by George Runyan | Aug 1, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.
This verse of Scripture is packed with a lot of information. It reveals the eternal purpose of the one and only true God. He purposed that mankind be created in His image. Two questions arise: “What is the image of God?” “Who is the Us to whom God is referring?” Throughout the Scriptures, the Eternal One is revealed as Triune in His being. In this passage, the Hebrew word “Elohim” is used, which is the “plural” form of God’s name.
The first question in some catechisms is, “What is the chief end of man?” “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” We will experience God in such fashion—we will glorify Him and enjoy Him—only in proportion as we know Him. The knowledge of God is more essential for the Christian, and indeed for the entire world, than the knowledge of anything else. Jesus prays, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John17:3). Paul sums up the goal of his life when he declares, “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10). READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
by George Runyan | Jul 31, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
We can rejoice always because of all the Lord has done for His children. He has given to the children of God His divine nature (see 2 Peter 1:3). Maturing in Christ is yielding to the Holy Spirit’s help in developing the nature of God in the believer. It is not trying to become a better person. We can never attain to God’s righteousness by our own effort. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we grow up into Christ.
As Paul writes to the Philippians he goes on to instruct, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5). Father God is gentle. The Lord Jesus is gentle. The Spirit of God is gentle. The gentleness of God has been placed in the believer’s spirit in the new birth. The Holy Spirit will help us exercise that gentleness in a world that attacks and can make us reactionary. Paul says “The Lord is near.” I believe that scripture can be understood in two ways. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOBE
by George Runyan | Jul 30, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 – Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
The main purpose for Jesus’ living among His creation was to reveal the Father. Jesus is the express image of the Father in human form. The disciples really did not truly understand, even after three and a half years of walking with Jesus. This was demonstrated by Phillip’s request in John 14, “Show us the Father and it will be enough.” Jesus responded to Phillip by saying, “Have I been so long with you that you do not yet understand that when you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”
Fathering is at the heart of restoration in the human race. Adam is the father of all on a human level. In his sin of disobedience, he lost the human standing before God. We have inherited his nature of self. Self is manifested in “selfishness.” Jesus came in human form, but did not have Adam’s nature of self, thus He did not have a sin nature. Jesus came with the nature of His heavenly Father (see Philippians chapter 2). It is a nature of “selflessness.” He gave up all His glory for every human being. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
by George Runyan | Jul 29, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Kings 21:3 – But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
The story of Naboth and Ahab is a powerful example of how the Lord respects the inheritance of our fathers. Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard for selfish reasons. Ahab moved from desire to coveting the vineyard. For Naboth it was more than the money or even the offer of a better vineyard. It was about his inheritance which he had received from his fathers. It was about generations. It was about identity. It was, for Naboth, an integral issue.
Ahab did not understand “integrity.” Ahab’s evil wife certainly did not understand. She only knew the lust in her heart. She plotted to have Naboth killed so evil Ahab could have his heart’s desire. “The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy . . .” (John 10:10). Satan is a thief and his objective is to steel our inheritance given to us by our heavenly Father. John 10:10 concludes by saying, “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
by George Runyan | Jul 28, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Mathew 21:28 – But what do you think?
Mathew 21:28-32 records the parable of the two sons. Jesus asked the chief priests the question, “What do you think?” after they had tried to trap Him with their question about the authority of John’s baptism, whether it was from heaven or from man (see Matthew 21:23-27).
Jesus uses the parable to reveal the heart of these religious leaders. The first son was asked by his father to go work in the vineyard, but he answered “I will not.” Eventually he did go. The father came to the second son and instructed him to go work in the vineyard, and he answered, “I will sir.” This son did not go. Jesus then asked, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” They answered “the first.”
Jesus responds to their answer with an amazing response. “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.” They gave the correct answer, but their lives demonstrated the attitude of the second son’s rebellion. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
