My daily devotion: "Holy Goodness"

Holy Goodness
March 25, 2010

"|Barnabus| was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." (Acts 11:24)

The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (1 Corinthians 1:22; 6:19, etc.) and the fruit of the Spirit includes "goodness" (Galatians 5:22) among eight other godly traits. One should therefore expect those empowered by the Spirit (Romans 15:19) to demonstrate holy goodness.

How does holy goodness manifest itself in people?

• Good people delight in God’s holiness (Psalm 37:23).
• Good people expect God’s blessing (Proverbs 12:2).
• Good people secure their children (Proverbs 13:22).
• Good people are satisfied with life (Proverbs 14:14).
• Good people love wisdom (Matthew 12:35).
• Good people are just people (Luke 23:50).
• Good people are full of faith (Acts 11:24).

Our Lord Jesus made it clear that the "fruits" borne by our lives provide the identification of our spiritual status (Matthew 7:20) for all to see.

The parables of the "talents" and the "pounds" (Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27) teach two different applications of the same principle.

In the one case, the same amount was given to everyone and reward was based on how well each did with their resources.

In the other case, different resources were granted to each, and the reward was distributed in proportion to the faithful use of what was initially given.

In both cases, the "unfaithful" and "lazy" servant was castigated and his initial wealth confiscated. No man "having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).

Good people are productive people. HMM III

My daily devotion: "Heaven Opened"

Heaven Opened
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.


"And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (John 1:51)

In Jacob's dream (Genesis 28:12), angels were ascending and descending on a great ladder between earth and heaven. Christ promised a future reality in which He Himself would be the ladder to the opened heaven.

But that was to be "hereafter." Until Christ came to die and rise again, heaven was closed, for nothing unclean could enter there and death had "passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). Even those who died in faith could only be "comforted" in "Abraham's bosom" deep "in the heart of the earth" (Luke 16:22, 25; Matthew 12:40), because "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4).

Then Christ died and rose again "to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26). In His spirit, "he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth," and "when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive" (Ephesians 4:8-9), leading all pre-Calvary saints with Him into heaven. Then was fulfilled the wonderful scene predicted in Psalm 24:7: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."

Since that wonderful day when Christ ascended back to heaven, "to be absent from the body" is "to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Heaven someday will even receive our resurrected bodies. John prophesied it this way: "I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice . . . said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1). Heaven thenceforth will be open eternally to all the redeemed. "The gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there" (Revelation 21:25). HMM

This article was originally published March, 2010. "Heaven Opened", Institute for Creation Research, http://www.icr.org/article/5206/ (accessed March 24, 2010).

On Health Care

Today is my 3rd day out of the hospital and I praise the Lord for renewed strength. If there is anybody who longs to have a decent, in-expensive, and comprehensive medical insurance, it is me. Having gone through a seemingly countless cardiac procedures that include a quadruple by-pass surgery in 1998, angioplasty in 1999, and 4 more angioplasties between 2004-2009, which means 4 stents placed permanently in my arteries, it would be convenient and expedient for me to depend on the government, without worrying about the premium payments and totally put myself under their care and control for my physical health. While I feel wanting to enjoy these privileges; the responsible, moral, and spiritual part of me feels to do this is surrender my freedom to a system that has failed me time and time again.

Our problem is not having a good health coverage. We live in a country with the best health care system in the world. Our medical technology and practitioners are unequal with the rest of the world. We have everything the world wants to have in this country. It is the political ambition of some politicians bent only to promote a personal agenda without regard to the needs of the citizenry that causes the frustrations and the chaos we are facing today. We have enough laws passed that could protect and allow us to enjoy our rights and privileges. We can write better laws to protect, empower, motivate the citizenry to pursue positive and effective means to excel and provide opportunities for livelihood program and business enterprises.

The purpose of the government is to protect the citizenry to enjoy the inalienable rights that God bestowed and to allow freedom for the people to pursue their individual desires in the pursuit of happiness. The government must focus more on creating jobs and improve education to allow them to pursue greater excellence in life, instead of focusing on health that is already being enjoyed by the majority. It is the responsibility of the US to empower and not make dependents out of them.

As a christian nation, our dependency is on God alone, the provider of all things. The government must encourage the practice of faith and religion that honors respect, love, and liberty. Problems occur when we forget the source of our wealth and power: God. He is also the Great Physician who can provide the wisdom we need.

What we need right now is not health care but the right and biblical care that only God can give.