Making A Difference Daily

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 33 – 36 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 25 – 28; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

Read the “0823 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, unto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came unto them. And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears. Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words. And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book. Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be. And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king. So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king. Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.” (Jeremiah 36:14-25)

Good morning. It may be cool where you are this morning, even damp from rain. What would you think if I threw a NIV bible on the fire? Would that heat thing up a bit. How about a New King James, or any of the newer bibles that call God Father/Mother? As the title of a book once said, “Things That Are Different Are Not The Same.” There is only on preserved Word of God for English speaking people: The King James Bible. There can only be one truth, everything else would be a lie. How do you feel about the Word of God? The king had very little regard for God’s Word. As God’s Word was being read to him, he would cut a piece off and throw it in the fire. How could he do that? How would he know the truth contained in God’s Word?

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

How would he know to do the right thing without the Word of God?

“…Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” (Psalm 119:9-16)

How would he have hope?

“They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.” (Psalm 119:74)

“…My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.” (Psalm 119:81)

“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” (Psalm 119:114)

How would he find comfort, joy, and rejoicing?

“This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” (Psalm 119:50)

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and trying to destroy God’s Word was not a wise move on the part of the king. Are not those who pervert the Word of God making the same unwise move? Is this the same unwise move that America has been making for years? Seeing the results of raising godless children who don’t fear God, or care what the Word of God says, do we let them go on killing each other, or teach them in the way they should go? Stand on the Truth. Stand on the King James Bible.

Peace!

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 30 – 32 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 22 – 24; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32

Read the “0822 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read another post from this passage – “No More Soulwinning?“ and “Investing in the Future”

Read all of Jeremiah 31 and then the following passage.

“36 And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; 37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. 42 For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. 43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 32:36-44)

In Jeremiah 31, and in the passage above, Jeremiah prophesies about a time when God will completely restore the land to Israel. At the time of the writing, the Babylonians were taking the people of God into captivity. The situation seemed completely hopeless and in the short term, it was. However God assures them that there would come a day in the future when he would bring the people of God back into the land permanently. This will not be completely fulfilled until the Millennial Kingdom, though God did bring some of the people out of the lands of Babylon and Persia after seventy years of captivity.

Unlike the first covenant that God made with Israel, this new covenant that will be an unconditional covenant. Israel failed to keep the first covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, because of their disobedience. This covenant will include both the northern (Jeremiah 31:1 – 22) and southern kingdoms (Jeremiah 31:27 – 40). Israel will be a united kingdom again and will be ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ within their own land. McGee stated this regarding the New Covenant: “This new covenant is going to be different from the one given to Moses at Mount Sinai. The grand distinction is that it will be engraved upon the hearts of the people and not upon cold tables of stone.”

“6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:6-13)

“20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.” (Isaiah 59:20-21)

“60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. 62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: 63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 16:60-63)

“21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” (Ezekiel 37:21-28)

Of course, when this happens Israel will no longer be in rejection of their Messiah. As a nation, they will realize that they were wrong about Jesus and they will put their faith in Him.

“10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10)

“26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27)

Today’s Passage –  Jeremiah 18 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here  to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 13 – 15; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11

Read the “0819 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s reading – “The Potter’s House,” and “Men at Best”

“24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; 25 And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. 27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return. 28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? 29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.” (Jeremiah 22:24-30)

If you study the genealogical record of the Lord Jesus from Matthew 1 and Luke 3, you will find that this man Coniah (also known as Jeconiah, Jechonias or Jehoiachin) is listed in Matthew’s list but not Luke’s. The reason for this is simple. Matthew traces the legal lineage of Christ through his adopted father Joseph. Luke’s gospel traces the biological lineage through His mother Mary. Jesus was the “seed” of Mary, but not the seed of Joseph. Jeremiah prophesied long ago in this passage that anybody that descended biologically from Jechoniah would be “disqualified” from being the King of Israel. Any of Joseph’s biological children was disqualified, but Jesus was not Joseph’s biological child. Mary was Jesus’s biological mother, but Mary did not descend from Jechonias. Study it out. It is amazing how accurate our Scripture is.

By the way, we do not know much about this man Jechonias, but we do know that “he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 24:9; 2 Chronicles 36:9). We also know that the next (and final) king of Judah was not Jechonias’s son. He was his uncle (2 Kings 24:17). 

Here is the genealogical record from Matthew’s Gospel, which traces the lineage of Jesus from David through Solomon and Jechoniah:

“6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:6-16)

This is the legal line of Christ. Mary’s husband, Joseph, was the legal father of Jesus, but not his biological father. Joseph was in the lineage of the kings that descended from David. He was a descendant of both Solomon and Jechoniah. However, Jeremiah tells us that none of the “seed” of Jechoniah would sit on the throne of David. If Jesus was biologically the son of Joseph, He would have been disqualified to sit on the throne of David.

Here is the genealogical record from Luke’s Gospel, which traces the lineage of Jesus from David through Nathan”

“23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,“ (Luke 3:23-31)

This is the biological line. Jesus was biologically the child of Mary. Mary descends from David through Nathan, not Solomon. Jesus was both the biological son of David through Mary as well as the legal son of David through Joseph. But Jesus was not the biological seed of Jechoniah.

Note – there was also a false prophet in Jeremiah’s day, Hananiah, who prophesied that Jeconiah would return again to Jerusalem and that he would prosper. However, his prophecy never came true (see Jeremiah 28). Jeremiah was right. A lot of people say a lot of things, some of which may be true, but also much of it is false. Jeremiah was a true prophet in that everything that he said as a prophet of God came to pass exactly as he said it would. It is the same with all the Scripture. It is completely accurate and trustworthy. What God says He will do, He will do.

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 4 – 6; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

Read the “0816 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:5)

Good morning. Here are some statistics for you to read while having your breakfast. These are approximate, and for the United States, in 2022…

There were 630,000 deaths from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (5,000 in 2012).

There were 22,820 deaths from Homicides (16,238 in 2012).

There were 49,300 deaths from Suicides (30,000 in 2012).

There were 1,048,710 deaths of Aborted Babies (1,210,000 in 2012).

There were 13,000 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, which represents over one-third of all driving fatalities (10,322 in 2012).

There were 107,000 deaths from drug overdoses (41,502 in 2012).

And there were 1,200,000 deaths by Natural Causes (1,480,000 in 2012).

Well, praise the LORD there was a decrease in abortions. And there is a decrease in death by natural causes, but that is only because STD deaths, Homicides, and Suicides have increased. America is on a downward spiral. It is going down, getting further away from God and closer to Hell. Why? For the same reason Jerusalem did: because of their perpetual backsliding: they hold fast to deceit, and refuse to return to God and His ways. But…

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

But we hold fast to deceit, and refuse to return to God. There are 630,000 deaths from Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Did you know that the virus that causes AIDS is so small that it can easily slip through the pores of your “protection?” It also is possible for the AIDS virus to live outside the body for several weeks. Although no AIDS cases have been linked to outside body contact, it would be better to be safe than sorry. The Bible says…

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God…” (1Thesselonians 4:3-5)

There are 22,830 deaths from Homicides. And we can see by what the Bible says about the first Homicide, the murder of Able by his brother Cain. Cain wanted to worship God with the works of his hands, Able worshiped God with a blood sacrifice…

“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” (Genesis 4:3-8)

Cain refused to return to the ways of God, and in his anger, murdered his brother. Maybe if we as parents, here in the USA, discipline our children the way we should, and train them up in the way they should go, they would understand that there is a penalty to pay for their rebellious actions.

There are 49,300 deaths from Suicides. All over America, millions were saddened by the death of Robin Williams in 2014. Maybe if someone had told him about Jesus he would not have been in such despair as to take his own life. Jesus said…

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 1633)

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

There are 1,048,710 deaths of Aborted Babies in the U.S. per year. One is too many. Babies are not just a blob of flesh turning into a baby inside of you. They are living human beings,

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

“And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” (Luke 1:39-44)

And then there are 1.2 million deaths by Natural Causes in 2022. This is the only one that should exist: all the others are brought on because of the the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Death by natural causes is because we are all sinners; and the wages of sin is death…

“Wherefore, as by one man [ADAM] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…” (Romans 5:12)

If you do not fall victim to any of the crimes mentioned above, you will die of natural causes: sin. There is only one cure for sin: the Lord Jesus Christ. What you do with Him will determine where you will spend eternity.

“And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:8-13)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

America does not have to go down, but it chooses to do so by holding fast to deceit, and refusing to return to God and His ways. But there is always hope. As Yogi Bearer said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

God says…

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2Chronicles 7:14)

Peace.

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 44 – 47 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – John 11 – 12; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)

Read the “0809 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)

There is no God, but our God. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; the First and the Last; the Beginning and the End.

“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:8)

Our Great God who chooses to use His people to be witnesses of His great power.

“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:5-6)

The Loving God who supplies our every need. There is nothing that can compare to the One True God.

“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:18)

The Almighty God who created everything, and has the power to sustain His creation. There is none else.

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:21-22)

The Only God who left His home in Heaven, and put on flesh, was born of a virgin, and shed His blood to pay the price for the sins of the world. He is Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. He is Jesus Christ.

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me…” (Isaiah 46:9)

Peace.

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 14 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 21 – 22; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)

Read the “0802 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Good morning. Have you checked your To-Do list today? I’m sure the devil checked his. He knows his time is running out. In as few as seven years from now, he will be cast into a bottomless pit: held captive there for one-thousand years. Then the devil will be released (but not for good behavior) and deceive the nations once again, and then he is cast into the Lake of Fire that was prepared for him. So he knows his time is short. If we know what is on the devil’s To-Do list, maybe we could help him not to get anything on the list done. So here it is…

1) Devour someone.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1Peter 5:8-9)

It is not just you that the devil wants to devour, but your brothers and sisters in Christ from across the street and around the world. We must resist him: stand on our faith in Christ…

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

2) Steal God’s Word.

“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.” (Matthew 13:18-19)

And no wonder they do not understand with all the perversions of the Bible available today. Many verses have been changed or left out; words have been changed or left out. God said he would preserve His Word…

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psalm 12:6-7)

But the devil is smart, he even steals parts of verses. If you have an NIV (non-inspired version) bible (small ‘b’ on purpose) God’s Bible should only be capitalized), and you were trying to cast out a demon and found you could not do it. You would look for an example in your NIV bible. You would be led to find Matthew 17 and the account of the disciples failing to cast out a demon. You would read verse 20, and then find the passage jumps to verse 22. But where verse 21 should be, the NIV tells you to see Mark 9:29. You turn to Mark 9 and it says…

“He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

You sadly walk away, saying, “But I did pray. What went wrong?”

What went wrong? The devil stole a verse and some words…

“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21)

“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

We can’t afford to be led astray by perverted translations of God’s True and Holy Word. Stand on the King James Bible – it’s the only Authorized Version.

3) (NOTE to self: Save this one for last!) Bow the knee, and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

So submit yourself to God, and stand on His preserved Word for the English speaking people: the King James Bible. Then you can sit back in Heaven and watch #3 happen. You should also bring others with you to see this great event: the devil hates soul winning too!

Peace!

Today’s Passage – Ecclesiastes 5 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 7 – 8; Psalms 120 – 125; Proverbs 26)

Read the “0726 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?” (Ecclesiastes 7:13)

“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:34-35)

“For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ecclesiastes 12:25)

Good morning. Did you wake up this morning? Good. It’s all part of God’s perfect plan. Everything goes according to God’s plan. If He wants something to be crooked, it is crooked; and remains crooked until He makes it straight again: but we ourselves cannot make the crooked straight (see Ecclesiastes 7:13). God is sovereign: He does everything according to His will (see Daniel 4:34-35). And whatever He says He will do, He will do (see Ecclesiastes 12:25). This is why we can trust in God’s Word: He will perform it.

There are may prophecies given in the Word of God. One in particular, I got from NBC news. Back in 2014 there were two executions that took place within two weeks of each other. The first was a convict in Ohio. The doctors shot the two deadly chemicals into the man’s arm. Halfway through the procedure, he woke up screaming in agony. It took that convicted murderer a half-hour to die. A few days later, another execution was about to take place in Arizona. The convict was injected with the same two drugs used in the Ohio execution. after a few minutes, his body started to convulse. This time it took over two hours for that man to die. People protested the use of lethal drugs for executions, other’s were glad he suffered and suggested that Drano be used. As I read through the article, I clicked on a link. There in big bold letters was the headline I knew we would see one day…

Appeals Judge Says Guillotine ‘Probably Best’ for Executions By Tracy Connor

When you think of all the ways we have to execute people, the Guillotine seems to be the most humane. It would also fit in with God’s plan for those saved during the tribulation period…

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)

God’s plan, and purpose: He will preform it.

Peace.

Today’s Passage – Proverbs 13 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 9 – 10; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

Read the “0719 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Timothy 3:1-5)

Good morning. Here is what God says about some of the issues going on in these perilous times.

Child Abuse…

“…Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matthew 18:3-7)

Sodomites and Lesbians…

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” (Romans 1:24-27)

Murder…

“And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Genesis 9:5-6)

And the list goes on, but…

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

The wages of sin is still death, whether saved or unsaved: Christian or non-Christian. If you sin, God may choose to take you home to Heaven if you are a Christian: a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; or if you never received Jesus as your personal Saviour this is what is waiting for you…

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

America is in deep, deep trouble. But righteousness will exalt a nation. There is no righteousness in a government that lies. There is no righteousness in those who abuse children, use them in pornography, or leave them in hot cars to bake. There is no righteousness where you could be sitting on your porch and someone drives by with a gun and puts a bullet in your head. Where there is no righteousness, there is sin. And sin is a reproach to any people. We are all affected by sin. America is in trouble, and Jesus is the only solution. I’m going to end with this last verse…

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Peace.

Today’s Reading – July 12 – Psalms 133 – 139 (Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)

“To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 136:13-15)

Good morning. Just a quick question about something here: when you read your Bible, does God ever give you a thought about something? It could be something to make you more like Jesus. It could be something that corrects the direction you are going. Or it could be just a thought. But do you get anything out of God’s Word when you read your Bible? What I want to show you was just a thought, but it was a thought that God gave me. Maybe I really shouldn’t say it was JUST a thought, to me it’s more than that. But anyway, one thought lead to another, which is in the Book of Exodus…

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” (Exodus 14:15-20)

That’s the gap: the space of time: all night the Egyptians and the Israelites were not able to come near each other because of the cloud. Genesis 3:6-7 show us a gap between the first sin, and judgment…

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:6-7)

The gap is the time they used to sew together the fig leaves. And then there was the so-called prophetess at Thyatira: Jezebel…

“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” (Revelation 2:20-22)

God made a gap for Jezebel; He gave her space of time to repent but she would not.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Peter 3:9).

God made a gap for Adam and Eve. The ran from God, hid themselves, and tried to cover up their nakedness with fig leaves when they should have run to God…

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

And then there is the gap that God made for the Egyptians that lasted all night. God may have made this gap for those Egyptians who would forsake their duty to Egypt and Pharaoh’s army. We still have these today, and they’re called deserters. Think about it. They had just seen their nation destroyed by plagues and the death of all the firstborns. They saw the cloud that blocked them from getting to the Israelites. And then when the cloud finally lifted, they saw the Red Sea parted, and Israel walking across on dry land. After all of that, there may have been a few who did not care to fight against the Only True Living God. God made a gap for them. Did any of them take this gift of life from God?

“And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.” (Exodus 14:23-28)

Not so much as one of them.

Why would God give an army who hated God’s people, the couple who enabled God’s people to sin, and a prophetess that caused God’s people to sin, a gap of time to repent: to change their minds about what they had done or were doing? The answer is found at the end of all 26 verses of Psalm 136: for His mercy endureth for ever.

Do you find yourself in a gap today: a space of time given to you by God? Use your time wisely.

Peace.

Today’s Reading – Psalms 120 – 132 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51

Read the “0711 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5)

Psalms 120 – 134 are all “songs of degrees”, which means songs of steps or ascents. It is believed that these 15 psalms were sung by the returning remnant as they travelled back to Jerusalem from Babylon.

“And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up (same as the word translated ‘degrees’)from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezra 7:8-10)

It is also said that the Israelites would sing these songs as they travelled up to Jerusalem three times in the year for the feasts of Tabernacle, Passover, and Pentecost. Because of this some have called these psalms, Pilgrim Songs, or “songs of the pilgrim caravans”.

Four of these songs are attributed to David. (Psalms 122, 124, 131, and 133)

Martin Luther called these “the gradual psalms, songs of the higher choir”.

J. Vernon McGee also points out that there is a spiritual significance to these steps:

There is a spiritual meaning in these fifteen psalms. It is interesting that many writers of the Talmud pointed out the fact that life is like this—it is an ascent. We come to God as sinners who are away from Him, separated, and alienated. We come to Him for salvation, and having come for salvation, we go on to sanctification as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ; it is a constant going up. We are to be climbing in a spiritual way. My friend, you and I ought to be farther along today than we were last year.[1]

So, these songs were not only geared for a physical ascent into a geographical city, they were also for a people who were “going up” spiritually – growing in their maturity and faith.

Introduction to Psalm 127

Notice that this particular psalm was a “song of degrees for Solomon.” Psalm 72 also was “a psalm for Solomon.

John Phillips believes that the psalm was written by Solomon, but he also states that he believed that it was added to the Hebrew Hymnbook by Hezekiah.

Wiersbe believes the psalm fits in within the historical context of Nehemiah and his re-building of the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian / Persian captivity.

The wording seems to indicate that this psalm was written for Solomon, not by Solomon, though many theologians attribute this psalm to him. When we consider Solomon with the first verse, we think of the building of the House of God – the Temple.

This psalm could be referred to as a family psalm. (See also Psalm 112 and 128)

This is almost the opposite of the way our culture sees children. John Phillips said this about the trend today that many couples are choosing not to have children:

Today there is a trend, even among Christians, to refrain from having children. They are not looked on as a blessing but as a burden. Nowadays so many people have heart-rending problems with rebellious children that some are suggesting it might be just as well to refrain from having children at all. After all, why spend one’s life—one’s strength, money, and emotions—bringing up children only to have them repay it all with defiance? To have them disobey, trample on one’s ideals, spurn the living God, involve themselves in drugs and sex and open sin? The chances against seeing one’s children avoid all the terrible pitfalls set for them by society today are so slim that increasing numbers of people are concluding they would be better off without them.

Then, too, the world is becoming increasingly dangerous. The superpowers are glaring at each other across the width of the world, armed with ICBMs tipped with multiple nuclear warheads. Terrorism is on the rise. Vice and violence are barely checked by society. Foul sins are accepted as permissible, even smiled upon. The church has lost its authority and most of its power. Why have children? Wouldn’t it be best to avoid bringing little ones into such a dangerous world? It is an appealing philosophy and it is occurring to many.[2]

Mrs. Wesley did not think that way. John and Charles Wesley were number 13 and 17 of Susannah Wesley’s children. What would the world be like without these two giants of the faith?

You will recall that God promised Abraham in the Abrahamic covenant that he would have innumerable offspring:

“And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Notice the reference in v. 4 to arrows. It takes a great deal of skill to learn how to direct the path of an arrow accurately, and it takes a great deal of diligence to raise godly children in this sin-cursed world. The world is trying to mold them into its box, the devil is constantly on his mission of deceiving, and the child’s own flesh is working against what the spirit of God is trying to do:

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Galatians 5:17)

It takes a great deal of love mixed with prayer, instruction, correction, and protection to produce godly kids:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”(Proverbs 22:6)

The culture that we live in would say that we are being irresponsible in this age of birth control to have a large family, but the Bible would take exception to that philosophy. My sympathies go out to those who were, or are now, unable to have children of their own.

Cindy and I have four children, and ten grandchildren. Frankly, I wish we had more. (Hint – Hannah!)

Notice in v. 5 that children will be a defense for the home and family. This was particularly true in Bible days. Notice the reference to “the gate”. The city gate was a place where business matters were discussed. (Ruth 4:1) However, in this context, the reference may very well be to the gate of the man’s property.

They will also support the family, especially the elderly parents in their old age. The Amish often build a “dawdy house” on their property for the grandparents. Sometimes, it is even attached to the house like an in-law suite.

Cindy and I are both in our sixties. We have no life insurance. We have very little in retirement savings, but we have God and we have the children that God has given us who would each not hesitate at making sure that we are taken care of.

[1] McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 2, p. 851). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[2]  Phillips, J. (2012). Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 2, Ps 127:3). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.