DIG for Thursday the 30th of July…..not knowing the covenant you are under will damage you…..2 Samuel 4 v 42 Samuel 4:4David

Nunsy was talking about David, Jonathan and Mephibosheth at the bible study tonight and I had a wonderful revelation about religion as she was talking.

She was telling us about the covenant between David and Jonathan, and that the men had extended it to their children.

So in this context David was in covenant with Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan.

However the nurse who was looking after Mephibosheth did not know about the covenant and fled with the boy; and while fleeing she dropped him and made him lame (2 Samuel 4 v 4).

When people do not know or understand the covenant they are under (or in) they are damaged.

The nurse did not know Mephibosheth was in covenant with David so instead of running to him, she ran from him and damaged the lad.

People today do not know the covenant they are under and end up running from God, with the aid and help of religion.

Religion, trying to come to God through performance and man made efforts, always fails and leads to guilt and condemnation.

This leads to men running from God and being damaged.

If men knew they were under the new covenant because of the finished work of Jesus Christ and not their performance they would run to God instead of running away from him.

We are under the new covenant and grace, and not under the old covenant and law (Romans 6 v 14).

Later we see Mephibosheth in safety around the King’s table because of the covenant he was under; he was safe and secure now, and this is a picture of new covenant grace!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I am under grace and not under law, under the new covenant and not under the old”.

2 Samuel 4 v 4…..And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled; and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth

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DIG for Wednesday the 29th of July…..what a transformation…..Acts 2 v 14

Peter is one of the more “popular” apostles and has had a lot written about him in the past.

His manners and behaviours have been dissected and discussed however I think the most important thing about him is read at the beginning of the Book of Acts.

Peter had been among the disciples that ran and hid after the death of Jesus, but here in Acts 2 we see a changed man.

We see him standing and speaking in power and authority (Acts 2 v 14 to 36).

We see thousands saved after his message (Acts 2 v 38 to 41).

We see Peter healing a lame man at the temple by speaking out more words of power and authority (Acts 3 v 1 to 9).

Peter had met the risen Saviour and that obviously had an effect on him, but we do not see him operating in power and authority until after another event.

We see Peter operating in power and authority after his baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2 v 1 to 4).

The same is true for us; we can operate in the same power and authority as we can have the same baptism; we simply need to ask for it.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from conversion (this is clear from Scripture, see Acts 8 v 14 to 17) and has nothing to do with water baptism.

It is freely available to every believer because of our position in Christ and is not dependant upon good religious performance or being a “clean vessel”.

Have you had the baptism of the Holy Spirit yet?

If not ask for it; ask a fellow believer who has been baptised to lay hands on you and agree for this baptism and then start yielding that power and authority.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and thank you for the power and authority this yields”.

Acts 2 v 14…..But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words

DIG for Tuesday the 28th of July…..I don’t know is a good enough answer sometimes…..2 Timothy 3 v 16

I’ve flown a couple of times in the last few days, having the pleasure of preaching in London three times at the weekend.

One of the things that I do not really understand is how a huge, heavy aeroplane can stay in the air.

I know it has got something to do with forces, thrust, lift and pressure; but that is as far as my knowledge goes, and to be honest, in order to fly I don’t need to know all the answers. There are some things that I do not need to understand.

The same is true about some truths in the Word of God.

With our limited mental capacity we cannot expect to understand all God’s ways or the things that He has or has not done.

I remember many years ago having trouble with the start of Genesis, having come into the church from a strong scientific background.

Questions came into my head all the time that I could not answer until one day the Lord clearly said to me, “Vic, do you really need to know this to have a relationship with me?”

And the answer of course was no.

There are some things in the Bible that I cannot explain, but I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God so it is the truth; and it will always stay the truth irrespective whether you or I understand it or not.

In London I had to give an honest reply to a sister’s question when I said, “I really don’t know the answer to your question, but it says this in the Word so I would believe that”.

Men and women (and even visiting pastors) will never be able to answer all your questions, but if it says so in the Bible then it is so!

Don’t let difficult questions about God and your walk (and we all have them) get in the way with your relationship with Him.

I’m not telling you to have “blind” faith as some people call it and stop asking questions, I’m just saying if you don’t get answers to some questions have a bit of faith and trust in the Word of God.

Let’s take a hypothetical example; if it says black and not white in the Word of God then it is black, even if you cannot see or understand that it is black.

The Word is the truth, and we should base our understanding and beliefs upon that.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word and thank you for the truths held within it”.

2 Timothy 3 v 16…..All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

DIG for Monday the 27th of July….. A covenant maker and a covenant keeper…..1 Samuel 20 v 42

The Lord called David ‘a man after mine own heart’. One of the reasons was that David had God’s heart for keeping a covenant promise.

When David triumphed over Goliath it didn’t go unnoticed.

Saul’s son Jonathan was very impressed with David. The Word doesn’t say explicitly why he was impressed, but I believe a big part of it was David’s revelation of covenant.

David was a man after God’s own heart, he understood the power of his covenant with God and it brought him victory. I think Jonathan saw in David characteristics of integrity, faithfulness and boldness, all proceeding from his faith in that covenant, and he liked what he saw.

He saw in David one who would be a true friend. And he was.

Throughout their friendship they made covenant promises to each other, of faithfulness and trust. Their friendship was cut short when Jonathan died in battle, but again, in their last recorded meeting together they made another covenant with each other, this time extending their promises to include their children (1 Samuel 20 v 42).

The Lord uses David’s covenant keeping nature to show us a picture of His own faithfulness, and as David fulfils his promises made to Jonathan we see God’s heart for covenant making and covenant keeping.

Some years later David begins to look for a way to fulfil his promise. He asks ‘is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’

They find Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and bring him before King David. At first Mephibosheth is afraid, but David says ‘Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually’ (2 Samuel 9 v 7).

David blessed this man, not because of any goodness or greatness of his own, but because of the covenant he made with Jonathan.

In the same way God wants to bless us with all the riches of heaven, not because of our goodness or greatness of our own, but because of the covenant He has made with His Son.

God the Father made a New Covenant with the one Perfect Man, and we are included in that Covenant when we put faith in Jesus.

Speak this our today…Thank you Lord that You have included me in all the blessings of heaven, not because of my performance, but because Jesus has performed on my behalf

1 Samuel 20 v 42…..And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever

DIG for Sunday the 26th of July….. A covenant maker and a covenant keeper …..Acts 13 v 22

When the prophet Samuel told Saul that God was going to replace him with a new king he said that the new man would be ‘a man after God’s own heart’.

That man was David.

There may be several ways in which David was a man after God’s own heart, but one of the most important ways is revealed very early on in David’s life.

David was anointed to be king when he was about 17 years old, and not long after that the Philistines were gathered against Israel (1 Samuel 17), and their champion Goliath was challenging one of them to a one-on-one fight to settle the whole battle (v 9 and 10).

David’s three oldest brothers were with the Israelite army while this was all going on, and his father asked David to take some food to his brothers and see how they were all doing (v 18).

When David arrived at the camp he heard Goliath’s attempts at intimidation, and he saw the fear within his own army (v 24).

But David was a man after God’s own heart. He understood, in a way that they did not, that God had made a covenant with them and that He would bring them victory. There was no fear in David, only a confidence that they would prevail in this battle.

He knew that he was circumcised and Goliath was not. Goliath had size, but he had no covenant (v 36).

 It was David’s confidence in his covenant with God that brought him victory.

He believed that God is a covenant making, covenant keeping God. He acted with certainty in the fact that God is faithful and that He would do what He had said He would do (Deuteronomy 28 v 7).

David was a man after God’s own heart because he knew the power, the weight, the faithfulness, and the absolute certainty of a promise from God.

David was a young man at this time, but his faith in his covenant with God showed great wisdom and maturity, and it didn’t go unnoticed…

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that You are so faithful, and that what You say You will do, You will do. Thank you that when you say something, you mean it”.

Act 13 v 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Thanks to Nunsy for the DIG today.

DIG for Saturday the 25th of July…..no condemnation, absolutely no condemnation…..Romans 8 v 1

I am still meditating and preaching from Romans 8 at the moment, teaching from this passage both “home and away”.

One of the most important truths from this passage is that God is not, and will never, put any condemnation upon us.

Instead we are proclaimed innocent, set free, accepted and blessed.

We receive these wonderful things purely through our position in Christ and nothing to do with our religious performance.

We live under grace and not under law, so it is the performance of Jesus and our faith in this that is now important.

Some may say that it looks like this verse has a measure of performance given that it looks like we need to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

But this part of the verse is not in the original Greek, the original text says the only condition required is to be in Christ.

This means to be born again, saved, a Christian; whatever expression you want to use.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have put your trust in him you will never, ever receive any condemnation from God.

This is good news and should be proclaimed from the rooftops; this is the good news that will lead men to repentance.

Proclaimed innocent, set free, accepted, approved and blessed; this is what we receive instead of condemnation!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that as a gift of grace though faith you will never put me under any condemnation”.

Romans 8 v 1…..There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit

DIG for Friday the 24th of July…..no worry, no anxiety, peace is what the Lord brings us…..Galatians 5 v 22 and 23

OK, so I’m sitting in Aberdeen airport getting ready to board my flight for a wee “preaching tour” in London and I suddenly remember my Bible is still in my study.

I remember not putting it in my case, thinking I would put it in my hand luggage in the morning, but I didn’t.

So, off to preach at three church services without a Bible.

In the past condemnation could have kicked in with, “what kind of preacher are you, you can’t even remember your Bible”.

In the past worry could have kicked in as well with, “well, how can I preach without a Bible”.

But peace is reigning in my heart this morning and I am not going to let a silly wee mistake ruin things for me.

Sitting here smiling and pondering the situation the Lord said, “Well, you could always trust me to bring all things to your remembrance”; yes, the Lord seems to have a dry sense of humour at times.

At times we can let little things get out of hand, we can make mountains out of mole hills.

Our emotions can take over and make problems for ourselves.

There are normally numerous answers to any of our problems; in this example I could borrow a Bible, I could use a Bible on my phone, I’m sure there are even shops in London that sell Bibles.

We just need to keep control of our emotions (which we can do if we want to), think clearly and come up with suitable solutions.

We could always ask the Holy Spirit for help as well.

We can choose whether to let peace reign in our hearts or we can choose to let worry and concerns take over instead.

Let’s all choose peace.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have made it possible for peace to reign in our lives if we just choose to accept it”.

Galatians 5 v 22 and 23…..But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law

DIG for Thursday the 23rd of July…..Jesus was consistent, a model we should follow…..Hebrews 13 v 8

I love times of study and meditation in the Word, especially when you get revelation about a passage or verse.

This morning as I was reading Hebrews 13 I saw that as well as a statement about the unchanging nature of Jesus, Hebrews 13 v 8 is about leadership and doctrine.

This verse comes after a verse about leaders, especially those who speak the Word of God, so probably teachers and pastors (Hebrews 13 v 7).

And the verse comes before one about doctrine, that we should not be carried away with strange doctrines (Hebrews 13 v 9).

The thought then struck me, “why stick a verse about the unchanging nature of Jesus in there?”

Well, it is to give us a picture of stability, of unwavering consistency and absolute truth.

It is saying that the doctrine of grace that we teach as leaders needs to be stable and consistent and of absolute truth.

It means that you need to find leaders in the Kingdom that teaches the doctrine of grace with passion and consistency.

Mixture (i.e. preaching grace and law together) is the curse of the church today.

Mixture is what confuses the believer and results in double-mindedness and doubt.

There was never any wavering or mixture with Jesus, He was the same yesterday, today and forever.

The same should be true of our doctrine; our hearts require to be established with grace, not with mixture.

Do not get carried about, transported from hither and thither, going from one doctrine to another; establish your heart in grace.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever”.

Hebrews 13 v 8……Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever

DIG for Wednesday the 22nd of July…..are people really reading their bibles…..Romans 3 v 28

There are times as a pastor (and as a Christian) that I feel like pulling my hair out.

Some of the questions that I am asked and some of the “debates” that I end up in makes me think that people are just not reading their Bibles, or not understanding what they read.

Take Romans 3 v 28 for example.

Paul has just given a great explanation about righteousness, faith and grace.

He then concludes, makes a decision at the end of his arguments, about how a man is justified (Romans 3 v 28).

Justified means to be made righteous, right before God and accepted in the eyes of the Lord.

This acceptance comes only by faith Paul says, and not through the deeds of the law.

It does not come by holding sacrifices, it does not come by keeping holy days and it does not come by keeping the ten commandments; all of these are deeds of the law.

Yet we are taught in the church to keep this law and that law, keep this commandment and that commandment in order to be acceptable to God.

Do people not read their Bibles?

Can they not see Romans 3 v 28?

If you understand this verse how can you ever teach the ten commandments as a way to acceptance from God?

Jesus is the only way to God, faith in Jesus and His finished work is all that is required for acceptance, righteousness and justification.

There is no other way and there should be no debate, yet the traditions of man keep rearing their ugly heads trying to keep men in bondage to performance religion.

We are not under law but under grace and we are justified through faith in Jesus’ performance and not in ours.

That is the good news of the Gospel, and that is what will lead men to repentance.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have already been justified through faith and I am now accepted by You and righteous in Your eyes”.

Romans 3 v 28…..Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law

 

DIG for Tuesday the 21st of July…..created for lots of different purposes but with one in common…..Psalm 117 v 1

Every single one of us was created with a plan and a purpose for our lives.

We all have different paths to walk as we progress with the Lord; some will pastor and teach, some will help the orphans and widows, some will be an encourager and some will have the ministry of helps.

There are many different tasks and jobs in the Kingdom, yet we all have one thing in common.

As I sat down to my computer this morning I opened up a video and it started like this, “I will bless the Lord at all times, I was made to worship, I was made to bless Your name”.

One common factor is that we should live a life of worship and praise towards the Lord.

There are many reasons why we should worship and give Him praise, but the main one is that this is what the Lord would have us do.

He knows the value of worship and praise and would have this positive benefit in our lives.

I have the personal experience that stress and pressure, pain and sickness will flee as I worship and praise His name.

We are to praise Him with our whole heart (Psalm 138 v 1).

We are to make a joyful noise and come before Him with singing (Psalm 100 v 1 and 2 and Psalm 95 v 1).

We know it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises to His name (Psalm 92 v 1).

Take some time to praise Him this morning and see the difference it makes.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for all that you have done for me and thank you that I can come to you in worship and in praise”.

Psalm 117 v 1…..O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people