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“For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 6:33

Today’s Bible Reading

The Lord will destroy Damascus, but will preserve a remnant of faithful people.

BibleGateway: Isaiah 17 ESV Text: Isaiah 17 Isaiah 17 (Listen) An Oracle Concerning Damascus 17:1 An oracle concerning Damascus.   Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city    and will become a heap of ruins.2   The cities of Aroer are deserted;    they will be for flocks,    which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.3   The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,    and… The Lord will destroy Damascus, but will preserve a remnant of faithful people.

Pietists and legalists are proud of their rectitude and adherence to moral codes, as though that’s praiseworthy. That’s like someone who wishes to be praised because he found a lost wallet with much cash and returned it to its owner. That’s not praiseworthy; a failure to do that would be theft. So also, our Christian sanctification is merely our duty which, as unprofitable servants, we fulfill only imperfectly.

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BibleGateway: Luke 17:1-10 ESV Text: Luke 17:1-10 KJV Text: Luke 17:1-10 The section starts at about 0:0 and ends at about 1:35      1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences… Pietists and legalists are proud of their rectitude and adherence to moral codes, as though that’s praiseworthy. That’s like someone who wishes to be praised because he found a lost wallet with much cash and returned it to its owner. That’s not praiseworthy; a failure to do that would be theft. So also, our Christian sanctification is merely our duty which, as unprofitable servants, we fulfill only imperfectly.

Wherein lies our hope? The hearts of unbelievers can be set only on the things of this world. The “rich man” of this parable is merely one example. His wealth is not the problem; his unbelief is. He is contrasted with the beggar Lazarus (whose name is a rendition of a Hebrew name meaning “God is my help”). Is our focus on worldly matters, or on God?

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BibleGateway: Luke 16:19-31 ESV Text: Luke 16:19-31 KJV Text: Luke 16:19-31 The section starts at about 2:36 and ends at about 4:28      19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and… Wherein lies our hope? The hearts of unbelievers can be set only on the things of this world. The “rich man” of this parable is merely one example. His wealth is not the problem; his unbelief is. He is contrasted with the beggar Lazarus (whose name is a rendition of a Hebrew name meaning “God is my help”). Is our focus on worldly matters, or on God?

Does God commend dishonest dealing? Certainly not. Note that the commendation of the unjust servant comes from his master, not our Lord. Our Lord’s exhortation begins in v. 9. It is not the steward’s dishonesty that God commends, but rather only the man’s prudence as an example for us to follow. As Christians, we too often fail to be “wise as serpents,” as Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 10:16.

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BibleGateway: Luke 16:1-13 ESV Text: Luke 16:1-13 KJV Text: Luke 16:1-13 The section starts at about 0:0 and ends at about 2:6      1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich… Does God commend dishonest dealing? Certainly not. Note that the commendation of the unjust servant comes from his master, not our Lord. Our Lord’s exhortation begins in v. 9. It is not the steward’s dishonesty that God commends, but rather only the man’s prudence as an example for us to follow. As Christians, we too often fail to be “wise as serpents,” as Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 10:16.

Have you ever acted as though your own ideas about how to achieve happiness were better than God’s plans for you? The father in this parable represents God, and the younger son represents those who choose to go their own way. The father allowed his younger son to discover the folly of his own ideas, and to return, chastised, to his household. How blessed we are that for Jesus’ sake, we are received back.

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BibleGateway: Luke 15:11-32 ESV Text: Luke 15:11-32 KJV Text: Luke 15:11-32 The section starts at about 1:10 and ends at about 4:4      11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the… Have you ever acted as though your own ideas about how to achieve happiness were better than God’s plans for you? The father in this parable represents God, and the younger son represents those who choose to go their own way. The father allowed his younger son to discover the folly of his own ideas, and to return, chastised, to his household. How blessed we are that for Jesus’ sake, we are received back.

Was there anything in the lost sheep or the lost piece of money that made them of greater worth than the other ninety-nine sheep or the other nine coins? No. What differentiated them was that they were lost. The Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus ate with sinners, so He told these parables to illustrate the seeking love of God. We were lost. Jesus sought us out and saved us.

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BibleGateway: Luke 15:1-10 ESV Text: Luke 15:1-10 KJV Text: Luke 15:1-10 The section starts at about 0:0 and ends at about 1:19      1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to… Was there anything in the lost sheep or the lost piece of money that made them of greater worth than the other ninety-nine sheep or the other nine coins? No. What differentiated them was that they were lost. The Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus ate with sinners, so He told these parables to illustrate the seeking love of God. We were lost. Jesus sought us out and saved us.

The first use of the Law is to show us our sins and sinful nature so that we are not deceived by the lie that we can earn salvation. It is only through Christ’s perfect life and vicarious death that our sins have been blotted out. The benefit of what Jesus has done for all mankind is received only through faith, not works.

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BibleGateway: Romans 3:19-28 ESV Text: Romans 3:19-28 KJV Text: Romans 3:19-28 The section starts at about 1:46 and ends at about 3:15      19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith… The first use of the Law is to show us our sins and sinful nature so that we are not deceived by the lie that we can earn salvation. It is only through Christ’s perfect life and vicarious death that our sins have been blotted out. The benefit of what Jesus has done for all mankind is received only through faith, not works.

“Stand fast” in unchanging truth. God’s enemies present compelling and eloquent assertions and reasoning designed to create widespread falling away from genuine Christian faith. Who is in danger of falling away? Those who “did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Continually study the saving Word of God, through which the Holy Spirit will sustain and strengthen your faith.

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BibleGateway: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 ESV Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 KJV Text: 2Thessalonians 2:1-17 The section starts at about 0:0 and ends at about 2:28      1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our… “Stand fast” in unchanging truth. God’s enemies present compelling and eloquent assertions and reasoning designed to create widespread falling away from genuine Christian faith. Who is in danger of falling away? Those who “did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Continually study the saving Word of God, through which the Holy Spirit will sustain and strengthen your faith.

False prophets—those who claim to speak God’s Word but in reality proclaim the devil’s lies—are nothing new. Sometimes it may seem to us as if everything is going their way. But make no mistake, their doom is certain, severe, and everlasting.

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BibleGateway: 2 Peter 2:1-10 ESV Text: 2 Peter 2:1-10 KJV Text: 2Peter 2:1-10 The section starts at about 0:0 and ends at about 1:51      1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even… False prophets—those who claim to speak God’s Word but in reality proclaim the devil’s lies—are nothing new. Sometimes it may seem to us as if everything is going their way. But make no mistake, their doom is certain, severe, and everlasting.

This is Paul’s valedictory statement. May God graciously grant that we too may be able to fight the good fight and keep the faith. Our eternal welfare is a matter of what Christ has done for us, not of what we do. Nonetheless, being saved by grace through faith, we are called to practice faithful discipleship unto the end.

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BibleGateway: 2 Timothy 4:6-22 ESV Text: 2 Timothy 4:6-22 KJV Text: 2Timothy 4:6-22 The section starts at about 0:38 and ends at about 2:47 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the… This is Paul’s valedictory statement. May God graciously grant that we too may be able to fight the good fight and keep the faith. Our eternal welfare is a matter of what Christ has done for us, not of what we do. Nonetheless, being saved by grace through faith, we are called to practice faithful discipleship unto the end.

The Bible is not human religious speculation, it is God’s Word. As such, it is the only sure basis for what we believe and what we do. This is especially important for us to remember in our day, when so many people have “itching ears,” and choose to believe charlatans who tell them whatever they want to hear.

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BibleGateway: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 ESV Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 KJV Text: 2Timothy 3:14-17 The section starts at about 1:36 and ends at about 2:20 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned… The Bible is not human religious speculation, it is God’s Word. As such, it is the only sure basis for what we believe and what we do. This is especially important for us to remember in our day, when so many people have “itching ears,” and choose to believe charlatans who tell them whatever they want to hear.