Author: BTP

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night … then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

This is the only time the word “success” is found in our King James Version of the Bible. What does it mean here? It means more than simply success as this world might think about it, for it also means having wisdom and good judgment in what we do. Words in the Hebrew language often have multiple meanings.

Success can mean different things to different people. For many people, success is equated with getting plenty of money. I remember one of my classmates in university who said to us, “By the time I am middle-aged, I would like to have enough money to be able to buy a new house by paying cash for it.” Whether he reached this goal or not, I am not sure. But for him, success meant money.

Others have no interest in getting rich; they are motivated by other things. A man whom I knew well once applied for a job with a large insurance company, to sell insurance for them. After giving him a test to see how his thinking was about certain things, they said to him, “You would not be good at this job, for we can tell from this test that you are not interested in making money.” But that man wanted certain other things, and among them was his wish to have everything done his way. He got very upset if things were not done his way, and for this reason found it hard to work with others.

Still others want fame and recognition, while others want as much pleasure as possible. Others value power, and want to be able to “tell people what to do.” But God’s view of success is brought out in this verse; it is obeying the Word of God and paying full attention to what God says. If we do this, we might not have as much success in this world, but we will be rewarded in a coming day when we are with the Lord. That kind of success is really worthwhile!

This world measures success by something connected with this world, and which lasts only for this life. God measures success by how much we learn of Christ; this lasts for all eternity!

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“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

“And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8).

In Hebrews 12 the chapter begins by describing the Christian life as a marathon race. It is a race to be run with patience, for it lasts a lifetime. However, every good runner always has something before him — the end of the race. He looks toward the time when he will cross the finish line. But how much more wonderful it is if someone we love is waiting for us at that finish line!

As I write this in the fall of 2021, it is only a week since a girl named Kendra ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Akron, Ohio, U.S.A. At the end of the race was a difficult hill which tired her out, but then as she came over the hill, she saw her boyfriend at the finish line holding up a big sign that said, “Kendra, will you marry me?” Needless to say, the sight of him waiting for her spurred her on, and she ran the last bit of the race with renewed energy. She gave him a big hug, and said, “Yes, I will!”

For you and me as Christians, heaven is at the end of the race, and this gives us energy to carry on running. But far more than that, our Lord Jesus Christ is waiting there too, to welcome us home. Does it give you renewed energy, to know that He is anxiously waiting for you?

If we do not have the end of the race in view, it is easy to get distracted along the way. It is easy to look around at things in this world, and to forget that we are even in a race. We must be like the Apostle Paul, who could say in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” God is “calling us on high,” and we must keep that goal before us.

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“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

To be conformed means to be like everybody else, and to fit into what is all around us. It also means to act according to tradition or accepted standards; to do what everyone else is doing. We all like to be accepted, and not to appear different from others around us. But our verse today tells us not to be conformed to this world, but rather to be transformed. The Greek word for transformed is metamorphoo, from which we get our English word metamorphosis.

Perhaps some of you have studied science and biology, and have heard that term when you learned about caterpillars turning into moths and butterflies. When this happens, they are transformed into something different from what they were before. This is what the Lord wants us to do as Christians.

This does not mean that we deliberately dress in a weird way, or insist on driving horses and carriages instead of cars. It does not mean that we do not use modern conveniences such as telephones, computers, and washing machines. Rather, it means that we do not adopt the attitudes and practices of this world in a moral way. It may mean that we sometimes dress differently, for the kind of clothing that may be acceptable in this world is not always pleasing to the Lord. Our whole outlook should be, What would be honoring to the Lord? It should not be, What is everybody else doing?

When we walk with the Lord, we become more like Him. If we, by faith, behold “the glory of the Lord,” then we “are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The word “changed” is the same Greek word translated “transformed” in our verse today. To be changed “from glory to glory” simply means that more and more we will become like Christ. It is wonderful to be like Him, more and more!

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“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:12-13).

Yesterday we spoke about roots, and how the redwood trees have roots that are intertwined with each other, so that they help to support one another. Today we are told to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and to “make straight paths” for our feet, “lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.”

We all have an influence on others, whether we realize it or not. The Bible tells us that “none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7). Our influence on others can be either good or bad. If we are discouraged, we tend to discourage others. If someone else is lame in a spiritual way, we can either help him get healed, or we can discourage him further and be the means by which he misses the right path.

Perhaps we say, “But I am going through difficulties myself!” Then let us do what these verses tell us to do. We must recognize that the difficulties in our lives are allowed of the Lord to teach us something. Then, instead of getting discouraged, we are to stop thinking about ourselves, and start making straight paths for our feet. It is never right to feel sorry for ourselves. Rather, we are to look to the Lord for His help, and then be an encouragement to others.

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“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith” (Colossians 2:6-7).

A tree must have roots in order to be able to withstand strong winds and storms. Probably the largest trees in the world today are the giant redwood trees that grow on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the U.S.A. They can grow up to 350 feet tall (about 107 meters) and can have a circumference of 30 feet (about 9 meters) or more.

Like other trees, when they are not under tremendous stress from conditions such as drought or fire, they channel all their energy into fortifying themselves. They take in nutrients that enable them to put down new, deeper roots and help them branch out in search of sunlight. This helps to ensure that they are strong and better prepared to withstand any adverse conditions that may lie ahead, from wind and rain, to drought, wildfires and more.

What is surprising is that their root systems rarely go down more than 6-12 feet (2-4 meters). But the redwood trees rarely fall over. The reason for this is that their root systems are intertwined with the roots of other redwood trees, so that they hold each other up. They grow very close together, and help each other to survive. They also share nutrients with one another.

These trees teach us a lesson too. We need to be well rooted in the love of Christ, and in the truth of God’s Word, in order not to be knocked over by storms in our lives. But we also need to support one another, like the redwood trees. If we see someone else who seems to be having difficulties, let us support them, so that they can continue on in the Christian pathway. Perhaps at another time, they will be able to be a help to us!

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“We know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth [struggles] in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22).

We live in a world of suffering. It has been that way ever since Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, and brought sin into this world. Suffering and eventual death come to everything that lives in this world, whether man, animals, or plants. Sometimes people ask why it has to be this way, and why God allows such suffering. Does He not care? Those who do not want to believe in God may use suffering to dare to criticize God. They ask, “If He is truly God, why does He not do something about the suffering in this world?” Maybe you have heard this question, and do not know how to answer it.

It is true that God did not have to allow sin to enter this world. He could have kept Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If God had done this, you and I would be enjoying the Garden of Eden today. But we would never have known the depths of love in the heart of God, and that He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us. We would never have been able to spend eternity in the Father’s house; we would be living for all eternity here on earth. We would never have been brought into a relationship with God as our Father, or be the bride of Christ. We know all this, and enjoy all this, because the love of God has been shown out when sin entered this world.

Also, God has in His purposes to exalt and glorify His beloved Son. In His counsels in a past eternity, He purposed to have the Lord Jesus be Head over all things, both on earth and in heaven. God has been more glorified, and we have been far more blessed, than if sin had never entered this world.

Yes, there is still suffering here, and sometimes severe suffering. However, the suffering is temporary, and it will soon cease. When the Lord Jesus takes His rightful place, and the judgment is over, all tears will be wiped away. Then the joy and blessing will be eternal.

We cannot totally understand all this, for it is a plan of God. But we can accept what God has decided to do, accept Christ as our Savior, and enjoy all that He has given us.

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“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26).

“Every way of man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2).

The English word “ponder” means to consider well, to think about. It comes from the Latin word “pondus,” which means “weight.” Sometimes we speak in English of “weighing something carefully,” and that is what the word ponder means. We think about it from every point of view, and do not act hastily.

In our verses today, we are told to ponder the path of our feet. This means that we do not act in a hurry, or make a sudden decision based on impulse and emotion. Rather we think about the matter carefully, and pray about it, asking the Lord for guidance. Then, when we do act, our ways are established, for we can have the confidence that we are going forward in the way the Lord wants us to go.

Of course, there are some things that we do not have to ponder, and should not pray about. If we have a definite scripture on which to act, we do not need to hesitate. For example, suppose a Christian young man was considering marrying a young woman who was not saved. Should he ponder that, and pray about it? No, because God is quite clear in His Word that we are not to be “unequally yoked together with believers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). To pray about something like that is really asking God to change His Word. Rather we should immediately act on God’s Word and break off that relationship. But in many things the pathway may not be clear to us, and then we need to “ponder the path” of our feet.

Then we learn that every way of man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the hearts. We may decide on our own to go a certain way, but then the Lord Himself does some pondering. He looks at our hearts and sees what is going on there. If we want to go our own way, our hearts are wrong, for we are wanting our own will instead of the Lord’s will. Then the Lord may have to bring difficulties into our life, in order to draw us back to Himself.

Let us make sure to consider carefully what we are about to do and ask the Lord for His help!

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“God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

“That Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is more than simply “another Comforter,” although this is a very important part of His work in us. But He is also a “seal,” and “the earnest of our inheritance.” What does this mean?

When something is sealed, it carries authority. Maybe you have seen a document that has a special seal or a stamp on it, perhaps from a lawyer’s office, or a government official. This means that what is in the document is true and real, for it has been stamped by someone with authority. God does this with us too, by sending down His Holy Spirit to live in us. We now belong to Him!

But what does the word “earnest” mean? When people buy something large, like a house, they usually make an offer to buy it for a certain amount of money. When they sign their offer, they give the seller some “earnest money” (down payment money), to show that they really want that house, and that they are willing to pay the amount of money on the paper. If the seller accepts the offer, but the buyer decides that he does not want the house, then the seller keeps the “earnest money.”

But the Lord wants us so badly that He has given something as a down payment that is worth more than we are! He has sent His Holy Spirit to live in us! What are we worth, compared to the Spirit of God? Yet God sends down His Holy Spirit, to assure us that He will complete His purchase. When will that happen?

It will happen when the Lord Jesus comes back to take us home, and we get our glorified bodies. Then God will complete His purchase of us, although the price has already been paid at Calvary’s cross. But God wants us to be completely convinced that He will keep His promise, so He has sent down His Holy Spirit to live in us. This is so wonderful. We sometimes do not realize how much God wants us for Himself!

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“I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17).

Several times we have mentioned the Holy Spirit, and how He dwells in every true believer. I would like to explain this a little more. When the Lord Jesus was here on earth, He looked after all the needs of His disciples, and showed them where to go and what to do. But after His work on the cross He was going back to heaven. His disciples were very sad to hear this, but the Lord Jesus pointed out that when He went back to heaven, He would send down “another Comforter,” who would remain with them forever. He was referring to the Holy Spirit, and here He is called the Spirit of truth.

In our second verse the Lord Jesus says that “He (the Holy Spirit) dwelleth with you,” That means that He was in the Lord Jesus, for all His activities were done in the power of the Spirit of God. The disciples had seen the power of the Holy Spirit in all that the Lord Jesus did here in this world. But then the Lord Jesus said, “[He] shall be in you.” That means that when the Holy Spirit came down, He would live in each true believer, and be their Guide and Comforter instead of the Lord Jesus.

The Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost, after the Lord Jesus had ascended back up to heaven; you can read about it in Acts 2:1-11. At that time the Holy Spirit came upon each believer in that room, and from that time on they were indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Now, after each new believer accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior, they are also indwelt with the Holy Spirit. A true Christian is one who has accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior, and who is then indwelt with the Holy Spirit.

He will never leave us, for the Lord Jesus says, “That He may abide with you for ever.” He is always with us, and when the Lord Jesus comes back to take us home to be with Him, the Holy Spirit leaves this world too. He will depart with us when the Lord comes for us, and will be with us for all eternity! What a wonderful thing it is, to have an actual Person of the Godhead — one of the Trinity, living in us! How careful we should be in our behavior, in view of this “divine Guest” who is in us.

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“The Midianites came up … and destroyed the increase of the earth … and left no sustenance (food) for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass” (Judges 6:3-4).

“Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites” (Judges 6:11).

The Midianites are mentioned a number of times in the Old Testament. They were actually related to the children of Israel, as they were the children of Midian, who was a son of Abraham by his second wife Keturah. However, they ended up being a real enemy of Israel, and in the time of Gideon they ruled over the children of Israel for seven years. They not only took all the good food that the Israelites grew on their land, but they took the animals too, so that there was nothing left for the people to eat. The Amalekites were also involved in all this, and it seems as if the Midianites and the Amalekites worked together to make as much trouble for Israel as possible. The Lord had allowed them to do this because the children of Israel “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

However, we read that a young man named Gideon actually had some wheat, and was threshing it by a winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. A winepress is a very large container where grapes are pressed to make juice, which is then turned into wine. It was large enough to hide behind. But where did Gideon get the wheat, if the Midianites were taking it all? I am not sure, but he was going to have food in spite of the Midianites, and the Lord allowed him to get some. He was threshing the wheat to get rid of the chaff, and then probably he was going to grind the wheat into flour and use it to make bread.

The wheat here is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and if we really want to have spiritual food for our souls, we can get it. Sometimes as young people we may feel that we do not get much food out of going to meetings or reading the Word of God, but if we really want to know more about the Lord Jesus, the Lord will make it possible. The Midianites and the Amalekites are like the world, and like our old sinful nature — they combine to try and take away our spiritual food. It takes spiritual energy to overcome all this, but let us be like Gideon, who was energetic enough to get some wheat and get it ready to make food for himself. He was getting natural food, but as I have said, for us it is a picture of spiritual food, which every Christian needs.

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