Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 13, 2023

“He is also the mediator of a better covenant”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 5:1-5.

“Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them:

“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully.  The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.  The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today.  The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, while I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD;  for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.  He said,”  Deuteronomy 5:1-5.

—————–

Today’s Scripture is an introduction to the Ten Commandments which follows it in this chapter in comparison to the Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20 which did not have an introduction to precede it in the same chapter.

Is there hope in this introduction?

If we think about “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers”, we can think about the hope of what is next.  We can think of “a new covenant”, “a better covenant”, and the following Scriptures.

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.  “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it;  and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”  Jeremiah 31:31-34.

And, if we think about “I was standing between the LORD and you at that time”, we can also think about the hope of what is next.  We can think of a better Mediator and the following Scriptures.  

“But now He (Christ) has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.”  Hebrews 8:6.  See also the following verses of Hebrews 8:7-13 which quotes the prior Jeremiah 31:31-34.

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”  1 Timothy 2:5-6.

“For the Law was given through Moses;  grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”  John 1:17.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 11, 2023

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” – “And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, …”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:41-49.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%204&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east, that a manslayer might flee there, who unintentionally slew his neighbor without having enmity toward him in time past; and by fleeing to one of these cities he might live:  Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.”  Deuteronomy 4:41-43.

————–

Today’s Scripture shows the LORD’S provision of cities of refuge for those who committed unintentional manslaughter, thus also teaching us a important principle of justice. We should not be in a rush to vengeance. We should not lump all kinds of crimes together and provide only one severe punishment for all of them. Justice requires a distinction between intentional conduct and unintentional conduct.  

The LORD loves justice and exercises it on earth.

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

“The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.” Psalm 97:1-3.

“He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.” Psalm 33:5.

We should do justice ourselves.

“He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8.

“30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.” Psalm 37:30-31.

“God takes His stand in His own congregation;
He judges in the midst of the rulers.
2 How long will you judge unjustly
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
3 Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82:1-4.

“3 How blessed are those who keep justice,
Who practice righteousness at all times!

4 Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor toward Your people;
Visit me with Your salvation,
5 That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.” Psalm 106:3-5.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 10, 2023

“He is God; there is no other besides Him.” – “He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants” – “So …”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:32-40.

“Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other.  Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?  Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?  Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?  To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God;  there is no other besides Him.  Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you;  and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.  Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them.  And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.  Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below;  there is no other.  So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”  Deuteronomy 4:32-40.

——————–

Moses first reminded Israel of the power and sovereignty of God.  “To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God;  there is no other besides Him.”  Verse 35.

Second, Moses reminded Israel that the basis of His gracious actions for Israel was His election of Israel to be His people.  “Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them.   And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.”  Verses 37-38.  

Third, only after all of this was established, namely the power and sovereignty of God and His election of Israel to be His people, did Moses exhort Israel to obey God.  “So …”

“So” is as big as a word as “But”.  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:4-7.

In other words, we obey God only through His power and His work for us.  We do not obey God through our free-will;  we were dead in sin.  We do not even obey God through our own gratitude.  We obey God, because “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

“For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:8-10.

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Ezekiel 36:26-27.

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.  For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:3-6.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 9, 2023

“For the LORD your God is a compassionate God”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:25-31.

“When you become the father of children and children’s children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God so as to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it.  You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed.  The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you.  There you will serve gods, the work of man’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.  But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.  When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.  For the LORD your God is a compassionate God;  He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” Deuteronomy 4:25-31.

——————   

Consider the following from the “ESSENTIALS OF REFORMED DOCTRINE A Guide in Catechetical Instruction” by Rev. H. Hoeksema (revised by Prof. H. Hanko) of the Protestant Reformed Churches.

Lesson 18: The Covenant of Grace

  1. How does God save His people?
    By means of a living faith in the Mediator of the covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ.
  2. What is the fruit of the work of Christ?
    That God maintains, restores, and perfects His covenant through Him. Jeremiah 31:33 .
  3. What is the covenant?
    It is the gracious relation of living fellowship and friendship between God and His people in Christ, wherein He is their God and they are His people. Genesis 17:7 ; Psalm 16:5 ; Psalm 33:22 .
  4. How many covenants are there?
    There is only one covenant in both the Old and New Testaments established with God’s people throughout all time.
  5. Did not Adam stand in a covenant relationship to God?
    Yes, but he violated the covenant through his sin so that the covenant must be restored through Christ.
  6. How does God establish His covenant?
    God establishes His covenant by His own work of grace whereby He takes His people into His own covenant fellowship. Ephesians 2:8 .
  7. Does God establish His covenant with all men?
    No, He establishes His covenant only with His elect people in the line of continued generations. Galatians 3:16, 29 .
  8. What does God do for His people in that covenant?
    He forms them to be His people, makes them partakers of all the benefits of Christ, and leads them on to eternal glory. Ephesians 1:23 .
  9. Through Whom does God make us partakers of all Christ’s benefits?
    Through the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in Christ as the Head and in His people as members of His body. Ephesians 1:23 .

——-

“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:15-16.

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;  you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”  1 Peter 2:9-10.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 8, 2023

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:21-24.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%204&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you.  For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”  Deuteronomy 4:23-24. 

——————

“‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them;  for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  Deuteronomy 5:7-10.

“—for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—”  Exodus 34:14.

“then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall fear only the LORD your God;  and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.  You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God;  otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.”  Deuteronomy 6:12-15.

“2 A jealous and avenging God is the LORD;
The LORD is avenging and wrathful.
The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
In whirlwind and storm is His way,
And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
…
5 Mountains quake because of Him
And the hills dissolve;
Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence,
The world and all the inhabitants in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the burning of His anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire
And the rocks are broken up by Him.
7 The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of its site,
And will pursue His enemies into darkness.” Nahum 1:2-3 and 5-8.

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth;  and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.   If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:  whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living;  but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua 24:14-15. 

“Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God.  He is a jealous God;  He will not forgive your transgression or your sins.  If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.”  Joshua 24:19-21.

“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:5.

But, there is hope!

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  Ezekiel 36:26-27.

“For by one offering He (Christ) has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.  And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us;  for after saying,

“THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,”

He then says,

“AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” Hebrews 10:14-17.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 7, 2023

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:15-20.

“So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth.  And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.  But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.”  Deuteronomy 4:15-20.

—————–

Today’s Scripture reminds us of the first two commandments of the Ten Commandments in the following chapter.

“‘I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them;  for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  Deuteronomy 5:6-10.

But, there is hope!

The last verse of today’s Scripture and the first verse of the Ten Commandments both give us the reason why, in summary, we have no other gods before the LORD our God.   

The LORD saved us!  We are “a people for His own possession”!  Verse 20.

Other doctrine teaches that we chose God and did something, whether it be works or will, to obtain that salvation and status of being His people.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches that God chose us and did all that is necessary to save us and make us His people.

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;  you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”  1 Peter 2:9-10.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 6, 2023

“let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:9-14.

“Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life;  but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.  Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’  You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the very heart of the heavens:  darkness, cloud and thick gloom.  Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire;  you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—only a voice.  So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments;  and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.  The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it.”  Deuteronomy 4:9-14.

——————

Today’s Scripture leads us to meditate on the superiority and perfection of God’s Word.  

“No one and nothing are above Scripture, nor may be placed as an authority alongside of Scripture.” as stated by Ronald Cammenga, a Professor at the seminary of the Protestant Reformed Churches in his article, “The Five Solas of the Reformation”. 

Professor Cammenga wrote about the importance of the Five Solas for the Protestant Reformation and for us today, including “Sola Scriptura”.  Here is a link to his excellent article followed by a quote from his article – https://sb.rfpa.org/the-five-solas-of-the-reformation/

Sola Scriptura

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (II Tim. 3:16, 17).

The first of the five solas is sola Scriptura, Scripture alone. The Reformers taught that Scripture alone is the final authority. No one and nothing are above Scripture, nor may be placed as an authority alongside of Scripture. Scripture is the authority for the individual believer, as well as for the church as a whole. It is the authority over faith, what we believe, and it is the authority over practice, how we live our daily lives. Scripture is also determinative for the worship of the church, so that every element of worship is to be derived from Scripture.

“7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11.

“The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth.  What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD.  “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” Jeremiah 23:28-29.

“May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD,
Your salvation according to Your word;” Psalm 119:41.

“like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,”  1 Peter 2:2. 

“The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.” Psalm 119:160.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 4, 2023

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:1-8.

““Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.  2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.  3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all the men who followed Baal-peor, the LORD your God has destroyed them from among you.  4 But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you.

5 “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it.  6 So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’  7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?  8 Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?”  Deuteronomy 4:1-8.

———–

The goal (mission) of the Law is to lead us to Christ Who fulfills the Law for us and Who is our wisdom in verse 6 of today’s Scripture, Who is our redemption causing us to be His people for His possession in verse 7, and Who is our righteousness in verse 8.

“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”  Galatians 3:24-26.

“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:  sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”  Romans 7:3-4.

“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.  The Law came in so that the transgression would increase;  but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 5:19-21.

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”  Romans 10:4.

“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;  for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”  Galatians 5:14-18.

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 3, 2023

“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 3:23-29.

“I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ‘O LORD God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand;  for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?  Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’  But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me;  and the LORD said to me, ‘Enough!  Speak to Me no more of this matter.  Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.  But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.’  So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.”  Deuteronomy 3:23-29.

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Today’s Scripture of the LORD not allowing Moses to go into Canaan, the Promised Land, but allowing Moses to go to the top of the mountain, “Pisgah”, to see into Canaan, reminds me of not having money to go to exotic travel spots but being able to watch Travel shows on TV of such places.  The first lesson is contentment, even joy, in what the LORD does provide for us.  

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.  But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”  1 Timothy 6:6-9.

The LORD also commanded Moses to “charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.”  The second lesson is that even though we may not be able to do the Christian work that we desire, we can encourage and strengthen others who will do such work, and we can pray for them.  

“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:11. 

But, there is more!  God has given us much more!

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6.

“11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12.

“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” Psalm 32:11.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 2, 2023

“Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 3:12-22.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%203&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“So we took possession of this land at that time.  From Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites.  The rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob (concerning all Bashan, it is called the land of Rephaim.  …

“Then I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it;  all you valiant men shall cross over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel.  But your wives and your little ones and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in your cities which I have given you, until the LORD gives rest to your fellow countrymen as to you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God will give them beyond the Jordan.  Then you may return every man to his possession which I have given you.’  I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings;  so the LORD shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross.  Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.’”  Deuteronomy 3:12-13 and 18-22. 

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Other doctrine believe that God loves everybody and gives free-will to everybody.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes that God only loves His elect and does everything necessary for salvation for them.

Other doctrine believe in the god who is waiting upon man wringing his hands in hope that man will choose him.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in the God of Scripture, The Victorious Warrior, Who chooses which people He will save and then fights to save them.

“But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear!  Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today;  for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.  The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”  Exodus 14:13-14.

“3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4 “Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.” Isaiah 43:3-4.

“The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17.

God accomplishes all of His good pleasure.  Total Perfect Triumph.

God accomplished His lovingkindness by choosing whom He will save (“Unconditional Election”) and by providing all that the His elect need for salvation:  from the beginning of “Unconditional Election” through “Limited Atonement” through “Irresistible Grace” to the end of “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  This true doctrine of salvation is more fully taught in the Reformed Confession called Canons of Dordt.

“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:15-16.

This is truly the Gospel, the Good News, for if salvation were dependent on man’s alleged free-will, then no one would be saved according to the point of “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”. In a nutshell, man is “dead” in sin (Ephesians 2:1-5), hostile to God (Romans 8:7 and Colossians 1:21), and in bondage to sin (Romans 7:14-15.). See generally Romans 3:10-18.

“8 “But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
12 “You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
13 “For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
14 “Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:8-14.

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