Tues.-Wed., 12/31/24-1/1/25 Devotion (Rev. 22:17)

Happy New Year!

Today's encouragement comes from Revelation 22:17, where we read these words:

"And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

In this one little verse, in the very last chapter of the Bible, we have God's sweet formula for evangelism, and living the Christian life (generally). And that is, simply "Coming" to Christ, by grace through faith; and refreshing our-selves in Jesus—drinking deeply of Him.

And note that God's three mighty forces are at work here, inviting us to come to our Savior: the "Spirit," the Church ("Bride"), and the Word (the preached Scripture itself). If we take any one of these blessed provisions away, we not only cannot come to Jesus, we do not possess Him.

[Puritan quote of the day: "When God shines in the use of means, then the soul is, as it were, in heaven.” —Richard Sibbes, in, "The Soul's Conflict with Itself"]

Mon., 12/30/24 Devotion (Mal. 3:16-17)

Today's encouragement comes from Malachi 3:16 & 17, which says this:

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him [God] of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 'They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.’ " (ESV)

Behold the blessing on those who fear the Lord. God overhears our fellow-ship, and He is pleased with it. The Lord engraves us in His book of salvation; and He owns us as His own prized and cherished children. In the Bible, God goes to great lengths to convey just how committed He is to making those churchmen who fear Him very, very happy.

May we always be numbered among God's select, sparkling, and rare gems of the earth—adorning His holy church with love for Christ and faith in Him.

[Puritan quote of the day: "A man who is spiritually alive is ever in motion, ever stirring and working upon himself when he is alone, and upon others when he is in company, drawing them still to a good opinion of God's ordin-ances and of His grace.” —Robert Harris, in, "The Way To True Happiness"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 12/27-29/24 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday! In order to help get us ready for church, here is Thomas Watson, from his "The Ten Commandments” book. This sec-tion shows us our utter need of Christ and His righteousness (being imputed to our souls, by faith). . . .

"As the unregenerate cannot keep the moral law perfectly, so neither can the regenerate. 'There is not a just man upon earth, that does good and sins not’; nay, that 'sins not in doing good,' (Eccl. 7:20). There is that in the best actions of a righteous man that which is damnable, if God should weigh him in the balance of justice. Alas! how are his duties fly-blown [messed-up]! He cannot pray without wandering, nor believe without doubting. 'To will is present with me, but how to perform I find not.' In the Greek it is, 'How to do it thoroughly I find not,' (Rom. 7:18). Paul, though a saint of the first magnitude, was better at willing than at performing. . . . Aaron was to make atonement for the altar, to show that the most holy offering has defilement in it, and needs atonement to be made for it, (Ex. 29:37)."

Thurs., 12/26/24 Devotion (2 Chron. 31:20-21)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Chronicles 31:20 & 21, where we read these words:

"Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered."

Hezekiah's reforms, mentioned in this chapter, had been significant. He had the idol worship places torn down, the clergy restored and re-organized, and the worship of the true God re-instituted in Judah. Because of his good exam-ple, the house of God began to thrive again. Hezekiah was given by God a good heart—and the king's actions reflected this, in his zealous devotion.

The result was that Hezekiah "prospered." His troubles and enemies did not go away, as we will see in the very first verse of the next chapter—but the king was safe in God; and his life was abundantly blessed. Let us follow this same pattern, through our unfeigned and unbounded faith in Jesus.

[Puritan quote of the day: "If the church is beautiful beyond all other of the children of men, how beautiful is Jesus Christ, from whom the church derives all its comeliness?” —Thomas Vincent, in, "The True Christian's Love To The Unseen Christ"]

Tues., 12/24/24 Devotion (2 Chron. 29:5b)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Chronicles 29:5b, where we read these words:

" . . . and carry out the rubbish from the holy place."

What a great command (above), given by King Hezekiah, to the Levites. God would *still* have us, His true and redeemed churchmen, "carry out the rub-bish" from the "holy place." First of all, may all Christ's faithful clergy do all they can, to expunge the church and its worship from all the rubbish that has clogged the sanctuary (as it were). (Let us go back to the gospel.)

And secondarily, let all God's people cleanse their hearts, by grace through faith in Jesus' blood atonement. His blood washes away all our sin. What a good time for us to do so—at this blessed season.

[Puritan quote of the day: "It is the desire of a holy person to be cleansed, not only from public, but also from private and secret sins.” —Obadiah Sedgwick, in, "The Anatomy of Secret Sins"]

Mon., 12/23/24 Devotion (Jn. 13:1b)

Today's encouragement comes from John 13:1b, where we read these words:

" . . . Having loved His own who were in the world, He [Christ] loved them to the end."

This is a beautiful phrase. The Lord Jesus loves His redeemed church which is yet "in the world," viz. down here, where it is tough; and where sin and Sa-tan still assault us. This is because the church is "His own." He possesses us, by virtue of His redemption of our souls. And Christ loves us "to the end." He does not give up on us, just because we stumble around, and fail a lot of times.

Do we not serve a grand and glorious Savior? Even as He was anticipating His Own most grievous suffering (on the cross), our Redeemer was thinking of us, and ministering to us. Let all His church love Christ in sincerity; and may we find our peace only in Him.

[Puritan quote of the day: "And in the dispensing of the gospel, especially in the preaching and unfolding of the Word, the riches of God in Christ are un-folded . . . " —Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]

Sat.-Sabbath, 12/21-22/24 Devotion

 Merry Christmas. everyone!

Here is the devotion. . . .

"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Aug-ustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

"Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keep-ing watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood be-fore them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were great-ly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'

"So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a man-ger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorify-ing and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." (Luke 2:1-20)