From prison Paul wrote to the Philippians, “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places” (1:12-13).  He did not become discouraged at his station in life, but rather saw opportunities to do good.  Paul looked on the bright side.  Though he could not travel, he could write; we have four wonderful epistles in the New Testament that he wrote while in prison: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

He wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).  Paul had joy in spite of his outward circumstances because his joy was in the Lord.  To be in Christ is to have all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).  To be in Christ is to be a new creature who no longer judges things according to the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:16-17).  To be in Christ means one has been united with Him in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life, anticipating that one shall be resurrected from the dead just as the Lord was (Romans 6:3-5).  How often we forget how wonderful it is to be in Christ!

This is why Paul repeats the reminder to “rejoice in the Lord.”  We are in need of reminders.  We may intellectually know that we are in Christ but were forget what a blessing it is.  Other essential truths that we have known for years must be reviewed as well because spiritually we are forgetful, become discouraged, and lapse into sin.  So, remember to read God’s word, pray, associate with other Christians, and come to worship in order to “stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance” (2 Peter 3:1).

When you are prone to worry or forget God’s great love for you, remember to take it to the Lord in prayer.  After repeating his exhortation to rejoice, Paul goes on to say, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).  To “be careful” in the KJV here is to be worried; it is similar to the “take thought” of Jesus’ warning against worry in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34).  God’s peace will guard your heart if you truly cast all your care upon Him, knowing that He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).  When Paul was in prison he prayed; he said, “I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:14).

Paul remembered to look on the bright side.  He reminded others to do the same.  Let us help each other to remember this as Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

-Mark Day

The apostle Peter wrote, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). False teachers can be cunning. Some have vivid imaginations that they use to fabricate elaborate tales. But the imaginations of men are not the source of the account of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His advent, life, teaching, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension are not fables. They were not made up, but were witnessed by honest men.
The coming in 2 Peter 1:16 is the Lord’s first coming of which the apostles, including Peter, were eyewitnesses. Peter was one of the privileged three (the other two being James and John) to ascend the mountain where Jesus was transfigured, his face shining as the sun, and his clothing becoming white as light (Matthew 17:1-5). Peter goes on to mention the testimony God gave of His Son on that occasion, “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:17-18). Peter saw the transfiguration with his own eyes. He heard the words of the Father with his own ears.

The conclusion Peter draws from witnessing these supernatural events is, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,” (2 Peter 1:19). What the Old Testament prophets said concerning Jesus Christ was confirmed by events such as the Transfiguration which the apostles witnessed while accompanying the Lord during His earthly ministry.
Peter goes on to tell us how the Old Testament, and the whole Bible for that matter, was written. He reiterates what he had declared in verse 16 by writing, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,” (2 Peter 1:20). The subject of this verse is not what one does with Scripture in interpreting, but rather how Scripture came about. The words “is of” in 2 Peter 1:10 come from the Greek word ginomai, which means “comes from.” The Scriptures did not come from man’s imagination or private interpretation; the Scriptures are not “cunningly devised fables.” This is even more evident when we read on to the next verse. Peter shows how prophecy, God’s revelation to man in the Scriptures, came about when he writes in verse 21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Peter himself was writing this epistle because he was guided by the Holy Spirit, whose coming Jesus promised (John 16:13).
This confirmed word from God ought to get our attention. Peter noted the proper response to this confirmed word, writing, “which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). Just as we would notice a bright light if we were in the dark, so God’s confirmed word ought to arrest our attention in a world of darkness. As we grow in our appreciation of God’s word, light will fill our minds. The day will dawn and the morning star will arise in our hearts. Take some time this week to appreciate God’s word and let the light in (Psalm 119:130).

–Mark Day

In his primary book on premillennial theology, The Millennial Kingdom, John F. Walvoord wrote, “According to the Scripture, Israel will also be…regathered from all over the earth and brought back to her ancient land, and there blessed spiritually and materially” (p. 182).

The Old Testament indeed does mention God giving Israel land and even bringing them back to that land after their exile, but the clear teaching of the Scriptures is these promises have been fulfilled.  God promised Abram that his descendants would, after being oppressed 400 years by the Egyptians, receive the land of Canaan in which he sojourned (Genesis 15:13-21).  When Israel was on the verge of receiving this land, Moses, who was instrumental in leading them from Egypt, gave God’s warning that if they disobeyed then they would be “plucked from off the land” (Deuteronomy 28:63).  The regathering of Israel to this land is prophesied in Deuteronomy 30:1-10.  This was fulfilled in Nehemiah’s day as he says in his prayer:

Remember, I unbeseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.  Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. (Nehemiah 1:8-10).

The Bible teaches that God’s promise to regather fleshly Israel to the land of Canaan was fulfilled over two and half millennia ago, not an event for which we ought to be looking today.

While Premillennialists often claim that the land promise was never completely fulfilled, the book of Joshua clearly teaches otherwise.  Joshua is a book about Israel going in and possessing the land that God promised to give them (Joshua 1:1-4).  Joshua 21:43-45 shows God made good on His promise:

And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.  And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.  There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Though many religious people are taught this will happen again, God driving out other nations so that fleshly Israel can possess the land of Canaan, Joshua 23:13-16 shows that God had not failed to fulfill His promise and if Israel disobeyed He would “no more drive out any of these nations from before you.”

God is no respecter of persons in regard to physical nations (Acts 10:34-35).  God does not hold physical lineage above what is in one’s heart (Romans 2:28-29).  Physical Jews are no better than Gentiles (Romans 3:9).  There is no difference between the two in God’s eyes (Romans 10:12).  God keeps His promises both for blessing and for wrath.  He has driven wicked people off their land and removed their blessings in the past. We should be thankful for what He has given us and not pursue wickedness, lest we also have the blessings of our land revoked.  Not even Old-Testament Israel could keep their land perpetually if they disobeyed God.

 

-Mark Day

The various religious sects peppered Jesus with controversial questions to trip Him up, but He masterfully responded to each, driving home the truth and foiling His enemies’ schemes (Matthew 22).  Then Jesus asked, “What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?” (Matthew 22:42).  When Jesus went on the offensive, they were not prepared to answer His questions.  They thought Jesus was the son of David, but Jesus’ follow up question revealed more.

He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?  If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?  And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:43-46.)

Jesus quotes Psalm 110, saying “David in spirit” to indicate that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote this prophecy of Christ (cf. 2 Peter 1:21).  In regard to the Psalms, David asserted that the Holy Spirit spoke by him, giving words to his tongue (2 Samuel 23:1-2).

Unlike the attitude of many today, the first-century Jews held the conviction that one who came earlier in a genealogy was thought to be greater.  On one occasion Jesus was asked, “Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? (John 8:53).  Even the Samaritans held this ideal.  The Samaritan woman at the well asked Jesus, “Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?” (John 4:12).  Jesus correctly interprets the prophecy of Psalm 110 and applies it to Himself.  David, by inspiration, called Jesus “Lord” when “the Lord” (God the Father) “said to my Lord” (the Son) “Sit thou on my right hand…” (Psalm 110:1).  Jesus was the physical descendant of David (Matthew 1:1).  But He was David’s Lord because He is divine.  He is the Son of God.

This truth is the foundation of the church (Matthew 16:16-19).  It is the basis of salvation (John 8:24; 20:31).  By Jesus’ question, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians were brought face to face with this truth.  They would not answer the question because they rejected anything that would not give them power.  When we answer this question rightly, we lose all power.  If Jesus really is Lord, as David, by inspiration, wrote, then His word reigns supreme in my life.  It does no good to call Him Lord and not do His will (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46).  You are confronted with this question every day.  You may push it from your mind or refuse to answer it, but by doing that you actually have given your answer.  By how you live your life you answer this question.  Will you proclaim Jesus as Lord by doing His will?  Will you follow the Son of God?

-Mark Day