Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Can true beauty bloom along with wrinkles? The popularity of anti-aging “secrets” and wrinkle-fighting creams would suggest the answer is a hard no. But discover the Bible’s standards for beauty when you study along with Alistair Begg on Truth For Life.
From the Sermon
The City of Man
We shouldn’t be surprised or alarmed when Christians face continual opposition. Humanity’s natural disposition is one of proud defiance towards God and therefore against His people. Man, on the unstable foundation of his pride, “builds a city” (to use the picture language of Revelation) and constructs a lifestyle that is set against God’s ways.
Humanity has been doing this since the fall. The first godless building project was on the plain of Shinar, at a place called Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)—the place that later bore the name Babylon, and to which God’s people were exiled. Revelation 18 therefore refers to the city of man, constructed in defiance of God, as Babylon; and Babylon is then personified as a prostitute, enticing people to commit spiritual adultery. Alluring and seductive, the city of man is effective at turning many away from God. It is “the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth” (17:18), and its influence is significant and destructive.
How, then, are citizens of the city of God to respond to this worldly rival? We are to be in the world but not of the world. In other words, we are to be salt, which has a distinctive taste and a preservative quality; and we are to be light, which exposes what darkness covers but which also guides others along the way to safety (Matthew 5:13-16). We are to live in the tension of being members of this world but not belonging here: residing here but also being separate from those whose hearts and minds are set against God. The sins of the city of man must not characterize the believer, John says, lest we “share in her plagues.” If we yield to Babylon’s seduction, we prove our identity was never truly that of a citizen of God’s kingdom.
Those who follow Christ must be committed to the Bible’s truth. Christianity is more than a moral code. It’s more than a framework for living or a method to improve one’s life. Where is the cross in that? Christianity is distinct from all other religions in that we hold fast to Jesus’ death on the cross as our means of reconciliation to God. We were once dead in our sins, deserving of God’s wrath and judgment—but He redeemed us through Christ’s perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection.
For now, the world goes on as it always did. But one day Christ will return and silence every false prophet, every citizen of Babylon, and even the devil himself. We may see the church hard-pressed, mocked, legislated against, and persecuted. The world will see it as weak, on the wrong side of history, and not worthy of respect or acceptance. But we take hope in this triumphant affirmation: neither the gates of Babylon nor the gates of hell will prevail because Christ will build and keep His church (Matthew 16:18). So for now, as you live in Babylon, what of its sins do you find most alluring? In what ways are you most tempted to live as though this city is all there is? And what opportunities have you been given to be salt and light to those around you? Be sure both to resist the city of man and to beckon others to the city of God.
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?
Revelation 18:1–24
The Fall of Babylon
1After this I saw nanother angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and othe earth was made bright with his glory. 2And he called out with a mighty voice,
p“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become qa dwelling place for demons,
a haunt rfor every unclean spirit,
a haunt sfor every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3For all nations have drunk1
tthe wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and uthe kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and vthe merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
w“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
5for xher sins are heaped high as heaven,
and yGod has remembered her iniquities.
6zPay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her adouble for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her bin the cup she mixed.
7cAs she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
d‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
8For this reason her plagues will come ein a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and fshe will be burned up with fire;
for gmighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
9And hthe kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, iwill weep and wail over her jwhen they see the smoke of her burning. 10kThey will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
“Alas! Alas! lYou great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For min a single hour your judgment has come.”
11And nthe merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.2
14“The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”
15oThe merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, pwill stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
16“Alas, alas, for the great city
qthat was clothed in fine linen,
in purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold,
with jewels, and with pearls!
17For rin a single hour all this wealth shas been laid waste.”
And tall shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18and ucried out vas they saw the smoke of her burning,
w“What city was like the great city?”
19And they threw xdust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
ywhere all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For zin a single hour she has been laid waste.
20aRejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and bapostles and prophets,
for cGod has given judgment for you against her!”
21Then da mighty angel etook up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
“So will Babylon fthe great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
22and gthe sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and hthe sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
23and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and ithe voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for jyour merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived kby your sorcery.
24And lin her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of mall who have been slain on earth.”
Revelation 19:1–10
Rejoicing in Heaven
1After this I heard nwhat seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
oSalvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2for phis judgments are true and just;
for he has judged qthe great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and rhas avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3Once more they cried out,
“Hallelujah!
sThe smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4And tthe twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5And from the throne came a voice saying,
u“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
vyou who fear him,
small and great.”
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
6Then I heard what seemed to be wthe voice of a great multitude, like xthe roar of many waters and ylike the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty zreigns.
7Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for athe marriage of the Lamb has come,
and bhis Bride has made herself ready;
8cit was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is dthe righteous deeds of the saints.
9And the angel said1 to me, “Write this: eBlessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, f“These are the true words of God.” 10Then gI fell down at his feet to worship him, hbut he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to ithe testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
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.
He Sets an Open Door
… Who opens and no one will shut.
Jesus is the keeper of the gates of paradise, and before every believing soul He sets an open door, which no man or devil will be able to close. What joy it will be to find that faith in Him is the golden key to the everlasting doors. My soul, do you carry this key close to you, or are you trusting in some dishonest locksmith who will fail you in the end?
Pay attention to a parable of the preacher, and remember it. The great King has made a banquet, and He has proclaimed to all the world that no one will enter except those who bring with them the fairest flower that blooms. The spirits of men advance to the gate by thousands, and each one brings the flower that he esteems the queen of the garden; but in crowds they are driven from the royal presence and do not enter into the festive halls. Some are carrying the poisonous plant of superstition, others the flaunting poppies of empty religion, and some the hemlock of self-righteousness; but these are not precious to the King, and so those carrying them are shut out of the pearly gates.
My soul, have you gathered the rose of Sharon? Do you wear the lily of the valley on your lapel constantly? If so, when you arrive at the gates of heaven you will know its value, for you only have to show this choicest of flowers, and the Porter will open and without a moment's delay, for to that rose the Porter always opens. You will find your way with the rose of Sharon in your hand up to the throne of God Himself, for heaven itself possesses nothing that excels its radiant beauty, and of all the flowers that bloom in paradise, none of them can rival the lily of the valley. My soul, get Calvary's blood-red rose into your hand by faith, by love wear it, by communion preserve it, by daily watchfulness make it your all in all, and you will be blessed beyond all bliss, happy beyond a dream. Jesus, be mine forever, my God, my heaven, my all.
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 June 15
Laws Concerning Warfare
1“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see ihorses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is jwith you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2And when you draw near to the battle, kthe priest shall come forward and speak to the people 3and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, 4for the Lord your God is he who goes with you lto fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ 5Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. 6And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not menjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit. 7nAnd is there any man who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.’ 8And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, o‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’ 9And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.
10“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, poffer terms of peace to it. 11And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you. 12But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13And when the Lord your God gives it into your hand, qyou shall put all its males to the sword, 14rbut the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you sshall take as plunder for yourselves. And tyou shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the Lord your God has given you. 15Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here. 16But uin the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, 17but vyou shall devote them to complete destruction,1 the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded, 18that wthey may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you xsin against the Lord your God.
19“When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, yyou shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you? 20Only the trees that you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, that you may build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.
Book Five
Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So
1gOh give thanks to the Lord, hfor he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2Let ithe redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has jredeemed from trouble1
3and kgathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4Some lwandered in desert wastes,
finding no way mto a city to dwell in;
5hungry and thirsty,
their soul nfainted within them.
6Then they ocried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7He led them by pa straight way
till they reached ma city to dwell in.
8qLet them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9For he rsatisfies the longing soul,
sand the hungry soul he fills with good things.
10tSome sat in darkness and in uthe shadow of death,
prisoners in vaffliction and in irons,
11for they whad rebelled against the words of God,
and xspurned the counsel of the Most High.
12So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, ywith none to help.
13zThen they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
14He brought them out of adarkness and the shadow of death,
and bburst their bonds apart.
15cLet them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16For he dshatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17Some were efools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18fthey loathed any kind of food,
and they gdrew near to hthe gates of death.
19iThen they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
20He jsent out his word and khealed them,
and ldelivered them from their destruction.
21mLet them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22And let them noffer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and otell of his deeds in psongs of joy!
23Some qwent down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25For he rcommanded and sraised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage tmelted away in their evil plight;
27they reeled and ustaggered like drunken men
and vwere at their wits' end.2
28wThen they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29He xmade the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30Then they were glad that the waters3 were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31yLet them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32Let them zextol him in athe congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33He bturns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34ca fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35He dturns a desert into pools of water,
ea parched land into springs of water.
36And there he lets the hungry dwell,
and they establish fa city to live in;
37they sow fields and plant vineyards
and get a fruitful yield.
38gBy his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their livestock diminish.
39When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40hhe pours contempt on princes
and imakes them wander jin trackless wastes;
41but khe raises up the needy out of affliction
and lmakes their families like flocks.
42mThe upright see it and are glad,
and nall wickedness shuts its mouth.
43oWhoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
The Humiliation of Babylon
1eCome down and sit in the dust,
O virgin fdaughter of Babylon;
gsit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of hthe Chaldeans!
iFor you shall no more be called
tender and delicate.
2Take the millstones and jgrind flour,
kput off your veil,
strip off your robe, uncover your legs,
pass through the rivers.
3Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
and your disgrace shall be seen.
I will take vengeance,
and I will spare no one.
4lOur Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name—
is the Holy One of Israel.
5mSit in silence, and go into darkness,
O daughter of hthe Chaldeans;
for you shall no more be called
nthe mistress of kingdoms.
6oI was angry with my people;
I profaned my heritage;
I gave them into your hand;
pyou showed them no mercy;
on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
7You said, “I shall be qmistress forever,”
so that you did not lay these things to heart
or remember their end.
8Now therefore hear this, qyou lover of pleasures,
rwho sit securely,
who say in your heart,
s“I am, and there is no one besides me;
tI shall not sit as a widow
or know the loss of children”:
9uThese two things shall come to you
in a moment, vin one day;
the loss of children and widowhood
shall come upon you in full measure,
win spite of your many sorceries
and the great power of your enchantments.
10You felt secure in your wickedness;
you said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
x“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
11But evil shall come upon you,
which you will not know how to charm away;
disaster shall fall upon you,
for which you will not be able to atone;
yand ruin shall come upon you suddenly,
of which you know nothing.
12zStand fast in your enchantments
and your many sorceries,
with which you have labored from your youth;
perhaps you may be able to succeed;
perhaps you may inspire terror.
13You are wearied with your many counsels;
let them stand forth and save you,
athose who divide the heavens,
who gaze at the stars,
who at the new moons make known
what shall come upon you.
14Behold, bthey are like stubble;
cthe fire consumes them;
they cannot deliver themselves
from the power of the flame.
No coal for warming oneself is this,
no fire to sit before!
15Such to you are those with whom you have labored,
who have done business with you from your youth;
they wander about, each in his own direction;
there is no one to save you.
The Great Prostitute and the Beast
1Then vone of the seven angels who had wthe seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of xthe great prostitute ywho is seated on many waters, 2zwith whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and awith the wine of whose sexual immorality bthe dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3And che carried me away in the Spirit dinto a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on ea scarlet beast that was full of fblasphemous names, and git had seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman hwas arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned iwith gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand ja golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5And on her forehead was written a name of kmystery: l“Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” 6And I saw the woman, drunk mwith the blood of the saints, the blood of nthe martyrs of Jesus.1
When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you othe mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8The beast that you saw pwas, and is not, and qis about to rise from rthe bottomless pit2 and sgo to destruction. And tthe dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in uthe book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because pit was and is not and is to come. 9vThis calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11As for the beast wthat was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12And xthe ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings yfor one hour, together with the beast. 13These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14They zwill make war on the Lamb, and athe Lamb will conquer them, for he is bLord of lords and bKing of kings, and those with him are ccalled and chosen and faithful.”
15And the angel3 said to me, d“The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16And ethe ten horns that you saw, they and the beast fwill hate the prostitute. They will make her gdesolate and hnaked, and idevour her flesh and jburn her up with fire, 17for kGod has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and lhanding over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18And the woman that you saw is mthe great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”
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