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June 5, 2023

Monday

Excellent Spirits

Ezra 3: 1-6

3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening.”

Ezra 3:3

Chaplain Kenneth Best served in World War I. One day he held a communion service at 6 a.m., hoping to minister to the men before the firing started; but the enemy started their attack early. Though Best didn’t expect anyone to show up at the service, he felt responsible to be there if they did, despite the danger.

“To my surprise, regardless of shrapnel, about 100 men were present. Never shall I forget my first service under fire. We all felt God’s good providence watched over us, for not one was hit. We are all in excellent spirits.”1

Some days are frightening, and we’re surrounded by circumstances that could make us anxious. But as we go about the work God has assigned us, He is among us. He is able to keep us in excellent spirits today.

 

A point to ponder…

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.

John Newton

Read the Bible through in a year

Job 14-16

I love you!!!

1From A Prayer for Gallipoli: The Great War Diaries of Chaplain Kenneth Best

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

June 3– June 4, 2023

In the Trenches

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came…

Matthew 4:1–3a

Faith is as practical as you can get. It’s not ivory tower, abstract, feel-good thinking. Faith is for real life in the trenches. Let’s look together at the life of Jesus and see how Christ Himself used faith at the point of temptation to gain victory.

Some people argue that as God, Jesus couldn’t experience true temptation to sin. False. The Bible teaches that Jesus was severely tempted. Hebrews 4:15 reassures us that Jesus gets it: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” When facing temptation, Jesus didn’t use His divine powers to say no. Within the confines of His humanity, He was victorious by faith. In fact, using His deity is exactly what Satan was tempting Him to do, but Jesus refused. “And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread’” (Matthew 4:3). Satan appealed to Jesus’ hunger, since He hadn’t eaten for forty days, and tempted Him to prove Himself, but Jesus said no: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (4:4). Jesus exercised faith in the Word of God to repel the attacks of the evil one.

“HAVE FAITH IN THE PROMISES OF GOD’S WORD.”

Think how vulnerable Jesus was. He had been fasting in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. Undoubtedly, he felt hungry, tired, and lonely. In His humanity, He was facing off against Satan.

Satan crafted three, appealing temptations: turn stones into bread, throw Yourself down from the temple, and receive the kingdoms of the world from me if You worship me. Upon inspection, that last temptation appears to be a weak one, yet in it lies a lesson for us: In the heat of temptation, the offer may appear attractive, but when you stand back from it, you can see how ridiculous it is. In desperation to ruin Jesus’ perfect, sinless track record, Satan offered Jesus everything He had made and already owns. In His humanity, Jesus was susceptible to that temptation, yet He saw through the façade and realized it was not a part of His Father’s plan.

As each temptation presented itself, Jesus used only one weapon to fight it: faith in the Word of God.

Temptation #1: “Command these stones to become loaves of bread,” said Satan (Matthew 4:3).
Jesus said no and quoted Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Temptation #2: “Throw yourself down,” suggested the evil one (Matthew 4:6).
Jesus said no and quoted Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.”

Temptation #3: “Fall down and worship me,” Satan invited (Matthew 4:9).
Jesus said no and quoted Deuteronomy 6:13: “It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”

Three temptations. Three biblical answers. A perfect example of the power of faith in God’s Word.

Notice that this isn’t faith in faith, that cultic, deceptive message of faith in the power of faith itself. The Bible doesn’t teach that there’s any power in what you say simply because you say it with confidence. That would be blind faith. The power of faith is in the object of our faith: God’s Word. If what we say is from God’s Word, and in the depth of our being we believe it, then we will find incredible power. Like Jesus, we can have faith in the promises of God’s Word.

 

Points to ponder…

  • Why is it comforting to know that Jesus was tempted just as we are?
  • What are some common temptations you face? Think of some verses from God’s Word that address those temptations and arm yourself.

Saturday’s Reading

Job 8-10

Sunday’s Reading

Job 11-13

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

June 2, 2023

Friday

Sowing Lies

Romans 16: 17-27

20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Romans 16:20

The apostle Paul ended his letter to the Romans by warning them against false teachers. He wrote, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). He accused the deceivers of using smooth speech and flattering words, but, he said, “Be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil” (verse 19). Then he assured them the God of peace would shortly crush Satan under their feet.

Paul must have been thinking of the first prophecy in the Bible about the coming Messiah when we’re told Christ will bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).

The devil is sowing his lies everywhere, and false teachers show up in classrooms, videos, books, websites, slogans, cable channels, and political campaigns. Sometimes they even climb into the pulpit. But Satan’s lies cannot deceive those who are growing in the knowledge of God, and his attacks can’t destroy those kept by the power of God.

There is nothing Satan can throw at you that you cannot overcome, nor any stronghold he can build that Jesus can’t overthrow.

 

A point to ponder

You don’t have to be the victim because you can choose to live in the victory that God promises you as an overcomer.

Sheila Walsh

Read the Bible through in a year

Job 5-7

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

June 1, 2023

Thursday

Faithful Fathers: Abraham

Genesis 15: 4-6

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

James 2:23

We can imagine a child writing an appreciative and sentimental memoir about her “perfect father,” understanding that “perfect” was not intended to be taken literally. But how about a book titled The Righteous Father? The patriarch Isaac could have written that book about his father, Abraham.

Righteous doesn’t mean sinless, of course. We know that Abraham wasn’t perfect. But he did manifest some qualities that every father should emulate. First, he believed the promises of God about the future God had planned for him (Hebrews 11:8-12). And when he believed God, “[God] accounted it to [Abraham] for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Again, not perfect or sinless, but in a right standing with God. Second, as a result of Abraham’s trust in God, he became a “friend of God” (Isaiah 41:8). Could any father set a more worthy example to his children or grandchildren than that of being friends with God? Living in right standing with God? That means communing with Him, walking with Him, living for Him, and above all, trusting Him and His promises.

Follow Abraham’s example as a faithful father by deepening your friendship with God.

 

A point to ponder…

Friendship is the marriage of affections.
Thomas Watson

Read the Bible through in a year

Job 1-4

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

May 31, 2023

Wednesday

Love Like Jesus

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

John 13:34

When parents’ inconsistencies are pointed out by their children, they are tempted to say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Fair enough; standards are standards. But the better outcome is for parents—for us all—to act the way we want others to act.

Jesus did that. His motto might have been, “Do as I say and as I do,” since His words and actions were always consistent. For example, He used His own love for His disciples as an illustration for how they ought to love one another. When we read the apostle Paul’s words about unconditional love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we realize we are reading a description of how Jesus loved others. He was patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not prideful, not rude or self-seeking or easily angered. Instead, He forgave, rejoiced in the truth, protected, trusted, hoped, and persevered. When Paul says we are to love that way, he is saying, “Love as Jesus loved.”

When faced with a love-challenge in your relationships, ask, “How would Jesus love in this situation?”

 

A point to ponder…

You never so touch the ocean of God’s love as when you forgive and love your enemies. 
Corrie Ten Boom

 

Read the Bible through in a year

Esther 6-10

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

May 30, 2023

Tuesday

Never Alone

Jeremiah 23:2-3

2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.”

Psalm 139:2-3

Grief counselors recommend listening when comforting the suffering. Listening is a selfless, empathetic act, a way to be silently present: “You are not alone in your pain; I am here with you.”

God is like the listener—always there, listening to our thoughts and words, letting us know we are not alone. He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Nowhere in the Bible is God’s “very presence” more beautifully expressed than in Psalm 139:1-16. When David was troubled by the adversaries of God who sought to discredit Him, he poured out his heart to God. In doing so, David recounted all the ways God was present with him, always ready to know and understand his thoughts. God was omnipresent—always and everywhere present—to David and had been from the moment of his conception in his mother’s womb (verses 13-16).

If you find yourself alone today, or in a troubling place, know that God and His great and precious promises are with you (2 Peter 1:4).

 

A point to ponder…

God is either a present help or He is not much help at all.

J. B. Phillips

 

Read the Bible through in a year

Esther 1-5

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

May 29, 2023

Monday

Two-Fold Peace

Philippians 4: 6-7

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Romans 5:1

Since 1992, The Innocence Project has seen more than 350 wrongfully convicted people exonerated and freed from prison (and more than 150 actual perpetrators convicted). When someone is released from prison after years of incarceration, they experience profound peace of heart and mind. But peace of mind comes only after they have experienced peace with the criminal justice system.

There is a two-fold peace in the Christian’s experience as well. We are promised the peace of God when we commit our troubles and requests to Him, peace that will guard our heart and mind as we abide in Christ (Philippians 4:6-7). But we can only experience the peace of God because we have peace with God. “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Both are important, but there is an order: first, peace with God; then, the peace of God. Both are gifts of grace, worthy of praise to Him.

If you are seeking God’s peace in your life, make sure you have peace with God first. Both are ours through faith in Christ.

 

A point to ponder…

When we lack the peace of God, we should turn to our peace with God.

Robert M. Horn

 

Read the Bible through in a year

Nehemiah 12-13

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

May 27– May 28, 2023

Joy Maker

8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalm 19:8

Two people were walking along the road to Emmaus, a town not too far from Jerusalem, only hours after Jesus had been resurrected. All of a sudden, Jesus Himself came up and began walking with them, as if out of nowhere, though they didn’t yet recognize who He was.

As they discussed with this Stranger their perplexity concerning the events of the last three incredible days, Jesus began explaining to them what was truly happening. And here’s how He did it: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

You’re probably familiar with the story. “The Road to Emmaus.” But why did Jesus--who is the Son of God, who is the Word of God--not just talk with them off-the-cuff, unscripted, from His own body of knowledge? Why involve the Scriptures at all in this conversation?

Answer: Because He wanted them to see--two disciples who would need to go on without Him after Jesus returned to heaven in a few days--that the Word could be trusted. It was accurate. It was reliable. And its truth alone, even in His physical absence, could give them something they couldn’t get anywhere else: a passion, a delight, and a “rejoicing” of the heart. Remember? “They said to each other, ‘Did our hearts not burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures’” (Luke 24:32)?

And it’s just as true today.

“The precepts of the Lord” are able to give you joy as you receive them, believe them, treasure them, and stay with them--as you order the entirety of your life around them. God’s divine principles, by virtue of being 100 percent accurate and essential in all they assert, set a “right” path through the maze of life that causes your heart to rejoice.

Let me give you an example. Among the Bible’s many precepts is the following principle: one man with one woman for life. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). I’m telling you--get this precept right, and your life is headed for joy. Think of all the worldly principles that circulate in our culture which contradict and compromise the rightness of this precept. How many people’s lives testify to the truth that wrong principles, when applied to life, lead to the opposite of joy? In how many ways does each of our experiences prove the assertion--whether by God’s grace or our own folly--that “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes”?

The Word of God brings light to the darkness in every human heart. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). “Whoever follows me,” Jesus said, “will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He has given His Word for many valuable reasons. One of the sweetest is that He has promised us through it a path that leads to joy.

 

Points to ponder…

  • Write down any principle from Scripture that you remember as having brought you joy.
  • How can you be intentional this week about digging deeper into the treasure of God’s Word?

 

Saturday’s Reading

Nehemiah 8-9

Sunday’s Reading

Nehemiah 10-11

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

May 26, 2023

Friday

Eternity's Capital

Revelation 21:22-27

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;”

Revelation 21:10-11

Travel websites offer lists of the most beautiful cities in the world. You’ll usually find Prague high on the list. Paris, of course, makes the cut, as does Florence, Italy. But even the cities with the greatest sites are filled with filth, crime, heartache, and division. It’s ironic that multitudes of people in the most beautiful cities in the world are lonely and miserable.

Revelation 21 and 22 are travel guides for the city whose builder and maker is God. The Bible describes in literal terms the great city that will be eternity’s capital. It’s a city whose architecture is crafted of jewels, whose streets are paved with gold, whose walls are clear as glass, and whose light is generated by the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus. In the center of the city resides the throne of God and issuing from the throne is a river that irrigates the park containing the tree of life.

If you like to travel, investigate what the Bible says about this city. If you don’t like to travel, think of this city as your heavenly home.

 

A point to ponder…

To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here.

Jonathan Edwards

 

Read the Bible through in a year

Nehemiah 7

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

May 25, 2023

Thursday

Chapter Eights: Romans 8—New Life in the Spirit

Romans 8:1-11

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

Romans 8:5

Our mind is the barometer of our soul. If your mind is filled with lustful fantasies, ambitious schemes, bitter memories, or anxious worries, it’s a sign you are focused on “the things of the flesh.” The Bible tells us to set our mind on the things of the Spirit, which means reading the Bible and meditating about the Lord Jesus.

Scripture memory and biblical meditation are therapeutic. It’s not necessary to memorize a Bible verse to meditate on it. But diligent Christians come across certain passages that are so life-transforming they must be written on the tablets of the heart.

Romans 8 is full of such verses, including the promise in verse 28 about God working all things for our good. Try finding a Bible verse, repeating it several times a day, writing it on sticky notes, and learning it. Train your mind to focus on the things of the Spirit, for He keeps those in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on Him.

 

A point to ponder…

May the mind of Christ, my Savior, live in me from day to day.
Kate B. Wilkinson

 

Read the Bible through in a year

Nehemiah 4-6

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich