March 2024 Devotionals

14 March 2024

Plan Seed Now

Today on the M’Cheyne Bible Reading chart you’ll read Ex 25, Prov 1, Jn 4, and 2 Cor 13. Here are some brief comments on John 4. In between his teaching to the woman at the well and the healing of a nobleman’s son is a brief interlude on the harvest. Jesus is teaching his disciples spiritual truth. Here are some basic nuggets of truth. First, stop waiting on the harvest it is ready now. Stop procrastinating and making excuses. The time is now. Second, the harvest is a joint effort. We are not competing. Some sow and other get the blessing of reaping. You may never get to see the fruit of your efforts. Lastly, your efforts will continue what others have already begun. Our secular society is quickly becoming an unreached people-group that has no concept of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus sows and this chapter shows three explicit results of sowing where you can. It called believe in Jesus Christ. 

13 March 24

How Do I Enter the Kingdom of God???

Today on the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan you’ll read Ex 24, Job 42, Jn 3, and 2 Cor 12. Here’s some brief encouraging comments from John 3. This passage is famous for a Jewish leader Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night (2). This passage sort of divides nicely between two aspects of salvation. In this context, multiple parallel ideas for this happen: “see the kingdom” “enter the kingdom” “have everlasting life” “might be saved” and “not condemned.” Historically, this idea has been divided into two aspects: the new birth and saving faith (personal responsibility). On one side there is the concept of being born again (or born “from above”). The emphasis being God must do this because it is a gift and something mankind cannot do (3, 5, 😎. On the other side there is the exercising of saving faith “believe” “cometh to the light.” Saving faith is the responsibility of everyone “whosever.” It is also a lifelong idea that requires perseverance “believing” (a present tense verb that must continue) (15, 16, 18, 36). It is the imperative of all to believe “in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (18). Eternity with God is the blessing and eternity without God is the condemnation (15, 16, 36).

You and the Greek New Testament: Devotional Values and Precautions

You and the Greek New Testament: Devotional      Values and Precautions

I would like to provide to you two forms of exhortation (especially to pastors of local churches). One, in the form of a sermon.  The second, in book form. Personally I try to use my Greek NT on a fairly regular basis just to the languages flowing. It has also by way of personal testimony produces immense blessings reading God's word in its original language. The blessing of mining out vocabulary, word usage, grammar and syntax to say the lease simply can't be replaced with an English translation.

As to the first, I would encourage you to listen to Dr. Randy Leedy's presentation "A Deeper Devotion through a Greek New Testament."  That link can be found here located on the Mount Calvary Baptist Church Website.  This presentation was delivered during their 2018 Whetsone Conference. Exceptional presentation and heart warming challenge for pastors and laymen to use their Greek New Testaments.  It even includes some pointers (examples) of using Bible software for this task.  

The second exhortations is found in Dr. David Black's textbook Using New Testament Greek in Ministry: A Practical Guide for Students and Pastors. It is now over twenty five years since coming into print.  Three practical exhortations  concerning the decline in seminaries teaching or emphasizing study of the original languages are as follows: 

First, "the teaching of language tends to be dominated by content to the neglect of understanding" (p. 17).

Second, the decline in instruction results from "the enormous amount of material covered in the typical exegesis course" (p. 18). 

Third, the focus of teaching original languages should be "to prepare expository preachers of God's Word (p. 19). 

Finally, and I would suggest the most dangerous for the local church and Christianity as a whole, "the increasing tendency in education toward subjectivism" (p. 20). 

I hope these to sources are a challenge to you heart and daily devotional Bible reading. I also have provided a separate languages page for original language sources for both Greek and Hebrew. 

Read.  Comment.  Enjoy.