TFTD - 06 February 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

06 February 2014

Exodus 13; 14
Psalms 68
Mark 2

"WALK AMONG THEM"

While it is a true that a person's faith is an important element in healing [Matthew 9:22], we noticed in our Mark reading today [Mark 2] that it can be the faith of others that is a vital factor in a situation. We read of the four men who came to Jesus carrying a paralysed man and "when they could not get near him (Jesus) because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: my son your sins are forgiven you … rise, pick up your bed and go home. And he rose and immediately picked up his bed" [Mark 2:4,5,11]

It was their faith that Jesus reacted to. We must be conscious of the importance of praying for others, it is a vital part of our efforts to serve God. James writes, "The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he (or she) will be forgiven … pray for one another … the prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working" [James 5:15,16]

Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Sometimes people speak of having faith in themselves - and some of these only turn to God when all else fails! But we need a faith in the all seeing involvement of Jesus and the Father in our lives every day. It is often only when those with such an attitude look back that they see unexpected turns in the course of events that they perceive to be the hand of God, often these are events that cause their faith to grow - and often these were not seen to be good events at the time. Did the man who was paralysed and his 4 friends think it was a good event when he became paralysed?

Paul in reasoning with the believers in Corinth in his 2nd letter to them, quoted the words of God found in Leviticus, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore … be separate … and I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters" [2 Corinthians 6:16-18] Let us become more conscious of the reality of God, through Jesus, walking among us.
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- DC


Thought for the Day

06 February 2014

"To "be like him" is our cherished hope. We have, moreover, the earnest desire to be able to work together both now and in the coming Kingdom of God upon the earth, bringing others to know the truth and saving grace of God’s Word as revealed in the Scriptures and in the teachings of Jesus Christ, for only in this way can mortal man come to "know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." "This is life eternal." (John 17:3)"

- D.M. Elliott
And This Is Life Eternal (1998)

TFTD - 05 February 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

05 February 2014

Exodus 11; 12
Psalms 66; 67
Mark 1

"HE TAUGHT THEM AS ONE WHO HAD AUTHORITY"

Today we start reading the Gospel of Mark, understood to be the first Gospel to be written. The message that comes through loud and clear is that Jesus impressed the people with the nature of his teaching. “On the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” [Mark 1:21,22]

Jesus was “proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the gospel” [Mark 1:14,15] Jesus had a positive message, God’s kingdom was coming. The time was fulfilled for the first stage of God’s plan. The king of God’s kingdom was there and he was recruiting citizens for that kingdom. It was a clear and positive message. And today? We see the equivalent of the scribes today, but the Bible is the only source for truthful teaching; its message is clear if we apply our minds to understand it.

Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world … then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘… For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’” [John 18:37] We are about to see the most dramatic stage of its fulfilment of God’s purpose. Our age will witness this climax, the signs that point to the imminence of this are multiplying.

In reading Exodus 12 we saw some comparisons. The climax of the plagues set shock waves through the people of Egypt; these were in some ways comparable to the shock of the return of our king will bring on this world. When the preaching of “this gospel of the kingdom” in every part of the world “as a testimony to all nations … then the end will come,” Jesus said. [Matthew 24:14]

Any preaching we do must be done with the authority of the Bible as its backbone, it must be a true testimony. God, through Isaiah, challenged the people in those days. “Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples … to the teaching and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word …” [Isaiah 8:16,20] Let us keep reading God’s word, developing our understanding and teaching with authority.
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- DC


Thought for the Day

05 February 2014

"Follow me" said the King. The call is so simple any child can understand it. Its meaning is so sublime that no philosopher, be he ever so clever, can exhaust the infinite meaning of the mystery-its genius. It is not misery-it is joy. It is not doubt-it is conviction. It is not fear-it is blessed assurance. Disciples are bond servants, but also friends who know their Master’s will. They are not dragging themselves along reluctantly hoping that their misery may win them some reward. They follow gladly for love’s sake, trusting that because he lives, they will live also.

The genius of discipleship-the transformation-touches every aspect of life. Being called, conviction, trust, surrender, purity, peace, prayer, service."

- Dennis Gillett
The Genius of Discipleship

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TFTD - 04 February 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

04 February 2014

Exodus 10
Psalms 64; 65
Romans 15; 16

THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN THE TRUE GOD

We may were wonder about the references in the Exodus readings to the LORD hardening Pharaoh's heart. [Exodus 10:1,10,27] Can God blame man for what God does - if that is the way to understand this? Notice how God conveys the message of the LORD (i.e. Yahweh/Jehovah) to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews; How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? [Exodus 10:3]

Pharaoh refused to recognise the power of the one and only God. Now this power was well and truly recognised in the time of Joseph as a result of the 7 years of famine and the prestige that was shown to Joseph. But when we read in Exodus 1:8 "Now there arose a new king over Egypt that did not know Joseph" the situation changed. To restore the spirit of knowing and fearing the only real God was surely part of the purpose of God in sending the plagues. God saw to it that a Pharaoh was "raised up" whose attitude would enable this to happen.

We can see a more modern parallel to this in Gentile history. When printing was invented, the first book printed in nearly every language was the Bible! This resulted in a wonderful change of attitudes, the world became more spiritual; laws were influenced by the principles of the laws in the Bible. The R.C. Church tried to resist this but the reformation movement, fed by the reading of The Bible, spread throughout the world. People at last read for themselves what God had really done and said. This reformation movement lost its power in the 20th Century, a whole generation has arisen now who do not know the Bible - except for a few. Others read the Bible to get power and influence for themselves and distort what it says, they have no fear and awe of God. The stage is set therefore, for God to bring another series of plagues on the earth, to show his power to Godless man, so that once again people will be aware of the true God.

Those who believed in the true God took precautions. The challenge today is to follow their example.
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- DC


Thought for the Day

04 February 2014

"Don't spend too much of your precious available time in reading books about the Bible: read the Bible itself-carefully and constantly. You will find that it is its own best witness to its claims to be a Divine revelation."

- A.S. Wadsworth
Cited in: Meditations, No. 86 (1944)

TFTD - 03 February 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

03 February 2014

Exodus 9
Psalms 62; 63
Romans 13; 14

"LET MY PEOPLE GO"

Moses stated the words of God as to what God would do because of Pharaoh’s refusal to let “let my people go.” [Exodus 9:2]

Pharaoh said what he would do as a result of the damage caused by the hail. “I and my people are in the wrong … I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer” [Exodus 9:27,28] But the chapter ends with “… the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go …” So Pharaoh did not fulfil his word!

Now we take special note of what God had previously told Moses to say to Pharaoh, “… this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself and on your servants and on your people so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” [Exodus 9:14,16]. The proclaiming of God’s name is that his reputation became known throughout the nations of the then known world.

So God fulfilled his word! The Bible is full of examples of God fulfilling his word. It is fascinating to read the examples of God’s word in Old Testament times about the coming of the Lord Jesus, first to “bring the good news to the poor … to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” [Isaiah 61:1,2] and then the ultimate time, soon to be fulfilled, achieved by the return of Christ when “the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.” [Isaiah 61:11]

God and his Son set the example for us; when we give our word, such as in marriage, or at the time of baptism, to fulfil the commitment we have made. Believers have been given God’s words to keep; they, in a sense, fulfil his word by the way they live their lives. Look at the words of Jesus to his disciples in John 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come and make our home with him.”

We possess the word of God; we read from it every day, it becomes part of us. May that happen so that our hearts will never suffer hardening, as did the heart of Pharaoh.
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- DC


Thought for the Day

03 February 2014

"Jesus would discern the deep need of men. It was a need older than Nazareth, extending back through the ages to Eden itself. It was the need for God; his life’s work was to satisfy that need."

- Melva Purkis
A Life of Jesus

TFTD - 02 February 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

02 February 2014

Exodus 7; 8
Psalms 60; 61
Romans 12

"LET LOVE BE GENUINE"

"Be transformed by the renewal of your mind," writes the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:2. God asks us to be transformed so that he can use us in his service. When the people who had been slaves in Egypt, which we are presently reading in Exodus, came out from there under the leadership of Moses, God gave them a law when they were in the wilderness of Sinai, but they failed to keep it most of the time. God wanted them to be a light to the nations around, an example of what it is to be a God fearing nation and the blessings that would bring ­ as in the reign of Solomon.

Now, in the First Century, inspired by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, believers were to live transformed lives ­ and so be lights to the world as Jesus had been to them (John 8:15; Matthew 5:14)

This happened, a great many people turned from worshipping idols to believing in and serving the one true God and his son.

An essential feature of this transformation, writes Paul, is to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed" and become "a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" [Romans 12:1,2] Worship can be just a ritual in so many religions ­ and it became so in much of Christianity in the Centuries which followed.

Now, we must take careful note of this chapter in Romans because it shows what the real kind of worship is all about, the worship which God approves. We show our love and service to God by how we serve each other. "Every one among you," writes Paul, should "not think of himself more highly than he ought to think" [Romans 12:3] There is no room for pride, Jesus tried to get his disciples to realize this, "let love be genuine" Paul continues. "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit … never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God … do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." [Romans 12:9-11; 12:19,21]
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- DC


Thought for the Day

02 February 2014

"He is our life. When he shall appear we shall be like him, with bodies of humiliation changed into bodies of glory. Peter tells us that this partaking of divine nature is God’s promise to us, but while we rejoice in this knowledge let us not forget the example of Abraham: “And so, after he had patiently endured he obtained (fulfilment of) the promise” (Hebrews 6:15)."

- S.L. Hale
Patience (1950)

TFTD - 01 February 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

01 February 2014

Exodus 5; 6
Psalms 58; 59
Romans 10; 11

"ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM"

As a sequel to our thoughts yesterday we now note how our readings in Romans also refer to Israel in Egypt and God's continuing purpose with them. Paul writes, "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth'" [Romans 9:17]

It was not that the actual name of God, Yahweh, should be proclaimed, but that the reputation of Israel's God in bringing them out of Egypt, with a remarkable display of power, would be widely known and feared. We will see repeated evidence of this in our readings in coming weeks and months.

There are different reactions to this. The reaction hoped for, is that people will want to come and work and serve Israel's God - as the only real God. Now look at what Paul goes on to write in Romans 10, expressing his dismay that the Israelites in his day "have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" [Romans 10:2] What does that mean?

Recall what we read in Job at the end of December. God accuses Job of darkening "counsel by words without knowledge" [Job 38:2]. Job confesses, "I have uttered what I did not understand, things to wonderful for me which I did not know … I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you" [Job 42:3-5]

So Paul in Romans 10 says to the Jews, "being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness" [Romans 10:3] This is "the righteousness based on faith" [Romans 10:6]. This is "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened" [Ephesians 1:18] So we see the Jews, although having a zeal for God, did not have a "knowledge" of God. Think of that as a 'knowing' of God which results in developing a true relationship with our prayers to him coming from our heart with a sense of awe. Understanding this we can then read Romans 10:8-13 with a humble mind, and God will be seen as "bestowing his riches on all who call upon him" [Romans 10:12] These are wonderful compared to man's riches. What are God's riches? Meditate on the final 4 verses of Romans 11, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!"
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- DC


Thought for the Day

01 February 2014

"We are all subjected in our everyday lives to tests which will show if we will be loyal to Jesus under all circumstances. Persecutions may at some time be added to these. Tests of whatever kind are not pleasant but we must remember when undergoing them that our Lord has been tested, tempted in every way that we are. We serve a Master not only of infinite power but of infinite understanding."

- W.L. Bedwell
The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia