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Retired pastor

Daily Bible thoughts 884: Monday 25th May 2015: Jeremiah 6:21-30

Jeremiah 6:21-30

‘’I have made you a tester of metals…’’ (27)

God’s Word will test us. It will provoke a response, and this will reveal what is in our hearts.

  • It will test our love for God;
  • It will test our willingness to submit to His will;
  • It will test our preparedness to change;
  • It will test our faith etc.

In whatever form we encounter God’s Word; whether it is through a preacher (such as Jeremiah), or reading it for ourselves, it will test us and bring hidden things to light. It will expose our true character.

The people of Judah, in Jeremiah’s day, were terrified of the Babylonians. They did not want them to invade their land and decimate their territory. But there was something else that they wanted even less, and this was to repent. They didn’t want to face judgment (not that most of them believed the message of coming devastation). But much more than that, they didn’t want to change their ways. Their preference was to keep their sin.

‘’They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron…’’ (28). Bronze and iron are inferior metals when compared with ‘’silver’’ (30) and gold.

Some people will not respond positively to God’s Word; they will not change; they will not turn. They set their faces against the truth. They resist the gospel. They will not come to Jesus to be saved. They will come under God’s judgment.

One final thought: the fact that God takes us through a refining process does not necessarily mean that we will be refined (29, 30). It’s not what happens to us, but how we respond that counts.

Prayer: Lord God,as your Word tries me, may I not be found wanting.

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Daily Bible thoughts 883: Friday 22nd May 2015: Jeremiah 6:16-20

 Jeremiah 6:16-20

‘’But you said, ‘We will not…’ ’’ (16b, 17b).

Just because something is old, that does not of necessity mean that it is bad or wrong or defunct! The ‘’ancient paths’’ that wend their way through the landscape of Scripture and take us into a Biblical lifestyle are ‘’good’’. It is also true to say that ‘’the good way’’ is good for you (Romans 8:6). Life and peace lie on the highway of holiness. But we can stubbornly resist what is good for us. This was a further call to repentance, but the opportunity was not taken. Every day (and many times in a day) we ‘’Stand at the crossroads…’’ There are choices to be made. It is one thing to know ‘’where the good way is’’. It is quite another to ‘’walk in it.’’ (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Matthew 7:13, 14; Matthew 11:28, 29.)

The judgment that befell Jerusalem and Judah did not come without warning (17). God always gives plenty of warning before taking disciplinary measures. There was clarity of message from the ‘’watchmen’’ (i.e. the prophets), but it was met with stubborn refusal: ‘’…We will not…We will not…’’ (16b, 17b). ‘’But they said, ‘Nothing doing. We aren’t going that way.’ I even provided watchmen for them to warn them, to set off the alarm. But the people said, ‘It’s a false alarm. It doesn’t concern us.’ ‘’ The Message.

There can be no doubt that the big issue here is the rejection of God’s Word and ways (18, 19). When you push Him away, you ultimately bring disaster on yourself; you reap what you sow. They were going to become an object lesson to the whole earth of what happens when you insist on going your own way. As God speaks to you through His Word today, choose the path of obedience. Any other road will lead you where you will not want to be. You might enjoy the route; you will not like the destination! ‘’ ‘Pay attention, earth! Don’t miss these bulletins.’ I’m visiting catastrophe on these people, the end result of the games they’ve been playing with me. They’ve ignored everything I’ve said, had nothing but contempt for my teaching.’’ The Message.

This is one of many places in the prophetic books where God shows that outward forms of obedience alone do not please Him (20). He is looking for the sincere worship of our lives; heartfelt obedience to His Word. A veneer of religious activity will never please Him. ‘’Your burnt sacrifices in worship give me no pleasure, Your religious rituals mean nothing to me.’’ The Message. (See also 1 Samuel 15:20-23 and Isaiah 1:10-17

‘’Seek ‘’the old paths’’ of the Word. Do not try to repeat ‘’the good old days,’’ but go forward to do God’s will in your day.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.501

Prayer: Don’t let me have my own way, dear Lord. It will be bad for me and I will regret it. Save me from myself. Most of all, I want to always live to please you

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Daily Bible thoughts 882: Thursday 21st May 2015: Jeremiah 6: 10-15

 Jeremiah 6: 10-15

‘’Who will listen to me?’’ (10)

‘’They’ve tuned out GOD. They don’t want to hear from me.’’ The Message.

This is Jeremiah speaking, but ultimately the issue was about listening to God, who was talking through Jeremiah. From one angle, a ‘disciple’ is someone who answers this call. They listen, and learn (and obey!) Attitude towards God’s Word is an index of the heart (10b). Every pastor longs to see hunger for God’s Word among God’s people. But this passage opens by talking about those who did not want to listen to the Lord’s Word. In fact, they loathed it. Jeremiah had a message the people did not want to hear (11). He preached an unpopular sermon about impending judgment. Are we guilty of going for the more ‘soft-centred’ Bible truths? Do we avoid the ‘nutty’ passages that are hard on our teeth?

Regardless of the negative attitude of his congregation, Jeremiah would not be silenced: ‘’The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. But…’’ (10b).

Although Jeremiah’s message was unpopular, it would come to pass (11b, 12: notice how God again speaks directly at this point.) The second half of verse 11 points to the comprehensive nature of the judgment that was soon to fall. It would affect people of all ages from right across their society.

Jeremiah would not be like the false preachers who served up only what the people wanted to hear (13, 14); who doled out false hope. He would not offer them only sweet, soft-centred sermons; his messages also contained nuts (and some people had a bad reaction!). Preachers who do not give a proper treatment of the doctrines of sin and judgment end up dealing with people’s deadly wounds as if they were just scratches and grazes. Their messages are not radical enough; they don’t go deep enough.

Somebody said that the gospel is bad news before it is good news. We must know how sick we are before we will be prepared to call in the doctor and ask for a cure. We must understand that we are sinners in the sight of a holy God, and what this means, before we will be prepared to cry out to Jesus to save us.

As we have seen, there were profound problems in Jeremiah’s society which were caused, or certainly exacerbated, by a corrupt ministry. Whether they realise it or not, preachers create a culture by their sermons. If they twist the truth, they produce a toxic culture. Let’s pray for all who teach God’s Word. They carry an awesome responsibility. May they not be moved from the truth.

‘’Everyone’s after the dishonest dollar, little people and big people alike. Prophets and priests and everyone in between twist words and doctor truth. My people are broken – shattered! – and they put on band-aids, Saying, ‘It’s not so bad. You’ll be just fine.’ But things are not ‘just fine’! Do you suppose they are embarrassed over this outrage? No, they have no shame. They don’t even know how to blush.’’ The Message.

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Daily Bible thoughts 881: Wednesday 20th May 2015: Jeremiah 6:1-9.

Jeremiah 6:1-9.

‘’This city must be punished; it is filled with oppression.’’ (6b)

We find in these verses a graphic preview of Jerusalem’s future. The clock had run down. The Babylonians from the north were going to come and ‘harvest’ the ‘’grapes’’ (9). The nation was ripe for judgment. (But after harvesting a crop there is always a small portion; a‘’remnant’’ ,remaining. This points to the survivors being carried off to Babylon.)

Why was this going to happen?

‘’You’re in deep trouble, Jerusalem.
    You’ve pushed me to the limit.
You’re on the brink of being wiped out…’’ The Message.

Jerusalem was:

‘’A city full of brutality,
    bursting with violence.
Just as a well holds a good supply of water,
    she supplies wickedness nonstop.’’ The Message.

We may feel like we’re dealing with an ancient and musty document, and ‘what has all this got to do with us?’ But the prophetic books tell us that God observes all human behaviour (see 7b), and His judgments are worked out in history. He is patient, but there always comes a point where God says, in effect, ‘Enough is enough’, and the time for repentance runs out. Yes, there is going to be a final judgment at the culmination of history, but many mini-judgments are being worked out even now. This should motivate us to pray for our nation and our leaders, if we don’t already. Don’t let yourself think the U.K. has an exemption certificate. Pray that the heart of this nation will turn back to God. Who knows when it may be too late for us? People need the Lord. Our only hope is in Jesus.

‘’I have likened my dear daughter Zion to a lovely meadow. Well, now ‘shepherds’ from the north have discovered her and brought in their flocks of soldiers. They’ve pitched camp all around her, and plan where they’ll graze.’’ The Message.

What could happen to ‘’England’s green and pleasant land’’ if we persist in rebellion towards God?

‘’In verses 6-7, the Lord speaks to the Babylonian attackers; it’s as if He Himself were leading the assault on Jerusalem. And, indeed, in one sense, He was; the Babylonians (just like the Assyrians before them) were the instruments of God used to punish His faithless people…But, in verse 8, God still speaks to warn His people; His longing for them continues to the last moment.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1086.

Prayer: Lord have mercy on our land and turn us back to you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 880: Tuesday 19th May 2015: Psalm 116:12-19

 Psalm 116:12-19

Do we live with a sense of gratitude to God for His grace in our lives? Somebody once spoke, in my hearing, about how the ‘shine’ can go off your salvation. Has that happened to you?

If you remember, this psalm was written by someone facing grave danger. Possibly, he was a persecuted believer, and he was staring death in the face. But God saved him. This was our dilemma too, but at a much deeper level. For us, God provided a rescue in Jesus that comprehensively dealt with the depths of our situation, and delivered us from spiritual death.

‘’I will lift up the cup of salvation.’’ (13). How do you do that?

  • By prayer (13b, 17b). By prayer we can enjoy our salvation. The word is actually ‘’salvations’’ indicating its fullness. Through communion with God we keep taking deep draughts from the well of salvation. We can never exhaust it;
  • By thanks giving (17a). When we give thanks in the company of believers we are holding up the cup of our personal experience for others to see and be encouraged to drink for themselves;
  • By living the life you have promised to live (14, 18 and 19); a life worthy of the God who saved you.( I think it was Gandhi who said that Christians would need to look a lot more saved if he was to believe in the Saviour);
  • By lifting this cup to the lips of others as we have opportunity. Alec Motyer, in the New Bible Commentary says that (17-19) give a strong description of going public in testimony.

Here is one final thought on today’s passage:

‘’Yet, (15), there is no such thing as an untimely death. For the Lord, death is too valuable thing to be squandered. The death of his saints, ‘his beloved’, is like a precious jewel which he bestows – precious to him and to them because at death he receives them home. In this sense, death is the final and greatest earthly blessing of God on his people.’’ J.A.Motyer: ‘New Bible Commentary’,p.564.

Believers drink most fully and deeply of ‘’the cup of salvation’’ when they depart this world to be with Christ.

Prayer: Lord enable me please to not be ashamed of the message of salvation, and help me to not keep it to myself.

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Daily Bible thoughts 879: Monday 18th May 2015: Colossians 1:21-23

Colossians 1:21-23

‘’Once…but now…’’

Have you ever seen those successful slimming photos that tell the story, in a snapshot, of ‘before and after?’ In these few verses Paul writes about how someone’s situation radically alters through coming to know Christ. ‘Every picture tells a story’, and here are two contrasting landscapes.

‘’You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted.’’ The Message.

Our pre-Christian state is described in (21). It was stark and it was dark. We were ‘’enemies’’ of God, and that is not a good place to be. The gospel call to repent (i.e. to change your mind) is indispensable because fundamentally the problem of ‘’evil behaviour’’ stems from a mind at war with God (Romans 8:7). To be ‘’alienated’’ in any situation is not a happy place to be. Thank God this is no longer our story. This is the ‘before’ photo and it’s one to keep in your wallet! I’m not proud of mine. How about you?

The emphasis on ‘’Christ’s physical body’’ in (22) is important. Reading between the lines, the false teaching that was infecting the church in Colossae may have denied the reality of the incarnation. There was a belief that matter is evil, and that God could not and would not contaminate Himself by coming into contact with it. But Paul emphasises that God really and truly did become a man (see 2:9) and that He was crucified in a body. Look at the great difference the cross makes. We no more face alienation and accusation, but we are brought into a place of acceptance with God, where we have a clean record in His sight. This is the ‘after’ picture, and it’s one you will want to take out of your purse and pass around the room. But the reason for doing so will not be pride, but praise for the One who has changed everything, at such great cost to Himself.

The gospel call is to repent of sin and believe in Jesus, in order to be saved ‘’through his blood’’ (20). But also embedded in it is the call to persevere; to endure to the end. I don’t want to get into a debate about ‘once saved, always saved’ etc. I just want to highlight the fact that the New Testament regularly warms of the possibility of drifting away from our faith moorings, and repeatedly exhorts us to keep going. We surely have to heed these calls, and take them seriously? Also, the parable of the sower highlights the uncomfortable truth that many who profess faith do not press on in the faith. I understand that Colossae was located in an earthquake zone, so Paul’s words in (23) would resonate with the Colossian Christians.

Just one other thought: if the gospel message is to be ‘’heard’’, it must be ‘’proclaimed’’ by those who are willing to be its ‘’servant’’. Paul was such a person (23b).

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your ‘amazing grace’.

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Daily Bible thoughts 878: Friday 15th May 2015: Colossians 1:18-20

Colossians 1:18-20

‘’…so that in everything he might have the supremacy.’’ (18b) Jesus should hold the same place in the church; in our lives, that He does in the universe. This is the position of supremacy. ‘From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone.’’ The Message.

Yesterday we looked at Christ, supreme in creation (15-17). This next section shows Him to be supreme in the church, the new creation. The false teachers infecting the church at Colossae with their heretical germs, were very wrong about Jesus. Paul wanted to remind the Christians just who ‘’He is…’’ (The expression is repeated several times in 15-20.)

‘’And he is the head of the body, the church…’’ (18a) I understand that the emphasis in the original language is that ‘He, and He alone’, is the Head. This has profound implications for how we lead the church and run our lives. What part does prayer play; being still before the Lord and listening to Him? The church is not a constitutional monarchy and Jesus is no figurehead King. He must rule absolutely.

‘’…he is the beginning…’’ (18) As Jesus is the beginning of the Universe, so He is the beginning of the church. If He were not building us, we would not be built! As someone pointed out, Jesus is ‘’the beginning’’ of the church, and it has no ending!

‘’…and the firstborn from among the dead…’’ (18) In this context, ‘’firstborn’’ points to the fact that Jesus was the first (and most important) Person to truly rise from the dead (Some others may have been resuscitated, only to die again, but Jesus arose to a new order of life), and there will be many more to follow (See also 1 Corinthians 15:20 for a similar thought.) Because He lives, His people will live also. Jesus has beaten death, and in Him we are overcomers too.

‘’…so that in everything he might have the supremacy.’’ (18b) Such a Jesus surely could not possibly hold any lesser place. This is the place He holds in the universe and over the church, regardless of our response. But will we put out the ‘white flag’ and fully submit to His rule?

‘’For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him…’’ (19) In those times, when a ship had all its crew on board, that ship was said to have ‘fullness’. Paul is saying, if you like, that all of God is ‘on board’ Jesus. This was a vital point to make because the false teachers saw Jesus as just one of a series of ‘emanations’ from God. ‘They didn’t deny Him’, someone said, ‘but they did dethrone Him!’

‘’…and through him to reconcile…’’ (20) The Jesus who made ‘’all things’’ (16) has made it possible for ‘’all things’’ to be reconciled to God through the peace-making mission of the cross. The universe can and will be restored through Jesus’ great sacrifice. ‘’Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe – people and things, animals and atoms – get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.’’ The Message.

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Daily Bible thoughts 877: Thursday 14th May 2015: Colossians 1:15-17

Colossians 1:15-17

The central message of Colossians may be summed up like this: Jesus is everything you need, and everything you need is in Jesus (see also chapter two, verses nine and ten.) In (1:15-20) we come across one of the great Christological passages in the New Testament. It’s a hymn of praise about Jesus. (It may even have been an early Christian ‘hymn’ that Paul included in his letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.) Someone said that it shows Christ supreme in creation (15-17); and in the church, the new creation (18-20). We will look at it under these two headings during the next two days.

Christ supreme in creation (15-17):

  • ‘’He is the image of the invisible God…’’ (15a). The word for ‘’image’’ is the same one used regarding the Emperor’s ‘image’ on the currency in those days. Many people in the Roman Empire would never see the Imperial ruler in person. But if they had coinage in their pockets they knew what he was like for they had seen his image. ‘’We look at the Son and see the God who cannot be seen.’’ The Message. (John 1: 18.) We may never have seen God, but we see His glory ‘’in the face of Christ’’ (2 Corinthians 4:6.) We know what the invisible God is like because He is revealed to us in Jesus (see 2:9.)
  • ‘’…the firstborn over all creation.’’ The key words here are ‘’over’’ and ‘’all’’. Jesus is the ‘’firstborn’’ ,not in the sense of coming into being at some point in time. That’s not the thought at all. The firstborn was the most important person in the household and had pre-eminence. Now that is the idea. Jesus is supreme over creation. (See Psalm 89:27 – a very important verse for understanding this ‘firstborn’ idea.)
  • ‘’For by him all things were created…’’ God made the universe, but He did so by means of His Word and His Spirit, and Jesus is that living ‘’Word’’ (John 1:1-3; 10; 14.) It follows logically that the One who made ‘’all things’’ would also be ‘’over’’ the ‘’all’’ things He has made. Everything was created ‘’by’’ Jesus and ‘’for’’ Is your Jesus too small? How we need to have our hearts and minds enlarged by the Holy Spirit so that we can see Him as He is and worship Him as He deserves.
  • ‘’He is before all things…’’ Again, it is a logical thought that the Person who made it all would come before it all. This phrase points to the pre-existence of Jesus. As God, He is eternal (Hebrews 1:8.)
  • ‘’…and in him all things hold together.’’ It is the case that, were it not for Jesus, we would not be able to live a moment longer. We owe our life; our every breath, to Him.

‘’He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.’’ The Message.

Let the greatness of Jesus fill your vision today, and know that you are safe in His Hands. He is in control.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, cause me to see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly.

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Daily Bible thoughts 876: Wednesday 13th May 2015: Colossians 1:9-14

Colossians 1:9-14

It’s easy to become blasé and accept a good thing as good, and that’s that. But when Paul heard about what was going on in Colossae, and how the new Christians were growing in faith, love and hope, he continued to pray fervently (9): ‘’…we have not stopped praying for you and asking God…’’ What was happening in Colossae was great, and Paul delighted in it. But he did not rest on his laurels. He wanted the good to be even better. This is a mark of great leadership.

I ask myself a question here: ‘Do I pray with such passion for people I don’t even know?’ Knowledge brings responsibility (9). Does my praying for the growth of fellow-Christians in any way match this?

Paul’s prayer concerned:

  • A thorough knowledge of God’s will through the work of the Holy Spirit (9). He’s the One who imparts ‘’spiritual wisdom and understanding’’;
  • Knowing God’s will in order to do God’s will (10). When we do know His will we can then try to offer Him the kind of life He deserves and ‘’please him in every way’’. We are in a position to live ‘fruitful’ lives (John 15). Why should God reveal His will to us if we will not do it?
  • Growth in knowing God (10b). There should be nothing static about our Christian lives. ‘I’m in the biggest room in the world’ someone said, which is the ‘room for improvement.’ In the realm of the Spirit there are endless possibilities for growth and change;
  • Supernatural strengthening (11). In this case it’s not about signs and wonders. Paul asks for an anointing of power so that they may patiently endure on the Christian pathway. He knows that many fierce winds of adversity will blow against them, and he wants them to stay the course. It may not look spectacular, but there is something splendid about a believer who ‘keeps on keeping on’ no matter what comes their way. It takes Holy Spirit dynamism to put one foot in front of the other and keep going;
  • A life of joyful praise (11b, 12). It’s a life of thanksgiving, which has at it its heart the knowledge of salvation (12, 13), that we have been rescued by God through Jesus. We’ve been forgiven by Jesus; bought by the blood of Jesus, and we live under the reign of Jesus. These are the new realities that mark every Christian, and they are things to be deeply grateful for. We’ve been brought out of a dark existence into one that is bright with God’s glory.

The closing part of the prayer reads like this in The Message: ‘’We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul – not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we’re in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.’’

 

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