Archive for the ‘Devotionals’ Category

For there are three that bear record in Heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. 1 John 4:7

Bible manuscript experts disagree whether the last part of our text should even be in verse. Those who say it should not be point to the fact that the words ‘the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one’ do not appear in any manuscripts earlier than the 5th century. I am not an expert on Bible manuscripts, but I can give you three good reasons why that part of the verse should be there. Firstly, the translators of the King James Version WERE experts and they deemed those words to belong there. Secondly, the verse would be confusing without those words, because it would speak of three that bear record in Heaven, without identifying those three – and God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Thirdly, all of the rest of the Scriptures confirm the truth of those words: the harmony, the unity, and the testimony of the Trinity.

God’s great plan of salvation displays the harmony of the Trinity. We read of the Father sending the Son to be the Saviour of the World (1 John 4:14). To accomplish this, we read of the agency of the Holy Spirit at the time of Mary’s conception (Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:35). The Old Testament is a record of God’s plan to provide Himself a Lamb (Genesis 22:8), and a catalogue of illustrations, examples, and shadows of the One Who would come to fulfill the Father’s will. The Gospels in the New Testament relate the work of the Lord Jesus as He moved among men, filled with the Holy Spirit. During His sojourn, Jesus spoke often of the Holy Spirit Who would come after He returned to Heaven. And the book of Acts tells of the arrival of the Holy Spirit to empower the apostles and all of those who were saved to preach, to testify, to live, and to die for their Lord. Throughout the Book we find the distinct roles of the three Persons of the Trinity, in the harmony of the purposes of God.

The Trinity is a great mystery. Far greater men than you and me have been unable to explain it. But mystery or not, the three Persons of the Godhead are One in Their love for us, in Their provision of salvation for us, and in their assurance of our eternal home in the presence of God. – Jim MacIntosh

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4

As far as we know, John Henry Yates, a Baptist pastor in the New York area in the 1800s, wrote only one hymn, at least it’s the only one that survives. The stirring words of the hymn came into the hands of evangelist Dwight L. Moody’s famous singer Ira Sankey, who composed the music for it, and made the hymn one of the most popular during Moody’s campaigns. Others sang the hymn at Sankey’s funeral, to mark his final victory, the entry into the presence of his Lord. The last stanza of the hymn ‘Faith is the Victory’ was particularly appropriate for that funeral: ‘To him that overcomes the foe, white raiment shall be giv’n. Before the angels he shall know His name confessed in Heaven. Then onward from the hill of light, our hearts with love aflame, We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night, In Jesus’ conqu’ring Name.’ The words of the chorus are equally stirring: ‘Faith is the victory, Faith is the victory. Oh glorious victory, that overcomes the world.’ This hymn is based on today’s text and is great encouragement to the soul of every believer. Some have looked at this verse and suggested that it means that we can use faith to go into the world and transform it for God. But it does not mean that at all. The victory that faith enables over the world is within our own souls. In fact, faith itself is the victory.

The absence of victory in the life of a Christian is sad. Without the victory of faith, there is no fruit. And Jesus desires us to bear fruit: ‘Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples’ (John 15:8). A Christian without the victory of faith will also have no power, no ability to avail themselves of the capabilities of having the Holy Spirit dwelling within. Likewise, such a life will be without a positive influence in the world in which God has placed us. That life will also be dominated by the flesh and at times be directed by the devil. Such a sad outcome is not necessary, because victory is ours in faith.

The promise of victory through faith is found in the Word of God. In fact, all of God’s promises are there, a vast treasure house of promises that we can access at any time. Because God’s great promises are backed by God’s infinite resources and God’s unfailing love, we may rest in confidence in God’s blessing. In addition to the great promises of God, the Scriptures contain the great examples of faith for us to follow. Read, and re-read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews to discover how weak and failing men and women – just like us – moved in faith to accomplish great exploits for God. The message from Faith’s Hall of Fame is that, if those folks could do it, so can we.

Victory that drives the world out of our lives and our hearts is ours for the taking. For by grace are ye saved through faith. -Jim MacIntosh

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3

John declares that God’s commandments are not grievous. We agree with that. But do we really believe it? If so, why do we disobey those commandments so often? It must be that we find His commandments grievous in some way. There are several reasons why we might find those commandments grievous.

First, obeying God’s commandments might mean I would have to forsake that particular little sin that I love so much. The world is filled with things that appeals to our fleshly desires. And even Moses admitted that sin has its pleasures, even if only for a season (Hebrews 11:25). And if we don’t want to give up those pleasures, the commandments that we be pure and holy as the children of God will seem burdensome. But Jesus declared that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). We will discover the truth of those words if we forsake the sin that prevents us from obeying God’s commandments.

Secondly, we might feel that we lack the will power to keep God’s commandments. And naturally speaking, we would be right. We certainly had no power to stop sinning or to correct our destructive behaviour before we were saved. But we are not nature’s children any longer. We are the children of God, and He has imparted His Holy Spirit to us, to grant us the power and direction to overcome the world and its influence on us. This is the message of the benediction in the book of Hebrews: ‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever’ (Hebrews 13:20,21).

A third reason (or excuse) for failing to obey God’s commandments is a doubt concerning God’s motives. Do we question whether He truly cares for us and that He longs for all that is the very best for us? Do we feel that God is not interested in our happiness but wants only our unswerving obedience  to stern demands? If so, then we deeply misjudge our heavenly Father. The psalmist judged God’s motives aright when he declared ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore’ (Psalm 16:11). David was not singing about what we will experience in Heaven; he was singing about the joy that obedience to God brings in our everyday life. Today.

Let us keep His commandments. Let us learn that they are not grievous. – Jim MacIntosh

We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Of all the people in your life, who do you love the most? For most of us, that person is our spouse. If you were asked why you love that person, you could come up with several – or many – reasons. You would certainly have a longer list of reasons than some of the women at the Rogers Centre who proclaimed their love of then Toronto Blue Jays centre fielder Kevin Pillar because he made spectacular catches. We list such reasons as physical attractiveness, sweetness of personality, diligence, faithfulness, devotion, and dozens of others. When we come to our love for God, we might well have many reasons, but they all would be pretty small compared to that greatest of all reason: He first loved us! But take note, we cannot turn this text around and say that there is a reason, or there are reasons, why God loves us. There is no ‘because’ to God’s love.

Such verses as John 3:16 tell us what God did because of His love for us, but they do not tell us why God loves us. When we look at ourselves, we can see no reason why God would love us. We are like a dirty, ragged street person who throws a ball of mud at a movie star. That movie star would have no reason to have anything to do with that street person. But despite all of our rebellion, anger against God, and rejection of His grace for so many years, you and I always were and always will be objects of God’s love. Not only has He eternally loved us, but throughout the history of mankind, He has sought to display that love to us and to reconcile us to Himself. The difference between God’s love for us and our love for Him is so glaring that we cannot even compare it. Today’s text is not an attempt to compare, but it is a declaration of how great the love of God is, to create such a transformation in us.

Anyone who claims to love God must be transformed. The Lord Jesus declared, ‘If ye love me, keep My commandments’ (John 14:15). Our love for our Lord will cause us to be obedient to His Word. A disobedient Christian does not display the love of God. Our love for our Lord will also cause us to love one another. The Christians in the early days and years of the book of Acts were marked by their love for one another, a love that was dramatically different from that displayed by those in the world around them. This should be the same today. Our love for our Lord will also guide us to display that love to the lost souls that we encounter, in showing them kindness and in sharing the Gospel with them.

The love of God cannot be measured. But our love for Him can be measured in how we respond to His love. – Jim MacIntosh

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

How many times in the past week did you use the word ‘propitiation’? That’s what I thought. If you had used that word, and somebody were to ask you what it meant, would you be able to answer? It’s a good word, filled with meaning. This word is used three times in our Bible, four if you count Hebrews 2:17 where it is translated ‘reconciliation’ in the King James Version. But the Greek word ‘hilasterion’ from which propitiation is based is used many times throughout the Bible. We find it particularly in the Old Testament descriptions of the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle, which was covered with the Mercy Seat. Mercy Seat = propitiation. As the high priest entered inside the veil with blood from an acceptable sacrifice, and applied that blood to the Mercy Seat, God looked upon it as everything that He required for the atonement of the people. This makes for a lovely picture for us today as we consider Jesus Christ as the Mercy Seat that God looks upon with acceptance on our behalf.

Think of the words of Isaiah 53:11: ‘He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied’. What a concept: a satisfied God! Everything that He demanded in payment for sin, everything that He expected in perfection of a sacrifice, everything that He required of infinite value was there at Calvary. Nothing was missing. That’s why the Lord Jesus could proclaim ‘Finished!’ He came in obedience, He lived in righteousness, and He died in sinless perfection. The love that He displayed was infinite as was the value of the precious blood that He shed. It is no wonder that God’s people assemble and worship Him with deep reverence and thanksgiving as we appreciate Him as the propitiation for our sins.

The sins were our idea. But the propitiation was God’s purpose. He never wanted us to perish in our own foolishness and disobedience. Even as we rebelled and refused, He made the great provision, and extended the great invitation. By faith we draw near today and appreciate that when we failed to love God, He still loved us enough to send His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – Jim MacIntosh

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

It’s a sight that we have all seen at one time or another, the sight – and sound – of a toddler who has lost his mother in a large crowd. Wailing uncontrollably, the little one dashes about in absolute terror, frantically searching for the one person who can allay his terror. Hearing his cries, the mother dashes to meet him, and lifts him up, enfolding him in her strong and loving arms. With his mother’s love and presence, his terror vanishes, and the lad rests his head in perfect security on his mother’s shoulder, smiling through the residue of his tears. That touching little scene is an apt picture of what happens when we appreciate the love and presence of our Lord.

Fear is the biggest weapon in the devil’s arsenal. He has the world around us cowering in dread of everything from lack of comfort and security to the possibility of all sorts of calamities. That same fear paralyzes Christians when we allow the world to influence our thoughts and attitudes. There is a reason why fear is the devil’s biggest weapon; fear is the exact opposite of God’s greatest blessing: faith. Faith is the total confidence that the love of God is everything that we need. Faith is resting in the comfort of the strength of God, in the calm assurance that all is well because He is and because we are His. Faith knows that the love of God is absolute, far more powerful than the terrors of the world that are the fruit of fear.

There is much to fear if we allow those fears to penetrate our lives. In uncertain economic times, we wonder if we will have enough money to feed our families. In troubled political times, we wonder about the quality of the leaders of government, whether our lives will be disrupted by policies that deprive us of our freedoms. We wonder if wars will break out, if natural disasters will occur, if crime will strike our person or property. We buy and use products such as mouthwash, deodorant, and makeup because we fear our appearance and presence will offend anyone. Worries and anxieties cause ulcers and tension that drive us to medications and specialists to seek relief. Fears large and small, according to our text, have torment. That torment fades as we grow in our faith, as we rest in our confidence that God loves us and intends everything for our very best.

The perfect love of God would cast out all our fears, if we would only rest upon it. -Jim MacIntosh

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14

The law of Moses had a provision to protect people from being falsely accused by somebody. That provision, found in Deuteronomy 19:15, says this: ‘One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established’. And what holds true of false and true accusations also holds true for all other accounts. Truth is established on the testimony of more than one person, so that anything proposed by only one person was deemed to be either false or of no real value. That is why false religions and cults such as Islam, Mormonism, and Christian Science are bogus: they are based on what only one person claimed to have seen or to have received from God. And that is why Christianity is true: it is based on the testimony of not just two, nor three, but four Gospel writers. On top of those we have the witness of all of those in the first century who read those Gospels and who raised absolutely no criticism or denial of anything that was in them. Those Gospels, with their message that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, meet and exceed the requirements of the law to verify them. That is why this great truth is so precious to us today.

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, John was one of the most careful and complete observers. After heeding Jesus’ call to be His disciple, John heard every sermon that Jesus preached, witnessed every miracle, performed miracles himself at Jesus’ direction, beheld the glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, watched the false trials of the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, stood near the cross during the crucifixion and death of Christ, peered intently into the empty tomb in the garden, and stood gazing as Jesus arose into the heavens as angels proclaimed that He would return. No one had a better claim to be a witness of all these things. And yet, John does not say ‘I have seen and do testify’. If we can believe John’s witness, we can also accept the witness of all of those who saw what John saw and have consented to what John wrote.

With all that John witnessed and verified, he does not write specifically in today’s text of what the Lord Jesus did, but of the Father’s role in salvation. And we must never minimize that role. In our text, we read of the Father sending the Son. In John 3:16, we read of the Father giving His Son. In Genesis 22:8, we read of the promise of God providing a Lamb, followed by the declaration from John Baptist in John 1:29,35 that the Lamb of God had arrived. In Luke 2:30, we read of Simeon’s recognition of Jesus as God’s Salvation. The Father’s role in all that we accept and trust in today is verified throughout our Bibles.

No truth is so precious to us today or more clearly proclaimed by the Word of God than that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. – Jim MacIntosh

 Hereby we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. 1 John 4:13

Before the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, according to the mixture of fact and legend that has grown up around that event, the Texan leader Lieutenant Colonel Buck Travis used his sword to draw a line in the sand after explaining to his 180 soldiers that there was no hope of their survival in the coming battle. The Mexicans, numbering in the thousands, had raised a flag indicating they would take no prisoners. Travis invited those who would stand and die with him to step over the line. All but one did, a French Jew named Louis ‘Moses’ Rose. Saying he was not ready to die, and that he loved his family, Rose went over the fortress wall during the night and made his way home to Nacogdoches, where he lived out his life as a butcher. Until the Alamo, Rose had been a good soldier, but when the line was drawn, he did not have within him the willingness to die for his cause like his fellow soldiers. That spirit of willingness to face certain death for their cause marked the 179 who were slain with Travis as heroes, just as the Holy Spirit Who lives within each child of God marks them as those who will live and die for their Lord.

Amazement filled those who saw the Christians in Jerusalem in the hours and days that followed Pentecost. Never before had they seen local people capable of speaking in the languages of all the people who were visiting Jerusalem. They were amazed at the boldness and power displayed by men who only two months before had fled in fear at Jesus’ arrest. In the years to come, as persecutions came and went, many continued to be amazed at the courage and devotion displayed by the Christians. But the Christians were not surprised. At Pentecost, they had experienced the power of the Holy Spirit as He came upon them and gave them the devotion and faithfulness that marked them as belonging to Christ. That same Spirit enabled the martyrs down through the ages to go bravely to their deaths. He enabled Gospel preachers to carry their message to neighbours and fields afar at great cost and peril. He enabled Christian families to raise their children according to the Word of God, enabled Christians of all types to live for their Lord amid all forms of opposition and rejection, and enables Christians today to emulate those who have gone before to make the same sacrifices and live before the world as those who serve a risen and returning Saviour.

The Spirit who God has given to us is the One Who teaches us: ‘Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God’ (1 Corinthians 2:12). That same Spirit marks us as special vessels for our God: ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16) 

How much of the Spirit’s power and leading do our lives show? – Jim MacIntosh

He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8

If there is one word that marks the difference between true Christianity and everything else, it is love. Nowhere in the teaching of Jesus Christ, or in the doctrine and practice of the apostles in the book of Acts, nor in writings of the epistles, do we find one word of any vengeance, or anger against enemies or unbelievers. Jesus instructed His followers to love one another, and to love their enemies (Luke 6:27). His great commission as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-16 makes no mention of the use of force or anger or hatred in spreading the Gospel. Love was to be the motivating force behind every believer’s devotion and service to their Lord. Love was also to motivate the believer to serve other Christians and to witness to the world. This stands in stark contrast to the teachings of Islam’s false prophet Mohammed, who taught his followers to hate and subjugate and slaughter their enemies. It proves that the romish religion that dominated the Middle Ages and brutally slaughtered all who opposed or disagreed was not Christianity at all, and the popes who ordered and oversaw such carnage and persecution were opponents – not vicars – of Christ and His Gospel. What is not of love is not of God.

If we are of God, we will be guided by love. Love for God will determine our behaviour today, because we will want to display that love in obedience and Christ-like character. Love to our families will cause us to put their interests before our own, and to devote ourselves to their happiness and their best interests. Love for the Word of God will keep us from compromising any of its great truths for any reason. Love to God’s Assembly will cause us to treasure and promote the holy truths of gathering to our Lord’s Name, and to devote ourselves to support every effort of the Assembly. Love for the Lord’s people will see us seek every opportunity to serve and support them, and to spend as much time as possible in their company. Love for the Gospel will make sure that our witness for Christ is uncluttered by our own personal agendas and that our support of those who carry the Gospel message is faithful and generous. Love for the lost souls around us will drive us to our knees to entreat the Lord for their deliverance.

We are God’s people. We will display that by our love, because He is love. – Jim MacIntosh

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Two types of Christians (or people who say they are Christians) use today’s text to make great mistakes. The first type claims that because of God’s presence within them, they are now incapable of sinning. We know that is not true by simply watching their behaviour. The second type claims that because they are still prone to sin and weakness, the One Who is in them is not very powerful. We know that is not true either, because we all know some Christians who have been living victorious and fruitful lives for Christ since they were saved. In fact, our text refers to those who have overcome the evil forces and false teachers around them. So if it is the same Holy Spirit dwelling in each believer, how do some experience failure and disappointment while others experience joyful victory? It is critical that we know the answer to that.

The Lord Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come after He was gone. ‘Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you’ (John 16:7). At Pentecost, this great promise was fulfilled in a miraculous display of power. The apostles and other Christians were marked by tongues as of fire, they were given the ability to speak in different languages, and they were infused with great boldness and power in their preaching of the Gospel. Since that moment, the Holy Spirit has come on all who believe. And He has filled various roles. But it should be noted that these roles of the Holy Spirit are incumbent on the Christian allowing the Spirit to work in our lives. He works only as we give Him control over our lives. This means that failure in our Christian experience is not His fault, but ours.

As noted in John 16:7, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter. In a cold comfortless world that is shrouded in misery and hopelessness, the Christian has the very Source of comfort dwelling within. The Spirit is also our Sanctifier, enabling us to be holy. He is our Teacher, guiding us into all truth (John 16:13). He is our Paraclete, or Advocate, constantly pleading our case before God. He is our Encourager, providing us with the necessary desire and ambition to carry on in times of difficulty. And He is our Seal, the mark that God has placed upon us to identify us as His own. Even when no one else knows that we are Christians, God knows because of the Seal that forever proclaims us His.

We can overcome, because the One in us is greater than the one in the world. But He needs our permission. -Jim MacIntosh