Author: looking2jesus13

March 13

Bible Reading: Luke 7

Luke 7:47, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

The problem with mere religion is that it has no life to it.  It is cold, hard, loveless, and lifeless.  Religion says, “do this” and “don’t do that,” supposing to somehow benefit the lives of its adherents.  But it is a scam, ill-founded on the false premise that dos and don’ts can somehow work a genuine change of heart and life.  No matter how zealous, no amount of religious effort can work to gain that which was lost in the fall.

Simon was a Pharisee.  The affairs of his daily routine were governed by countless “do’s” and “don’ts,” and in doing such things, he esteemed himself righteous.  He invited Jesus to his home for dinner.  Perhaps he was curious about Jesus, but whatever the reason, the gathering was disrupted in an unexpected way.

A “woman of the city, who was a sinner” entered the home (Luke 7:37).  According to Luke’s account, she was an immoral woman.  That Simon knew of her reputation, “what sort of woman” she was, would indicate some public sin (Luke 7:39).  Perhaps she was a prostitute.  To enter that Pharisee’s home was an incredibly bold venture.  What caused her to do it?  In the chronology of events, Jesus had previously invited “all who labor and heavy laden” to come to Him (Matthew 11:28).  Perhaps she came looking for Jesus, yearning for His promised “soul rest,” something that mere religion could never provide.

So, the woman entered the house.  Jesus was reclining at the table (Luke 7:37).  She came up behind Him and began to do all that she could do that she might express her love for Jesus.  She had brought an “alabaster flack of ointment” (Luke 7:37).  She was weeping and “began to wet his feet with her tears.”  She then wiped His feet with the hair of her head and anointed them with that rare and expensive perfume (Luke 7:38).  It was an unprecedented public display of extravagant devotion.  It would be repeated by another on a future occasion, and the response of the religious in both cases indicated their ignorance of matters pertaining to grace, love, and forgiveness (John 12:1-7).

Simon was disturbed by what he saw.  “Didn’t Jesus know ‘what sort of woman’ she was,” he thought.  But Jesus discerned his thoughts and used the opportunity to explain, with a parable, important truths to a man who was religiously wise but spiritually stupid.  He said, “A certain moneylender had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both.  Now which one of them will love him more” (Luke 7:41-42)?

We are all, in sin, debtors before God.  Religion falsely supposes that the debt can be worked out through religious self-effort and good deeds.  Simon was a religious man, but he had not experienced God’s forgiveness.  He saw no need for it.  His religious life had no “vertical” to it, leaving him ignorant of matters pertaining to grace and love.  He invited Jesus to his home, but gave no kiss, washed no feet, and offered no anointing.  According to his way of thinking the sinful woman was worthy only of disdain, her faults mere fodder to bolster his religious ego.

But the sinful woman found a friend in the “Friend of Sinners.”  No sin debt can exceed His capacity to forgive.  His forgiveness worked a change in her, freeing her from her bondage to love Jesus in extravagant fashion.  Her life was utterly and remarkably changed by Jesus.  She loved Him much because she had been much forgiven. And in that, she possessed something far more precious than Simon’s dead and heartless religion.  One by one God’s much-forgiven saints file into church on any given Sunday. Like alabaster flasks, they were much forgiven and created anew in Christ Jesus that they in turn might be broken and spilt out just as He was. 

Loving devotion to Jesus is fueled by an awareness of how much we’ve been loved by Him in the forgiveness of our sins!

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you, Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

March 10

Bible Reading: Luke 6

Luke 6:47-48, “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”

In the fable of the three little pigs, the big bad wolf was able to blow down the first two pigs’ houses, made of straw and wood, but was unable to destroy the third pig’s house, made of bricks.  Big bad wolfs exist.  Some homes are not strong enough to withstand their assault. How are we to be well founded in life that we can remain standing against adversity?

The main point of Jesus’ parable in Luke 6:46-49 is the vanity of hearing His words without doing them.  It is possible for a person to profess Jesus as Lord, apart from a necessary obedient response.  That dichotomy between profession and practice is both inexplicable and calamitous.

The term “Lord” translates the Greek term “kurios.”  The term refers to “one having power” and is variously translated in the NT, “Lord,” “master,” “owner,” and “Sir.”  This was the common form of address to the Lord Jesus, both by the people (Matthew 8:2; John 4:11) and by His disciples (Matthew 8:25; Luke 5:8).  By definition, Lordship involves and requires obedience on the part of those in subjection to it.  Unresponsiveness to the master’s commands lends doubt to the credibility of a person’s profession (Matthew 7:21-23; Titus 1:16).

The parable speaks of two different men building two different houses leading to two differing results.  In the first case the man “dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock” (Luke 6:48).  In our country building codes govern the construction of homes.  The foundation must be laid according to stringent requirements.  The laying of the foundation can be both expensive and time-consuming but is nevertheless essential to both the value and strength of the home.  Woe to the negligent homebuilder who underestimates its importance.

The same holds true in the spiritual realm.  Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”  He, the builder, has set forth His own requirements.  A superficial response to His Word is inadequate.  The Word will demand change.  A spiritual excavation of soul is necessary.  No such excavation is possible apart from wholehearted obedient response to His Word.  There is but One foundation that is adequate (1 Corinthians 3:11).  Apart from obedience it is impossible for that foundation to be either properly laid or carefully built upon (2 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:2).

Since much of the foundation lies underground, the differing strengths of the two homes prove difficult, under ordinary circumstances, to discern.  But it is made evident when the two homes are both equally subjected to external forces.  Jesus’ parable spoke of the trials which are an inevitable part of life.  Here they are compared to a “flood” (Luke 6:48), in Matthew to rain, floods, and winds (Matthew 7:25).  Trials and troubles in life are inevitable.  The man who hears and does is able to withstand the onslaught of antagonistic spiritual forces, the one who merely hears is not.  The world, the flesh, and the Devil will work to oppress and storm against the believer, but in obedience to Christ the believer is made “strong and brave to face the foe” (1 John 2:14).

The flood “could not shake” the “well built” home, but the other home fell immediately, its ruin was “great” (Luke 6:49).  God’s Word repeatedly promises to spiritually bless those who take it to heart.  The promise is not to the “hearer who forgets, but (to the) doer who acts” (James 1:25; Psalm 1).  A solid, well-laid, foundation—obedience to His word–is essential.

God’s Word promises to spiritually bless those who take it to heart. But the promise is not to mere hearers, but to doers!

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word
What more can He say than to you He hath said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled

Fear not, I am with thee; oh be not dismayed
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand

March 9

Bible Reading: Luke 5

I love to go fishing! Some time ago I was fishing for steelhead on one of my favorite rivers.  I had lost one fish and was nearing the end of my allotted time to catch one.  I was desperate. So desperate that I resorted to giving a pep talk to the fishing lure I was using.  I reminded the lure that its purpose was to catch fish, and that it had thus served me well on many previous occasions.  I spoke to it of how we were out of time and how I needed for it to hook a fish right away—this is a true story!  I cast the lure out into the hole and immediately I hooked a nice size steelhead.  Luck? —I don’t believe in that.  Divine providence? —perhaps, but unfortunately the fish came off after about 15 seconds.  That’s the way it goes with fishing.  Sometimes you catch fish.  Sometimes you don’t.  I can relate to Peter’s experience that we read about in this chapter.

Peter and his friends “toiled all night” fishing and “took nothing” (Luke 5:4).  They were boat fishermen.  They fished at night because that was when the fish could be found along the shoreline.  And at night the fish were naïve to the existence of the encompassing nets that would spell their doom.  For hours they labored hard and despite their efforts no fish were to be found.  So, they made their way back to shore and were washing out their nets.

Jesus was there.  The crowd was pressing in on Him.  Jesus got into one of the boats and from there taught the people.  When He finished speaking, he said to Peter, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4).  This was not Peter’s first introduction to Jesus.  On a previous occasion Peter’s brother, Andrew, had told him about Jesus.  “We have found the Messiah” he said (John 1:41).  Having been brought then to Jesus, Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter (‘Peter’ is from the Greek word for ‘rock’; John 1:42).  From the beginning Jesus had plans for Peter. 

Peter was a fisherman.  He knew about fishing.  He had labored all night to no avail.  Daytime was not the time for good fishing, but He nevertheless obeyed Jesus and they went fishing together.  I’ve fished with plenty of different people and some real good fishermen, but Peter was privileged to fish with the “Master of the seas.”  And so, when they let down their nets “they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking” (Luke 5:6).  So great was the quantity of fish that they even filled another boat so that “they began to sink” (Luke 5:7).

It was said of Jesus following another miracle that “He has done all things well” (Mark 7:37), and that was the case in this case.  His supernatural wisdom, power, and sovereign control over all things were dramatically demonstrated to Peter.  And that explains Peter’s response as he and his friends were “astonished at the catch of fish” (Luke 5:9).  “He fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord’” (Luke 5:8).  Peter saw something of the glory of Jesus, and in that was made aware of his own shortcomings.  The miracle worked to simultaneously expose truths regarding both Jesus and Peter.  But Jesus was well aware of Peter’s needs.  Peter bid Jesus to depart, but Jesus instead called that sinful man, that ordinary fisherman, to follow Him, saying, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).

On a future occasion, some years later, Peter would again experience another miraculous catch at Jesus’ bidding (John 21:4-8).  That subsequent catch of fish played a role in Jesus’ restoration of Peter.  His ministry began with a miraculous catch and with a miraculous catch the resurrected Jesus put Peter back to work.

And then there came that remarkable day, when the restored and transformed fisher-of-men experienced another kind of miraculous catch!  At Pentecost, the Spirit-filled Peter stood before a large crowd of People.  He boldly proclaimed the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  And the people responded.  3000 souls were added to the church (Acts 2:41)!  Peter the fisherman was made to be a fisher-of-men.  In every case it was Jesus Himself who caused the miraculous catch, well-pleased as he was, to call and use that ordinary fisherman.  I love a good “fish story,” but it was more than a story about catching fish, for it speaks to the truth regarding Jesus.  The Great Fisher of men still works in the lives of ordinary men and women in miraculous ways to accomplish miraculous things.

God is well pleased to work through ordinary men and women to accomplish extraordinary things!

Now while the gospel net is cast,
Do thou, O Lord, the effort own;
From numerous disappointments past,
Teach us to hope in thee alone.

March 8

Bible Reading: Luke 4

If it had been up to the people of his hometown, Jesus’ ministry would have ended at the beginning.  Mere minutes before they were speaking well of him and marveling at his gracious words (Luke 4:22), but something transpired to precipitate their rage and the people of the synagogue drove him out of town and tried to throw him over a cliff (Luke 4:28-29).  What happened?

Things started out well enough.  As was His custom, Jesus entered his hometown synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.  He unrolled the scroll and read from the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2).  Isaiah’s prophecy spoke of Him as the Messiah and the Savior who had come to proclaim good news and liberty to the captives, and to give sight to the blind and deliverance to the captives.  “And he began saying to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’ (Luke 4:21).”  He identified Himself to be the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy.  To this those gathered responded with approval.

But then they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son” (Luke 4:22)?  His response to that changed everything.  He who knew what was in a man (John 2:25), knew what was in their hearts.  He spoke prophetically of what would come to pass in his hometown—no miracles.  Familiarity breeds contempt.  They knew of His family.  Matthew and Mark’s gospels also record this event, though some suppose that there were two separate hometown visits (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6).  Whether speaking of the same or a separate event, Mark’s account speaks to Nazareth’s prevailing spirit of unbelief.  The people were saying, “Where did this man get these things?  What is the wisdom given to him?  How are such mighty works done by his hands?  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us” (Mark 6:2-3).  According to Mark’s gospel “they took offense at him” (Mark 6:3).  They “were being made to stumble,” thinking how can this man whom we know so well be who He is claiming to be?

Jesus was cognizant of their unbelief (Mark 6:6), and He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown” (Luke 4:24).  He illustrated that truth by the way of two Old Testament examples.  There were plenty of widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, but Elijah was sent to none of them, but instead to a widow in Sidon (Luke 4:25-26).  There were plenty of lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, but Elisha was sent to none of them, but instead to a Syrian (Luke 4:27).  Their demand for more evidence testified to their lack of faith.  He indicted them for it.  In the climate of unbelief, He would choose to not exercise His miraculous powers.  That made them mad, so mad that they ran Him out of town and tried to kill Him.

What happened in Nazareth that day should not surprise us.  At His birth there was no room for Him in the inn.  By Herod’s decree there was no room for him in the town of His birth.  The religious leaders had no room for Him and His ministry.  From beginning to end His ministry was met with growing opposition.  Nazareth ran Him out of town, at the cross humanity attempted to run him out of existence.  To this day most deny Him.  Indeed, the mere mention of His Name sometimes elicits anger.  And though some have no problem with a “good man” Jesus, they bristle at the notion of His divinity and coming reign.  “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).  He might have been a hometown zero, but what is He to you?  How blessed are those who in taking Him at His Word receive Him as their Lord!

Have you any room for Jesus, He who bore your load of sin?

Have you any room for Jesus,
He who bore your load of sin?
As He knocks and asks admission,
Sinner, will you let Him in?

Refrain:
Room for Jesus, King of glory!
Hasten now, His word obey;
Swing the heart’s door widely open,
Bid Him enter while you may.

March 7

Bible Reading: Luke 3

One can’t rightly understand or appreciated the greatness of the good news without first coming to terms with the badness of the bad news.  John the Baptist has set a good example in his understanding and proclamation of both.

John the Baptist was heaven sent in fulfillment of prophecy to “prepare the way of the Lord” (Luke 3:4).  He ministered in a time of great wickedness.  The leaders of that day were ungodly men, and their religion was a hypocritical sham.  “The word of God came to John” (Luke 3:2).  He boldly proclaimed that which was made known to him.

“He preached good news to the people” (Luke 3:18).  But much of what he had to say could hardly be termed “good news”.  His message was one of pending judgment.  

He boldly addressed the sin problem.  He came “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3).  None were exempt from his bold, sin-convicting, message.  He specifically exposed the sins of the common people (3:7), tax-collectors (3:12), soldiers (3:14), religious leaders (Matthew 3:7) and political rulers (3:18-19).  He spoke without fear of repercussion.  And, as a direct result, was imprisoned and ultimately put to death (Luke 3:20).

He warned of pending judgment, of the “wrath to come” (Luke 3:7) and of One who would come and burn the chaff “with unquenchable fire” the chaff (Luke 3:17).  

It is impossible to proclaim the good news of a Savior without addressing the bad news of sin.  John the Baptist came to call God’s people to repentance, but there can be no repentance of sin without awareness of the sin problem.  It is impossible to be cured of a problem without first diagnosing its nature and severity.  John the Baptist proclaimed bad news, and it is bad news still.  We are all sinners by birth (Romans 3:23).  Because of sin we are deserving of God’s wrath and judgment (Romans 6:23).  John the Baptist declared truths related to sin and judgment in his day, the Spirit has that ministry in our own (John 16:8-11).  

John the Baptist not only made much of the sin problem, but he also made much of the Savior.  His ministry was one of preparation for the coming Lord (Luke 3:4-6).  He spoke of the One coming that was mightier than he (Luke 3:16).  He bore witness of Jesus, acknowledging His preexistence and identity as the Son of God (John 1:15, 1:34).  The multitudes were following him, they wondered if he was the Christ (Luke 3:15), but he told them, in essence, don’t look at me, look to Jesus.  His was a Christ-exalting ministry.  There is salvation in no One else (Acts 4:12).

John the Baptist spoke prophetically of Christ’s death, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)!  The problem of sin and pending judgment can only be resolved by such a Savior, but no Savior would be necessary were there no sin problem.  We live in a culture in which the concept of sin has been virtually exorcised from thought.  What was once called sin, is now deemed a disorder.  Countless reasons and excuses are given for social maladies, but sin is never a part of the equation.  I’ve got a copy of the 1828 edition of Webster’s Dictionary in my office.  The definition for sin fills a half column, by way of contrast the modern version has little to say about it.

Years ago, H. Richard Niebuhr offered this critique of theological liberalism, describing its message this way: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”  That spirit of ministerial negligence has since leavened much of that which identifies itself today as “Christian.”

In preaching and accepting the whole counsel of God’s Word it is necessary to make much of sin and much of the Savior.  The Bible itself could be summarized this way: “Man sins, God saves.”  And in saving the radically depraved the glorious nature of God in His matchless grace is revealed.  It is in appreciation of the gravity of the bad news that the glory of the good news (and God Himself) is fully realized and understood.

One can’t rightly understand or appreciated the greatness of the good news without first coming to terms with the badness of the bad news.

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
spotless Lamb of God was he;
full atonement can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

March 6

Bible Reading: Luke 2

There is a proverb that goes, “A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”  Its empirically evident that there’s truth to that.  But what if the truth speaks of some great news of immeasurable benefit?  That kind of good news can (and should) travel fast!  We’ve an example of that in this chapter.

While shepherds were “keeping watch over their flock by night” an angel brought a message of good news to them: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).  A multitude of the heavenly host then joined the angel in praising God (Luke 2:13-14).  God was pleased to reveal glorious truths in glorious fashion to lowly shepherds.  

The angel instructed them to go and witness, for themselves, the birth of the Savior.  They traveled “with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16).  Those ordinary men, who had likely shepherded thousands of ordinary lambs, were privileged to behold the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  They saw Him for themselves.

The shepherds returned to their family and friends and shared what they had seen and heard: “They made known the saying that had been told them concerning the child” (Luke 2:17).  The term translated “made known” means “to publish abroad, make known thoroughly.”  The King James Version translates it “they made known abroad.”  They literally told anybody and everybody who would listen.

They heard and saw and went and told.  That’s the way it is supposed to work.  Andrew found the Messiah and went and told his brother (John 1:40-41).  The woman at the well heard Jesus speak and went and told others about Him (John 4:28-30).  The demoniac was delivered from his demons and went forth to declare “how much Jesus had done for him” (Mark 5:20).  Peter and John witnessed the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  They could not stop speaking of what they had seen and heard, despite opposition and threats (Acts 4:20).  You have heard and received the good news, God would have you to go and tell others.

The war of 1812 ended on Christmas Eve, 1814.  The news traveled slowly by ship and was not delivered to New York City until a Saturday afternoon in February.  No sooner had some men heard the news than they rushed in breathless haste into the city to repeat it to their friends, shouting as they ran through the streets, “Peace, Peace, Peace!”  Everyone who heard the news repeated it.  From house to house, from street to street, the news spread.  Men bearing lighted torches ran to and fro shouting “Peace, Peace, and Peace!”  Only one thought occupied the minds of citizens that night.  In the days that followed, every person became a herald of the news and soon every man, woman, and child in the entire city was evangelized with the message.  Those New Yorkers excitedly and readily shared a message of peace achieved that Christmas Eve, a peace that had reconciled two great nations.  Good news is meant to be shared, and with a sense of urgency.

The message we have been given to share is of greater import.  It is the absolute best of news.  “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).  It is a glorious message of a glorious Savior who offers to sinners a glorious salvation.  It is a “word of reconciliation” regarding the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ through which rebel sinners can be reconciled to God (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:19).  Paul was burdened to share the message: “the love of Christ controls us,” he said (2 Corinthians 5:14).  

As believers we are witnesses of a truth worth telling. Like those shepherds of old let publish abroad the good news that others might be brought to Jesus!

The good news is news worth sharing!

I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story
because I know it’s true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else can do.

Refrain:
I love to tell the story;
’twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.

March 3

Bible Reading: Luke 1

Luke 1:18, “And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife in advanced years.”

Luke 1:34, “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’”

When God ended His centuries old silence to His people, He did so in dramatic fashion.  He sent the angel Gabriel—who had previously spoke to the prophet Daniel of God’s plan for the ages (Daniel chapter nine)—to speak of the miraculous things that would soon come to pass.  Zacharias and Mary had both found favor with God (Luke 1:6 and 1:28) but were otherwise quite different.  Zacharias was an old and childless priest.  Mary was a young and engaged virgin.

Gabriel spoke to both–to Zacharias in the temple, to Mary in Nazareth—of the miraculous intervention of God on their behalf.  Elizabeth, Zachariah’s elderly wife, was to bear a son.  Mary, the virgin, was to bear a child too.  Both responded to the angel’s announcement with a question.  “Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years’” (Luke 1:18).  “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’” (Luke 1:34).

Zacharias question was met with dramatic consequences.  Mary’s was not.  Zacharias was rendered speechless for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy: “And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time” (Luke 1:20).  Coming out of the temple, “he was unable to speak to them…and he kept making signs to them and remained mute” (Luke 1:22).  His tongue was silenced for months until the day of his son’s birth.  On that day, a discussion arose regarding what was to be the newborn’s name.  Zacharias “asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows, ‘His name is John.’” (Luke 1:63).  “And as once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God” (Luke 1:64).  Later, filled with the Spirit, Zacharias blessed God in a prophetic song of praise (Luke 1:68-79).

But Mary’s question to Gabriel did not lead to any similar repercussions.  How are we to account for the difference?  Zacharias’ question reflected unbelief in God’s word to him. Mary’s did not.  Mary was confident as to God’s ability to do that which Gabriel had declared.  She did not question THAT God could do what He promised, she wondered HOW.  She believed that which God has spoken, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).  Zacharias question reflected an element of unbelief: “How shall I know this” (Luke 1:18)?  The announcement of the God-sent angel was not enough, he wanted further evidence.  The evidence would come, God would fulfill His plan, but his unbelief worked to bind his tongue until the promise was fulfilled.

“For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).  God can fill a barren womb or bear a child in a virgin.  Gabriel’s assertions were demonstrably fulfilled in both miraculous births.  It is ever and always a good thing to take God at His Word.  It is as we do that we fully experience His promised blessings, to which we then can respond accordingly with thanksgiving and praise.  Amongst the consequences of unbelief is an incapacitated tongue.  But faith sings a better song!

Let us meet today’s challenges with that kind of faith that takes God at His Word no matter what the challenges.

Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Refrain:
Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth be past;
Till within the jasper wall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all. Refrain.

March 2

Bible Reading: Mark 16

Mark 16:15, “And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’”

The engine room of the Nuclear Submarine on which I served was a complex assembly of nuclear, electrical, and mechanical equipment.  An Engineering Officer was tasked with overseeing other officers and enlisted men in maintaining its safe and functional operation.  But the Engineering Officer was not always there in the engine room.  In his absence, he left to us “Standing Orders”—his specific commands regarding our responsibilities.  These standing orders were written in a “Night Order Book” and remained in effect until they were rescinded.

Our Engineering Officer was not particularly well liked by his crew.  One of the enlisted men decided t0 express his disapproval in an unusual way.  He took the Night Order book—a heavy duty, government-issue, green notebook—and worked to fold it in half.  Back and forth, for an entire night, he folded the cover and the pages.  In the end, the book was still readable, but hardly recognizable.  The Engineering Officer was none too pleased with what he found—we were all forced to stand at attention in the Engine Room until the culprit was identified.  It’s not a good idea to disdain the standing orders of an officer!

The message of Mark 16:15 has been called “the Great Commission,” and it is a fitting designation.  They are like standing orders to be embraced and prayerfully obeyed.  We have been commissioned by the One to whom “all authority… in heaven and earth” has been given (Matthew 28:18).  The Lord of the church has given standing orders to His church.  Who are we to disdain or ignore His command?  We have been commissioned to proclaim the greatest of messages, the gospel.  It is a glorious message of His glorious work bearing the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (1 Timothy 1:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Romans 1:16).  It is a commission that speaks to the great need of sinners near and far.  We are ambassadors for Christ bearing to the lost a message of reconciliation to God (2 Corinthians 5:19).  Through Christ, God has provided a means of salvation (2 Corinthians 5:21).  It is a commission that is met with ample resources. The Lord Himself has promised to attend to us in the endeavor (Matthew 28:20).

The Apostles were the immediate recipients of the commission of our Lord.  What was their response?  The Spirit-filled Apostle Peter boldly proclaimed the truth of Christ’s death for sins and resurrection from the dead.  3000 souls were saved.  Then he healed a man and proclaimed the gospel again.  5000 responded.  The church was growing, and the religious leaders of the day took notice.  They arrested Peter and John and interrogated them.  They brought them before the religious council and “called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18).  Their response? “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).  They would not be deterred from their Great Commission mandate.  They kept on preaching the gospel.  The apostles would all, except John, suffer martyrdom because of their obedience to the Lord’s command to declare the truth of salvation through Christ.

Every believer in Christ has the responsibility to bear witness to the truth concerning Jesus.  But it is more than a responsibility, it is a privilege.  In your relationship with Jesus, God has imparted to you treasure of unfathomable riches (2 Corinthians 4:7; Ephesians 3:8).  God meant for you to share your treasure with others.  It is not just a Great Commission, it’s a standing order and a privilege.

You’ve the treasure of knowing Jesus in your earthen vessel.  The treasure was given to you to be shared with others!

So send I you
By grace made strong
To triumph o’er hosts of hell
O’er darkness death and sin
My name to bear
And in that name to conquer
So send I you My victory to win

So send I you
To take to souls in bondage
The Word of truth
That sets the captive free
To break the bonds of sin
To loose death’s fetters
So send I you
To bring the lost to Me

March 1

Bible Reading: Mark 15

Mark 15:39, “And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”

Amidst the mob at the cross, the Centurion was not there for any personal reason.  Some were there because of their hatred for Jesus (i.e., the religious leaders), some were there because of their love for Him (i.e., His mother and some of His followers), some were there because they had no choice (i.e., the robbers), but the Centurion was there simply to do his job.

As a centurion, he was a non-commissioned officer of the Roman army, a man of authority having charge nominally of 100 men (Matthew 8:9).  He was tasked with overseeing the execution of Jesus.  He was a soldier and was used to doing what he was told.  That was what he was there to do.  One might suppose that he’d witnessed his share of the horror of human brutality, but nothing could compare with what he saw and heard that day.

He was a part of a larger contingent of soldiers that were there.  An entire cohort (usually about 600 men) had been called together (Mark 15:16).  And soldiers from that cohort had much to do in crucifying Jesus.  Of the specific activities of the Centurion, we are given no account, but we know he was there and that he saw what happened.

What happened?  It was a chaotic and macabre scene.  The three cursed crosses towered over the crowd.  Amongst the ordinary sounds accompanying such a large gathering were the poisonous taunts of the mocking.  And in glorious contrast, Jesus spoke words of forgiveness, salvation, and victory. 

It was no ordinary day, and God would mark the occasion in special ways.  Luke’s account speaks of the darkness that beset the scene from about Noon for three hours.  Then as Jesus’ breathed His last, several things happened all at once.  “The Life of Christ in Stereo” (A harmony of the gospels) gives the following interwoven account (1-Matthew; 2-Mark; 3-Luke; 4-John): “Then ⁴Jesus therefore on receiving the wine ¹cried out again with a loud voice, ⁴’It is finished!’  And he bowed his head, ³and said, ‘Father into Thy hands I commit my spirit.”  And having said these things, ⁴he yielded up his spirit.  ³Now the centurion ²who stood confronting him nearby, when he saw that he (cried out) thus (and) expired, ³glorified God by saying, ‘Truly this was a righteous man!’  ¹And behold, the veil of the temple was wrenched in two from top to bottom.  And the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose; and they came forth out of the tombs after his resurrection, entering into the holy city and appearing to many.  And the centurion and those who were with him standing guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that took place, were struck with fear and said, ² ‘Surely this was the son of God!’”  (Matthew 27:51-56; Mark 15:38-41; Luke 23:45b, 47-49; John 19:31-37).

What did the Centurion see?  He saw the way Jesus died.  One would suppose that he had witnessed other deaths and typically a person dies because their time is up, and they’ve no choice but to enter death’s door. But Jesus didn’t die like that—He yielded up His Spirit.  No one took His life from Him. He laid it down of His own initiative (John 10:18).  The Centurion’s response?  “Truly this was a righteous man!”  Then he saw the veil of the temple torn from top to bottom, and then the earthquake, and then the tombs opened and people coming forth from the tombs!  His conclusion?  “Surely this was the son of God!” 

He had gone as ordered that day to do his job, but it was no ordinary day and the man on the cross was no ordinary man.  We have no information about what happened afterwards in the Centurion’s life, but seeds of truth were planted and it’s quite possible that they bore fruit unto salvation.  He proclaimed important truths regarding Jesus’ identity and was a firsthand witness to Jesus’ saving work.  His impartial witness to the events of that day lives on.

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” – John 10:17-18a

Alas! and did my Savior bleed?
And did my Sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Chorus:
At the cross, at the cross,
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away –
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.

Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree! Chorus

February 28

Bible Reading: Mark 14

Mark 14:55, “Now the chief priests and the whole Counsel were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none.” 

Mark 14:61, “But he remained silent and made no answer.”

The trial of Jesus was a sham.  Jewish law set forth certain legal requirements for such trials:

• No trials were to be conducted at night.
• The admission of conflicting testimonies was not allowed.
• The use of false witnesses was not permissible.
• Witnesses were to be interviewed separately.
• Charges were to be based on a plurality of corroborating witnesses.
• The judges were to act impartially.

But in a frenzied passion of hate-inspired rage, the Counsel abandoned all judicial restraint. The truth was irrelevant and would not deter them from their evil cause. Jesus’ crime was that He had committed no crime. The light of His righteous nature and deeds had exposed the darkness of their hard and evil hearts and their religious hypocrisy. The only solution, as far as they were concerned, was to put Jesus to death.

Behold the audacity of sin!  Sin entered the world via the Devil’s deceitful indictment of God.  He undermined the truth and planted a seed of doubt regarding God’s integrity and love (Genesis 3:1-5).  That seed of doubt bore an ugly and damning fruit in the lives of Adam and Eve and all their kin (Romans 5:12).  We are sin-rebels all.  In Adam, born to an innate hostility towards our Creator God (Colossians 1:21; Romans 5:10).  The full measure of man’s depravity was vividly put on display for all to see at the trial and cross of Jesus.  But that same cross shows both the extent and depth of God’s great love and mercy.

That Jesus willingly subjected Himself to such injustice is a matter of profound wonder.  He who heard nothing but eternal praise from an angelic host was subjected to the taunts and false accusations of a murderous mob.  The Lawgiver Himself was indicted by the lawless for imagined crimes.  He who would judge the living and the dead allowed for His own interrogation and condemnation.  God was on trial, and He made no defense!

Jesus willingly subjected Himself to it all.  Why?  1 Peter 2:22-24 explains, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him how judges justly.  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

“Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). In complete subjection to the Father, “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). God was tried and found guilty. Condemned, the “just” died for the “unjust” that “he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). He remained silent so that He might work to rescue rebel sinners and unleash their sin-bound tongues to sing a better song!

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”—2 Corinthians 5:21

Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned he stood,
sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, helpless, lost were we;
blameless Lamb of God was he,
sacrificed to set us free:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!