From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
daily devotional
September 11
Evening...
Psalms 5:8
Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies.
Very bitter is the enmity of the world against the people of Christ. Men will
forgive a thousand faults in others, but they will magnify the most trivial
offence in the followers of Jesus. Instead of vainly regretting this, let us
turn it to account, and since so many are watching for our halting, let this be
a special motive for walking very carefully before God. If we live carelessly,
the lynx-eyed world will soon see it, and with its hundred tongues, it will
spread the story, exaggerated and emblazoned by the zeal of slander. They will
shout triumphantly. "Aha! So would we have it! See how these Christians act!
They are hypocrites to a man." Thus will much damage be done to the cause of
Christ, and much insult offered to His name. The cross of Christ is in itself
an offence to the world; let us take heed that we add no offence of our own. It
is "to the Jews a stumblingblock": let us mind that we put no stumblingblocks
where there are enough! already. "To the Greeks it is foolishness": let us not
add our folly to give point to the scorn with which the worldly-wise deride the
gospel. How jealous should we be of ourselves! How rigid with our consciences!
In the presence of adversaries who will misrepresent our best deeds, and impugn
our motives where they cannot censure our actions, how circumspect should we
be! Pilgrims travel as suspected persons through Vanity Fair. Not only are we
under surveillance, but there are more spies than we reck of. The espionage is
everywhere, at home and abroad. If we fall into the enemies' hands we may
sooner expect generosity from a wolf, or mercy from a fiend, than anything like
patience with our infirmities from men who spice their infidelity towards God
with scandals against His people. O Lord, lead us ever, lest our enemies trip
us up!
Jeremiah 25:5-7
(5) They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the
evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you
and to your fathers for ever and ever: (6) And go not after other gods to serve
them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your
hands; and I will do you no hurt. (7) Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith
the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to
your own hurt.
"The works of your hands" indicates something that comes from man's mind,
not the Creator's. Their gods were their own creation, even as their standards
were their assessment of right and wrong. Regardless of how men approached
life, whether religious or irreligious, atheistic or agnostic, their gods and
standards came from minds not in contact with the true God.
This has interesting and devastating ramifications. The nature of
idolatry is such that its effect is more subtle than with other sins. The
trauma it produces is usually obscured by the penalties brought on by other
sins that spring from the original idolatry. Sometimes, the penalty comes so
much later that it is virtually impossible for the carnal mind to connect it to
the idolatry that began the process.
But the effect of breaking commandment number one is to break number two.
Once a person is no longer worshipping the Creator, he must put something else
in His place. Man will worship something, and as we have seen, what he worships
is almost invariably himself! Even when he is worshipping the works of his
hands, he is worshipping himself because he created his idol.
John W. Ritenbaugh
From The Second Commandment
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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
daily devotional
Evening...
Habakkuk 1:8
Evening wolves.
While preparing the present volume, this particular expression recurred to me
so frequently, that in order to be rid of its constant importunity I determined
to give a page to it. The evening wolf, infuriated by a day of hunger, was
fiercer and more ravenous than he would have been in the morning. May not the
furious creature represent our doubts and fears after a day of distraction of
mind, losses in business, and perhaps ungenerous tauntings from our fellow men?
How our thoughts howl in our ears, "Where is now thy God?" How voracious and
greedy they are, swallowing up all suggestions of comfort, and remaining as
hungry as before. Great Shepherd, slay these evening wolves, and bid Thy sheep
lie down in green pastures, undisturbed by insatiable unbelief. How like are
the fiends of hell to evening wolves, for when the flock of Christ are in a
cloudy and dark day, and their sun seems going down, they hasten to tear and to
devour. They will scarcely attack the Christian in the daylight of faith, but
in the gloom of soul conflict they fall upon him. O Thou who hast laid down Thy
life for the sheep, preserve them from the fangs of the wolf. False teachers
who craftily and industriously hunt for the precious life, devouring men by
their false-hoods, are as dangerous and detestable as evening wolves. Darkness
is their element, deceit is their character, destruction is their end. We are
most in danger from them when they wear the sheep's skin. Blessed is he who is
kept from them, for thousands are made the prey of grievous wolves that enter
within the fold of the church. What a wonder of grace it is when fierce
persecutors are converted, for then the wolf dwells with the lamb, and men of
cruel ungovernable dispositions become gentle and teachable. O Lord, convert
many such: for such we will pray to-night.
2 Corinthians 13:5
(5) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates?
Unless indeed you are disqualified - Disqualified ("reprobates" in the
King James Version, Strong's #1384: adókimos) means, according to Vine's, "not
standing the test, rejected." It suggests "unacceptable," "disapproved,"
"unworthy," "spurious," "worthless," "cast away." This word's meaning is
illustrated by the following verses:
Romans 1:28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a debased [adókimon] mind, to do those things
which are not fitting.
Titus 1:16: They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being
abominable, disobedient, and disqualified [adókimoi] for every good work.
Hebrews 6:7-8: For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes
upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives
blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected [adókimos]
and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
Being disqualified or rejected is the opposite of having Jesus Christ
dwell in us; it is being unfit or unworthy of His presence in us. In other
words, a disqualified person is cut off from God! This is the worst possible
outcome of a Christian's life: to return to a life of sin and have so much
pride that he or she rejects salvation and all that comes with it! God's Word
clearly shows that it can happen (see Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31)!
Regular self-examination is a proven way to make sure that it does not
happen to us!
Greg Smith
From What Does 'Examine Yourselves' Mean?
