2005 01 January

In our text, we read that the wife is one flesh with the husband. Therefore, the husband ought to love his wife as he loves his own body. Yet, we read in Ephesians 5:32, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Whether or not husbands love their wives as they ought to, make no mistake, Jesus loves the church with perfect love.
Sadly, I do not think many Christians understand this. Too many seem to view the church and the ones God has called to leadership, as they view a restaurant and a waitress. The one is a place to get physical food and the person who brings it. The other is a place to get spiritual food and the one who brings it. Thus, the church and God's servants are often viewed in terms of servants or ones we hire to do certain things rather than ones specially chosen and loved by God Himself.
If we understand this, we will not bring accusation against an elder save at the mouth of two or three witnesses. If we understand this, we will not move from church to church for light cause. If we understand this, we will conduct business differently than they do in corporate board meetings and congress. David had an understanding of these things; therefore, he dealt very carefully with King Saul. He wanted to make very sure he showed the proper reverence for the things of God.
It was this understanding that moved the Psalmist to cry out, Psalm 84:10 … I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. He had a great love and respect for the things of God. I fear in contemporary culture, we do not. If we did, we would not defend the salaries of corporate chief executive officers, while we condemn comparatively modest, but unusually high, preachers' salaries. We would not defend excessive expenses of public buildings and condemn comparatively modest but unusually expensive church buildings. We need to remember what God has said. Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. An important way we honor God is through our giving to the local church. 1 Timothy 5:8 … if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. DW

Houses: Deuteronomy 20:5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. Have you dedicated your home to the Lord?
Silver and Gold: 2 Samuel 8:11 Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; Have you dedicated your bank account, stocks and bonds to the Lord?
The House of Worship: Numbers 7:1 And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them. The tabernacle of the Lord was dedicated. Our Church was dedicated when it was built. That dedication was unto the Lord. Dedication means it is to be used for the Lord 's glory, and is a place where God's people meet to worship Him. (Read 1 Kings 8 and reflect upon the dedication of the Temple by King Solomon).
Our Tithes and our Offerings: 2 Chronicles 31:12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully. Hezekiah looked upon the things brought before the Lord as dedicated. It is both the gift and the giver that is dedicated before the Lord. The Lord Jesus reminded us in Matthew 5:23-24 …. if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. If we are disobedient in our giving, our gift is not received of the Lord. Oh yes, we give, but not with a broken and contrite heart. In the life of a Christian there must be a transparent relationship between God and man, and our fellow Christians. If our relationship with the Lord is broken because of sin there is no acceptance of our dedication or our gifts. God is not mocked! We cannot deceive Him! We only deceive ourselves! RJS

It is interesting to note in our text, that God sent this plague against the people, because they spoke against Him. Because of the lack of water, the manna and the hardship of the desert, they criticized God. The heart of sin, is a rejection of God and His righteous ways and a turning to self. The serpent of sin has bitten all of humanity. When we look at our world and see all the hate and destruction, we need to remember it is because of the bite of the Serpent. Romans 6:23 … the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. All of us have been bitten and all of us will perish apart from faith in God.
In John 3:14-16 14 we read, … as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In other words, this miracle is an important picture when it comes to faith and salvation.
I like the picture here. Some try to make faith a very complex thing. It is not. It is very simple. We don't find Moses giving a deep theological lecture here. We find him giving the people hope through the symbol of a brazen serpent. Sadly, some today don't want to talk about sin. They feel offended that God would bring judgment to pass on their sin as He did with the people here. They think you can just look to the positive and not worry about sin and repentance from sin. That is not the message here. We have to understand that without the hope that is ours in Christ we will suffer damnation. We will suffer eternal death. We will live forever. The only question is will we live with eternal life or eternal death. Thank God He is not willing that any should perish. All we need do is look to the cross of Christ in faith and hope. Have you come to really understand your sin and its consequences? Have you ever taken hold of the hope that is in Christ? If not, why not trust Him now? DW

This is the first of five warnings in Hebrews regarding the danger of apostasy. The context of this warning is a discussion of the people that died in the wilderness rather than enter the Promised Land. The problem was one of unbelief. This unbelief was manifest as the 12 spies were sent into the land. Only Joshua and Caleb believed that the people were able to go in and possess the land. The whole nation except for these men and Aaron and Moses rebelled against the will of God for them.
This generation saw the 10 plagues in Egypt. This generation saw the Egyptian army drown in the Red Sea. They saw God provide bread from heaven and bring water out of a rock to meet their needs. They saw God part the waters of the Red Sea and they passed through the sea on dry ground. They persisted stubbornly in unbelief. This apostasy moved God to condemn them to die in the wilderness. In verse 12, the phrase in departing from the living God… the word departing is a translation of the word for apostasy. The Greek word apostasy means to stand apart. In other words, one professes to stand or believe certain things and then they stand apart from what they once professed. When the people refused to believe God, Joshua, and Caleb, they stood apart from their profession as they left Egypt. Their apostasy became evident when they refused to enter the land.
We need to appreciate that the choices we make in life often indicate the reality of our faith more than our profession. We live in a day when people put too much emphasis on profession and not enough emphasis on the choices we make in life. Most people tend to think if they have good reasons for their choices, all is well. This is not true. The ten spies had good reasons for their opinion, and the people had good reason to accept their report, but they were still wrong. Therefore, it is not only important that we come to faith in Christ, but that we are able to sense and follow His direction in our lives. Now I do not believe that all of those who died in the wilderness were lost. Moses and Aaron died in the wilderness and they clearly knew the Lord. However, all of that generation except for Joshua and Caleb followed the path of the apostates and disobedience. Let those who think that they stand, take heed. DW

Jeremiah was writing to Judah because of their turning from the Lord and trusting the arm of the flesh. Jeremiah was quoting God when he referred to their sins being engraved in their hearts and on the horns of their altars. What an illustration, iron chisels engraving on their hearts of stone. In Hebrews there are 3 references to "harden not your hearts," Chapters 3:8, 15 and 4:7. This was written to early Christian Jews, but it is applicable to us today.

Returning to Jeremiah, the heart shall be like the heath (British broom grass) in the desert, which is as "worthless bushes" growing in uncultivated land. There is no spiritual value to the person who has turned from or rejected God.

The Holy Spirit leads Jeremiah to change the illustration and make a quote from the First Psalm. Jeremiah 17:7-8, Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart that is following the flesh is likened unto a Russian thistle that will perish in the dry desert versus a tree planted by the river whose fruit shall continually satisfy the needs of the people.

Now the curtain opens a third time and we see what the Lord sees as He looks into the hearts of hypocrites. Jeremiah 17:9-10, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. God knows every thought and intent of the heart. This means God knows every hidden sin we do not share with anyone. He hears our deceitful words and wicked thoughts. If we are trusting in the flesh, then we are only deceiving ourselves. Others see the deceit behind our mask. They see the hypocrisy and know we are not transparent, but phonies. It's no wonder people try to hide behind the hypocrites. The only problem with that is they must be smaller than the Christian hypocrites. RJS

The Bible has a lot to say about the spiritual life of the family. Relative to children we read, Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Our faith manifests itself in the spirit with which young people respond to parents. The word "obey " has the idea of hearing and doing. This is the same word we find used relative to servants. Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;…. Here we see that the obedience goes beyond man to God. In other words, it is not just a boss or a parent, but we need to see the hand of God working in and through authority. If we believe this, there will be a reverent spirit toward leadership. Relative to wives in particular, we read, Ephesians 5:33 … the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Most preachers that I have known do not like the title reverend. I think this is due to the idea in some denominations that there is some kind of priesthood. Before the Lord, we are all priests. Yet, it is not just wives, but all under authority need this understanding relative to leadership. Leaders are not there on their own, but by divine appointment. Perhaps one of the reasons we are having so many problems with young people today is that many adults are not setting a Biblical example. Just listen to radio talk shows today. Our culture delights in irreverence. We need to remember that God does not.
When King Saul came to destruction, because of his sin and failure, King David did not rejoice. He ever maintained a spirit of reverence to the Lord's anointed. We read in 2 Samuel 1:20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. When parents and our leaders fail us, it is not cause for joy. It is cause for sorrow. If we were reverent as David was, we would understand this. A man's home is his castle. The state and even the church ought to respect this. DW

There is a link between unbelief, apostasy and bitterness. The evil that surrounds us can make us bitter if we are not careful. I don't believe that anyone goes through this life without being touched by evil in a significant way. We all have a common experience in this life. People, who turn from God in unbelief, blame God for the evil. The more a person focuses on himself, the bitterer he will become. The sense of personal violation will consume him.
It would seem from our text that Esau might have given way to this process. It would also seem that there is a solid link between unbelief, bitterness and immorality. Earlier we noted that there is no turning back from apostasy. It is a one way street. This is the experience here regarding Esau. He was able to cry about things, but he was not able to repent and believe. It is a dangerous thing to turn from the work of God on our hearts and allow our hearts to be hardened in sin. The apostate has a faith of sorts. He has a faith that will seek God, he has a faith that will seek blessing, but he does not know or trust God and consequently does not love God. If we know God, we will love and trust Him.
Because of this link between bitterness and unbelief and apostasy, we are warned about the danger of bitterness. Furthermore, we are warned about the way bitterness is able to spread. Hurting people have a way of hurting other people. Hurting people who give way to bitterness and hurt others help develop bitterness in the lives of others.
It is impossible in the present order to understand fully the ways of God. If we could, there would be no reason for faith. The day is coming when all creation will understand the goodness and greatness of God. When this day comes, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God. However, in the present order, with a sinful nature, it is easy to rebel against God, pursue the path of sin, and become hardened in sin. This is what reprobation is all about. However, if reprobation is our lot, we must be the author of it, and bitterness will play an important role in this process. Therefore, if saving faith is present, we must be able to be at peace in the midst of evil. This is faith. DW

Once sin entered this world, it did not take long before envy and hate gave way to murder. The circumstances surrounding this are very interesting. The problem started from and centered on God's blessing and worship. These two brothers followed two different paths. Cain was a farmer. He worked the ground, but Able was a shepherd. He managed animals.

We don't have a lot of information about what happened here. Before the giving of the law under Moses, from the time of Adam and Eve, God revealed truth to people and they responded in faith and obedience. Before Moses, people tithed, offered sacrifice, and otherwise worshiped God. God has written His law in the hearts of all people. It is even as we see today, some open their hearts to truth and grace and some rebel and harden their hearts. In our text, Abel opened his heart to God and Cain hardened his heart.

It is interesting to note that although Cain hardened his heart, he still sought God's favor through worship. Abel came in faith and submission seeking to honor God, but Cain came with a heart full of self-seeking and self will. Cain sought honor for himself. In all probability, he was very successful in his agricultural endeavors. He wanted to put his bountiful harvest on display. It is a picture of the glory of his works. Oh that we would understand that the very best fallen humanity could ever offer is corrupt in the sight of God. It is important to realize the blood sacrifice that was a part of worship. Under the old covenant, it was the blood of bulls and goats. Under the new covenant, it is the blood of Jesus Christ. Before the flood, it was blood sacrifice. In Hebrews 9:22 we read… almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. The picture of sacrifice was one that emphasized God's love and perfect justice. It recognized our need and God's provision. Cain's sacrifice was a picture of his own love, ability and goodness. As this was not true, it was worse than if he had not even made an attempt to worship God. It is as we read in Proverbs 21:27. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? DW

The above three names are the primary names for God. There are many other names, but most are what we call compound names that include the three above. In the King James Bible: Elohim is seen as "God." Jehovah is "LORD " and Adonahy "Lord." We will look at the last name for today.

Adonahy is often used in respect toward a person, especially (Gen. 18:12) where Sarah refers to Abraham as lord. Lord or Master is used 290 times in the Bible and we want to see one of its meanings in the New Testament. Saul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus, believing he was doing the will of God. He was going there to persecute the "followers of the way," Christians. The Risen Lord Jesus changed all that when Saul saw a blinding light and heard his name called twice, "Saul, Saul." Saul then used the words "Adonahy, Adonahy " translated "Lord, Lord." That calling was a call to "service." Saul continued on to Damascus, blind, and led by the ones in his caravan. Three days later a Christian, named Ananias came to Saul and used the same word, the Lord "Adonahy " sent me to you, when he introduced himself to Saul.

Persecuting Saul became preaching Paul when he recognized Jesus as Lord. Paul immediately called Jesus "Master." Many Christians don't even know Jesus as the Lord of their lives, let alone recognizing Him as their Master. Paul saw him self as a "bond slave " which means he was a slave to the Lord of and by his own will. Paul's new life was in total submission to the will of the Lord, "Adonahy."

When we see Jesus as Master we see what Paul saw. We put away the past life, desires, aspirations, goals, dreams etc. And daily we seek to do, say and be what the Lord wants us to be. Paul said, "I die daily." He meant I am submissive to Jesus in all things. No part of Paul's being was held back, he truly was a slave in thought, word and deed. Try it, it will change your life when Jesus becomes the Master "Adonahy " of your life. RJS

I believe that the book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers, who because of persecution, were dispersed primarily throughout Asia Minor. There was a great transition from the old covenant to the new covenant. The faith of the old covenant primarily manifested itself through the civil law as it related to the worship of the temple. Under the new covenant, worship as Jesus described to the woman at the well is in spirit and truth.

Many folk are troubled at the stern nature of the old covenant. We read about this in verse 28. In this verse we read, He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses… However, we need to be mindful that to whom much is given, shall much be required. Therefore, with the added revelation in Christ and grace, our accountability is even greater than that under the law. Those who profess faith, but choose to live a life of stubborn rebellion to the truth need to be mindful of this warning.
Note the warning of verse 29. In this verse we read, Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? What could be worse than the judgment of physical death? The warning concerns apostasy, eternal death and damnation.
In other words, those who profess faith and don't walk the path of faith and obedience are playing a very dangerous game. They are presuming on the grace of God. To presume on the grace of God is to walk the path of the apostate. I have no doubt that people today put far too much confidence in the simple profession of faith. Now thank God, a simple profession of faith is all that is necessary for salvation, but it is possible to give a sincere profession of faith without really having faith. Not all that glitters is gold. We need to realize that without the reality of a transformed life, an empty profession is worse than no profession. Empty professions like this are of the apostate, not the saint. DW

The word "Better" is recorded 13 times in Hebrews. Every time there is a comparison with something else. In our text "better" is not used, but we see Christ's priesthood to be "better" than Aaron's. Some years ago, I was talking with a Mormon Bishop and he was bragging that he was of the Aaronic priesthood. Without a stutter, I told him I was of the Melchisedec priesthood. He was dumbfounded and had no answer. 1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Moses built a house, but Christ was Son over the house, Hebrews 3:6. We are the house that Christ built; another name is the family of God. 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. I trust that before you finish reading this page you will realize just what a position we have with the Saviour and that every born again person is responsible before God and men to maintain a testimony of our salvation and relationship we have with Christ. In the above two verses: we are a living stone, a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices unto God, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation and a peculiar people. Wow! What a responsibility we have and a testimony to live before the world.
Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. And now there is more; we are kings and shall reign with Him throughout all eternity; all this because Christ was of a better order than Aaron. Melchisedec was king-priest in the Old Testament. Christ is the Great High Priest and King of Kings in the New Testament.
Lastly, it gets better, Ephesians 1:4-5 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his (God's) will. Hallelujah! What a Saviour! RJS

In this text, we find the first major judgment of God after the flood. As we read in the Bible of a coming one-world government dominated by antichrist, we need to appreciate that the purpose of the enemy is the same here. At the tower of Babel, people united in pride and false religion. It is sad, but shortly after the flood the hearts of people in large numbers turned from God to false worship and self. If God did not intervene in grace, the world would have come to be dominated by evil.
Think about this. Why is it that dividing people was helpful? Because of sin people are quickly and easily misled. However, in time they will come to understand the error. In other words, they have to experience the fruit of sin before they understand the evil of sin. By dividing the people, God maintains the light of liberty on this earth throughout the age. It is this work of God's grace that stays evil in our world.
The same principle is in our constitution; there is a separation of powers. This principle helps to preserve the country from corruption. One of the problems with the diffusion of power is the diffusion of responsibility, but this is not as great a problem as the concentration of power. In order to divide people, God confused human language. We live in a day of a world economy. As we see in Europe with the common market, this world economy will drive the need for a one-world government. It is when the events at the tower of Babel are reversed that we will come to the destruction and corruption at the end of the age.
We would be wise to understand the corrupting influence of power. Someone has noted that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This, more than anything else, reveals the influence of sin on the human heart and the greatness and glory of God. The omnipotent is good and altogether lovely. Holiness is God's primary attribute. His power is limited by His goodness, which includes His love. If this were not true, there would be no redemption, only judgment and damnation. Turning from God most often means the false worship of idolatry and self seeking. These things have no place in a Biblical spirituality. DW

Romans 13:1-4, Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. The government is ordained of God because there needs to be rules for society and protection from the criminal element. We have the greatest government in the world. It is weak because of political divisions and personal desire to gain power. However, it is still ordained of God and is the best we can expect to find until Jesus sets up His Kingdom in the Millennium.

2, Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. The Bible sets the standard for church government. The church constitution is a set of rules that control the members and activities of our church. It also established the decorum and relationship among the church family.

3, For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: If we abide by the laws of the land we need not fear those in authority. It is good that we have an opportunity to change the leadership when we find those who are despotic and only seek to gain more power over the people. It is unfortunate that in the last few years we see ministers who are dictators instead of leaders. God forbid we have that happen in our church. 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. All four above verses in our text deal with temporal and ecclesiastical governments. Therefore, it behooves us to be obedient to leadership in the world as well as to God. We have freedom of speech and voting rights that are guaranteed by constitutional authority. Never let these be lost because of apathy or indifference. Let us pray for those in leadership and trust God to keep them in line. RJS

There are three things God commanded of the kings in Israel not to do that led to Solomon's fall into apostasy: Deuteronomy 17:14-20

1. His fleshly desire to gather to himself great riches of gold, silver
and precious stones.
2. He gathered beautiful horses from all over the eastern world,
which was a negative commandment from God.
3. Solomon married 700 wives and most of them strange women and his harem included 300 concubines, I Kings 11:3.

God specifically ordered the above to be obeyed by the Kings of Israel. Our text begins with Solomon "Loved many strange wives." Here are some of the things God commanded Israel to avoid: strange fire, gods, waters, flesh, vines, speech, apparel, cities, doctrines, women, and children of strange women. So sad, that Solomon did not take heed to his own writings in Proverbs. He wrote of strange women who used flattering words, 2:16. A strange woman whose lips are as honeycomb and smoother than oil, 5:3-8. A strange woman's embrace, 5:20. The flattering tongue of a strange woman, 7:5. The mouth of a whore is a deep ditch and a narrow pit, 23:27, and others. I think you get the point. Either Solomon did not heed his words of wisdom or he wrote about the above because of the bad experiences he had. Solomon was led away from the Lord God because of the many strange gods that were brought in his house by these strange women.
The Apostle Paul also reminds us of being unequally yoked in marriage. 2 Cor. 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. This is a command! RJS

15th

Saturday, January 15
Apostates Described and the Sons of Belial
Deuteronomy 13:12-18

In verse 13 of our text we see men, "The children of Belial" also referred to as the sons of worthless men, wicked men, ungodly men; men who have gone out from among us and have drawn others to follow them into their diabolical sins of folly and deceit. The name Belial also refers to Satan in another text. 2 Corinthians 6:15 And what concord (or agreement) hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? There is a wide contrast between the two names mentioned in this verse. Christ stands for all that is without sin; holy, pure and good. Satan stands for all that is evil, wicked, impure and he, himself, is the paradigm of apostasy.
Note, Revelation 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. I've been to the old city of Pergamos and have seen some of Satan's works that are still there. This was where they first used the coiled snake around a pole as the symbol of practicing medicine. I have walked through the snake tunnel where all kinds of poisonous vipers were used to cure patients of many maladies. If they survived the walk without being bitten they were either cured or insane. This was also where they worshipped Satan and raised a temple to his honor. Think of the Satan worshippers today.
Israel was appointed as an executioner of all idolaters and in the New Testament we are not to have fellowship with reprobates or idolaters. Idolatry was a capital crime in Israel. They were ordered to stone the idolatrous person that all Israel would fear the Lord, verses 6-11.

Lastly, idolatry and witchcraft are mentioned in three passages for our admonition: Isaiah 15:23, 2 Chronicles 33:6 and Galatians 5:20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies. Another translation says idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, and factions. We are admonished not to have fellowship with those who practice the above as recorded in the first paragraph, 2 Corinthians 6:15. RJS

16th

Sunday, January 16
Stern Words of Warning
Hebrews 6:4-9

A good many commentators believe that if it were not for these verses, no one would believe that salvation could be lost. A few things ought to be very clear. First, it ought to be clear that the book of Hebrews was written to believers. Second, it ought to be clear that the warning concerns apostasy. In verse 6 the words fall away are a translation of the Greek word apostasy. Therefore, believers are being warned of the danger of apostasy.

The theological discussions here remind me of the discussion surrounding the temptation of Jesus Christ. Some believe that for the temptation to be real, it had to be possible for Jesus to sin. I believe that it was not possible for Jesus to sin in spite of the fact that the temptation was real. In the same way, I believe that the warning here is real, in spite of the fact that the apostasy of those who have been born of the Spirit is impossible.

If the warning here is taken as only a warning to those who profess to believe, verse nine makes no sense. In Hebrews 6:9 we read,…beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. He is clearly speaking to believers here and not just those who profess, and he is clearly speaking of salvation not profession. In other words, although he gives stern words of warning, he does not believe salvation to be followed by apostasy.
In addition, we dare not forget the words of verse 4. Here we read that if salvation were ever to be lost it is a one way street. In other words, if one did lose salvation, it would be impossible to bring them to repentance. It is a very dangerous thing to profess faith and then turn from it. The apostle, Judas Iscariot, is a good example of an apostate. It is clear from the Biblical record that Judas was never really delivered from his sin. He was a thief. He was the treasurer of the apostolic band and he stole from the purse. Jesus knew he didn't believe and He knew that he was a thief. His profession was convincing, yet in the end he fell beyond the point of repentance. No wonder we are admonished to make our calling and election sure. Nothing in this life is more important, and thank God we can know for sure before we die. DW

17th

Monday, January 17
Humanity
James 3:2-10

In this month's devotional, we have been looking at the idea of respect or reverence. In today's text, we read concerning the words we speak: James 3:9, 10 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. The point is made, subtly, that if we really respect God, we should not so freely curse people who are made in His image. In other words, there ought to be a respect for people.
Sadly, all of us terribly fail in this respect. Consider this for example, in Jude 8,9 we read relative to apostates, 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. The devil is not made in the image of God, yet Michael was careful to show due reverence. How much more ought we to show reverence to all that are made in his image.
There is some political debate in this country relative to the burning of the American flag. Some think that the right of free speech gives anyone the right to burn a flag. Others are convinced that if we are citizens, we need to show proper respect for the flag. They rightly understand that we have to teach respect for something. I made this point when it came to some states that still choose to fly the confederate flag. That flag means more to Southern states than racism and slavery, and everything done in the name of the stars and stripes was not always pure and right. I do not know of many Christians who would burn an American flag. Yet, I know many that give very little respect for people they deem unworthy. I cannot think of anyone more unworthy than the devil. Yet, proper protocol demanded respect and Michael gave proper respect. Are we respectful in the things we say and do? DW

18th

Tuesday, January 18
God's Message to Us
Hebrews 12:18-29

Under the old covenant, God spoke to the people from Mt. Sinai. A number of very impressive things took place as God spoke from Mt. Sinai. We read in Hebrews 12:18-20 18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart… This picture makes in clear that God's people understood how serious it was for God to speak to them.
Yet, according to these verses, our access to God through the Spirit is even more serious. This is interesting. It would seem that God speaks to the hearts of apostates. As we consider men like Judas and Baalam, we ought to be able to see this. In other words, the experience of apostates is even more real than that which was experienced by the people at Sinai. We need to appreciate that common grace allows for a mighty working of the Holy Spirit. In common grace, God allows the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust. In common grace, God spoke to some of the people at Sinai, and in common grace, God speaks to the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit.
People who seek God apart from faith and repentance can and do receive grace from God. When King Ahab sought grace from God apart from repentance, God extended him grace. It should not surprise us then, that apostates can and do tap into an amazing amount of grace. Yet, apart from genuine faith and repentance there can be no salvation.
From this text, it would seem that apostates do not respond to God in obedience. In other words, if we believe when God speaks, we will obey. This is the result of faith. On the other hand, the apostate does not respond because he does not believe. The lives of those who believe and those who do not believe are much different. It is as we read in the book of James, our faith is demonstrated by the choices that we make, as well as, the things that we do. DW

19th

Wednesday, January 19
The First Christian Martyr
Acts 7:37-43

Stephen, one the first deacons, was well versed in the Old Testament Scriptures. Here was a man filled with the Holy Spirit and not afraid to stand up for Christ. In order to understand this devotional, you need to open the Book of the Acts and start reading in Chapter 6:8 and all of chapter 7. To capsulate the story, there arose contention in Jerusalem, because Stephen was preaching against the liberal synagogue of the five nations mentioned in 6:9. Stephen rehearses a synopsis of the history of Israel from the time of Abraham to the Crucifixion of Christ.

Stephen tells them about the apostasy of Aaron when he made the golden calf and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, Ex. 32:8. Aaron had already been anointed with the oil and established as the High Priest, Ex. 29:7. Now we return to our text and Stephen tells the Jews of his day that this was the worst of apostasy. These were fighting words. No one wants to be told that he or she is apostate. If Moses had not made intercession for them, God would have wiped out all Israel, right then and there, and started over with the seed of Moses. Israel had committed the sin unto death, but God was appeased by the intercession of Moses and they were spared. Moses even offered to have his name removed from the Book of Life as a personal sacrifice in behalf of the sinning Israelites, but God would not permit that because there was a future sacrifice for all mankind; Christ.

All of the illustrations given by Stephen were not only written to teach the Jews of that day, but for our admonition also. Remember we too still have that old sinful nature inherited from Adam. Therefore, let us fight the good fight of faith and walk in the light as He is in the light, and confess our sins daily.

When we accepted the gift of eternal life, it was much like an open credit card in that we were given liberty and freedom, but that is not license to see how close to the fire we can get without getting burned. When you use your credit card there is a day of reckoning, that is, you must pay the bill; so it is with sin. If we don't daily confess the sin and put it under the blood, it is not forgiven and we will lose our rewards. RJS

20th

Thursday, January 20

The Serpents of the Magicians
Exodus 7:8-13

It is interesting to note here, that Egyptian magicians duplicated the miracle that God gave Moses. Satan is the great counterfeiter. His great desire was to be like God. Therefore, we read in 2 Corinthians 11:14 … Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness… The greatest evil always takes on the cloak of righteousness. It is important to consider what is going on here. These men at the bidding of Pharaoh, are trying to discredit Moses. We read in 2 Timothy 3:8 … as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
An important part of the work of evil is to confuse people as to the truth. Yet, in this account we see that God makes the truth clear to Pharaoh and his magicians. For we read that (Exodus 7:12) … they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. The works of light are always greater than the works of darkness. It is interesting to note that while God had Moses and Aaron, the devil also chose to work primarily through two individuals. We might ask ourselves, why does God allow evil to work in such powerful and similar ways? Does this not confuse people? We need to remember that salvation is tied to faith, and faith needs to have the right foundation. The apostates who opposed Moses and Aaron had faith, but their faith was tied to darkness rather than light. God blinds the eyes of all those who turn from the light. Therefore, if we allow our hearts to look for good reasons to reject the truth, we will never want for any.
Sadly, there are those who seem to think that if God does not work in a way that they can accept, it would be unjust for Him to condemn them. This is not true. As soon as a heart allows itself to turn from God, it will be filled with all kinds of good reasons to reject the truth. God hardens the hearts and blinds the minds of all that turn from Him. It is a dangerous thing to turn from the light. DW

21st

Friday, January 21
The Chosen Nation under Condemnation
Isaiah 65:1-25 and Romans 10:20-21 and 11:1-36

Isaiah's heart is broken with sorrow because of Israel's rebellion. For centuries God had reached out to Israel in His long suffering and com-passion. They were His chosen people, not because they were a great nation, but because He loved them with an everlasting love. At this time in their history they were guilty of the following: Rebellious thoughts and actions, walking in the ways of the flesh, provoking God's anger, worshipping the dead in cemeteries, burning incense on brick walls rather than in the Temple, eating swine's flesh, practicing all manner of idolatry and satisfying the flesh in immorality. We could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. Israel was about to be carried away into captivity and their beloved land destroyed. The Apostle Paul makes reference to these things in the above chapters in Romans. Paul remembers that God is not finished with Israel, but there will be a time of restitution and blessings for them in the future.

Isaiah 65:8-12 promises that there will be a few grapes left in the vineyard and that there is still life in the vine. A remnant will return to the land and we have been seeing that fulfilled in the past 54 years. Since May of 1948, almost 5 million Jews have returned to Israel. Unfortunately, they are for the most part, returning in unbelief. God still has a plan for His chosen people.

The picture changes and the curtain is pulled back for all to see the future of God's chosen people. In verses 17-25, we are given a short description of the Millennium and their blessings during that time. The 1000 years of the millennium will be a drop in the bucket compared to the next picture where we see the new heavens and the new earth. This sin sick world will be replaced with a New World that is without sin.

Lastly, we see Israel in the land and under the blessing of God. Isaiah 4:3-4 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. RJS

22nd

Saturday, January 22
How Do We Live With Others?

Many years ago I read a book titled, "Perennial Revival." The whole book was on a continuous revival in Africa. Norman Grubbs, the author, told of a revival among the people where he worked. These new, native, Christians were living in complete transparency one with another and with God. They had learned a spiritual lesson that we American Christians need to learn. They were honest in all their relationships with each other. They were not finding fault with the missionary or other believers. They were practicing what the Bible teaches, as best they could.

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. The above three verses instruct us, as to our relationship with God and other Christians. We are a family, the body of Christ and should be defending our brothers and sisters instead of putting them down and seeking to defeat them.
The following verse is imperative: Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 2 Thess. 6. If there is one who is sowing discord or hindering the ministry, we should withdraw ourselves from that person until they repent and turn from their sin. As long as discord is in the church there will be no revival.
Verse 9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample (example) unto you to follow us. The minister of the church, the deacons, the Sunday school teachers, all who are in authority are to set an example before the rest of the congregation. The above are to be followers of Christ in every facet of their lives and establish the standards for the congregation to follow. RJS

23rd

Sunday, January 23
The Itching Ear
2 Timothy 4:3, 4

This text warns us that at the end of the age, many people will not want to hear the truth. They will reject the historic Christian faith, the faith of our fathers. I think it is important that we hang on to historic Christian doctrine. In his book, The Religion of Yesterday Today and Tomorrow, Harvard professor Kirsop Lake wrote, fundamentalism … was once universally held by all Christians. The Bible and the "corpus theologicum" of the Church is on the fundamentalist side. He did not agree with fundamentalism, but admitted that in this last century there was a departure from historic doctrine.

What people do not realize is that when they don't want to hear the truth, they are turning not just from the traditions of the past, but God. It is always easy to look at the past and find problems. It is easy to reject the good with the bad. In our text, people like this don't want to turn from instruction and the forms of faith. They just cannot stand the truth. The apostle Paul knowing this is coming, challenges Timothy to preach the Word.

This challenge is timely. There are those today who tell us that we need to find out what people want and give it to them. Put that in context of these verses. We find people whose ears itch. The truth involves reproving and rebuking. Rather than being open to truth and correction at the end of the age, people will demand validation in sin. Rejection of God, will not allow for repentance from sin. Therefore, preaching on sin and repentance will be dropped for all kinds of foolishness.

It ought to be clear that we are living in those days. People today in unprecedented numbers are identifying with the outward form of truth. Yet, for the most part, lives are not being lived according to the principles of truth and righteousness. This is not revival. Rather, it is merely the work of deceitful spirits and teaching of demons that must come in order to prepare the way for the apostate church of Antichrist. We need to be sure that there is solid substance to our faith, if we would be sure of heaven. DW

24th

Monday, January 24
A Sister's Rebellion
Number 12:1-15

When God lays His hand upon a chosen vessel, those who rebel against that servant of God are in trouble. David said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD, 1 Samuel 24:6. This is but one of several times David could have captured or killed King Saul, but he remembered that regardless of what Saul did to him, he would not touch the Lord's anointed.
Moses was God's chosen leader to deliver Israel to the Promised Land after their generations of slavery. Miriam, Moses' older sister, had stood by the Nile River and watched over her little brother when he was floating in a basket on the river of death. She watched as the daughter of Pharaoh took the little baby into her arms and claimed him for herself. Young Miriam had volunteered to the Daughter of Pharaoh, that she knew a woman who could nurse the babe for her. She had watched him grow in the family until he was about five years old. Moses was under the curse of death because he was a Hebrew boy. His mother, as was the custom in that day, nursed Moses until he was weaned at about five years then he was given to Pharaoh's daughter to educate in the schools of Egypt.
Miriam knew Moses was chosen of God, but she became jealous and wanted some of the glory. After all, she was older; therefore she should get some recognition. Numbers 12:1-3 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) God saw what was going on and Miriam had to learn a lesson. She was struck with leprosy from head to toe. She was as good as dead and they put her out of the camp. She was untouchable. Moses made intercession and God responded and healed her. Moses harbored no ill will against Miriam. The lesson for us is that God will balance the accounts. RJS

25th

Tuesday, January 25
The Form of Godliness
II Timothy 3:1-9

I heard someone say one time, "I would rather be more than I appear to be that to appear to be more than I really am." This is a wise statement. It is wise because apostates always appear to be what they are not. In this text, they are described as having a form of godliness… The form of godliness is appearance. Evil always seeks to appear good.

Our text mentions several things that demonstrate that not all is godly. Note in our text, we read that the apostasy of the last days will include disobedience to parents. In other words, there will be a breakdown in the home. We read similar indications from the Old Testament prophets. We read in Malachi 4:6, about one who will turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. I can't think of anything which is any more troubling than this. God designed the home to be a great source of blessing, and here we see strife and hatred.
This is not all. In our text, we also read that people will be, ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Try it for yourself. Try to make a definite statement of truth in some crowds today. You will find that there will be those that will oppose. You may define yourself very carefully do your best not to offend and some will oppose. In other words, people don't like authority either in person or precept. Thus, a word like Jesus becomes an empty jar that one can put any meaning in that they choose. They don't want to throw out the vocabulary. They want to throw out the dictionary.
From time to time, I hear people express concern that we are losing the language. This is true. If we cannot identify truth and speak of truth, words have no real meaning. Words themselves are a means of identifying things and distinguishing them from other things. There is knowledge in truth and power in truth. Therefore, it should not surprise us that when spiritual things become fuzzy and undefined, there is no power. This is evidence that there is no faith. Where there is faith there is an object of faith, certainty and power. If we don't stand for something, we will fall for anything. God help us to know and hang on to important truth. DW

26th

Wednesday, January 26
The Human Body
Genesis 9:1-6

In our text today, we read about the special place humanity plays in creation. There are those today who teach that man is another animal. They teach that we ought to treat all species equally. They object to animals standing in the law as property. In our text we read, Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. The only thing that has changed is that for those under the law, some moving things are unclean. Some Christians even believe some foods are unclean. Yet the principle for Christians is given in 1 Timothy 4:4,5 …every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
This is not pride; it is the heritage of those who are made in the image of God. The respect for humanity that we have talked about extends to the human body. Note in particular Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Here we see the crime of murder involves a lack of respect for the image of God. Murder is not a crime against the soul or spirit. It is a crime against the body.
I know there are those who do not want to listen, but I would encourage you to open your heart to God. Consider Leviticus 19:28, Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh … nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 21:5 They shall not make…. any cuttings in their flesh. Though not specifically stated, I believe God forbids these pagan acts because they show disrespect for the human body. God would not have us tattoo or pierce our bodies. Yet, this is not all. In burial, God would have us treat the body with respect. In the chapter on the resurrection, the body is illustrated seed that is sown. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. Farmers do not burn seed; they plant seed. In a Christian burial, we out to "plant" the body not burn it. DW

27th

Thursday, January 27
Aaron's Apostasy and the People's Sin
Exodus 31:12-18 and 33:15-35

This chapter is filled with a chain of events that lead us to believe that God is truly long suffering. Moses received the Ten Commandments from the hand of Almighty God. They were written by the finger of God on stones and given to Moses to set the standards for worship, morality and relationship to their fellowmen. No words have ever been written in any of the world's religions that are comparable with the standards of these stones.

Aaron had already been anointed with the oil and appointed the first High Priest. Moses had been up in the mountain with Joshua and now as they were coming down the mountain there was an unexpected noise in the camp. Joshua thought it was the noise of battle, but Moses knew it was the sound of singing. Because of Moses' long absence, the people grew restless and pleaded with Aaron to make them a god they could worship. Aaron's real blasphemy was that he made an image of one of the many gods of Egypt. Cows have been sacred in the Middle East and Far East since time immemorial. For Aaron to degrade the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to a foul four-footed beast is the height of absurdity. Exodus 32:21-24 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

Aaron not only committed the sin of listening to popular demand, but lied to Moses according to the last phrase in the above text. Moses made intercession for Aaron and the people. If he had not prayed for them, God would have destroyed them all and started anew with the seed of Moses. However, Moses was the first to break the Ten Commandments after God had given them. In righteous indignation Moses slammed down the tablets and later he went before God and received the commandments the second time, Ex. 34. RJS

28th

Friday, January 28
The Awful Results of Worldliness
Luke 8:13

The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing, fall away. The above is a picture of both men and women that are excitable, emotional and impulsive about following Christ. They are charmed with the beauty and novelty of the Gospel message. They receive the Word, tell everyone they are taking the yoke, but do it without counting the cost. They hastily make a religious profession, but soon fall away. Upon this superficial profession of faith they base their salvation, but when persecution or opposition comes to them, they back off and return to their worldly ways of life. They are like the one referred to by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. And 2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica… Demas had deserted Paul just as professing Christians who desert the Lord when the going gets rough. One author says Demas made a fatal mistake. "He loved this present evil world." It does not say that Demas had forsaken Christ, but it says he loved the world more than he loved the Apostle Paul. 1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Truly, born again Christians can and do sometimes become so involved with material things or sin and as they associate with the world, they lose their testimony and no longer desire fellowship with the saints.
We are in the latter days that Paul describes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Beware lest we also turn from the great doctrines of the Scriptures and desire "pious platitudes and little sermonettes" that lead us to spiritual shipwreck and despair. RJS

29th

Saturday, January 29
The End of the Age
I Timothy 4:1-12

The natural man tends to think in terms of progress, therefore, those people of this world who are uneducated and live like animals, they call primitives. What they do not understand is that all of us got out of the ark at the same time. We are all descendents of Noah. When people live like animals, it is not a matter of opportunity as much as apostasy. People who live apart from the grace of God degenerate. They soon live like animals.
Yet, as we see here, this degradation is not as much a matter of decay as deliberate sabotage. Now I believe that if we neglect to open our hearts to the grace of God, things will deteriorate. Yet, apostasy is more than mere natural decay. It is the work of the forces of darkness. This work is described as deceit and teachings by demons. We find in the Bible that God created angels, as well as, man. I believe that demons are angels that fell into sin following the fall of Lucifer.
I think it is important to remember that God made angels on a higher order than man, but God did not make them in His image. God only chose to make man in His image. According to Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, Satan fell because of pride and envy. These are related. Satan wanted to be like God. Envy always involves hatred, thus, in his ambition to be like God, he came to hate God. His hatred for man then, is an extension of his hatred for God.
An important part of this work is to corrupt people. Now we don't hear demons or evil angels speak directly. We hear them speak through people who have given themselves to evil. What are these people like? In verse 2 of our text, we read that they speak lies in hypocrisy. In other words, they do not follow their own teachings. We need to realize that the enemy works through people who counterfeit the real. We read in 2 Corinthians 11:3,4 where the apostle Paul writes, I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4… he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted… It is Jesus, but another Jesus. People will need discernment relative to apostasy at the end of the age. DW

30th

Sunday, January 30
There is a Sin unto Death
Numbers 20:7-13

1 John 5:16-17 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. There are many Christians who think any writings from the Old Testament do not apply to us today. Nothing could be further from the truth. Moses, in anger with the rebellious Israelites, disobeyed God and struck the rock the second time, according to Num. 20.
In Genesis 19:23-29, there is another illustration; the destruction of Sodom and the death of Lot's wife. Her problem was love for the city life and rejecting God's command, "Not to look back."
In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul tells us to forget the past and look to the future. There is nothing you can do about the past, but you certainly can do better in the future with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 lied to the Holy Spirit and they died. I believe we will see them in heaven. They foolishly thought they could keep up with others who had given to the church by selling a piece of land and intimating they were giving all the proceeds to the Lord. It is recorded that great fear came upon the church. The Apostle Paul consigned the fornicator in the Corinthian church to Satan for the destruction of the flesh (I Cor. 5:5) that the church might be purified and the spirit of the sinner saved. However, the sinning man put away his sins and repented. Later, Paul admonished the church to forgive him and restore him to the fellowship (2 Cor. 2:6-7).
In 1 Timothy 1:19-20, the Apostle Paul speaks of two men, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who had sinned against the Church with blaspheme and causing other believers in the faith to become shipwreck. These were consigned unto to Satan for their sins. Hymenaeus and Philetus are mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:17-18, as teaching that the resurrection is past and there is no hope for the living, that have been left behind. This abominable teaching was against everything that Paul was teaching to the churches. Don't be misled by false teachers and doctrines! RJS

31st

Monday, January 31
The Frogs
Exodus 8:1-7

Because of Pharaoh 's disobedience to God, He sent ten plagues on the nation Egypt. In this plague, there is a terrible infestation of frogs. They have frogs in the kitchen and frogs in the bedroom. The Egyptians regarded frogs as having divine power. In the Egyptian pantheon the goddess Heqet had the form of a woman with a frog's head. From her nostrils, it was believed, came the breath of life that animated the bodies of those created by her husband, the great god Khnum, from the dust of the earth. Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

In this instance, Pharaoh's sorcerers also produce frogs, but they are powerless to get rid of the frogs, which is what Pharaoh wants and needs. Pharaoh calls for Moses in order to get relief for himself and the people. We are not told why, but Moses asks Pharaoh when he should pray. He gives Pharaoh the power to choose the time of his relief from this plague. It may be that Pharaoh's heart hardened somewhat from the time he calls for Moses till the time he sees him, and does not seem as concerned about immediate relief. At any rate, he says tomorrow.

Why does he say tomorrow? It is not because he likes the frogs. I believe it is likely that he hopes the frogs will go away before the next day. In that way, he will not be obliged to keep his promise. In other words, he delays because his heart is still opposed to God's will. Moses says, specifically, that relief will come on the next day so that he would know the truth. Pharaoh needed to understand that God was in control, even though he ruled Egypt. Thus, the god that was supposed to be the friend of Egypt turned against the Egyptians. They were to understand that these idols were no gods and Israel's God is God. Sadly, it is not uncommon for people to so love their sin, that they will cling to foolishness and endure a good deal of difficulty in order to hang on to it. Many sinful habits are like that. God, help us not to be as foolish in our sin as Pharaoh. DW

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