The Sin of Omission
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Matthew 25:41-46
Jesus gave this clear, strong warning against the blighting, murderous sin of omission.
He called those who failed to do good as unto Him, “cursed.” He called those who did good as unto Him, “righteous.”
It is very significant that in every one of Jesus’ parables of condemnation the sin condemned is the sin of omission.
For example, the guest at the wedding supper was cast out because he did not wear the wedding garment. The five foolish virgins did not bring oil with their lamps. The man with one talent did not trade with it to his master’s profit. The rich man did not minister to the poor man, Lazarus, lying at this gate. The unmerciful servant did not forgive his fellow servant who owed him a paltry hundred pence.
In the account of the last judgment people were not asked questions of theology. As important as doctrine is, they were not asked about their doctrinal beliefs. Neither were they asked what sins they had committed. They neglected to do good, and their sin was grave enough to send them into everlasting punishment.
There must be a practical outworking of our faith here in this present world, or it will never endure in the world to come. We need fewer words and more charitable works; less palaver and more pity; less repetition of creed and more compassion.
What are your omissions? And what do you intend to do about them?
Our Father and our God, thank You for Your kindness and charity toward me. You have never omitted Your blessings from my life. I pray that I will not omit the blessings I can give to others because of Your Spirit living in me. Give me insight into what others need, and help me to fulfill those needs in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Hope For His Hour
Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Matthew 24:44 RSV
Have you ever had something unexpected happen to you? Surprises can be fun or they can be disastrous, depending on where we are and what we are doing. An unexpected check may arrive in the mail just in time to pay a financial obligation. A relative or friend we may love very much might call or visit. Unpleasant surprises might include a traffic accident or word from the bank that our account is overdrawn.
The return of Jesus Christ is going to be a surprise too. It will be the most glorious and wonderful surprise of all for those who know Him and have committed their lives to Him. For those who are alive, their bodies will be transformed “in the twinkling of an eye” and they will meet Christ in the air! Imagine what a surprise that will be. You are going about your daily routine when, suddenly and without warning, your body is completely transformed into the likeness of Christ’s resurrected body, and you “take off ” to meet Christ in the air.
For those who do not know Christ, His return will also be a surprise—but a very unpleasant one. For the judgment will soon follow, and those without Christ will spend eternity in hell.
We should use every opportunity we have to tell others of our glorious Savior, who wants all of us to meet Him in the air and to live with Him forever.
Our Father and our God, I wait with anticipation for Your coming again. Your triumphant return will be a day of joy and celebration for me because I am Your child. Prepare me, Master, for that great day so I am ready to meet You in the air. In the name of Christ the Lord. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Signs of His Coming
The disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?”
Matthew 24:3 RSV
There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to describe the coming again of Christ. The first one is parousia, which carries with it the idea of the personal presence of Christ. In other words, when Christ returns, He will come in person.
The second Greek word is epiphaneia, which carries with it the idea of appearing. It is like a star, not seen in the daylight, that suddenly appears in the darkness of night. From it we get our word epiphany.
The third Greek word is apokalupsis, which carries with it the idea of unveiling. It is the unveiling of one who has been hidden.
At Christmas we celebrate the first appearing, which was quiet—the shepherds, the star, and the manger. His Second Coming will be with His dazzling warriors from heaven to cope with any situation and to defeat the enemies of God until He has subdued the entire world.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be a series of events transpiring over a rather long period. There are many debates among theologians as to what some of these passages mean, but one thing almost everyone who loves Jesus Christ agrees on—Jesus Christ is coming back.
When Christ came the first time, He dealt with evil as individual and hereditary. When He comes again, Christ will deal with the practice of evil. He will institute an age of such benevolence that evil cannot reign; and cruelty, oppression, and slavery will no longer exist. All of this will come to pass as a result of the person reign of Christ, following His return.
For the true believer in Jesus Christ, the future is assured. Tomorrow belongs to you. We await the distant trumpet announcing the coming of Jesus Christ. The Christian looks to that tomorrow when the Kingdom of God shall reign.
Our Father and our God, I know that every knee will bow to You when You come again with Your mighty angels. But I bow to You right now, humbly, gratefully, and in repentance for my every sin. You are the mighty God, and I am Your lowly servant. Help me to be ready when You come again. In Christ. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
God’s Kingdom
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matthew 19:24
God’s Kingdom is not built on the profit motive. The world’s favorite verb is get. The verb of the Christian is give. Self-interest is basic in modern society. Everyone asks, “What’s in it for me?” In a world founded on materialism, this is natural and normal.
But in God’s Kingdom self-interest is not basic—selflessness is. The Founder, Jesus Christ, was rich, and yet He became poor that we “through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). His disciples followed Him, and it was said of them, “Neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own” (Acts 4:32). Peter, rich in heavenly goods but poor in worldly goods, said to the lame man on the Temple steps, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I give to thee” (Acts 3:6). The apostles realized that there is no permanent value in worldly goods and cherished the abiding values of the Spirit. They lived with eternity in view.
Today we too often hold spiritual things in contempt and lust after the things of this world. Little wonder that the world is in a state of turmoil! Mammon is worshipped, and God is disdained. Pleasure takes precedence over purity, and gain is considered greater than God.
But in God’s Kingdom he that is greatest among you is the servant of all (Matthew 23:11). Service to God and mankind are put above self-interest. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Christ proved His words by doing exactly that for us.
Our Father and our God, let me walk with You through this life. Let me learn to be selfless and generous to my family, to my friends, to Your church, and to every creature I meet. Give me a heart of compassion, Father, like the heart of Jesus Christ on the cross. Make me rich in love and poor in pride. In Jesus’ blessed name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Is This The Day?
For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.
Matthew 16:27 RSV
Today the person of Christ is hidden from view though His presence through the Holy Spirit is in our hearts. Today is the day of faith. In that day of His coming it will no longer be faith, but sight.
His first appearing was quiet—the shepherds, the star, and the manger. His second appearing will be with His dazzling warriors from heaven, able to cope with any situation and to defeat the enemies of God until He has subdued the entire earth.
Thus no Christian has cause to go around wringing his hands, wondering what we are to do in the face of the present world situation. The Scripture says that in the midst of persecution, confusion, wars, and rumors of wars, we are to comfort one another with a knowledge that Jesus Christ is coming back in triumph, glory, and majesty.
Many times when I go to bed at night I think that before I awaken Christ may come. Sometimes when I get up and look at the dawn I think that perhaps this is the day He will come.
The Bible teaches that the coming again of Jesus Christ will be sudden, unexpected, and dramatic. It will come as a surprise and take most people unaware. “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
Our Father and our God, help me to be ready when You come in Your glory. Protect me from the fiery judgment You will inflict on the evil of this world. See me through the purifying blood of Jesus, who died to rescue me from death. And keep me in His love. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The Glory of the Father
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Matthew 16:27
If you do not know Christ, these words should strike terror in your heart.
Why? Think first of all of being confronted with God in all His glory and majesty and power—and not just with God, but with thousands upon thousands of His holy angels. You and I can barely imagine this awesome event, but in that instant all pride and disbelief will wither and die in the blazing light of His glory. Then sin will be revealed for what it truly is, and you will stand without excuse before the Judge of all the earth. When confronted with God’s glory Isaiah cried, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). When an angel announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds outside Bethlehem, “they were terrified” (Luke 2:9 NIV). Think how much greater their terror would have been if all God’s angels had appeared to them that night! And yet this is what God has promised for the future.
But think, too, of the finality of this event. One of Satan’s oldest tricks is to make us believe we can come to Christ some other day . . . some later time. But when the Father comes with His angels in glory, it will be too late to repent and escape God’s judgment. There will be no second chance. The Bible warns, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NIV).
Yes, if you don’t know Christ, these words should strike terror in your heart. But not if you do know Christ!
Why? Simply this: If you have trusted Him for your salvation, your sins have been forgiven and you are now part of His family forever. In fact, the Bible says, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4 NIV). Your day of judgment has already passed—because Jesus Christ endured it for you. Is your hope and trust in Him? Don’t delay, but make certain of your salvation by giving yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ today.
Our Father and Our God, Don’t let me ignore Your coming judgment or delay giving my life to Jesus Christ, but help me to turn to Him and by faith receive Him into my heart today. Then I will look forward with joy to that day when all evil will be destroyed and I will be safely in Your presence forever. With thanksgiving, and in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Self-Denial
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:24–25
Jesus Christ spoke frankly to His disciples concerning the future. He hid nothing from them. No one could ever accuse Him of deception. No one could ever accuse Him of securing allegiances by making false promises.
In unmistakable language He told them that discipleship meant a life of self-denial, and the bearing of a cross. He asked them to count the cost carefully, lest they should turn back when they met with suffering and privation.
Jesus told His men and the world would hate them. They would be “as sheep in the midst of wolves.” They would be arrested, scourged, and brought before governors and kings. Even their loved ones would persecute them. As the world hated and persecuted Him, so it would treat His servants. He warned further, “They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2 RSV).
Many of Christ’s followers were disappointed in Him, for in spite of His warnings they expected Him to subdue their enemies and to set up a world political kingdom. When they came face-to-face with reality, they “drew back and no longer went about with him” (John 6:66 RSV). But the true disciples of Jesus all suffered for their faith.
I think the great pioneer missionary to Africa, David Livingstone, had a handle on what it means to deny self in service to Christ when he said, “People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owed to God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own best reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and the bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? I never made a sacrifice!”
Are you known primarily for self-denial or self-indulgence?
Our Father and our God, I am so selfish and self-serving sometimes. And I hate being that way. Please guide me to self-denial and service to others. Help me to become selfless, giving, and loving. Teach me the empathy and compassion Jesus had for me. Give me His heart and mercy. In His name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
God’s Formula For Peace
Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Psalm 119:165
Psalm 119:165 says that peace is the gift of God. He has a formula for peace. His formula is in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ, whom He has designated as Prince of Peace. The nations of this world have rejected the peace that God offers. They plan and build for war. Yet there are millions of people around the world who do have peace at this moment because they have found the secret of peace. They have peace in their hearts, as the Bible teaches: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The real war in which men are engaged is a war of rebellion against God. This rebellion has brought about destruction, suffering, misery, frustration, and a thousand and one ills to the population of the world. God longs to see this rebellion cease. He has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross as a demonstration of His love and mercy. He asks us to come to that cross in a repentance of our sins and submission of our will to Him. He promises a peace treaty for all who will come by faith.
Wise old Spurgeon described the peace of God this way:
In the resurrection our nature will be full of peace. Jesus Christ would not have said, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36) if there had not been a deep peace within Himself. He was calm and undisturbed. There was much peace about His whole life; but after the resurrection His peace becomes very conspicuous. There is no striving with scribes and Pharisees, there is no battling with anyone after our Lord is risen.
Do you have Christ’s peace in your life?
Our Father and our God, I come seeking Your peace. I give up my rebellious ways, and I surrender my heart to You. I repent of my many sins and lay them at the feet of Jesus on the cross. Forgive me, Lord; let me rest in Your peace, knowing I am saved eternally through Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Dared To Be Disciplined
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life will lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:24-25
Christian living presupposes Christian conviction. But unfortunately, it is possible to have beliefs which do not find expression in conduct. This belief of the head is often confused with real faith. The simple truth is—one really believes only that which one acts upon. When I see a person who claims to be a Christian and believes all the creeds and calls himself an evangelical Christian, but he does not live the Christian life—his life is not characterized by brokenness, tenderness, and love—I remember the words of Jesus when He said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” After being born again we are to demonstrate our faith by our works. As James said, “Faith without works is dead.”
The effective Christians of history have been men and women of great personal discipline. The connection between the words disciple and discipline is obvious. To be a true, effective disciple of Christ we must seek to discipline our lives and endeavor to walk even as He walked. The thing that has hindered the progress of the church is not so much our talk and our creeds; but it has been our walk, our conduct, our daily living. We need a revival of Christian example, and that can only come when professed followers of Christ begin to practice Christian discipline.
Where do we begin? Having found the life which is in Christ, strict disciplinary trails lead to a full-bodied, rich, and complete life.
The great “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, once said, “I bear my willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my Lord’s workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see most.” I echo that sentiment!
Our Father and our God, I bring You my undisciplined life, and I ask You to help me develop personal control. Eliminate from my heart the unruly desires for worldly pleasures and materialism. Destroy my love of earthly power and pride. Draw me to wholeness through simple, pure thinking and living in Christ. Through Him I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Worthy of Our Worship
Then they . . . came and worshipped him, saying, of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Matthew 14:33
Jesus Christ is who He said He is: God in human form. And that is a crucial truth that undergirds the reality of our salvation. Only the divine Savior could die as the perfect and complete sacrifice for our sins. Only the divine Lord could tell us how we should live. Only the risen and ascended Son of God is worthy of our worship and our service. “We confess Jesus Christ as God, our Lord and Savior.”
During His time here on earth, He was God in the flesh, true God and true man. He is from eternity to eternity. Jesus Christ, by His death and resurrection, became the Gospel. As His ambassadors we must represent Him in all His fullness totally and truthfully. Anything less disqualifies us from our high and holy calling.
The Nicene Creed that came out of the Council of Nicea in AD 325 affirmed that He is “very God of very God, . . . being of one substance with the Father.”
By faith Jesus becomes our Lord and Savior. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). The present evil world system does not yet acknowledge His lordship; it is still under the deceiving power of the prince of this world, Satan (Ephesians 2:2). But those whom Jesus indwells have authority over the evil one and all his demons. The apostle John declares, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Therefore, in spite of our human limitations and even our failures, the Lord is sovereignly directing His own work of redemption. And we are linked to the vast resources of His power so that we don’t merely “get by” in our lives and ministries but “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him” (Romans 8:37). And, as the context of that inspiring and reassuring verse promises, nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). God can turn the greatest tragedies into that which is for our good and for His glory, for “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Because Jesus is Savior, He saves us from the penalty of sin. Because He is Lord, He, by His Holy Spirit, gives us power over sin as we daily walk with Him. And some future day He will take us to be with Him, far from the very presence of sin (Hebrews 9:28). Only because Jesus is God and we have confessed Him as Savior and Lord can He bestow and we receive these benefits, this blessed assurance and hope (Romans 10:9).
Our Father and our God, I confess that Jesus Christ is the living Lord of my world and my life. I know He is one with You and I have access to Your power through Him. Teach me to live as a conqueror and to lead others to You through Him and in His power. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Unused Power
And when [Jesus] had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Matthew 14:23
John Knox prayed, and the results caused Queen Mary to say that she feared the prayers of John Knox more than she feared all the armies of Scotland.
John Wesley prayed, and revival came to England, sparing the nation the horrors of the French Revolution.
Jonathan Edwards prayed, and revival spread throughout the colonies. History has been changed time after time because of prayer. I tell you, history could be altered and changed again if people went to their knees in believing prayer.
What a glorious thing it would be if millions of Americans would avail themselves of the greatest truth this side of heaven: Jesus Christ died to make communion and communication with the Father possible. He told us of the joy in heaven when one sinner turns from sin to God, and in his heart breathes the simple prayer, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Today we have learned to harness the power of the atom, but very few of us have learned how to develop fully the power of prayer. We have not yet learned that a man can be more powerful on his knees than behind the most powerful weapons that can be developed.
We have not learned that a nation is more powerful when it unites in earnest prayer to God than when its resources are channeled into weapons. We have not discovered that the answer to our problems can be through contact with God.
When the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, teach us to pray,” the Savior answered their request by giving them His model petition, “The Lord’s Prayer.” The Lord’s Prayer, however, was only the beginning of His sacred instruction. In scores of passages, Christ offered further guidance, and because He practiced what He preached, His whole life was a series of lessons on prevailing prayer.
Have you learned His lessons yet?
Our Father and our God, be merciful to me, a dreadful sinner whose failures offend You greatly every day. Look into my heart and find a place of purity where You can live. Chase away my pride and prejudice. Destroy my hate and hopelessness. Save me through Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The Voice of Authority
And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13:53– 58 RSV
Jesus’ teaching was unique. He took God out of the theoretical realm and placed Him in the practical. He used no qualifying statements or phrases in declaring His way of life. He didn’t use such phrases as “I venture to say” or “Perhaps it’s this way” or “It is my considered opinion.”
He spoke with authority! He spoke with finality! He spoke as though He knew . . . and He did! When the Sermon on the Mount was completed we read that “the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28–29).
His was not the soft, empty conjecture of the philosopher who professes to search for truth but readily admits he has never found it. It was more the confident voice of the mathematician who gives his answers unhesitatingly because the proof of the answer can be found within the problem. Am I listening to Him—or am I a cynic as were so many of His countrymen?
Our Father and our God, I praise Your mighty works—creation, humanity . . . I fall down and worship You as the One who has all authority and power, both on earth and in the heavenly realms. Bless me, O Lord. Cover me with Your grace and power. Teach me to share Your powerful words with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
A Fabulous Future?
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:44
President Theodore Roosevelt said, “When you educate a man in mind and not in morals, you educate a menace to society.”
Science is learning to control everything but man. We have not yet solved the problems of hate, lust, greed, and prejudice, which produce social injustice, racial strife, and ultimately war. Our future is threatened by many dangers, such as the nuclear destruction that hangs over our heads.
However, the greatest danger is from within. Every major civilization before us has disintegrated and collapsed from internal forces rather than military conquest. Ancient Rome is the outstanding example of the fall of a civilization. While its disintegration was hastened by foreign invasions, in the opinion of Arthur Weigall, a world-famous archaeologist, it collapsed “only after bribery and corruption had been rife for generations.”
No matter how advanced its progress, any generation that neglects its spiritual and moral life is going to disintegrate. This is the story of man, and this is our modern problem.
The Christian believes in a fabulous future, even though the present structure of modern society should disappear and all its progress should be wiped out by self-destruction as a result of man’s failure and folly.
There is a sense in which the Kingdom of God is already here in the living presence of Christ in the hearts of all true believers. There is also, however, the ultimate consummation of all things, which is called the Kingdom of God. This is the fabulous future! It will be a future in which there will be no war. There will be no poverty. There will be happy and peaceful human relations. There will be full and ample opportunity to exploit all our abilities. There will be a state of complete reconciliation between man and God—between race and race—between nation and nation.
Our Father and our God, You hold the future in Your hands—a fabulous future indeed. I long for the day when peace will reign and reconciliation between peoples and nations is complete. I know the day of complete reconciliation will only come when Christ Himself comes once again to take us home. Through Him. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The University of Life
[Jesus said,] “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.”
Matthew 11:29 RSV
What are the required courses in the university of life? You are going to have to face life; you are going to have to face death; you are going to have to face judgment. You can’t really face any of them without Christ. There are three required courses in the university of life. First, life itself. You had no control over the fact that you were born. There is nothing you can do to stop living. “Oh,” you say, “I can commit suicide.” No, you can’t. You were created with a soul or spirit which will live forever. Your body will die and go to the grave, but you, the real you, will live forever. You can kill your body, but you cannot kill you. So “life” is one course you have to take, whether or not you like it. You cannot be unborn.
The second required course is death. The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). Every generation dies. You may die in an automobile accident. You may die of cancer. You may die of heart disease. You may live to old age, but you are going to die. God told Hezekiah, the king, “Thou shalt die, and not live.” The Bible says there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Are you ready to die? Adam lived 930 years, but he died. Seth lived 912 years, but he died. Methuselah lived 969 years, but he died.
At the end of every person’s life it can be said, “He died.” There’s a day, an hour, a minute, for your death. A prominent man was quoted in the press as saying, “I’ve prepared in the course of my life for every eventuality except death. I’m unprepared to die.” Are you prepared to die?
The third requirement in this university is to face the judgment of God. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, a wonderful thing has happened. The cross where Jesus died for our sins was a judgment. The Bible says that He was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). It was in the plan of God for the redemption of the human race that Jesus Christ should die. That was a judgment. God judged His Son for our sins, instead of us. Jesus became sin for us. And Jesus did it voluntarily, because He loves us.
Our Father and our God, prepare me for living, for dying, and for judgment at Your throne. I know I have so much to learn and that I fail often, but please hold my hand. Keep me on the road to life eternal with You. Don’t let me waver from Jesus Christ, who is the one and only Way. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The Mind of Christ
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.
Matthew 11:29 AB
The Bible plainly indicates that our mental powers are to be brought under the control of Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” says Paul in Philippians 2:5. “let [don’t hinder, allow] this mind be in you,” suggests that we can have the mind of Christ, or we can reject it. A popular song describes this attitude with the words “all or nothing at all.”
Oliver Barclay observed, “Fundamentally, to love God with all our mind is to let God’s revealed truth work through our lives so that our thinking, our attitudes, our worship, and our deeds are consistent. They should all be the result of God’s holiness and love and grace toward us. . . . The Bible, when it talks of the mind, is not asking us to develop a philosophy . . . but to allow revealed truth to control us.”
The human mind cannot be a vacuum. It will be filled either with good or evil. It will be either carnal or Christ-like. We cannot control the kind of thoughts that enter our minds. Negatively, the mind must be turned away from all evil. We must choose the kind of television programs we see. We must be careful of the kind of things we read; the things we think about; the things that occupy our daydreams. Positively the mind must be set on things that are above. It is not enough to put bad thoughts out of our minds. Godly thoughts must be put in by Bible reading, prayer, and communion with Christ, fellowship with other Christians, and Christian fellowship in the church.
Some unknown wise man has suggested, “Give your mind to Christ that you may be guided by His wisdom.”
The poet M. W. Biggs put it well:
Be Thou my Object, Lord, this day,
Controlling all I do or say;
That thro’ this mortal frame of mine,
Thy blessed traits may ever shine!
Oh! Fill me, Lord, with Thy deep love,
Attract my mind to things above;
That I a pilgrim here may be,
And truly serve and follow Thee!
Our Father and our God, I want to have the mind of Christ. Help me to fill my mind with good and not evil. Help me to put bad thoughts away consistently. Teach me to focus on righteousness, goodness, truth, and love. And always keep my mind on Jesus, the keeper of my soul. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Meekness From The Master
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:29
God is no respecter of persons. Each of us deserves our just share of happiness. Each of us has the same capacity for God. I should not stand back lamenting my bad luck and my bad breaks in life. I should be joined to the source of power. Take Christ’s yoke upon you, “and ye shall find rest unto your soul!”
“But I can’t live it! I would surely fail in the attempt to be a Christian!” you protest.
Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you.” It is His yoke, and I may rest assured that He will bear the heavy part of the load.
Before He left His disciples, Christ promised that He would send a Comforter to help them in the trials, cares, and temptations of life. This word comforter means “one that helps alongside.” He is the Holy Spirit, the powerful Third Person of the Trinity. The moment we are born again He takes up residence in our hearts.
We may not emotionally feel Him there, but here again we must exercise faith. Believe it! Accept it as a fact of faith! He is in our hearts to help us in our Christian walk.
We are told that He sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts. He produces the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). We cannot possibly manufacture this fruit in our own cannery. It is supernaturally manufactured by the Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts!
I must yield to Him . . . surrender to Him . . . give Him control of my life. Through that surrender I will find happiness!
Our Father and our God, I yield to You. I surrender my heart and my life to You. I give You control of all You have entrusted to me. And I pray for Your tender mercy and grace. I need Your love and patience, Father. And I need Your Son to lead me safely home to You. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Rest For The Weary
Come unto me . . . and . . . rest.
Matthew 11:28
Few people know how to rest these days. Even on vacation, many people rush to cram in as much as they can before returning to their jobs, where they spend twice as much energy catching up on the work and mail that has piled up in their absence. Many of us need vacations just to rest from our vacations! Perhaps we have been looking for rest in the wrong places.
Jesus said, “Come unto me and I will give you rest.” Like peace, rest can be found only in one place, from one source, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we rest, truly rest, we place our confidence in something outside of ourselves. We acknowledge that while there may be work to do, it will eventually be done. But there is nothing more important at that moment than resting, than taking our shoes off, stretching out on a couch or a hammock, and thinking about anything but work.
As we contemplate the all-powerful, always-in-control Lord of our lives and Lord of the world, we can rest in the knowledge that Christ has the whole world in His hands. Despite the headlines in the newspapers and some of the scenes we see on television, we know that all is going according to God’s plan and foreknowledge.
Jesus gives us the ultimate rest, the confidence we need, to escape the frustration and chaos of the world around us. Rest in Him and do not worry about what lies ahead. Jesus Christ has already taken care of tomorrow.
Our Father and our God, I rest in the knowledge of You and Your ever-presence in my world. I know You are in control and You are working Your plan for my life. Take away the frustration and chaos of my heart. Let me sleep in peace with You, knowing I am covered by Your grace and the love of Your Son. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Jesus Loves All
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners.’” But wisdom is proved right by her actions.
Matthew 11:19 NIV
The late Dr. Harry Ironside once said, “Beware lest we mistake our prejudices for our convictions.”
To be sure, we must deplore wickedness, evil, and wrongdoing, but our commendable intolerance of sin too often develops into a deplorable intolerance of sinners. Jesus hates sin but loves the sinner.
I was amused and shocked to hear a man of considerable religious background declare on television not long ago that “you didn’t catch Jesus associating with questionable people or those whose basic ideas and attitudes were at variance with what Jesus knew to be honorable and right!”
Such a man should have known that Jesus wasn’t afraid to associate with anyone! One of the things which the scribes and Pharisees criticized bitterly was His willingness to help and talk with anyone, be they publicans, thieves, learned professors, or prostitutes, rich or poor! Even His own followers decried some of the people with whom He was seen in public, but this did not lessen the compassion that Jesus felt for all the members of poor, blinded, struggling humanity.
Jesus had the most open and all-encompassing mind that this world has ever seen. His own inner conviction was so strong, so firm, so unswerving that He could afford to mingle with any group, secure in the knowledge that He would not be contaminated. It is fear that makes us unwilling to listen to another’s point of view, fear that our own ideas may be attacked. Jesus had no such fear, no such pettiness of viewpoint, no need to fence Himself off for His own protection. He knew the difference between graciousness and compromise, and we would do well to learn from Him. He set for us the most magnificent and glowing example of truth, combined with mercy of all time, and in departing said, “Go ye and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).
Our Father and our God, thank You for Jesus and His love for the lost, no matter what their station in life. He loved even me, Father, and I am so grateful for that. Help me to be like Him and go in love to the lonely, the poor, the lost, and the abandoned. Show them Jesus through me. In His name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Saved to Serve
[Jesus said:] The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
Matthew 10:24
Jesus invites each of His followers to become His disciple. “Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). We are saved to serve; we are redeemed to reproduce spiritually; we are “fished out of the miry clay” so that we in turn may become fishers of men.
During our crusades thousands of young people have surrendered their lives to Christ for full-time vocational Christian service. (All Christians ought to consider themselves in the service of God full-time, no matter what their calling.) There is evidence that the new generation of young people is responding to Christ more than any previous generation in American history.
Young people seek adventure and excitement; but youth wants more—it wants something to believe in; it wants a cause to give itself to and a flag to follow. The only cause that is big enough is the cause of Jesus Christ; and its flag is the bloodstained body that was lifted on the cross of Calvary for the redemption of the world.
This invitation to discipleship is the most thrilling ever to come to mankind. Just imagine being a working partner with God in the redemption of the world! Jesus challenged, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:26).
Christian discipleship gives us the privilege of being associated with Christ intimately. And the faithful discharging of the glorious responsibilities of true discipleship invokes the approval and favor of God Himself.
Our Father and our God, make me a fisher of men. I want to bring other souls to You. Give me the courage, the words, and the right attitude to approach those who need to know Christ so badly. I know He is their only hope. Use me and the talents You have blessed me with to reach the lost with Christ. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Giving, Not Getting
[Jesus said:] Freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8
There are clearly two philosophies about money. The first is Satan’s. He says to every man as he said to Christ, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9).
The second philosophy is Christ’s. “Sell all that thou hast, and [give it to] the poor . . . and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). The first is motivated by selfishness; the second, by unselfishness.
The first has greed at the center; the second has God at the heart. The first has an eye for this world; the second has an eye for eternity. The first is slated for failure; the second, for success.
Tell me what you think about money, and I can tell you what you think about God, for these two are closely related. A man’s heart is closer to his wallet than almost anything else.
It is a staggering fact that in recent years Americans have spent more than ten times as much for luxuries and nonessentials as we have for charitable and religious purpose. This is more than a cold statistic. It is a commentary on the shallow and superficial religious faith in a nation that is nominally Christian.
The Scripture teaches that we are stewards for a little while of all we earn. If we misuse it, as did the man who buried his talent, it brings upon us the severest judgment of God.
One of the worst sins that we can commit is that of ingratitude. In the midst of sorrow and trouble, this life has many blessings and enjoyments, which have come from the hand of God.
Life itself, preservation from the dangers to which life is at every instant exposed, every bit of health that we enjoy, every hour of liberty and free enjoyment, the ability to see, to hear, to speak, to think, and to imagine—all this comes from the hand of God.
Even our capacity for love is a gift from God. We show our gratitude by giving back to Him a part of that which He has given to us. What have you done lately to show your gratitude to God for all that He has done, and is doing, for you?
Our Father and our God, You are the Giver of life and love. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for every gift You have given me personally—my life, my family, my job—I humbly offer back to You my heart, my talents. Please use the possessions You have entrusted to me to magnify You. In the Master’s name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).