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Gremar delivered this couple’s first born giving them great joy! _{Image subject to copyright.}

# 51 2020 Dev. 1Peter 4:13, Joy!  Read verses 12-19. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

1Pe. 4: 13 “But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

We are in the Advent Season, we look forward to celebrating Christ’s birth and we anticipate Jesus coming again. Peter here brings up a difficult issue, “suffering for Being a Christian”, not a subject we want to hear about at this time of the year. Even so, it is not just in Peter’s time, suffering is with many people today, people in this country, and people in countries around the world. Is Christian suffering going on right now? I say yes, when you consider that the many restrictions on society are perpetrated by some godless leaders and religion is singled out. There are places in this country where there is no restriction, go figure.

Because Jesus suffered for speaking the truth, suffering will always be with the followers of Jesus. Peter says: “do not be surprised…” what “has come on you to test you…” Evil is perpetrated by the evil one who is out to destroy the Kingdom of God but at the same time a testing for Christians allowed by God. At this time of the year we are drawn into a world of soft cuddly babies, gifts, celebration and family gatherings but meaningless if separated from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Peter gives us some advice when we are suffering; “rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” Peter here is anticipating Jesus’ second coming. If you suffer “you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” Peter sees the suffering God’s people are going though in his time as the Judgment of the last days.  That thought has been on our minds as well.

But the bottom line is that the Spirit of God and of Jesus dwells with us and in us. As a result, we are to rejoice and praise God this Christmas season, celebrating, giving gifts, thanking God for His gift of salvation. We are to rejoice at such a time as this, a time for Hope, Peace and Joy!

Paul agrees with Peter, his final exhortations: Php. 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: REJOICE!” Amen!

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I_{mage is subject to copyright}

# 50 2020 Dev. Psalm 101:6. Peace! Read all of Psalm 101. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 101:6 “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
    that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless
    will minister to me.”

Ps. 101 starts a new series of 10 Psalms This series is like a Psalm within the Psalms. The series is complementary from front to back: Ps. 101 with 110 and 102 with 109 and so on. Psalm 101, the King is speaking the words of God.

Vs. 1-3a. The king’s world and life view: “I will be careful to lead a blameless life… I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.”

Vs. 3b-4. The king is still speaking in the first person: “I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part of it. I will have nothing to do with what is evil.” The king makes a personal decision. In todays everyday life and political life, we would do well to pay close attention. The king’s words and actions bestow peace upon the the people of the land.

Vs 5-6 are the center of the Psalm, they are opposed to each other and stand alone. V. 5 the slanderer and the “haughty” will not be tolerated. V.6 but he approves the “faithful” and the “blameless will minister to me.” What is evil tears down, what is good builds up.

Vs. 7-8 The king will not tolerate “deceit” or “falsehood” or “wicked” people or “evildoers”. The king is speaking as one ordained by God to suppress evil and do good; that is the role of those who God has placed over the land. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established” (Ro 13:1-5). If we are to have peace in the land leaders must do what the Psalmist is telling us. However, it is not enough to desire peace in the land, we also must have peace in our hearts, without fixing our hearts we will not find peace. That was the meaning of the first Christmas and still is the true meaning today: that people turn their hearts back to God, that we turn our hearts back to each other. Christmas is a time for hope and peace, Christ came to set us free from the evil the Psalmist opposes. Please pray for our country and for a change in our hearts. We thank God for His salvation!

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This is one of the Babies my wife delivered at the school in Niger State, Nigeria. ^{Image subject to copyright}

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# 49 2020 Dev. 1Peter 4:7. Hope!  Read verses 1-11. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

1Pe. 4:7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

We are in the Advent Season, we look forward to celebrating Christ’s birth and we anticipate Jesus coming again. Peter connects chapter 4 with chapter 3 as he has consistently done throughout his book.  He connects Christ’s suffering to our suffering: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (Chapter3). “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin” (Chapter 4).

This is a hard concept, not much understood but think about it. When people are suffering by illness or persecution you move to look outside of yourself, for followers of Jesus they look to Him.  When we are forced to look outside ourselves and we are out of our comfort zone, reality sets in and the fragility of life comes into focus, changing our life styles.  Let’s be clear, all illness, persecution, corruption, exploitation and all that makes humans miserable by the actions of others comes from Satan as God allows it.  As followers of Jesus we know that one function of the Holy Spirit is to suppress evil in the world.  The bottom line is that God is in control!

The next section, vs. 7-11 gives us the direction and comfort we need in a broken world, be of “sober mind so that you may pray” our first line of defense. “Above all love each other deeply.”  Love overcomes! “Use whatever gifts you have received to serve others.” Live God’s grace, everyone has gifts. Speak with “the very words of God.” In other words, know your Bible in your heart and live God’s Word. Serve “with the strength God provides…” serve not in your own strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit. This section is titled “living for God”.

 What does that mean for you? We worship, we hear His Word, we are encouraged, we give funds to organizations helping the poor and to missions and we support our churches and Christian education. Is that the full measure of living for God? The church is more than that, we are to impact our families and our neighbors, people living next door, we are to impact our neighborhoods, we are to impact the powers that be, those who God has set over us. The purpose of the church is worship daily, thereby changing the world and the abuses of the people of the world. You are asking yourself, why do all that?  Well, that is why God established Christ’s church and Peter adds: “so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

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^{This picture was taken in Niger State, Nigeria during the dry season at a time of harmattan (fine dust, hanging like fog, blown off the Sahara Desert carried for hundreds of miles).} _{Image subject to copyright}

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# 48 2020 Dev. Psalm 100:5. Thankful Praise! Read all of Psalm 100. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
                        his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalms 90 through 100 are a series of eleven Psalms that open and close with “Lord” (Adonai) or “the Lord” (Yahweh). Psalm100 is the classic praise song that many followers of Jesus memorized and taught to our children. It does, of course, fits perfectly into this Thanksgiving Season and ends this series of Psalms. We look back to Ps. 90 that introduces this series: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Teach us to acknowledge you and “to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom”. “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days”. Ps.100 is the culmination of the call to worship concluding this series.

The Psalm calls “all the earth” to praise and worship with “joyful songs”. Every human plus all the rest of creation foreshadowing the coming reality of God’s praise by all things in heaven, on the earth and all things under the earth. Whether we realize it or not, all of life is worship or it is rebellion to God.

Still in the context of “all the earth, know that the Lord is God.” He is our Creator and the Creator of all things, we, us, all people belong to Him, along with all of the universe. To know God moves way past acknowledging God. The Psalmist here is speaking of an intimate spiritual relationship. A relationship that flows both ways as indicated by the pastoral language, a shepherd’s loving care: “¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).

The Psalmist enters into God’s presence with thanksgiving, with praise. His gates and His courts is a reference to the temple where there was worship every day. Today we understand that all of creation is God’s sanctuary, we worship in our man made sanctuaries but the sweep of this psalm covers all of life and every day of our lives. Again, we have set aside a day for thanksgiving, thanking God for His many blessings and giving thanks for family and friends. What have we learned over this year? I hope we have learned that we are not in control of our health, our lives, our jobs or our happiness but we know the God who is in control.

The last verse is our hope in these difficult times: “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” We thank God every day!

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This picture was taken in the Sahel, Niger State, Nigeria, in the dry season at 117 degrees fahrenheit. ^{Image subject to copyright}

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# 47 2020 Dev. 1Peter 3:10-12. Good and Evil! Read verses 8-22. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

1Pe. 3:10 “For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.’

Vs. 8,9 are precepts that apply to last week, living together and suffering for doing good. Vs. 10-12, Peter here quotes Ps. 34 to help those who suffer for doing good. God supports those doing good and opposes those doing evil. In v.13 Peter asks a rhetorical question: “who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” In other words, it is unconscionable to be opposed when one is doing good but it has been my experience as a missionary, the more good one does the more one is opposed by evil and by evil people. I would have never believed it but that is now a major movement in our own country and it is supported by every evil person, by some churches and by many people claiming to be Christian. Thankfully, Peter comforts us: “but even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.” Praise God!

In vs.15-17 Peter doubles down on how to deal with unjust persecution: “revere Christ as Lord, always be prepared…to give the reason for the hope that you have.” The reason for hope, what is the reason other than politics? Today, are we able to express the hope Peter is talking about?  Surprise, the hope of real followers of Jesus is not politics!

Vs.18-22 Peter gives Jesus as the perfect example of suffering for doing good. From the beginning Satan tried to keep salvation from being offered to all people of the world. By faith salvation is available by the promises of God. Peter tells us that Jesus is chosen to die for sin “to bring you to God” reaching back to the beginning and reaching forward to the end of time. Jesus tells us that the unjust suffering He experienced will include all who have the hope of salvation in Him. Throughout history persecution of the followers of Jesus has been and continues to be experienced by two hundred million people.  There is no natural place to stand in this life, people either follow Jesus or are in bed with the world. Make your choice now!

Peter gives us the example of Noah saved by water that “symbolizes baptism” validating our salvation “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”, now glorified in heaven and is our advocate. That is our hope, we are saved by faith in Jesus beginning the day we believe, and faith motivates followers of Jesus to do good. Evil and evil people will continue to appose what is good, I see it all around me every day. You must decide for yourself, including politics, what is good and what is evil. In that light we listen to God’s Word: Ps. 34:12-16 “For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.’ We thank God for the hope of the followers of Jesus, in that hope, we live and promote peace!  

© cgvanwyk, all rights reserved                 

Isaiah and Family, We visited with him in 2010, Isaiah grew up along side of our son Steve at Sabon Gida Akwangwe, Nigeria, where his Father Nahum served as pastor. Isaiah is the Pastor at Tatin Ndoro, on the Baissa road. We thank God.

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# 46 2020 Dev. Psalm 99:2. Be an Example! Read all of Psalm 99. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 99:2 “The King is mighty, he loves justice—you have established equity; In Jacob you have done what is just and right.”

Psalms 90 through 100 are a series of 11 Psalms that open and close with “Lord” (Adonai) or “the Lord” (Yahweh). Psalm 99 is a song about God’s justice and is the example for leaders of the people. “Moses and Aaron… Samuel… they called on the Lord and he answered them.” The song is divided into four stanzas; First, “The Lord reigns; second, justice; third, the witness of Scripture; fourth, the Lord exalted.

Vs.1-3 introduces God’s universal reign, His power, His judgment, His holiness and His impact on the world. These verses beg the question: does God impact the world? If so, how? How many people ask that important question? When you really think about that, what is your answer?

Vs. 4,5 expands on God’s power and justice: He “established equity…done what is just and right.” Is there anything as important as justice and law and order in our country today? Do you really believe all the riots and killings are over?

Vs. 6,7 answers some of our questions and introduces reality into our national and personal lives: here we have the example of leaders, who “called on the Lord and he answered them.” Leaders not only called on God but “they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.” That is the answer and the reality of God’s presence in the world: it is through national leaders, it is through churches, church leaders, but God’s greatest impact is through every day people who call on His name, those who are His witness in their daily lives. For those who do not acknowledge God and do not call on His name will have the government they deserve.

Vs. 8,9 culminates what the Psalmist introduced in the first three verses. God is addressed in the first person: “you answered them” assuming all, and I do mean all who call on you. You are “a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.” The footnote on v. 8; Or God / an avenger of the wrongs done to them. Forgiveness and punishment is what makes God just. It always was the hallmark of the national justice system: they work together: not in this way, no forgiveness no peace, no punishment no peace, rather no forgiveness no justice, no punishment no justice, no justice no freedom. That is why calling on God and “in God we trust” is the only way to preserve our freedom. What the Psalmist is telling us in our time: God reigns! Call on His name! Accept his forgiveness and punishment! Apply all this to our own lives and be free! Keep on praying!    

© cgvanwyk, all rights reserved              

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# 44 2020 Dev. Psalm 98:4. Celebrate! Read all of Psalm 98. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 98:4 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;”

Psalms 90 through 100 are a series of 11 Psalms that open and close with “Lord” (Adonai) or “the Lord” (Yahweh). Psalm 98 is a call to celebrate. The song is divided into three stanzas; First, God is celebrated, second, the people celebrate, third, all of creation celebrates.

Vs.1-3 God “has done marvelous things”, “has made known his salvation.” God loves His people, is faithful to them and “the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” As followers of Jesus that is what our lives are all about; living our faith, our love, our faithfulness, our compassion, walking in God’s kingdom on this earth, daily and in the moment.

Vs. 4-6 “Shout for joy, burst into jubilant song, make music with the harp, with trumpets, shout for joy before the Lord, the King.” This is what church is all about; worship, rejoicing, fellowship, benevolence and praying for the lost, mostly done on Sundays but all of life is to be worship, continually, as the Psalmist points out,

Vs.7-9 All of nature; the sea, the rivers, the mountains including the valleys, the plains and the sky praise God! The Psalmist here is talking about the culmination of history as we know it. As Paul puts it in Rm. 8: 18-22 “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Yet, God is displayed all around us; His glory, His power, His righteousness, His love and salvation, renewed every year. “He is making everything new!” The picture the Psalmist paints in part three is not seen with the ordinary eye but with the eyes lighted by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus and anticipates God’s righteous judgment

Along with nature we worship God daily, continually for every day God has ordained for us on this earth. Praise the Lord!

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# 43 2020 Dev. 1Peter 2:12. The Good Life! Read verses 11-25. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

1 Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

From the Living Stone to good living in a virtual spiritual house, Peter continues his thoughts in the second half of chap. 2; “The stone the builders rejected has became the cornerstone…” On Jesus, the cornerstone, we build our lives, and are empowered to live that good life.

Vs. 11,12 gives us the example of Jesus living the good life overwhelming all opposition with good deeds. Peter fleshes that out in Vs 13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: the emperor… or to governors” today we add mayors, police, federal officers, national guard and all legitimate authority. Really? Yes, if we follow the law we are able to show respect and live free. “It is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” We will need a lot of good people doing a lot of good deeds to balance out all that is going on today.

Vs. 18-21 address slavery and unjust punishment. We substitute Peter’s comments to working people; “in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.” It is like Peter is writing to followers of Jesus today because “unjust suffering” is where we are headed: God is banned, never mind Jesus, police are hamstrung, criminals are set free, no accountability, and some illegals are free to kill the police. Where are you going?

V. 22 is the heart of living the good life: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” Vs. 23-25 puts the “the good life” in perspective. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” That is the good news that off sets all that is going on and all what will happen to followers of Jesus. For us, all of life is good and is preparation for our work in the New Heaven and the New Earth. We thank God!  

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