by George Runyan | Dec 29, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Hebrews 1:1-2 – God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
These words were written to Hebrew believers who were being persecuted and had become discouraged. The author wrote, “In these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (Hebrews 1:2). And again he wrote, “How will we escape if we neglect so great salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Hebrews 2:3-4).
The Gospel was preached and confirmed in the generation of the disciples. Part of the message was a coming judgment on the Jewish nation that rejected two things. They did not accept the New Covenant in the blood of Christ and the presence of the kingdom in the person of the Holy Spirit. The writer of Hebrews identified the last days as beginning in the ministry of Jesus. For that generation, it was the end of the Jewish religious system as they knew it. The city of Jerusalem along with the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, just as Jesus had warned throughout His earthly ministry. The Apostles gave the same message of warning throughout their ministry.
Just before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus entered the temple and judged the religious leaders with very harsh words (Matthew 23). He went on to share with His disciples in Matthew 24 concerning the events which would transpire in their generation before His return when He would finish the apocalyptic judgment on the Jewish religious system which had rejected His Messianic message and the gift of His Holy Spirit. Once we understand the “Gospels” and the message of the apostles to their generation, we can inquire of the Lord of our generation. We can look forward to His bodily return for His church and the eventual judgment of the Gentile nations who reject His Lordship in the earth.
The early church was created at the beginning of the last days, as represented by Peter in his first sermon recorded in Acts 2. Our generation exists at the end of those last days when we are to be looking for the literal and physical return of our Lord. The message of His return is a vital message needing to be preached in our times. Unfortunately, men have scrambled the message of Christ’s return with their own ideas, making it difficult for people to receive. The message is clear and not as complicated as it has been made out to be. In the very same way Christ fulfilled all His words to His disciples when He came in judgment of the Christ-rejecting Jewish system. This time, He will come to judge the whole world, but this time His saints will be with Him.
Paul described the “mystery of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:50-57. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” Just as Mary’s boy was born and brought redemptive hope to all of Israel and eventually the entire world, hope continues as we wait for His victorious return.
Father, I thank You that You sent Your Son to speak in these last days. I put my faith in all He has spoken and wait for Your promises to be fulfilled in my Lord’s return. Help me speak clearly and plainly of Your return in the hopes of many coming to Christ.
by George Runyan | Dec 28, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Matthew 10:23 – You will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
Chapter ten of Matthew is the clearest expression of Jesus to His disciples that He would return before they had finished their mission of taking the Gospel to every city in Israel. At the time of Jesus’ statement they did not comprehend what He meant. Throughout their ministry they looked for His return. They truly desired to be with Him. Throughout history, believers hoped for Jesus’ return. They interpreted the events of their times as the certainty of His return. It is no different in our day.
Beloved, it is important to understand what Jesus was saying to His disciples before we try to understand how these Scriptures apply to our generation. In Matthew 10, we read of Jesus sending His disciples out to the towns of Israel with power to heal and cast out demons. They went with a clear word of the good news that the Messiah was present. They were sent only to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). They “proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and to prove it, they healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, and cast out demons” (Matthew 10:7-8). Jesus gave them many other instructions as well. He warned them that there would be wolves among the sheep that would try to harm them.
Jesus defined the clear meaning of discipleship for His disciples. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master (Matthew 10:24). I encourage you to read the whole tenth chapter. Jesus spoke very clearly of that generation and the mission He was giving to His disciples. It was a mission to the House of Israel. In the book of Acts, we see that the Samaritans and Gentiles were brought into God’s plan as well. The first and primary mission of these disciples, who became apostles, was to the lost sheep of Israel.
Jesus was saying to them, “You will not finish the mission before I come.” They fully expected Christ’s return before the end of the century. When Jesus spoke of His return, it is obvious He was not speaking of His physical appearance. To have a better understanding of the glorious return of Christ, it is important to understand what took place in first century Christianity.
As Jesus spoke of the “Son of Man coming,” He spoke of His return to judge unbelieving Israel at the end of that generation. He is not speaking of the end of the world, but the end of an age. The age of Moses, or the age of the Law, was about to be brought to an end. It had served its purpose and now all of Israel was called to be reconstituted through and under King Jesus. The message went out to every city of Israel. All of the tribes of Israel heard the message that the kingdom of God was present among them. The message was confirmed with signs following. Tomorrow we will see the contrast of what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:23 and His return at the end of the world to receive His church and judge the nations who reject His offer of salvation.
Father, I thank You for the Scriptures that speak of Your plans and purposes. I thank You for the blessed hope of Christ’s return and pray that I will be filled with Your Holy Spirit daily in order to represent You well with whomever I come in contact.
by George Runyan | Dec 27, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) – Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus is the prize!
Joseph kept his eye on Mary and then Mary and Jesus after the Lord’s birth. He knew His responsibility in serving the God of Israel. While God, who is in heaven, was the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of His Holy Spirit, Joseph provided earthly fathering for Jesus. Jesus was known as “the carpenter” (Matthew 6:3), one could surmise that He worked with Joseph in the carpenter shop.
John the Baptist looked for the “Lamb of God.” His eyes were looking for the one who would take away the sins of the world. With the information we have about John, we know he was filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb. We know he separated himself from society and spent time in the wilderness, no doubt, seeking God concerning his assignment.
All of the disciples of our Lord were engaged in the society and culture of that day. They had jobs, they were integrated with family and their immediate culture. The twelve saw Jesus and followed Him at His invitational call. Eleven kept their eyes on Christ and fulfilled their calling. One turned out to be a “traitor,” selling out to the Lord’s enemies for a few pieces of silver.
Down through history the story is told of multitudes whose spiritual eyes were drawn to Jesus and followed Him. Some followed Christ to martyrdom. Many others have stories that will not be told until eternity. All those who followed the Lord in this life found fulfillment in their obedience to His leading.
Along with these saints, we are looking for the glorious return of our Lord and Savior in bodily form. The Scriptures tell us that when He comes “His reward is with Him” (Revelation 22:12). The prize is Christ, but He is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). We are called to keep our eyes “fixed upon Jesus” (1 John 3:3). All our hope, our absolute certainty, is rooted in the promise of His return for His own. It is important day by day to remind ourselves, He is coming again and His reward is with Him. Keep your eyes fixed upon the Savior. The things of this life will soon fade away, but He is our steadfast hope.
Father, I thank You for all those who have demonstrated that their eyes were fixed on Jesus. Help me to keep my eyes on the prize. Protect me from the distractions of the world and the challenges in life that can cause me to take my eyes off the Lord and His reward.
by George Runyan | Dec 26, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Titus 2:13-14 – Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Isn’t our God good? He prepared the entire world for the advent of our Savior, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. As we celebrate His first advent of 2,000 years ago, let us not forget His Second Advent is before us. The Lord is even now preparing the modern world for the greatest event in all history, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in bodily form to receive His redeemed people and judge all who have rejected His gracious offer of salvation and eternal life.
Every believer should be looking for the blessed hope. The world does not have such hope. The world only possesses ideas of trying to produce utopia, peace among men, and a better world system. The problem is deeply rooted in man, mainly his heart that is filled with selfishness and pride. Even in democracies, it is observable how corrupt the heart of man has become. Political campaigns are filled with ego and pride. It is a proven fact that negative campaigning is effective.
The answer to man’s dilemma is rooted in our scripture for today. Christ Jesus gave Himself to redeem us from every lawless deed. Humans cannot help themselves when it comes to being lawless before God. We just can’t keep His laws, no matter how hard we try. We can discipline ourselves to be as good as possible, but there is no hope of attaining God-like righteousness without Christ. The Holy Spirit redeems us and imparts a right standing before God because of what Christ has done. The Holy Spirit is always at work in our lives to purify and set us apart to be zealous for every good deed. Christ’s work in us is not only for today, but that He might present us to God His Father in eternity. He is coming back for a spotless bride, not resulting from our efforts, but rather His cleansing blood.
As we leave this Christmas season and walk toward a New Year, let us move our eyes from the babe in a manger to the ascended Lord who is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. He is the one who is preparing to return for His blood-washed people and judge all those who refused His Gospel of Peace. This year, allow the Holy Spirit to work deeper in your heart. Embrace His plan and purpose of producing more of Jesus in all you do and say.
Father, I thank You for the redemption that has freed me from lawlessness unto good deeds. I pray for daily infillings of Your Holy Spirit to help me grow into Jesus’ image and likeness. I pray for Your church to be prepared for Your glorious return to take place, in Your perfect timing.
by George Runyan | Dec 25, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 1:4-5 – In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The Gospel of John does not give us the details of the Christmas story, but sums up in these two verses what the Christmas story is about. The earth was filled with death and darkness. There was no real hope, except in the “promises of God” of the One to be born who would free humanity from the chains of death and darkness.
The time had come! “When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). God promised that the deliverer would come as the “seed of the women” (Genesis 3:15). The entire Law of God given through Moses, pointed toward the coming deliverer. The Law could not save us because of the weakness of human flesh, “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 8:3-5).
God the Father has summed up everything in His Son Jesus, the Christ. Today, we are free to receive all the Father has promised and prepared for those who are willing to abandon their own life for new life in Jesus. Presently, it is spiritual. By faith, we choose Christ and His life over our natural life and its resulting death. By faith, we receive His Holy Spirit, who gives us the Life of Christ through the “new birth.” We are empowered to live a life free from sin and share with others God’s Good News of life and light. God will use each believer, who allows Him, to lead others into a relationship with the living God through faith in Christ the Lord.
We look forward to the next great advent of our Lord, which is His Second Coming. No man knows the day nor the hour of the Lord’s return, but we are to live entirely for Him, waiting in expectation of that glorious day.
Most were not prepared for His first advent. Multitudes missed out on the great benefits of His first coming. Since that time, many have believed and have prepared themselves for His return. Those who died in Christ did not see their hope fulfilled in this life. They are now with Him in heaven and will return with Him as a great company of faithful ones to receive those who remain on earth. Together we will ever be with the Lord. The Apostle John puts it this way, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).
Merry Christmas in the worship of the Newborn King!
