Daily Bible Devotionals

“Now towhich of the angels has He [God] ever said: Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool?  Are they not all ministering spirits sent outto serve those who are going to inherit salvation?”  Hebrews 1:13-14 (HCSB)

It has been said, “Pertaining to angels, there are two things to avoid: giving them too much thought and not enough.”

I have met people who are overly preoccupied with angels.  It seems like everything that happens in their lives is mystically attached to some demonic or angelic influence.  It is hard to discuss the practical aspects of faith with those people.  If it’s not spooky, they aren’t interested.  It seems nothing is ever their fault, claiming, “The Devil made me do it!”

On the other hand, many people don’t believe in angels.  They believe in God and people.   One of the most challenging things to overcome when sharing the gospel with the Jewish community, for instance, is the prevalent unbelief in the angelic, which is taught in many synagogues.  Because of this, it is almost impossible to communicate the realities of Satan’s influence, the antichrist or hell, for that matter.

I don’t spend a lot of time dwelling on angels.  I know they are there, but I don’t worship them by giving them excess honor or fear.  I pray that God will protect me, support me, and give me influence for His gospel.  How He answers those prayers in the angelic realm is His business.

Two very important lessons about angels can be found in today’s passage of Scripture.

1) Jesus is above angels.  Some people believe God’s holiness is balanced by His “evil equal” Satan.  That is simply wrong.  Satan’s counterpart is Michael, the archangel.  They are both ANGELS.  God has no equal, evil or otherwise.

2) Angels are ministering spirits sent out to serve believers…or those who WILL believe.  You may say, “No.  Angels serve only God.”  But the text indicates that angels serve anyone in the family of God.  One of the benefits of being a believer is that angels influence conditions in our lives by God’s will and direction, which is ultimately in our better interest.

Followers of Jesus are co-inheritors with Him.  As Jesus lived up to the character of the Name He inherited, so should we strive to honor the Lord, Whose Name we have inherited as believers.  To do otherwise would be to receive His Name in vain, to say we are His, yet live as if we belong to the World.  (By the way, that is the essence of the 3rd commandment!)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Philemon 1. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works.  These are good and profitable for everyone.  But avoid foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels and disputes about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.  Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning, knowing that such a person is perverted and sins, being self-condemned.” Titus 3:8b-11 (HCSB)

Much of my “early believer” experience revolved around avoidance.  By avoidance, I mean all my energy was focused on not sinning.  I didn’t fully understand God’s grace, so I thought He was always keeping score with me.  All I could think about was how my sin was displeasing God and storing up some kind of punishment.  I became disenchanted as a young believer, and I wondered where a believer’s “abundant life” was.  

You may ask, “What’s wrong with NOT sinning?” Nothing at all.  My problem was that I considered “not sinning” as the ultimate goal of a Christian.  It took a while before I learned that morality was not the goal of my faith; it is simply the byproduct of it.  I shouldn’t have to focus the majority of my attention on avoidance if Jesus has truly given me the power to live abundantly.

After a Christian friend shared this idea with me, my efforts shifted from “not offending God” by avoiding sin to “pleasing God” by doing good.  By focusing my energy on pleasing God, I worried less about offending Him.  From this vantage point, we naturally avoid sin, plus we also avoid the guilt of sinning.  Perhaps this all sounds like semantics, but these are very different mindsets.

In today’s passage, Paul instructs Titus that those who have believed in God should be careful to devote themselves to good works.  More than simply avoiding sin, we must discipline ourselves to replace sinful behavior with that which honors God and reflects our inner transformation.  Our behavior is always the outworking of an internal heart condition.  It is the same with properly motivated good works.  If we have been genuinely transformed by Jesus, our desire to please Him should override the fear of offending Him.  

In sports, there is a saying: The best defense is a good offense.  People with an “avoidance” or “spiritually defensive” mindset are generally legalistic and judgmental towards anyone who doesn’t adhere to their legalism.  They love to draw others into lengthy debates concerning the rules of avoidance.

Paul instructs that we should “avoid” such debates on avoidance!  The best way to refute false religion is to know the Bible and to live within the parameters that God has set up.  Don’t add to or take away from His requirements and freedom.  Put simply, A God-honoring life is the best apologetic, for which we need no apology.

“For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, [Messiah] Jesus Christ.”  Titus 2:11-13 (HCSB)

There is an idea present in the Church-at-large about God’s Grace that it covers all sin and requires no accountability.  I have friends who firmly believe this, to the point where they distort God’s Grace by removing themselves from Godly accountability with other believers.  They live however they want, and when confronted about their lifestyles, they answer, in essence, “God’s grace covers all sin, and it cannot be revoked.”

While that is a true statement about God’s Grace, my friends’ attitude does not reflect the heart of Jesus.

“The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me.  And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father.  I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” John 14:21 (HCSB)

Paul instructs us to “…deny Godlessness and Worldly lust and to live in a sensible, righteous, and Godly way.”  Nowhere in that verse is a license to live apart from God’s standard.

The observable power of salvation in the believer’s life is not fully displayed because we have been saved from God’s wrath to come.  It is primarily revealed in that we are changed today!  We are called “converts” because we are changed, meaning our desires to sin are also being replaced with the desire to please God.  Salvation is not the ability to sin without consequence; it is more of a fresh start, where we are freed to serve the Lord rightly.

To me, the sweetness of Grace is displayed in today’s passage.  God’s grace brings salvation to “all people.”  That’s not to say that all people will be saved.  Rather, salvation is offered and available to all people by grace through faith in Jesus’ atonement for our sin.  It is still the individual’s choice to respond to it.

Those who recognize their need for God’s Grace and receive it enter into an unexplainable joy.  We, who are receivers of His Grace, should also desire to be givers of it.  In this way, we become “living testimonies” by virtue of our transformed lives, along with the words of the gospel we share.

Lastly, we have hope in the Grace of Messiah because we acknowledge the deity of the Messiah.  (Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:6) Grace without deity is just a kind gesture.  Deity without Grace is unforgiving judgment.  We have hope because Jesus is both “God and Savior!”

“For an overseer, as God’s administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.”  Titus 1: 7-9 (HCSB)

Many years ago, I committed myself to reading a chapter of the Bible each day.  The text seemed awkward and obscure at first.  I wondered how much of the Bible was actually applicable to my life.  I would begin with this prayer: “Lord, give me something today and someone to share it with.”  While the reading was laborious at times, God was faithful to answer that prayer.  He gave me something relevant each day, and He began leading people into my life who were asking spiritual questions that corresponded to the truth God was revealing to me.

Over time, I realized that I could add some Biblical truth to almost every conversation.  I began ministering to people by virtue of the cache of Biblical truth the Spirit was stockpiling daily in my heart.  

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense [answer] to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

When we study the Bible, we are sowing the seeds of readiness.  We are preparing to give reason for the hope that is in us.  By preparing in such a way, we become active participants in spiritual battle.  We are in a state of spiritual war, and in a sense, we are both the soldiers and the battlefields.  We are the “land” that God and Satan both long to possess.  The difference between spiritual warfare and all other warfare is that the “battlefield” is given the right to choose who will possess it.

When we choose to follow Jesus, He gives us the gift of His Spirit, Who exposes the truth of God’s Word.  A great tragedy of the Church is that we have the potential to know deep mysteries of Scripture, yet so few believers realize it.  Not only do they forsake their calling to share the hope of the gospel, but they also deny themselves the source of vital optimism, which is needed to get through life.

Biblical knowledge bears interest by building your faith.  Before you become intimate with God’s Word, your faith is shallow.  As we gain knowledge of God’s Word, we begin viewing life through the lens of the Bible.  Instead of seeing only pain and despair, we learn to live in hope, even through seemingly hopeless situations.

As you develop a Biblical worldview, you begin trusting God’s plan more than the World’s.  This is exactly the state that God wants spiritual leaders to be operating in and that we all should strive for.  We should be moving from being overseen by spiritual shepherds to being overseers ourselves.  You don’t have to be a “Minister” to minister.

“Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.  They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4 (HCSB)

The term “share the gospel” has been limited to evangelism in our generation.  Although evangelism is essential, Jesus called us to “Go and make disciples.” Evangelism originates a disciple, but “discipleship” is the ongoing accountable pursuit of learning to live out the gospel.

It is safe to say we have become dependent on convenience.   Our generation yells at the microwave for being too slow.   In response to societal trends, so-called “generationally-savvy” congregations have designed ministry paradigms to make the congregational worship experience more convenient and less challenging.

There is nothing wrong with understanding a culture to reach its people.  But the greater “body of Messiah” fails in its God-intended purpose when it becomes preoccupied with not offending people.  By avoiding the hard truths of the gospel (intended to lead to repentance for those who fall short of God’s standard for believers), the “soft sell” approach is needlessly prolonging the suffering an individual incurs through unrepentance.  In seeking to not offend the non-believer, these congregations don’t seem to be worried about offending God, Who desires that ALL come unto repentance.  Practically speaking, it takes more energy to pursue cultural relevance than simply teaching the Bible constantly.

The discipleship process of rebuking, correcting, and teaching is not always convenient.  People will often hate you for teaching the undiluted Bible.  Why?  When people become aware of God’s standard, they are confronted with their personal sin problem, and that’s uncomfortable.  But rejecting the gospel is not always the unbeliever’s response.  Often, they believe.  Paul tells us what to expect when we share God’s Word as He reveals it.  

“But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or uninformed person comes in, he is convicted by all and is judged by all.  The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, ‘God is really among you.’” 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (HCSB)

We must preach the Bible as His Spirit has revealed it to us.  And we should trust God to change lives.  We cannot be afraid to teach sound doctrine.  Anything less is a distraction from the real issues people need to address to grow as believers.

We cannot let fear of rejection discourage us from sharing the gospel.  Paul teaches the Church’s lack of effectiveness stems not from our lack of cultural relevance.  It’s our lack of passion, persistence, perseverance, and patience.

“But know this: difficult times will come in the last days.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness [religion] but denying its power.  Avoid these people!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (HCSB)

The first American President I remember was Gerald Ford.  He was the only president not to be elected as vice president or president, and he manned the helm during a turbulent time in our nation’s history.  For that, I am thankful.

Shortly after Ford’s death, on the CBS Early Show, Charles Gibson interviewed the Ford family’s Episcopal Priest, Robert Certain.  The discussion soon turned to comments Ford had made to reporter Bob Woodward, criticizing the Bush administration.  President Ford had asked that his comments not be published until his passing.

As the priest and Mr. Gibson discussed Ford’s political stance on Iraq, the conversation turned toward moral issues.  Soon, Mr. Certain was bashing what he called the “radical religious right.” (Let me be clear that I do not “carte blanche” endorse anyone or any organization.  Rather, I weigh everyone’s claims by my understanding of the Bible.)

That said, the Episcopal priest began to denounce anyone who believed the Bible’s claims against homosexuality and several other moral issues.  He went on to say that the “golden rule” (do unto others…) was present in the writings of over 20 world religions, and no religion has any exclusive claims to absolute truth.

I could not believe this man was allowed to shepherd a Sunday school class, much less a Head of State!  

Wearing his black suit and priest’s collar, he looked very authoritarian.  Reading 2 Timothy 3 is sobering.  In the last days, men will hold to the form of religion but deny its power.  They are lovers of convenience more than lovers of God.  “From such people, turn away!”

Nobody knows when Jesus will return, but I am convinced we are living in the last days.  Thank you for your commitment to read God’s Word, and to share it with whomever He leads your way.  As it was to Paul and Timothy, it has been given to us to be guardians of the Gospel.  We must not add to or take away from God’s Word and distance ourselves from those who do.  This is so that the Gospel, as the Lord has designed it, would retain its integrity and thus its power to save in our generation.

“Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.  But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels.  The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness.  Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.  Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, having been captured by him to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:22-26 (HCSB)

I’m not much of a handyman around the house.  I get by, but generally, I would rather pay a professional to do a job right than to struggle all day on a project, only to have a professional redo it because of my ignorance!

I have learned that having the right tools can make all the difference when doing a job.  The same is true when we’re doing the Lord’s work.  Good intentions must be matched with the Lord’s will and ways.

In today’s passage, Paul instructs Timothy on the finer points of “meekness.” Meekness is not the same as weakness.  Weakness is a deficiency of power, while meekness is power under submission.  Imagine a horse, a mighty creature that must be made to submit to saddle and bridle before being useful to the rider.  Timothy had to be reminded to take his youthful enthusiasm and submit it to the Lord’s will.

In a rush to do “something big for God,” often new believers forget that evangelism aims to win souls, not arguments.  Un-meek renegade believers often make more messes than they do converts.

Beyond resisting the foolhardy passions of worldly youthfulness, Paul is exhorting Timothy against the tendency of young believers to attempt the Lord’s work in their own strength: the wrong tool for the job.  

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)

It is important to remember that as we pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, we are preparing for (and engaging in) spiritual battle.  Those with whom we share the gospel are captured in the Devil’s trap, caught up in believing the delusions of worldliness.  It is not as if we will be effective by the loud volume of our arguments.  It is the power of the Holy Spirit, working through the life surrendered to God’s will, which accomplishes His purposes.

There is no limit to what the Lord will do with a surrendered and selfless life.  Have you given Him yours?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Timothy 1. Click the links below to watch or listen now!