Luke 6:47

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 6:47 

“Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like.” – Luke 6:47 

Here in chapter six Jesus is taking time to instruct His disciples.  In verse forty-six, He asks the disciples a question. “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46.  The definition of the word Kurios here translated “Lord” has various meanings, and the definition that fits best here in this context is the idea of a sovereign ruler or master.  Jesus was essentially asking them why do they not obey Him if He is their Lord. As the theologian Adam Clarke put it, “God judges of the heart, not by words, but by works. A good servant never disputes, speaks little, and always follows his work.”  Essentially, He is speaking regarding the contrast between confession and obedience.  The idea being you can say all you want, but if your deeds are not consistent with your words, you have fallen into the error of hypocrisy. And this is what Jesus was letting them know via the question, “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

Then, in our focus verse, Jesus clarifies what He is saying by giving them two examples; one where they do what He says and then one where they do not. He starts with those who come to Him, hear His words, and then acts upon them, essentially doing what He told them. “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” Luke 6:48. They had taken the time to build a strong foundation on the rock so that the house would not fall because of the storm.  On the other hand, the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:49. He built a similar house but did not lay a solid foundation, and when the storm hit, the house fell on account of the lack of a solid foundation, and Jesus finishes this with “and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:49.

Jesus was teaching them that they can follow Him all over the place, but if they do not hear what He is saying and act upon His teachings, they will not develop a solid foundation in the faith and could possibly turn away. This is what I believe happened to Judas. He was more concerned with the works of this world that He did not establish a firm base for His belief in Jesus as the Messiah. And unfortunately, we see many in our churches that fall into this category.  They read the word out of duty, but not to build a proper foundation.  They give their tithes, not because they want to, but in order to lift themselves up and get the tax credits. They sit in the pews and listen to solid preaching, but they do not apply what they have heard to themselves, however they become critics of others.

How often do we call Jesus Lord, but do not do what He says?  This is the reason His word was given to us, so that read it, understand, and fulfil His will for us. He is our Lord because we, as Christians, are His. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

If we call Him Lord, which He is, then we must obey Him completely.  This means from our heart and our deeds. And we can do this by hearing what He is telling us in His word and doing what it says. By doing, we are creating a strong foundation which will keep us truly in the faith by which we profess. We must not be hypocrites in saying Jesus is our Lord and yet not listening to Him and doing what He says. Let us make the decision to follow Him completely, doing what He says even if it is difficult. By doing this, we will show the world we are truly His disciples which can open doors to being a light in this dark world.

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

Matthew 18:21

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 18:21 

“Then Peter came and said to Him,  Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” – Matthew 18:21

Jesus had just finished a teaching on what must be done if our brother sins against us.  He starts out with telling His disciples what to do if this happens. “And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.” Matthew 18:15-17. It is important that if a brother sins against us, we are to go to him alone and reprove him, letting him know what he has done. And if he does not listen to you, bring two or three believers with you, ones this man listens to with the hope he will then listen to you. However, if he does not, then bring it to the church so they can speak with him.  When it gets this far, and he does not listen, then he is to be treated like a non-believer and tax collector.  Both these expressions stand for people outside the people of God, people who have sinned and not repented, and that is the position of the sinning brother. He has made his choice, and the brother sinned against must respect his decision. It is usually said that the passage speaks of excommunication from the church, but that is not what the text says; to you is very personal. Whatever be the case vis-à-vis the church, to the brother against whom he has sinned he is as an outsider.  

Now, after this teaching Peter asks Jesus a question as seen in our focus verse. “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Matthew 18:21b.  Peter, wishing to appear especially forgiving and benevolent, asked Jesus if forgiveness was to be offered seven times.  The Jewish rabbis at the time taught that forgiving someone more than three times was unnecessary. This idea is found in the book of Amos, “Thus says the LORD, For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.” Amos 1:3. Now this verse was pointing at Damascus, but we see the same basic verse pointing to other nations: verse 6 for Gaza, verse 9 regarding Tyre and verse 13 regarding Ammon.  The idea was that after three times they would not be forgiven. This then became a maxim among the Jews never to forgive more then three times.  However, Jesus responds in a surprising, and I am sure a shocking way to Peter’s question. “Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:22.  Jesus replaces seven times with seventy times seven, or 490 times. 

Now, this is not an arithmetic issue that after 490 offense, forgiveness was not necessary. It is a way of saying that for Jesus’ followers forgiveness is to be unlimited. For them forgiveness is a way of life. Bearing in mind what they have been forgiven, they cannot withhold forgiveness from any who sin against them. “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:14-15. By saying we are to forgive those who sin against us seventy times seven, Jesus was not limiting forgiveness to 490 times, a number that is, for all practical purposes, beyond counting. Christians with forgiving hearts not only do not limit the number of times they forgive; they continue to forgive with as much grace the thousandth time as they do the first time. Christians alone are capable of this type of forgiving spirit because the Spirit of God lives within us, and it is He who provides the ability to offer forgiveness over and over, just as God forgives us over and over.

This is such an important thought. No matter what anyone does to us, and as many times as they do it, it in incumbent upon us to forgive each and every time. “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-29. This is the love God has for us, and He expects us to exhibit this love to our fellow man. “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:25-26.

And lastly, this love should be for everyone, including our enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48.

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

Ephesians 4:2

Verse of the Day Devotion Ephesians 4:2 

“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.” – Ephesians 4:2

Paul here begins a discussion regarding the importance of unity in the body of Christ. He starts by saying the following, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”  Ephesians 4:1.  He is calling the church as a whole to walk in a manner worthy of the calling placed upon them. This calling is twofold. First, that the Church is to be composed of both Jews and Gentiles. There should be no holding one group above another but all are to be looked at equally. Paul also made this clear to the Church in Galatia. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:27-28. Everyone follower is equal in the eyes of Christ.

And second, the Church is a ‘holy’ people, set apart from the secular world, like Israel in Old Testament days, to belong to God. And this is the idea expounded on in this section of Ephesians. And how are we to walk worthy of our calling?  “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3.  And as theologian John Stott says, “Therefore, because God’s people are called to be one people, they must manifest their unity, and because they are called to be a holy people, they must manifest their purity. Unity and purity are two fundamental features of a life worthy of the church’s divine calling.”

The first thing Paul mentions is ‘lowliness’ or ‘humility’. This lowliness is essential for unity.  Pride lurks behind all discord, while the greatest single secret of concord is humility. The idea is, if instead of maneuvering for respect from others, we give others our respect by recognizing their God-given worth. Through humility, we will be advancing harmony. 

Next he adds ‘meekness’ to the picture. This is essentially kindness. It is mildness of disposition and gentleness of spirit. It is not a synonym for weakness. On the contrary, it is in essence the gentleness of the strong, whose strength is under control.  It is the not asserting personal rights, either in the presence of God or of men. It is particularly appropriate in pastors and other church leaders who should also use their authority only in a spirit of gentleness.  So, as you can see, lowliness and meekness form a natural union, for one cannot exist without the other. Another natural pair is the next two on the list, longsuffering and forbearing. Patience is longsuffering towards aggravating people, for example what God in Christ has shown towards us, while forbearing one another speaks of that mutual tolerance without which no group of human beings can live together in peace.

Then there is love, which embraces the other four, and is the crown and sum of all virtues, since to love is constructively to seek the welfare of others and the good of the community. Paul  lays this out also to the Church in Colossae, where he wrote, “And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:12-14. 

It is absolutely essential that we follow what Paul is saying here, loving everyone equally and working toward the unity of the body as Christ has called us to.  I have seen too many churches where this has not been followed, and it has not worked out at all and is diminishing the impact to it’s members and the community around them as a whole.  It is up to all of us to truly join the body of Christ together in the bonds of love through our humility and gentleness, with patience and forbearing. And when there is true unity, the world will see this and understand what this Christian life is all about.

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

James 5:13

Verse of the Day Devotion James 5:13   

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.” – James 5:13

This verse is stating how we must deal with life’s situations in a way that is pleasing to God. The two life situations found here in our focus verse deals with bad and good circumstances.  These two specific things are dealt with in a general matter, but the question that is dealt with here is: How must the Christian who is devoted to Christ and His ways, react to situations in life. So, let us look at the two found in our focus verse.

First, is anyone among you suffering? Or more personal, are we suffering? Now this suffering can take many forms. First, being in pain.  Another may be regarding the death of a family member or friend.  It could also be suffering from hunger. Or it could be suffering because of the ways of another toward us. There are many ways people suffer in this world. How is a Christian to react in these times? We are to pray. We are to lift up to God the things we are suffering and trust Him who can delivers us from it or bring us through it. Suffering is never enjoyable.  However, Paul says the following to the Romans. “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5.  As James said if we are suffering we should pray, for God knows exactly what we are going through. “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5.  He understands what we are going through. And as Jesus suffered in order to spread the good news, Paul encourages us to do the same. “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5. We must understand that because we suffer, we must reach out to God to help us continue the work we are called to no matter the suffering. The prayer believers are to offer in such circumstances is not necessarily for deliverance from the trial, but for the strength to endure it faithfully.

And second, we should praise God during our good times.   The believer is also to pray when he is cheerful. Euthymeō, the Greek word translated cheerful,  refers not to outward circumstances, but to the cheerfulness and happiness of heart that one can have whether in good times or in bad. When our hearts are comforted, it is all too easy to forget that this contentment comes ultimately and only from God. Thus, perhaps even more than when suffering, we must be reminded in times of happiness of our glad obligation to acknowledge God’s supreme role in our lives. We are to do this, James says, singing praise. This praise we lift up is actually a form of prayer which gives all honor and glory, and thanks, to the one who has provided this peace and comfort to us.

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we must give glory to God, knowing that even during difficult times we can lift it up in prayer and He hears us and helps us. “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how-to live-in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13. So, what is important is that no matter what our circumstances we find ourselves in, we should go to God, praying and Praising Him. For He is the one who brings us through trials and gives of peace and contentment.

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

Luke 9:62

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 9:62 

“But Jesus said to him, No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62  

After spending some time speaking about the twelve with the disciples, Jesus now enters into conversations with three would-be followers.  These three brief exchanges differ from the classic ‘call to follow’ stories as laid out in the synoptic gospels.  In these earlier stories each call is issued by Jesus to named persons, and each individual follows without resistance or delay.  Here, contrary to the former stories, the first and third conversations are initiated by those desiring to follow Him, while the second is called by Jesus.  Let us look at each of these incidents and see what occurred, namely what Jesus laid out as the conditions of discipleship..

The first candidate, whose name is unknown tells Jesus He will follow Him anywhere He goes. However, Jesus’ response is, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Luke 9:58. Jesus was essentially telling him that animals can adapt to nature and survive and accept this lifestyle.  However, the Son of Man has not been sent into the world to adapt to it. And therefore, His followers should not adapt to it either.  How foreign this Jesus to the domesticated Jesus of nineteenth-century liberalism so comfortably conventional. The world may claim shelter as an inalienable human right, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head; it may claim the right to a better future, but the Son of Man offers hope only in the coming kingdom of God; it may claim the right to rest, peace, and justice, but the Son of Man finds only tribulation in the world.

The second man was invited by Jesus to follow Him; however, his response was, “Permit me first to go and bury my father.”  The question raised here is, was his father already dead, or was he in danger of dying soon?  We do not have an answer regarding this, but Jesus’s answer regards the aspects of the Law covering the burial of the dead. Jews regarded proper burial of the dead among the “decrees and instructions” commanded in Torah. Burial was a paramount example of a “work of love,” enjoining tears, mourning, and fervent wailing. To not neglect burial was for all ancients, Jews and Greeks, a virtually inviolable duty.  However, what He was telling him was the keeping of the law, and in this case the burial laws, must become secondary to following Him and His ways and work. 

And finally, another one comes to Jesus. “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” Luke 9:61. Jesus would later speak on this idea that anyone who chooses to follow Him must put Him above everyone else in their lives. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26.  Basically, His message is if you love anyone or anything more than me, than you are not worthy to be my disciple.

We must also remember that, as Christians, nothing else can take precedence over Jesus and the work He has called us to. And we should not look and think about how things could have been like.  And this is the basis of our focus verse, which is, “But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62. Jesus now points to commonsense farming wisdom to portray discipleship as single-minded detachment from the life and social systems one has known. A farmer who is plowing a field had best look ahead rather than backward. And Jesus means now; the field is already being readied for planting.  To look back at your former life can put us in a position of regret regarding what could have been.  We must believe that following Christ is the best life we could possibly have and want in the present and future, and what is in the past has no comparison.

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

Philippians 4:7

Verse of the Day Devotion Philippians 4:7 

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7 

This verse is the result of doing what can be an extremely difficult. Looking back at verse 4 we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4. Paul is telling the Philippians to always to be happy and content.  They are to rejoice no matter what happens. This is important because anything that God allows is for our good. “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.  Or it is for the benefit of another. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. iz

Then in the next verse he continues, “Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”   Philippians 4:5.  The word ‘forbearing’ is the Greek word ‘epieikēs’ having the idea  of being gentle, kind, and courteous. Those who are truly rejoicing in the Lord at all times will be characterized by the idea mentioned above. This is how other people are to experience the Christian’s joy in the Lord, through seeing their gentleness and kindness; not insisting on every right of letter of law or custom, but by yielding and being gentle and tolerant.  Aristotle described the gentle person as ‘one who by choice and habit does what is equitable, and who does not stand on his rights unduly, but is content to receive a smaller share although he has the law on his side’. And this gentleness should be reserved not only for family, friends, or fellow Christians. It should be evident to all, as the verse above declares.

Taking this a little deeper, we read in the next verse, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6. This can only take affect if we truly believe that God is with us and will bring us through whatever is happening to us. He is admonishing us not to be anxious about anything. Instead of worrying about situations, lift them up to the one who loves and cares for us.  We must understand that prayer is truly the antidote for anxiety. We are called to lift up our needs humbly to God. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7. God cares for us, and He wants us to by anxious for nothing. Therefore, instead of worrying, we should tell God what we need. And not to demand or beg, but as verse 6 says, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6b.

And if we do this as stated in verses 4-6, God will give us peace. As our focus verse states, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7. After his instructions on prayer, Paul presents the promise of the peace of God that goes beyond anything we could ever imagine. And one other thing to note here.  The condition for experiencing God’s peace is not that God grants all of our requests but that we have made known all our requests to God with thanksgiving. God’s peace is not the result of the power of our prayers or the effectiveness of our prayers. Prayer is our openness about our needs before God, our emptiness in his presence, our absolute dependence upon him with an attitude of constant thanksgiving and complete trust. And it is this trust that God hears us that gives us the peace we need. He may not answer us in the way we would want, but we must trust that what He does is for our good.

So, if you find yourself feeling anxious about something, get on your knees and in humility present your needs, that are causing anxiety, to God. Leave it with Him, trusting that He knows what is best and though it is not what you want, it is what is best. Through this, we receive peace that passes all understanding, and then we can proclaim, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4.

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

Matthew 9:13

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 9:13 

“But go and learn what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:13 

This verse is part of the story where Matthew was called by Jesus to be one of His disciples.  “And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, “Follow Me! And he rose and followed Him.” Matthew 9:9. There appears to have been no hesitation from Matthew in making this decision for it says he got right up and followed.  In fact, Luke tells us that Matthew left everything behind to follow Him. “And he left everything behind and rose and began to follow Him.” Luke 5:28.

After Jesus called him, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home for dinner. The length of time between Matthew’s call and the dinner mentioned here is not specified in the text, but it was likely a short time span. And more people showed up to attend. “And it happened that as He was reclining at the table in the house, behold many tax-gatherers and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.” Matthew 9:10. These were probably friends and colleagues of Matthew who were also invited to the dinner. Tax collectors would likely be unacceptable to the Pharisees due not only to their deserved reputation for extortion but also to their frequent associations with Gentiles. The term ‘sinners’ designates those whose behavior was egregiously ungodly, but from the Pharisaic perspective it may also include those who did not observe the traditional interpretations of the scriptures on such matters as ritual purity, food laws, and Sabbath observance.

Now, the Pharisees thought this to be unacceptable, so they questioned it. “And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” Matthew 9:11. The attitude of the Pharisees was one of disgust. In essence, their attitude was such that their intended question was probably, “Why is your Teacher eating with such scum?” Now, when Jesus heard this, He immediately answers them with an analogy, even though the question was not addressed directly to Him. “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12. Jesus is associating sin with  disease. Metaphorically and proverbially speaking, the sinners with whom he associated with were “ill” and needed help. Jesus takes a humble illustration from ordinary life, where it is the sick, not the well, who need medical help.

Next, we come to our focus verse. “But go and learn what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13. First, he tells the Pharisees to look at Hosea so they can truly understand what it means. He is not telling them to go away, but to think about what He means.  Then He proceeds to quote the prophet Hosea from the Old Testament.  “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6. This is what He was saying they did not understand.  Jesus used the word ‘compassion’ rather than loyalty, but when looking at the Hebrew for this word, it can mean ‘goodness’ and ‘kindness’, which is basically compassion. The Pharisees would have understood this. But then He goes further to say, “for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13b.

The Pharisees presumed they were good enough because they believed they kept the letter of the law.  That they followed all the rituals and deeds that they believed God required of them, and this was adequate to attain eternal life. The prophets did not want to abolish the sacrificial system but to reform it by stressing inner purity over ritual purity. Jesus’ final words apply the metaphorical language to the reality of his mission—the ‘healthy’ are those who think they are righteous, like the Pharisees, and the ‘sick’ are those who realize that they need Jesus’ ‘medicine.’ It is to this second group that Jesus was sent, and he called them to repentance. And this is what we are called to do. “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15. There should be no one we consider  unworthy of hearing the truth and having the opportunity to repent and receive salvation. The Pharisees believed they were just fine. The tax collectors and sinners did not, and therefore Jesus spent His time with them.  We must always be ready to present the gospel, no matter who it is.  If we speak to them the truth of the gospel, we have done what He desires us to do.  But if we choose not to because we do not want to associate with them, then we are not. We must be humble and go to all with the medicine of the gospel. Let’s make doing our best to reach the lost our goal in this life.  iz

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

Proverbs 16:28

Verse of the Day Devotion Proverbs 16:28

“A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends.” – Proverbs 16:28  

Solomon, the author of Proverbs, is writing here regarding causing strife. This happens so much in this world. I have experienced this multiple times in work environments where someone who desires to move up will say things about others that are detrimental to their reputations so that they can possibly take over their position. And there are many other examples of this idea, where people are hurt by the words of another, and this results in divisiveness.

Lets start with the verse above our focus verse. “A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are as a scorching fire.” Proverbs 16:27. The Hebrew word here for worthless is belı̂ya‛al which has the idea of someone who is wicked and Godless. Going back to the verse, a wicked and Godless man works to dig up evil about a person. Any bad thing they hear about someone they will pass around, letting as many people know as possible. The analogy is a wicked man who labors much to bring about an evil purpose, as the quarryman does to dig up stones. The sense is that for the ungodly man, the evil he casually finds is not enough to satisfy his desire, therefore he digs around to pursue any evil he can come up with. And when he digs up evil, he cannot keep it to himself. He must spread it from his lips as if it were a burning fire. What he finds he spreads, like a scorching fire.  And this simile speaks of the devastating effect these words can have on that person.

Now, moving on to our focus verse, “A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.” Proverbs 16:28. The idea of this word perverse is a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often despite possible consequences.  Solomon states that a perverse person spreads strife through the method of tale-bearing of gossiping. They find out something bad about someone and their desire is to let people know what this person said or did, without any thought about the affect it may have on that person.  It is like a whisperer who goes amount secretly telling people what they know.  A modern word for this activity is gossiping, which is unconstrained conversations or reports about other people, typically involving information which the gossiper has incomplete information on. And the information spread is predominately malicious, misrepresenting the truth.  This can also be deemed as slander, which our focus verse states can cause intimate friendships to end, which is division.  And Paul had harsh words for those who cause division. “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” Romans 16:17-18.

I encourage everyone to watch out that they do not find themselves spreading words that could be hurtful to anyone or cause any form of division between people. This is not love, and we need to avoid such activities. Paul, again, wrote regarding gossip, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29.  Our speech should provide encouragement to all, consolation where needed, and joy to all who hear it.  It must be words that bring us together and not divide us. It should help people understand what Christianity is all about and should provide reasons for the unsaved to desire and ultimately accept the salvation Jesus provided. This is what God has called us to do.  Let us not deviate from the good speech that helps people in their walk, causing them to question the reality of Christianity and possibly abandoning belief in Christ altogether.

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

Romans 15:13

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 15:13   

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 5:13

Here, Paul is writing to the Church in Rome, encouraging them to have hope. He starts this message with two verses that declare Christ to be servant to all people. In verse eight he speaks of the Jews. “For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,” Romans 15:8. Those who were of the circumcision were readily understood to be the Jews.  He was showing the gentiles the importance of bearing with the often-troublesome Jews. He shows them here that they were under the greatest obligations to share with this people the gospel. And He showed this by Jesus confining his ministry to the Jews. And He did this to confirm the truth of God, contained in the promises made unto the patriarchs. But this salvation was not exclusively designed for the Jewish people as God by his prophets had repeatedly declared.

In the next verse we read, “and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” Romans 15:9. As the Jews were to glorify God for his truth, so the Gentiles were to glorify God for his mercy. In verse nine he quotes a verse in the psalms. “Therefore, I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.” Psalm 18:49.  The ‘nations’, being plural, refers to all nations, which include the gentile nations. In the next verse he quotes from Deuteronomy the following, “Rejoice, O nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And will render vengeance on His adversaries, And will atone for His land and His people.” Deuteronomy 32:43. Then in verse ten, “Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples!” Psalm 117:1. And finally in verse twelve, “Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10.  This one here is especially pertinent for it speaks of all people standing before the Root of Jesse, Christ, resting together with Him.

Coming to our focus verse, we read “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13. The discussion of the relations between strong and weak in the Church comes to an end with a brief prayer for the readers. The true content and goal of faith is not the right to eat and drink, but joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. There is not to be any division regarding beliefs in the Church.  The Jews and gentiles differed in the food they ate and various other beliefs. And today, we also differ in various ways, such as how we worship or what we do when we gather.  However,  our focus should always be in the hope we all share in Christ, knowing that He is our hope and the God of Hope. We may have differences at times, but we should never allow this to separate or drive us apart. For we all, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, older or younger; conservative or radical, as Christians we all share one God and one hope, that being Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us all join in this one hope, praying as Paul did. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13.

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

John 1:16

Verse of the Day Devotion John 1:16   

“For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” – John 1:16 

John chapter one speaks of the promised Messiah coming into the world.  First, He is the Word who was from the beginning with God and in fact was God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1.  And he eventually came into this world as the promised Messiah. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14. Therefore, this one who has come to us is God in the form of man. John the Baptist spoke of Him saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.” John 1:15. Now remember that John was born before Jesus was, therefore, his reference to Him having existed prior to himself must refer to ‘from the beginning’.

Then we see our focus verse. “For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” John 1:16. What does this mean? There are many interpretations as to what this means.  But after much time looking into this, I want to present this viewpoint. But we must first go into the Old Testament for some background.  First, God created the heavens and the earth.  Then He created all the animals and plant life, and ultimately man in His own image. “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:26-27. But man, disobeyed God and was then removed from the Garden of Eden and not allowed to return. Note, He did not kill them, but promised a way of reconciliation. “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15.

Then God, as recorded in Genesis twenty, gave the Law to His people.  However, again they broke His Law. However, they were given the means of repentance by way of sacrifices.  There were two mandatory sacrifices regarding sin. The first was the sin offering. The purpose of the sin offering was to atone for sin and cleanse from defilement. And the other mandatory sacrifice was the trespass offering, and this sacrifice was exclusively a ram. The trespass offering was given as atonement for unintentional sins that required reimbursement to an offended party, and as a cleansing from defiling sins or physical maladies.

In all these instances, both regarding Adam and Eve and the Jewish people, God provided grace to His people. Adam and Eve were not killed, but they were removed from the garden. And with the sacrifices, He provided a means by which they could be forgiven. But only past sins, not future also.

And now back to our focus verse, “For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” John 1:16. In verse fourteen we read, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. We see here the Jesus, the Word who became flesh, was full of grace and truth. And it is through this truth that we understand God’s grace as exhibited by Jesus. Grace used to come via the works of the law and the sacrifices they made for sin, however, Jesus took on the work of salvation for us, and we do not need to do anything but believe and become Jesus’ follower.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

The primary focus is on this grace, as is evident in what follows the parenthetical reference in verse 15 to the Baptist’s witness. The Son is not simply full of grace; he has a fullness from which he shares with others. The verse reads literally, “For from his fullness we all (have) received even grace upon grace.” In part the image may be of an unending supply of grace like the water he will offer the Samaritan woman. The grace within the law was a grace that came through works. However, Jesus brings a grace that is a gift from God, which is infinitely greater than the former grace. This is a grace that we accept from Him which, in essence, replaces or ‘covers’ the grace that was offered before. This grace was technically offered from before creation for He knew we would fall. And remember what God spoke to Adam and Eve. “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15. The Christ will address the enemy and defeat him, and because of this, He will provide the grace we need through His death.  This is grace upon grace we now have access to grace that goes beyond what we do, and through His death and resurrection, we can receive grace unimaginable; the grace which covers all sins, past and future, through His work which completes the overall work of grace.

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