Month: November 2024

“But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Daniel 12:1,2

The Book of Life

Daily Devotion – November 22, 2024

Devotion based on Daniel 12:1,2


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Picture the scene. A courtroom with a judge and jury. A gallery full of people. The prosecutor armed with damning evidence. And a defendant who knows his guilt. The prosecutor has a book full of the wicked things the defendant has done. With a smirk on his face, he begins to open his book. He can’t wait to tell everyone the terrible things written on the pages.

But before that prosecutor can speak, the judge pulls out his own book. He silences the prosecutor before he utters a word. This book isn’t full of deeds. Instead, it’s full of names. He looks at you with a smile, and he reads your name.

This book is like God’s family register. It’s his book of life. All it contains is names, not deeds. All believers in Jesus have their names written in the book of life. They are not acquitted because of the things they’ve done. Instead, their names are written in this book by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ.

God does speak of another type of book. And this book does have deeds written in it. These are the sins of those who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They will be condemned because of their works. They are without excuse. God has the evidence. He does not make his judgment arbitrarily or unfairly. A summary of all those sins could simply read, “Rejected God’s love and salvation.” That is ultimately what leads to “shame and everlasting contempt.”

But those who trust in Jesus as their Savior can be assured that deliverance is certain. Their names are written in the book of life. No matter how dark the world may feel, they belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. God is in control, and his kingdom will ultimately reign.

Prayer:
Dear God, it is by grace alone that you record names in your book of life. Help me to always trust in you and the grace you show through Jesus. Amen.

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.”
Daniel 12:1

No Need to Fear

Daily Devotion – November 21, 2024

Devotion based on Daniel 12:1


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The people of Judah were living in exile, far from the land God had promised them, forced to settle in Babylon—a foreign land filled with false gods, foreign customs, and oppression. Their temple had been destroyed, and many of them felt as though God had abandoned them. Their situation was bleak, and discouragement must have often settled in their hearts. Babylon was not their home, yet they had no way of returning to their homeland. In such times of uncertainty, God’s Word to Daniel would have been a powerful source of hope.

We, too, can find ourselves feeling like exiles in this world. There are times when the world around us seems filled with chaos and darkness—wars, natural disasters, and moral decay surround us. It can feel like we’re living in Babylon, far from the peace and promises of God. It’s easy to become discouraged when we see injustice prevailing or when life brings distress and hardship that seem unending.

But God reminds us that no matter how bad things get, we have no reason to lose hope. God showed Daniel a future time of great distress, but he also highlighted a powerful truth: God has supernatural forces fighting on behalf of his people. Michael, the great archangel, is named the protector of God’s people. God’s angels, including Michael, are at work, ensuring our deliverance.

Those angels fight against a defeated enemy. Jesus conquered every spiritual enemy by mastering the devil’s temptations and overcoming the world’s hatred of him. Jesus even defeated the miserable enemy of death by his resurrection from the dead. While these enemies may still cause distress, they are ultimately defeated.

When dismay tries to overwhelm us, we can remember that God has not abandoned his people. Just as Michael arose to protect Judah, God also protects his Church today. We have nothing to fear, for our victory is secured in Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for conquering all my enemies. Come to me quickly when I am in distress. Amen.

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:27,28

Our Time of Grace

Daily Devotion – November 20, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 9:27,28


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No one can escape death. And just as certain as death is the judgment that will come after it. That can be a terrifying thought. No one likes to face judgment.

The thought of being judged at the end of our life for all the things that we have done and have not done sounds excruciatingly painful. We don’t want anyone to judge our life and see the terrible things we’ve done or hear the awful things we’ve said.

The standard of judgment is not about being pretty good or mostly good. It’s not about being better than others. It’s not even about getting better and better as life goes on. No, God’s standard of judgment is perfection. Either you are perfect, or you are not.

Since no one can live up to that standard, God made a plan. His Son, Jesus Christ, came into the world and lived perfectly. He kept every standard God set. He never failed or faltered. He is perfect. More than that, Jesus faced God’s judgment for sin on the cross. His sacrifice satisfied the wrath of God for humanity’s imperfection and sin.

Now, God gives people an opportunity during their life to hear this good news called the gospel. He wants all people to believe that Jesus is their Savior and to receive the forgiveness that Christ offers. God gives each of us a time of grace to put our trust in him, acknowledging that his sacrifice is sufficient so that we can live in the assurance of sins forgiven.

Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus will not have to fear death and judgment. God will judge believers based on the works of Jesus and his perfection. When Jesus comes again, he will bring salvation to all waiting for him.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for enduring judgment in my place. Help me to trust in your finished work and eagerly wait for your second coming. Amen.

Nor did [Christ] enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 9:25,26

Sacrificed Once for All

Daily Devotion – November 19, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 9:25,26


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Before the time of Jesus, the Israelites gathered around the temple every year for the Day of Atonement. God reminded them that there needed to be amends and reparation for their wrongdoing and sin.

It was one of their most sacred days. The air filled with a solemn silence. They watched the high priest fulfill his duties. Instead of wearing his usual ornate robe and bejeweled breastplate, he wore simple white linen. There was no room for outward glory, only humility before God.

Only on this day could the high priest enter a room in the temple called the Most Holy Place. A veil separated it from the rest of the temple. Inside, the high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat. The blood symbolized the atonement of sin, a vivid reminder of the cost of sin.

During the day, a goat was chosen. The priest confessed the sins of the people onto the goat and sent it into the wilderness. The people watched the scapegoat carry their sins far away. God not only forgave the people their sins, but he also removed them far from his people.

This day played out year after year because no animal’s blood could pay for a single sin. No goat was powerful enough to carry sins. All these acts pointed forward to a time when God would send his Messiah, the Christ, to be the Savior. This Savior would make real atonement for the sins of his people.

Jesus Christ acted as both priest and sacrifice, offering his very blood for the eternal atonement of humanity. The blood of Jesus is holy and precious because it is the very blood of God. His one sacrifice was enough to restore humanity’s broken relationship with God caused by our sin. Because of Jesus, God has removed our sins forever.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for paying the terrible cost of my sin. Help me to treasure my restored relationship with you. Amen.

[Jesus said] “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”
John 5:28,29

All Will Rise

Daily Devotion – November 18, 2024

Devotion based on John 5:28,29


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There is a large cemetery near where I live. From the road, you can see headstones for what looks like miles. Driving into the cemetery, you are surrounded by graves. Rows and rows of plots and places where the dead sleep, entombed in a coffin, covered by six feet of dirt.

Every time I accompany families to that cemetery for the burial of a loved one, I have the privilege of assuring them this will not be their loved one’s final resting place. It doesn’t matter how well the coffin is sealed or how much dirt is on top of it. It doesn’t even matter what condition the body is in. That body, that person, will rise when Jesus comes.

Jesus makes it clear that all people will rise when they hear his voice at his second coming. Cemeteries, tombs, and mausoleums will burst open with the once dead who are alive again. No grave will have the power to hold onto its corpses.

At that time, Jesus declares that those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. But who can do good when God defines good as perfection? No one is perfect except for Jesus. But, God promises to credit Jesus’ perfection to all who believe in Jesus as their Savior. Those who believe in Jesus as their Savior rise to eternal glory; those who do not believe rise to eternal condemnation.

All the dead will rise at Jesus’ voice on the Last Day, but believers rise from spiritual death at the voice of Jesus in the gospel. During this life, he invites you to come to him for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. He beckons you with his gentle voice to find your rest in him.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to hear and listen to your voice so that I may rest forever with you. Amen.

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people.
Hebrews 9:27,28

To Savor Life

Daily Devotion – November 17, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 9:27,28


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William Saroyan was a great Twentieth Century American writer. William was known for his extreme zeal for life. He once said, “Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might . . . You will be dead soon enough.”

On one level, his advice makes sense: Life is short. Death is coming. Savor the time you have.

When you study his later years, however, it appears that William took this to mean that living life is a frantic race against time. As he grew older, he isolated himself in his home to get more words down on paper. He drank gallons of coffee and often worked for up to two days without sleep. And when he did sleep, it was on an army cot next to his typewriter.

One day, relatives found him unconscious. They rushed him to a hospital. Within a short time, William Saroyan was dead.

On the one hand, you and I want to do what William Saroyan advised. During our days on this earth, we want to try as much as possible “to breathe deeply” to taste life fully.

For us as Christians, however, there’s a difference. We savor this life, not because this life is all we have, but because Jesus Christ has made it sweet.

Despite difficulties and disappointments, this life is sweet because full forgiveness through faith in Jesus has made it so. Despite troubles and pain, this life is sweet because God, in Christ, is using us to touch the lives of others. Despite tragedy, illness, old age, and death, this life is sweet because Jesus has turned the end of this life into the door to life eternal.

Because of Jesus, you and I can savor the life he has given us and know that the best is yet to come.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you washed me clean in your blood and covered me in your perfection. Through faith in you my life is sweet. Move me to savor this life as I await the life to come. Amen.

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
2 Corinthians 8:2

Fly

Daily Devotion – November 16, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 8:2


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In his book Run with the Horses, author Eugene Peterson describes what he once saw on the shore of a lake. Three young swallows were sitting on a dead branch that stretched out over the water. As Peterson watched, an adult swallow got alongside the chicks and began shoving each one off the branch. The one on the end of the branch fell first. But before it hit the water, its wings came to life, and away it flew. The same thing happened with the next young swallow. The third chick, however, was stubborn. No matter how hard the adult swallow shoved, the chick hung on for dear life. Even when it fell forward and was hanging upside down, the young swallow refused to let go. Finally, the adult began pecking at the little one’s feet until it was too painful to hold on. The chick released its grip and began to fall. And then it started to fly. It finally began to do what it was meant to do.

God calls upon us to be generous givers and lavish in giving to others what he has given to us. But often, you and I can be like that third chick. Whether out of fear, doubt, or stubbornness, it’s easy to cling to what is familiar and hold on to what we think will give us security. But if we are forever clutching the things God intends for us to share—we will always be like a sad, terrified bird clinging for dear life to a dead branch. We will never know the joy of true generosity. We will never fly.

Oh, how vitally important Jesus is for us! He came to this earth and lived a life of unbridled generosity on our behalf. He lives to give us the power to live for him. When necessary, he will shove us off our branch to do so and allow pain and trouble to disrupt our sleepy comfort. And it is often during those unpleasant periods of freefall that Jesus will re-teach us the sweet joy of a generous life. He will refresh us and spread our wings of generosity. And we will fly.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, cleanse me of the many ways I have given in to my selfish impulses. Refresh me with your Spirit. Spread my wings of generosity. Empower me to fly. Amen.

See that you also excel in this grace of giving. . . For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:7,9

The Most Startling Generosity of All

Daily Devotion – November 15, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 8:7,9


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“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Do you? Grace is an amazing word. Its definitions is “undeserved love.” But another way to remember what grace means is to think of it as an acronym. Grace is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”

You can see God’s grace most clearly in Christ. Today’s Bible passage says that Jesus was rich, though that’s a bit of an understatement. Jesus is the Son of God. He was so rich that he owned everything in the universe because he made it. He had heaven as his perfect home from all eternity.

Yet he left that perfect home. He gave it up to become poor, which is another understatement. Jesus was born in a barn. And when he grew up, he lived as a wandering rabbi with no place to lay his head. He relied on the generosity of others to supply his daily needs.

The whole time, he was acting as your substitute. He lived a life of obedience to all of God’s laws so that he could give you credit for it. Then, after thirty-three years of sin-free perfection, Jesus took all your sins, made them his own, and died for them on the cross.

Why did he do it? Because he loved you and wanted you to enjoy all of God’s riches at his expense. You couldn’t afford them. You deserved hell, but Christ gives you heaven. You deserved wrath, but Christ shows you his love.

That’s grace, and it begins and ends with the startling generosity of your Lord Jesus Christ. And if Jesus was willing to bankrupt himself to make you his own, doesn’t that change the way you look at the grace of giving? You give not to earn God’s favor but because you have already received the greatest gift in Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, graciously help me to model my generosity after your own. Amen.

For I testify that [the Macedonian churches] gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.
2 Corinthians 8:3,4

Startling Generosity Flows from Gratitude

Daily Devotion – November 14, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 8:3,4


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Renowned Christian minister John Wesly famously said, “The last part of a man to be converted is his wallet.” He said this because even veteran believers find it difficult to use their money to serve God.

With that in mind, did you catch what today’s Bible passage said? The poor Christians in Macedonia begged the apostle Paul for an opportunity to open their wallets and give. How’s that for startling generosity?

Paul was collecting an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem. And even though the believers in Macedonia had never met their brothers and sisters in that faraway city, they pleaded with Paul for the privilege of supporting them.

Why? Because they didn’t view giving as a burden, but as a privilege. God was doing them a favor by laying this opportunity in front of them. After all, startling generosity is one of the characteristics of God’s people, and participating in the offering lets them show it. Despite their own poverty, they willingly gave far beyond what Paul expected. They recognized that their gifts could help relieve the suffering of fellow believers. Their eagerness to give came from a deep gratitude for what they had received from God.

This dynamic relationship between gratitude and generosity is essential. Like the Macedonians, everything you have is a gift from God. When you struggle to be generous, reflect on the blessings God has given you.

He gave you your body and soul, your mind, and all your abilities, not to mention every other material blessing you cherish. He gave you his only Son, who saved you from sin, death, and the devil and who secured your heavenly home. Then he sent you his Holy Spirit to give you saving faith and keep you in that faith.

The more you reflect on God’s blessings, the more grateful you become. And while you may not be begging for a chance to give, you will generously serve God.

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, help me to cultivate a heart of gratitude that overflows into generosity to those around me. Amen.