1 Corinthians 1: 18

Part of the heritage of Christianity is the music it has produced over the centuries. I am thinking especially of the time of the Reformation when the reformers would use music to teach the body of Christ those truths that came out of the Reformation. Men like Luther, Knox, the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, and many others.
These men would write songs containing doctrine, and then teach the people to sing these truths as the Reformers would travel to another location to teach. The Lord, of course, was the originator of this concept, using music to teach the children of Israel great truths, knowing that Moses would soon depart from this world.
This brings to our attention how important music is in our Christian experience. It is essential that we use and listen to music that has the right doctrine and to make sure that the medium carrying the message is consistent with the message and the Master who sent the message.
Now to the song's content – this is the message that the Lord wanted the Israelites to have before He would bring them into the “promised land”. There is so much in this song we will have to visit it again in a future devotional but let's look at one phrase found in verse 8.
The Lord is teaching the Jewish people of the importance He places on these people that He chose to be a “special people” unto Himself, a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. He tells Israel that when He divided the peoples of the world into nations, Genesis 10 and 11, He set the bounds, the borders of the nations, according to the number of the children of Israel.
Ezekiel, an ancient Jewish prophet, reveals the centrality of Jerusalem, Ezekiel 5:5. The Lord placed Jerusalem in the center of the earth with all the nations around the “holy city”.
Notice that God did this according to the number of Jews there would be in the future because when God divided the peoples of the earth into nations there were no “children of Israel”. Based upon His foreknowledge, God set the bounds for the nations.
God had a plan for the Jewish people. He has a plan today for his chosen people. But most important, He has a plan for the children of Israel in the future that will be played out.

If you want to know where God is in His plan for the end times, focus on the Jewish people.

PRAYER THOT: Help me, Lord, to see Your plan for this world unfolding as I watch Your “chosen people” today.

Deuteronomy 34 vs10

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

For further study - Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Deuteronomy 34, the last chapter of the fifth book of the Torah, the last book written by Moses, is the record of this great Jewish prophets death. In fact, our key verse states that there was never a greater prophet in all of Israel than Moses, verse 10.

Moses had a face-to-face conversation, not with God since no one can see God face-to-face and live, John 1:18 and Exodus 33:20-23. Moses stood face-to-face with Jesus Christ, actually a “pre-incarnate” appearance of Jesus.
God had chosen Moses to lead the children of Israel from the Egyptian bondage into the Promised Land. Genesis 34 has Moses in the plains of Moab, atop Mt Nebo. This was a great vantage point for Moses to be able to see into the "Promised Land".
Mt Nebo was due east of Jericho, which was in the "Promised Land". The Lord showed Moses all the land that He was going to give the Jewish people, forever. The Lord allowed Moses to see the land, verse 4b, but would not allow him to go into the "Promised Land", Deuteronomy 32:48-52.
It is so interesting to me that even though Moses was 120 years old, his eyes were "not dim", verse 7. However, Moses would die there near Mt Nebo and he is buried in the valley in Moab, where no one has ever found his burial site, verse 6.
Moses was a great man, an excellent leader and a prophet like none other in Israel's history but because he took the “glory” from the Lord, the Lord punished him. No one of us is out of reach of the Lord when He determines to punish us no matter how important we may think we are in service to the Lord.
Tucked within this passage is a great prophetic truth, once again stated, about the land that God promised the Jewish people. Verse 4 records God's promise of the land to the Jewish people.
He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that the land would be theirs forever. It would be theirs and their descendants forever. In our devotional passage there is only a portion of all the land, verses 1-2, that God has promised.
A compilation of all the passages on the borders of Israel includes what God will give the Jewish people, some ten times what they have today. The enemies of the Jewish people and their modern-day State will try to take the land that God has given them, away from them. This will be done through terrorism and all out war.
However this all plays out one thing is for sure, Bible prophecy will be fulfilled. God will give the land to the Jews. He promised to do so and He keeps all of His promises.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for being a “promise keeping” God not only to the Jews but to me as well as it relates to my salvation and eternal existence with You.


Ecclesiastes 1 vs.1 - The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
For further study - Ecclesiastes 1: 1 - 12

Our extended reading for today opens and closes with the same testimony of the writer, he is the "preacher" who was King of Israel in Jerusalem. More on the significance of that testimony in a moment. But first, enjoy the poetic literature of the writer of Ecclesiastes, the preacher.

Solomon sets the stage for the entire book in verse 2 when he explains that all in this world is vanity, not foolish pride but the emptiness will be the final results of life apart from God. The writer then reveals that our labor in this world is of no profit.

Only what is done for Him has eternal value.

Notice how Solomon describes the sun which rises, goes down and then hastens to its place to rise again, verse 5. All the rivers run into the sea and the oceans are not filled up. In fact, those waters return to the rivers only to return to the sea once again. In the theme that all is vanity, Solomon tells us that our eyes and ears will not be satisfied with our seeing and hearing, with what ever we see and hear.

Now back to our Key verse and the last verse of our extended reading verses 1 and 12.

Notice the testimonies of the writer of this book, the preacher is King Solomon the third King of Israel. King Solomon was the son of Israel's second king, King David. That is significant because of the covenant that God made with David.

The Davidic Covenant was the promise that there would be a son of David who would sit on his throne forever. Solomon, the first, had to be the first so that the last, Jesus Christ, could one day be the King of Kings and set upon the throne of David. The Davidic covenant also promised that David's son Solomon would build the temple and he did build the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

The testimony of the preacher, King Solomon, is a benchmark in the fulfillment of God's covenant promise to King David, the Jewish people and to us who will be the bride to the coming King in Jerusalem, Jesus Christ.
PRAYER THOT: Help me to see temporal things as vanity, eternal things as profitable.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

For further study - Ecclesiastes 3:1-12

God entrusted one man to write three books, all focused on the “wisdom of God”. The essence of the three manuscripts speak of wisdom and reveals to us that the "fear of the Lord" is the beginning of knowledge, Proverbs 1:7.

As we read through the three books penned by the wise man, King Solomon, we see that with knowledge we get understanding and wisdom comes through that understanding of knowledge given to us as we reverentially fear the Lord and have a hatred for the evil He hates.
Solomon also speaks to us about "time". "Time" is one thing that is given to each of us individually but in the same amounts. Each of us have been given 86,400 seconds each day. It is what we do with the time that God has given us that matters.
As you read through our extended reading today, think on the statements about "time" and what should happen with the time the Lord has given each of us.
One important time is the time you are spending right now, a "devotional time." Spending this time in His book, the Bible, will assist us in spending the rest of our time for Him.
There needs to be a time set aside each week to join others in our worship of the Lord. That would be a "church time."
High priority in the expanse of time is what is referred to as "family time". We cut back on "family time" to our own detriment and the detriment of our family members.
Another theme of Solomon is "work time". God has a plan for every one of us, not only those who are ministers. This is a plan that is well described as "work time". There is also "rest time". Remember when your Mom used to give you rest time. Remember the old saying, "We must come apart to rest or we will come apart".
For those who don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior there is a "time of Salvation". It is an appointed time, today.
Then, as we often remind you, there are the "end times". That is the period of time we are living in today. When Daniel used the phrase, "at the time of the end", Daniel 11:40, he was referring to the time today.
Every Bible prophecy that needed to be fulfilled before the Rapture, has been fulfilled. Today could well be the time of the shout from the Archangel, Jesus shouting and the trumpet sounding, which will call us to join our Lord in the heavens. That "time" could be today.

PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord to look for you and live accordingly in the “time of the end”.


Ecclesiastes 12 vs.14 

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

For further study - Ecclesiastes 12:1-14

As you read through the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes, you are reading the words of a” wise man”, who, by inspiration, pens the “wisdom”, which is “truth” from God.

King Solomon, who wrote Ecclesiastes, is also known as the “Preacher”, verse 9, and in this last chapter states that the end of all matters is “vanity”, verse 8. Solomon says everything is “vanity”.
That sounds a bit perplexing and very pessimistic, but in reality, the Preacher is saying -- if you read the entire book of Ecclesiastes, you will see that what is meant is all of life's ambitions, attractions, attitude and attacks are what is “all vanity”.
In the last two verses of his book, King Solomon summarizes what life should be all about. Verse 13 is the conclusion of the whole matter of life and the exhortation is to “fear God” and “do as He says we should do”.
Then in verse 14 the Preacher reminds us all that “God will bring our every work into judgment”, even the secret things we do. All our works, good or evil, will be brought into judgment.
Every person's works, whether that person be saved or lost, will be brought into judgment. For the saved person those works will be judged at the “Judgment Seat of Christ”, II Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10.
The procedure at the Judgment Seat is for Jesus to judge our works, I Corinthians 3:13-15. We receive “rewards”, “crowns” that then we will cast at His feet in thanksgiving, Revelation 4:10, for the things that our Lord has done for us.
These “good” works are works we’ve done in His power and for His glory. We suffer loss for those works we do in our own power and for our own glory. Jesus will be the judge of all of our works, whether they are “good” or “worthless”.
Let me remind you, we're not saved by works, but “by grace through faith”, Ephesians 2:8-9. However, we're created unto good works, Ephesians 2:10. It is the “works” that we have done for the Lord that He will judge us for at the Judgment Seat.
The “lost” person will also be judged, at the “Great White Throne”, for his works, Revelation 20:1-15. This Judgment is for a lost person, as it relates to the degrees of “punishment”, which the lost person will suffer in eternity future. This will be a terrible time for the lost person.
King Solomon wrote an entire book to tell us what he sums up in two verses, “all is vanity, fear God and do what He tells us to do”. This truth will be very real to each of us at the judgment we face in the “last days”.

PRAYER THOT: Help me to do works for Your glory Lord, and in Your power, in preparation for the coming Judgment.

Ecclesiastes 2 vs.11 - Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

For further study - Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

A key phrase in the book of Ecclesiastes is "under the sun" which is used a number of times in Solomon's journal of his life. Remember, Solomon was the third king of Israel, the son of Israel's second king, David. I mentioned that this book was actually a journal written by one of the wisest men to ever live on earth and most assuredly the richest man to ever live at any time in history.

I just noticed the statement by Solomon that he "gathered...silver and gold," verse 8. A record of how much gold the king received just in one year is found in I Kings 10:14 where it says that "666 talents" of the precious metal came into Solomon's coffers in just one year.

If you define "talents" it would mean that the amount of gold would have been 25 tons, 50,000 pounds, or 800,000 ounces of gold. At the present day price of gold at around $400.00 per ounce, and you can see how rich this man would have been.

Verse 4 says that Solomon built himself houses. I Kings 7:1-8 records the information about Solomon's home that took him 13 years to build. That is 6 more years to build his house that it took him to build the temple, I Kings 6:38. His home was 11,250 square feet, the temple only 2,700 square feet.

I guess Solomon needed such a large house for all of his wives and concubines, 700 wives and 600 concubines. Solomon did not have an "ipod" to download music but instead he had "men singers" and "women singers" and the "delights of the sons of men as musical instruments," verse 8.

The truth of the matter is that whatever Solomon saw with his eyes that he wanted, he got. In today's world of "consumption" Solomon would have been number 1.

But notice his statement, verse 11. All he got was vanity and vexation of spirit, "there was no profit under the sun ." How much like our world today was Solomon in his day. Though Solomon concluded that "there was no profit under the sun," he was a very "egocentric" man.

That word, "egocentric," does describe our world today. As we continue to look to Jesus to come back and keep our focus on the heavenlies, we will become "Christo-centric," we will take our eyes off of fulfilling our needs and look for Him who said He would fulfill His promise to gather us up to be with Him forever more someplace beyond the "sun." Even so, come Lord Jesus.

PRAYER THOT: Help me, Lord, to not be "egocentric" and become "Christo-centric" as I eagerly await Your return.


Ephesians 1 verse 22 - And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.

For further study - Ephesians 1:15-23

As we come to this New Testament book of Ephesians, we come to the realization of who and what we are in Jesus Christ, and what He has given to each of us who know Him as Lord and Saviour. The entire book will be a blessing to you as you read through it's pages. Let me suggest that you do that reading at another time than your devotional time. Ephesians will be a blessing to you.

Our key verse today, verse 22, sets the stage for our Lord to come to power in His kingdom to come, especially as you combine verse 21and 22.

Please notice however, that presently our Lord is seated at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places (verse 20). Jesus Christ is not now on His throne, where He will rule and reign from in the future.

We are not now in the Kingdom. This is a very important truth that must be enforced at this time in history. The Kingdom, when Jesus Christ will rule and reign, is during the future 1000 year kingdom (Revelation 20: 4-6).

This kingdom comes into place after the return of Jesus to Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4). The reason that this is so important today, is that there is a belief in some Christian circles that we are in the Kingdom. It is referred to as the "Kingdom now" doctrine.

The Old Testament prophets did speak of a kingdom for the Jewish people one day. Daniel 7:13 -14 reveals the truth of that coming Kingdom that is a physical Kingdom headquartered in Jerusalem. Jesus Christ will build His temple on the Temple Mount (Zechariah 6:12) and rule and reign from that temple for 1000 years (Zechariah 6:13.)

If we say we are in the Kingdom right now, we contradict God's prophetic program for the Jews in the future. In fact, in order to be in the Kingdom right now, we must negate all Biblical promises to the Jewish people for the future.

That is what happened in Nazi Germany in World War II. Hitler was setting up the 3rd Kingdom and he had to remove the Jews. Wrong doctrine is very dangerous.

Our text today says God has set His Son in position to have dominion over all of creation in a Kingdom to come.

In closing let me say that all we see going on in our world today seems to be setting the stage for God's endtime plan for an earthly Kingdom to be set up in Jerusalem. Though it is not now in operation, our Lord's Kingdom is close at hand. We must live in light of that truth.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for who and what we are in You and for Your Kingdom to come!

Ephesians 1 vss.19-20 - And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.

For further study - Ephesians 1:15-23

The last time we read this passage for our daily devotional, I discussed the Lord's Kingdom, a kingdom not yet in operation, but a physical kingdom to come and it will be on this earth. (See Devotional for February 20,2007.)

Today as we look at this passage I want to focus on our two key verses, verses 19 and 20. These two verses are "power packed" for us to appropriate for our daily living as a Christian.

As I have mentioned in previous devotionals from Ephesians, this marvelous Epistle, written by Paul, reveals to us who we are in Jesus Christ and what He has in store for us.

To some extent that's talking about the future and that is great truth for us; however, the reading for today, and especially our two key verses are speaking not only about the future, but the present. Paul tells us that we have a "power" that will enable us to live as the Lord wants us to live in a very "nasty now-and-now".

Let me go for a moment to the description of Jesus found in Revelation 1.

The Lord makes a statement in Revelation 1:18 that He was alive, dead and is now alive again. This verse is the "cornerstone of our faith," the Lord's death, burial and His resurrection.

Jesus died to take away our sins and He rose form the dead to prove He was the One qualified to take away our sins.

Notice the verse in Revelation1 following the Lord's statement of His resurrection. Jesus lays out His plan for the future with a look at the Book of Revelation in three parts.

Part one is, "the things which thou hast seen", Revelation 1. Then it is, "the things which are", Revelation 2 and 3. The last phrase in verse 19, "the things which shall be hereafter", will be revealed in Revelation 4-22.

Jesus was able to tell the future and give it to the angel who gave the prophecy in Revelation to John because He indeed did rise from the dead.

The "resurrection is powerful."

Now go back to our key verses in Ephesians 1:19 and 20. These two verses let us know that the same power that resurrected Jesus from the dead is also available to us on a daily basis to live our lives by.

We can live in the "resurrected power" of Jesus Christ. That "power" is ours by faith, "the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe".

Praise the Lord for His "promise of power" for us today as we live out our lives, awaiting His coming to take us to be with Him forever.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord, for giving us Your resurrected power to live our daily lives.
Ephesians 2 verse 14 

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

For further study - Ephesians 2:11-18

This is a very important passage of scripture that we have selected for our devotional reading for today. It will reveal how “two peoples”, Jews and Gentiles, became “one”. Verses 11-12 explain that in times past these two peoples were apart, “at enmity with each other”. But today when both are in Christ, both are believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they are now close.

This happens because of the “blood of Jesus”. In fact, Jesus is the One who brought peace between Jews and Gentiles, verse 14, by taking out the "wall of partition" that was between the Jew and the Gentile.
The phrase, "wall of partition" is speaking of a "wall" around the Jewish Temple when it stood in Jerusalem to keep the Gentile from entering the sacred area of the Jewish Temple.
The Lord, with His death, burial and resurrection took out the “wall of partition” between Jew and Gentile and when the Temple was destroyed, as Jesus said it would be, the wall of partition was also destroyed at the Temple.
In the Messiah's Temple, the one described in Ezekiel 40-46, there is no "wall of partition," indicating that both Jew and Gentile have access to the Lord Jesus Christ when He sits upon His throne in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. This Temple will be erected at the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the one thousand year Millennial Kingdom yet to come.
With the wall of partition gone between Jew and Gentile, now we both have access to Jesus. We have become "one in Christ," verse 15. There is not a "Jewish church" and a "Gentile church." There is one Church made up of Gentile and Jewish believers.
There are those who today endeavor to try to put the wall back up between Jews and Gentiles. We must not allow that to happen. There can be no division between the members of the body of Christ, the Church.
The "Church Age", after the Day of Pentecost and until the day of the Rapture, is a time when Jews and Gentiles who trust Christ become one. They are called Christians. Jews and Gentiles, when they are saved, are not Jewish Christians or Gentile Christians, we are Christians.
Before Pentecost and after the Rapture, Jews and Gentiles who believed in Jesus were, or will be "believing Jews" or "believing Gentiles." This is a key principle in understanding Bible prophecy.
It is also important that we understand this principle so that we do not divide the Body of Christ. Jesus took the wall out, we must not try to put it back and divide the Church.
The Lord has a special program for Old Testament Jewish and Gentile saints and those who are Tribulation saints made up of Jews and Gentiles. He also has a special program for Christians and this program and where it is carried out are totally different.
The Lord has given the Jews and Gentiles who come to Christ a peaceful relationship, verse 15, having slain the enmity between the two, verse 16.