Today's encouragement comes from 1 Corinthians 14:33, where we read these words:
"For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints."
There is a lot of confusion in a lot of Christianity (broadly-construed) today. But none of this befuddlement is from God. Most of it comes from unqualified teachers who lead people astray. The God of glory has laid-out enough con-tent doctrine, theology, knowledge, and understanding in the Scriptures for faithful and truly-called pastors and elders to quite sufficiently lead the flocks of Christ into all the fields of plenty and peace—which are all found in Jesus.
The problem of confusion originates in the author of confusion (Satan), and is forwarded by his cohorts. The trouble is with sinful men who craft their own false gospels, and who spurn the only true one. Let us, by grace, sincerely cling to Jesus as His sane and well-ordered church; and enjoy by faith the benefits of life in the body of Christ.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “When all the boasting is over, what is any man but just another man?” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 5.]
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Wed., 2/26/20 Devotion (1 Cor. 13:8a)
Today's encouragement comes from the few, but powerful words of 1 Corinthians 13:8a, where we read this:
"Love never fails. . . . "
Why does love never fail? Because love is the best barometer of the heart. It always exposes the truth; and everyone—without exception—is subject to its scrutiny. This is one of the reasons God insists that we love Him. Without sin-cere love for God, none of our other "services" rendered to Him mean any-thing—(in fact, they become repulsive to Him).
The real important question for us is, "Who (or what) do we love the *most*?" If the answer is not Christ, then we should honestly face the fact that we are idolaters. The Lord would have us love other people, animals, and even many inanimate things—but these must all be subordinate to love for Him (through Jesus Christ alone).
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “Some of our fellow Christians are astonished to learn that Plato had such ideas about God and to realize how close they are to the truths of our faith.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 8.]
"Love never fails. . . . "
Why does love never fail? Because love is the best barometer of the heart. It always exposes the truth; and everyone—without exception—is subject to its scrutiny. This is one of the reasons God insists that we love Him. Without sin-cere love for God, none of our other "services" rendered to Him mean any-thing—(in fact, they become repulsive to Him).
The real important question for us is, "Who (or what) do we love the *most*?" If the answer is not Christ, then we should honestly face the fact that we are idolaters. The Lord would have us love other people, animals, and even many inanimate things—but these must all be subordinate to love for Him (through Jesus Christ alone).
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “Some of our fellow Christians are astonished to learn that Plato had such ideas about God and to realize how close they are to the truths of our faith.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 8.]
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Tues., 2/25/20 Devotion (Job 25:4)
Today's encouragement comes from Job 25:4, where we read these words:
"How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?"
Bildad the Shuhite asked these questions (above). They are good queries. The answer to the first one is, "No one can be righteous before God on one's own. What is necessary is an 'alien' righteousness." This "alien" righteous-ness is that of Christ and His blood atonement, imputed to the sinful soul, by faith.
Faith follows regeneration. Regeneration is God's sovereign act of bringing to life a dead and rebellious soul. Faith is the gift of regeneration. By faith, we fetch to our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ, who then is our righteousness. Therefore, "Can a man be righteous before God?" Yes, but only as he is clothed in *Christ’s* righteousness.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “It is hard to live right if one’s faith in God is wrong.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 5.]
"How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?"
Bildad the Shuhite asked these questions (above). They are good queries. The answer to the first one is, "No one can be righteous before God on one's own. What is necessary is an 'alien' righteousness." This "alien" righteous-ness is that of Christ and His blood atonement, imputed to the sinful soul, by faith.
Faith follows regeneration. Regeneration is God's sovereign act of bringing to life a dead and rebellious soul. Faith is the gift of regeneration. By faith, we fetch to our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ, who then is our righteousness. Therefore, "Can a man be righteous before God?" Yes, but only as he is clothed in *Christ’s* righteousness.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “It is hard to live right if one’s faith in God is wrong.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 5.]
Monday, February 17, 2020
Mon., 2/17/20 Devotion (Gen. 50:20)
Today's encouragement comes from Genesis 50:20, which finds Joseph say-ing this, to his brothers:
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (ESV)
What trials or afflictions has God brought our ways lately? Have we ever con-sidered that perhaps, without them, we would lose out on a lot of good? None of this is meant to diminish the fact that actual evil is perpetrated on the church’s saints, by wicked men. But it puts it all into perspective, in light of a the love and government of a Sovereign God.
Does this mean that we are to necessarily "enjoy" our tribulations, any more than Joseph did all his time in prison, etc.? No. But it does mean that we are able to see, by faith, that without these troubles we would never become more like Jesus.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “We . . . have the support of divine authority in the history of our religion.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 18.]
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (ESV)
What trials or afflictions has God brought our ways lately? Have we ever con-sidered that perhaps, without them, we would lose out on a lot of good? None of this is meant to diminish the fact that actual evil is perpetrated on the church’s saints, by wicked men. But it puts it all into perspective, in light of a the love and government of a Sovereign God.
Does this mean that we are to necessarily "enjoy" our tribulations, any more than Joseph did all his time in prison, etc.? No. But it does mean that we are able to see, by faith, that without these troubles we would never become more like Jesus.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “We . . . have the support of divine authority in the history of our religion.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 18.]
Friday, February 14, 2020
Fri.-Sabbath, 2/14-16/20 Devotion
Thank God: it is almost Sunday again. We get to go back to church, to wor-ship God together, as the Body of Christ. In order to help us get ready, here are some good words from Augustine. These come from Bk. 14 of his, “City of God” masterpiece. . . .
“Hence it is that just because humility is the virtue especially esteemed in the City of God and so recommended to its citizens in their present pilgrimage on earth and because it is one that was particularly outstanding in Christ, its King, so it is that pride, the vice contrary to this virtue, is, as Holy Scripture tells us, especially dominant in Christ’s adversary, the devil.
“In fact, this is the main difference that distinguishes the two cities of which we are speaking. The humble City is the society of holy men and good an-gels; the proud city is the society of wicked men and evil angels. The one City began with the love of God; the other had its beginnings in the love of self."
“Hence it is that just because humility is the virtue especially esteemed in the City of God and so recommended to its citizens in their present pilgrimage on earth and because it is one that was particularly outstanding in Christ, its King, so it is that pride, the vice contrary to this virtue, is, as Holy Scripture tells us, especially dominant in Christ’s adversary, the devil.
“In fact, this is the main difference that distinguishes the two cities of which we are speaking. The humble City is the society of holy men and good an-gels; the proud city is the society of wicked men and evil angels. The one City began with the love of God; the other had its beginnings in the love of self."
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Thurs., 2/13/20 Devotion (Rom. 16:1)
Today's encouragement comes from Romans 16:1, where we read these words:
"I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cen-chrea . . . "
This (above) is a wonderful thing to be said about a person. First, the great Apostle Paul "commends" Phoebe. He refers to her as a "sister," a part of a great covenantal family. Phoebe was a "servant of the church." Her life was valuable, and well-spent. Furthermore, Phoebe was a "servant" of a particular church—the one in "Cenchrea." She did not content herself with her associa-tion with the "invisible” church alone. Instead, she was committed to a local one—as all faithful Christians are.
Godly women have always been exalted in Biblical Christianity. Their roles are critical. The church cannot prosper or thrive without them.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “ . . . there was no such thing as time before the universe was made.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 11.]
"I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cen-chrea . . . "
This (above) is a wonderful thing to be said about a person. First, the great Apostle Paul "commends" Phoebe. He refers to her as a "sister," a part of a great covenantal family. Phoebe was a "servant of the church." Her life was valuable, and well-spent. Furthermore, Phoebe was a "servant" of a particular church—the one in "Cenchrea." She did not content herself with her associa-tion with the "invisible” church alone. Instead, she was committed to a local one—as all faithful Christians are.
Godly women have always been exalted in Biblical Christianity. Their roles are critical. The church cannot prosper or thrive without them.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “ . . . there was no such thing as time before the universe was made.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 11.]
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Wed., 2/12/20 Devotion (Gen. 45:7)
Today's encouragement comes from Genesis 45:7, which says this:
"And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance."
This is Joseph speaking here (above), as he addressed his shocked brothers. Joseph is a "type" of Christ. Jesus did fully and perfectly, what Joseph did (partially and imperfectly). Christ has "preserve[d] a posterity . . . in the earth." He has done this through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, whereby He purchased His church for Himself.
If you are a faithful Christian churchman today, then rejoice greatly. All the benefits of heaven are yours, now, even here on earth, in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are all apprehended by grace through faith in Him.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “Plato did not hesitate to say that to philoso-phize is to love that God whose nature is incorporeal.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 8.]
"And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance."
This is Joseph speaking here (above), as he addressed his shocked brothers. Joseph is a "type" of Christ. Jesus did fully and perfectly, what Joseph did (partially and imperfectly). Christ has "preserve[d] a posterity . . . in the earth." He has done this through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, whereby He purchased His church for Himself.
If you are a faithful Christian churchman today, then rejoice greatly. All the benefits of heaven are yours, now, even here on earth, in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are all apprehended by grace through faith in Him.
[AUGUSTINE quote of the day: “Plato did not hesitate to say that to philoso-phize is to love that God whose nature is incorporeal.” —from, “City of God,” Bk. 8.]
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