Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Are the spiritual requirements and functions the same for deacons and elders? Is one role more important than the other? Can a church have one without the other? Explore the answers to these questions along with Alistair Begg on Truth For Life.
From the Sermon
Deacons and Their Wives
1 Timothy 3:8–16 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 49:52 • ID: 1964
A Sinner, but Forgiven
David’s affair with Bathsheba is one of the most awful moments of Old Testament history. It is an account of unhindered lust, adultery, treachery, and murder. Perhaps we would rather not think about it—yet the Bible does not cast a veil of silence over it. We are actually provided with far more than we would ever want to know about David—and far more than we want to face about ourselves.
David was the great king of Israel. For most of his life, he was a man of exemplary character. He had built a magnificent reputation by triumphing over God’s enemies, showing kindness to those who did not deserve it, and ruling with justice. By 2 Samuel 11, David was at the pinnacle of his power. He was able to command and to control every-
one and everything, it would seem—everyone and everything, that is, except himself. And so he used—in fact, abused—his power to compel a woman to break her marriage vow, as well as breaking his own, and then to cause a man to lose his life (v 14-15).
And yet, even with this great failure, David remained chosen of God. The prophet Samuel had been sent by God with the instructions, “I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons” (1 Samuel 16:1). David was God’s designated king—and remained so. The promises of God had been given to him, and through him the purposes of God for His people were being set forward. David’s heinous sin did not alter that.
Is it really possible that God’s purpose in history could have been accomplished through this man? Yes. The Lord Jesus, the one man in history who exercised perfect self-control, who always protected women, and who came to bring life, was the descendant of great, flawed, repentant David. And so the story of David teaches us that God’s grace triumphs even over the greatest failures. God doesn’t only use those who are morally spotless—for, apart from His own Son, no human matches that description. In fact, God uses very sinful people like David; He uses very sinful people like me and like you.
Maybe you, like David eventually was, are very aware of your sins, and you are wondering if you are too filthy for God to forgive or to use. Be reassured and be encouraged. Though your sins have real consequences, they are utterly incapable of putting you beyond the reach of God’s grace. Nothing can. There is no one who does not need His forgiveness and there is no one who is beyond the reach of His forgiveness. The blood of Christ cleanses even the deepest stains, so long as you humble yourself and repent. And, cleansed by that blood, as a repentant sinner you are in that place where God is delighted to work in and through you—not for your glory but for His.
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?
Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners
12I thank him xwho has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, yappointing me to his service, 13though formerly I was a blasphemer, zpersecutor, and insolent opponent. But aI received mercy bbecause I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14and cthe grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the dfaith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15The saying is etrustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus fcame into the world to save sinners, gof whom I am the foremost. 16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17To hthe King of the ages, iimmortal, jinvisible, kthe only God, lbe honor and glory forever and ever.4 Amen.
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.
Your Cold Prayers
Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer.
In looking back upon the character of our prayers, if we do it honestly, we shall be filled with wonder that God has ever answered them. There may be some who think their prayers worthy of acceptance—as the Pharisee did; but the true Christian, who sees things clearly, must surely weep over his prayers, and if he could retrace his steps he would desire to pray more earnestly.
Remember, Christian, how cold your prayers have been. When in your closet you should have wrestled as Jacob did; but instead your petitions have been faint and few—far removed from that humble, believing, persevering faith that cries, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Yet, how wonderful to know that God has heard these cold prayers of yours, and not only heard, but answered them.
Reflect also how infrequent have been your prayers unless you have been in trouble, and then you have gone often to the mercy-seat: But when deliverance has come, what happened to your constant supplication? Yet, even though you have stopped praying as you once did, God has not stopped blessing. When you have neglected the mercy-seat, God has not deserted it, but the bright light of His glory has remained visible between the wings of the cherubim. How marvelous that the Lord should pay attention to our intermittent spasms of prayerfulness that ebb and flow with our needs. What a God He is to hear the prayers of those who come to Him when they have pressing concerns but neglect Him when they have received a mercy; who approach Him when they are forced to come but who almost forget to address Him when benefits are plentiful and sorrows are few.
Let His gracious kindness in hearing such prayers touch our hearts, so that from now on we may be found “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”1
1) Ephesians 6:18
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 May 24
Recounting Israel's Journey
1These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2Moses wrote down their starting places, lstage by stage, by command of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places. 3They mset out from Rameses in nthe first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out otriumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, pwhom the Lord had struck down among them. qOn their gods also the Lord executed judgments.
5So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at rSuccoth. 6And they set out from Succoth and camped at sEtham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. 7And they set out from Etham and turned back to tPi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. 8And they set out from before Hahiroth1 and upassed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they vwent a three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. 9And they set out from Marah and came to wElim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10And they set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in xthe wilderness of Sin. 12And they set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13And they set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14And they set out from Alush and camped at yRephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15And they set out from Rephidim and camped in the zwilderness of Sinai. 16And they set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at aKibroth-hattaavah. 17And they set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at bHazeroth. 18And they cset out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19And they set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 20And they set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. 21And they set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22And they set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23And they set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24And they set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25And they set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26And they set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27And they set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28And they set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29And they set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30And they set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31And they set out from Moseroth and camped at dBene-jaakan. 32And they set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at eHor-haggidgad. 33And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at eJotbathah. 34And they set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35And they set out from Abronah and camped at fEzion-geber. 36And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the gwilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). 37And they set out from hKadesh and camped at iMount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.
38And Aaron the priest went up jMount Hor at the command of the Lord and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39And Aaron was k123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.
40And lthe Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the people of Israel.
41And they set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42And they set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43And they set out from Punon and camped at mOboth. 44And they set out from Oboth and camped at nIye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. 45And they set out from Iyim and camped at oDibon-gad. 46And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47And they set out from Almon-diblathaim pand camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in qthe plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; 49they camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as rAbel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
Drive Out the Inhabitants
50And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, sWhen you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52then tyou shall drive out uall the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their vfigured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. 53And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54wYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. xTo a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. 55But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as ybarbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. 56And I will do to you zas I thought to do to them.”
Tell the Coming Generation
A Maskil1 of hAsaph.
1iGive ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2jI will open my mouth kin a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3things that we have heard and known,
that our lfathers have told us.
4We will not mhide them from their children,
but ntell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and othe wonders that he has done.
5He established pa testimony in qJacob
and appointed a law in qIsrael,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
6that rthe next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
7so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget sthe works of God,
but tkeep his commandments;
8and that they should not be ulike their fathers,
va stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation wwhose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9The Ephraimites, armed with2 the bow,
xturned back on the day of battle.
10They ydid not keep God's covenant,
but refused to walk according to his law.
11They zforgot his works
and athe wonders that he had shown them.
12In the sight of their fathers bhe performed wonders
in the land of Egypt, in cthe fields of Zoan.
13He ddivided the sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters estand like a heap.
14fIn the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a fiery light.
15He gsplit rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
16He made streams come out of hthe rock
and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
17Yet they sinned still more against him,
irebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18They jtested God in their heart
by demanding the food they craved.
19They spoke against God, saying,
k“Can God lspread a table in the wilderness?
20mHe struck the rock so that water gushed out
and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
or provide meat for his people?”
21Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;
na fire was kindled against Jacob;
his anger rose against Israel,
22because they odid not believe in God
and did not trust his saving power.
23Yet he commanded the skies above
and popened the doors of heaven,
24and he qrained down on them manna to eat
and gave them rthe grain of heaven.
25Man ate of the bread of sthe angels;
he sent them food tin abundance.
26He ucaused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
27he rained meat on them like vdust,
winged birds like wthe sand of the seas;
28he xlet them fall in the midst of their camp,
all around their dwellings.
29And they yate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they zcraved.
30But before they had satisfied their craving,
awhile the food was still in their mouths,
31the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed bthe strongest of them
and laid low cthe young men of Israel.
32In spite of all this, they dstill sinned;
edespite his wonders, they did not believe.
33So he made ftheir days gvanish like3 a breath,4
and their years in terror.
34When he killed them, they hsought him;
they repented and sought God earnestly.
35They remembered that God was their irock,
the Most High God their jredeemer.
36But they kflattered him with their mouths;
they llied to him with their tongues.
37Their mheart was not nsteadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
God Will Swallow Up Death Forever
1O Lord, jyou are my God;
kI will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
lplans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2For you have made the city ma heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners' palace is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
3nTherefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4oFor you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
pa shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
qfor the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
5rlike heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
as heat by the shade of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is put down.
6sOn this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
tof rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7And he will swallow up son this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
uthe veil that is spread over all nations.
8vHe will swallow up death forever;
and wthe Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and xthe reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
yfor the Lord has spoken.
9It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; zwe have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
alet us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
10For the hand of the Lord will rest son this mountain,
and bMoab shall be trampled down in his place,
as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.1
11cAnd he will spread out his hands in the midst of it
as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim,
but the Lord dwill lay low his pompous pride together with the skill2 of his hands.
12And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down,
lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust.
1See ywhat kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called zchildren of God; and so we are. The reason why athe world does not know us is that bit did not know him. 2Beloved, we are zGod's children cnow, and what we will be dhas not yet appeared; but we know that ewhen he appears1 fwe shall be like him, because gwe shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who hthus hopes in him ipurifies himself as he is pure.
4Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; jsin is lawlessness. 5You know that khe appeared in order to ltake away sins, and min him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; nno one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, olet no one deceive you. pWhoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8qWhoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was rto destroy the works of the devil. 9sNo one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's2 seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, tnor is the one who udoes not love his brother.
Love One Another
11For vthis is the message that you have heard from the beginning, wthat we should love one another. 12We should not be like xCain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? yBecause his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13Do not be surprised, brothers,3 zthat the world hates you. 14We know that awe have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15bEveryone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that cno murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16By this we know love, that dhe laid down his life for us, and ewe ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But fif anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet gcloses his heart against him, hhow does God's love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not ilove in word or talk but in deed and jin truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, kif our heart does not condemn us, lwe have confidence before God; 22and mwhatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and ndo what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, othat we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and plove one another, qjust as he has commanded us. 24rWhoever keeps his commandments abides in God,4 and God5 in him. And sby this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
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