1 Corinthians 16:13

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 Corinthians 16:13 

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13

There are times when the enemy makes it difficult to stand strong in the truth.  Have you ever been in a position where staying true to God would end in persecution or humiliation?  I will say I have, and in my earlier years I had not always taken a firm stand for Christ.

The idea this verse alludes to is that we should always be on our guard.  We need to look out for the enemy and his wiles.  He does not want us to be successful in this Christian walk.  He is constantly putting stumbling blocks in our way, desiring that we fall away or at the least, compromise.   Have you ever been with people who subtly get you thinking of things you know are wrong?  Or in desiring to fit in, have you spoken badly about someone or nodded in agreement when someone else has?

These times can be hard to see, which is why Paul is adamant that we be on the watch.  We must always look at everything to ensure we do not fall victim to the temptations brought our way.  What I have found true is the things we desire often are the areas he attacks us in.  If we are looking for friendship, we must not desire it more than staying true to God’s commands, for it would be easy to compromise our beliefs if we are not careful.  If we desire to go away somewhere, would we be willing to lie in order to get out of another commitment we made earlier, even if that would result in harm to another?  We must stand firm in the faith; for our sake and the sake of others.  “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;” Philippians 2:3.

We must never yield to anyone or anything that desires us to sin, showing the world we are not serious about our faith.  We must always stand for what we know is the truth, not wavering at all.  We must hold firm to our confidence in God, notwithstanding all the deceit, insinuations, and those of our friends who try to get us to follow their false ways.  As it says, we must be that man or woman who does not act cowardly but stands boldly before all no matter the consequences.  This is what we are called to do.  This is who we are called to be.  I want to encourage us all to be willing to give all, up to and including our lives for the sake of the gospel.  And we can only do this through His Spirit.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:10-12.

He gave His life for us.  Should we not be willing to give ours for Him?

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

1 John 2:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 John 2:1

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” – 1 John 2:1

In the first chapter, John lays out how we are to view sin in our lives.  “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10.  In summary, John is saying if we say we are fellowshipping with Jesus and yet continue in sin, we are lying and there is not truth in what we say.  But if we live and walk in holiness and purity and thereby shine the light of Christ into the darkness, then we shall have fellowship with Him and each other.  Notice the two things John says about the declaration of no sin.  1)  we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us, and 2) we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

John states in our focus verse that he wrote those things that we would not sin.  The idea here is to strive for a life of holiness.  To make the purpose of our life to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.  Unfortunately, we are all tempted to sin, and there are times when we succumb to the temptation.  However, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus, who lived the life of perfection we could not and through His death, burial and resurrection we were justified, declared righteous, for the penalty was paid for us on the cross of Christ.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9.

This to me is a very encouraging verse.  We are called to live a holy life, and we can only do this through the power and agency of the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately, we get distracted from this calling and we fall into the trap of doing what we want as opposed to what God wants.  This, to me, is the definition of sin; following our desires rather than his.  The encouraging thing is that we have that advocate with the Father.  The definition of advocate in the Merriam-Webster dictionary Is one who pleads the case or cause of another before a judicial court.  Jesus pleads our case before the Father for mercy and forgiveness, which is granted, again, because of the work of Christ on the cross.  He does not just forgive, but He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness.   How great is the father’s love for us!

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

Hebrews 12:3

Verse of the Day Devotion: Hebrews 12:3

“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” – Hebrews 12:3 

This can be a very difficult verse to accept.  What the writer of Hebrews is saying is we should be as Christ in our strength and fortitude regarding the hostility and suffering we experience.  “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2. Jesus freely came here to suffer death for us, knowing through His own death we could be counted righteous and able to enter into the kingdom of God.  And this was a great joy to Him.  In fact, we would be joint heirs with Him.  “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:16-17.  As Jesus suffered, we must also be willing to suffer for in so doing we will be glorified with Him.  We should look at these trials as a precursor to great joy promised to us by Him, just as He, in joy, sacrificed Himself for us.

The Apostle Peter had a few things to say about this.  “Servants be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.  For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.  For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it; this finds favor with God.” 1 Peter 2:18-20.  We are to be kind to all, no matter what anyone does to us.  If we are treated harshly, we are to endure it with patience.  This is what we see in how Jesus dealt with unjust suffering.  He could have saved himself but chose not to.  “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?’” Matthew 26:52-54.

We are called to follow this example.  Paul again says here, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  Ephesians 5:1-2.  We are to be like Him, walking in love to the point that we would sacrifice our very life as well.  This seems impossible; however, our focus verse shows us the way.  We need to look to Jesus; see how He endured even more than we have or ever will.  How He was treated even more harshly for no cause then we ever will.  We must, through the Holy Spirit, suffer for the cause of Christ.  We are not to compromise but be steadfast under every circumstance.  And when we begin to faint and lose heart, go to God.  “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

We are not alone.  God will be with us, helping us to follow the ways of Jesus, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart when persecuted.  This is a great promise that we must grasp with all we have.  And the harder the persecution, the more we can count on Him.  What a great and loving God we serve.

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

Revelation 21:4

Verse of the Day Devotion: Revelation 21:4

“And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

This verse denotes a time of rejoicing.  A time when the old order is done away with, and the blessed future eternal order will become the norm.  We all know the trials and tribulations that come to us from the enemy.  It seems like there is no rest from the hardships prevalent here on this earth.  People weeping from broken hearts, loneliness, hunger and constant pain, both physical and mental.  However, things will change, all will be made new, promised by God who is faithful in all things.

So, let’s look at what this life will be like.  First, God will wipe away every tear we weep.  This will be a wonderfully blessed state where sorrow and mourning will fade away and there will only be love, joy, peace and contentment.  There no longer will be any pain caused by illness, sickness and calamities because they no longer exist.  And even death will be done away with.   Isaiah wrote regarding this time, “He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 25:8.

Such a different life then we have now.  We cannot fathom such a life.  In fact, we cannot even begin to understand what God has planned for us.  “But just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

There are a lot of gorgeous things on this earth.  Flowers that leave us speechless by their beauty.  Mountains that soar into the skies producing a wonderful landscape in the distance.  Birds just exploding with colors that work so well together.  The sounds of a flowing creek, the chirping of a bird, or the incredible echoes from the valleys as the words bounce off the hillsides back to our ears.

I am sure you have sights and sounds that just amaze you and allow you to relax in total contentedness.  I am sure we have thought of things that truly do not exist, but if they did would be beyond beautiful.  However, look what Paul said in the above verse.  Nothing we see here will come close in comparison to the beauty we shall see in the new heaven and earth.  No sounds here will ever compare to what is coming in our eternal existence.  And even our imaginations cannot conceive of what God has in store for us.  And the amazing thing is that there will never be an end to this wonderful life.

Yes, things may not be perfect here.  There is a lot of ugliness, anger, hatred, and pain in this life.  But a better time is coming.  The effects of the fall in the garden will be done away with.  All of creation will be remade.  Imagine, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also, the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9.

It is hard to imagine, but this, and infinitely more will be our life forevermore.  Praise God, I cannot wait.

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

Matthew 6:24

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” – Matthew 6:24

Jesus, in His famous Sermon on the Mount, is telling His listeners that they cannot be divided in their devotions, specifically if their demands are contrary to the other.  Imagine a man who is subject to two masters, and they desire the house exterior to be painted.  Master 1 tells the man in the morning to paint it blue because blue is his favorite color.  He then goes off on a business trip.  On the same day, master 2 tells him in the afternoon to paint it green because green is his favorite color.  He then goes off on a business trip as well.  Both ordered him to have it completed by the time they get back.  The slave is now in a predicament.  He obviously cannot please both.  If he paints it blue, master 1 will be pleased and master 2 will be angry.  And if he paints it green, master 2 will be pleased and master one will be angry.

This is the idea that Jesus is trying to get across.  We cannot obey two masters.  First, He said we would either hate one and love the other.  According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the meaning of ‘hate’ here is the idea of loving less.  Therefore, what He is saying is we will love one more than the other.  In the above example, depending on who the man loves more will determine the color the house will be.

He also said that he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  In other words, He is saying that regarding opposing commands, we will hearken to one of the master’s and neglect the other.  We will respect the command of the one master and disrespect the other.  Either way, we will anger one of them.

Then He completes this idea by alluding to the reason for this verse.  We cannot serve both God and wealth.  The word translated wealth here actually is deeper than just wealth.  It signifies wealth, but also money, riches and things.  Basically, worldly goods.  There is nothing wrong with worldly things like money, jewelry, cars, etc.    However, which do we love and follow after?  Since we can only serve one or the other, would we give up things for God, or give up God for things?

Jesus gave this very choice to the rich young ruler.  “And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?  And He said to him, Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’  Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Matthew 19:16-20.  This ruler asked Jesus what He needed to do to be saved.  Jesus responded with, because he was no doubt a Jewish ruler, items found in the ten commandments.  The young ruler responded by telling Jesus that he has kept all these things, what else is there?  “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.  But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.’”  Matthew 19:21-22.

Jesus basically asked the ruler, “would we give up things for God, or give up God for things?”  Unfortunately, he chose the latter.  I believe that we, as Christians, have chosen God over things.  However, it is always good to follow the suggestion of the writer of Lamentations where he wrote. “Let us examine and probe our ways and let us return to the LORD.”  Lamentations 3:40. Are there things we love more than we should?  Can we honestly look at all we have and say there is nothing here I would not give up for Christ?  Maybe so, but the verse above says it is a good idea to examine ourselves periodically.  If everything is good, praise God.  If there is something, pray and determine what you need to do and do it.  This is pleasing to God and of great benefit to us.

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

Hebrews 10:23

Verse of the Day Devotion: Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23
Many times, I have been disappointed by people who have promised things that were not fulfilled.  I can be confident I am not the only one who has experienced this.  Once when I was growing up, I wanted to play baseball for the High School team.  I attended the first meeting and was given a list of things they expected of us.  One was that we had to have short hair, and since I had long hair, I agreed to get it cut.  My parents had agreed that I could play that year, so I went out and got my hair cut short.  After I did, my parents said that they would not let me play.  I asked why because they had promised.  Their answer shocked me, for they only promised it till I got my hair cut.  They would not put out the money needed to participate.  This hurt me terribly because I was not popular and had few friends, and I was hoping that playing baseball would change that. In our focus verse, the writer of Hebrews is saying that with God, a promise made is a promise kept.  (By the way, I cannot take credit for the line “A promised made is a promise kept”, it is the title of a song by Randy Stonehill.)   If God promises us something, he will bring it to pass.  And we can be assured that there is nothing that God cannot do.  “‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,” Jeremiah 32:17.  Therefore, if God promises us something, we know it will happen because He is a faithful God who can do all things. Let’s look at a few of these promises.  “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you, Surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 We have nothing to fear, for God has promised to strengthen us and uphold us.  Then there is “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.” Exodus 14:14. In our struggles, we can relax for God has promised to fight for us.  Then there is, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. We can be sure that if we do sin, if we confess this sin to Him, acknowledging it as sin, and we repent of it, He promise is His forgiveness and the washing away of the unrighteousness in us.  And finally, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19.  He has promised if we have a need, He will meet it.  We can relax and just wait for Him to supply. These are but a few of the many promises He has made to us.  Each one of these, and all the ones not mentioned, we can be assured they will be a kept promise.  Therefore, we are called not to waver but be steadfast, not wishing, not hoping, but knowing He is faithful.  This is the faith He calls us to. And as an extra, here is the chorus from the song by Randy Stonehill, “A Promise Made is A Promise Kept”.   “A promise made is a promise kept, there is a love so true. Just hold on, God is holding on to you. Day by day, Prayer by prayer, oh, don’t you ever forget that a promise made Is a promise kept.” William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

John 3:30

Verse of the Day Devotion: John 3:30

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30

There came a rather controversial dispute regarding purification between John’s disciples and a Jew or Jews. Purification was a very important issue with the Jews, and so the discussion became a dispute.  We are not sure what the exact argument was, however, it was in no doubt regarding baptism. In the time before Jesus, the Jews would purify a proselyte by a form of baptism to purify them.  The issue was which baptism was the correct one, Jesus’ or John the Baptist’s.  “They asked him (John the Baptist), and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”   John 1:25.

After a while, both sides came to John wanting clarification.  We see in verse 26, “And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.”  John 3:26. The way this is worded is as if John’s disciples were concerned that Jesus’ was, in essence, taking over the work John had been doing.  However, John did not answer this question in the way they expected.  He did not address their feelings or hurts regarding this.  He answered in such a way that only one who truly knew him, and his purpose would understand.  “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.’” John 2:27 What he basically said was that anyone who does the work of God, referring specifically to himself and Jesus, receives the calling and its success from God.  Our calling is from God, and the way we succeed come from following God’s way.

He then goes on to clarify that he is not the promised Messiah, the Christ.  “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’” John 3:28.  He was sent before the Messiah to announce His appearing.  “He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” John 1:23. These words of Isaiah are found Isaiah 40:3, “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’”  This was his calling.  Then he makes the following statement that shows he knows Jesus is the true Messiah.  “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So, this joy of mine has been made full.” John 3:29. John refers to Isaiah many times, and he does so again regarding God as the bridegroom.  “I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10.

John recognized that Jesus is the Messiah, and therefore the bridegroom.  He is the friend of the bridegroom, in essence, best man.  Jesus is the bridegroom and therefore the believers belong to Jesus, not himself.  John regards himself as the friend of Jesus.  And because the believers belong to Jesus, He is the one that must take over.  For John was only announcing the Messiah was coming, not that he was the Messiah.  And because of all this, we read in our focus verse, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30.

This very much speaks of us as well.  The purpose of ministry is to point the way to Jesus, the true bridegroom and Messiah.  He has called us to preach the gospel.  “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”  Mark 16:15. That is our calling.  We must decrease in the eyes of men, not building ourselves up but building Him up.  He should be the focus of our work, not ourselves.  He must be greater and we, humbler.  When we preach, teach or simply share our hearts regarding Christ, we should do it in a way that when our listeners leave, they remember Christ more, and us less.  I encourage us to look at our calling the same way as John the Baptist did.  Jesus must increase in this world, and we must decrease in this world.

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

Matthew 5:17

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 5:17

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” – Matthew 5:17 

Jesus is here at the beginning of His ministry.  He has been baptized by John the Baptist, went through the temptations from the devil and now is teaching to a crowd on the mountain.  As we read the account of the sermon on the mount, it is important to remember that Jesus came for the Jews, the chosen people.  “Jesus went away from there and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.’ But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, ‘Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.’ But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:21-24.  Note that He did cast out the demon because of her great faith.  (See Matthew 15:28) This is, of course not to say He came only to save the Jews.  He would go out to the gentiles through Saul of Tarsus.  “But the Lord said to him (Saul), “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;” Acts 9:15.

Because He came to the Jews, it was important that they knew He would follow the Law.  But their reason to follow it was different than His.  In Exodus we see why the Jews followed the Law.  “‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;” Exodus 19:4-5.  It was to have a special relationship with Him that was unending, their salvation.  However, salvation requires perfection which the Law could not address.

They did not fully understand this.  Their following the Law could not bring them perfection.  For this reason, the Messiah came.  “For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:18-19.  The Law was set aside because it could not bring perfection, the better hope mentioned here was capable, which was Jesus.  “Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.” Galatians 3:19. Until the seed would come.  And who is the seed?  “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.” Galatians 3:16.

So, we see here that the Law was in place, as weak and useless as it was, until Christ came.  The purpose of the Law was to show our need for salvation, not for salvation itself.  “Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20. The word ‘justified’ means to be declared righteous, therefore we cannot be declared righteous by the works of the Law.  Our sins must be removed, and the penalty must be paid.  And when the penalty is paid, the sin is not held against us, thus we are justified.  If Jesus had sinned, what He did would have paid the penalty for His transgressions, not ours.  But because He was blameless, His death paid for our sins.  “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

So, wrapping this up, we could not keep the Law perfectly, therefore we could not be saved by works.  Without perfection, we could by no means pay the penalty and be justified.  This required a perfect sacrifice.  Jesus came and lived a life free from sin by perfectly following the law.  Thus, because there was no penalty to pay for His own benefit, He was able to pay the penalty for ours.  But it took fulfilling the Law completely with absolutely no transgression. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” James 2:10. He fulfilled the Law so that we could be declared righteous and become children of God.  So, is the Law important?  Yes, for Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15. However, it is to express our love for God, not to be saved, therefore, let us show our love for Him in all things we do.

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

Romans 1:16

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16  

Paul is a man who gave up everything for Christ.  And in his day, he was probably one of the least expected to do so.  He was a zealous Jew, who knew all the law and the components that came with it in regard to strict adherence to it.  Before he committed himself to the work of Christ, his name was Saul from the city of Tarsus.  Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel, a Jewish rabbi in the first century and a leader in the Jewish Sanhedrin, of which Paul would eventually become a member.  Gamaliel was well respected, being a grandson of the famous Rabbi Hillel who wrote a commentary on the Torah; the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.  This relationship with Gamaliel no doubt provided Saul much solid teaching of Jewish law and beliefs.  We see Him first at the stoning of Stephen for his supposed heretical belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah, where he held the robes of those throwing the stones and thereby approving of Stephen’s execution.  He was on his way to arrest many more Christians in order to rid the world of this cult when Christ made Himself visible to Saul who then realized all he had done was wrong and offered himself totally to the work of Christ.

Because of this Saul, who I will now refer to as Paul, was cast aside by the Jews as an apostate.  And by the wise of the Gentiles, “when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.” 1 Corinthians 4:13.  However, even though he was considered worthless to the Gentile leadership and the Jewish nation, where before he was regarded with much applause by both, he was not ashamed.  “According to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20. Hope in this context refers to that which is expected with assurance and conviction.  It is not something wished for.  What Paul is saying is that no matter what befalls him, he will, with boldness and a steadfast strength, not in any way deny the truth of the gospel or water it down, even before emperors or kings, Jewish or Gentile leadership.  He will never compromise even in the least.  Christ will be magnified and declared the only way of salvation.  What drives him forward in this boldness?  The fact that the gospel is the power of God for the salvation to everyone who believes, both to the Jews and the Gentiles.

This should be what drives us as well.  The truth of the gospel is the most important message ever given to mankind.  It shows the only way of salvation.  It is absolute truth, and we should not be ashamed of this message but should be ready and anxious to declare it to a lost world.  Just as Paul lived a life totally contrary to this truth prior to his conversion, we also lived a life contrary to the truth prior to our conversion.  And the life we live now is infinitely greater than before.  We should never be ashamed of the gospel.  The word “ashamed” has the idea of, in the past tense, embarrassed or guilty of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations.  And in the present tense, reluctant to do something through fear of embarrassment or humiliation.  Are we reluctant to share the truth in certain situations?  Have we been ridiculed and become ashamed of a time where we shared the truth?  We all need to examine ourselves and see where we are regarding this.  To share God’s truth with boldness should be seen as a great privilege because this is our calling from the infinite God who exists and is there with us.

In closing, let us remember the words of Peter, where he wrote, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.  If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” 1 Peter 4:12-16.  Whatever we suffer in this life for the cause of Christ will glorify God and will be a source of rejoicing when He returns.  We must not focus on its effect on us, but how it glorifies God and how we will rejoice in the end.

However, I cannot end without these words of Jesus, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38. No need to comment on this one, it pretty much speaks for itself.

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

Acts 4:12

Verse of the Day Devotion: Act 4:12

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12 

Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour which was the hour of prayer.  A man who had been lame from birth was sitting at the temple gate called “Beautiful” begging for financial assistance.  Upon seeing Peter and John, he requested financial help from them.  Then Peter and John looked at him and Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” Acts 3:6. Peter then helped him up and immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened, and he began to walk.  Many people saw this man walking and praising God, knowing that this was the man crippled and begging every day at the Beautiful Gate.

Now, Peter and John began teaching the people about Christ.  “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.  But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.  Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:17-19.  They are calling the leadership to return to true worship and adoration of the true God, not the one they were serving.  Note: There were around 5000 men who believed their word when the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came to have them arrested.

The next day, John and Peter were taken before the rulers, elders and scribes where they were asked by what power they healed this man.  Peter then, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered by saying that it was Jesus the Nazarene, whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead; by His name this man has been healed and is standing before them.  He added then, “He is the STONE, WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.” Acts 4:11. And then they declared, by our focus verse, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

The word ‘salvation’ properly denotes any preservation or the keeping of anything in a “safe” state; a preserving from harm.  Also, it denotes deliverance of body or mind of the same, sickness, pain, danger, etc.  In the New Testament, it is normally applied to the Messiah, Christ, and what He came to do.  “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. Mankind cannot, in and of themselves, become found.  We were separated from God and did not have the access Adam and Eve had prior to their sin.

What Peter was saying to the leadership was they did not have the power to provide this salvation.  Their adherence to the law and its rules and works could not provide what mankind needed.  There is only one name by which man can be saved, that being Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.  And these words pertain to us today as they did to those in the first century.  It is Christ alone, not through any other man or woman, prophet, idol or false god, teacher, leader or any false Christ. Salvation has its origin in God, and the Savior, He gave us, and cannot be originated by any power among people.

This word must be preached to all people, letting them know that Christ is the only answer to all our issues; physical, moral or spiritual.  Salvation from all these areas is only available by the Creator of all things.  Sin caused separation from God, sickness, pain, danger and all things that we suffer today.  And the Messiah, Christ is the only source of salvation from all these areas.  Our job is to go out and evangelize the world.  “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23. Many are deluded that salvation comes from many sources, religions, works, etc.  It is our job to compel the world to come to God’s house through the only door possible, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and the acceptance of this work. And we must not cave and give in to the arguments of those who question or debate us.  The answer is clear and immutable.  Stand strong and spread this good news to all we come in contact with.  In so doing, we will fill His house, thus pleasing Him and also help those who need and want salvation, receive it.  This is love, both of God and our fellow man.

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