07/30/10

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Inspirational Devotionals To Inspire And Encourage


 

Pastor Bill’s Thought for the Day

E Mail Address

drbc@bresnan.net

Website

www.pastorsthoughts.com Bill & Carol Cummins

Blogs

williamsrhema.blogspot.com

ekthus.blogspot.com

 

“Those who live in the Lord never see each other for the last time”

Isa 40:8

 The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the word of our God stands forever."

 

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him. That you may not be shaken quickly from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.

2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3 NASB

 

            The Scriptures teach us that this present dispensation will come to it’s close at a place called Armageddon and a little observation  shows us that we are getting close to the time.

            The above Scripture teaches us that four things must happen before that “day of the Lord” arrives. Jesus is going to come and those who look to Him as Savior will be “gathered together to Him”. The rest of the world will have apostatized, rejected Jesus and prepared themselves to accept the “man of lawlessness” who will then be revealed.

            At this time we have a choice as to which event we shall be involved in.

As concerning the man of lawlessness, there are certainly many ‘lawless men’ in today’s world but none have been identified yet as the one who will be called the antichrist. He will emerge in God’s time but as I understand the promise, the believers in Jesus Christ as Savior will not be here at the time when he can be positively identified.

            V. 7 “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.”  If we are in the time frame, as I think we are, the man of lawlessness is at work but he is hindered by the presence of God’s people through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

            I don’t speak frivolously when I say that  I don’t know just how much the coming “man of sin” knows about God’s plans, but if he can read and understand the Scripture he is probably hoping that the “gathering together” will soon take place and get us out of his way. PTL

            The apostasy refers to a falling away from the Christian faith. Other religions may enjoy  acceptance but the line will be drawn at the Gospel.  We see that attitude becoming more and more apparent but just when it will reach the limit that triggers the sound of the “trumpet of God” (1st.Thess. 4:16) is decided by God and he has not revealed the exact “day and hour.”

            There is no reason for not believing that it could sound at any moment.

 

 


 

Let my lips utter praise, For Thou dost teach me Thy statutes.

Let my tongue sing of Thy word. For all Thy commandments are righteousness

“Let Thy hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Thy precepts.”

Psalm 119:171-173

NASB

 

            There is much in life over which we have no control but there are other matters in which we are allowed to make a choice. The Psalmist tells us that he made a choice to believe and trust in God’s word and as a result of that choice he believed that God would help him in this life.

            The kind of person we are and the direction that we are going has not been decided for us.  Our destiny is not the result of some sign of the Zodiac or an inherited trait from an ancient ancestor

            There are no “Born Losers” in God’s economy! We have a choice of Whom we will serve, what we shall become and where we shall go.

            Someone said, “I’ll take my chances and trust to luck.” That’s a very faulty foundation on which to build.  Others say, “I will trust in Jesus Christ, remove the element of chance and luck and know where I’m going before I leave.” A sensible and far-sighted decision.

            The fact that we shall leave this life is not in question. A hope that we shall go to a better place is shared by most people. The means by which we shall arrive at that “hoped for” place is where disagreements begin.

            The prophet Isaiah pointed out the problem long ago, “...Each of us has turned to his own way..” (53:6) Man’s ‘own way” is the wrong way! Jesus said “I am the way...no one comes to the Father but through Me.”(John 14:6)

            The ancient British claim, “All roads lead to London.” Can’t be applied to our journey toward heaven although the idea is being promoted by the ‘politically correct—anti-Bible’ people.     

            Only when we accept Gods way as our own way are we on safe ground. The old adage, “It doesn’t matter what you believe if you are sincere about it!” originated with the father of all wrong ways. If we are traveling the wrong way we shall arrive at the wrong destination no matter how sincere we may be about it.

Jesus said, “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:14)

            The gate is small but not hidden. The reason many do not find it is because they prefer to listen to “false prophets” ( v.15) who offer alternative ways which appeal to men’s vanity.

            The Bible, the only book ever written with proven, divine inspiration, maintains that Jesus is the only way to God’s heaven. (John 14:1-6) 

                       

 

 


 

Now that you have, by obeying the truth, made your souls clean enough for a genuine love of your fellows, see that you do love each other, fervently and from the heart.

For you are not just mortals now but sons of God; the live, permanent Word of the living God has given you His own indestructible heredity.

It is true that:

            All flesh is as grass,

            And all the glory thereof is as the flower of grass.

            The grass withereth, and the flower falleth:

            But the word of the Lord abideth forever.

The word referred to is the message of the gospel that was preached to you.

1st.Peter 1:22-25 J. B. Phillips N. T.

 

The sub title for the above verses is;

“Let your life match your high calling”

            We are here reminded that Christians are to be characterized by a “love of your  fellows”.  Some are, no doubt, thinking, “That would be easier to do if some of my ‘fellows’ were a little easier to love.”  That is true enough and very likely some of the ‘fellows’ have the same thoughts concerning you.

            It will be easier in heaven but while on earth, ‘loving’ and ‘being lovable’  are both something that we must all work at.

            Someone wrote the following bit of doggerel.

To live above with those we love,

Oh, that will be glory!

To live below with those we know,

Well, that’s another story.

            We are given no assurance that all of the ‘fellows’ will be lovable but we are told that we can love because “the live, permanent Word of the living God (Jesus) has given us His own indestructible heredity” (An Agape love)

            Don’t expect your love to always be reciprocated! Paul wrote to the church at Corinth “...the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” (2nd.Cor.12:15)

            Loving those who love us back is wonderful but our love is not based on that. If we love only those who love us we do not accurately represent Christ.

            Jesus said, “If you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” (Luke 6:32)

            John says that if we cannot love the brethren it brings our claim of loving    God into question.  (1st.John 4:20)

             Paul’s prayer for the church is, “May the Lord give you the same increasing and overflowing love for each other and towards all men as we have towards you. May He establish you, holy and blameless in heart and soul, before God, the Father of us all, when our Lord Jesus comes with all who belong to Him. (1st.Thessalonians 3:12,13)

 

 


 

Heb 7:19

For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

NKJV

 

Heb 8:6

He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

NKJV

 

Heb 10:34

Knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

NKJV

Our present president campaigned and was elected on a promise of “Change.” A majority of our people now feel that the change proposed is not better for the country but rather worse.

As is written above, the law was perfect but due to man’s inability to fulfill the demands of the law God made a change that was better and easier for us.

Someone wrote the following lines;

“To run and work the law commands

Yet gives me neither feet nor hands

But better news the gospel brings

It bids me fly and gives me wings”

Men can work but they always come short; Rom 3:23-24

 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Anyone can, however, believe if they choose to do so and that is the better way to God that is promised above. It is much easier and better to believe in what Jesus has already done for us than to believe in the inability and futility of what we think we can do.

Men can do many good things but it is that “coming short of God’s glory” that will do us in. God is perfect and I think that you will all agree with me that we are not.

So what is this “better covenant” all about? Jesus came and took on the form of a man. Phil 2:7-8

7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

He demonstrated the perfectness that God requires and offered to share the credits of His life and death with us.

John 6:47-48

 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

The law had no provision for those who “came short”. 

James 2:10-11

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

When we stumble as we surely shall, the gospel has provision for our repentance, restoration and a second chance.

 

 

 


 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:1-3

 

            There are many changes in today’s world that are unsettling and cause concern for God’s people. We must remember that nothing catches God by surprise. He knows everything that happens before it happens and has made preparation for all eventualities.

            The preparations began with Jesus’ decision to be the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8) He knew what would happen in the world that He would create, He went to the cross to redeem it and is here to uphold it. As far as the men that he created are concerned, if the cross and Jesus’ death on it had not been conceived, mankind would not have survived beyond the fall. And if Jesus were not here to “uphold all things” mankind would not survive now.

    The world in general opposes Jesus Christ and all reference to Him more than any individual who lives or who ever lived and yet the existence of everything depends on Him

            The Amplified N.T. translates a part of v.2 as follows, :He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time (that is) He made, produced, built, operated and arranged them in order.”  In Colossians 1:17 we read “And He Himself existed before all things and in Him all things consist –cohere, are held together.” 

            Since it is necessary for Jesus to hold everything together, then it follows that if He is not in control, everything will fly apart but He  isn’t going to let that happen! Men can reject the influence and control of Jesus from their own lives if they choose but God has invested much in this world and His plans are not going to be thwarted by any man or group of men. The future may look a little discouraging but God’s plan for the world and those who choose to love and serve Him will be realized.

            The Apostle described things as they are going to be in Revelation 21,22 and it is going to happen.

 

 

 


 

Thank God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that in His great mercy we have been born again into a life full of hope, through Christ’s rising again from the dead!

You can now hope for a perfect inheritance beyond the reach of change and decay, reserved in Heaven for you.

And in the meantime you are guarded by the power of God operating through your faith, till you enter fully into the salvation which is all ready to be revealed at the last.

This means tremendous joy to you, even though at present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials.

1st.Peter 1:3-6 J. B. Phillips N. T.

 

            A considerable part of the Book of 1st. Peter, is devoted to the suffering in the world and the Christian’s attitude toward it. Well, suffering is a part of life in this fallen world. Some are devoted to relieving suffering and others dedicated to causing suffering.

            So! What are we to expect? Our journey will be “eventful” but God is standing by to help. Through it all, we “are guarded by the power of God...till we enter fully into the salvation which is all ready...”

            Carol and I started on our journey over sixty years ago now and we have no regrets. The journey has provided some rough spots but God has always been there with His great helping hand.

            As to our earthly journey, we have more  behind us than we have ahead. We are closer to our destination but we are still moving toward the goal and, no doubt, there are still some of those “harassing trials” to pass through.

Looking back we can say, in the words of the gospel song, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now” Those “unexplained hardships”  are not worthy to be compared with that which is ahead, (See Romans 8:18) 

            The glory of our future home will be well worth any hardship we endured on the journey. Those who reject Jesus and His Gospel, will find that any advantage they thought to have gained or hardship they thought to have avoided, by that choice, was not worth the price they will pay.

The possessions in this life that men work so hard to acquire are all subject to “change and decay” but it will never happen to that “perfect inheritance” which is reserved at our journey’s end.

            We just make the journey one time. It is a one-way trip and when we arrive we are there to stay.

O Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land, As on thy highest mount I stand,

I look away across the sea, Where mansions are prepared for me,

And view the shining glory shore—My heaven, my home for evermore!

 

 


 

Rom 10:3-4

3 for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

NKJV

The Scripture draws a comparison between men’s righteousness and God’s righteousness. There were those who were quite confident that their righteousness was enough to prepare them for entry into heaven. The righteousness of men is commendable but not always dependable. It’s flawed! The most righteous among us would have to admit to times of temptation when they were not always all that righteous and those times must be accounted for.

Rom 10:5

 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."

NKJV

James also wrote, James 2:10

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”

With that in view it seems like depending on our own efforts to get us ready for heaven is, to quote an old adage, as futile as “trying to pick your self up by your own boot straps”.

A promise, Rom 4:6

 

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

 

That’s what we need! A righteousness that doesn’t depend on our faulty works.

God has provided! Jesus Christ is the only man who possesses that kind of righteousness and He has promised to share that righteousness with us.

Rom 3:21-22

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

NKJV

That’s our only hope! Accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and depend on what He has done rather than on what we think we can do.

We are warned, however, that there is no excuse for not doing our best and following as closely as we can.

Gal 5:13

 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

NKJV

In words of a chorus’ “Christ is the answer”

 

 


 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written,

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.

Romans 1:16,17

            The short phrase, “The just shall live by faith.” Is familiar to every Christian who reads the Bible at all.

            Paul found it in the records of Habakkuk (2:4) and the Holy Spirit probably said, “Paul, what’s good for Habakkuk is good for you so don’t forget it.”  Paul maintains that what is good for Him is good for all of us so he repeated it three times in the New Testament. Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.

            I take that to mean that men and women of God are men and women of faith, but just what is involved? When we were young ministers there were a few people who advised us that the above Scripture meant that I was never to have a designated income.

            Well, as things turned out, it was that way quite often but I believe the verse can be applied to more areas of life than the  preacher’s income, or lack of it.

            Living by faith means that we have committed to a way of life and there is no turning back. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to go.

 

            Paul presents the gospel, without apology, as God’s answer to the world’s need. It is not Paul’s creation, it is the provision of Christ and therefore not open to debate! It is God’s “Faith based initiative” but does not have to survive a congressional vote! Nothing can be “added to or taken away”  (Revelation 22:18,19) as it is complete. It is designed by God and supported by the “power of God” and therefore it works.

            People of faith have, by faith, caught a glimpse of the “city whose builder and maker is God”. (Hebrews 11:10) Our faith for the journey is not based on what we can or cannot do but on what Jesus has done for us.

            Jesus said “Follow Me” and living by faith means that is what we do. Following Jesus does not necessarily mean that the travel conditions are always pleasant but it means that we are traveling in the right direction.

            Those who walk by sight prefer the downward easy route but people of faith are mountain climbers.

            It is the destination that matters.

 

 

 


 

Acts 12:1-4

 

12 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

NKJV

Like his neighbor, Governor Pilate, Herod was a political opportunist. James and Peter, along with James’ brother John had been with Jesus on the mountain and heard the voice of God say “This is my beloved Son, Hear Him”. (Mark 9:7)

They were three voices that the religious leaders of that day wished very much to be silenced so when Herod saw that having James killed pleased them He saw a chance to ingratiate himself with them and he had Peter locked up. 

He intended, after the days of unleavened bread, to bring Peter out before the people, and evidently, like Pilate before him, ask the people what they wanted done with him.

Peter was in prison guarded, twenty four hours a day by four soldiers at a time. He was chained to two of them while the other two stood watch.

When the time came, Herod sent to the prison for Peter and that’s when his plans all went awry. Peter was not there!

Herod didn’t want to try explaining his disappearance to the people so he had the guards executed and he went to “Caesarea, and stayed there”. (v.19)

 

That poses the question, “Why are some of God’s servants taken at an early age and others remain for many years. I don’t know! The answer to that question is with God only. We are told to, “redeem” (make good use of) the time Eph. 5:16.   To “occupy” until He comes or calls (Luke 19:13)

You don’t how much time you have neither do I know how much time I have but we both can make good use of what time we do have and that is all that God asks of us.

 

 

 


 

How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done, And Thy thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with Thee;

If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.

Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not desired; My ears Thou hast opened; Burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required.

Then I said. “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy law in within my heart.”

Psalm 40:4-8

 

David, the writer of this Psalm, was mediating on the wonderful works of God and was filled with amazement. He then moved on to considering God’s “thoughts toward us” and was overwhelmed, crying, “There is none to compare with Thee.”

God’s works toward us are “too numerous to count” but one is great beyond our understanding. In verses 6-8 David is speaking prophetically of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem and restore fallen mankind. (see Hebrews 10:5-7) We can’t know how much of the prophecy David understood but we understand it because we are looking back at the record of it’s happening.

If David was overwhelmed by the promise of what God had determined to do for us, we should be amazed as we read the record of what He did.

Who can imagine the love of the great Creator God who came to die, and such a horrible death, to redeem His errant, created creatures.

There is a line in a song that reads, “When He was on the cross, I was on His mind.” Very true, but we were on His mind a long time before that. Before there was time, as we know it, farther back than our minds can reach, when God spoke the word that created the world, we were on His mind. (Ephesians 1:4)

  Before He created the world the cross was on His mind. (see Revelation 13:8) The cross would be necessary to redeem those men creatures that had not yet been created. Why create them in the first place? 

Doesn’t that stagger your mind just a little?  No man would have asked for that kind of trouble but God said, “...so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

God loves us with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3) we are here and we can agree with David, “How blessed is the man (or woman) who has made the Lord their trust...”

 

 


 

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

            There is an evil influence in the world called Satan and the Devil who is dedicated to frustrating God’s plan and destroying God’s people. In an encounter in the wilderness, (Matthew 4) Jesus thwarted the Devil’s plans by simply quoting God’s word, “It is written...”

            We can still oppose the Devil and hinder his plans by believing and quoting God’s word. Not all men seem to know that but the Devil knows it very well. He manages to manipulate men and women of the world to do his bidding but he can’t influence men and women of the word, which, I believe, accounts for the present attacks on God’s word in our country.

            The one restraining influence against the devil’s ambitions is the Christian who believes and stands firm on God’s word.

            The epidemic of anti-Bible rulings by leftwing judges outrage us but God has not lost control. Removing the Bible from public view is an affront to God but it could be a means of getting the Bible opened by more people.

Americans are an  independent minded people and when a judge rules it unconstitutional to display a Bible in public it may be the very thing needed to cause some to purchase a Bible and others to dust off the one they already own.

God has a way of using the enemy’s devises to suit His own purpose. When men attack the Bible they are not attacking an ordinary book. It is God’s Book and by His power it will “accomplish” and it will “prosper.”  

            Other books and papers can inform or misinform as the case may be but the Bible will transform. ...” Hebrews 4:12 tells us it is living,  “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword...”  Judges may have it removed from public buildings but they can’t consign it to the “dead letter office” or from the hearts of believers.

            Be indignant at the publishing of books like “The Da Vinci Code” but don’t be unduly alarmed. The Author of the Bible is not intimidated by the critics of His Bible.

            “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” while the critic’s writings run their short course and fade into oblivion.

 

 


 

For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing, foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of

the wise,

And the cleverness of the clever

I will set aside.”

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believed.

For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness

Read 1st Corinthians 1:18-25

NASB

There is a wisdom from below that is earthly and temporary and there is a wisdom from above that is heavenly and permanent. True wisdom is from above and leads to God; wisdom (so-called) that leads away from God is false and dangerous.

Many of those who are wise in   earthly wisdom have difficulty in recognizing the heavenly wisdom.

            The preaching of the cross is a stumbling block to the self-righteous man because it didn’t credit him enough with for all of his good deeds. “..I thank Thee I’m not like other people..” (Luke 18:10)

            Being thankful was right but his reason for thankfulness, his own self-righteous deeds, was what got him in trouble. It is written that, as for as salvation is concerned, “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment:” (Isaiah 64:6)  A proud, self-righteous attitude spoils any good thing that we do.

            It was Spurgeon who said, “I thought that a certain man was just about perfect, until he said so.”

If it is directed toward heaven, campaign rhetoric will rise no higher than our head.

            The preaching of the cross is, to the intellectual, foolishness, because it didn’t credit him enough for his superior learning and understanding. A, “see which I myself have built...by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty.” (Dan. 4:30) attitude is a dangerous position to take.

            The advanced abilities of mankind have succeeded in developing a civilization that is the most violent since the flood, (Genesis 6:11) and now has the potential to self-destruct.

            It is only by the power of the cross that men can build a stabile life in the world and be guaranteed a permanent life in the world to come.

            The wisdom of God provided a solution  which all of the ingenuity and imagination of  the wisest cannot duplicate. 

 

 

 

 

                   


                                    

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