by George Runyan | Jul 23, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 5:27 – He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
The Father planned from the beginning of creation for His creation man to rule with Him. Jesus is called the Son of Man because He came in human form through the virgin birth. When he was anointed with the Holy Spirit as He came up out of the water from His baptism, the Father gave Him authority to execute judgment. He operated in His authority in a number of ways.
The people were astonished at His teachings because He taught differently than the religious leaders. He taught with authority (Matthew 7:29). The people also observed that His teachings were followed by supernatural evidence. “They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him’” (Mark 1:27). He always seemed to have the correct answer for His accusers. At the end of His ministry before enduring the cross, He judged the evil religious leaders as He stood in the Temple, which was the place of the Government of God (Matthew 23:13-39). READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
by George Runyan | Jul 22, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 5:24 – Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
We learned yesterday that all judgment has been given to the Son. John 5:24 is an example of that judgment which Jesus possesses. Jesus emphatically decrees the one who hears His Word and believes what they heard has eternal life. He decrees that they do not come into judgment, but pass out of death into life. What an interesting way Jesus has of saying they are saved from eternal damnation.
Jesus creates the law of grace and judges the one who hears His word; the one who believes the Father sent Jesus “has eternal life.” Eternal life in Christ is a state of being. I was lost, but now I am found. Daily I thank the Lord, “I have eternal life,” not going to have it, but indeed I now have it because Jesus has judged it to be so. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
by George Runyan | Jul 20, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Philippians 2:5-7 – Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself.
We must be emptied in order to be filled. Philippians 2 reveals seven areas of Christ Jesus’ attitude about being emptied and allowing His Father to lift Him up through the exaltation of the resurrection. Through the resurrection, Christ is drawing men to Himself. “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32). Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die, death on the cross. It is in dying, life is found.
v. 7a – Don’t exalt yourself
v. 7b – Choose to be a servant
v. 8 – Humble yourself through obedience, even to death of self
v. 9 – Let God exalt and lift you up
v. 9 – Let God give you a name that others honor
v. 12 – Obey God in your private life
v. 14 – Be content and don’t murmur or argue
The Lord is bringing about a divine emptying process in our life. He has called us to fully enter into Christ’s life and have His attitude in everything. The Lord Jesus Christ had one desire and that was to fully honor His Father, drawing all the attention to Him. What is our desire? Philippians chapter 2 reveals the example the Lord set for every believer. We are to follow His attitude. “I only want to be exalted in Christ and exalted by Christ.” If you are exalted by anything else, it only draws attention back to you. The world is filled with self-exaltation and honors its own. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
by George Runyan | Jul 17, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Revelation 22:12 – Behold I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
Our rest is in what the Father has done through Christ in providing salvation. We can rest in what He has promised for our future. The future is guaranteed for those who receive God’s love. Multitudes spend huge amounts of time worrying, even fearful of their future. The subject of death is not usually the hot topic at family get-togethers or the focus of parties. For the believer, though, it is an exciting area to think about because our eternal future is centered on the other side of the grave.
The river Jordan is seen as a type of the grave in Scripture. Israel was baptized into Moses as they crossed over from Egypt to Canaan or the “Promised Land. “All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:2). Baptism speaks of the grave. In Baptism we die to the old man by joining Christ in death, but rise up in the new man as we participate in Christ’s resurrection (Romans 6:1-7). You could say that our hope in the future is manifested in the now. READ MORE-CLICK TITLE ABOVE
by George Runyan | Jul 16, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
2 Corinthians 1:20 – For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
What a great statement Paul makes through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The promises of God are yes and Amen to believers. Not a no and not a maybe, but yes. One of the first words a child learns is the word no. For safety reasons, a parent is constantly saying no to their young children. Father God has also given in His Word warnings for the protection of His children. In our passage, Paul focuses our attention on God’s promises.
Reward is a vital part of training a young child. They must learn that there are consequences for misbehavior, but at the same time, they need to be rewarded for their obedience. God’s promises are rewards for responding in faith to His Word. The promises are connected to God’s Covenant nature. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE
