Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Make Satan Know His Defeat



Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

The more real Satan appears in our day — the more obviously active — the more precious the victory of Christ will become to those who trust him.

The New Testament teaches that when Christ died and rose again, Satan was decisively defeated. A time of limited freedom is granted to him, but his power against God’s people is broken and his destruction is sure.

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
“[Christ] himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood], that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14)
“[God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15)
In other words, the decisive blow was struck at Calvary. And one day, when Satan’s time of limited freedom is over, Revelation 20:10 says, “The devil . . . [will be] thrown into the lake of fire . . . and will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

What does this mean for those of us who follow Jesus Christ?

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies!” (Romans 8:33)
“[Neither] angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39)
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
“They [the saints] have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11)
Therefore, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!” He has been defeated, and we have been given victory. Our task now is to live in that victory and make Satan know his defeat.


John Piper 

April 8

1 Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.
2 There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned.
3 So Joshua said to the people of Israel, "How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4 Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me.
5 They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall continue in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north.
6 And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
7 The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them."
8 So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, "Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh."
9 So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh,
10 and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.
11 The lot of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to its clans came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph.
12 On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan. Then the boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill country westward, and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13 From there the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the shoulder of Luz (that is, Bethel), then the boundary goes down to Ataroth-addar, on the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.
14 Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city belonging to the people of Judah. This forms the western side.
15 And the southern side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. And the boundary goes from there to Ephron, to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16 Then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim. And it then goes down the Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and downward to En-rogel.
17 Then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. Then it goes down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18 and passing on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-arabah it goes down to the Arabah.
19 Then the boundary passes on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-hoglah. And the boundary ends at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border.
20 The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin, according to their clans, boundary by boundary all around.
21 Now the cities of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,
22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, Geba-twelve cities with their villages:
25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28 Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath-jearim-fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its clans. - Joshua 18

1 The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the people of Simeon, according to their clans, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah.
2 And they had for their inheritance Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah,
3 Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem,
4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,
5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,
6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen-thirteen cities with their villages;
7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan-four cities with their villages,
8 together with all the villages around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the Negeb. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Simeon according to their clans.
9 The inheritance of the people of Simeon formed part of the territory of the people of Judah. Because the portion of the people of Judah was too large for them, the people of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.
10 The third lot came up for the people of Zebulun, according to their clans. And the territory of their inheritance reached as far as Sarid.
11 Then their boundary goes up westward and on to Mareal and touches Dabbesheth, then the brook that is east of Jokneam.
12 From Sarid it goes in the other direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-tabor. From there it goes to Daberath, then up to Japhia.
13 From there it passes along on the east toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and going on to Rimmon it bends toward Neah,
14 then on the north the boundary turns about to Hannathon, and it ends at the Valley of Iphtahel;
15 and Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem-twelve cities with their villages.
16 This is the inheritance of the people of Zebulun, according to their clans-these cities with their villages.
17 The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the people of Issachar, according to their clans.
18 Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,
20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,
21 Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, Beth-pazzez.
22 The boundary also touches Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and its boundary ends at the Jordan-sixteen cities with their villages.
23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Issachar, according to their clans-the cities with their villages.
24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans.
25 Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,
26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touches Carmel and Shihor-libnath,
27 then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dagon, and touches Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel. Then it continues in the north to Cabul,
28 Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Sidon the Great.
29 Then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab, Achzib,
30 Ummah, Aphek and Rehob-twenty-two cities with their villages.
31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans-these cities with their villages.
32 The sixth lot came out for the people of Naphtali, for the people of Naphtali, according to their clans.
33 And their boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and it ended at the Jordan.
34 Then the boundary turns westward to Aznoth-tabor and goes from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun at the south and Asher on the west and Judah on the east at the Jordan.
35 The fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,
36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,
37 Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor,
38 Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh-nineteen cities with their villages.
39 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Naphtali according to their clans-the cities with their villages.
40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans.
41 And the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh,
42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,
43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron,
44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
45 Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon,
46 and Me-jarkon and Rakkon with the territory over against Joppa.
47 When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor.
48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans-these cities with their villages.
49 When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances, the people of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun.
50 By command of the LORD they gave him the city that he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he rebuilt the city and settled in it.
51 These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land. - Joshua 19

40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! 
41 They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. 
42 They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, 
43 when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan. 
44 He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams. 
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. 
46 He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust. 
47 He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost. 
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts. 
49 He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. 
50 He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague. 
51 He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham. 
52 Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 
54 And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won. 
55 He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. 
56 Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, 
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. 
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. 
59 When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel. 
60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, 
61 and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe. 
62 He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage. 
63 Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. 
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. 
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. 
66 And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame. 
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, 
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. 
69 He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. 
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; 
71 from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. 
72 With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.  - Psalm 78:40-72

12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything.
13 "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"-and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh."
17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.
2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here."
4 And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.
9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,
10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.
11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."
12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach
15 and have authority to cast out demons.
16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);
18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. - Mark 3:1-19

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

The Cross: Crossroads of Substitution



BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”... John 1:29


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

All through the Bible, God has been teaching the lesson of substitution. He has been talking to people about a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed to take away sin. By the time of Christ, the priests and the Levites have instructed a special rank of shepherds to grow spotless lambs. They are grown in Bethlehem. On Palm Sunday, those lambs are going up to the Temple Mount. The same day, riding upon a donkey, comes the Lord Jesus Christ. The Passover lambs and God’s Lamb enter into the city the same day. The priests and the Levites examine the lambs. They look inside the mouths, go through the fleece, the hooves…the eyes; even the eyelids are examined. If there is any flaw, the lamb is not worthy for sacrifice. Jesus is another Lamb born in Bethlehem. Mary’s little lamb, whose fleece is white as snow. He is the virgin-born Son of God. He too is examined…by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodian, and the civil leaders. He is pronounced sinless. Then comes the climax: at 3:00 in the afternoon, the priest tilts the head of the little spotless lamb and uses a lethal knife; at that very moment on cruel Golgotha, God’s Lamb pours out His royal blood for the sin of mankind. And Jesus says from the cross, “It is finished. It is paid in full.”

ACTION POINT:

The Lord Himself invites you to place your hands on that perfect, spotless Lamb and say, “Jesus, You are my substitute. Forgive my sin and take full control of my life. Thank You for saving me.”


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

What It Means to Pray for Your Enemy


“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Prayer for your enemies is one of the deepest forms of love, because it means that you have to really want that something good happen to them.

You might do nice things for your enemies without any genuine desire that things go well with them. But prayer for them is in the presence of God who knows your heart, and prayer is interceding with God on their behalf.

It may be for their conversion. It may be for their repentance. It may be that they would be awakened to the enmity in their hearts. It may be that they will be stopped in their downward spiral of sin, even if it takes disease or calamity to do it. But the prayer Jesus has in mind here is always for their good.

This is what Jesus did as he hung on the cross:

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)

And it’s what Stephen did as he was being stoned:

Falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:60)

Jesus is calling us not just to do good things for our enemy, like greeting them and helping supply their needs (Matthew 5:47); he is also calling us to desire their best, and to express those desires in prayers, even when the enemy is nowhere around.

Our hearts should desire their salvation and desire their presence in heaven with us and desire their eternal happiness. May God give us grace to pray like the apostle Paul for the Jewish people, many of whom made life very hard for Paul:

My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1)


John Piper 

April 7

1 The allotment for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south.
2 And their south boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward.
3 It goes out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka,
4 passes along to Azmon, goes out by the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south boundary.
5 And the east boundary is the Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.
6 And the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes along north of Beth-arabah. And the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
7 And the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel.
8 Then the boundary goes up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem). And the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.
9 Then the boundary extends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the cities of Mount Ephron. Then the boundary bends around to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).
10 And the boundary circles west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and goes down to Beth-shemesh and passes along by Timnah.
11 The boundary goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends around to Shikkeron and passes along to Mount Baalah and goes out to Jabneel. Then the boundary comes to an end at the sea.
12 And the west boundary was the Great Sea with its coastline. This is the boundary around the people of Judah according to their clans.
13 According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).
14 And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.
15 And he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. Now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher.
16 And Caleb said, "Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife."
17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
18 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she got off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?"
19 She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans.
21 The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme south, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,
22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,
23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,
24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),
26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,
27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet,
28 Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,
29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem,
30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,
31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,
32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages.
33 And in the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam,
35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,
36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages.
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad,
38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel,
39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish,
41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.
42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,
44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.
45 Ekron, with its towns and its villages;
46 from Ekron to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.
47 Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the Brook of Egypt, and the Great Sea with its coastline.
48 And in the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,
49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),
50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,
51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages.
52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan,
53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,
54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages.
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,
57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages.
58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,
59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages.
60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.
61 In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,
62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and Engedi: six cities with their villages.
63 But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. - Joshua 15

1 The allotment of the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel.
2 Then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites.
3 Then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea.
4 The people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.
5 The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon,
6 and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah,
7 then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan.
8 From Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Ephraim by their clans,
9 together with the towns that were set apart for the people of Ephraim within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages.
10 However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor. - Joshua 16

1 Then allotment was made to the people of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
2 And allotments were made to the rest of the people of Manasseh by their clans, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their clans.
3 Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4 They approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brothers." So according to the mouth of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
5 Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan,
6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the people of Manasseh.
7 The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the people of Ephraim.
9 Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. These cities, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea,
10 the land to the south being Ephraim's and that to the north being Manasseh's, with the sea forming its boundary. On the north Asher is reached, and on the east Issachar.
11 Also in Issachar and in Asher Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; the third is Naphath.
12 Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.
13 Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.
14 Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the LORD has blessed me?"
15 And Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."
16 The people of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel."
17 Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only,
18 but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong." - Joshua 17

1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! 
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 
3 things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. 
4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. 
5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, 
6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, 
7 so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; 
8 and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. 
9 The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. 
10 They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. 
11 They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. 
12 In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. 
13 He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. 
14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. 
15 He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. 
16 He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. 
17 Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. 
18 They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. 
19 They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness? 
20 He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?" 
21 Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel, 
22 because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. 
23 Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, 
24 and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. 
25 Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. 
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; 
27 he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; 
28 he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. 
29 And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. 
30 But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, 
31 the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel. 
32 In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. 
33 So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror. 
34 When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. 
35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. 
36 But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. 
37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. 
38 Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. 
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.  - Psalm 78:1-39

1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?
5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers,
6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?
7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?
8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud-even your own brothers!
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. - 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins-and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:
26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"
27 And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." - Mark 2:18-28

Monday, April 6, 2020

The Crown of Saving Ministry: One-Size Only



BIBLE MEDITATION:

“My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering”... Genesis 22:8

 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Centuries before Jesus Christ was born, God said to Abraham, I want you to take your son that you love to a place I will show you, and there you are to offer your son. So they went to Mt. Moriah, which later became the Temple Mount; it’s all the same limestone ridge as Calvary. Isaac looked around and he said, “Father, here’s the wood and the fire for the sacrifice. We’ve got the rope and the knife. Father, where’s the lamb?” Abraham choked back the tears. “You must trust me, my son. I don’t understand. I don’t know why. But son, you’re the sacrifice. Put out your hands; I must tie you.” And that son, strong and strapping, who could have overcome his elderly father, submitted and became a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. He stretched himself out there on the altar. Abraham lifted that gleaming knife and heard a voice. “Abraham, Abraham, don’t harm the lad. I have provided a substitute.” Abraham immediately discovered “a ram caught in a thicket.” The Hebrew word means a thicket of thorns. His head was caught in the brambles…in the thorns. Here on Mt. Moriah, God had preached the Gospel to Abraham.

ACTION POINT:

God has sworn by His holiness that all sin will be punished. There’s only one question: who will bear that punishment, you or Jesus? You, or the only One worthy to wear the tailor-made crown of thorns at Calvary?


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Two Ways to Remember Jesus



Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel. (2 Timothy 2:8)

Paul mentions two specific ways to remember Jesus: Remember him as risen from the dead. And remember him as the offspring of David. Why these two things about Jesus?

Because if he is risen from the dead he is alive and triumphant over death — including our death! “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

Which means that no matter how serious the suffering becomes, the worst that it can do on this earth is kill you. And Jesus has taken the sting out of that enemy. He is alive. And you will be alive. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).

But more than that, the resurrection of Jesus was not a random resurrection. It was the resurrection of the son of David. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David.” Why does Paul say that?

Because every Jewish person knew what that meant. That meant that Jesus is the Messiah (John 7:42). And that meant that this resurrection was the resurrection of an everlasting King. Listen to the words of the angel to Mary, Jesus’s mother:

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31–33)

So, remember Jesus, the one you serve, and the one for whom you suffer. He is not just alive from the dead, but he is alive as a King who will reign forever — of his kingdom there will be no end. No matter what they do to you, you do not need to be afraid. You will live again. And you will reign with him.

John Piper