Daily Devotion: Christ Forbids Covetousness And Double-Mindedness by Favell Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-23 KJV

Key Verse:  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
- Matthew 6:21 KJV

Our Savior had exposed the apparently good actions of the Pharisees, as their prayers, fastings, almsgivings. He now reproves their wicked practices. The first thing he attacks is their covetousness,—their delight in laying up earthly treasures. In those days riches consisted partly in valuable clothes, and therefore He speaks of moth and rust corrupting.

Daily Devotion: I Have Finished The Work by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: John 17:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
- John 17:4 KJV

Jesus is the only man who has ever lived—so as to be able to say this! The best lives are but fragments, leaving many things unfinished. Yet we ought to take a lesson from Christ's finishing of His work. He did it, simply by doing each day—the will of His Father for the day.

The Abiding Comforter The Abiding Comforter by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: John 14:12-19 KJV

Key Verse:  "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"
- John 14:16 KJV

When one beloved earthly friend is taken away — how the heart is drawn out towards those that remain! Jesus was now about to leave His sorrowing disciples. He directs them to one whose presence would fill up the vast blank which His own absence was to make. His name was, The Comforter; His mission was, "to abide with them forever." Accordingly, no sooner had the gates of Heaven closed on their ascended Lord, than, in fulfillment of His own gracious promise, the bereaved and orphaned Church was baptized with Pentecostal fire. "When I depart — I will send Him to you."

Daily Devotion: We Should Sleep No Longer Than To Refresh The Body by James Meikle

Bible Reading: Proverbs 20:9-16 KJV

Key Verse:  "Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread."
- Proverbs 20:13 KJV

Long sleep in any man is blame-worthy—but in a candidate for glory it is a sinful. I may indeed rise in time to manage my temporal affairs, as I am seldom behind with the world; but what improvement do I make for eternal realities? "He who loves sleep," though in worldly things he may sustain no loss, yet in spiritual things "shall be a poor man." When I have a long journey to go, I can get up early in the morning. Now, I am on a more momentous, and immensely longer journey, even to eternity, which cannot be delayed a day; therefore, I have need to use my time wisely—before the shadows of darkness overspreads me, wherein no man can walk; or the night of death overtakes me, wherein no man can work.

Daily Devotion: Commitment to a Holy Life by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:9-16 KJV

Key Verse:  "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
- 1 Peter 1:16 KJV

Obedience. It is a dirty word in our day. We are all like little children; no one wants to obey anyone else. The words “obedience” and “submission” are a constant reminder of our indwelling sin. But whether we like them or not, they get to the heart of our problem of living a holy life.

Daily Devotion: What Is a Cult? by J.E. Smith

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Bible Reading: Matthew 12:23-30 KJV

Key Verse:  "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."
- Matthew 12:30 KJV

In our Key Verse, Matthew 12:30, Jesus teaches the importance of alignment with Him and the consequences of deviation from His teachings. A cult, in a Christian context, is a religious group that denies one or more of the Fundamentals of the Faith, such as the deity of Christ and salvation by faith in Christ alone.

Daily Devotion: Conformed To The Image Of His Son by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: Romans 8:29 KJV

Key Verse:  "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
- Romans 8:29 KJV

Here is the glorious pattern of a child of God. Sanctification is a conformity to the image and the example of Christ. The more the believer is growing like Jesus, the more he is growing in holiness. And, on the contrary, the less resemblance there is to Christ in his principles, in the habit of his mind, in his spirit, temper, daily walk, yes, in every action and in every look, the less is he advancing in the great work of holiness. 

Daily Devotion: You Shall Call His Name Jesus by Charles Spurgeon

Bible Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 KJV

Key Verse:  "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."
- Matthew 1:21 KJV

When a person is dear, everything connected with him becomes dear for his sake. Thus, so precious is the person of the Lord Jesus in the estimation of all true believers, that everything about Him they consider to be inestimable beyond all price. "All Your garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia," said David, as if the very garments of the Savior were so sweetened by His person, that he could not but love them.

Daily Devotion: Being Justified Freely by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: Romans 3:24-31 KJV

Key Verse:  "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"
- Romans 3:24 KJV

It is because grace is free that it can reach us. How free is the sun in sending forth its enlightening, warming beams; how free the clouds in discharging their watery treasures; how free the dew in falling from the face of heaven; how free the wind in blowing where it wills. Now these are scriptural types and representatives of the free grace of God. It shines as freely as the sun; drops as freely as the rain; falls as freely as the dew; and blows as freely as the wind. But not in grace, as in nature--to all men. I mean not that; but all to whom it comes it comes freely. And whenever it so comes it communicates precious things with it.

Daily Devotion: Christ Forbids Ostentation In FASTING by Favell Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:16-23 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
- Matthew 6:16 KJV

There was another duty upon the performance of which the Pharisees prided themselves—fasting. Some of them fasted twice a week. On those days they neglected the care of their persons, and went abroad that men might see they fasted, and admire them for their religiosity. In the day of a public fast for the sins of the nation, men should not conceal that they fast; but, like the king of Nineveh, who repented at the preaching of Jonah, they should set an example of penitence and self-denial. But when men fast for their own sins, then they ought to conceal the deed, and not seek to obtain human praise.

Daily Devotion: Do Not Let The Sun Go Down On Your Wrath by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32 KJV    

Key Verse:  "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:"
- Ephesians 4:26 KJV

The only way to make our life continuously beautiful, and to keep it ever sweet with love—is to insist on judging ourselves day by day. Old accounts are hard to settle. Each setting of the sun, should be a signal to us to apply the law of Christ to all our life for the day. The hour of evening prayer, should always be a time for getting right all that may have gone wrong in us during the day. 

Daily Devotion: The Abiding Comforter by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: John 14:9-16 KJV

Key Verse:  "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"
- John 14:16 KJV

When one beloved earthly friend is taken away — how the heart is drawn out towards those that remain! Jesus was now about to leave His sorrowing disciples. He directs them to one whose presence would fill up the vast blank which His own absence was to make. His name was, The Comforter; His mission was, "to abide with them forever." Accordingly, no sooner had the gates of Heaven closed on their ascended Lord, than, in fulfillment of His own gracious promise, the bereaved and orphaned Church was baptized with Pentecostal fire. "When I depart — I will send Him to you."

Daily Devotion: Life's Hard, Then You Die by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Romans 1:18-25 KJV

Key Verse:  "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"
- Romans 1:20 KJV

Ever heard the phrase "Life's hard, then you die"? That is a pretty hopeless outlook on life, and it is definitely not what the Bible clearly teaches. Yes, life is often very hard and unpredictable. Yes, everyone dies. But in God's message to you there is more to it! There is more to life than what you can see and more to your story than just time itself. Do you want proof?

Daily Devotion: Who The Great Man Is by James Meikle

Bible Reading: Proverbs 21:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will."
- Proverbs 21:1 KJV

He who bears a commission from his king, that is, a noble, an ambassador, or a minister of state—is accounted a great man. Now, if being near the throne, and conversant with the king, makes a man great, clothes him with renown, procures him reverence and respect, loads him with popular applause, and clothes him with splendor and pomp; with how much more divine and durable honor is the saint aggrandized, who, though alone from the world, dwells with God; and though not known among the busy crowd, resides near to God's throne! The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, gives his royal assent to their petitions, and will not deny them. Yes, "his secret is with those who fear him, and he will show them his covenant." This is greatness indeed, to be in favor with him who is a terror to kings; with him to whom kings and their subjects are less than nothing, and vanity.

Daily Devotion: Come with Boldness for Grace and Mercy by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: Hebrews 4:9-16 KJV

Key Verse:  "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
- Hebrews 4:16 KJV

The main argument of the Epistle of Hebrews is that “we have a great High Priest” (Heb. 4:14; 1:3; 2:17f; 3:1; 4:14-12:3). Jesus has passed through the upper heavens to the throne of God (1:3). The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that Aaron was a “high priest,” but Jesus Christ is “the great High Priest.” No Old Testament priest could ever assume that awesome title.

Daily Devotion: Are You Born Of Him by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:22-29 KJV 

Key Verse:  "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him."
- 1 John 2:29 KJV

Negative holiness- the abstaining from outward sins- does not always describe a regenerate soul; associated with this there must be the positive evidence- "Every one that does righteousness is born of him." Where there is life, there is action, motion, energy.

Daily Devotion: They Ascended Up To Heaven In A Cloud by Charles Spurgeon

 Bible Reading: Revelation 11:12-19 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
- Revelation 11:12 KJV

Without considering these words in their prophetical connection, let us regard them as the invitation of our great Forerunner to His sanctified people. In due time there shall be heard "a great voice from heaven" to every believer, saying, "Come up hither." This should be to the saints the subject of joyful anticipation. Instead of dreading the time when we shall leave this world to go unto the Father—we should be panting for the hour of our emancipation. Our song should be,

Daily Devotion: Incorruptible Inheritance by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,"
- 1 Peter 1:4 KJV

Whatever you may have in this world, be it much or little, you must leave. And if you have no other inheritance than earth gives, where will be your portion in death and to all eternity? But if you are begotten again unto a lively hope, even if you do not enjoy the full assurance of faith, you have before you an inheritance which fades not away.

Daily Devotion: Christ Declares Whom God Will Forgive by Favell Lee Mortimer

 

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:8-15 KJV 

Key Verse:  "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"
- Matthew 6:14 KJV

Jesus here gives some instructions concerning the frame of mind in which prayer must be made. In the Lord's prayer we are directed to say, "Forgive us our debts, or trespasses, as we forgive our debtors, or those who have sinned against us." This petition seems like asking God not to forgive us if we do not forgive others. Some people might have been induced to wish that some part of the sentence was omitted, and that they were instructed simply to ask God to forgive them, whether they forgave others or not. But it would be of no use to make such a prayer; for God is determined not to forgive us unless we forgive others.

Daily Devotion: The Bravest Prayer In The Bible by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:17-24 KJV

Key Verse:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:"
- Psalm 139:23 KJV

When we do something wrong we pause and hope that no one saw what we did. We may even go as far as hoping that God was not paying attention, but in our heart we know that God sees it all. Most of us would never ask God to carefully examine our lives to identify sin. Yet in our key verse above, that is exactly what David did.

Daily Devotion: The Lord Is Who Judges Me by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:4 KJV

 

Key Verse:  "For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord."

- 1 Corinthians 4:4 KJV

There is a story of a young composer whose music was being performed. The audience was enthusiastic, applauding wildly as the composition was played. But the young man seemed utterly indifferent to all this applause. He kept his eye fixed intently on one man in the audience, watching every expression that played upon his features. It was his teacher. He cared more for the slightest mark of favor on his face—than for all the applause of the great company.

Daily Devotion: The Good Shepherd by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: John 10:11-18 KJV

Key Verse:  "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
- John 10:14 KJV

"The Good Shepherd" — well can the sheep who know His voice, attest the truthfulness and faithfulness of this endearing name and word. Where would they have been through eternity — had He not left His throne of light and glory, traveling down to this dark valley of the curse, and giving His life a ransom for them? Think of His love to each separate member of the flock — wandering over pathless wilds with unwearied patience and unquenchable ardor, ceasing not the pursuit — until He finds it.

Daily Devotion: A Wicked Thing To Depart From God In The Least by James Meikle

Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 15:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you."
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 KJV

The Lord is with us while we are with him—but when we forsake him, he hides his face, and departs from us, that we may not depart from him any more. It is dangerous to let the soul out of the heavenly frame; for the inclination being carnal, the affections corrupt, the will stubborn, and the heart deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked—it is with much labor, that the rebel is brought back again to obedience. Moreover, the soul above all things, receives a tinge and resemblance of that with which it is most conversant; hence the carnal mind stops not with its carnality—but even turns into enmity against God. While the soul which beholds the glory of the Lord, is changed into the same image, from glory to glory.

Daily Devotion: Come and Believe as Little Children by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: Mark 10:13-16 KJV

Key Verse:  "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."
- Mark 10:15 KJV

In one of my pastorates I brought a message on the death and resurrection to a close, and as I began to issue the invitation for all who would believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior a seventy-year-old man came running down the aisle. He had put his faith in Jesus Christ as the sermon was being presented, and he wanted everyone to know it. Little did either of us know at the time, but several months later I would conduct his funeral.

Daily Devotion: Jesus Lives To Make Intercession by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: Hebrews 7:21-28 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
- Hebrews 7:25 KJV

How sweet and consolatory to the believer is this view of our exalted Immanuel in the hour of bereavement- when confined to his chamber of solitude, or languishing upon his bed of "pining sickness"!

Daily Devotion: Arise And Depart by Charles Spurgeon

Bible Reading: Micah 2:6-13 KJV

Key Verse:  "Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction."
- Micah 2:10 KJV

The hour is approaching when the message will come to us, as it comes to all, "Arise, and go forth from the home in which you have dwelt, from the city in which you have done your business, from your family, from your friends. Arise, and take your last journey!"

Daily Devotion: Ambassadors For Christ by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 KJV

Key Verse:  "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV

As Paul points out in our key verse above, once we are saved we are ambassadors for Christ. Being an ambassador for Christ is similar to the role of a foreign ambassador, representing a sovereign nation in a foreign land. Just as a diplomat acts as a go-between for two countries, Christians are called to act as representatives of God's Kingdom on earth.

Daily Devotion: Do Not Be Offended In Me by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: Matthew 11:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
- Matthew 11:6 KJV

What is the feeling of your heart toward Jesus? What is the solemn desire of your soul? that he would come and make your heart his abode? that he would visit your soul with the light of his countenance? that he would sprinkle his blood upon your conscience? that he would make himself very near, very dear, and very precious? Do you count one word from his lips worth a thousand worlds? a smile of his countenance worth thousands of gold and silver? Then you are blessed. You are not stumbling upon the dark mountains of error. You are not stumbling at the perfections of the Son of God. You are not offended at a free gospel, an unconditional salvation.

Daily Devotion: The Lord's Prayer by Favell Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:9-13 KJV

Key Verse:  "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
- Matthew 6:9 KJV

This prayer is so familiar to us, that we are in great danger of not considering its weighty meaning. A prayer taught by our blessed Savior himself ought to engage our deepest attention. Had we been told that such a prayer had been given, and had never heard the words, how we would have desired to hear them! We ought not to suppose that we are bound to use this prayer every time we pray. Jesus said, "After this manner pray." We find in this prayer a pattern for our prayers.

Daily Devotion: The Cloak Of Christ by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: Matthew 9:19-26 KJV 

Key Verse:  "For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."
- Matthew 9:21 KJV

The 'cloak of Christ' still trails nearby us. It is by us, when we open the Bible and read His words. It is by us, when we feel the presence of the Holy Spirit with us. It is by our beds of pain, when we are sick.

Daily Devotion: The Hairs Of Your Head Are All Numbered by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: Matthew 10:26-33 KJV 

Key Verse:  "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
- Matthew 10:30 KJV

What a "word" is this! All that befalls you, to the very numbering of your hairs — is known to God! Nothing can happen by accident or chance. Nothing can elude His inspection. The fall of the forest leaf — the fluttering of the insect — the waving of the angel's wing — the annihilation of a world — all are equally noted by Him! Man speaks of great things and small things — but God knows no such distinction.