TFTD - 15 July 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

15 July 2014

1 Samuel 29; 30
Jeremiah 5
Matthew 16

“… FACES HARDER THAN ROCK”

The word “faces” in God’s word is often used as a synonym for ‘minds,’  such as when ”the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face” [Exodus 33:11] - and we see this today in Jeremiah.  The prophet is bitterly complaining to God about the attitudes of mind he sees all around him.

“O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth?”  [Jeremiah 5:3] But he does not find truth!  God brings trouble on them,  “but they felt no anguish …  they refused to take correction.  They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.”  Jeremiah thinks there will be a different attitude among the rich, but there is not!  “they are all alike … they have no sense … they do not know the way of the LORD” [Jeremiah 5:5,4]

How parallel this is with the attitudes of mind that exist today!  The people “’have been utterly treacherous to me’, declares the LORD. They have spoken falsely of the LORD and have said, ‘He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us” [Jeremiah 5:11-12]  Today, the mature educated people sense the world’s future is going to be increasingly difficult, but they in no way sense that there is a Creator who is going to cause this - or make it worse.

Jeremiah is told to “Declare this in the house of Jacob; proclaim it in Judah … Do you not fear me? Declares the LORD … your sins have kept good from you … They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice … Shall I not punish them for these things? … shall I not avenge myself …” [Jeremiah 5:20,22,28,29]   And God did avenge himself in the horrible destruction of the Temple and of all Jerusalem.

The chapter ends with a question we should ask ourselves.  After observing “my people love to have it so” the LORD asks the question, “but what will you do when the end comes?”   Do you know what you will do, for our world is so similar in so many ways to Jeremiah’s!  God’s word alone provides us with the answer - How “hard” is your “face”?  Only our daily reading will enable us to fully absorb that answer - and the more we join together to discuss and more fully understand God’s word, the more that answer will become clear to us.
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- DC


Thought for the Day

15 July 2014

"This strange conversation (John 4:7-26) is more than a passing incident in Christ's journey through Samaria. It discloses the nature of the intercourse which takes place between God and every true seeker after Him. Our relationship begins with a demand from our Father to do something for Him. Our natural feeling is that there is nothing we can possibly do. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, we are puny creatures of His handiwork utterly dependent and unworthy. Yet the demand persists, and with it comes the understanding that our service conceals a far greater gift from Him. As the nature of that gift is unfolded in His word, so our desire for it grows, and although we can never appreciate it in its fullness, we plead for it. But it has its own demands. It requires us to expose all those things that are unworthy and demands that we share the gift with those around us. We cannot effectively accomplish the second without deliberately facing anything in our life which will impede our communion with God ... This is all brought to a focus in the person of Jesus Christ, and our surrender is complete when we truly believe his saying: "I that speak unto thee am he."

- Melva Purkis
A Life of Jesus

TFTD - 14 July 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

14 July 2014

1 Samuel 28
Jeremiah 4
Matthew 15

“ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART”

Most people are never conscious of the need for spiritual cleanliness; the Jewish religious leaders had made quite a ritual out of material and physical cleanliness, hands in particularly had to be constantly cleansed.  In today’s chapter in Matthew we read a lesson of Jesus about this which should be familiar to us: the kind of defilement we should be really concerned about!

Jesus said, “… what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” [Matthew 15:11]  Remember what we read in Matthew 12?  “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks … on the day of judgement people will give account for every careless word …” [Matthew 12:34,36]     What is there in “abundance” in your heart?    If we listen, read or watch many of the things that are said today, so that they become part of thinking and attitudes, we start to developed a defiled heart.

Life today is such a contrast to our experiences 70 years ago!  Our concerns then included getting home from school if air raid warnings sounded; having faith in the overseeing hand of God was fully ‘real’ to our parents.  A very different diet was available for our hearts in those days.

There are countries today where true believers really need to have genuine faith.  God’s word tells us that the “peace” we presently experience is going to dramatically change ­ are our hearts strong and focused so they will be able to cope with the time of world-wide trouble and anxiety which must surely come?

Jesus more fully explains his point to his disciples, “ … what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the  heart, and this defiles a person.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts  … sexual immorality …” [Matthew 15:18-19] and similar things; much of so called ‘entertainment’ today has these things in abundance!

Jesus also made this intriguing point, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up,” [Matthew 15:13] Does your thinking and doing show that he has planted you? .
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- DC


Thought for the Day

14 July 2014

"The dry bones of Israel are as vibrant with promise as were the original words of Ezekiel who prophesied concerning them. The desert sands of the world are as pregnant with hope as the living water which flowed from the rock in the wilderness. God has spoken and His word shall surely prevail. It will overarch the millennia, sweep aside the ignorance and godlessness of an age which worships the achievements and freedoms of man, and will bring an astonished world face to face with the law of the Lord going forth from Zion."

- Harry Tennant
The Man David

TFTD - 13 July 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

13 July 2014

1 Samuel 26; 27
Jeremiah 3
Matthew 14

“… NO MORE STUBBORNLY FOLLOW …”

As we read more of the remarkable testimony of Jeremiah we come across some brief glimpses of the ultimate future time of glory. In today’s chapter we read, “At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather together to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.” [Jeremiah 3:17]

Those seeking God with a genuine heart were encouraged, indeed, wondrously excited by this prospect, as we are today.   So much of what we read in Jeremiah has parallels with the self-centred attitudes seen today as we live in the final years of human control of this earth.   Jeremiah had begun his life in good circumstances, he was born to be a priest and the word of the LORD first came to him as a very young man in the reign of Judah’s last good king, Josiah.

We learn in 2 Kings 22, that Josiah initiated the repairing of the Temple [2 Kings 22:5] and it was reported to him by the High Priest that “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” [2 Kings 22:8] and the rest of the chapter and the next describes the dramatic story of the reformation the King then initiated.  In the eighteenth year of his reign a great  “Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem” [2 Kings 23:23]  It was a dramatic early start to the life of Jeremiah, it compares just a little with our own teenage years when we witnessed the dramatic re-establishment of Israel as a nation after nearly 1900 years in oblivion.  But how ungodliness has grown in the world since then!.   There are now no humans, those unenlightened by the word of God, who have any confidence that the world has a long term future - and this became Jeremiah’s experience too - the nation of Israel had no future .

Josiah is killed just 13 years after this Passover; from then on, Jeremiah lives and preaches in many hostile circumstances right through until the destruction of Jerusalem - and afterwards. But first God granted him a brief period of “peace” to gain strength under the reign of a good king.  His book does not appear to have been put together in chronological order, yesterday’s and the start of today’s chapter almost certainly reflect conditions near the end of his life.   His life and his distress at the godlessness surrounding him has many parallels to today in which, like in Jeremiah’s time, people “refuse to be ashamed” [Jeremiah 3:3].

Today, the broad way that leads to destruction has never been more evident, we need real strength of heart and conviction of mind to stay on the narrow path, there are distractions on every side, especially for the young.  Let’s look to Jeremiah as our role model to follow, sharing the vision given him of the throne of the Lord being established in Jerusalem and the time when all people will ”no more stubbornly follow  their own evil heart” - but those who are doing that now - they will not be there.
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- DC
We read of the death and the going out of the light of John the Baptist.

He did not die because of his preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom and the Lord Jesus Christ, but because of what he said about Herod's taking of someone else's wife. He kept saying what Herod had done was wrong, and he was not a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Matthew 14:4
"For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her"

When we piece the gospel records together we see that John was arrested out where he was preaching. Because of what he kept saying about what Herod had done was wrong in taking another's wife. The Greek in both gospel records is in imperfect tense, and more literal and emphasised translations read "kept saying", he said it repeatedly.

Thought for the Day

13 July 2014

"God is never late. He will never let us down. Jesus knew how to differentiate between "my time is not yet" and "when his hour was come". He was patient with the will of His Father. We have to learn to synchronise our timetable with God’s."

- Philip Vyse
Practical Living (1990)

TFTD - 12 July 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

12 July 2014

1 Samuel 25
Jeremiah 2
Matthew 13

"SO IT WILL BE AT THE CLOSE OF THE AGE"

Today's 13th chapter of Matthew contains 6 parables of Jesus and at the end of the last one our Lord says, "so it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." [Matthew 13:49-50] The parables are symbolic stories, thus the "fiery furnace" is a symbol of the end of existence for some.   We must face the fact that, in the end, as God sees humans, the highest form of his creation, there are really only two classes of people!   Did you note in yesterday's chapter that Jesus said, "Whoever is not with me is against me." [Matthew 12:30]

Each of the parables in their own way teach the same lesson - that a choice is put before all men and women and "at the close of the age" there will be a time when God will make a decision about the future of everyone. The best known parable is that of the sower sowing seed and the different types of soil (i.e. hearts) into which it (his message) fell and how that seed grew - or didn't!  Another parable is of the wheat and weeds growing together and no action is made to pull out the weeds until harvest time.

It is becoming more and more evident that God's harvest time is near - although, of course, it comes for everyone when they die!  The harvest time, said Jesus, in explaining the meaning of the parable, is the time when "The son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears, let him hear." [Matthew 13:41-43]!

In these days we could add to that saying - those who have eyes to read let them read - and having read - may they, as a result, live their lives in ways that will please the sower. Are you hearing what you read?
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- DC
Matthew 13:52
"Then said he (Jesus) unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things NEW and OLD."

The Greek for both NEW and OLD, are both used together in Matt 9:17 when Jesus speaks about putting NEW wine into OLD bottles, speaking of the old and new covenant, that which is under the Law and that which is in Christ.

So, those who are truly instructed in the Kingdom of God, is likened unto a wise head/leader of the house who brings out the spiritual treasures from the Law and Christ for the others in the household.

We are reminded of furthers words of exhortation from the Lord Jesus:
"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to GIVE THEM MEAT in due season? BLESSED is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing."

Thought for the Day

12 July 2014

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." He will never change. In Luke 12 we have a delightful picture which shows this and is of interest to you and myself. To those servants of his whose loins are girt and lights burning and who open the door as soon as their Lord knocks, Christ says: "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them" (Luke 12:37)."

- T.J. Barling
Our Reasonable Service (1979)

TFTD - 11 July 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

11 July 2014

1 Samuel 24
Jeremiah 1
Matthew 12

“I AM WATCHING OVER MY WORD”

Today we started reading the words of Jeremiah, who was born as “one of the priests” [Jeremiah 1:1]. We are fascinated by the many words from the LORD that he inspired Jeremiah to speak and write.  He was to be the mouthpiece of God to Israel over many years beginning in the reign of good king Josiah, to the disaster of the last king Zedekiah.

“The LORD came to me”  Jeremiah says, telling him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” [Jeremiah 1:5]  Jeremiah protests, “Ah Lord GOD!  Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” [Jeremiah 1:6]  The LORD tells him not to say this, “… whatever I command you, you shall speak, Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you” [Jeremiah 1:7-8]

“Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth.  And the LORD said to me, ‘Behold I have put my words in your mouth.” [Jeremiah 1:9]  It is clear in the words that follow that his divinely inspired messages have applications in many cases to situations developing in Israel in the prophet’s lifetime - and others - to the future of other nations - and also - to events to come in the latter day restoration of Israel, our days; these, as we will see in future chapters, really challenge our thinking.

Jeremiah is a type of Christ from his birth and the later traumas his life went through before and at  the destruction of Jerusalem.  As the inspired mouthpiece of God’s word, he is told, “See I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and break down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant … I am watching over my word to perform it.” [Jeremiah 1:10,12]  As we read God’s word let us search to see how  it has been performed - and will yet be completely performed - the climax of its fulfilment will surely be the most dramatic of all. How close are we to that time?  May we ‘hear’ the LORD saying to us, as he says to Jeremiah (as the chapter ends) “Be not dismayed … for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.” [Jeremiah 1:17,19]
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- DC
1 Samuel 24:9
"And David said to Saul, Wherefore HEAREST THOU MEN'S WORDS, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?"

This is all Saul could listen to as he sadly he did not listen to, and had rejected God's word (1 Sam 15:26).

This is in total contrast to David who, as recorded in the previous verses did not listen to men's words, but rather to the principles of God.

The same danger is there for us in our daily lives, who are we listening to and determining the direction and destiny in our lives.

"And be not conformed (from Gk root = to have union with) to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2)

Thought for the Day

11 July 2014

"God is the Supreme Architect, the Designer of the great plan of the ages. In His written Word He graciously permits us to view the splendid blue-print of His grand redemptive scheme. Don’t let men’s deeds hide from your mental view this wondrous plan of God. The works of men will pass away; God’s purpose will stand. Nothing that men may do can cause that plan to fail."

- Harold Wright
God's Plan with Man

TFTD - 10 July 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

10 July 2014

1 Samuel 23
Isaiah 66
Matthew 11

“… AND LEARN FROM ME”

The final verses of Matthew 11 - are easy to read - but they are also profound - and demand our meditative understanding.  Jesus declares, in apparent prayer to his Father (from Matthew 11:25), “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children; yes father for such was your gracious will.”  This reminds us of Paul’s anxieties over the believers in Galatia, “… my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” [Galatians 4:19] Our attitude to life ‘in Christ’ must be child-like, trusting and humble if we are to genuinely accept into our hearts the teaching of Christ; we must put his words into practice to prove they are in our hearts - all sense of human pride and ego must be vanquished.

Jesus then says, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son  except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” [Matthew 11:27]   Jesus has all authority and our relationship with God is through Jesus, he represents God, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [John 14:9]

Jesus then says to his disciples; he is saying this to us too - if we truly are disciples, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me”  We cannot learn from Jesus unless we are yoked to him! He shares our burdens; this is not theoretical, this is real!  It must be practised, our minds must constantly sense the reality of it happening - our meditative reading of God’s word daily is an essential foundation.

Our chapter draws to its climax as we read and reflect on its final words;  “for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”   Then, with something of a shock, we may recall and see the contrast in Matthew 11:20!  “Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done because they did not repent.”  They had seen wondrous happenings, but it had not affected them in the way it should!   We have not seen “mighty works” - or have we?

We have the whole of God’s word to read and inspire us whenever we feel like doing so - they couldn’t.  We have seen prophecy fulfilling, especially the drama of God’s nation reborn, how great their joy in entering Jerusalem.  Let us come more fervently to Jesus - to a living and real relationship with him, his words constantly echoing in our hearts saying, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”
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- DC
1 Samuel 23:16 - once again we are reminded of the wonderful character of agape love Jonathan shows:
"And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God"

Let's just pause for a moment and consider the extent of what Jonathan does here:
1. He was aware (unlike Saul) of where David was.
2. He was aware of David's welfare and that he was in need.
3. He left the comfort of his own luxurious home to go out to see David.
4. Once again this could place him in a dangerous position with his father, Saul.
5. He travels some 20miles or so to get to David.

Jonathan was a true spiritual friend, inspite of the dangers he faced because of it. He was the older brother who had built up a self-sacrificing close relationship with his younger brother, and because of it, was now in a position to help David.

This reminds us of the wonderful example we have of Epaphroditus, who nearly killed himself because he was seeing to Paul's needs (Philippians 2:26-30)

Thought for the Day

10 July 2014

"Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and it ends with obedience to all His commandments. It can make use of knowledge on this mortal, material plane, while recognizing that there are other planes unknowable to us now. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7)."

- Islip Collyer
Principles and Proverbs

TFTD - 09 July 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

09 July 2014

1 Samuel 21; 22
Isaiah 65
Matthew 10

“FOR MY PEOPLE WHO …”

Today and tomorrow we read the final 2 chapters of Isaiah.  God expresses through the prophet his lament for those who turn away from him, those who “insulted me” - to whom he says, “do not come near me, for I am too holy for you” [Isaiah 65:5,7]

In contrast, his genuine servants “shall sing for gladness of heart” and “his servants he will call by another name so that he who blesses himself by the God of truth … because the former troubles are forgotten … for behold I create new heavens and a new earth” [Isaiah 65:14-17].

This will be “for my people who have sought me” [Isaiah 65:10].   The key question the LORD asks us all is  -do you seek God - do you see him as the God of truth?  Isaiah of course is writing for his people, the Jews, but these words also apply to everyone - for when Jesus came and died his sacrifice was for people of all nations. His final words to his disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel are, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them … teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.”

Let’s take into our minds more of what God said through Isaiah, it is a wonderful heart stirring vision of life in the future when “the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever …” [Isaiah 65:17-18]  Nature itself will be changed, “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox … they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says the LORD” [Isaiah 65:25-26].

And in Isaiah 66 more words jump out at us! “… this is the one to whom I will look : he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” [Isaiah 66:2]  That reminds us of how Jesus started his ‘Sermon on the mount’ - “Blessed are the poor (lowly) in spirit (attitude of mind)”

Ask yourself,  Do I qualify to be among those to whom God “will look”?  Do my attitudes, my aims in life qualify me for the wonder God has ordained for the future?  Whether we will be part of this wondrous time we are reading about depends on the “spirit,” the attitude of mind that is genuinely developing within us, as true servants. Let’s finish by quoting Isaiah 66:14 of this final chapter, “You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice … the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants …”   May we be among those who “see” and “rejoice”.
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- DC


Thought for the Day

09 July 2014

"God is a jealous God. He demands all our love and attention. But because we love God the more, do we love our brethren less? Our love for God is different from our love for another person. If we truly love God, we will show our love for Him in practical expressions of love for others. True divine love does not exclude human love; rather, it enhances it."

- George Booker
A New Creation