Luke 16:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 16:1

“Now He was also saying to the disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions.” – Luke 16:1

Today we will look at the Parable of the Dishonest Steward.  Here is this first part of this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

Now He was also saying to the disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward. And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive me into their homes.  And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, How much do you owe my master? And he said, A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then he said to another, And how much do you owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He said to him, Take your bill, and write eighty.” Luke 16:1-7. 

Now, the first seven verses of Luke sixteen lay out the story Jesus told His disciples.  However, in verse fourteen we see that some Pharisees were listening as well.  The parable begins with a rich man calling his steward before him to let him know he will be letting him go due to his mismanaging his resources. A steward is a person who manages the resources of another. This steward had authority over all the master’s resources and could transact business in his name. This requires the utmost level of trust in the steward. Now, it appears the master is not aware of the steward’s dishonesty, for the steward is being released for apparent mismanagement, not fraud. This explains why he is able to conduct a few more transactions before he is released and why he is not immediately tossed out on the street or executed. The steward, realizing that he will soon be without a job, makes some shrewd deals behind his master’s back by reducing the debt owed by several of the master’s debtors in exchange for shelter when he is eventually put out. When the master becomes aware of what the wicked servant had done, he commends him for his shrewdness. Then Jesus adds, “for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.” Luke 16:8. What He was saying here is quite interesting.  The people who are not followers of Christ are more shrewd in working for what they say is most important, money, fame etc. then those who were His followers.

After completing the parable, He now tells them what it means. 

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:9-13.

The basic idea is that He was telling them that whatever resources they had, needed to be used to plan ahead, not for this world, but for the eternal life ahead of them.  The word ‘mammon’ is from the Aramaic word mammon, which originally meant ‘that in which one puts their trust in,’ hence wealth.  Jesus calls it ‘unrighteous mammon’. According to the theologian Adam Clarke, “Riches promise much but yield nothing: they excite hope and confidence and deceive both: in making a man depend on them for happiness, they rob him of the salvation of God and of eternal glory.”  In other words, riches cause us to look at them for hope and confidence instead of God, which they cannot truly provide. Remember verse 9, “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9.  We must invest our resources in the Lord’s work, and not wait until we think we have enough.  As an example, In a survey taken in 1992, people were asked how much money they would have to make to have the American dream. Those who earn $25,000 or less a year thought they would need around $54,000. Those in the $100,000 annual income bracket said that they could buy the dream for an average of $192,000 a year. These figures indicate that we typically think we must double our income in order to find the good life, instead of finding it now. Jesus then tells us, “If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” Luke 16:11-12.  In both instances, He speaks of using these things for the glory of God.

Then He closes with a very well-known verse. “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:13.  Jesus states that serving two masters is simply an impossibility. If you think that you are successfully serving two masters, you are deceived. One can have both money and God; but one cannot serve both money and God at the same time.  Whichever you would not give up at any cost is who or what you serve.  Pray about this, for money will be with us in this life, but God will be with us forever in the life to come.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 13:6

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 13:6 

“And He began telling this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.” – Luke 13:6

Today we will look at the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

And He began telling this parable: A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?  And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.” Luke 13:6-9.

Jesus told this parable immediately after reminding all who were there about the tower over the Pool of Siloam which collapsed unexpectedly and killed eighteen people. “Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And He answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?  I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5.  

This story starts by the vineyard owner showing his disappointment that a tree he had watched for  three years had not produced any fruit.  The three-year period is important because this points to John the Baptist and Jesus who had been preaching repentance and the coming of the promised Messiah for three years throughout Israel.  However, the fruit of repentance was not coming forth, and they thought they were special because they we Jews. “Therefore, bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham for our father, for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And also the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”  Luke 3:8-9. They had departed from the true faith and the true living God. The Jews created a religion of works based on  righteousness that was not pleasing to God. 

Now, there are three distinct entities in this parable.  The vineyard owner represents God, the one who found the tree with no fruit and justly requesting it be cut down.  The vineyard keeper or gardener is Jesus the Christ, who asks for additional time to see the tree bear fruit, and the tree itself representing the Jewish nation and individuals.  

The lesson in this parable is that borrowed time is not permanent. God’s patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us more time; another year, day, minute or second. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit or repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is close by. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 12:16

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 12:16 

“And He told them a parable, saying, the land of a certain rich man was very productive.” – Luke 12:16

Today we will look at the Parable of the Rich Fool.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

And He told them a parable, saying, The land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops? And he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21.

Jesus tells this parable in response to a question He received from someone who was listening to Him. “And someone in the crowd said to Him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Luke 12:13. He answers him stating it is not up to Him to judge this issue. “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbiter over you? And He said to them, beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” Luke 12:14-15. The key to understanding this parable is in verse 15 (and later summarized in verse 21), “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” Luke 12:15. Jesus says this to the man who asked Him to arbitrate between him and his brother. In ancient times, the firstborn was guaranteed a double portion of the family inheritance. More than likely, the brother who was addressing Jesus was not the firstborn and was asking for an equal share of the inheritance. Jesus refuses to arbitrate their dispute and gets to the heart of the matter: Covetousness! Jesus warns this person, and all within earshot, that our lives are not to be about gathering wealth. Life is so much more than the abundance of possessions. 

And then from our focus verse, Jesus tells this man a parable.  “He starts it by saying that a man planted a garden which then produced an extreme amount of produce.  He then asks himself, “What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?” Luke 12:17. With this he had two reasonable answers; he could either share it with others in need or keep it all and create more storage facilities. In this parable, he chose the latter.  “This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” Luke 12:18-19. 

In what has he been a fool? Not in his foresight and planning; in these he has been exemplary. Nor was he wicked or unjust. His folly is his oblivion to God. There are many forms of pride, but the worst of them is to think that one has no need of God. He does not acknowledge the source of his blessings. Rather, he gathers to himself and serves himself. Having failed to recognize his wealth as a gift of God,  the rich man rests all his hopes in things. Investment in things never pays the dividends one hopes for. He may eat, drink, and be merry as the rich man said, but he is a fool, for tomorrow we shall die. This is the second and final time in Luke Jesus calls someone a fool, and in both instances was for confusing temporal earthly realities with eternal divine realities.

So, the point of the Parable of the Rich Fool is twofold. First, we are not to devote our lives to the gathering and accumulation of wealth. There is an interesting point made in the parable. God says to the man in the story, And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?  This same idea is found in the old testament. “Thus, I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. Therefore, I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:18-20.

The second point of the Parable of the Rich Fool is the fact that we are not blessed by God to hoard our wealth to ourselves. We are blessed to be a blessing in the lives of others, and we are blessed to build the kingdom of God. The Bible says if our riches increase, we are not to set our hearts upon them. “Do not trust in oppression, And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.” Psalm 62:10. The Bible also says there is one who gives freely and grows all the richer. “The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.” Proverbs 11:23-26.  

In closing, Paul speaks of this idea as well. “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.  We are blessed by God, so we can in turn “abound in every good work” and be a blessing in the lives of others. So, if God has blessed you with material wealth do not set your heart on it but be rich toward God. That is the message of the Parable of the Rich Fool.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Mark 4:26

Verse of the Day Devotion Mark 4:26 

“And He was saying, the kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil.” – Mark 4:26

Today we will look at the Parable of the Seed Growing.  Here is this parable as found in Mark’s gospel.

And He was saying, The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29 

This parable is only found in Mark’s gospel. Though it shares several elements with the Parable of the Soils, i.e.: a man scattering seed, the seed itself, and the harvest, the idea that is the focus of that parable should not be read into this one.  This parable by itself has its own message to tell. 

In the Parable of the Growing Seed, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a man who scatters seed on the ground and then allows nature to take its course. As the man who sowed the seed goes about his business day by day, the seed begins to have an effect. First, the seed sprouts; then it produces a stalk and leaves, then a head of grain, and, finally, fully developed kernels in the head. Jesus emphasizes that all of this happens without the man’s help. The man who scattered the seed cannot even fully understand how it happens, it is simply the work of nature. All by itself the soil produces. 

Many believe the kingdom of God should be likened to something grand and glorious: to shimmering mountain peaks, crimson sunsets, the opulence of potentates, the glory of a gladiator. But Jesus likens it to seeds, something that is small and somewhat commonplace. The theologian James R. Edwards puts it this way. “The parable of the seed growing by itself has its own unique message to convey. Determining the precise focus of the parable is difficult. The sower plays a minimal role. Furthermore, the seed grows without his effort (or lack of effort) and in a way that is a mystery.” And this is the key point.  What brings success to the Christian message is not based upon human effort or understanding, though Christians certainly need to plant/scatter the seed.  Success comes via the power of God through the seeds planted. And this brings success because our God is an active God.  And we see this success comes from God alone.  “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.” Mark 4:28. Yes, we plant the seeds, but it is God who does the work in the hearts of people.

Then in the final verse, we read of the harvest.  “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:29.  Putting forth the sickle for the harvest often pictures the arrival of God’s kingdom.  “And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation 14:15. The metaphor of reaping, with its inevitable separation of wheat from weeds, or grain from husks), is a common picture in the Old Testament of the end of the age. It always involves the concept of judgment as well as salvation: chaff and weeds are burnt, wheat is saved. This is to be the final realization of the rule of God, which has begun already in Jesus. “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.” Joel 3:13. 

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Growing Seed: The way God uses His Word in the heart of an individual is mysterious and completely independent of human effort. May we be faithful in “sowing the seed,” praying for a harvest, and leaving the results to the Lord! And we can look forward to this time. “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you.” 2 Peter 3:13-15.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 15:11

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 15:11 

“Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” – Matthew 15:11 

Today we will look at the Parable of the Defilement of the Body.   Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man. Then the disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” But He answered and said, Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” Matthew 15:11-14.

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”  He then turns and answers their question with a question, exposing their hypocrisy. “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, Honor your father and mother’ and, He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’  “But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother, “Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And thus you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” Matthew 15:3b-6.

Now, these questions were no doubt asked in a public setting, with a crowd on the periphery. Then, Jesus addresses the crowd rather than the Jewish leadership. He called the people together and said, “Hear, and understand.  Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Matthew 15:10-11. The Lord presents the Levitical idea of impurity in a deeper moral light. The question is not to be seen by the physical mouth or the use of certain meats, but by the moral mouth, the language. What is here said concerning the going into and coming out of the mouth, applies to the whole series of Levitical and moral injunctions concerning purity. In other words, what enters the mouth, i.e., food and drink, does not defile men, but it is what comes out that may defile him.

Then the disciples came and asked Him if He knew that the Pharisees were offended when they heard His statement?  Jesus answers with “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up.” Matthew 15:13. Jesus is telling them, essentially, that all those doctrines of which his Father was not the author of must be rooted up or corrected. The false doctrines of the Pharisees and scribes must be attacked and removed. Was it any wonder that they were indignant? It could not be helped. It was his duty to attack them. He was not surprised that they were enraged; but, notwithstanding their bad doctrine should be destroyed. This idea points to what is found in Isaiah, where he says of Israel, “Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.” Isaiah 60:21. This verse speaks positively about what He has planted. Jesus here is alluding that the Pharisees and Scribes were not planted by God, for their teachings and actions were not of God, and therefore must be uprooted in judgement. 

Jesus then tells the crowd there to leave them alone, essentially, to have nothing to do with them. They are the blind who lead the blind.  They were knowledgeable of the Law and what God desired, but they would not apply it as God had intended.  It was Jesus’ counsel that the disciples ignore the Pharisees and Scribes or leave them alone. Jesus either regarded their opposition as so hardened that he could not spend time being concerned with it, or he was subtly alluding to the parable of the weeds, in which the weeds are to be left alone until harvest. As Jesus said earlier, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Matthew 7:6.

Today we see similar ideas in the church. Traditions should never take precedent over what God has called us to do or be.  Many times, imagery, habits, and patterns take priority over what He wants us to do.  This was the problem of the Jewish leadership which caused Jesus to reprove them on various occasions.  If God calls us to go somewhere, go for there is no doubt a work He has for us. If God tells us not to go, then we should not, for He has a good reason why not to.  I have had opportunities to witness and encourage people in places that many Christians would never want to go. God does not want beliefs or fear of disapproval to prevent us from doing His work, wherever that may be. And in todays culture, we can reach many more younger people by putting aside traditions and instead meet them where they are which may not include the standard means within churches.  God has called us to go into the highways and byways and compel the lost to come to the truth.  And sometimes this can bring ridicule or chastisement.  However, Jesus reached out to many the Jews would never be associated with.  We should therefore be willing do the same in our world today.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 21:28

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 21:28  

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.'” – Matthew 21:28

Today we will look at the Parable of the Two Sons, the first of three parables, in sequence, that depict God’s indictment and sentence of the present Jewish Leadership, unless they realize their errors and turn to the truth. Jesus does not reject Israel as a whole, only the current leadership, which has rejected him. The contrast is not between Jews and Gentiles but rather between those who reject and those who accept Jesus.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, Son, go work today in the vineyard. And he answered and said, I will, sir’; and he did not go. And he came to the second and said the same thing. But he answered and said, I will not; yet he afterward regretted it and went. Which of the two did the will of his father?  They said, The latter.  Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that the tax-gatherers and harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.” Matthew 21:28-32.

This parable starts by introducing a man who has two sons. There are several things that need to be done, so he goes to one of his sons and says, “Son, go work today in the vineyard.” Matthew 21:28a. The son tells his father he will go out and work, but then does not.  He then goes to his second son and says the same thing, and he tells his father no, he would not go, but later regrets his decision and ultimately goes out and does what his father asked.  Both sons give opposite answers, but later do the contrary of what they told their father.

In this parable, Jesus is addressing the Jewish officials who continue to refuse to accept His divine authority, or to acknowledge John’s prophetic ministry.  “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.” Matthew 21:32.  What Jesus was saying here was that the most notorious of sinners, tax collectors and harlots, will get into heaven before they will. This does not mean that ethical considerations do not apply and that the worst of sinners keep on with the worst of their sins in the kingdom. It means that sinners like outcasts could respond to the message of the kingdom much more readily than sinners whose sins were cast in the conventional mode that brought no rebuke from the religious establishment.  As long as there was no rebuke from the Jewish leadership, then they believed there was no problem.

God has called us to do His work just as the father called his sons to do his will. Are we like the son who said ‘yes’ but did not carry through, or like the one who said ‘no’ but then repents and does it?  Many times, people promise to do things for God, or have every intention of doing them at the time but fail to because something else came up and was raised to priority one, over and above what God called us to. Like the son who ultimately disobeyed, some promise but do not perform it as they promised and so are rejected by God. Like the son who ultimately obeyed, some rebel but later submit and so are accepted.  The Jewish leadership would not accept Jesus as the promised Messiah because He did not fit the mold they believed the Messiah would follow, even though John laid out clearly who Jesus was. 

I want to close this with a quote from the Theologian Adam Clarke. “It is very difficult to get a worldly minded and self-righteous man brought to Christ. Examples signify little to him. Urge the example of an eminent saint, he is discouraged at it. Show him a profligate sinner converted to God, him he is ashamed to own and follow; and, as to the conduct of the generality of the followers of Christ, it is not striking enough to impress him. John, and Christ, and the apostles preach; but, to multitudes, all is in vain.”

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 118.6

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 118.6  

“The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” – Psalm 118.6

Our culture today, and I speak specifically of the United States, has become one of fear.  It started with the introduction of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2020 which brought about a society where everyone began separating themselves from everyone else.  This has caused many who, in fear, will not go out and help others who are in need.  However, in so doing, many will find themselves alone and without the means to make necessities happen.  And these necessities may take the form of words of encouragement or simply joy in their lives.  We do not have need to fear, for God will protect us from everything, including pandemics.  “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust! For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.” Psalm 91:1-3. 

Now, I want to assure everyone that I do take this COVID-19 seriously.  I take appropriate precautions to

ensure I do not endanger anyone regarding this pandemic.  However, our leadership at times have taken this to a ridiculous level.  This has brought about the destruction of many great small businesses which has resulted in a financial crisis for many people.  And because of some of the bad decisions made by our leaders, fear has been spread throughout our society.  However, we must always remember that our God is a healer.  “A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;” Psalm 103:1-3. 

But there is another area that people fear, and that is the loss of freedom due to the results of the latest election.  Many see the rise of a government-controlled society, basically socialism, which will restrict many freedoms we currently enjoy in this country.  They have already attempted to control churches by calling for no more than a handful of people at each service, as well as restricting what can be done in each service.  Our new leadership desires to control every aspect of our lives.   

However, let us always remember the words David wrote in our focus verse.  “The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6.  We have no reason to fear as Christians, for the Lord Almighty is on our side.  And because of this, we can know that He will always be with us.  There is absolutely nothing man can do to us that we cannot trust God to bring us through.  “Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me.  My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?  All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life.” Psalm 56:6.  David is saying that no matter what man says or does, He puts his trust in God, and nowhere else.  And because of this, he would not be afraid.  And we have that same promise of protection.    

 I want to encourage everyone in that no matter what, man can do nothing to us that God does not see and protect us through.  We should see troubles from man in the same way as David saw it.  “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” Psalm 27:1.  He is our light and salvation.  We have no reason to fear anyone or anything because we can trust Him in all things.  Do we trust Him like this?  Are we afraid of how people think about us and their reactions to the things we do or say?  Are we afraid of what lies ahead?  There is no reason to fear when God is our protector.  “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.” Psalm 138:7.  No matter what troubles come upon us. God is with us.  He will stretch out His right hand and save us.  We are His, and there is nothing that can thwart His protection.  So no matter what happens, it will not defeat us, for God will not allow it to.  So trust Him with all you are, be at peace, and let not this world make you afraid.  Remember the words of Jesus when He said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

James 1:12

Verse of the Day Devotion: James 1:12  

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” – James 1:12  

This verse speaks of those who endure what comes upon them while remaining true to God.  The Greek word for trial is “πειρασμός”, pronounced “peirasmos” which has a dual meaning of test or temptation. And this word is used in both ways here in James 1.  First, we read “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,” James 1:2. The idea here is that we should rejoice when we experience persecution that tests our faith.  This does not speak of temptation, for Jesus told His disciples to pray that they would not be tempted.  “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41. Why would James say to rejoice in temptation when Jesus said to pray we do not enter it?  Regarding our focus verse, this one refers to overall trials, both testing and temptation.  “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. We know this refers to temptation as well because of the next verse which speaks of temptation.  “Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” James 1:13. 

The format of our focus verse is of a beatitude.  We see a list of them that Jesus taught about  in Matthew 5:3-11, and now James uses this same idea, declaring blessings to those who persevere under trial, not giving in to it.  We all go through difficult times, and I have become assured, based on what has been happening in our world today, that we will see more as the days progress.  So, this begs the question.  How can enduring difficult time be a blessing?  There are two ways this can be. 

The first is what will help us presently.  “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:3-4.  The more we endure, the stronger we will become.  I remember my last year in the Air Force, a friend invited me to run with him every other night.  I agreed, without knowing that he was running 3.7 miles each time.  And this was constant running, no run, walk, run.  This was run, run, run.  The first time was brutal, I thought it would never end.  But with each run, it became much easier as I became stronger and was able to endure through to the end.  The same can be said regarding enduring persecution and temptation.  The more we face these trials, with God in us, the easier it becomes.

The second regards our future.  “for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12b.  This refers to the day of His return.  If we remain true to the end, we shall receive the great and blessed promise of God.  Paul, writing to his disciple Timothy writes,   “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8.  The first part of this is an analogy of the crown reserved for the winners in the Grecian games.  There was a crown reserved for the winner of these Olympic games.  Paul takes this farther in his letter to the Church in Corinth.  “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the game’s exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we imperishable.” 1 Corinthians 9:25. 

I want to encourage us all to be strong and endure any trials, both persecutions and temptations, with all the strength we can muster, and to grow stronger each day.  We have an amazing eternal future ahead of us if we persevere to the end.  Trials will come, some stronger than others.  But remember, we always have God with us to help.  “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.  And this covers both, the temptation to sin, and the trials that push us to walk away from God.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Mark 7:23

Verse of the Day Devotion: Mark 7:23 

“All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” – Mark 7:23 

This verse is the end of a discourse Jesus had with a group of people who met Him and the disciples after they landed in Gennesaret.  This was the same trip in the boat where Jesus joined the disciples by walking on the water.  Hear He speaks to them regarding what defiles a man.  “There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.” Mark 7:15. After the crowd left, the disciples asked Him what He meant by this teaching.  He then expounded on this to help them understand what they meant.  “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated? (Thus He declared all foods clean.)” Mark 7:18-19.  What He was telling them was nothing defiles them except that which might proceed from the heart. As our focus verse states, “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:23.

He then goes on to make it more clear by going into some detail.  “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.” Mark 7:22. When we look at this list of sins, every one of them has their start in the heart, and then ends in actions.  For instance, fornication and theft begins with lustful thoughts regarding people or things.  Deceit begins with the desire to hide something we do not want known.  And murder begins with hateful thoughts toward another.  None of these things begin with something entering our body.  This does not mean that which we allow to enter our heart, because note the wording above: “because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” Mark 7:19. If we allow ourselves to look at filthy images or listen to filthy stories or look at things and begin to desire them to the point that we will do anything to acquire them, they will most likely cause us to sin.

Therefore, it is of ultimate importance that we are careful what we focus our minds on. Our thoughts should always be toward what pleases God and what He desires of us.  Paul put it this way in his letter to the Philippians.  “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything, worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8. These are the things we need to think on: that which true and honorable, that which is right and pure and lovely (not meaning outward appearance, but what is amiable on its own account and on account of its usefulness to others, whether in your conduct or conversation).  These should be our focus.

How can we make this happen? Paul said, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2.  The way we can do this is to change our way of thinking away from the world and their ways to God and His ways.  Through Him, we can make this happen.  Therefore, let us be devoted to Him in everything and let Him makes us who we ought to be. When we do this, we stand a great chance of controlling our thoughts and the desires of our heart.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 119:9

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 119:9 

“How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word.” – Psalm 119:9    

I want to first state that this is intended for all young men, basically any man who is still alive.  It should be applied to all men because we all can take the wisdom written here and put it into practice.  I would also go as far as state it should be applied by all people, either male of female.  The rhetorical question being asked is essentially, how can we keep ourselves pure before God? 

Lets look at this from the beginning of the chapter.  He starts out by declaring the following.  “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.” Psalm 119:1  Being pure and blameless is a good thing, it is what God desires of us.  He wants us to obey and follow His laws.  Not just for the law’s sake, but to please God.  We are to walk blameless and in obedience to Him.  And not only observe and keep His commandments, but also seek Him with our whole heart.  Not just to do things because we are commanded to, but because we love Him and desire to do what He commands.  We are to do no unrighteousness but walk in His ways.  (Psalm 119:3). 

But how can we do this?  As our focus verse states, how can we keep our ways pure?  He has a truly short answer for us.  “By keeping it according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9b.  We must know His Word before we can keep it, therefore, we must take the time to study His word, read His scriptures and put them into practice.  This is well exemplified in the following, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11.  We must take God’s word and treasure it in our hearts and minds so that we can not only learn what we should do, but also what we should not.  And as Adam Clarke so clearly put it, “If God’s word be only in his Bible, and not also in his heart, he may soon and easily be surprised into his besetting sin.”

The world we live in is going quickly downhill regarding what it finds acceptable and good.  And there is no question that much that the world embraces is sinful and displeases the Lord.  Temptation abounds everywhere.  We must study His word regularly in order to learn what is good and what is not.  Satan will bring our way thoughts and desires that are not good.  And we may not even realize that something we do or desire is sinful.  This is why it is imperative that we dive into His word, read it, study it, and place it deep into our being and treasure it with all our heart.  Then, when we are tempted, we will know that it is wrong and it must be denied.  And if we apply these words of wisdom, “Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Your commandments. I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.” Psalm 119:6-7.

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William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.