This site is dedicated to presenting insightful and helpful Christian Bible-based devotionals that may help one to lead a Christian life to the glory of the Heavenly Father and His Son.

Friday, December 10, 2021

1 Kings 18:21 - Baal Vs. Jehovah


How long halt ye between two opinions? If Jehovah be God, follow Him: but if Baal, follow him. -- 1 Kings 18:21 

 Comments by Ronald R. Day, Sr.: 

In the world's day of judgment, every individual will need to decide whether they want to serve Jehovah or Satan. In this sense, Baal spoken of in our text would represent Satan. After the 1,000 years of judgment have ended, it will be made apparent as to who wishes to serve Jehovah and those who wish to serve Satan. In Elijah's day, the Baal worshipers were put to death. While we believe that those Baal worshipers died the death in Adam (not the second death), in the final judgment of the world, those who side with Satan will not die the death in Adam, but they will die the second death. Then it will be true that "the wicked will be no more. Yes, though you look for his place, he isn't there." -- Psalm 37:10, World English

 However, the members of the church enrolled in heaven have decided in this age that they will serve Jehovah through Jesus. Along the way are many temptations to serve Satan, and many times the servant of Jehovah may fall short due to temptations. If, however, the child of God, after having acquired the accurate knowledge of the truth, and then willfully sins, he has, in effect, chosen to serve Satan rather than the God and Father of Jesus. Such have become like those Israelites who chose to worship Baal, but they cannot again come under the condemnation in Adam, so they thus come under a new condemnation, the second death for which there will never be any sacrifice offered. 

 We should, therefore, be diligent throughout each day so as to be determined to serve our God, Jehovah, rather than to serve Satan. Putting our full trust in Jehovah, we have his assurance that He will sustain us. Thus, we can firmly trust Him, come what may.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

1 John 1:5 - God is Light



 God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. -- 1 John 1:5, World English.

Obviously the word "light" is being used figuratively, representing, in this instance, righteousness. God is the highest epitome of every true virtue and everything that is righteousness. He has nothing in him at all that is unrighteous, wicked. As new creatures, the child of God is righteous, and in this sense the child of God is also light. The new creature, however, in this age, has to perform righteousness by means of his sinful flesh, and thus the light of righteousness may not be fully seen in the flesh, since it often falls short of the glory of God. All such sin is covered by the ransom sacrifice of Jesus.

If we stay in fellowship with God as His children, we are assured that His Spirit will guide us in the path of righteousness through what he has revealed in the Bible. Thus, the child of God cannot walk in darkness as long as he is following what is revealed.

Friday, March 19, 2021

John 8:31,32 - If You Remain in My Word

John 8:31-32 -  Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. [32]  You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." -- World English.

The word "disciple"  refers to being a pupil, a student, of a person or a certain philosophy. In the broad sense of the world, one can be a student of the Bible without actually becoming a student, a disciple, of Jesus. Only if one -- as a student of the Bible -- has an active goal of making the words of Jesus their own philosophy as actually applied in life can it that the Bible student is also a disciple or student of the Lord Jesus. And then, it is not a matter of simply vocalizing an acceptance of those words, but to be a disciple of Jesus means to continue in those words, giving application of the words of the Lord Jesus in all affairs of life, and even beyond this life. It is a resolved commitment for eternity.

Having remained in his Word, our Lord promises that then we will know the truth, and the truth would set us free. In stating this, Jesus was referring to specific truth. He was not referring to knowing the truth about everything in the entire universe, although for those who become join-heirs with Christ, it is possible that when they are exalted along with Jesus to such a high position of glory, they will be enabled to understand almost everything about the universe. In the present age, however, we can only hope to understand certain truths as revealed in the Bible, and that understanding is relative to our growth in such understanding. (Colossians 1:10; 2 Peter 3:18) Sadly, it appears that many of the consecrated may remain as "babes in Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:1) all their lives in the present age, making very little progress in the way of the truth. May we always seek to grow in knowledge, and as understand truths as revealed in the Bible, we will be correspondingly be set free from errors related to that truth.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 20

Bible Standard (comments and other aids)

Video

Expanded Comments

The Truth Shall Make You Free

How to Know the Truth

The Four Freedoms

Freedom in Christ

Prisoners of the Mind

Being Set Free


Thursday, March 18, 2021

1 Peter 1:14,15 - As Children of Obedience

1 Peter 1:14,15 -  As children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance, but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior. -- World English.

These words are not spoken to the world, but the regenerated child of God. As children of God, we must be fully, wholly obedient to our Heavenly Father. It is in our sinful flesh corrupted by Adam's sin that we fall short in full obedience. (Romans 5:12-19; 8:3,20-22) Otherwise, if the regenerated child of God sins, it is fully willful sin, and for such there will never be another sacrifice given. (Hebrews 10:26) Nevertheless, the new creature in  Christ is called upon to bring the body into subjection to the new mind in Christ (Romans 6:18,19; 1 Corinthians 9:27), and thus our behavior should be holy, in harmony with our consecration to the Heavenly Father. Thus, we should seek to know God's will regarding anything that we do, say or even think, and bring ourselves into harmony with His will in every way possible.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 19 * BSM Aids * Expanded Comments * Video

Perfecting of the Saints

Fashioning Ourselves as Obedient Children


Wednesday, March 17, 2021

1 Peter 1:13 - Prepare Your Minds for Action

1 Peter 1:13 -  Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ -- World English.

The Greek word rendered "prepare" above literally refers to binding one's garment around the waist. The expression came to be used figuratively to denote being prepared for a work that needed to be accomplished. It is similar to the English expression "buckle down", referring to setting one's minds to tackle a task with determination.

In application, Peter is referring to having a sober (alert) mind constantly aware of putting away the works of the flesh and the attractions of the world, and being holy -- consecrated -- in mind and conduct.  We should renew such determination each day and throughout each day. This calls for us to throw aside any unnecessary cares of this world, and increase our zeal in doing what is right in the sight of our Heavenly Father. 

Due to our sinful flesh, we will have many set-backs along the way; these should not deter us. We should quickly come to the Heavenly Father through Christ regarding any form of sin (Romans 8:34; 1 John 1:9; 2:1), and we have the assurance that He is able, if our hearts are in the right place, to make us stand. -- Romans 14:4; Jude 1:24.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 18 * BSM Aids * Video

Hope to the End

The Christian Hope

Called to be Holy

A Call to Holy Living

Running the Christian Race to Win the Prize




 


Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Matthew 25:28-29 - To Everyone Who Has Will be Given

 Matthew 25:28-29 -  Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.   For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away.  -- World English.

The child of God is held responsible to make use of whatever abilities and circumstances God has granted. Jesus points out that being given these "talents" does not necessarily mean that one will use such "talents" properly. If we succumb to fleshly desires, we may use these talents for self-gain rather than for the praise of our Heavenly Father and the blessing of others. The more we have been given, the more we are expected to use what we have been given in the service of the Heavenly Father. Failure to properly use what God has granted could result in losing what we have.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 17 * BSM Aids * Video

Stewardship of the Pounds and the Talents

Use It or Lose It

Renewing Our Vows

What is a Talent?

Monday, March 15, 2021

1 John 3:14,16 - We Love the Brothers

1 John 3:14 -  We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn't love his brother remains in death. 

1 John 3:16 -  By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  -- World English.

Here we have the basis for knowing that we have been justified and no longer under the condemnation of death through Adam. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) Do we have love for our brothers who also love God and the Lord Jesus? Are we willing to lay down our lives for our brothers in Christ, irrespective of color of skin, nationality, or even sectarian ties? While we may have love for our brothers in Christ, we may fall short in this love due to various inclinations of the flesh to restrict such love along carnal lines of thinking. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Galatians 3:28) We should certainly pray for our Heavenly Father to grant us strength and understanding so as to overcome such restrictions.  -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 16 * BSM Aids * Video

Because We Love the Brethren

Loving the Brethren

In Consideration of Love

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Hebrews 10:38 - Righteous Live By Faith

Hebrews 10:38 -  But the righteous will live by faith. -- World English.

The word, in effect, seeks to walk by sight, which is not the faith spoken in our text. The one who belongs to Christ should seek to walk by the things not seen, putting faith in the invisible heavenly Father through Jesus. Those who have been reckoned righteous through faith in Jesus should not consider the act of being justified to be the end of the matter. That faith should become the force behind everything the child of God does. Through faith, we study what God has revealed to us in the Bible, that we may produce righteous fruit to the glory of our Heavenly Father and His Son. -- Matthew 7:19; Galatians 5:22,23; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Peter 2:2.  -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 15 * BSM Aids * Video

The Just Shall Live

God's Work of Faith

Have Faith In God (Part 1)

Have Faith in God (Part 2)


Saturday, March 13, 2021

Proverbs 16:32 - He Who Rules His Spirit

Proverbs 16:32 -  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.  -- American Standard Version.

Self-control is needed both to resist the works of the flesh as well as to develop the other fruits of the spirit.

Solomon observes that it is more important to be slow to anger than to be mighty. Of course, due to our sinful nature, anger is very hard to suppress. Thus it should be our goal to have control of all our inclinations, affections and passions so that they are brought subjection to God's will. Our chief battle in developing Christ-likeness is within ourselves. Through prayer, faith in the Heavenly Father, study of his truths in the Bible and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we may eventually have rule of our spirit. Due to our flesh, however, we will, however, at times, fail and need to come to the Heavenly through the throne of grace. -- Hebrews 4:16.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 14 * BSM Aids * Video

A Perfect Hatred


Friday, March 12, 2021

Philippians 3:15-17 - Think This Way

Philippians 3:15-17 -  Let us therefore, as many as are perfect [mature, full-grown], think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, this God will also reveal that to you. Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. -- World English.

All who truly belong to Christ should be of one spirit in faith, hope and love. Such will move ahead in service of their Lord in accomplishing his purposes. All have their mind on this same goal, and should be seeking to develop themselves to perfection in the spirit of faith, hope and love. This does not mean that in the flesh we will no longer make mistakes, but it does signify a level of perfection in the spirit of love, faith and hope that can no longer be corrupted.

While it may be that at some point in this present evil age we will have perfected our faith and love, this should not in any way give cause to think that we have made it and thus that we no longer need to think as the apostle spoke of in the verses preceding. Indeed, if we think we have become so perfect, we may even become lax in our diligence toward our faith as well in love, which would demonstrate that we had not actually reached the goal Paul wrote about. Such should refocus their minds and seek by prayer and Biblical study and by the earnest endeavor to purify their hearts to progress into the unity of the spirit. -- Ephesians 4:3. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 13 * BSM Aids * Video

This One Thing I Do

Holding Fast At the Mark


Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Hebrews 12:1 - Surrounded By Cloud of Witnesses

Hebrews 12:1 -  Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. -- World English.

The apostle is telling us to look back at those faithful ones of old spoken of in the preceding chapter. We should note their sufferings and yet how they maintained their faith in God regardless. Surely they are fine examples that should provide a stimulus for our faith and zeal. Who of us in our service to God and Jesus have not experienced similar experiences, or have not seen similar experiences in others who are fellow servants of the Lord Jesus?

The apostle tells those who belong to Christ to lay aside all things of this world that may hinder us in our calling. This does not mean that absolutely everything we might consider to be weights and hindrances is to be cast aside. For instance, a man who is married and has children should not cast these aside, but at the same time, they should not become of greater importance so as to replace our service to God and Jesus.

The race set before us, however, is not the same as that set before those faithful servants of old. We have been called to become joint-heirs with Christ, to become kings jointly with Christ in the Kingdom. To obtain this goal calls for us to have even greater zeal and willingness to suffer for Christ and His God. We believe, however, that most of the Lord's servants will fall short of obtaining this grand prize, although most of them will attain a lower reward than that of being joint-heirs with Christ. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.




Tuesday, March 9, 2021

03-10 - Hebrews 3:13 - Exhort One Another

Hebrews 3:13 -  Exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called "today;" lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. - World English. 

The Greek word rendered as "exhort" above means to call to one's side, speak to, comfort, console, encourage. It indicates the giving by word, prayer, entreaty or otherwise whatever is needed to help each other to remain faithful. As we each seek to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, we also should be willing to receive encouragement from others. We live in a world that is deceived (2 Corinthians 4:3,4; Revelation 12:9; 2 Timothy 3:13; 1 John 5:19), and it is easy to be ensnared by the deceptions so as to begin thinking that what is right in God's eyes is wrong, etc. -- 2 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 4:14

By "Today" possibly the apostle is referring to each day of the Christian's life in the present evil age. As long as we live in the present age which is under Satan's deceptions, each and every day brings its temptations and a need to aid each other so as to not be taken away by the deceptive philosophies of this age.

Related:




Monday, March 8, 2021

Hebrews 6:10 - Labor of Love Rewarded

Hebrews 6:10 - For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  -- New King James Version.


NO child of Jehovah should be content to let the days of the present harvest time go by with their golden opportunities for service and co-operation without seeking each day to lift the royal banner himself, and to publicly show forth the praises of Him who hath called him out of darkness into light, or without assisting and co-operating with others whom Jehovah in His providence has placed in more advantageous positions for public service. -- Adapted excerpt from: "Baptism Unto Repentance Not Baptism Into Christ." Z.'03-59 R3152:3

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God is Not Unrighteous

God is not unjust; unlike man who has been made crooked, Jehovah remains loyal to His Word. Due to the fallen condition of man, we may easily forget the labors of love our brothers in Christ perform for us. This is not so with our Heavenly Father. He does not forget, and will not fail to reward those who do perform labors of love towards fellow believers in Christ. God's "name" is closely tied with his justice, love, wisdom and power. God is just, and what he promises will come true. 

It is God who rewards His children for their service to Him through Christ. While we should aid our brothers in Christ, the full judgment is not left up to any of us who belong to Christ during this age. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.

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Labor of love

The motivation behind our labor should be: love for God, His Son, our brothers, and for our neighbors in the world. We should want to bring honor to the name of our Heavenly Father, not just in preaching truths to others, but also in every manner of labor that we do, especially that which we do for the "saints", those consecrated to Jehovah and His Son. We are assured that God does not forget our work for Him, so whatever we may do to honor his name to the best of our ability and circumstances, we know that it will be rewarded in the Kingdom.

There is a danger in performing works on behalf of the saints in that we may develop an inclination to seek our reward from them. This could lead to disappointment and discouragement, since our brothers in Christ may not give us the praise and/or "reward" as we may have expected. Or their praise could lead to pride of self, so we begin to think more of self than we should. Thus, we should guard our motives in whatever work we may do on behalf of our brothers in Christ, for if we labor with the wrong motive, we will be judged by God through Christ accordingly. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.

Related Scriptures:

Proverbs 14:31
Proverbs 22:9
Proverbs 28:27
Proverbs 31:20;
Matthew 10:40-42
Matthew 18:5, 6
Acts 11:29\
Acts 24:17
Romans 12:13
Romans 15:25,26
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
2 Corinthians 8,9
Galatians 5:13
1 Thessalonians 1:3
1 Thessalonians 1:6,7
2 Timothy 1: 18
1 John 3:17
1 John 3:18

Related Online:





Sunday, March 7, 2021

03-08 - 1 Corinthians 12:18 - God Has Set the Members of the Body

1 Corinthians 12:18 -  But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. -- World English.

We should always remember that everyone who belongs to Christ is being used by God as it please him. If we use carnal reasoning, we might, in effect, think that we can do a better job than God, and bring forth an unified organization along carnal lines rather than the unity of spirit (Ephesians 4:3) that should prevail among those who belong to Christ. Nevertheless, many have taken to forms of sectarianism, and give devotion to this or that man, or group of men, so as to accept whatever such men may say as being truth. -- 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.

Along this same line of reasoning, we may tend to reject a brother as being Christian based on some disagreement regarding the application of a scripture. Again, it is not up to us to judge whether this or that brother is of the body of Christ based on such disagreements of some application of scripute. At the same time we should understand that God has given us various ones to help us eventually attain the unity of faith based on a knowledge of God's Son, so that the body of Christ becomes a full-grown man. -- Ephesians 4:11-13. 

Related:

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 8 * BSM Aids * Video

The Present Ministry of the Saints

I Have Chosen Him

The Oneness of the Body of Christ


Saturday, March 6, 2021

03-07 - 1 John 4:12 - Love One Another

1 John 4:12 -  If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. -- World English.

While this verse is often read to mean to love fellow believers in Christ, it may have a broader application, that is, that we should love all others, whether in Christ or of the world. (Luke 6:27-36) And yet it is a love that is first of all a love for God, in harmony with appreciation of His love for us and the whole world dying in Adam. (John 3:16,17; 1 John 2:2,5; 3:17: 4:7-11) It is this love that should distinguish the regenerated child of God from all others. It is a love that can be seen in action on all occasions. It is a love that is willing to overlook the frailties and imperfections of others. The goal of those who belong to Christ is to perfect this love in their hearts. Indeed, eventually, all who are to live forever must have this love perfected in their hearts.

And yet, there is a special love that we should have for our brothers in Christ. Such love should be willing to lay down life for each other. Indeed, this, we believe, is possibly the greatest test on all the regenerated children of God, and it possibly along the line of love that many will fail to attain the prize that Paul wrote about in Philippians 3:14. Most of those consecrated who do not attain that prize will, we believe, have to go through further disciplining before they will be proven fit for eternal life, although they will have lost the greatest prize for which they were called. -- Luke 12:47,48.

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Thursday, March 4, 2021

03-05 - Philippians 4:8 - Moral Excellence, Praise

{Philippians 4:8} Finally, brothers, ... if there is any moral excellence, and if there is any praise, think about these things. -- RLIV.

The Greek word rendered above as "moral excellence" can refer to valor. Many translations render as "virtue." As applied to the Christian's thoughts, it should not be understood as simply abstaining from evil thoughts, but also of thinking on all the principles of right conduct in God's sight. 

Of course, one who belongs to Christ should not be thinking of seeking praise for himself, but at the same time, should be seeking to ponder any elements of character that are praiseworthy in harmony with the righteous principles given in the Bible.

Nevertheless, it is our mind, our thoughts within ourselves that determines who we really are. One may have an outward appearance of love and caring, but the outward appearance may not be what is in the heart. (Proverbs 23:7) We should be always be striving to control our thoughts to harmonize with love for God and Christ, for fellow believers, and for neighbor, which basically means to bring our thoughts in harmony with the admonition given by the apostle Paul. It is by our thoughts that these characteristics truly become our own, and our thoughts then produce the righteous qualities in action.

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Wednesday, March 3, 2021

03-04 - Philippians 4:8 - Whatever Things Are Pure, Lovely, Good Report

{Philippians 4:8} Finally, brothers, ... whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report..., think about these things. -- RLIV.

The worldly mind may reason that any thought that is not considered sexually immoral is pure, but the child of God has higher standards. If one belongs to Christ, he should recognize that any thought that advocates selfishness, pride, envy, jealousy, or malice is impure, and thus should not be entertained. Purity of thought is about repelling any thought that is not pure is God's eyes, but it is also about thinking on the pure things that God has revealed, both in the Bible and in creation around us.

The Greek word translated as "lovely" appears to refer to that which is worthy of affection, as something to be prized. That which is prized of the new creature should be not what the world might seek, but rather the things of God. Of course, throughout each day, we have many things to do, and we should set our minds upon the tasks we need to do, but in all we do, our thoughts should subjected to our goal of pleasing our Heavenly Father. There are many influences that may surround us that may seek to turn our attention away from our main goal in life, and thus, we need to guard our thoughts from becoming infested with anything that is not in harmony with pleasing our Heavenly Father and His Son.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

03-03 - Philippians 4:8 - Whatever Things Are Just

Finally, brothers, ... whatever things are just, ... , think about these things. -- Philippians 4:8, RLIV

The Greek word rendered as "just" refers to that which is straight, right. Of course, Paul is referring to what is right in God's eyes. Today, we live in a society that has created its own thoughts about what is right and wrong, so their consciences have been figuratively seared with a branding iron. When one comes to Christ, one has to have their conscience retrained so as to know what is right and wrong in God's eyes. This can only be done by diligent prayer and study of God's Word to determine what is just in God's eyes. By such we would then set our minds on things that are truly just. In doing so, we should at the same time reject thoughts that are not right in God eyes.

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Sunday, February 28, 2021

03-01 - Philippians 4:7 - The Peace of God

{Philippians 4:7} And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. -- RLIV.

The peace Paul speaks of is not a peace of the flesh, but a peace in spirit. This peace is God's peace, but to receive this spirit into our hearts involves a complete submission to God, a total trust in Him, regardless what physical conditions may be encountered. This peace can only be known by those who have a close personal relationship with the Heavenly Father through Jesus. Such peace is able to raise our hearts above the tears and tribulations of the flesh in this present evil age, and, by faith, enable the child of God to see with joyful anticipation the glorious fulfillment of God's promises.

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Thursday, February 25, 2021

02-26 - Philippians 4:4 - Always Rejoice In Jehovah



Rejoice in Jehovah always! Again I will say, Rejoice! -- Philippians 4:4, RLIV.

Throughout the Bible, we find that even amidst trials, difficulties and persecutions, the exultant songs of the prophets and the apostles sounded forth. We find many examples of their joy in service of Jehovah, and a note of final victory is found in their messages. Likewise, the life of one who belongs to Christ should not be overwhelmed with sadness or morose, but should be most joyful. The child of God can be jubilant in spirit even while being persecuted, chagrined, or otherwise vexed in the present evil age. To the true children of light (Ephesians 5:18), Jehovah's loving-kindness shines through all earth-born clouds and troubles to bring joy and peace and blessing. While the flesh may suffer, the spirit should rejoice -- he who belongs to Christ should rejoice because Jehovah's favor and blessing are with him as a new creature.

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Note: Most Bible versions read "rejoice in the Lord" in this verse. Actually, the Greek word often transliterated as KURIOS is anarthrous this verse, that is, it does not have the definite article. This would actually mean "rejoice in Lord," rather than "the Lord. The lack of the article before KURIOS in many cases appear to be because the Holy Name was changed the a form of KURIOS. Being viewed as a proper name, it is indefinite. Thus, this is considered to be very likely one of the places that copyists changed the Holy Name to a form of KURIOS. This agrees with many scriptures in the Old Testament, where rejoicing is associated with Jehovah. For this reason the RLIV reads, "Rejoice in Jehovah always". -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.

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Wednesday, February 24, 2021

02-25 - Matthew 4:4 = Man Must Live By Every Word of Jehovah

But he answered, "It is written, 'Man must not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Jehovah.'" -- Matthew 4:4, RLIV.


Jesus, being led by God's spirit (Matthew 1:1), after fasting for forty days was, of course, very hungry. He was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread so as to have something to eat, but he replied to Satan with what his God (Micah 5:4) had Moses to write in Deuteronomy 8:3. Jesus, thus, applied the words given to the children to Israel to himself, that he cannot live by bread alone, but that he also needed the words of Jehovah. Jesus, throughout his ministry, relied on his God, whether by means of the written word or as given to him by spirit. In effect, Jesus was saying to Satan, 'I cannot be complete, even if I have all my material needs, except that I rely on the words of my God.' 

We also, who are sons of God through Jesus (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:5), need to apply this principle to ourselves. The physical food only sustains the physical body until it dies. The spiritual food can sustain for eternity. And yet for the child of God in the present evil age, the lack of attention to the words of Jehovah brings a form of sickness, a spiritual sickness that could only be corrected by the spiritual disciplining of our Heavenly Father through Jesus, lest such become willful sin for which there is no sacrifice. Eventually, any who would live forever must feed on -- not just some -- but all of Jehovah's words, whether spoken through the prophets of old or through His son. (Hebrews 1:1,2) This should be the goal of every Christian in this evil age.

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Monday, February 22, 2021

02-23 - Psalm 32:8 - I Will Instruct You


I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will guide you with my eye. -- Psalm 32:8, RLIV.

God's "eye" in a sense could be understood as referring to His wisdom. God's wisdom can be seen in the creation all around us as well in the way we are made. God originally created man with righteous wisdom in his heart, but this engrained wisdom has been marred by man's disobedience. Thus, the need to, by faith, heal the scars of sin through the blood of Jesus, and come to the words of wisdom revealed to us in the Bible. In this manner we can be instructed in Jehovah's ways that we may be guided by His eye of wisdom.

Nevertheless, God leads His children by means of His Holy Spirit. Also closely associated with being instructed in and guided by God's wisdom is chastisements designed to give correction to us a children of God. While such may not be pleasant to endure, we should not despise his chastisements, for we are assured that his chastening is because of His love for us as His children and will be for our own good. (Hebrews 12:6-11) What comfort we can draw from this assurance. This helps us to meekly submit to the chastening hand of our Heavenly Father.

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Sunday, February 21, 2021

02-22 - Hebrews 13:5 - Free of the Love of Money

Let your manner of life be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have within reach, for he has said, "I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you." -- Hebrews 13:5, RLIV.

The Greek word rendered as "have within reach" above means more than simply what one possesses. If this it is limited to what one has, the scripture would appear to, in effect, mean that we should not seek to obtain daily food beyond what we already have. Such a thought would not be harmony with scriptures elsewhere. (Romans 12:17; 1 Timothy 5:8) The exhortation of this verse appears to be for us to be content to live within our means to provide for ourselves and our family. However, whatever lot we have in this present evil age may change, sometimes suddenly and drastically. Regardless of circumstances, those who belong to Christ have God's assurance that He will be with them and not forsake them.

Nevertheless, whenever one who professes Christ allows the love of money, possessions or luxuries to become the focus of his life, it becomes a form of idolatry, for such love usurps God's place. Such who thus become mammon-worshipers, essentially abandoning the proper worship of Jehovah. Thus, it should be of great concern that the child of God should not allow his heart to be overly-concerned about such matters, remembering God's promise that He will always be with them.  

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Saturday, February 20, 2021

02-21 - Psalm 31:1,3 - Thou Art My Rock and Fortress


Psalms 31:1,3 -   In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge;.... For thou art my rock and my fortress; Therefore for thy name's sake lead me and guide me. -- ASV.

Here David expresses complete faith in Jehovah his God. As Jehovah has placed all of His word, His promises, upon His Holy Name, David spoke of his confidence that Jehovah will lead and guide him for His name's sake. We today -- who belong to Christ -- can be assured that Jehovah, who knows the beginning from the end, is well aware that the final outcome will greatly outweigh any of the trials and sufferings in this present evil age. Thus, Jehovah still is a rock and fortress through Jesus, for Jesus himself stands in the strength of his God, Jehovah. (Micah 5:4) All who are of faith toward God are as in a world that is constant storm of corruption, and in need of a rock to cling to amidst the turmoil around us. Jesus provided a perfect example as he constantly looked to his God for guidance. We also have examples such in those listed in Hebrew 11, all of whom, in effect, made Jehovah their rock and their fortress. We can receive God's guidance by study and application of the Bible in our lives.

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Thursday, February 18, 2021

02-19 - Titus 1:15,16 - To the Pure All Is Pure

{Titus 1:15} To the pure, all is pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 
{Titus 1:16} They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. -- RLIV

Those whose thoughts are given to that which is defiled will display such defilement in their words and actions. Such may become lacking in the ability to think of love and benevolence as motives for conduct. With their impure thought, they attribute impure motives to others. Such will often fail to see anything good or right in others. This can even lead to the extreme of impugning evil motives to Jehovah and our Lord Jesus.

It is important then, for the child of God to strive to keep his mind pure, seeking the things above, that which right in God's eyes. Instead of seeking faults in others we should fill our mind with thoughts of caring, seeking ways to use our time, hands, feet, tongues, in blessing and upbuilding others. If we have our minds set on what is pure, we will see things differently than if our minds are set on things of the world. If our heart is given to purity in thought, we can see in our fellow believers purity of heart in spite of the weaknesses of the fallen flesh, and we can see those of the world with the realization of their plight as being due to the condemnation in Adam. 











Wednesday, February 17, 2021

02-18 - Deuteronomy 13:3 - Jehovah Proves You

Jehovah your God proves you, to know whether you love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul. -- Deuteronomy 13:3, RLIV.

The word prove in this verse carries a meaning of testing. The words are addressed to Israel, who were in covenant with Jehovah to obey all his requirements. Thus, it was proper that Jehovah should prove, which He did by allowing false prophets to come among them. God did not conduct such a proving among the nations except only his covenant people, Israel.

If we belong to Christ, we also are in a covenant relationship with the Heavenly Father. God has allowed Satan to oppose the Church as a trial of faith and of patient endurance. The Christian's test, however, is not only along the line of love and loyalty to God, but of love for truth and love for our brothers. The result is that there is a constant sifting work being performed although such work may not be openly seen by our physical eyes. God, through Jesus, is the final judge of who has and who has not been faithful in their love and devotion and what to do with those who are not fully faithful.

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Tuesday, February 16, 2021

02-17 - Matthew 11:29,30 - Take My Yoke

{Matthew 11:29} Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 
{Matthew 11:30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -- RLIV.

A yoke is usually used between two animals who share pulling a cart, plow or something similar. Jesus invites those who are willing to share his yoke with each who come to him. While, from the standpoint of the sinful flesh, this yoke appears to be an enormously heavy burden, Jesus, in effect, lightens the burden. Indeed, for sinful man to seek to overcome sin in his flesh, and withstand all the suffering caused by the world in doing so, would be impossible, due to the curse upon man though Adam. Our burden is greatly lightened, however, by sharing the yoke with Jesus. Such a yoke with Jesus would signify that we become co-laborers with Jesus, and thus we would have our incapable powers supplemented by his grace, his strength.

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Monday, February 15, 2021

02-16 - 2 Corinthians 6:3,8 -- No Occasion For Stumbling

We give no occasion of stumbling in anything.... by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true. -- 1 Corinthians 6:3,8, RLIV.

For Christ's sake, the child of God should seek to avoid stumbling others. Paul's expressions regarding this denotes extremes, by which one could stumble others. Have we been honored in some special way? If so, our attitude should not be that of pride, exaltation of self. When honored, we should seek to accept such honor with humility. If we are dishonored, we should rejoice in such dishonor for the cause of Christ. If we are spoken of in an evil manner, we should not seek to retaliate in kind; if we are spoken of in a good manner, again, we should accept such in humility, not with a spirit of self-exaltation. 

The child of God may be considered by those of the world, and sometimes by fellow-believers, to be a deceiver. Such an experience should not make the Christian timid or fearful. While the world is being deceived related to the truth about the Heavenly Father and Jesus, even amidst their unbelief, the Christian should be truthful, all to the glory of our Heavenly Father. What we do and say may influence, not only our brother is Christ, but the hearts of all who might receive Christ at some time in the future.














Sunday, February 14, 2021

02-15 - 1 John 2:5 -- Whoever Keeps His Word

{1 John 2:5} But whoever keeps his word, God's love has most certainly been perfected in him. -- RLIV.

The two key aspects of the above appear to be obedience and love. If we love the Lord Jesus, we will obey his words. In context, the special obedience that appears to be spoken of is that related to love itself. All who belong to Christ are at various degrees in developing the pure quality of love; very few have attained the perfection of love that is being spoken of, and need constantly to go before the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 1:1) We know from the Bible that God is love (1 John 4:8,16), and as we study about Jesus we see that Jesus is the witness that his Father is indeed "love." Jesus, however, is more than simply a witness of that love; Jesus is the channel by which God's love is received by those whom receive Jesus as an abiding power in their hearts. (Romans 5:5; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 2:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:5) But we fall short of obedience if we view God's love to be only related to forgiveness of our sins. We should realize that in obedience to Jesus, we are to develop God's love -- through Christ -- to perfection. 

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Saturday, February 13, 2021

02-14 - Matthew 12:37 - By Your Words

{Matthew 12:37} For by your words you will be made right, and by your words you will be condemned. -- RLIV

Jesus was here speaking to the Pharisees, not to his disciples. Nevertheless, the principles holds true also for any who belong to Christ. What we say can have influence on others, and what we say reflects what is our hearts (Proverbs 15:28; Jeremiah 23:16; Matthew 12:34; 15:18; Luke 6:45), and our words will judge whether our heart is in a right condition before God or in a wrong condition before God. A heart that conscientiously and diligently seeks to do what is right will endeavor to speak words in obedience to God and Jesus. (Proverbs 8:17; Matthew 6:33; James 1:5) A heart that does not humbly seek that which is right will disregard the words of God and Jesus, and will seek to speak that which is not approved by God and Jesus. Thus, those who belong to Christ, as new creatures, have to constantly endeavor to figuratively bridle their tongues with the word of truth so as to speak in harmony with God's Spirit. -- 1 Corinthians 6:7; James 1:18,26; 3:2.

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Friday, February 12, 2021

02-13 - 1 Corinthians 13:4,5 - Love Does Not Impute Evil

Love ... does not impute evil. -- 1 Corinthians 13:4,5, RLIV.

The Greek word rendered as "impute" above is the same word used related to our reckoned justification. It has a variety of applications, however, and one of them as related to evil is that surmising or reckoning evil motives of others. Thus, the Christian should endeavor to control his thoughts concerning various actions people may take so as to avoid surmising evil and attributing evil motives to the person. All us, in our flesh, do things that are evil in God's sight, although we may do such not with evil intent of the heart. (Romans 2:1; 5:12-19; 7:21) Every child of God needs to daily come before the throne of grace seeking mercy and help to overcome the sinful tendencies of our flesh. -- Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 2:1,12; 5:16,17.

However, the Greek word can also denote keeping an account of evils done, and many translations render it to reflect this meaning. This would signify that one is holding grudges and seeking to repay evil for evil, something that the Christian is not to do. (Romans 12:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9) A Christian may seek to justify the idea of 'getting even' for many different reasons. The Christian may think it proper to seek to do harm for harm, for instance, to a neighbor who is not a Christian. Such would reason that the restriction applies only when a brother in Christ has committed some evil towards the Christian. However, there is no such limitation in the scriptures. Regardless of whom does some wrong against the Christian, the Christian should trust in the strength of God through Christ so as to not "strike back" in kind. 

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Thursday, February 11, 2021

02-12 - James 1:4 - Let Endurance Have Its Perfect Work

James 1:4} Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. -- RLIV.

The sinful nature of our flesh has little patience. Thus, it is not prone to take time to carefully analyze situations, and thus acts in haste, bringing injury to self and others. The child of God should, however, take time to consider the full circumstances of himself and of those with whom he interacts. Developing such endurance goes back to the degree with which he has developed love and faith. As one develops these to qualities of spirit, one can grow in the patience and not react hastily.

The child of God should therefore give considerable attention to developing patient endurance, dealing patiently with all manner of people. We should certainly have patience with the poor blinded world, with our enemies because they don't know what they do. Most believers are but "babes in Christ," still thinking along carnal lines; we should certainly have patience toward these. Many with who we have to do, whether fellow-believers or of the world, are slow, ignorant, excitable, blundering, overly self-confident, skeptical, doubting, etc. No matter what the circumstance, all such provides opportunity to grow in endurance and patience, leading to the perfection James wrote about.

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

02-11 -Matthew 5:11,12 - Rejoice in Persecution

{Matthew 5:11} "Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all [forms of] evil against you falsely, for my sake. 
{Matthew 5:12} Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. -- RLIV.

There is much persecution in the world today, but Jesus is not speaking of the world, but rather he is speaking to his disciples. Becoming an active Christian brings a special kind of persecution for the sake of Christ and the cause of Christ. Those who truly belong to Christ are indeed considered by the world to be a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9), as being fanatical, extremists, too conscientious and not conforming to things generally accepted socially. People will think the truly dedicated follower of Christ to be odd. (1 Peter 4:4) Indeed, if one takes consecration seriously so as to not be a Christian in name only, that one will suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12) Such may result in shunning, gossip, and often attempts to misrepresent the Christian's character. In some cases, persecution can bring physical torture and even death. Many Christians fall short in this area and succumb to the influence of the world, thus compromising their consecration to God and Jesus. In this regard, it takes fortitude based on strong faith and love to continue without allowing any kind of persecution to lower Bible standards. -- Romans 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 1:6; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Peter 1:5-7.

On the other hand, the Christian is called to be gentle and kind to all, including those of the world, and not seek to pay any evil treatment received with a similar evil. (Matthew 5:39,44; Luke 6:27-29; Titus 3:2; 1 Peter 3:9) The child of God needs to be careful not to spread rumors and misrepresentations of those of the world who are promoting various forms of sin, and definitely not to turn to carnal anger or physical violence towards them. Additionally, while we should defend the truth from the scriptures, we who belong to Christ should not get involved in persecuting others because of their beliefs, even if their beliefs and actions are in some way designed to promote sin. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.


Related (We do not necessarily agree with all details presented by others)







Roman Persecution of Christians

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

02-10 - 1 Timothy 4:12 - Be An Example

1 Timothy 4:12 - Be an example to those who believe, in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. -- RLIV

Paul's advice to Timothy is good for all who belong to Christ. In a broad sense, all Christians should be setting an example for not only fellow believers, but for the world, many of whom may believe at a future time or in that coming day when all nations are to blessed. (Isaiah 2:2-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:10) We all have the perfect example set by our Lord Jesus, as well as the imperfect examples of many other faithful ones, as recorded in the Bible.

The admonition above covers many aspects of life. It indicates that the Christian, although one may fall short in some aspects, should strive to utilize a careful choice of words and actions, all based on a faithful spirit of devotion and love for God as well as others. Love would certainly not wish to bring any harm to neighbor, whether they are or are not believers in Christ. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.  


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Daily Heavenly Manna for February 10 * BSM * Video








Contend for the Faith (MP3 download)