Isaiah 26:4

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Verse of the Day Devotion.  Isaiah 26:4

“Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” – Isaiah 26:4  

This verse, along with the one prior to it speak of focusing our minds on God regarding all things. In verse one we see this is a song that was sung in Judah upon the return of the people from Babylon to Judah. “In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.” Isaiah 26:1. The idea that they have a strong city does not refer to the fortification that was around the city, for this was essentially brought down when they were overtaken by their enemies. The idea here is that God will be that wall of protection. He will himself be the defender of his people in the place of walls. Then in verse two, “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful.” Isaiah 26:2, This is a cry to open the gates to allow Israel, the people who remained true to God throughout their time in Babylon, that they may enter into the land given to them by God.

Then in verse three we find this very true and powerful verse, “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in Thee.” This confidently states that certain people will have perfect peace. This indicates that some have a frame of mind and perspective that is steadfast, which implies an undeviating commitment to a purpose, conviction, or person. The root meaning of the translation steadfast is to support, but the Hebrew passive participle carries the idea of “leaning on, depending on, resting on” something. In this case, it refers to leaning on, depending on, and resting on God.

Now to our focus verse. “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” Isaiah 26:4. The author first states in the previous verse that those who trust in the Lord will have perfect peace. Now He takes it a step further by telling them ‘to’ trust in the Lord ‘forever’. Not simply to trust Him in some things, or to only trust Him at times when they struggle trusting themselves or something or someone else, But to trust Him forever. Now let’s look at something else in this verse which is also intriguing. ‘Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock’. The word translated ‘Lord’ in both instances is the Hebrew word “yehôvâh” which means self-Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: – Jehovah, the Lord. Now, the word translated ‘God’ is the Hebrew word ‘yâhh’ which is a contracted form of yehôvâh meaning essentially the same thing. Now, I say this to say that the threefold use of Jehovah denotes exactly which God they should rely on, for the name “yehôvâh” is used three times in the sentence and not just a generic term for any god.

It is so important that we do not rely on people, things, organizations, or anything else to provide the peace we so need in the place of Jehovah, the true God. We are facing trials on every corner; hatred from many who deny Jehovah even exists, and persecution from those who want to destroy the idea of Christianity altogether. It does not matter what they do or say for the true God, stated here as “yehôvâh” can be trusted no matter what. If this is so, the exhortation to trust God makes sense, for God is like a solid rock that is eternally stable and unmovable. If we want to find peace that will truly last forever, Yahweh, the God of Israel, is a stable and reliable source to depend on. Remember what the writer of Hebrews said. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6. If He will never leave of forsake us, we can absolutely place our complete trust in Him.

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

Isaiah 25:1

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Isaiah 25:1

“O lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; For Thou hast worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” – Isaiah 25:1  

This verse speaks regarding a direct address to the Mighty God. This confession expresses the personal choice to identify with the God of all things; the one who created all there is.  Claiming that the Lord is ‘my God’ is also a statement of commitment to a personal relationship with God. The relationship is one in which the singers exalt and thank God, openly expressing appreciation for his grace and faithfulness. These statements represent a faith relationship of worshipers who humbly proclaim the glory of the one they exalt.

As a preface, at the end of chapter 24 we read, “The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard, and it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, and it will fall, never to rise again. So it will happen in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of heaven, on high, and the kings of the earth, on earth. And they will be gathered together Like prisoners in the dungeon and will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.” Isaiah 24:20-23. The final punishment of the earth (not the attack on Jerusalem) will involve a major disruption of the normal patterns of nature. Enormous floods will occur once again as the windows of heaven are opened. Extremely strong earthquakes will shake the land plates from their moorings. It will seem like the earth is collapsing, falling apart, and splitting in two. There will be no stable, safe place to hide, for the earth will convulse like an unstable drunk that cannot walk, or like a small hut struck by a major windstorm. The sinful rebellion of the people on the earth will be so great that nothing can preserve them. The earth will collapse; this old world will never rise again. The prophet is saying that the world as we know it today will come to a final end.

Now, because of this, we see Isaiah’s thanksgiving for the overthrow of the Godless factions that are present on the earth and ruling over mankind, and the setting up of Jehovah’s rule for all eternity. He provides a reason for their praise and a consequence for what happens. The reason regards God’s faithfulness in accomplishing marvelous deeds, a term usually reserved for miraculous divine acts of salvation. These are clear manifestations of God’s wondrous power on behalf of his people, and as stated in verse one, “Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” Isaiah 25:1b. These plans were made long before man was created. “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9-10. When all these things described above happen, the people will look back at God’s revelation of his plans and realize that God planned these eschatological events many years earlier. The worshipers will thank God because God faithfully followed the plan he made long ago. His faithfulness speaks of his sovereign power and his dedication to do what he plans.

The consequence is that their enemies will be destroyed, and a new world will be made, one in which strong people, those from ruthless nations, will praise and glorify God. They will fear God, glorifying Him because of the great and mighty works He has done. These people will either convert to Christianity or will, at the least, be forced to tremble in fear before Him. However, the people of God will give God all praise for what they see. What they will see are people from evil and ruthless nations coming to God to worship and praise to Him. These would be people who, after hearing and seeing the truth, come to God and give Him the praise and glory as well.

Do we see these events coming as laid out in the scriptures? Do we believe that God will bring about everything He prophesied would happen? Do we trust God to bring about a great and glorious eternal life to those who have accepted Christ’s work of salvation on the cross? If so for all the above, we should also be praising God “For Thou hast been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rainstorm against a wall.” Isaiah 25:4.  We must fully understand that everything God has promised will come to pass. Let us therefore trust God in the hard times and thank God in the good times. What God has declared will come to pass and we must focus on His promise of a glorious eternal life with Him. Understand that there will be difficult times but focus on the glorious future ahead for us. And give Him all the praise and glory due His name.

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

Isaiah 12:1

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Isaiah 12:1

“Then you will say on that day, I will give thanks to Thee, O LORD; For although Thou was angry with me, thine anger is turned away, And Thou dost comfort me.” – Isaiah 12:1 

This prophecy has a two-fold meaning. First it speaks of God sending Israel into exile because of their sins. “And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward. And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them.” Ezekiel 39:22-24. Because of their wrongdoing, God put them under the rule of the Assyrians for a time. However, this would not be forever. “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent, and My anger will be directed to their destruction. And the LORD of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea, and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt. So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.” Isaiah 10:24-27.  God would in a short time bring about the return of the remnant of Israel.

The other meaning is regarding the future coming of the root of Jesse, otherwise known as the promised Messiah. “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.” Isaiah 11:1-5. And also in the near future, the promised Messiah would come and bring salvation to all the faithful people of God on this earth.

What Isaiah was communicating to God’s people was that first, there will be a time when their people were freed from the Assyrians and allowed to return to Israel. “And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt; and He will wave His hand over the river with His scorching wind; and He will strike it into seven streams, and make men walk over dry-shod. And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant of His people who will be left, just as there was for Israel In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.” Isaiah 11:15-16.  But there would be another time when the people of God will be freed from this world and will spend all eternity with Him, in peace and joy.  And in both instances, we will be thankful to the one who provided these freedoms to us, that being God. 

Just as when God provided the way to salvation to those who were captured and oppressed by the Assyrians, so God through the work of Christ has provided the way of salvation to all people through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on the Cross. We should want to, as Isaiah 12 tells us, give Him all our praise to Him. “Then you will say on that day, I will give thanks to Thee, O LORD; For although Thou was angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, And Thou dost comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.  Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.” Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 12:1-6. He is worthy of far more praise and worship than we could ever give Him. Take time to worship Him with everything you have. You will find it a beautiful time of fellowship with Him who provides salvation to all who truly desires it.

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

Isaiah 2:5

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Isaiah 2:5

“Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” – Isaiah 2:5  

Verses one through five here is a vision from God. Starting with verse 1 we read, “The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” Isaiah 2:1. This was not a voice he heard, but a word he saw, confirming this was a vision. Isaiah has seen many visions from God, which at various times were ignored by the Israelite leaders.

So, let us look at what Isaiah saw. “Now it will come about that In the last days, The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways, And that we may walk in His paths. For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” Isaiah 2:2-4. First, he saw that this was to occur in the ‘last days’. This phrase, the last days, refers to a time in the future, most notably the time of the Messiah, when the anointed of the Lord, The Christ’ will reign over the earth. This also speaks of many people going to the mountain of the Lord to learn the ways of the Lord so they could walk according to God’s ways.

Now, referring to the mountains, let us look at something that explains the meaning. Many of the ancient religions saw their gods as dwelling on a high mountain; mount Olympus by the Greeks or mount Cassius for the Phoenicians. Isaiah said that ‘the House of the Lord will be raised above the hills’ intonates that the God of Israel will be raised above all other gods, showing the great importance of the dwelling place of God. God reveals this same picture to Ezekiel as well. “In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was taken, on that same day the hand of the LORD was upon me and He brought me there. the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain; and on it to the south there was a structure like a city. So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. And the man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.” Ezekiel 40:1-4. It is understood by various theologians that ‘this man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze’ was a picture of the Messiah. And this will be a time of peace, And all the weapons will be destroyed and the metal used for peaceful purposes.

And this leads to our focus verse.  “Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” Isaiah 2:5. Isaiah ends this brief look at the ideal Zion of the future with a call for the current Israel to transform their thinking, to reorient their worldview, and to change their behavior based on their knowledge of what God will do in the future. Judah and its leaders can either continue to be self-absorbed and follow their own ways, or they can choose to glorify God and follow his instructions.

And as Christians, we are the people of God and He is calling us to do the same. Do we continue to live as we want, or live the way God wants us to? We are to walk in the light of the Lord. This is best explained by Jesus in John’s gospel. “Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12. We are to walk in the light of the Lord Jesus, in his ways and as He desires us to. It is important that we choose, in every avenue of our lives, to walk in His light. For in doing so,  we shall see the truth and will not be blinded in the darkness of this world. “And 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.” 1 John  1:5-7.

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

Judges 7:2

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Judges 7:2

“And the LORD said to Gideon, the people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.'” – Judges 7:2  

In the Book of Judges, we see many times when God’s people went against God’s ways. One of those times God gave them over to Midian for seven years. “And the power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.” Judges 6:2. And they kept them weak by destroying their crops. “So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it.“ Judges 6:4-5. After a time, they went to God for help. “So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD.” Judges 6:6.

God then calls Gideon. “And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” Judges 6:12. But Gideon answered the angel saying, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian. And the LORD looked at him and said, Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you? And he said to Him, O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house. But the LORD said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” Judges 6:13-16. Gideon saw himself as not worthy and incapable of being a warrior. And note God’s response to Gideon’s humility, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

Then the Lord comes to Gideon and says, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel become boastful, saying, My own power has delivered me.” Judges 7:2. At first, God says there were too many people, and they would take the credit which was deserved by God alone. So God says, “Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead. So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.” Judges 7:3. God then tells Gideon again there were too many men. “Then the LORD said to Gideon, The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, This one shall go with you, he shall go with you; but every one of whom I say to you, This one shall not go with you, he shall not go. So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.” Judges 7:4-5. Now, after all this, there were 300 men selected to go out. “Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. And the LORD said to Gideon, I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.” Judges 7:6-7. And the three hundred, led by Gideon, blew 300 trumpets. “And when they blew 300 trumpets, the LORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.” Judges 7:22. 

There were around 135,000 men of Midian whom Gideon, with 300 men, went up against. And they did not chase the Midian army, but the Midian soldiers ran away because of the fear put in them by God.  And we have nothing to fear as well. Moses told Israel, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.  And Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27. And no matter what comes our way, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,” 1 Peter 3:14. God assured Gideon that he had no reason to fear the enemy, but with 300 men He would defeat the entire army of Midian. Always remember what Paul said to the Roman Christians. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. If God is on our side, which He is, then we have nothing to fear. He can do anything for us, even if it looks impossible. And this is what Gideon saw, and how he defeated and army of over 130,000 with but 300 on his side.

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

Daniel 9:3

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Daniel 9:3

“So, I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel 9:3  

Starting with verse one of chapter nine we read, “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” Daniel 9:1-2.  Darius the Mede became the ruler of Babylon after the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great of Persia. “So, Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.” Daniel 5:31. This is the first year of Darius the Mede, which means it was around 537 B.C. Daniel understood by the prophet Jeremiah that there would be 70 years.  They were taken into captivity in 607 B.C. When we subtract 537 from 607, we get 70, the number of years in captivity. And as clarification, ‘the books’ refer to the sacred Hebrew writings available in Daniel’s day of which the prophecy of Jeremiah was a part; the term does not here designate a closed canon.

Now, note our focus verse. “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel’s prayer did not consist of a few insincere words uttered before falling asleep at night. He prayed fervently to the Lord with a determined heart. He put his whole self into this prayer for Daniel determined to look to God in prayer until the Lord gave him an answer. The Greek word translated ‘Lord’ is Adonai meaning master, owner, or sovereign ruler; generally denotes the authority and exalted position of God. Sackcloth was a coarse kind of cloth, usually made of hair, and employed for the purpose of making sacks, bags, etc. As it was dark, and coarse, and rough, it was regarded as a proper badge of mourning and humiliation and was worn as such usually by passing or girding it around the loins.  It was customary to cast ashes on the head in a time of great grief and sorrow. The principles on which this was done seem to have been that the external appearance should correspond with the state of the mind and the heart, and that such external circumstances would tend to produce a state of heart corresponding to them – or would produce true humiliation and repentance for sin..

Then in the next few verses he calls out to God, confessing the sins of Israel. “And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Thy servants the prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.” Daniel 9:4-6.  God had mercifully sent His prophets to encourage the people of Israel and their leaders to repent however, they refused to listen. Not everyone turned their backs on God. The prophets were faithful, and others like Daniel and his friends remained true to the covenant. Nevertheless, Israel as a whole, it’s kings, our princes, and their ancestors as well as all  the people of Israel had turned its back upon God.

The majority of the Israelites turned from God and started focusing on other things rather than God and His ways. And this was why He allowed Babylon to take it. “Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.” 2 Chronicles 36:17-21.

What is sad is that we are seeing this also in some of our churches. I have heard of many who are minimizing sin, and also minimizing what God has called us to do. It is essential that we see sin for what it is and eliminate it from our lives as well as making what God has called us to do a priority. And one thing that will help us do both is to pray, not simple little prayers but going to God and opening our hearts to Him, asking for help to remain true to Him, and also to help others be true to Him as well. This is our calling, and this is how we can be totally pleasing to God.

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

Jude 4

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Jude 4

“For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” – Jude 4

This particular verse is critical because we are seeing a rise in false teachings in our churches and ministries today. And because Jude wrote this, it is something we need to give some credence to. Jude was a half-brother of Jesus and brother of James, leader of the first Jerusalem church. This Jude was the son of Mary and Joseph and would have been raised as a brother to Jesus Christ. And while Jesus was teaching in the Synagogue in His hometown, those listening to Him said, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.” Mark 6:3. In fact, His brothers did not believe He was who He declared Himself to be. “His brothers therefore said to Him, Depart from here, and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may behold Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world. For not even His brothers were believing in Him.” John 7:3-5.

However, Jude eventually believed and became a strong teacher regarding Christ. “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3. And the areas he taught passionately about were those who proclaimed a false gospel of Jesus.  In our focus verse we read, “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude 4. The basic idea of the Greek word for licentiousness is understood in what Mark declared in his gospel, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.” Mark 7:21-22. They did not boldly avow their heresy when they came in for they would not have been allowed to enter if they had. But they sneaked in. They climbed into the Church, professing to be preachers of the gospel when they knew all the while they intended to undermine it. Those who act this way are basest of all men. We can see here the faith Jude had developed regarding his half brother for he understood what Jesus taught and what He did not.

He then gives three examples of what he insinuates these false preachers were doing. “Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” Jude 5-7. Each one of these examples are regarding not believing what is true.

  1. Having delivered them out of Egypt, the Israelites who did not believe died in the wilderness and were not allowed to enter the promised land.
  2. Angels who chose to give up their allegiance to God were cast out of Heaven because they did not believe God was truly God.
  3. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah who would indulge in gross immorality were destroyed.

What Jude means to say is that these false teachers and their followers were as unbelieving and disobedient as the Israelites in the wilderness, as rebellious against the authority of God as the fallen angels, and as impure and unholy as the Sodomites; and that consequently they must expect similar punishment. And because of this, they like Cain corrupt the beliefs of God by way of their false doctrines, and as Balaam whereby they corrupt the Word of God and change it’s meaning for their own gain.

These are harsh examples, but this shows just how God sees false Christian doctrine, and the ones who present it. We must study His word so that when we hear false doctrine we will know it is false and not accept it. And if there is a person who continually teaches falsely we will know it and reject what they are saying. We must study His word so that we will teach it correctly while rejecting what is wrong. Jude made it clear how God views false teachers and the teachings they give. We are to go out and spread the truth. Just be careful that what are spreading is the truth.

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

1 Peter 3:15

Verse of the Day Devotion.  1 Peter 3:15

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” – 1 Peter 3:15 

In Romans, Paul says the following that gives me, and I am sure many others, comfort during difficult times. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. We must always understand this whenever tough times come. We may not see what is happening as good, but we can be assured that during times of difficulty, the ultimate end will be good, for He is always watching over the righteous. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12. So, I ask the following question. If the above statements are true, how can anything work for our detriment if we are truly the Lord’s?  Can anyone bring about ultimate harm to us whom God loves and blesses? Peter puts it this way. “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?” 1 Peter 3:13.

Then we read in the next verse, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.” 1 Peter 3:14a. There may be times when we could suffer by the hands of wicked men. The world hates the message of Christ, and ultimately those who profess it. God may have a purpose in allowing it. But at the end of this verse, he states “you will be blessed.” Matthew writes the words of Christ where he wrote, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10. We do not always understand why God permits us to suffer, but He would not allow it except for a specific reason. Someone may be turned from unbelief to salvation by seeing what we endure. Or maybe it is for our good. God knows. But we must understand there is a reason for everything we face and must trust God that this is for our good and/or the good of another. The question here is, do we trust Him in all things? And then looking at the last part of this verse, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,” 1 Peter 3:14b. We are not to fear what man can do to us for we belong to God. “So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6.

Now we come to our focus verse. “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 1 Peter 3:15-16. If we are convinced from the depth of our soul that the promised help of God is all-sufficient, we shall be most effectually armed against all fear. And through this, we must always be ready not only to profess our faith but be ready to defend what we believe. As Christians, we must become not just readers, but students of the Bible who not only believe the truth but have good reasons for believing it. We must become ones who can meet error with the argument, ‘It is written,’ and maintain the truth in all situations, using weapons taken from, as Charles Spurgeon puts it ‘the armory of God’s inspired Book’.

The idea here is that we do not just read the scriptures, but we study them, do whatever is necessary to understand what is being said. There are many in this world who question the reality of what we believe and need us to explain it to them in a fashion they can accept. We are called by Christ to “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. We can only do this if we truly understand what the scriptures are saying and can present it to anyone who asks us ‘why’ regarding our beliefs.  

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

1 Peter 2:13

Verse of the Day Devotion.  1 Peter 2:13

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,” –  1 Peter 2:13

One of the main things we need to understand in this verse is the first word, ‘submit’. The idea of this word in the Greek is closer to subordinate then submit or obey. It means to find our proper place in this relationship and then to act accordingly, which is counter to being called upon to obey unquestionably to whatever anyone, including governing authorities, command. While its intention is as much to counter any tendency of Christians to withdraw from contact with secular society and to calm revolutionary desire, it is intended to warn the readers against assuming that as Christians they are free from normal political and moral restraints.

Looking at our focus verse we see, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.” 1 Peter 2:13-15. And as we see here, those go beyond just the king. Civil government is necessary for the well-being of mankind, and those who delight in the law of the Lord are among the last to wish to see its power weakened or its executive despised. We would sooner suffer wrong than see our country the prey of lawless mobs. Look at what we are seeing today. What Peter is saying is that Christians are to subject ourselves to civil authorities. True religion is always the friend of order as well as liberty. The gospel is not a doctrine of anarchy; therefore Christians are no fomenter of strife. And besides, God allowed and instituted it. “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” Romans 13:1-2.

So, as we see above we are called to obey officials that are over us. For example, speed limits, payment of taxes, etc. But what happens if what they require goes against God’s laws? Peter and the apostles ran into this situation found in the Book of Acts. “But someone came and reported to them, Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people! Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, lest they should be stoned). And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:25-29. Some of the apostles were put in prison by the high priest because of the success of their teachings which were in opposition to the priests. While there an angel came and opened the prison gates letting them out, telling them “Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.” Acts 5:20. When the priests saw them preaching what they gave strict orders for them not to, Peter said “We must obey God rather than men.” 

God wants us to obey all authorities over us. If we do not then we may suffer the consequences put in place for those who dis-obey. However, if what they require goes against what God says, then we are not to obey it. We should obey those over us, but not when they contradict God. And this may be difficult, but it is what is called for. For God is our ultimate ruler. He has told us to obey our rulers here, however, being our God and supreme ruler, we are called to obey Him over all else.  

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

Philemon 1:16

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Philemon 1:16 

“No longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” – Philemon 1:16     

The main theme in this book is Onesimus, a runaway slave from Philemon. He was a fugitive who had robbed his master and then fled to Rome, where he believed he could hide in the large city and thus not be found. Onesimus encountered Paul, who was in prison, who helped him become a Christian. Then finding out that he was a slave of Philemon, Paul wrote this letter to him regarding Onesimus. “Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you. since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus “ Philemon 1:8-9. Paul starts by saying he does not want to enforce compliance with his words but wants Philemon to do this of his own accord, in an attitude of love which governs the Christian. And by  mentioning his age and imprisonment, he can expect that Philemon will pay due respect to what he has to say.

Then he brings up his request. “I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, Onesimus, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. And I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,” Philemon 1:10-12. Paul had led Onesimus to salvation through Christ while he was imprisoned. Obviously, his conversion was real, and Paul wanted to get this truth across. Then he uses a play on words. ‘who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me’. The name Onesimus means useful or profitable. It was a common name for slaves in that day. Prior to his salvation, Onesimus had been useless or unprofitable to Philemon, but now he had become beneficial to both Philemon and to Paul. Upon becoming saved Onesimus lived up to his name.

Paul wrote this letter to Philemon, asking/pleading him to accept Onesimus back, but not as simply a slave but as a Christian, a brother in Christ. Paul really loved Onesimus because of the great blessing he had been to Paul. In fact, in the next verse he would have liked him to stay. “Whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as it were by compulsion, but of your own free will. For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while, that you should have him back forever,” Philemon 1:13-15. Paul would have liked to keep Onesimus with him, for he had rendered faithful service and could continue to give to him. Nevertheless, he does not want, under any circumstances, to encroach upon the decision which only Philemon, as the slave’s rightful master, could make. He wanted Philemon to make the decision on his own without any compelling by Paul.

Then he says, if he goes back, the following in our focus verse, “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” Philemon 1:16. He asks him not to receive him back as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. That is how Paul saw him, and he was encouraging him to feel the same. And then finally, “If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.” Philemon 1:17. Paul wanted Philemon to accept Onesimus as he has and would accept him. Their fellowship is grounded in their belonging to one Lord. This deeply binding relationship draws them together into common activities, in faith and love. On the basis of this bond, Paul makes his request in which he not only intercedes for Onesimus, but even identifies himself with him. All the love that Philemon will give to Onesimus will be considered as love that he had given to Paul himself.

We need to exhibit these characteristics in our lives. Employers, political leaders, and parents must follow the spirit of Paul’s teaching by treating Christian employees, co-workers, and family members as members of Christ’s Body. Christians in modern society must not view helpers as ways to achieve their ambitions but as Christian brothers and sisters who should receive gracious treatment. Also, all Christian leaders must recognize that God holds them accountable for the treatment of those who work for them, whether the helpers are Christians or not. We all will eventually answer to God for our actions toward others.

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