by George Runyan | Dec 19, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Luke 2:14 – A multitude of the heavenly host appeared praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.
At the birth of Jesus the whole of heaven’s hosts joined in the celebration. The angel of the Lord appeared many times throughout the Old Testament to bring to men messages from the throne of God. Daniel the prophet experienced numerous occasions when Gabriel the archangel appeared to him with messages from God. Never before did a multitude of the heavenly host come declaring words from God as recorded in the book of Luke.
The Scriptures can be so clear at times and this verse is one of those occasions, “Glory to God in the highest.” God is Spirit and His throne is in heaven. We cannot comprehend either God or His throne. God is mystery to man, so God revealed His nature by sending His Only Begotten Son in human form. Not only did He do this, He has made it possible, through Christ, for His Holy Spirit to live inside every believer. In this verse the angels say, “In the highest,” there is no height higher than the Throne of God. TO READ MORE, PLEASE CLICK THE TITLE ABOVE. i PURCHASE YOUR OWN COPY OR GIVE AS A GIFT, CLICK THE COVER ABOVE.
by George Runyan | Dec 18, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Luke 2:30 – My eyes have seen Your salvation.
Simeon was a resident of Jerusalem. The Scriptures record that he was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him. Israel had been in difficulty for centuries. From the days of the Babylonian captivity, they had been under the domination of a number of nations. For a couple hundred years, they had experienced the cruelty of Roman rule. The nation was looking for and expecting the promised Messiah. They knew that the Messiah would bring comfort through deliverance to the covenant people.
The Holy Spirit came on Simeon, and He revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. “He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God” (Luke 2:27-28). Simeon knew he could now die in peace because his eyes had seen God’s salvation. He prophesied saying, “You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).
Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Simeon blessed Joseph and Mary. He spoke to Mary, “Behold this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). TO READ MORE CLICK THE TITLE ABOVE.
by George Runyan | Dec 17, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Luke 2:30 – My eyes have seen Your salvation.
Simeon was a resident of Jerusalem. The Scriptures record that he was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him. Israel had been in difficulty for centuries. From the days of the Babylonian captivity, they had been under the domination of a number of nations. For a couple hundred years, they had experienced the cruelty of Roman rule. The nation was looking for and expecting the promised Messiah. They knew that the Messiah would bring comfort through deliverance to the covenant people.
The Holy Spirit came on Simeon, and He revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. “He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God” (Luke 2:27-28). Simeon knew he could now die in peace because his eyes had seen God’s salvation. He prophesied saying, “You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).
Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Simeon blessed Joseph and Mary. He spoke to Mary, “Behold this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). TO READ FURTHER PLEASE CLICK TITLE ABOVE.TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE DAILY DEVOTION PLEASE CLICK THE COVER.
by George Runyan | Dec 16, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Luke 2:7 – She gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke records the greatest event in all human history. Mary, a virgin, gave birth to the Son of God. Of all things, He was laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn.
Isaiah the prophet, 700 years earlier, prophesied Jesus’ birth. “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven . . . The Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:11, 14). The Old Testament prophet Micah pinpointed the place of Immanuel’s birth. “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).
The creator of the worlds was laid in a manger because there was no room for Him. TO READ FURTHER CLICK TITLE ABOVE.
by George Runyan | Dec 15, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Luke 1:76 – You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways.
John the Baptist was the greatest of all the Old Testament prophets. Jesus testified of John saying, “This is the one about whom it is written, Behold I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You” (Luke 7:27). Today, we hear the term “forerunner.” John was the “true forerunner.” In John was a powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit and when he spoke, great conviction came upon the people. Many responded to his call to be baptized. His ministry of baptism was a preparatory response to the coming Messiah. Some thought that John was the Messiah, but he was only preparing the “way” for the Lord.
One reason for the confusion about John’s prophetic ministry was that Moses had spoken of a prophet like himself. “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, and you shall listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15-16). Some were questioning whether John was “that prophet” of which Moses spoke. John was chosen by God to point out the “true prophet,” the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is interesting to note in Zacharias’ prophetic word, that he speaks of the Lord’s ways. Jesus fulfilled the purpose of God in many different respects. One of which is that He is the true Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. All those ministries come from the Lord Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, it is Christ who is the true prophet. If one is called to the office of “Prophet,” Jesus takes of His prophetic anointing and places a portion on the one He has called. Jesus’ ways are altogether righteous. He makes the one who believes on Him, altogether righteous. Jesus is our High Priest who is ever-living to intercede on our behalf. When a believer enters into the ministry of intercession, the anointing of Jesus for intercession comes upon that one. TO READ FURTHER CLICK ON THE TITLE ABOVE.
by George Runyan | Dec 14, 2014 | Devotional, George Runyan
Luke 1:74-75 – Grant us to serve You without fear, in holiness and righteousness all our days.
Abraham was committed to serve the Lord all his days in holiness and righteousness. God honored Abraham because He believed God. Abraham believed God for the future because he saw by faith what God had promised. “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). Abraham is known as “the father of the faithful.” He is the example of a faith-filled life. He did not experience everything God had promised him, but he saw it by faith, knowing God was faithful to all His promises.
Abraham served God without fear. It was faith that allowed him to serve God, trusting Him throughout his entire life. There were moments when Abraham wavered, but he did not camp in fear, but overcame through faith. He received God’s corrections and changed his way of thinking when reminded of God’s eternal promises.
Abraham was a man that served God in holiness. When we look at Abraham’s life, we could view some decisions he made as not being holy. God sees things differently because He sees the heart of an individual. The holiness of God is closely connected to the life of faith. The life of faith is lived out in the weakness of our flesh. Faith is judged ultimately by how we respond to holiness. When we do not live a “separated life” to God’s purpose, we are not walking by faith. Faith takes us beyond our rational thinking. Faith causes us to make decisions based on future expectations. Holiness is the present evidence of our faith in operation. TO CONTINUE READING TODAY’S DEVOTION, PLEASE CLICK THE TITLE ABOVE.
