John 15:20

Verse of the Day Devotion:  John 15:20 

“Remember the word that I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” – John 15:20 

Jesus in this verse is eliminating any surprise His disciples could have when persecution comes upon them.  In the two previous verses He introduces this concept to them “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” John 15:18. He is telling them not to be surprised when the world comes against them, for they hated Him prior to hating them.  And the reason was the message He was presenting, which the disciples will continue to declare after He is gone.  The world hated Jesus because He taught a message that appeared contradictory to their beliefs. He was essentially telling them that it was the message they hated, and because He delivered it to the world, their hatred moved to Him as well.  And because He is calling them to deliver this message after He is gone, they will hate them as well.

Then in the next verse, He clarifies His point. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:19.  If they were of the world and taught their ways, this would not be an issue. The world loves its own, and thus is a society of rebels that have turned their backs on God to pursue their own ways and desires. And these ways were contrary to what they were teaching.

Jesus’ focus was to warn the disciples that their mission would not be easy. He had told them essentially the same thing earlier. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.” Matthew 10:25. It was important that this idea be fully understood, for soon they would be on their own.  He was encouraging them to stay strong and not to give in and abandon their calling, Judas had already left to betray Jesus to the Jewish leadership. Therefore, this was intended for the remaining eleven. . “Jesus therefore answered, that is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him. so, when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. And after the morsel, Satan then entered him. Jesus therefore said to him, what you do, do quickly.” John 13:26-27.

However, next He states the opposite idea, that being “if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20b.  If they persecuted me (and many of them did), they will persecute you also; if they obeyed my teaching (and some of them did), they will obey yours also. After Jesus ascends, they will have the same results Jesus had.  They will be doing God’s work here just as Jesus did when He was here.  If those in the world rebel and deny the message Jesus gave, they will deny their presentation of the same message.  And if they accept the truth of the message from Christ, then they will receive theirs as well. 

And He says all this because they do not know the one who sent Him. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.” John 15:21. Essentially, the peoples responses to Jesus’ disciples, whether positive or negative, are ultimately based not on who they are, but on who Jesus is. And the reason for this is because they do not know the Father who sent Jesus here.  The implication in this statement is that if they had truly known God, they would have recognized the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.  The Jews had their own perception of who God was which was not revealed in Christ, the promised Messiah. 

This is important because those of us who are saved are the disciples of Christ.  And we must understand we will be persecuted for our beliefs and at times hated by those who want nothing to do with Christianity.  However, this should not stop us from presenting the good news of salvation to a lost people. We should never back down from declaring the gospel, for maybe some will not accept it, but if one hears us and accepts the message and becomes a Christian, it will be worth all the persecution we have experienced.  This is our purpose here, and there should be nothing that prevents us from being a witness to a lost world.  Be strong and stand firm, not being intimidated by anyone.  The message we have is the most important message ever presented here and will make an incredible difference here that will last for all eternity.

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

Ephesians 6:17b

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Ephesians 6:17b   

“And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” – Ephesians 6:17b 

I want to start again with the several verses that introduce this idea Paul is putting forth.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13.  He is telling us to put on the full armor of God for the following reason, that we can stand firmly against the powers of the enemy, namely the sly schemes of the devil. 

The phrase “sword of the Spirit” is found only once in Scripture, here in our focus verse.   The sword is one of the pieces of spiritual armor Paul tells the Ephesian Christians to put on as part of the full armor of God that will enable us to stand our ground against evil.  The sword is both an offensive and defensive weapon used by soldiers or warriors. In our case here, it is a weapon belonging to the Holy Spirit.  Swords were used to protect oneself from harm or to attack the enemy to overcome or kill him. In both cases it was necessary for a soldier to get rigid training on the proper use of the sword to get maximum protection. All Christian soldiers need the same rigid training to know how to properly handle the Sword of the Spirit, the sword that Paul refers to here as the Holy Scriptures.

This sword is useful for every good work we do.  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  The scriptures are from God written through men.  And as stated above, it is both defensive and offensive.  Since every Christian is in a  spiritual battle with the satanic and evil forces of this world, we need to know how to handle the Word properly. Only then will it be an effective defense against evil, but we will also be on the  offensive to demolish strongholds of error and falsehood. And this is very much needed for there is an abundance of false teachings going around, and we need to, first know what is error as opposed to truth, and secondly we need to know where in scripture this is laid out.  And we must be bold in pronouncing all falsehoods and wrong teachings, providing for them the truth that is found in the word of God.

We see this analogy also in the book of Hebrews.  “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.  Here the Word is described as living and active and sharper than a double-edged sword. The Roman sword was commonly made in this manner. The fact that it had two edges made it easier to penetrate, as well as to cut in every way. The idea is that of piercing, or penetrating; the Word of God reaches the “heart,” the very center of action, and lays open the motives and feelings of those it touches.

It is because of this that it is important for us to study His Word and plant it deep within our hearts.  “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”  1 Peter 3:13-15.  Note the words “always being ready to make a defense.”  This is important for we are those called to bring the gospel to all.  And how can we do this if we do not know His word. 

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

 

John 17:14

Verse of the Day Devotion: John 17:14  

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” – John 17:14 

This verse is found in what is known as the High Priestly Prayer, because Jesus, who is praying here, took on the role of High Priest.  The office of High Priest started at Mt. Sinai when God gave the Law to the Israelites through Moses.  Aaron was chosen, along with his descendants,  to be priests who were responsible for interceding on behalf of Israel before God.  One priest was selected as the High Priest who would take it further by entering the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement to offer the sacrifice that would temporarily cover the sins of the people.  “Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.” Hebrews 9:6-7.  Jesus came here to take the role of the perfect High Priest, one who did not need to address His own sins for He was and is without sin, therefore His was not a once a year requirement but a once for all eternity.

Now, in our focus verse, Jesus declares in His prayer a very definite truth that was not only applicable to the time He was in, but also today.  He starts with “I have given them Your word,” John 17:14a.  Jesus spent three years preparing His disciples by teaching them what is in His word.  He taught them what they are to do, and what they are not to do.  He also tells them why and why not, and how they need to be totally devoted to Him and His Father.   And we can see that this was successful for they went out into the world and brought many to Christ and then trained them in His ways, so they could go out and bring more into the kingdom.

He then ends this with, “and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:14b.  The Jewish leadership as well as many of the pagan gentiles were very devout in their beliefs and hated those who spoke against what they believed.  A perfect example of this was Jesus’ persecution and eventual crucifixion by the Jewish leadership because He was countering what they were teaching and undermining their instruction.  They were of the world, but Jesus and the disciples were not, therefore they taught against what the world loved and practiced.

Now we see this happening in the world today.  Many countries, especially North Korea, China and many Islamic countries already harshly persecute Christians in an attempt to convert them to their way of thinking.  Many times, this leads to the death of the Christian.  However, we are now seeing hatred of Christianity throughout the whole world, including the United States.  People want to do what they want, and they despise those who declare it as sin.  We need to understand that this was prophesied throughout the scriptures.  We will go through tough times because of our beliefs and devotion to Christ.  We need to pray that God will prepare us for these days so we can remain strong and true to our God.  He will never leave us alone but will always be with us.  We must trust in Him, for a beautiful eternal life awaits us after we stand firm in the faith.

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

Acts 17:11

Verse of the Day Devotion: Acts 17:11 

“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” – Acts 17:11

Paul and Silas, and their fellow travelers went  to Thessalonica, spending time reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue.  “explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” Acts 17:3.  This was standard procedure for Paul, always going to the Jews first to try and convince them of the truth prior to going out to the gentiles.  He spent three Sabbaths trying to convince them.  However, in the next couple of verses we read, “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.” Acts 17:4-5.   

After all this, the brethren sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.  When they arrived, they found the Bereans to be noble minded, more so than the Thessalonians.  However, there was something they discovered about them that was more important.  They received the word with great eagerness,  not just accepting what had been told them, but they examined the scriptures to ensure what they were told was truth.  And because of this, “Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”  Acts 17:12

I want to encourage everyone to be as the Bereans were.  It is important that we verify teachings we are unsure of, verifying that what they say is scriptural and accurate.  There are many teachers and preachers in the world who teach what the people want to hear, rather then teaching them what God wants them to hear.  This can be in the form of sermons, teachings, books, videos, essentially any format we use to study and learn from.  Do not accept every teaching you hear, even from those who are popular preachers and teachers.  Also, there are many people that are not well known, but have a solid understanding of the word.  We should check them out as well. 

There is no need to check everything out, just those teachings you are not sure of.  If there is no question of its truth, then good.  You have already validated the teaching and found it to be true.  The main idea is to grasp the truth and let go of what is not.  We cannot allow ourselves or others around us to be deceived into believing a false teaching.  We should also spend time reading the scriptures on a regular basis, studying His word to become so familiar with it we will quickly see error if it exists. 

Take the time to check anything teaching that does not sound right.  For not only will you protect yourself from false teaching, you will also be able to assist others who may find themselves believing a false teaching.  Both of these are important in the work God has called us to.

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

Psalm 119:9

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 119:9 

“How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word.” – Psalm 119:9    

I want to first state that this is intended for all young men, basically any man who is still alive.  It should be applied to all men because we all can take the wisdom written here and put it into practice.  I would also go as far as state it should be applied by all people, either male of female.  The rhetorical question being asked is essentially, how can we keep ourselves pure before God? 

Lets look at this from the beginning of the chapter.  He starts out by declaring the following.  “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.” Psalm 119:1  Being pure and blameless is a good thing, it is what God desires of us.  He wants us to obey and follow His laws.  Not just for the law’s sake, but to please God.  We are to walk blameless and in obedience to Him.  And not only observe and keep His commandments, but also seek Him with our whole heart.  Not just to do things because we are commanded to, but because we love Him and desire to do what He commands.  We are to do no unrighteousness but walk in His ways.  (Psalm 119:3). 

But how can we do this?  As our focus verse states, how can we keep our ways pure?  He has a truly short answer for us.  “By keeping it according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9b.  We must know His Word before we can keep it, therefore, we must take the time to study His word, read His scriptures and put them into practice.  This is well exemplified in the following, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11.  We must take God’s word and treasure it in our hearts and minds so that we can not only learn what we should do, but also what we should not.  And as Adam Clarke so clearly put it, “If God’s word be only in his Bible, and not also in his heart, he may soon and easily be surprised into his besetting sin.”

The world we live in is going quickly downhill regarding what it finds acceptable and good.  And there is no question that much that the world embraces is sinful and displeases the Lord.  Temptation abounds everywhere.  We must study His word regularly in order to learn what is good and what is not.  Satan will bring our way thoughts and desires that are not good.  And we may not even realize that something we do or desire is sinful.  This is why it is imperative that we dive into His word, read it, study it, and place it deep into our being and treasure it with all our heart.  Then, when we are tempted, we will know that it is wrong and it must be denied.  And if we apply these words of wisdom, “Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Your commandments. I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.” Psalm 119:6-7.

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

Psalm 119:50

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 119:50 

“This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.” – Psalm 119:50 

This verse is found in the longest chapter in all of scripture, Psalm 119.  First, lets look at verse 49 which precedes our focus verse.  “Zayin. Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.” Psalm 119:49  The writer of this chapter is using the language of prayer.  In this verse, he is telling the Lord that through the words God has given to him, he has derived hope in the midst of his afflictions.  And through this hope, as our focus verse says, he has comfort that all things will work out.  And all this is a result of the words the Lord has given us.

So, which words is the writer speaking of.  In essence, all that God has given us.   Lets look at a few of the verse in 119.  “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11.  “Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors.” Psalm 119:24.   And, “I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart.” Psalm 119:32.  Many verses in Psalm 119 speak of the goodness of His words, commands, precepts, and ordinances.  Therefore, when he says, ‘your word has revived me’, he is speaking of all the words God has given us, His Holy Scriptures.

Paul, in writing to the Church in Rome said, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4.  Note the similarity of the final lines of the two verses.  “Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.” and “and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  In both verses, it is the word(s) of God that the writers say give hope to those who read and follow them.  However, is it only the reading of the word that does it?  No!  There is another aspect of it the finalizes the idea.  The words must be believed.  You can read scripture all day, but if you do not have faith that it is truth, it will be of no value. 

We read earlier in Romans, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” Romans 10:14-15.  Paul starts out by asking how will the unsaved hear the truth that God proclaimed?  By people being sent to declare the truth.  He then sums up his argument by saying, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17.  And through this faith, hope enters the hearts of people. 

Our hope, as Christians, come from God.  And He has communicated to us the hope we have.  “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.“ Hebrews 11:1.  We have hope because God communicated to us.  Faith is the assurance that what He has told us is true and trustworthy, even if we do not see it now.  And in all this, we can be comforted because these words bring life to us, life everlasting.  Just as our focus verse says, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your word has revived me. Psalm 119:43. 

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