Luke 5:20

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 5:20 

“And seeing their faith, He said, Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” –  Luke 5:20 

This verse references the healing of a paralytic; however, it ends with an interesting focus. 

Luke begins by speaking about a paralytic who is journeying to find healing.  He uses here the term paralytic, but in various other places uses the term ‘crippled’.  Joel B. Green in his commentary on Luke states, “At this time, the lame were banned from the priesthood in Israel and, at Qumran, were excluded from full participation in the community. Alienation seems to have been their fate in Luke’s world too.” Jesus sought to overturn the concept of alienation of cripples as we see in, “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13, as well as “And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” Luke 14:21.

This account starts with Jesus teaching some Jews. “And it came about one day that He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.“ Luke 5:17. And while this was going on, “And behold, some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in, and to set him down in front of Him. And not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, right in the center, in front of Jesus.” Luke 5:18-19.  There was a great crowd there and it was not possible to carry him to Jesus, so they got on the roof and let him down right in front of Jesus.  He saw this action as a major showing of ‘their’ faith,  not just the of the crippled man.  Hence, “And seeing their faith, He said, Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke 5:20.

Note, this was not just a passive statement as, ‘God forgives you’. And the Jews correctly understood what was meant.  “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” Luke 5:21.  They completely believed Jesus had committed blaspheme by speaking of forgiving this man’s sins for Jesus, as the leadership saw Him, was not qualified to forgive sins for only God could.  Blaspheme was a frequent charge leveled against Jesus. There are no Old Testament analogies to Jesus’ actions here. Today, due to this passage, ministers make a clear distinction between a pastor’s pronouncement of God’s forgiveness of sins and the direct forgiving of sins by the pastor/priest.  

Now, Jesus had knowledge of what they were thinking.  He was the Son of God and nothing was hidden from Him.  So He asks them why they were questioning/reasoning this in your hearts.  And then, “Which is easier, to say, your sins have been forgiven you, or to say, rise and walk?” Luke 5:23.  And without giving them any opportunity, He tells them, “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic, I say to you, rise, and take up your stretcher and go home.” Luke 5:24.  Jesus’ authority to forgive was no less effective because of its invisibility.  However, it will be proved by healing the paralytic. The authority to heal and the authority to forgive are the same authority that Jesus received at the baptism by both the endowment of the Holy Spirit and the Father’s declaration of divine sonship. “Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.” Luke 3:21-22.

In our focus verse, one thing Jesus was showing was that the healing of the body was less important than the forgiveness of a man’s sins.  What good would it be if a man’s legs were healed if he ended up eternally lost?  Jesus was not saying the paralyzed man was especially sinful, or that sin was the cause of his paralysis. Instead, He addressed the man’s greatest need, and the common root of all pain and suffering, man’s sinful condition.  Plus, this gave Him the opportunity to show the Pharisees and the Scribes just who He was, the Son of Man.  “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 4:12

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:12 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” – Luke 4:12  

Now we move on to the final temptation Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve”, Satan led Jesus to Jerusalem. “And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU, and, ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.” Luke 4:9-11.  Satan starts this temptation as he did the first of the three here in Luke with, “If you are the Son of God”. He was again trying to get Jesus to fall for this idea of showing who He actually was.  However, it is a bit different from the other two because in this one, Satan quotes scripture to Jesus.  “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, Lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12. 

Theologian Robert H. Stein says this about Satan using these verses.  “Even the devil can quote Scripture, and here he sought to support his challenge to Jesus from the Scripture itself. Defeated by Jesus’ use of the Word of God in the previous two temptations, the devil sought to use the Scriptures for his own purposes. There is no evidence that which the devil quoted was interpreted messianically in Judaism; but if the psalm states a truth concerning any believer, how much more is this true of the Messiah. Yet knowing Scripture is not enough; one must interpret it correctly.”

Now Jesus’ response is strong with this reference of Himself as The Lord your God. “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” Luke 4:12.  Jesus here is quoting from Deuteronomy, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16. And what happened in Massah? 

“Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” Exodus 17:1-2. They were thirsty, and they wondered why no water was provided to them.  In fact, in verse 7 we read, “And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” Exodus 17:7.  Jesus uses the example of when Israel was camping at Rephidim and was thirsty for there was no water to drink.  So, they tested the Lord by asking if He was with them or not.  The test was that if He was there among them, why is He not providing for their needs.  And because they put God to the test, the name of this place became Massah, meaning ‘temptation’ because it was there Israel tempted God.

I have heard people do this on many occasions, saying ‘If God truly loves me He will do this”, or “If He exists He will keep me from all trials”.  He never promised we would not have trials, but He did promise great things if we persevere. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. Therefore, I call on everyone reading this not to test Him, but to trust Him.  He said He would always be with us who are believers. “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. And He always keeps His promises.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 4:8

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:8 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” – Luke 4:8

I am starting 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at another mentioned temptation of Jesus. 

Now we move on to the second of the final three temptations Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan that man does not live on bread alone, he proceeded to the next temptation. “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:5-7. In this temptation, Satan seduces Jesus to worship him, and if He does He will give Him all the kingdoms of the world to reign over.  He essentially promised Him authority and power over all this world.  He claims he has the authority to give it to Jesus for it was given to him thus giving him the right to give it to anyone he wants to. 

Now there are various references to Satan having authority over this world.  Jesus declares him at one point to be the ruler.  “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.” John 12:31. However, there is something interesting about this verse.  Satan is the ruler, but only because man has rejected the true ruler, and God has been patient in this matter.  But a time will come when he is ‘cast out’.  His kingdom will be destroyed and his reign will cease. And the one who will reign will be Jesus.  And this leads us to another interesting thought.  What Satan was offering Jesus was something Jesus would attain anyway, but with one caveat. He must die for the sins of the people.  Therefore, what Satan was offering was what Jesus would attain anyway, but He would receive it then, without the need to die.  All He would need to do was worship him. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:7.

However, Jesus replied with the following in our focus verse.  “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.“ Luke 4:8.  We see this verse also in the Old Testament. “then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” Deuteronomy 6:13.  In this verse, Moses was telling the people that when they enter into the promised and they into great cities they did not build, where they have all good things,   where they have vineyards and olive trees they did not plant, but God provided for them.  When all these things happen, they must remember this is a gift from God, and they must remember and worship Him only in all things.   

What Jesus was telling Satan was that no matter what He was offered, He would not agree to this horrible proposal.  Only the Lord God, His Father was to be worshipped, no matter what anyone or anything offers.  And no other thing or person is to be worshipped because He is God Almighty. Theologian Peter Lange put it this way. “The Lord does not only publicly express the monotheistic principle, but shows at the same time that He will rather dispense with all the kingdoms of the world, however by right they belong to Him, than obtain them in an unlawful way.”

And this should be our way as well. Satan can and does offer us things if we, not necessarily worship him, but turn our worship and devotion away from the true God of the Heavens.  If we see anything in our life as more important or desirable than God, have we not done the same thing?  In today’s world, people and organizations are enticing us to turn to them and away from God to meet our wants and needs.  They promise much but we must not give in.  God has promised us eternal life with Him in a new heaven and earth.  All they can offer is something in this life, but in the end may deny us the eternal life promised by God.  I want to encourage us all to look to God for our needs and good desires, for He is the source of life, both now and in eternity to come.  “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 4:4

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:4 

“And Jesus answered him, it is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.” – Luke 4:4  

I am starting 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at the first mentioned temptation of Jesus. 

Chapter starts with Jesus returning from the Jordan. “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; and when they had ended, He became hungry.” Luke 4:1-2.  This verse shows us what Jesus went through during these temptations.  It starts out with a positive note, being that He was led about by the Holy Spirit.  He was not alone in this, just as we who are Christians are never alone during difficult times.  Also, He was tempted for forty days.  It was not just the three temptations that are recorded here along with Matthew and Mark, which were the culmination of this testing period.  And finally, it alludes to these forty days as a long period of fasting.  “And He ate nothing during those days” Luke 4:2b. 

Now, it says at the end of verse two that He became hungry after these forty days of fasting.  Satan then takes the opportunity to tempt Him.  “And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:3. In this first temptation of the final three, Satan is speaking to Jesus at this point of obvious need; He was no doubt very hungry.  He starts by saying, if You are the Son of God.  There is no doubt that he is God’s Son. The devil thus affirms Jesus’ divine sonship but tempts him to deploy it for purposes other than God’s will.  God had a purpose for this fasting, and it was not up to Satan to decide when this time should be over.  This temptation in and of itself was not sin, therefore the sin goes beyond simply turning stones into bread to eat it.  It has everything to do with who does He follow.

Now, as we come to our focus verse, we see His response. It is interesting to note that the restraint and focus of Jesus in response to the temptation is instructive. He does not exert his superior power or expose the devil’s deception. He invokes the Word of God, thus obliging the devil to face his ultimate adversary.  Jesus quotes God’s words as found in Deuteronomy. “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:3.  This answer is a somewhat technical phrase that implies the full authority of God Himself.  In the quote from Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the Israelites who were in the wilderness that they should trust God’s word rather than the manna He gave them. That man, even without the use of food, may see his life lengthened and sustained by any means whatsoever which God may choose to strengthen the body. In other words: God does not need His miraculous power in order to address painful hunger, for He possesses innumerable means, and Jesus will await the way which the Father may please to use.

And this is an important understanding we need to have.  When we, as Christians, are led by the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves in a difficult place, however we have nothing to fear for as long as we follow the Spirit all will be OK.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  There is nothing too difficult for God, and there is nothing He does not know or understand.  And He will take care of us in times of need. “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.  However, it is important that we understand two things.  First, we must be able to see the difference between needs and wants.  Jesus knew that food was important, but not the highest need.  God’s word and ways should always take precedence over food or any need we have.  And second, we must follow the ways of God to receive what we truly need. And if man’s ways contradict His ways, then we must ignore those solutions just as Jesus ignored Satan’s solution. God’s ways should always come first. For He knows what is best.  Trusting God in all things is the life we are called to.  Let us all focus on making this our reality.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 4:43

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:43 

“But He said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” –  Luke 4:43 

I am going to start 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at Jesus teaching in Capernaum, a city in Galilee, on the Sabbath.  “And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, Ha! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Luke 4:33-34. These demons feared Jesus, who then dealt with them. “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm.” Luke 4:35. As you read on from verses 38-41 We see Him in the home of Simon Peter teaching and healing the people, including Peter’s mother-in-law, while also casting out demons from many who were there.  The demons knew who He was, for they would cry out “You are the Son of God! And rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.” Luke 4:41.

Now, when the next morning came, Jesus went to a place to be alone.  In Mark’s gospel, we see He specifically went out to pray. “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place and was praying there.” Mark 1:35. Now when the people saw He was not there, they went out to look for Him.  When they found Him, they did all they could to keep Him there. “and the multitudes were searching for Him, and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from going away from them.” Luke 4:42b.  The word ‘keep’ in verse 42 is the Greek word ‘katecho’ which has the idea to hold down; to detain or retain something, keeping it from going away. They, in essence wanted to keep Him with them rather than letting Him go to different places to teach.  However, even Capernaum’s desire to “be fed by” Jesus, as we say today, is self-serving and thus an overture of self-will over God’s will.

However, Jesus responds in our focus verse by clarifying the reason for His coming. “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43.  He was saying to them He was not sent just to the people in Capernaum but to other cities as well. He was sent to bring this message to the Jews. The message was regarding the kingdom of God.  We see this message given earlier while He was in Nazareth. He quotes here from Isaiah, from the scroll of the Prophet.  This was given to Him to read, and it declares his purpose for being here. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19. 

This is the message He was given to present to Israel, and then for the disciples to present, and ultimately for us to share.  The central message of John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Luke 3:1-3.  But Jesus’ central message is the good news of the kingdom of God. And this kingdom will be an eternal one.  “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The LORD will reign forever and ever.” Exodus 15:17-18.

In closing, Jesus came in order to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  He Himself made this clear when the people tried to keep Him with them, however, He declared in our focus verse, “But He said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43. He was sent to declare a new kingdom was coming, one that will be far superior to any kingdom we have today, one that will replace all kingdoms we have today, a kingdom which will last forever.  And all those who accept the message as truth and live by it, will be residents of this kingdom for all eternity.  What an incredible message he came to proclaim.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 2:49

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 2:49 

“And He said to them, why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” – Luke 2:49 

I am going to start 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our first one will be the first words of Jesus as recorded by any of the gospels. This being our focus verse, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” Luke 2:49.  They were in Jerusalem to obey the Law regarding the feasts. “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.” Exodus 23:17.  And now that Jesus was twelve, He was now permitted to go as well, as a son of the law, to take part in the celebration of the sacred festival.

Now after this was complete they headed back home. “and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him.” Luke 2:43-45.  They supposed that He was with them in the caravan, but after having looked for Him, they returned back to Jerusalem.  And after three days they found Him.  “And it came about that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.” Luke 2:46-47. Because it seems improbable that they would not have gone to the temple three days after arriving back, according to theologian John Peter Lange, “It seems more probable that we must allow one day for their departure, vs. 44; one for their return, vs. 45; and the third, vs. 46, for their search; and that they found Him in the sanctuary at the close of the latter.”

They probably found Him in one of the porches of the Court of the Women, where the schools of the Rabbis were held and the law regularly taught. They were surprised to see Him there, and therefore Mary asked Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”  Luke 2:48b.  What happened here is definitely different than the norm in this culture.  In the male-dominated temple one would expect Joseph rather than Mary to address Jesus. It could be that the unique spiritual bond she had with Jesus prompted her making this statement.  And she addresses Him not as boy, or young man, but as son, or child. She says here they have been diligently looking for Him.

We then see His response in our focus verse. “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” Luke 2:49. The first thing I want to discuss is the last word in this verse.  In the Greek, the use of the word ‘house’ can also be translated as business. Greek scholar Bill Mounce says the following, “But the plural τοῖς nags me, and suggests it is the ”things” of the father that was motivating Jesus to stay behind.” Thus, I believe what was meant here is ‘My Father’s things or affairs’, not ‘My Father’s house’.  And this makes additional sense, in that because Mary brought up the idea of Joseph as father, that He was referring to God’s business or affairs over Joseph’s, not the Temple over Joseph’s house. In other words, what God wanted Jesus to do was far more important that anyone else’ desires.

 The one thing that stands out to me regarding this verse is that Jesus saw His work for God as more important than anyone else’s, including Joseph and Mary.  And I want us all to be challenged to think the same way.  God’s calling on our lives is far more important than anything else.  We should never look at the desires of another to take priority over the desires of God.  We must always look at God’s ways as greater than ours.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.  Jesus here is laying out what should be our most important priorities.  Let us follow them as He did.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Isaiah 42:9

Verse of the Day Devotion Isaiah 42:9

“Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth, I proclaim them to you.” – Isaiah 42:9 

This is the last day of the year 2021.  I want this Verse of the Day to bring good news to you as we move into 2022.  We have a lot to be thankful for due to all God has done for us.  But we also have much to look forward to as well.  And that is what I want to focus on today.

Isaiah begins this idea with the following. “Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19.  It is appropriate to put our trust in God’s past action like creation and the exodus, as well as His help and blessings He has provided to us. These facts should never be ignored or set aside, for they provide assurances about God’s character. But the prophet exhorts his listeners not to allow just God’s former miraculous deeds to influence our faith decisions, for God is still alive and can be trusted to direct the future of his people.

And it is important to look at what God has promised to do for us in the future.  For believers, the life to come will be infinitely greater than the life we have lived and will continue to live down here.  It is important that we look ahead with immense anticipation to what God has in store for us who love Him and put our complete and total trust in Him.  It is more beautiful and wondrous than anything we have seen yet.  Therefore, I want to end 2021 with what God revealed to the Apostle John of what this next life, our eternal life, will be like.  And it will be amazing.

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true. And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning, and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” Revelation 21:1-7.

God Bless you and may 2022 be the best year you have ever had.  

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Psalm 119:165

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 119:165 

“Those who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.” – 119:165

Over the next couple of days as we approach the New Year, I will be looking at verses that I believe we all, including myself, should focus on as we approach and go into 2022.  I am preparing myself to focus my attention on how I want to think next year.  Thus, the verse selections for this week.

The writer of Psalm 119, who many believe to be David, makes it clear that it is the words of God that bring him peace.  From the first verse to the last, this chapter speaks of the author desiring to keep God’s commandments and ordinances, which encompass His Law, His word, and His ways.  And it also speaks of His judgement which he has stated is righteous.  For instance, “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.” Psalm 119:1.  And then, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant, For I do not forget Thy commandments.” Psalm 119:176 (Last Verse).  And as you carefully read through the entire chapter, you will see that practically all of them speak of His Law, which is His words and ordinances. 

And how can we keep and follow in His ways? “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.” Psalm 119:9.  The verse does say young man, but I believe that everyone is alluded to here, for we all can keep our ways pure by keeping His word.  It is imperative that we know His word and what is expected of us, and the only way we can do this is to read and study it.  And this speaks of one of my New Year goals for 2022, not that I do not do it now, but to make it a greater focus of my time.  And as we see in our focus verse, we are not just to do it simply out of duty,  but also because we love it and we love the one who gave it to us. Remember what Jesus spoke of as recorded in the gospel of John.  “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:10-11.

So we see here that when we strive to keep His commandments, then we declare our love for Him and we have peace because our joy is complete.  And Jesus is the perfect example, for as He was perfect in that He kept His Father’s commandments we must also keep the commandments given to us by the Father.  And we find these in His Word.  And as the writer of Psalm 119 said, “Seven times a day I praise Thee, Because of Thy righteous ordinances.” Psalm 119:164, we should also give thanks to God for His Word, for by it we are able to please Him and declare our love to Him.  

And according to our focus verse, it brings peace to us. “Those who love Thy law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.” Psalm 119:165.  What is essentially being said here is that those who love His Law will keep it, and by keeping His law will have great peace.  And speaking of us when we love His law we can have great calmness of mind. We will not be troubled and anxious. We will believe and feel that all things are well-ordered by Him and will be brought about with the best result. We, therefore, calmly leave all with Him. As a matter of fact, the friends of God have peace and calmness in their minds, even amidst the troubles, the disappointments, and the reverses of life. The love of God is the best and only way to secure permanent peace in the soul and thus nothing will cause us to stumble.

This is a beautiful promise of God, and thus I have made it one of my New Year resolutions to do all I can to know and understand His word greater then before.  And the way I can do this is to study and follow His laws, loving them beyond everything else so that I will not struggle to keep them.  And if I do that, then I will be at peace during all hard times, for I know that God will bring me through.  And I pray that you desire to do the same, to love His word and to keep it so that you will experience the same peace.  There can be no greater life than to live it with the peace of God alive in our hearts.

God Bless you All.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

1 Timothy 4:13

Verse of the Day Devotion 1 Timothy 4:13

“Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.” – 1 Timothy 4:13

Over the next couple of days as we approach the New Year, I will be looking at verses that I believe we all, including myself, should focus on as we approach and go into 2022.  I am preparing myself to focus my attention on how I want to think next year.  Thus, the verse selections for this week.

Paul here is writing to his disciple Timothy.  He is encouraging him to do the work of God and be a good servant of Jesus Christ. He starts out by reminding him that some will leave the Christian Faith. “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3.  And this message is also meant for us, for we are seeing the same thing today.  People are falling away from the faith because of the deception by spirits through the bad teachings being put forth in this world, and unfortunately by pastors and teachers in some of our churches today.

Paul then said that we should make this known to our brothers and sisters in Christ. “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” 1 Timothy 4:6. These are important things to tell our brothers and sisters about.  It is important to inform them of what is true and what is error, so that they may be cautious of these things and avoid the effect of wrong teachings. And in so doing, as it says in verse 7, we must tell them and ourselves “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” 1 Timothy 4:7.  What is meant here is fables and ignorant stories.  As an interesting point, Paul calls them graōdeis, which, in the Greek, literally means “old womanish.” In the culture of that day, superstition and gossip were rampant. Today, we refer to a superstitious myth as an “old wives’ tale,” and this is a similar sense of what Paul is saying here. The claims about God which Timothy needs to avoid are “silly:” unreliable hearsay which does not honor God.

Now we come to our focus verse. “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.” 1 Timothy 4:13.  Paul tells Timothy three things which he must devote his time to.  First, the public reading of scripture.  This was an important duty to perform.  In a social setting where few could have afforded or owned copies of Scripture (which would have been scrolls at this point in history), public reading was a primary avenue of teaching what the Scriptures say. Because of its perceived heavenly origin and edifying effect, it would also be a catalyst for worship. 

Second is exhortation. This regards us exhorting, admonishing, and encouraging them through the Word.  Another way to put this is to expound on the word in order to help them live the life they are called to live.  It is easy to be frustrated with the difficulty that this life can be.  And this frustration can cause us to back off if we are not careful.  And this can be done individually or in a group setting.  The idea is to use the Word to encourage and if necessary correct them so that they will stay on the right track.  And finally, teaching. There are many who are new Christians who need to understand what the Word says regarding what is true and what this Christian life is all about. There are also many who have been Christians for a while but have not been taught properly in the past.  If we do not take the opportunity to help these Christians understand this new life they are living, there is a good possibility they will stray from the truth, not because they want to, but because they may easily be duped by false teachers.

As I look forward to 2022, the Holy Spirit is placing this in my heart.  I want to read the scriptures more than I have in the past.  I want to read it privately on my own, as well as to and with those who need help in their Christian walk. I want to preach more so that I can share with a group of Christians what this life is and how to live it with much vigor.  And also, I want to teach more, getting deeper in the scriptures so as to educate people as to what the scriptures say and what they mean at a higher level then they have see before.  And this is another of my New Year resolutions that God has placed on my heart. 

And again, I encourage all of my Christian friends and family members to pray about what God is calling you to do in 2022 in service to Him.  There are many who need our help in understanding this Christian life as well as the scriptures in more depth.  And also, spending time in prayer that God will continue to work through you to become more fruitful in your calling.  These are my prayers for myself, and also for you all.  And for anyone who is reading this and have not accepted Christ, please feel free to send me an email to the address below if you desire more information or just wish to talk about it.

God Bless you All.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

2 Corinthians 4:16

Verse of the Day Devotion 2 Corinthians 4:16  

“Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16  

Over the next couple of days as we approach the New Year, I will be looking at verses that I believe we all, including myself, should focus on as we approach and go into 2022.  I am preparing myself to focus my attention on how I want to think next year.  Thus, the verse selections for this week.

Earlier in this chapter, Paul speaks of the suffering he and his companions go through for the cause of Christ. He begins by declaring that God is doing the work through them, not by them alone. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;” 2 Corinthians 4:7.  They had submitted themselves to God to work through them to do His great work.  However, then he speaks of what this work has brought them, persecution. “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”2 Corinthians 4:8-10.  They suffered much in this work of bringing the truth of Jesus Christ predominantly to the Gentiles, but also to Jews.  We see this clarified in the next verse, “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” 2 Corinthians 4:11.

How could they do this? “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I BELIEVED; THEREFORE I SPOKE,’ we also believe, therefore also we speak;” 2 Corinthians 4:13. This was according to what was written in Psalm 116:10.   What He is essentially saying is, according to that which is written and he quoted above, we also believe, and therefore speak,” and without fear amidst afflictions and deaths.  And this is assured because in verse 14 he writes, “knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:14-15.   

And now to our focus verse. “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16.  His soul, that which cannot be felt or seen by others, is renewed, revived, and receives a daily increase of light and life from God, so that they grow more holy, more happy, and more filled with His glory  every day.

And he can say this, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.  He states that the afflictions He endures will bring  an eternal weight of glory beyond what he could ever imagine or experience here.  Also, he states that he doesn’t focus on what happens to him here, or the ways of this world, but on the things that cannot be seen, the glories of Heaven. He lives completely by faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.  For as he says, the things that can now be seen or touched are temporary and will eventually no longer exist.  But those things that we cannot see are eternal as we Christians also are eternal.

I have been thinking of the New Year and what changes I would like to make.  A big one for me is to be more focused on eternal things rather than earthly things.  Knowing that when I go home I will have a whole different life where the things here have no real value in the grand scheme of things.  And also to focus more intently on being a light in this world, spreading the truth through my words as well as the life I live.  And I want to encourage everyone I know to make this your goal in 2022 as well.  We are called to be that light that people see.  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16.  It is so important that we don’t just not talk the talk but also walk the walk.  Make this your goal in 2022.  We are all called to make disciples of Christ.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.  Let’s make this our primary focus starting now and for the rest of our time here on earth.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.