Today's Verse: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ~1 Corinthians 2:7 Years ago, I spoke with a man about a unique service that he had to offer. He stated that his service was proprietary in nature. What he meant was that he owned it and had exclusive access to it. In a sense, he was saying that he had privileged information. This morning, we are considering “privileged information.” Paul re

Today's Verse: Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city.... ~Isaiah 52:1a When I am at home, I like to change into clothing that is comfortable for work, exercise, or relaxing around the house. However, when Sunday comes, I like to wear my “Sunday best.” This includes a pressed white shirt, a pressed dark suit, a necktie, and black-shined shoes. I think this would qualify as what is referred to as “beautiful garment

Today's Verse: And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. ~Luke 24:31 Have you ever gone shopping and could not find the item you were looking for? You were in the aisle and searching the shelves for a particular item, but you could not locate it. Then, a sales associate came along to point it out to you, and you said, “How did I miss it? It was right in front of my eyes!” Jesus appeared to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to E

Today's Verse: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ~John 11:25 The word "Easter" is found once in the Bible, and it is the word “paschal,” from which we get "Passover." Easter refers to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” In this one sentence, Jesus powerfully

Today's Verse: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ~Philippians 3:10 If you ever see a police chase after a speeding vehicle or a criminal trying to run from being arrested, the police are said to be in hot pursuit of the perpetrator. To be in hot pursuit means to give all of your attention and focus on that one thing. In his epistles, Paul has given us great explanation of the

Today's Verse: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ~John 11:25 The entertainment industry has mesmerized America with the concept of dead people coming back to life as zombies that terrorize communities. It is an accepted fact that once all life activity in a person ceases, that person is dead. When there is a death, it is accepted that the deceased is gone from this life. When Lazarus di

Today's Verse: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. ~1 John 5:13 The greatest fear of some believers, who are not well grounded in God’s Word, is the matter of their eternal security. Every now and then, someone will confide in me that they struggle with whether they are really saved. This morning, we are considering the important ma

Today's Verse: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: ~Galatians 3:13 A curse is a misfortune or evil that befalls a person or a group. The Kennedy clan is said to have a curse on them. Among the many tragedies this family experienced were the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy by assassination. John F. Kennedy, Jr. died in an airplane accident. A curse is an evil

Today's Verse: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ~Romans 8:15 One of the blessed privileges of salvation is our spiritual adoption into God’s family. Spiritual adoption brings us into immediate and close fellowship with God as our heavenly Father. It gives us all of the same privileges as being a direct descendant. It is enjoying God as our Father Who is in Heaven. Ther

Today's Verse: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ~Romans 8:6 Every believer has two natures. There is the old man, which represents our carnal, sinful nature. This nature lives to please its appetite and fleshly desires. The other nature is the new man in Christ, which is the Spirit life. The first is known as the carnal man. The second is known as the spiritual man. Paul describes the carnal mind, which only thinks about th

Today's Verse: And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. ~2 Samuel 9:7 It is very special to sit at the table with dignity. It is very humbling when someone of great prominence and importance invites me to sit at his table with him. His table is preeminent of all the tables in the room. Everyone watches the he

Today's Verse: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: ~1 Peter 2:21 Has anyone ever said to you, “That’s a step in the right direction”? It’s a way of saying that you are headed on the right path, that you are making progress, and that you are going forward and not backwards. Our sinful nature tends to reject and go against what is right. When we decide to follow the Lord Jesus in every

Today's Verse: For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, ~Psalm 95:7 One of the blessed metaphors that the Bible uses to describe our relationship to God is that of a shepherd and his sheep. Shepherding is one of the most arduous occupations. It is a very demanding work that is 24/7 in nature. A shepherd must be vigilant at all times. A shepherd must be concerned for the entire flock, and especially

Today's Verse: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8 Debt is a financial or moral obligation that we owe someone else. Debt is a liability. Debt offsets what we own. As a debtor, I am required to make sure my obligation is paid in full. When that obligation is paid off, I receive a notification from our creditor that the debt is paid in full. This morning, let us rejoice in the sin debt that has been paid in

Today's Verse: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ~Ephesians 3:20 Paul referred to himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ in Ephesians 3:1. He was a prisoner of Rome and used his time in prison to write to the church at Ephesus. The idea of being a prisoner presents someone who is held captive. It speaks of little to no liberty. It indicates that the prisoner is held by a power great

Today's Verse: For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. ~Isaiah 66:12 There is something special about observing bodies of water. For instance, standing at the shoreline of an ocean and watching its waves inspires me to think about the power of God. Ocean waves can be very powerful and instill a sense of a

Today's Verse: But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. ~Matthew 9:22 It is a joy and privilege to make hospital visits and pray with my members who are hospitalized. However, I feel at a loss and so inadequate for members who struggle with ailments for which medicine can’t seem to give immediate healing or relief. Our devotion this morning centers on

Today's Verse: Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. ~Isaiah 62:4 The word "forsaken" is very ominous and carries with it feelings of darkness and despair. It means being abandoned, deserted, and rejected. To be forsaken is to be at a very dark and lonely place in life. The Jews had become so idolatrous

Today's Verse: And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. ~Joshua 5:12 A few years ago, I had the privilege of completing a missions preaching and survey trip to Taiwan and the Philippines. I booked my stay in the Philippines where I lodged the very first time I visited in 2008. Since I was there last, the hotel had done

Today's Verse: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. ~Genesis 6:8 Noah’s name is found 44 times in the Bible. We find him as the focal point in Genesis 6-8 and listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Noah is most prominently associated with the construction of the ark. What stands out to us this morning about Noah is that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We see Noah and his conversion. “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect