Latest Thoughts of the Day

3 john 7

9/20/2017

It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.

Nowadays groups that profess some connection with true religion make very strong appeals to non-believers to support their work. Early Christian missionaries did not do so. They expected that God’s work would be supplied by God’s people, and John writes to churches that they might catch the vision and provide the funds. Ought we not to perpetuate the concept? One is controlled by the one with the purse-strings. Policy must please them. Decisions must fit in with their perspectives. You are beholden to the one who bankrolls your projects. Lord, we do not need pagan’s support. A famous missionary used to say, “ God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” May these words be proved true in our ministry! Exalt Yourself in us, Lord Jesus!

2 John 7

9/19/2017

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

“Spiritual” people in the 21st century would tell us that we should embrace every type of interest in any god and see how we are brothers with everybody no matter what they believe. This was not John’s perspective. Those who were wrong about Jesus were deceivers and antichrist. Christians were encouraged to bear witness to the Truth and stay aloof from those who, for whatever personal reason, were leading others into falsehood. In Nehemiah we have the image of the sword and the trowel. We need to have both in our day. Lord, help us to call evil what it is and to hold fast to Jesus as You have revealed Him to us. Strengthen those who love Jesus.

I John 1:7

9/18/2017

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son, purifies us of all sin.

Our fellowship with one another as human beings is connected to our walking in the light. A Christian does not really fellowship at all with those who deny Christ. The connection warms as there is a common acknowledgement of God, and warms even more if Jesus is brought into the picture. But it is when we know that another person has come to know Jesus, and has the desire in the heart to live for Him that we become deep in fellowship with them. We truly fellowship with one another to the degree that we walk in the light. Lord, help us to walk in Your light today, Lead us to others who truly love Jesus.

2 Peter 1:7

9/17/2017

...and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.

All our focus and all our powers must be directed to personal godliness, if we hope to attain God’s goal for us as Christians. Christian love is the crown, the culmination, the flower of the Christian life. Christian love is not something that “happens” to us, or something granted suddenly by an extraordinary anointing. It is built upon a consistent and dedicated pursuit of God in the whole of our lives. To be sure, the program begins with faith, but Peter challenges us to add something to our faith. Not that it may accomplish salvation for us, but that we might live out our salvation to the end God has in mind. Lord, help us today to add to our faith the elements in our lives that form the basis of Christian love. Make us like Jesus.

I Peter 1:7

9/16/2017

These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

The reason for my trials is the refining of my faith. Temptation, discouragement, frustration, hindrance, pain and suffering all perfect my trust and confidence in the One who has loved me. I have learned what it is to draw near unto God. I have felt the reality of the everlasting arms. My heart has been weaned from earth, and my desire for heaven focused and fired. Gold shines in the fire and does not perish easily—but it will perish. My faith will find its culmination in the face of Jesus Christ, and will shine forever in His image. Thank You, Lord, for every difficulty that brings me more to Jesus.

James 1:7

9/15/2017

That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;

James is saying that the man who doubts God’s word will never receive anything from the Lord. This is not to say that he will not receive rain and sunshine, food and shelter, human joy and happiness. Everyone receives these things from the Lord every day. But for a thing to be truly “from the Lord” there must be the hand of God recognized and the heart rising up in thanks to Him. The man who doubts God’s Word will not see God’s hand. Blessings from God are a thousand times more precious than blessings on their own. Even trials from God are more precious than blessings without Him. Lord, help us to trust, to revere, to treasure your Word! Show us Him to whom the scriptures point, and fill our hearts with love for Jesus.

Hebrews 1:7

9/14/2017

In speaking of angels, He says, "He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire."

Men are looking for and imagining extra-terrestrial beings while completely ignoring those that the Bible has always said existed. Angels do not depend on oxygen or water to survive, but God grants them tremendous power and at times uses them to wreak destruction. At other times they are the gentle servants of the heirs of salvation Thank You, Lord, for giving us not only the comforts and helps that we can see, but those who lurk unseen, doing us good, and able to overthrow our enemies. We know these wonderful beings are charged with helping us because You have made us Your own, and You will not allow the least of us to perish. Thank You that the blood of Jesus has meant our salvation. Draw us every day closer to Jesus.

Philemon 7

9/13/2017

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints

Philemon’s love for Paul means the more because Philemon loves the brethren. If another person does not love the people for whom Jesus died, the fact that they love me does not mean much. It shows the nature of their loving. Do they love me because I am worthy of their love? I would be afraid to let them get to know me better. Do they love me because of the wonderful way I treat them? Then I am under bondage to be very careful around them. Do they love me because I appreciate what they are doing? Then I am under bondage to keep up on what they are doing and be sure I appreciate it. Love not rooted somehow in the Gospel does bring glory to Jesus.