Luke 1:13

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 1:13 

“But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” –  Luke 1:13 

Up to Christmas day, I will be looking at the different prophesies which foresee the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  He came here in order to offer the means of salvation for all.  An important idea to remember is that God knows everything and forgets nothing.  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

This verse is an important one, for it foretells the coming of John the Baptist: the forerunner of the Messiah.  “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” Luke 1:5.  This speaks of a priest named Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth.  They were both righteous before God, however up to this time they were unable to have children.  And now being advanced in years, it was not probable they ever would.

Now while Zacharias was performing his priestly functions, an amazing thing happened. “And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear gripped him.” Luke 1:11-12. It is probable that the angel appeared while his eyes were closed, but when he did see him, he became afraid.  The angel who appeared to Zacharias was not simply like a man with wings. This angel was a glorious, fearful, and an awesome creature, and like most angels in the Bible, the first thing this angel had to say to his human contact was “Do not be afraid.”

Then the angel tells Zacharias in our focus verse.  “Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” Luke 1:13.  The angel told them they would have a child.  And they were told they were to name him John. And according to Thayer’s Hebrew dictionary, his name means “Jehovah is a gracious giver”. Then Gabriel went on to say, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:14-17.

Zacharias and Elizabeth had their prayer answered.  In their old age, they shall have a son.  Their son would be seen as great in God’s sight.  He will probably live under the Nazirite vow due to not drinking wine or strong drink.  He also would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb.  This has the idea that he was appointed to and set apart to the work God called him to before he was born.  We see the same with the prophet Jeremiah.  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5. And even more so, of Jesus.  “Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb; Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. Upon Thee I was cast from birth; Thou hast been my God from my mother’s womb.” Psalm 22:9-10.

And finally, we see what his calling was in the gospel of Mark.  “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:2-8. John came into this world to prepare the way of the Messiah and to inform Israel of His coming, calling them to repent and be baptized in reference to the remission of sin.  Repentance prepared the soul for it, and Baptism was the type or pledge of it.   

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

Psalm 2:7

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 2:7 

“I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.” – Psalm 2:7 

Up to Christmas day, I will be looking at the different prophesies which foresee the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  He came here in order to offer the means of salvation for all.  An important idea to remember is that God knows everything and forgets nothing.  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

One title given to Psalm 2 is “The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed”.  And I like this title, for it speaks of the reign of the coming Messiah.  Starting in verse one we read, “Why are the nations in an uproar, And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed: Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” Psalm 2:1-3. God here is essentially asking a rhetorical question, for the answer was clear.  The nations have no reason to rage against God, but they do.  They desire to live as they want, not the way God desires them to.  They desire complete control and want nothing to do with the Lord or His Anointed. They wish to break the bonds, those being the laws and requirements of God.  Total control and power for themselves was their goal, as pointed out by God.

Then in verses 4-5 we see God’s response.  “He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury:” Psalm 2:4-5.  He laughs because He sits in the heavens and rules over all creation, which basically is all that exists. There is nothing they can do to stop His plans.  But they desire not to be under His authority.  And then He says that He has already set up a king to rule overall, and He has established Him in Zion, which is  Jerusalem. Then we hear the words of the prophesied Messiah, where He declares the words of the Father, “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.” Psalm 2:7.  Here, the Father has declared that the Messiah would enter the world.  And we see this coming to pass in the Gospel of Luke as spoke to Mary by an angel. “And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:30-33.

And the final verses speak of the Father giving the nations to Him and will do what is necessary to punish those who do not follow Him. And He will call on the nations to submit themselves to Him.   “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware. Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:9-12. 

This is the King that was born in Bethlehem and the reason for our celebration of this wonderful day.  There is nothing wrong with exchanging gifts while gathering with friends and family to eat together.  But look at the reason for this.  The birth of the everlasting King who will reign for ever with no end.  And He provides the means for us to be citizens in this kingdom through His death, burial, and resurrection.  Take time this Christmas to thank Him for doing what we could not do.  And contemplate what this eternal life will be like.  “But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him, these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.

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

Matthew 22:2

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 22:2 

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son.” – Matthew 22:2  

Today we will look at the Parable of the Wedding Feast, the last of three parables, in sequence, that depict God’s indictment and sentence of the present Jewish Leadership, unless they realize their errors and turn to the truth. Jesus does not reject Israel as a whole, only the current leadership, which has rejected him. The contrast is not between Jews and Gentiles but rather between those who reject and those who accept Jesus.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. Again he sent out other slaves saying, Tell those who have been invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.  But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged and sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and set their city on fire.  Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.  And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, and he *said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:2-14.

This parable regarding the Wedding Feast was given to a smaller audience than the others, but not because this was Jesus’ choice.  In Mark, just after the Parable of the Tenants, we read “And they were seeking to seize Him; and yet they feared the multitude; for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so, they left Him, and went away.” Mark 12:12.  Now, just because the audience shrunk does not mean Jesus changed the overall topic. 

As in most rabbinical parables, the king is an illustration of God.  It starts off by stating that a king was preparing to give a wedding feast for His son.  He sends out some slaves to tell those invited to come to the wedding feast.  When they get back, they tell him they were not going to come.  Then a second time, he sends out another set of slaves to tell the invited to come, for there would be a great feast, including his oxen and fattened livestock and that everything is ready. However, they refused to come and went about their business, with some of them mistreating the slaves and ultimately killing them.  Now this ticked off the King, so he sent his armies out to kill those who had done this and then destroyed their cities with fire.

“Then he said to his slaves, The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.” Matthew 22:8-9. The King cannot have a wedding feast with no guests; therefore, he tells his slaves to go out and invite all who would come to the feast. They were to go to places where the main highways go out from the city to the country, which was normally where the poorer people tended to get together.  These people could never have thought they would be invited to a banquet of this type.  But the wedding feast must go forward, so all from these regions were invited. 

But what of the man who came in his own clothes?  This requires God’s righteousness imparted on us and not our own.  This is the meaning of the man who was not dressed in wedding clothes.  He came in whatever clothes he chose to wear.  “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes,  and he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:11-13. The imagery here reflects the custom of a king providing festive dress for those he invites to a banquet. So, the king is understandably amazed and he rebukes this man, asking him why he has behaved as he has. The man offers no excuse. Only imprisonment and punishment—eternal judgment—remain in store for such people who rely on their own righteousness rather than the righteousness provided by Christ.

Again, as in the prior two parables, this is a picture of Jews, especially the leadership, rejecting Christ and His gift of righteousness.  To summarize the point of the Parable of the Wedding Feast, God sent His Son into the world, and the very people who should have celebrated His coming, the Jews, for they understood that the Messiah was coming, refused to accept it was Jesus.  Therefore, they rejected Him, bringing judgment upon themselves. As a result, the kingdom of heaven was opened up to anyone who will set aside his own righteousness and by faith accept the righteousness God provides in Christ. Those who spurn the gift of salvation and cling instead to their own good works will spend eternity separated from Christ.  Jesus desires His people, the Jews to come, but unfortunately they cling to the law and refuse to see He is the way, the truth, and the life.

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

John 4:50

Verse of the Day Devotion:  John 4:50   

“Jesus said to him, go your way; your son lives. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.” – John 4:50

Over the next week we will be looking at seven miraculous signs performed by Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John.  These signs show that Jesus was not just some ordinary man but was truly the Son of God.  The second sign which we will look at today is where He healed the son of a nobleman who was deathly ill.

In the beginning of the John chapter four, we find Jesus knew the pharisees were greatly irritated because Jesus was doing more than John the Baptist.  “When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were.)” John 3:1-2. Many of the Jewish leadership were upset with John the Baptist and what he had done, and to find out Jesus was making more disciples than John had, they we more displeased with what Jesus was doing. And probably because of this He decided to go to Galilee and chose to go through Samaria and it is at this time that He ministered to the Samaritan woman at the well.

After this event with the  Samaritan woman, Jesus arrives again in Cana, and there He meets a royal official of Rome, probably one connected by birth with Herod Antipas.  Herod was tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BC to 39 AD and not properly a ‘king’ at all; but he was popularly considered one. “And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Mark 6:14. This nobleman, finding out that Jesus was in Galilee, went to Him regarding his sick son asking for His help. “When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him, and was requesting Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.” John 4:47. Both here and in verse forty-nine this official is requesting Jesus come down and heal his son.  It appears that he is approaching Jesus out of desperation, not concerned with who He was, but having heard that Jesus can perform miracles. 

Now Jesus responds in a somewhat confrontational fashion. “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” John 4:48. And this was not just intended toward this man, but to the Galileans as a whole. The Samaritans had believed without any miracle. The Galileans, he said, were less disposed to believe him than even they were and though he had performed miracles enough to convince them, yet, unless they continually saw them, they would not believe. Then in the next verse, He asks Jesus again. “Sir, come down before my child dies.” John 4:49. Then Jesus tells Him, “Go your way; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.” John 4:50. This brings out an interesting thought. God may not do it how we want in answering our prayers, in this case having Him go home alone rather than Jesus going with him.  As Colin G. Kruze writes,   “It is also worth noticing that although Christ does not grant his desire, He gives him far more than he asked. For he receives the assurance that his son is even now well. So our heavenly Father often does not comply with our prayers in every detail but goes to work in an unexpected way to help us, so that we may learn not to dictate to Him in anything.”

The royal official, after hearing the words of Christ, headed back home.  And while heading home, he was met by some of his slaves. “And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. So, he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So, the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed, and his whole household.” John 4:51-53.

This man’s son was healed. However, the story does not end there. John adds, so he and his whole household believed. His faith in the promise of Jesus concerning his son’s healing and seeing that faith rewarded led the official to greater belief in Jesus and resulted in his whole household coming to believe in him. And in those days, normally when the head of the house believed, the rest of the household followed. And I believe this was a reason Jesus performed this and other miracles, and this is a great example.  The fact that the royal official and his household believed and exercised true faith in Jesus I believe shows this may be what John, in including this information, wanted his readers to understood.

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

Matthew 4:3

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Matthew 4:3 

“And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” – Matthew 4:3 

Over these three days we will be looking at, in Matthew, the temptation of Jesus.  There were three specifically mentioned in Matthew 4, which we will address. God sent Him out to be tempted. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1. These three testings’ were not for God to see what happens, for God knows all things. Isaiah said the following regarding this idea. “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.  God also is showing the contrast between Adam and Eve and the Christ.  Jesus proved Himself by not giving into Satan’s temptation as Adam and Eve did, which was not to God but to the world.  Also, temptations itself is not a sin, but our response may be.

The first temptation regarded hunger. “And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” Matthew 4:2. It is possible to go forty days without food but not without water, especially in an arid environment. The understatement regarding Jesus’ hunger is probably intended to illustrate the serious handicap He had in this battle.  The tempter Satan’s words show that Jesus truly was the Son of God.  Stewart Weber in his commentary states this might be better translated “Since you are the Son of God”.  Satan knew who He was and made it very plain that he did.  This same wording is used later in Matthew by the unbelievers who ridiculed Jesus on the cross. “And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Matthew 27:39:40.  I believe this was not a coincidence and that they were lured into using these same words by Satan, who used them first in our focus verse.

This first temptation was Satan tempting Him to rely on Himself instead of on the Father. Jesus often stated this, but no clearer than here. “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:37-38. This temptation follows the pattern found in the first epistle of John. “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16. Jesus was not going to allow His hunger to cause Him to go against the will and the desires of the Father. The Father sent Him out to be tested.  Would He rely on the Father or His own ways?  His answer was clear. “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.” He quoted Moses as found in Deuteronomy 8:3.  Food is important, but it is not our primary provision for life, but rather God’s word, every word that God has spoken to His people. In other words, we must place an emphasis and priority on our spiritual needs over our earthly needs.

And this is an important truth for us to comprehend.  When we are tempted, do we rely on God to bring us through or do we attempt to do it ourselves? God allows all things for our good.  Note how Paul prayed to God regarding His temptations.  “And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. 

We must realize that we are not sufficient to work thought every temptation.  Often, we need God’s help. And as He said in the verse above, His grace is sufficient.  The Father knew He needed food, and after the temptations He provided it to Him.  Paul also said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.  Also, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19. God knows every need we have, and He will provide for us truly what we need. 

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

Isaiah 9:6

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Isaiah 9:6

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas Eve.  This is the day before the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.  Our focus verse is the prophecy of this great event as given by Isaiah.  This verse tells us the reason for the great things that will come in the future.  “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.” Isaiah 9:1-5. 

In our focus verse we see several beautiful things that describe this child.  First of all, it speaks of the government being upon His shoulders.  This statement may be referring to the idea of a key that is placed on the king showing his control over the throne room and house of the king.  “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.” Isaiah 22:22.  Note the phrase, when he opens no one will shut, and when he shuts, no one will open.  This designates control and authority over the kingdom of which he rules.  This very well could be what is referred to in Isaiah 9 where he says, the government will rest on His shoulders.  He will rule and the government will be vested in Him; He will be king.

He is called Wonderful Counselor.  He always gives good counsel to His people, in both temporal and spiritual matters.  His wisdom surpasses all others because it comes directly from the Father, and because He is God Himself knowing all things past, present and future.

And He is the Mighty God, as I stated above.  The language here is, God The Mighty One.  He was not just sent by God, He is God, with all the attributes associated with God.  However, He will be in the form of a man.  John put it this way.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1-3.  And we know this is referring to Jesus because of what John says later on, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.  And the next verse clarifies Him as the promised one when He says, “John testified about Him and cried out, 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.  John the Baptist was conceived in the womb before Jesus, but John says He existed before him.  The meaning is clear here.  He was God who came in the flesh.

He is the everlasting Father.  There is but one Father in the Godhead, however, how this all fits together is beyond our understanding.  But what we do know is that Jesus and the Father are one.   He made this clear in John when He said, “I and the Father are one.”  John 10:30.  If Jesus Christ were not God, could he have said these words without being guilty of blasphemy?  He could not be referring to His earthly father, for this would not have been worded “the Father” but “my Father”.  He is God, not “a God” or a messenger of God, He is God Himself.

And He is the Prince of Peace.  According to theologian Albert Barnes, this is a Hebrew mode of expression denoting that he would be a peaceful prince.  That the tendency of His administration would be to restore and perpetuate peace.  This was in sharp contrast to the mass of kings and princes who have delighted in conquest and blood.  In contradistinction from all these, the Messiah would seek to promote universal concord, and the tendency of his reign would be to put an end to wars, and to restore harmony and order to the nations.  And this refers to all forms of peace.  In a prophecy regarding the new kingdom, Isaiah writes, “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.

These attributes describe completely who this child is that will be born to us, as stated in our focus verse.  He came to us a little over two thousand years ago; a baby born of a virgin in a manger in a small and virtually overlooked town of Bethlehem.  Who He is goes beyond our understanding, but it does show us what we have been given.  A loving and mighty God who provides perfect counsel to those who seek it,  one who is our Father for all eternity who’s reign is defined by perfect peace.  And we have this now in our relationship with Him.  “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.”  Isaiah 26:3-4.  And then, “The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.” Isaiah 26:7. 

This is our relationship with the promised child born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem so many years ago.  Rejoice and be glad as we celebrate this wonderful time of Christmas Eve and then Christmas day.  And remember, our time here is but the beginning.  “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.  Oh the beautiful and amazing things we have to look forward to.

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

Isaiah 7:14

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Isaiah 7:14

“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14

As Christmas 2020 approaches, I want to take the remainder of this week as well as next week to look at some of the prophecies found in the Old Testament that declare the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.  This has been a most difficult year what with the Covid-19 pandemic and all that happened as a result.  However, we must always remember that nothing surprises God, and He has been with us the whole time.  As Joshua declared to Israel which pertains to us as well, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. 

Today, we will look at Isaiah 7:14 regarding the prophecy of Jesus, this being our focus verse.  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14.  To understand this, it is important to look at what was transpiring at this time.  Ahaz, king of Judah and the royal family were very nervous because they received word that Rezin, king of Syria and Pekah, king of Israel were looking to invade Judah.  This was actually set up by God at the end of Jotham’s reign over Judah as we see here, “In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Ahaz his son became king in his place.” 2 Kings 15:37-38.  This was meant as a form of correction, but Judah would not be destroyed. 

The Lord sent Isaiah to Ahaz and told Isaiah what to tell him which was, “Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it, Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” Isaiah 7:4-7.  Unfortunately, he did not believe  that Jerusalem would be safe, so God told Ahaz to ask for a sign that would convince him. 

However, he would not ask for a sign.  Then God, through Isaiah, told him, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.“  Isaiah 7:13-14.  He starts off by asking Ahaz was it not enough to try the patience of men, so you will try the patience of God too?.   So God will give you a sign anyway. The sign is that a child will be born from a virgin, and He will be called Immanuel.  So, how is this a sign of their protection from the kings of Syria and Israel?  God was intonating that this would occur in Jerusalem in the future.  This child’s birth shows the preservation of that city, nation and tribe in which this one called Immanuel would be born would not be destroyed, therefore they had no reason to fear. 

The name Immanuel is critically important in this sign, for Immanuel means “God with us” or “God is with us.”.  This sign was a prophetic message to Ahaz that would be fulfilled some 700 years later, where a virgin from Nazareth named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, became pregnant via the Holy Spirit.  An angel told this to Joseph when he learned she was pregnant and was looking for a means to send her away without shaming her.  “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20b-21.  This name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew name Joshua meaning ‘to save’.  Then Matthew states this is the fulfilment of the prophecy to Ahaz.  “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Matthew 1:22-23. 

God originally gave this prophecy to Ahaz as a sign He would not allow the tribe of Judah to be destroyed.  It was later used to convince Joseph not to send Mary away because she became pregnant while they were engaged, thus before they were married.  It was proof of the deity of this child who was the promised Messiah who would die as the means to pay the penalty for all who would accept Christ as Lord of their life.  We, as Christians, are the new Jerusalem.  And just as God promised to Ahaz the protection of Judah, where Jerusalem is located, so does He also promise protection for the New Jerusalem which will be our eternal home.  So, be at peace regarding all that is going on in our world today, because just as this was a sign of the protection of Judah, so is it a sign of our protection as well. 

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

Galatians 2:20

Verse of the Day Devotion: Galatians 2:20 

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” – Galatians 2:20

Paul, in this passage, is laying out a distinction of our new life in Christ in opposition to our old life of sin.  In the verse just before this, he states that the law by which He lived under in his past he no longer lived under.  “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.” Galatians 2:19.  The ‘law’ referenced here is the Mosaic Law. He has come to the realization, through his conversion to The Way (Christianity) that salvation did not come through obedience to the law.  There was no hope in being saved through his own deeds.  In our focus verse, we see the reality he has come to understand.

When Christ died on the cross, it was not that we died physically with Him.  It was that He died for us, and the penalty for our sins was paid through His death.  Paul puts it this way in his letter to the Church in Rome.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.  When He died, our sins were paid for because He had never sinned and therefore His death was for our benefit.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17.

Because of this, we are to set aside our old life and put on our new life.  “if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:21-24. 

We are to put away those things from our old life that is sin and displeasing to God and put on those things which are good.  “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 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, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”  Ephesians 4:25-32.

It is important to understand that we are saved completely by the work of Christ on the cross: His death, burial and resurrection.  And this is purely the work of God and not by anything we could ever do.  It has nothing to do with following any rules. “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, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:9-10. All that is required is that we accept the work He did for us. 

True acceptance of what He did is shown by loving Him above all else.  We are called to love the Lord with everything we have: all our heart, soul, mind and strength (see Luke 10:27).  And how do we show that love?  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15.  We are not to keep His commandments because they will save us, we are to keep them to show our love for Him. And this love shown by the keeping of His commandments is proof that it is no longer we who live, but it is Christ who lives within us.  It was not us who saved ourselves, it was God’s sacrifice that saved us.  Put another way, it was not the keeping of the law, or following specific rules that saved us, it was Christ.  The keeping of His commandments is only the proof that it is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives in us.  Paul wants to make this very clear here in Galatians 2.  Remember, one sin condemns us.  We all have sinned; therefore we cannot save ourselves.  So the following of the law is of no effect, except to show our love for Jesus because of His salvation we have accepted.  What a beautiful picture of the grace and mercy of God.

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

Matthew 10:37

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 10:37 

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” – Matthew 10:37     

Who do we love most?  This is a question we need to answer in our own lives.  Let us first look back at verse 34 which reads, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34.  This is not to be interpreted as He is forcing this division, but that it will be the effect of His coming.  His message is of ultimate importance because it is the message of salvation; that God loves us beyond measure, and that He desires us to give our lives to Him so He can provide His life for us.  That being eternal life with Him.  Without this message, we will not know of His love and grace for us and ultimately not know our sins can be forgiven.

Also, “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” Matthew 10:35-36.  Jesus is probably using a verse from Micah to bring His point across.  “for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:6-7.  This was happening in Micah’s time probably because of the corruption that had infiltrated God’s people.  However, Micah was going to look to the Lord instead of man.  Jesus also speaks of this earlier in chapter 10.  “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:21-22. 

Now, taking this one step further with our focus verse, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  Matthew 10:37.  I cannot say this any better that Adam Clarke, so I will quote him here.  Note, the last five words of this I altered, using the words in our focus verse.  “He whom we love the most is he whom we study most to please, and whose will and interests we prefer in all cases. If, in order to please a father or mother who are opposed to vital godliness, we abandon God’s ordinances and followers, we are unworthy of Christ.” If we choose to believe or act according to the wishes of any person, but these beliefs or actions are contrary to God and His ways, then we love that person more than God and thus are not worthy of Him.  This is tough, but true.  We must be totally devoted to Him, regardless of how anyone or any group may think about us. 

Let me be open with you all. I unfortunately, in my past, have done things that people wanted me to do which I knew was wrong.  But because I wanted/needed friends, I participated in it.  I was a very shy person growing up with no self-confidence.  When I arrived at Homestead AFB for duty, the first two guys I met introduced me to drugs.  I  knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway because I had no other friends and I was desperate to find one.  After a couple years, God showed me the reality of who He is and I stopped instantly, giving my life completely to Him.  For months, it was just me and God.  After a time, God led me to so many Christian friends I was overwhelmed.  I guess I needed to develop a relationship with Him that was strong and powerful, and to see that He was more important than anyone else.

I tell this story because, at that time, I wanted friends more than God.  I went through a lot during this time, but He was there with me all the time, and I finally learned that loving God and fellowshipping with Him was more important than anyone or anything else.  I pray that we all will examine ourselves and pray fervently that our love for God will take precedence in our lives and that everyone else is secondary, thus being worthy of Christ, our Lord, King and greatest friend.

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