Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Gratitude is expressed in words and actions. Remembering who God is and all He’s done should inspire joyful worship and praise. Thankfulness has also moved God’s people to respond with abundant generosity. Hear more on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Overflowing with Thankfulness — Part Two
Exodus 35:1–35 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 40:04 • ID: 2716
A Picture of Heaven
Many of our ideas and songs about heaven have more to do with Victorian-era Christianity and views of the universe based on the teaching of the Greek philosopher Plato than they do with a rigorous, thoughtful consideration of what God has revealed in His word. We will not spend our eternity just sitting on clouds and playing harps, as heaven is often depicted in art. We will do something far better. Scripture shows us that we will sing God’s praises and worship the Lamb.
The book of Revelation calls us to notice the ever-expanding circles of praise that surround the Lamb. In the first circle, we see four living creatures and twenty-four elders offering incense and singing a new song of praise (Revelation 5:8-9). The second circle, in verses 11-13, then consists of tens of thousands of angels giving Him honor, joined by every creature in all creation. Next, Revelation highlights those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (7:4, 9). They are described both as 144,000 in number and as a company beyond counting. They are portrayed both as the twelve tribes of Israel and as people from every nation and language. These descriptions may seem mutually contradictory, but this makes perfect sense from God’s perspective. The exact number represents perfection and completion; but from a human perspective, the crowd is so vast that you can’t count it when you see it before you. In God’s eyes, the people that are redeemed are His chosen sons and daughters, representatives of every tribe. He knows every single individual. Yet His people are drawn from all peoples. Here is a picture of God’s absolute, total triumph—and of God’s people exalting Him and exulting over His triumph.
So, while this scene opens with the four creatures and the twenty-four elders, it progresses to these thousands upon thousands, reflecting Paul’s declaration that, eventually, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10, emphasis added). Our praise will join that of the countless multitudes, and we will all declare that Christ is the Lamb that was slain, that by His blood our sins have been cleansed, that with His righteousness we are clothed, and that in His company we will live for all of eternity.
One day we will get to join the ever-expanding circle of praise around Christ, who will step forward as the conquering Lion and the humble Lamb, our beloved Bridegroom. But we do not need to wait until then, for we can, even now, join the song of worship with our eyes fastened on Him. One day you will stand before Him and see Him! And day by day, you walk toward that day.
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 144,000 of Israel Sealed
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back uthe four winds of the earth, vthat no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2Then I saw another angel ascending wfrom the rising of the sun, with xthe seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying, y“Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God zon their foreheads.” 4And aI heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
512,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
612,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
712,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
812,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
A Great Multitude from Every Nation
9After this I looked, and behold, ba great multitude that no one could number, cfrom every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dclothed in white robes, with epalm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, f“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and gthe four living creatures, and they hfell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12isaying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, dclothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of jthe great tribulation. kThey have washed their robes and lmade them white min the blood of the Lamb.
15“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and nserve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne owill shelter them with his presence.
16pThey shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
qthe sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne rwill be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of sliving water,
and tGod will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
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.
The Cornerstone of the Building
The power of his resurrection.
The doctrine of a risen Savior is exceedingly precious. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the entire building of Christianity. It is the keystone of the arch of our salvation. It would take a volume to set out all the streams of living water that flow from this one sacred source, the resurrection of our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But to know that He has risen, and to have fellowship with Him as such—communing with the risen Savior by possessing a risen life, seeing Him leave the tomb by leaving the tomb of worldliness ourselves—this is even more precious still. The doctrine is the basis of the experience, but as the flower is more lovely than the root, so is the experience of fellowship with the risen Savior more lovely than the doctrine itself.
I would have you believe that Christ rose from the dead so as to sing of it and derive all the consolation that it is possible for you to extract from this well-affirmed and well-witnessed fact; but I beseech you, do not rest contented even there. Though you cannot, like the disciples, see Him visibly, yet I urge you to aspire to see Christ Jesus by the eye of faith; and though, like Mary Magdalene, you may not touch Him, yet you may be privileged to converse with Him and to know that He is risen, you yourselves being risen in Him to newness of life.
To know a crucified Savior as having crucified all my sins is a high degree of knowledge; but to know a risen Savior as having justified me, and to realize that He has bestowed upon me new life, having made me a new creature through His own newness of life—this is a noble style of experience. Short of it, none should rest satisfied. May you both "know him and the power of his resurrection." Why should souls who are made alive with Jesus wear the grave—clothes of worldliness and unbelief? Rise, for the Lord is risen.
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 22
The Lord's Covenant with David
1tNow when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” 2And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 4“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: uIt is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. 5For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, vbut I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. 6In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 7Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I wwill subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. 11When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13xI will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, yas I took it from him who was before you, 14but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 15In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David's Prayer
16Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations,1 O Lord God! 18And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19zFor your servant's sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21And who is like your people Israel, the one2 nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”
Warning Against Worldliness
1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions1 are yat war within you?2 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask zwrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4aYou adulterous people!3 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? bTherefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit cthat he has made to dwell in us”? 6But dhe gives more grace. Therefore it says, e“God opposes the proud but dgives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. fResist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8gDraw near to God, and he will draw near to you. hCleanse your hands, you sinners, and ipurify your hearts, jyou double-minded. 9kBe wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10lHumble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11mDo not speak evil against one another, brothers.4 The one who speaks against a brother or njudges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12There is only oone lawgiver and pjudge, he who is able to save and qto destroy. But rwho are you to judge your neighbor?
Boasting About Tomorrow
13Come now, you who say, s“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For tyou are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15Instead you ought to say, u“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your arrogance. vAll such boasting is evil. 17wSo whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Jonah Flees the Presence of the Lord
1Now the word of the Lord came to aJonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2“Arise, go to bNineveh, that cgreat city, and call out against it, dfor their evil1 has come up before me.” 3But Jonah erose to flee to fTarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to gJoppa and found a ship going to fTarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to fTarshish, haway from the presence of the Lord.
4But ithe Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened jto break up. 5Then the mariners were afraid, and keach cried out to his god. And lthey hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, kcall out to your god! mPerhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea
7And they said to one another, “Come, let us ncast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear othe Lord, the God of heaven, pwho made the sea and the dry land.” 10Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that hhe was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
11Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, qfor I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard2 to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and rlay not on us innocent blood, sfor you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, tand the sea ceased from its raging. 16Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, uand they offered a sacrifice to the Lord vand made vows.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
173 And the Lord appointed4 a great fish to swallow up Jonah. wAnd Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1sOn a Sabbath,1 while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples tplucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2But some of the Pharisees said, u“Why are you doing vwhat is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3And Jesus answered them, w“Have you not read xwhat David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and took and ate ythe bread of the Presence, ywhich is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5And he said to them, z“The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand
6On another Sabbath, ahe entered the synagogue band was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7And the scribes and the Pharisees cwatched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, dso that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8But ehe knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, fis it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10And gafter looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And hhe did so, and his hand was restored. 11But they were filled with ifury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
The Twelve Apostles
12In these days jhe went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13And when day came, khe called his disciples land mchose from them twelve, whom he named napostles: 14Simon, owhom he named Peter, and pAndrew his brother, and pJames and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15and qMatthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called rthe Zealot, 16and sJudas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude
17And the came down with them and stood on a level place, with ua great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of vTyre and Sidon, 18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. wAnd those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all the crowd xsought to touch him, for ypower came out from him and healed them all.
The Beatitudes
20And zhe lifted up his eyes on his disciples, aand said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for byours is the kingdom of God.
21c“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
d“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22“Blessed are you when epeople hate you and when they fexclude you and revile you and gspurn your name as evil, hon account of the Son of Man! 23iRejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for jso their fathers did to the prophets.
Jesus Pronounces Woes
24k“But woe to you who are rich, lfor you mhave received your consolation.
25“Woe to you who are full now, for nyou shall be hungry.
“Woe to oyou who laugh now, ofor you shall mourn and weep.
26“Woe to you, pwhen all people speak well of you, for qso their fathers did to rthe false prophets.
Love Your Enemies
27“But I say to you who hear, sLove your enemies, tdo good to those who hate you, 28ubless those who curse you, spray for those who abuse you. 29vTo one who wstrikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic2 either. 30xGive to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31And yas you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32z“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And aif you blend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35But clove your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and dyou will be sons of ethe Most High, for fhe is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36gBe merciful, even as hyour Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37ij“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; jforgive, and you will be forgiven; 38kgive, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put linto your lap. For mwith the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
39He also told them a parable: n“Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40oA disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is pfully trained will be like his teacher. 41iWhy do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but qdo not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43“For rno good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44for seach tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45tThe good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces uevil, vfor out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Build Your House on the Rock
46w“Why xdo you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47yEveryone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.3 49zBut the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and athe ruin of that house was great.”
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