Wed., 12/9/15 Devotion (Lk. 23:12)

Today's encouragement comes from Luke 23:12, where we read these words:

"That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previous-ly they had been at enmity with each other."

Have we ever considered that the devil does quite well at holding his forces together? God's people could learn a lesson from this fact. We ought to be in-finitely *more* united around Jesus, and His church's gospel doctrine, than Satan and his followers are, around their hatred for Christ and His people.

What made Herod and Pilate like each other? Not their affinity for Jeru-salem's restaurants. Instead, they stood arm-in-arm in opposition to the stat-ed Kingship of Jesus. This is why even today we find Christian hypocrites "in bed" with Muslims, atheists, and all other unbelievers. They are all united to-gether in their resistance to our unconquerable Sovereign, Christ the Lord.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The work and business of ministers of the gospel is, as it were, that of servants: to wash and cleanse the souls of men; for this is done by the preaching of the Word, which is their main business.” —Jona-than Edwards, in his sermon entitled, "Christ the Example of Ministers"]