loves as

well after the offence as before it. It is well for us it is so, for if Jesus

were as mindful of injuries as we are, how could he commune with us? Many a

time a believer will put himself out of humour with the Lord for some slight

turn in providence, but our precious Husband knows our silly hearts too well

to take any offence at our ill manners.

 

Evening   “The Lord mighty in battle.” / Psalm 24:8

Well may our God be glorious in the eyes of his people, seeing that he has

wrought such wonders for them, in them, and by them. For them, the Lord Jesus

upon Calvary routed every foe, breaking all the weapons of the enemy in pieces

by his finished work of satisfactory obedience; by his triumphant resurrection

and ascension he completely overturned the hopes of hell, leading captivity

captive, making a show of our enemies openly, triumphing over them by his

cross. Every arrow of guilt which Satan might have shot at us is broken, for

who can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Vain are the sharp swords

of infernal malice, and the perpetual battles of the serpent’s seed, for in

the midst of the church the lame take the prey, and the feeblest warriors are

crowned.

The saved may well adore their Lord for his conquests in them, since the

arrows of their natural hatred are snapped, and the weapons of their rebellion

broken. What victories has grace won in our evil hearts! How glorious is Jesus

when the will is subdued, and sin dethroned! As for our remaining corruptions,

they shall sustain an equally sure defeat, and every temptation, and doubt,

and fear, shall be utterly destroyed. In the Salem of our peaceful hearts, the

name of Jesus is great beyond compare: he has won our love, and he shall wear

it. Even thus securely may we look for victories by us. We are more than

conquerors through him that loved us. We shall cast down the powers of

darkness which are in the world, by our faith, and zeal, and holiness; we

shall win sinners to Jesus, we shall overturn false systems, we shall convert

nations, for God is with us, and none shall stand before us. This evening let

the Christian warrior chant the war song, and prepare for to-morrow’s fight.

Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.

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Penetrating the Box – John MacArthur

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John MacArthur

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2).

Since the beginning of time, man has deceived himself by thinking he can discover God through various religions. But in reality, man lives in a box enclosed within the walls of time and space. God is outside the box, and man senses He’s there but can’t get to Him. Each new religion is but another futile attempt to penetrate the walls of the box and catch a glimpse of God.

Man’s only hope is for God to enter the box, which Hebrews 1:1-2 declares He did: first by letter (the Old Testament), then in person (in Jesus Christ). Regarding God’s Word David said, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2). Jeremiah added, “The Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth'” (Jer. 1:9). Of Christ, the apostle John said, “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:14, 18).

The irony of people thinking they can discover God on their own is that apart from the Holy Spirit’s leading, no one really wants to find Him. They merely want to add a cosmic good luck charm to their lives or satiate their guilty consciences. Paul said, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God” (Rom. 3:10-11, emphasis added).

God could have left us in our sin and ignorance, but He penetrated the box and revealed everything we need to know for redemption and fellowship with Him. What a privilege we have to study His Word and live by its principles! Be diligent to do so each day.

Suggestion for Prayer: Praise God for granting you the ability to appreciate His Word.

For Further Study: Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, noting how natural (unregenerate) people respond to divine revelation.

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Are You Prepared? – Greg Laurie

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greglaurie

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.—1 John 2:28

When the first Christmas came, when Jesus was born, most people missed it. Of course, there were no telltale signs like reindeer on front lawns. No Christmas songs had been written. There were no colorful, twinkling lights or sales at the downtown market. Children did not find it hard to sleep that night, because it was a night like any other night.

But the first Christmas was not without its signs, which dated back a few centuries. The Hebrew prophets had predicted the Messiah was coming, and they were very specific in pointing out that he would be born of a virgin in the little village of Bethlehem: ” ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting’ ” (Micah 5:2).

On the first Christmas, it was pretty much business as usual. Things had been bleak for the Jewish people for some time. There had been an icy silence from heaven. Four hundred years had passed, and there had not been a single prophet to speak for God. There had been no miracles performed. They were under the tyranny of Rome. Things were very dark. It was time for the Messiah.

Yet when He finally arrived, so many missed it: The innkeeper. The people of Bethlehem. The scholars. Herod. All of Rome. Only a handful of people got it and were ready.

Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth again. The question is, have we done more to prepare for the celebration of a past event than we have for a future one? We may all be ready for Christmas, but are we ready for the return of Christ?

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Secure Saving Faith – Charles Stanley

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Charles Stanley

Those who believe salvation can be lost often ask an insightful question about the relationship between salvation and faith. The question goes something like this: If our salvation is gained through believing in Christ, doesn’t it make sense that salvation can be lost if we quit believing?

To answer this question, we must see what saves us. Paul tells us that we are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8–9). The instrument of salvation is grace. God came up with a plan and carried it out through Christ. We didn’t take part in it; we didn’t deserve any part of it. It was grace from start to finish. We are saved by grace through faith. “Through faith” is important, but often misunderstood. “Through” is translated from the Greek word dia, which carries the idea of “means” or “agency.” Faith was the agent whereby God was able to apply His grace to the life of the sinner.

Faith is simply the way we say yes to God’s free gift of eternal life. Faith and salvation are not one and the same any more than a gift and the hand that receives it are the same. Salvation stands independently of faith. Consequently, God does not require a constant attitude of faith in order to be saved—only an act of faith in Christ.

You and I are not saved because we have enduring faith. Faith is not a power we tap into or a button we push to prod God into action. Rather, faith is confidence that God will do what He has promised. We are saved because we’ve expressed trust that the Lord Jesus has really saved us.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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CharlesSpurgeon

Morning  “Thou art all fair, my love.” / Song of Solomon 4:7

The Lord’s admiration of his Church is very wonderful, and his description of

her beauty is very glowing. She is not merely fair, but “all fair.” He views

her in himself, washed in his sin-atoning blood and clothed in his meritorious

righteousness, and he considers her to be full of comeliness and beauty. No

wonder that such is the case, since it is but his own perfect excellency that

he admires; for the holiness, glory, and perfection of his Church are his own

glorious garments on the back of his own well-beloved spouse. She is not

simply pure, or well-proportioned; she is positively lovely and fair! She has

actual merit! Her deformities of sin are removed; but more, she has through

her Lord obtained a meritorious righteousness by which an actual beauty is

conferred upon her. Believers have a positive righteousness given to them when

they become “accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6). Nor is the Church barely

lovely, she is superlatively so. Her Lord styles her “Thou fairest among

women.” She has a real worth and excellence which cannot be rivalled by all

the nobility and royalty of the world. If Jesus could exchange his elect bride

for all the queens and empresses of earth, or even for the angels in heaven,

he would not, for he puts her first and foremost–“fairest among women.” Like

the moon she far outshines the stars. Nor is this an opinion which he is

ashamed of, for he invites all men to hear it. He sets a “behold” before it, a

special note of exclamation, inviting and arresting attention. “Behold, thou

art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair” (Song of Sol. 4:1). His opinion he

publishes abroad even now, and one day from the throne of his glory he will

avow the truth of it before the assembled universe. “Come, ye blessed of my

Father” (Matt. 25:34), will be his solemn affirmation of the loveliness of his

elect.

 

Evening  “Behold, all is vanity.” / Ecclesiastes 1:14

Nothing can satisfy the entire man but the Lord’s love and the Lord’s own

self. Saints have tried to anchor in other roadsteads, but they have been

driven out of such fatal refuges. Solomon, the wisest of men, was permitted to

make experiments for us all, and to do for us what we must not dare to do for

ourselves. Here is his testimony in his own words: “So I was great, and

increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom

remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I

withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour:

and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that

my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and,

behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under

the sun.” “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What! the whole of it vanity? O

favoured monarch, is there nothing in all thy wealth? Nothing in that wide

dominion reaching from the river even to the sea? Nothing in Palmyra’s

glorious palaces? Nothing in the house of the forest of Lebanon? In all thy

music and dancing, and wine and luxury, is there nothing? “Nothing,” he says,

“but weariness of spirit.” This was his verdict when he had trodden the whole

round of pleasure. To embrace our Lord Jesus, to dwell in his love, and be

fully assured of union with him–this is all in all. Dear reader, you need not

try other forms of life in order to see whether they are better than the

Christian’s: if you roam the world around, you will see no sights like a sight

of the Saviour’s face; if you could have all the comforts of life, if you lost

your Saviour, you would be wretched; but if you win Christ, then should you

rot in a dungeon, you would find it a paradise; should you live in obscurity,

or die with famine, you will yet be satisfied with favour and full of the

goodness of the Lord.

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Jesus: Our Great HighPriest – John MacArthur

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John MacArthur

The point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb. 8:1).

Access to God was always a problem for the Jewish people. Exodus 33:20 declares that no man can see God and live. Once each year, on the great Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the Jewish high priest entered into the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence dwelt in a unique sense, to approach God on behalf of the people.

God’s covenant with Israel was the basis for their communion with Him. And the sacrificial system that accompanied the Old Covenant gave the people an outward act to represent their inner repentance. But their sacrifices were incessant because their sin was incessant. They needed a perfect priest and sacrifice to provide access to God permanently. That’s exactly what Jesus was and did.

Hebrews 10 says that Jesus offered His body as a sacrifice for mankind’s sins once for all, then sat down at the right hand of the Father (vv. 10, 12). That was a revolutionary concept to Jewish thinking. A priest on duty could never sit down because his work was never done. But Jesus introduced a new and wonderful element into the sacrificial system: one sacrifice, offered once, sufficient for all time. That was the basis of the New Covenant.

Our Lord’s priesthood is permanent and perpetual: “Because He abides forever, [He] holds His priesthood permanently. Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:24-25). That’s the central message of the book of Hebrews.

It wasn’t easy for the Jewish people to accept the need for a new covenant. Most rejected Christ outright. Similarly, many people today reject His priesthood, supposing they can gain access to God on their own terms. But they’re tragically mistaken. Jesus Himself said, “No one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).

Suggestion for Prayer:   Praise God for receiving you into His presence through His Son, Jesus Christ.

For Further Study:   Read Hebrews 10:19-25, noting how God wants you to respond to Christ’s priesthood.

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The Reason for Our Boldness – Charles Stanley

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Charles Stanley

Romans 1:14-15

Even though most Christians are very familiar with the gospel, many are reluctant to share their faith because they just don’t feel capable of explaining it to someone else. When we lack confidence in our knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ, fear of negative reactions or possible questions can keep us from opening our mouths. What if we don’t have the answers or end up looking like a fool? It’s just too intimidating.

But remember, God has given us the most important message in the world. Since we are confronted by so many unscriptural philosophies and religious deceptions, we need to understand the gospel and be able to present it with confidence and boldness. We can’t let fear or ignorance keep us from giving a lost world the only message that can change a person’s eternal destiny.

The apostle Paul welcomed every opportunity to tell people about Christ, because he focused on the gospel’s life-changing power rather than the negative reactions he might encounter. Oftentimes, the reason we are ashamed to talk about our faith is that we’re concerned about ourselves. But if we begin to look at the hurting people around us, express genuine interest in them, and ask God to open a door for us to share our faith, He will answer that prayer.

We tend to be motivated by temporal activities that eventually fade away. But people are forever, and they need to know the Savior. Look for opportunities to reach out: notice their expressions; ask how they’re doing. When their need stirs your heart, you’ll be eager to offer them the gospel.

2000 post for this site!

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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CharlesSpurgeon

Morning  “Thou hast made summer and winter.” / Psalm 74:17

My soul begin this wintry month with thy God. The cold snows and the piercing

winds all remind thee that he keeps his covenant with day and night, and tend

to assure thee that he will also keep that glorious covenant which he has made

with thee in the person of Christ Jesus. He who is true to his Word in the

revolutions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted world, will not prove

unfaithful in his dealings with his own well-beloved Son.

Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, and if it be upon thee

just now it will be very painful to thee: but there is this comfort, namely,

that the Lord makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds

of expectation: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes over the once verdant

meadows of our joy: he casteth forth his ice like morsels freezing the streams

of our delight. He does it all, he is the great Winter King, and rules in the

realms of frost, and therefore thou canst not murmur. Losses, crosses,

heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills, are of the Lord’s

sending, and come to us with wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put

a bound to raging diseases; they break up the clods, and sweeten the soil. O

that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction!

How we prize the fire just now! how pleasant is its cheerful glow! Let us in

the same manner prize our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and

comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw nigh to him, and in him find joy

and peace in believing. Let us wrap ourselves in the warm garments of his

promises, and go forth to labours which befit the season, for it were ill to

be as the sluggard who will not plough by reason of the cold; for he shall beg

in summer and have nothing.

 

Evening  “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful

works to the children of men.” / Psalm 107:8

If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and God would

be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies–common as we

frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when deprived of them we are

ready to perish. Let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun,

for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the

raiment we wear. Let us praise him that we are not cast out among the

hopeless, or confined amongst the guilty; let us thank him for liberty, for

friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for

everything which we receive from his bounteous hand, for we deserve little,

and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest and the

loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. God’s

redeeming acts towards his chosen are forever the favourite themes of their

praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of

thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions,

uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged. We have

been led to the cross of Christ–our shackles of guilt have been broken off;

we are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can antedate the

period when we shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or

any such thing. Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves

about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and shall we

not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer? Child of God, canst thou

be silent? Awake, awake, ye inheritors of glory, and lead your captivity

captive, as ye cry with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is

within me, bless his holy name.” Let the new month begin with new songs.

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Christ is superior to everyone and everything. – John MacArthur

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John MacArthur

“God . . . has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:1-3).

The book of Hebrews was addressed to an audience composed of Jewish Christians, Jewish non-Christians who were intellectually convinced about Jesus but hadn’t yet committed themselves to Him, and Jewish non-Christians who didn’t believe the gospel at all.

The author’s goal was to demonstrate Christ’s superiority over everyone and everything that had preceded Him, whether Old Testament persons, institutions, rituals, or sacrifices. He specifically contrasted Christ with angels, Moses, Joshua, Aaron and his priesthood, the Old Covenant, and the sacrificial system.

The Jewish believers needed this focus on Christ’s superiority because most of them were suffering some form of persecution because of their Christian testimony. Some were in danger of confusing the gospel with Jewish ceremonies and legalism, and drifting back into their former practices.

Those who were intellectually convinced but spiritually uncommitted needed to be warned not to stop at that point, but to go all the way to saving faith. They were in danger of committing the greatest sin any person can commit: rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Those who didn’t believe in Christ as all needed to see that Jesus was in fact who He claimed to be. To such people the author explains the unique priesthood of Christ, and the urgency of turning to Him in faith.

Within your circle of friends and associates, you probably have Christians who are weak of faith and need your encouragement and instruction. Be available to minister to them whenever possible.

Undoubtedly you also know people who are intellectually convinced that Jesus is who He claimed to be, but aren’t willing to embrace Him as their Lord. Don’t be shy about urging them to move on to salvation.

To those who reject Christ outright, boldly proclaim the gospel and trust the Holy Spirit to convict their hearts.

Suggestion for Prayer: Praise Christ for His preeminence and surpassing grace.

For Further Study: Read Hebrews 1-2. To whom does the writer compare Christ? Be specific.

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God’s Christmas Gift – Greg Laurie

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greglaurie

Over the years, the legendary Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog has featured some pretty extravagant gifts.

The 1963 catalog offered his-and-her submarines for $18,000. In the 1964 catalog, you could buy a hot air balloon for $6,000. In 1967, the catalog’s offerings included a pair of camels for $4,000. And in 1971, an actual mummy case was selling for $16,000. But in 2006, Neiman Marcus upped the ante with a trip to outer space for $1.7 million.

Maybe a ticket to space isn’t at the top of your wish list this year, but perhaps you have certain expectations of what you hope to find waiting for you under the Christmas tree. If you put your hope in what Christmas offers, however, you will be very disappointed.

But if you can get past that to what Christmas is really all about, it truly can be “the most wonderful time of the year.”

The wise men brought the rather unusual gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. But the first Christmas gifts were not gifts to the Child. The first Christmas gift was the gift of the Child.

Christmas, at its best and purest state, is a promise of something else, something that no holiday or experience or earthly thing can satisfy. Galatians 4:4–5 says, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (NIV). Isaiah 9:6 offers a description of what God has given to us:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (NKJV)

Each of the above names of Jesus deals with an important area of our lives. They are like five Christmas gifts that we can open, and each is special and unusual.

First, His name is Wonderful. That takes care of the dullness of life. “Wonderful” comes from the root word “wonder.” The word used here could also be translated as “amazing, surprising, astonishing, or awe-inspiring.” And as I contemplate the fact that the Almighty God made this sacrifice for me, it will produce in my heart a sense of bewilderment, awe, and, finally, worship.

Second, His name is Counselor. That takes care of the decisions of life. We all have very important decisions that we have to make. The God who is Wonderful wants to give us counsel and direction. God has a plan for each of our lives—an individual plan, not a one-size-fits-all plan. When you are overwhelmed with the decisions of life, remember that there is a God who wants to counsel you.

Third, He is the Mighty God. That takes care of the demands of life. We need to be reminded that Jesus was not just a good man. He was the God-man. And this God who is Wonderful, this God who wants to be your Counselor, will give you the strength to live the life He has called you to live.

Fourth, His name is Everlasting Father. That takes care of the destiny of life. We believe in an Everlasting Father with no beginning and with no end. It reminds us that life on Earth is temporal, that heaven is so much better than anything this world has to offer.

Also, this hope of an Everlasting Father resonates with those who have never had an earthly father. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can now refer to the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, as our Father who is in heaven.

Fifth, His name is the Prince of Peace. That takes care of the disturbances of life. Life is filled with disturbances and, quite frankly, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Old problems are often brought back to the surface. Friction, stress, and problems that you are having with various family members can be at the forefront of your life at this time of year.

But here is One who is the Prince of Peace, One who will help you with the disturbances of life.

Whatever gifts you may have waiting for you this Christmas, they pale in comparison to God’s gift for you. It is better than anything the Neiman Marcus catalog can offer. It is the only gift that truly keeps on giving: the gift of eternal life

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Charles Stanley

Quieting Your Soul – Charles Stanley

Psalm 131:1-2

Do you hurry through your prayer time so that you can get to other things? If so, consider the values Jesus modeled for us in His practice of spending set-apart time with His Father.

Solitude. Though Jesus was constantly surrounded by people as He tended to their needs, He also understood His own need for seclusion. Often, after an intense period of ministry, He’d retreated from the crowds–and even His disciples–to pray in private.

Safeguarded time. No matter what else was going on, Jesus made it a point to protect periods of time so He could rest in the Spirit, focus on His relationship with the Father, and build up His physical and emotional strength. Even when people were clamoring for Him, He made it a priority to safeguard this time, knowing that His ministry would flow from it.

Stillness. What does it means to “be still”? Psalm 46:10 calls us to stillness with these words: “Cease striving and know that I am God.” To learn this perpetual inner peace, periodically stop everything you’re focused on doing, and simply let your soul become aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence. In today’s reading, David described it as the state of a “weaned child” who is at perfect rest and happy just to be in his mother’s arms.

Make these essentials a priority, and you’ll reap tremendous benefits in your walk of faith. Doing so may seem challenging in this fast-paced, multitasking world. But when you quiet your heart before the Lord, you’ll discover how much you need the peace of His presence. It is a priceless gift!

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Do You Still Not See? – Ravi Zacharias

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Ravi Z

“Give us a sign,” demanded the Pharisees. “Give us a miraculous sign from heaven to prove yourself.”(1)

Jesus sighed deeply. “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And Jesus turned away and got into the boat with his disciples. But the disciples soon discovered they had forgotten to bring any food; there was only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. Knowing what his disciples were thinking, Jesus questioned them. “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand?” It was a day of sighing.

“Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember?” he asked. “When I broke the five loaves of bread for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?”

“Seven,” they said.

Unlike Matthew and Luke, who each provide detailed information about the historical scene or genealogical lineage of Christ, Mark, the teller of this story, seems to hit the ground running in his storytelling. The shortest of the Gospel accounts, Mark proceeds with intensity—skipping introductions, delving into events, speaking with immediacy. In fact, he uses the Greek word euthus—meaning immediately, straight away, at once—42 times in 16 chapters. With a breathless pace, Mark’s utmost concern appears to be getting the story out and message across so that hearers hear and seers see the person before them. And yet ironically, in this Gospel of action and miracles and astonished crowds, he repeatedly takes note of the world of people who remain unseeing, a people forever demanding signs, forever missing the message. Sighing deeply, Jesus seems to ask repetitively: Do you still not see?

I fear how many times Jesus has asked of me this same question.

Yet with the words of Jesus still ringing in our ears, Mark wastes no time in getting to the next scene. Moving from the boat, Jesus is confronted by some people who ask him to touch their blind friend. Leading the man away from the crowd, Jesus put saliva on his eyes and placed his hands upon him. “Can you see anything?” rings the now familiar question. The man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Putting his hands on the man’s eyes once more, Jesus restored the blind man’s sight. And he walked away seeing clearly.

Apparently, seeing takes time. Undoubtedly, we are all too often satisfied with walking trees. “Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?” It is the question Jesus placed before disciples and blind men, the very wise and the very wicked. What do you see? What do you hear? Do you understand? The blind man knew enough to know that what he saw was not as clear and coherent as eyes were intended to see. Though partial sight for him was itself a miracle, the one who touched his eyes was able to offer more.

That we might see, that we might see Christ, is the desire of God for every eye. What we see now may be like trees walking, though the Spirit is willing to open us up to further sight, and Christ remains to offer us more. As if pleased to answer his own question with lavish mystery, the divine reply comes again and again: No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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CharlesSpurgeon

Morning  “And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred

talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered,

The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.” / 2 Chronicles 25:9

A very important question this seemed to be to the king of Judah, and possibly

it is of even more weight with the tried and tempted O Christian. To lose

money is at no times pleasant, and when principle involves it, the flesh is

not always ready to make the sacrifice. “Why lose that which may be so

usefully employed? May not the truth itself be bought too dear? What shall we

do without it? Remember the children, and our small income!” All these things

and a thousand more would tempt the Christian to put forth his hand to

unrighteous gain, or stay himself from carrying out his conscientious

convictions, when they involve serious loss. All men cannot view these matters

in the light of faith; and even with the followers of Jesus, the doctrine of

“we must live” has quite sufficient weight.

The Lord is able to give thee much more than this is a very satisfactory

answer to the anxious question. Our Father holds the purse-strings, and what

we lose for his sake he can repay a thousand-fold. It is ours to obey his

will, and we may rest assured that he will provide for us. The Lord will be no

man’s debtor at the last. Saints know that a grain of heart’s-ease is of more

value than a ton of gold. He who wraps a threadbare coat about a good

conscience has gained a spiritual wealth far more desirable than any he has

lost. God’s smile and a dungeon are enough for a true heart; his frown and a

palace would be hell to a gracious spirit. Let the worst come to the worst,

let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure, for that is above,

where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Meanwhile, even now, the Lord

maketh the meek to inherit the earth, and no good thing doth he withhold from

them that walk uprightly.

 

Evening  “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and

his angels.” / Revelation 12:7

War always will rage between the two great sovereignties until one or other be

crushed. Peace between good and evil is an impossibility; the very pretence of

it would, in fact, be the triumph of the powers of darkness. Michael will

always fight; his holy soul is vexed with sin, and will not endure it. Jesus

will always be the dragon’s foe, and that not in a quiet sense, but actively,

vigorously, with full determination to exterminate evil. All his servants,

whether angels in heaven or messengers on earth, will and must fight; they are

born to be warriors–at the cross they enter into covenant never to make truce

with evil; they are a warlike company, firm in defence and fierce in attack.

The duty of every soldier in the army of the Lord is daily, with all his

heart, and soul, and strength, to fight against the dragon.

The dragon and his angels will not decline the affray; they are incessant in

their onslaughts, sparing no weapon, fair or foul. We are foolish to expect to

serve God without opposition: the more zealous we are, the more sure are we to

be assailed by the myrmidons of hell. The church may become slothful, but not

so her great antagonist; his restless spirit never suffers the war to pause;

he hates the woman’s seed, and would fain devour the church if he could. The

servants of Satan partake much of the old dragon’s energy, and are usually an

active race. War rages all around, and to dream of peace is dangerous and

futile.

Glory be to God, we know the end of the war. The great dragon shall be cast

out and forever destroyed, while Jesus and they who are with him shall receive

the crown. Let us sharpen our swords tonight, and pray the Holy Spirit to

nerve our arms for the conflict. Never battle so important, never crown so

glorious. Every man to his post, ye warriors of the cross, and may the Lord

tread Satan under your feet shortly!

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An Unlikely Heroine – John MacArthur

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John MacArthur

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Heb. 11:31).

Our final Old Testament hero of faith is an unlikely addition to the list. Not only was she a prostitute, she also was a Gentile–and a Canaanite at that.

The Canaanites were an idolatrous, barbaric, debauched people, infamous even among pagans for their immorality and cruelty. Yet in the midst of that exceedingly wicked society, Rahab came to faith in the God of Israel.

Joshua 2:9-11 records her confession of faith to the two men Joshua had sent into Jericho as spies: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And when we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (emphasis added).

Rahab demonstrated the genuineness of that profession by risking her life to hide the spies from the king of Jericho, who sought to capture them.

Because Rahab lied to protect the spies (vv. 4-5), some people question the validity of her faith. Surely genuine believers wouldn’t lie like that–or would they? Abraham did. Sarah did. Isaac did. Jacob did. But the important thing to understand is that God honored their faith, not their deception.

As with all the heroes of faith before her, Rahab’s faith wasn’t perfect, nor was her knowledge of God’s moral law. But because she trusted God, she was spared during Jericho’s conquest, then given an even greater honor. She became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth, the great-great-grandmother of David, thereby becoming an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:5).

Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for receiving even the vilest sinner who turns to Him in faith.

For Further Study: Read all about Rahab in Joshua 2:1-24, 6:22-25, and James 2:25.

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Taking Risks – Greg Laurie

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Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.—Acts 8:26

When Philip was instructed to “arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (Acts 8:26), how easily he could have argued. He was having a productive ministry in Samaria, but God basically told him to go to the desert. It didn’t make any sense at all. But to Philip’s credit, he obeyed the Lord.

God was preparing both the listener and the speaker for what was about to happen. He was preparing a man from Ethiopia, who went to Jerusalem and did not find what he was looking for. And God was preparing Philip to go to the desert and be in place when that man arrived.

God doesn’t always give us a detailed blueprint of what He wants us to do. Instead, He will ask us to take steps of faith. There will be risks involved. The question is, are you willing to obey? God’s way becomes plain when we start walking in it. Obedience to revealed truth guarantees guidance in matters unrevealed.

Maybe God is waiting for you to take the first step before He shows you what the second one will be. Are you willing to just take a little risk? If you say, “No, I am not,” then God will find someone else to do take that step. But it would be great if it were you.

Many times when the Lord has opened up opportunities for me to share the gospel, I was just going about my day when I sensed a nudge from the Holy Spirit. Then God showed me what to do next, and I took the next step—and the next one.

If you want to share the gospel, then you need to be open and obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

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Living in Grace

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2 Corinthians 5:17

Before the apostle Paul’s conversion, if someone had suggested that he would impact the world for Jesus, he’d probably have laughed. In fact, his original goal was to rid the world of Christians.

God’s grace can impact anyone; no sin is beyond the reach of His forgiveness. This amazing gift of redemption changes lives. Contrary to what many think, being a Christian does not mean adding good deeds to one’s life. Instead, believers receive forgiveness by God’s grace, and a completely new nature. Our inward transformation results in obvious outward changes.

A beautiful illustration of this is the butterfly’s metamorphosis. Once it’s in a chrysalis, a caterpillar doesn’t merely act or appear different from the outside; it truly has changed inwardly as well.

Transformation for believers occurs in many areas. For example, our attitudes change–salvation by God’s grace results in humility and gratitude. Out of thankfulness for this undeserved free gift flows compassion for the lost and a desire to share the gospel with them. Experiencing Christ’s forgiveness also results in a longing to serve Him. This does not need to be in a formal church setting; we serve Him by loving others, helping those in need, and telling them about salvation.

While there are still natural consequences for our sin, God offers us forgiveness and redemption through Jesus. He made a way to restore our broken relationship with Him. What’s more, our Father transforms our lives so we will become more like His Son and reflect His heart to others.