DAILY DEVOTION, June 8, 2022

On this rock I will build my church (Matthew 16:18).

For the past 2200 years, Jesus has been building His church. Nothing can thwart His plan, not even the gates of hell. He has been, is now, and will continue to build His church. He is the foundation. Yes, he uses Christians in the process of building the church. Unfortunately, He frequently has to bypass our human failures and build in spite of our failed efforts.

I recall visiting a very large church in Mississippi during my DHF days. It was a magnificent building with a large sanctuary and lots of classroom space. Sadly, the building was largely unused. There were about 15 members left when I was there. Now that church is closed. Yes, churches close their doors. Churches fail in their mission. Read about the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, where Jesus points out fault after fault. None of those seven churches exist today. Church buildings come and go. The true church of Jesus, made up of all those with true faith who have been born again, will never die. Jesus continues to build His church despite human failures.

The church does not depend on human programs. Some of them are good, some not. A church survives because it is resting on the foundation. Where true faith predominates in a church, that church will never fail. Jesus will continue His building program.

Lord Jesus, I want to be a part of the true church. That church is not a building but consists of all those who love and trust you. The church is alive and well because You are alive and well. I pray I will not stand in Your way but will do my part in building the church. In Your name, I pray, Amen.

Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all (! Chronicles 29:11).

DAILY DEVOTION, June 4, 2022

A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.” (Song of Solomon 1:13)

Solomon was probably speaking of human lovers. However, many Bible students see a double reference here. They see Solomon’s words as a type of Jesus. Myrrh was connected with sacrifice. It was a precious perfume. A bundle of myrrh suggests that Jesus is more than enough. There is in Him enough for all my needs. He is not simply a twig. He is a bundle. Whatever we need, Jesus can supply if we trust Him. In the Scriptures, we see many roles played by Jesus. He is a prophet, priest, king, husband, friend, shepherd, the light of the world, Savior, etc. He is a bundle of myrrh able to meet all our needs.

Our greatest need is to have our sins forgiven so that we might be fit for heaven. Jesus has abundantly supplied that need when He bore our judgment at Calvary. However, we have other lesser needs as well. We need to know He cares when we are sick. We need His presence when others have hurt us. When money is short, we need Him to provide for our needs. Whatever our situation, Jesus is “a bundle of myrrh,” an inexhaustible bundle. Trust Him as your Savior and trust Him with every need.

Lord Jesus, I thank you that we cannot exhaust Your grace and goodness. I thank You for always being there. You are indeed a bundle of myrrh. Help me to be a bundle of faith. Amen.

DAILY DEVOTION, June 3, 2022

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).

Pastor Gee has encouraged us to read the modern translation of Pilgrim’s Progress. So, I obtained the book on my Kindle. The thing that stands out is the contrast between those who tell us that following Jesus is an easy path full of earthly blessings and Christian’s experience in Pilgrim’s Progress. In the book, Christian runs into many obstacles that seek to divert him from the way of faithfulness. I think Paul would agree with Pilgrim’s Progress. He speaks of our struggle as we seek to follow Jesus. Our struggle is not against people (flesh and blood) but spiritual forces working behind the scenes.

Yes, our enemy works through people, but we need to look beyond people and recognize the real enemy. We live in a world where invisible entities are working behind the scenes. The Holy Spirit is leading us to heaven. The devil is seeking to derail us. The Greek word for “struggle” is the word for  “wrestle.” When you wrestle, you are in a fight. Only one will win. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and our faith strong, or we may find that we are “pinned” by the devil.

Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit will always control my life. The devil wants to drag me down. I understand that the Christian life is a struggle, a wrestling match. But, as I trust and follow Jesus, I know that I will be victorious. Your love and grace will lead me to eternal victory over the powers of darkness. In the name of Jesus, my redeemer, I pray. A

DAILY DEVOTION, June 2, 2022

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“thy gentleness hath made me great.” Psalm 18:35

The words can be translated, “thy goodness hath made me great.” David gratefully ascribed all his greatness, not to his own goodness but to the goodness of God. It is God’s making himself little, which is the cause of our being made great. We are so small that if God manifested his greatness without condescension, we would be trampled under his feet; but God, who must stoop to view the skies, and bow to see what angels do, turns his eye yet lower and looks to the lowly and contrite, and makes them great. Therefore, David ascribes all his greatness to the condescending goodness of His Father in heaven. May this sentiment be echoed in our hearts while we cast our crowns at Jesus’ feet and cry, “thy gentleness hath made me great.” How marvelous has been our experience of God’s gentleness! How gentle have been his corrections! How gentle his forbearance! How gentle his teachings! How gentle his leading! Meditate upon this theme. Let gratitude be awakened; let humility deepen; let love be quickened before you fall asleep tonight.

From Charles Spurgeon, editing by RB

Father, we are so grateful to learn that You are gentle as You relate to us. You have lifted us up from our lowly position and made us citizens of Your Kingdom. Our Lord Jesus humbled Himself so that we might be lifted up. Praise be unto His name we pray, Amen.

DEVOTION, JUNE 1, 2022,

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God (John 1:1).

It is difficult to read the Prologue to John’s Gospel without saying, “Wow!”  (or better yet, hallelujah! ). Matthew and Luke tell us of the miraculous virgin birth of the Savior. Mark begins his Gospel with the baptism of Jesus. John takes us back to the beginning of time, and what he says is truly incredible. He is speaking of the man Jesus (John 1:14).  Let’s take a closer look at these profound words from the hand of an inspired Apostle. John’s statement reminds us of the book of Genesis which also commences with “In the beginning.” John tells us that “the Word” (Jesus Christ) was present when the universe was created.

The Word (Jesus) is with God, implying two, and the Word was God, but there is only one God. We are confronted here with the inner nature of God. We learn from the Bible; that there are aspects of God that are beyond our ability to comprehend. How can Jesus be with God and also be God? If you want a “god” you can fully understand and explain you must reject the God of the Bible. Forget about trying to understand God’s Triune nature.

The Bible reveals to us a God who defies our ability to comprehend. His immensity, power, and wisdom are beyond our understanding. Yet He is a God who loves us and came to us in the Person of His Son to redeem us. I can repeat John 1:1 but don’t ask me to give a full explanation of their meaning. God says it, I believe it, end of discussion!

Prayer: Father, we sing “How Great Thou Art.” Your greatness is beyond our ability to understand in full.  Thank You for revealing Yourself to us not only as our great Creator but also as a God who loves us and has acted to set us free from sin and death. Truly, “How Great Thou Art.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.