Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
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From the Sermon
Restructuring Our Finances
Nehemiah 10:30–39 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 40:37 • ID: 1754
Rekindling Lost Love
It’s tragic to see a marriage in which the spouses have grown cold toward each other. Though they’re still together, loneliness and isolation abound. There’s a rigid, lifeless formality to it, seen in their eyes and understood in their expressions. The vibrancy and fresh discoveries that marked their early love are missing, having slipped away with the passing years.
The Ephesian church was a task-oriented, tough-minded, truth-telling fellowship, and for this they were commended (Revelation 2:2-3). But in His words to them, Jesus revealed their Achilles’ heel: though they were seeking to hold fast to the truth, they had abandoned love. One commentator writes, “If the price paid by the Ephesians for the preservation of true Christianity was the loss of love, the price was too high, for Christianity without love is a perverted faith.”[1]
Was it that they had lost their love for Christ? For each other? For the unbelieving community around them? It isn’t necessary to choose between those options. For when love for Christ is not as it should be, then our love for all else will be affected.
For those of us who are committed to doctrinal faithfulness, here is a challenging reminder that the ultimate measure of a church is found not in its programs, achievements, reputation, or doctrinal orthodoxy but in its love. Christianity, as the Puritan Thomas Chalmers eloquently put it, is about “the expulsive power of a new affection”—about falling in love with Christ, about a sense of the immensity of His pursuing, energizing, loving grace. If that love for Jesus begins to wane, we will begin to look a lot like the church in Ephesus: impressive from the outside but internally loveless. And Jesus warns that this is no small matter; removing the Ephesian church’s lampstand means removing His recognition of them as His church, His people. A loveless church is, in truth, not a church at all.
Perhaps you realize that you do not love God the way you once did. This can creep up on us so easily, our eyes growing dry, our prayers growing cold. What can we do?
Jesus says the remedy for lost love is first to “remember.” We need to recall what it was about Jesus that caused us to love Him in the first place and then use that as a spur for forward momentum. We need to restore our commitment to the things we did at first—which typically means going back to the basics. In short, we need to look again at Jesus, lifting our eyes from what we do—our programs, our efforts, our ministries—to the beauty and love of the one who died for us and who dwells in us. Love is rekindled by looking at that which is lovely. So if your love has grown cold, gaze at Jesus as He reveals Himself to you in His word—and joy and vibrancy will surely return.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
The Supremacy of God's Son
1Long ago, at many times and ain many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2but bin these last days che has spoken to us by dhis Son, whom he appointed ethe heir of all things, fthrough whom also he created gthe world. 3He is the radiance of the glory of God and hthe exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. iAfter making purification for sins, jhe sat down kat the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name lhe has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5For to which of the angels did God ever say,
m“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
n“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
6And again, when he brings othe firstborn into the world, he says,
p“Let all God's angels worship him.”
7Of the angels he says,
q“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8But of the Son he says,
r“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, shas anointed you
with tthe oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10And,
u“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
12like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.1
But you are vthe same,
and your years will have no end.”
13And to which of the angels has he ever said,
w“Sit at my right hand
xuntil I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Guilty of Double-Dealing
And I will cut off from this place … Those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom.
These people thought they were safe because they were with both parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah and bowed at the same time to Milcom. But duplicity is abominable with God, and His soul hates hypocrisy.
The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his false god has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and detestable sacrifice into the temple of the Lord, while his heart is with the world and its sins.
To hold with the hare and run with the hounds is a coward’s policy. In the common matters of daily life, a double-minded man is despised, but in religion he is loathsome to the last degree.
The penalty pronounced in the verse before us is terrible, but it is well-deserved; for how should divine justice spare the sinner who knows the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all the while loves the evil and gives it dominion in his heart?
My soul, search yourself this morning and see whether you are guilty of double-dealing. You profess to be a follower of Jesus—do you truly love Him? Is your heart right with God? Are you a member of the family of old Father Honest, or are you a relative of Mr. Shady?
A name for being alive is of little value if I am actually dead in trespasses and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth and another on the sea of falsehood will involve a terrible fall and a total ruin. Christ will be all or nothing.
God fills the whole universe, and as a result there is no room for another god. If, then, He reigns in my heart, there will be no space for another reigning power.
Do I rest alone on Jesus crucified and live alone for Him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my heart set on doing so?
If yes, then blessed be the mighty grace that has led me to salvation; and if no, then, Lord, pardon my sad offense, and unite my heart to fear Your name.
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for November 14
1 Chronicles 3
Descendants of David
1nThese are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, oDaniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, 2the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; 3the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; 4six were born to him in Hebron, pwhere he reigned for seven years and six months. qAnd he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 5rThese were born to him in Jerusalem: sShimea, Shobab, Nathan and tSolomon, four by uBath-shua, the daughter of uAmmiel; 6then Ibhar, vElishama, Eliphelet, 7Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8Elishama, wEliada, and Eliphelet, nine. 9All these were David's sons, besides the sons of the concubines, xand Tamar was their sister.
10The son of Solomon was yRehoboam, zAbijah his son, aAsa his son, bJehoshaphat his son, 11cJoram his son, dAhaziah his son, eJoash his son, 12fAmaziah his son, gAzariah his son, hJotham his son, 13iAhaz his son, jHezekiah his son, kManasseh his son, 14lAmon his son, mJosiah his son. 15The sons of Josiah: nJohanan the firstborn, the second oJehoiakim, the third pZedekiah, the fourth Shallum. 16The descendants of qJehoiakim: rJeconiah his son, sZedekiah his son; 17and the sons of Jeconiah, the tcaptive: uShealtiel his son, 18Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah; 19and the sons of Pedaiah: vZerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of vZerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; 20and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. 21The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, his son1 Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah. 22The son2 of Shecaniah: wShemaiah. And the sons of Shemaiah: xHattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. 23The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three. 24The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven.
1 Chronicles 4
Descendants of Judah
1yThe sons of Judah: zPerez, Hezron, aCarmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2bReaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the cZorathites. 3These were the sons1 of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi, 4and dPenuel fathered eGedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of fEphrathah, the father of Bethlehem. 5gAshhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah; 6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. 8Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. 9Jabez was hmore honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”2 10Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm3 so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. 11Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. 12Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. 13The sons of iKenaz: jOthniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.4 14Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim,5 so-called because they were craftsmen. 15The sons of kCaleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son6 of Elah: Kenaz. 16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married;7 and she conceived and bore8 Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18And his Judahite wife bore lJered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. 21The sons of mShelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to Lehem9 (now the records10 are ancient). 23These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king's service.
Descendants of Simeon
24nThe sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul; 25Shallum was his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. 26The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. 27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, onor did all their clan multiply plike the men of Judah. 28qThey lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29rBilhah, Ezem, sTolad, 30sBethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31Beth-marcaboth, tHazar-susim, tBeth-biri, and tShaaraim. These were their cities until David reigned. 32And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities, 33along with all their villages that were around these cities as far as uBaal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record.
34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, 35Joel, Jehu the son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel, 36Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37Ziza the son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah— 38these mentioned by name were princes in their clans, vand their fathers' houses increased greatly. 39They journeyed to the entrance of wGedor, to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks, 40where they found rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, xquiet, and peaceful, for the former inhabitants there belonged to Ham. 41yThese, registered by name, came in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and destroyed their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and marked them for destruction to this day, zand settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42And some of them, five hundred men of the Simeonites, went to aMount Seir, having as their leaders Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. 43And they defeated bthe remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.
The Earthly Holy Place
1Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and man earthly place of holiness. 2For na tent1 was prepared, the first section, in which were othe lampstand and pthe table and qthe bread of the Presence.2 It is called the Holy Place. 3Behind rthe second curtain was a second section3 called the Most Holy Place, 4having the golden saltar of incense and tthe ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was ua golden urn holding the manna, and vAaron's staff that budded, and wthe tablets of the covenant. 5Above it were xthe cherubim of glory overshadowing ythe mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6These preparations having thus been made, zthe priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7but into the second only athe high priest goes, and he but aonce a year, and not without taking blood, bwhich he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8By this the Holy Spirit indicates that cthe way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9(which is symbolic for the present age).4 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered dthat cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10but deal only with efood and drink and fvarious washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
Redemption Through the Blood of Christ
11But when Christ appeared as a high priest gof the good things that have come,5 then through hthe greater and more perfect tent (inot made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12he jentered konce for all into the holy places, not by means of lthe blood of goats and calves but mby means of his own blood, nthus securing an eternal redemption. 13For if othe blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with pthe ashes of a heifer, sanctify6 for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will qthe blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit roffered himself without blemish to God, spurify our7 conscience tfrom dead works uto serve the living God.
15Therefore he is vthe mediator of a new covenant, so that wthose who are called may xreceive the promised eternal inheritance, ysince a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.8 16For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17For za will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated awithout blood. 19For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took bthe blood of calves and goats, cwith water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20saying, d“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both ethe tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and fwithout the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23Thus it was necessary for gthe copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ has entered, not into holy places hmade with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God ion our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as jthe high priest enters kthe holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, lhe has appeared monce for all nat the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as oit is appointed for man to die once, and pafter that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once qto bear the sins of rmany, will appear sa second time, tnot to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly uwaiting for him.
Israel's Guilt and Punishment
1jHear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
2k“You only have I known
of all the families of the earth;
ltherefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.
3“Do two walk together,
unless they have agreed to meet?
4Does a lion roar in the forest,
when he has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from his den,
if he has taken nothing?
5Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth,
when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground,
when it has taken nothing?
6mIs a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
nDoes disaster come to a city,
unless the Lord has done it?
7“For the Lord God does nothing
owithout revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.
8The lion has roared;
who will not fear?
pThe Lord God has spoken;
who can but prophesy?”
9Proclaim to the strongholds in qAshdod
and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,
and say, “Assemble yourselves on rthe mountains of Samaria,
and see the great tumults within her,
and sthe oppressed in her midst.”
10“They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord,
t“those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”
11Therefore thus says the Lord God:
u“An adversary shall surround the land
and bring down1 your defenses from you,
and vyour strongholds shall be plundered.”
12Thus says the Lord: w“As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, xso shall the people of Israel ywho dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part2 of a bed.
13“Hear, zand testify against the house of Jacob,”
declares the Lord God, athe God of hosts,
14“that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions,
bI will punish the altars of Bethel,
and cthe horns of the altar shall be cut off
and fall to the ground.
15dI will strike ethe winter house along with fthe summer house,
and gthe houses of ivory shall perish,
and the great houses3 shall come to an end,”
declares the Lord.
Psalm 146
Put Not Your Trust in Princes
1nPraise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2I will praise the Lord oas long as I live;
pI will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3qPut not your trust in princes,
rin a son of man, in whom there is sno salvation.
4When this breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5uBlessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose vhope is in the Lord his God,
6wwho made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
xwho keeps faith forever;
7ywho executes justice for the oppressed,
zwho gives food to the hungry.
aThe Lord sets the prisoners free;
8bthe Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
cThe Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
dthe Lord loves the righteous.
9eThe Lord watches over the sojourners;
fhe upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but gthe way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10hThe Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
nPraise the Lord!
Psalm 147
He Heals the Brokenhearted
1iPraise the Lord!
For jit is good to sing praises to our God;
for kit is pleasant,1 and la song of praise is fitting.
2The Lord mbuilds up Jerusalem;
he ngathers the outcasts of Israel.
3He heals othe brokenhearted
and pbinds up their wounds.
4He qdetermines the number of the stars;
he rgives to all of them their names.
5sGreat is our Lord, and tabundant in power;
uhis understanding is beyond measure.
6The Lord vlifts up the humble;2
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7wSing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on xthe lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares yrain for the earth;
he makes zgrass grow on the hills.
9He agives to the beasts their food,
and to bthe young ravens that cry.
10His delight is not in cthe strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11but the Lord dtakes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who ehope in his steadfast love.
12Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13For he strengthens fthe bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14He gmakes peace in your borders;
he hfills you with the ifinest of the wheat.
15He jsends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16He gives ksnow like wool;
he scatters lfrost like ashes.
17He hurls down his crystals of mice like crumbs;
who can stand before his ncold?
18He osends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19He declares his word to Jacob,
his pstatutes and rules3 to Israel.
20He qhas not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.4
rPraise the Lord!
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