DAILY DEVOTIONALS:10.19.24

 Outof the Ivory Palaces “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have madethee glad.” (Psalm45:8) Psalm 45 is one of the Messianic psalms, quoted as such in Hebrews 1:8-9. The section so quoted (vv. 6-7), which immediately precedes our text, begins with one Person of the Godhead addressing the Messiah also as “God,” whose throne is eternal. Then, He says, “Oh God,...thy God hath anointed thee with the oil ofgladness above thy fellows.” The “oil of gladness” was the holy oil used for the anointing of priests and kings and was compounded of a mixture of spices that included myrrh and cassia (Exodus30:22-25). Since the Messiah had been anointed to be “above his fellows” (first as High Priest, then as King of kings), “all his garments” would bear the sweet aroma of the holy ointment. At the birth of Christ, His garments were “swaddling clothes,” and the gifts of the wise men included a supply of myrrh and frankincense (Luke2:7; Matthew 2:11). At His death, they gave Him to drink “wine mingled with myrrh [and]...parted his garments” (Mark15:23-24). Then once again His body was wrapped in linen clothes and anointed with myrrh and aloes (John19:39-40) for His burial. The psalmist sees Christ (i.e., “Messiah,” both Greek and Hebrew titles meaning “the Anointed One”) emerging triumphantly from the “ivory palaces.” These mansions with their ivory walls and pearly gates are of shimmering white beauty in the distant heavenlycity that will someday descend to Earth (Revelation21:2, 10-21). The Lord descended once from these ivory palaces to take on human flesh in Mary’s womb, thence to a burial in Joseph’s tomb. But someday He will again come forth, anointed as eternal King, and then “shall the people praise thee for ever and ever” (Psalm45:17). HMM -------------------- ATruly New Thing “How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in theearth, a woman shall compass a man.” (Jeremiah31:22) Long ago, the wise man concluded: “There is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes1:9). That nothing is now being created is even recognized as a scientific law. But God reminds us as He reminded His backsliding people of Israel that He has, indeed, created one new thing in the earth. Since only God can “create,” a really new thing would have to be produced directly by the Lord Himself. Of course, God had completedHis original work of creating all things long ago (Genesis2:1-3), including a marvelous mechanism for human reproduction. Nevertheless, because of man’s sin, He very soon had to begin a work of reconciliation, and this included a primeval promise that “the seed of the woman” (Genesis3:15) would come someday to accomplish this great work. Since all normal reproduction requires male seed, such a miracle would mean God would have to create a new thing when the appropriate time came. At that time, as Isaiah prophesied many years later, “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,” and that Son would be “the mighty God,” who would establish His kingdom “with justice from henceforth even for ever” (Isaiah7:14; 9:6-7). Then, still later, Jeremiah reminded his forgetful people of this same great promise: God would create, by His mighty power, a new thing, a perfect human without inherited sin and with no contribution from man, in the womb of a specially called virgin. Shewould compass that “holy thing” (Luke1:35) with warmth and love for nine long months as it grew in her womb. Then, in the fullness of time, “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman” (Galatians4:4), to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew1:21). HMM --------------------- ThePower to Edify “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to thepower which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.” (2 Corinthians 13:10) The Greek word oikodomos (translated as “edification”) pictures the building of a house. We still use the word “edifice” to describe a structure of some importance. Paul specifically said he had the “power” to edify and later called himself a “wisemasterbuilder,” an architekton, who laid the foundation on which we would later build (1 Corinthians 3:10). When Jesus used oikodomos to depict those who might build their house on a rock (His Word) or the sand (the ideas of men), He was painting a picture of how we should edify each other (Luke6:48-49). The various gifts of leadership are to be used to “perfect” the saints in the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12), using the living “stones” that will build the “spiritual house” of God (1 Peter 2:5). And like any good builder, the Christian carpenter has tools of the trade to assist the process. There are “things which make for peace” that must be employed (Romans14:19). Most certainly “charity” is a major tool (1 Corinthians 8:1), along with good communication that does not “corrupt” the building work (Ephesians4:29). Since “all things” are to be done so that the church is edified (1 Corinthians 14:26), it surely follows that “fables and endless genealogies, which ministerquestions,” are not helpful (1 Timothy 1:4). Effective communication demands that those with whom we are speaking understand what is said, hence a mysterious “tongue” does not publicly edify like prophecy does (1 Corinthians 14:2-4). An “edified” church walks “in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:31). HMM III --------------------- Walkingin the Spirit “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,but after the Spirit.” (Romans8:1) This promise in our text is followed in a later Pauline epistle by two nuanced commands in the letter to the church at Galatia. “This I say then,” Paul says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians5:16). Then again, “if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians5:25). Although they appear to be the same command in English, there is a significant distinction in the original Greek language in which Paul penned the letters. Both the Romans 8:1 and the Galatians 5:16 passages use the word perepeto, which carries the connotation to “walk around” and to “be at liberty.” The second iteration in Galatians 5:25 uses stoicheo, which means to “step precisely,” to “march,” or to “go in procession.” It is the same command with a different emphasis. The context of Galatians 5 stresses the difference between a lifestyle of fleshly behavior and a life controlled by the Holy Spirit. The “fruits” of the flesh and the “fruit” of the Spirit are diametrically opposed. They cannot exist together; they are notharmonious (Romans8:5-8). We either mind the things of the flesh or the “things of the Spirit” (Romans8:5). The Christian walk has great liberty (Romans8:21), but that liberty must “step precisely” in honesty (Romans13:13), good works (Ephesians2:10), and truth (2John 4-6). Our walk is expected to be by faith and not by sight (2Corinthians 5:7), and we are to conduct a spiritual warfare in the Holy Spirit’s power (2Corinthians 10:3-5), protected by the full armor of God (Ephesians6:10-18). HMM III ------------------- TheWisdom of God “And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they sawthat the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” (1Kings 3:28) Although God’s wisdom is expounded in depth in the Scriptures, there are only seven times that the specific phrase “the wisdom of God” is used as such. The above text is indicating that God’s wisdom can actually be manifested in men through divine inspiration.The Persian king recognized this also in Ezra. “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges...all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not” (Ezra7:25). The wisdom of God thus is always consistent with the laws of God—that is, with the Scriptures. The first New Testament reference is from Christ. “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles” (Luke11:49). Here the Lord is applying a scriptural principle from 2 Chronicles 36:15-16, in effect calling the Scriptures themselves “the wisdom of God.” Then Paul three times uses the same phrase: “In the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God.” Human wisdom can never by itself discover God, but this very fact is bound up in the divine wisdom, revealed only through the Word of God. “We preach...Christthe power of God, and the wisdom of God.” That is, through both the written word and the living Word, we can proclaim true wisdom. “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery...which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (1Corinthians 1:21, 23-24; 2:7). Finally, with God’s wisdom manifested through chosen men of God, we also can preach true wisdom in Christ “to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians3:10). HMM ---------------------- IncreasedPersecution in the Last Days - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. �Matthew24:9�10 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/increased-persecution-in-the-last-days/- Listen Jesus� words in Matthew 24 were in response to a question His disciples asked in verse 3: �What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?� (NLT). Think they were sorry they asked?The disciples faced intense persecution for sharing Jesus� message with the world. All but one of them, John, died a martyr�s death. But the persecution didn�t stop with them. And it didn�t end in the first century. Some scholars estimate that more Christians were killed in the twentieth century than in all previous centuriescombined. Christians have been persecuted more than any other religious group. And it�s not just confined to atheistic or Islamic countries. We�re starting to see more and more persecution in the UnitedStates. We see it in the woke ideology that has infiltrated our education system. We see it permeating the military. We see it being spread by the media. I describe it as an �ABC culture�: Anything But Christ. When you stand up and say, �I�m a Christian,� you can expect pushback, resistance, and even persecution. Paul said, �Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution� (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT). That�s a promise of God we rarely claim. Yet Jesus said the closer we get to the time of His coming, the more His people will be persecuted. So how should we respond? First, remember that it�s not us people hate; it�s Jesus. Andif people see Jesus when they look at us, it means we�re doing something right. Second, consider the times. Jesus said persecution will intensify as we draw closer and closer to the time of His return. If you notice an uptick in the mistreatment of believers, look up.Don�t get discouraged. Remind yourself that something amazing is on the way. Our suffering is temporary; our glorious reward for faithfulness is eternal. Third, pray for believers who are facing persecution. Ask God to give them the strength and endurance to persevere. Ask Him to help persecuted Christians remain faithful in their mission andnot abandon their faith. Staying strong in the midst of persecution is one of the most powerful testimonies a Christian can offer. It says to unbelievers, �Here�s something worth suffering for. Here�s something moreimportant than my life.� So as persecution increases in the last days, so do the opportunities to impact other people�s lives with our response. The challenge of Christians is to look beyond our own suffering and persecution to see the good that God is bringingfrom it in the lives of others. ------------------------------- Citizens of God�s Kingdom - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith�for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. �Hebrews11:9 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/citizens-of-gods-kingdom/- Listen Among the endless parade of articles you can find online are variations of the �fish out of water� theme: �20 Ways to Spot an American in a Foreign Country�; �10 Eye-Opening Things I LearnedWhen I Moved to Portugal�; �5 Surprising Differences Between Living in New Zealand and Living in Australia�; and so on. The idea behind them is that our citizenship marks us in certain ways, that citizens from a country have certain similarities. In Philippians 3:20, Paul says Christians �are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives� (NLT). In Hebrews 11:9�10, the author says that, as citizens of Heaven, one of the thingswe have in common is a foreigner status in this world. God calls His people to walk a thin line. We�re to influence the world without being influenced by it. To care about the things happening around us without being consumed by them. To makea home here without getting too comfortable in it or too possessive about it. To take care of our daily responsibilities while keeping our focus on things above. To be salt and light in this world without getting caught up in power plays, territorial spats,and political machinations. To care enough about the people in this life to make sure that they join us in the next. Don�t think for a second that Christians have no place here. Or that our contributions as foreigners are minimal at best. Imagine how our world would be if there were no believers standingup for what�s right or speaking out against what�s wrong. God�s people are the restraining force. Once we�re removed, once the church is taken out of the equation, caught up to meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture, all hell will literally break loose. Until that time, however, we will make our presence felt. And we will remember that our citizenship is in Heaven�and that what awaits us there is beyond compare. Paul wrote, �No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him� (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). As you get older, the promise of eternal lifebecomes more and more appealing. When I first became a Christian, what interested me as a seventeen-year-old kid was that I could fill a hole in my heart, that I could find meaning and purpose in my life. But now, as a seventy-two-year-oldkid, I rejoice in the fact that when I leave this world, I�ll enter God�s kingdom. I�ll go to Heaven, where my citizenship is. -------------------------------- Think About the Things of Heaven - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God�s right hand. Think about the things of heaven,not the things of earth. �Colossians 3:1�2 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/think-about-the-things-of-heaven/- Listen Have you ever tried to talk to someone whose thoughts were obviously elsewhere? It can be a frustrating experience. Instead of meaningful eye contact, you get a faraway stare. Instead of alively back and forth, you get a few grunts or a noncommittal �Huh.� Have you ever driven behind someone whose thoughts were obviously elsewhere? It can be an annoying, frightening experience. You can recognize inattentive drivers by their erratic lane changes,their unpredictable slowing and speeding up, and their complete indifference to everyone else on the road. On a more pleasant note, have you ever interacted with Christians whose thoughts were on a whole different plane of existence? People who refuse to panic about the trials, tribulations, andpersecution of this life�even as the end times approach�because they�re anticipating the life to come? People who prioritize eternal things over temporary ones? Cynics might claim that such people are too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly use. The Bible says otherwise. In fact, believers who set their sights on the realities of Heaven may be themost valuable people on the planet, eternally speaking. Because their priority is to make sure that as many people as possible join them in the life to come. Their focus is reflected in their prayers. They latch on to Jesus� promise in John 15:7: �If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will begranted!� (NLT). They pray with passion and persistence. Sometimes, we pray for something once, and if that prayer isn�t answered in the affirmative, we conclude that it�s not the will of God. �I prayed for my husband to come to Christ, but he didn�t.So I accepted it.� No! Keep praying! Why? Because you know it�s the will of God to save people. So when you pray for someone to be saved, you�re praying in alignment with God�s will. God �does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent� (2 Peter 3:9 NLT). Don�t stop praying for that husband who doesn�t know the Lord. Don�t stop praying for that wife who needs Jesus. Don�t stop praying for that son, daughter, or grandchild. My mother came to the Lord toward the end of her life. I prayed for her for thirty-plus years. That�s a long time to pray. But thank God that prayer was eventually answered. Don�t give up.Keep praying. Keep thinking about the things of Heaven. ----------------------------- TheAmen �For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.� (2Corinthians 1:20) �Amen� is a most remarkable word. It is transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament and then into Latin, English, and many other languages so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best-known word inhuman speech. The word is directly related�in fact, almost identical�to the Hebrew word for �believe� (aman), or �faithful.� Thus, it came to mean �sure� or �truly,� an expression of absolute trust and confidence. When one believes God, he indicates his faith byan �amen.� When God makes a promise, the believer�s response is �amen���so it will be!� In the New Testament it is often translated �verily� or �truly.� When we pray according to His Word and His will, we know God will answer, so we close with an �amen,� andso also do we conclude a great hymn or anthem of praise and faith. The word is even a title of Christ Himself. The last of His letters to the seven churches begins with a remarkable salutation by the glorified Lord: �These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God� (Revelation3:14). We can be preeminently certain that His Word is always faithful and true because He is none other than the Creator of all things, and thus He is our eternal �Amen.� As our text reminds us, every promise of God in Christ is �yea and amen,� as strong an affirmation of truth as can be expressed in the Greek language. It is, therefore, profoundly meaningful that the entire Bible closes with an �amen.� �The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen� (Revelation22:21), assuring everyone who reads these words that the whole book is absolutely true and trustworthy. Amen! HMM ---------------------------- GodKnows Me �O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.� (Psalm139:1) Perhaps the most frightening attribute of God is that He knows everything about us. Everything! He has �searched� (literally �penetrated�) us and �known� (�understood�) us. And since God is both omnipresent and omniscient, it obviously follows that nothingescapes His conscious knowledge about us. He observes our ordinary activities (v. 2) and our innermost thoughts. �Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways� (v. 3). The Hebrew word translated �compassest� suggests thatHe actually sees the formation of the words in our tongues before we begin to speak them (v. 4). That means that we are transparent to Him; we cannot deceive Him in any way. He knows what we are going to think; we cannot hide anything from Him. God knows whatonly we know about ourselves and those things we won�t even admit to ourselves. Furthermore, He is everywhere around each one of us (vv. 7-10), wherever we are or could be. He fills all space, and there is no escape. We cannot hide from God. He is wherever we go. The apostle Paul once observed: �For in him we live, and move, and have ourbeing� (Acts 17:28). This very intimate and complete knowledge about us is what makes God�s salvation such a marvelous matter. �For when we were yet withoutstrength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us� (Romans5:6-8). God loves us in spite of what we have become. Yet, since He knows what we could be, He gives us eternal life through His Son so that we will realize, one day, what He knows we shall be. HMM -----------------------