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Retired pastor

Daily Bible thoughts 831: Wednesday 11th March 2015: Jeremiah 1:11-19

 Jeremiah 1:11-19

God’s Word is not an idle Word. He says what He means and means what He says. He does not waste words (see 14-16 and Isaiah 55:8-11). Everything happened as God had said (3b). God’s Word is to be taken seriously.

See the importance of seeing! – the importance of seeing what God wants to show you (12, 13). When you ‘see’ something in the Spirit, that revelation can change your life. We need to have the eyes in our hearts ‘’enlightened’’ so that we come to ‘’know’’ truth in a deep, life-changing way (Ephesians 1:18).

The ‘’boiling pot’’ Jeremiah saw (13-16) signified the ‘’northern kingdoms’’ including Babylon and her allies. They would be God’s instruments of judgment on Judah, because the people had turned away from Him to idols.

‘’Get yourself ready!’’ (17a). Preachers must prepare themselves. The preparation of the man (or woman) is essential, and not just the preparation of the message. Jeremiah knew from the outset that he had a tough assignment (18, 19). But he also knew that God was with him (8). Even so, he had to choose courage, when he must have felt the temptation to be afraid. There was so much at stake in his deciding to be brave against all the odds. He had to get himself ready for what lay ahead.

Just before preaching, my friend excused himself from the room and headed upstairs, saying, ‘’I’m going to talk to God about men before I go and talk to men about God!’

Someone said, ‘’He who has prayed well has studied well.’’ That is not to be used as an excuse for skimping on other parts of preparation. But it is to recognise that prayer is a vital part of preparing to bring God’s message to people.

Ajith Fernando, in his outstanding book, ‘Jesus driven ministry’, writes about how important it is to pray before preaching. At times you will have to say difficult things that people do not want to hear, so prepare yourself. I never feel that I’ve prayed enough before preaching a sermon. It is so essential to ‘’Get yourself ready!’’

If preachers are not faithful in delivering their message, they will pay a price for their failure of fidelity (17b). ‘’But you – stand up on your feet and get dressed for work! Stand up and say your piece. Say exactly what I tell you to say. Don’t pull your punches or I’ll pull you out of the lineup.’’ The Message.

So Jeremiah set out knowing that there would be trouble ahead. But what a promise he carried in his pocket with which to embark on his ministry (19). ‘’I’m making you as impregnable as a castle, Immovable as a steel post, solid as a concrete block wall. You’re a one-man defense system against this culture.’’ The Message.

Prayer: Please strengthen me dear Lord, so that I am not overcome by the culture, but I live as an overcomer in it.

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Daily Bible thoughts 830: Tuesday 10th March 2015: Jeremiah 1: 6-10.

Jeremiah 1: 6-10.

Yesterday, we saw how Jeremiah, a person of dignity, was called to be a person of destiny.

But he saw himself as:

A person with a disability (6): He was not the only person in the Bible to talk back to God and feel around for an excuse. Think of Moses with his speech impediment (Exodus 3, 4) and Gideon with his sense of smallness. We too may come up with our own reasons for not doing what God asks: ‘’I do not know…I am only…’’ (6). We plead ignorance and insignificance. But we need to allow our thoughts to be interrupted and contradicted by God (7). We should be ever so careful about our words. We are always talking to ourselves, and some of the time (possibly even much of the time?) our words are not true or helpful. But there is a ‘’must’’ about God’s will for our lives. If He wants us reluctant ‘Jonah’s’ in ‘Nineveh’, He will get us there one way or another.

However Jeremiah saw himself, God said he would be:

A person with a dynamic (7-10): God never calls a person without also equipping them for the task. He doesn’t call the qualified, it’s been said, but qualifies the called. We are quick to see and say what cannot be done; but God knows all that can be achieved because of who He is and the fact that He is with us. ‘’I am with you’’ (8) is the answer to all our feelings of inadequacy. In touching Jeremiah’s mouth, the Lord was essentially ‘anointing’ him to be His prophet; His mouthpiece, to speak His words (See Isaiah 6:7). ‘’The touch of God makes the difference between success and failure…The call of God and the touch of God must go together or we fail.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.497.

‘’We are quick to say of another believer: ‘’He or she doesn’t have the necessary gifts or ability to perform a certain task.’’ Yes, concerning natural gifts and abilities, we may be correct; but in evaluating others, let us never forget that it is the Lord who is the primary enabler of His servants. One can imagine a modern Christian leader saying to the young Jeremiah: ‘’No, you are just not cut out to be a prophet; you should do something else!’’ ‘’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1077

God’s Word is mighty (10): ‘’See what I’ve done? I’ve given you a job to do among nations and governments – a red-letter day! Your job is to pull up and tear down, take apart and demolish, And then start over, building and planting.’’ The Message. At the beginning of Jeremiah’s book you get to see the two sides of his ministry – to pronounce judgment and to promise restoration. But you will find that the major emphasis, of necessity, is on the former.

‘’Just as Jeremiah was appointed over nations (verse 10), so are we; we who faithfully proclaim God’s word and obey His commands have a spiritual authority greater than any power on earth.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1078.

‘’And who is sufficient for these things?’’ (2 Corinthians 2:16). ‘’Our sufficiency is from God.’’ (2 Corinthians 4: 5, 6). ‘’When God calls you to do a task for Him, He does not ask you to be adequate; He asks you to be available.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.496.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please touch my lips, so that I may speak your word.

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Daily Bible thoughts 829: Monday 9th March 2015: Jeremiah 1:4, 5.

Jeremiah 1:4, 5.

Here are two things that were true of Jeremiah and that are true concerning every believer:

He was a person of a dignity: ‘’Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…’’ (5a; see also Isaiah 49:5; Galatians 1:15, 16; Ephesians 1:4).

Consider the sacredness of the womb (Psalm 139:13-16): ‘’you knit me together in my mother’s womb.’’ (Psalm 139:13b). The womb is the place where life is ‘’formed’’ and from the moment of conception all the potential is there that will slowly and gradually take on a very definite pre-planned form and shape. One preacher spoke about being able to hear, in these words, the ‘’click, click of the divine knitting needles.’’ But the womb is a sacred temple that has been invaded by massed armies of death. Very few people in our society seem to understand the seriousness of this modern day ‘massacre of the innocents.’ One famous preacher said that we, in the West (maybe even the U.K. alone) have killed more people (i.e. in terms of unborn life) than Hitler killed Jews in the concentration camps. That wasn’t right, and this is certainly wrong. In one of his books, Malcolm Muggeridge wryly observed that if Mary had conceived Jesus in our day and age she might well have come under strong social pressure to abort the foetus. I’m not saying that there is never a place for abortion. When a mother’s life is in danger, for example, that surely takes precedence? However, for abortion to be used as a form of convenience and birth control is plain wrong. We cannot afford to underestimate the magnitude of this crime against God and humanity, and we will surely pay a high price for it if we do not repent. In a sense, we are offering our children on the altars of our gods (16).

He was a person of destiny: ‘’Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations – that’s what I had in mind for you.’’ The Message.

We are not all called to be prophets, but we are all called; called to be and do something for God. Our short, precious lives are not to be squandered. God’s call to you may look daunting on paper. It may not always be what you would choose. But nothing matters more in this life than that you should faithfully do the task the Lord has entrusted to you. However it may feel, God’s will is always ‘’good, pleasing and perfect’’ (Romans 12:2b). Always!

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you have superintended my formation from conception until now. I pray that my whole life will be shaped by your Hands. I want to do your will, O God, and delight to do it.

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Daily Bible thoughts 828: Friday 6th March 2015: Jeremiah 1: 1-3 (cont’d)

Jeremiah 1: 1-3 (cont’d)
‘’The word of the LORD came to him…’’ (2, 4; and see 9 and 11).
If the ‘’word of the LORD’’ comes to you today (and I pray it does) what will you do with it?
It can be an uncomfortable word; it can be an inconvenient word.
For Jeremiah it meant switching direction – slightly (1, 5b). He was a priest by birth but became a prophet by calling. You may not always do what you’re doing now. God’s Word may come to you like a policeman, stood in the centre of the road, with hand held aloft and finger pointing in another direction. The important thing is to stay open, keep listening and always be willing to know and do the will of God.
Jeremiah received a costly calling. He had to preach an unpopular message that most people did not want to hear. He had to articulate clear and serious warnings and issue the call to repentance. He would give a lifetime to preaching God’s Word with little outward success (if any), and he always knew that’s how it would be. (By some standards of success Jeremiah was not successful. So let’s be careful what measures we use.) Verses 2 and 3 show that Jeremiah persevered through many difficult years. During that time, God’s Word ‘’continued to come to him’’ The Message, but his ‘congregation’ didn’t want it coming to them. These were tough times for the prophet.
‘’Jeremiah’s life was not easy, and his ministry did not appear successful. But he was faithful to the Lord and accomplished God’s will.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.495
‘’Jeremiah lived about sixty years. Across that life span there is no sign of decay or shrivelling. Always he was pushing out the borders of reality, exploring new territory. And always he was vigorous in battle, challenging and contesting the shoddy, the false and the vile.’’ Eugene Peterson.’’
‘’He ministered during the last four decades of Judah’s history as a nation, beginning partway through the reign of the godly King Josiah. Jeremiah supported Josiah in his attempts to reform the nation; but after Josiah’s death, his two sons Jehoiakim and Zedekiah opposed further reforms and withdrew royal support from Jeremiah himself. Jeremiah’s public ministry ended with the fall of Jerusalem…when its remaining citizens were forced into exile by the Babylonians.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p. 1077.
So it was not an easy calling and Jeremiah lived through challenging times. He faced the disappointment of having his preaching rejected. (If you want to read a detailed account of the history of Judah during Jeremiah’s lifetime, look at 2 Chronicles chapters 22-25)
But here’s a final thought for now. If the ‘’word of the LORD’’ comes to you today, will you listen to it? Jeremiah’s hearers wouldn’t and went into ‘’exile’’. That still has its counterpart today. There are ‘prisons’ and dry and barren places where people find themselves if they push God’s Word away.
Prayer: Lord God of truth, help me to hear you speaking and please give me the desire and courage and strength to obey you. I also recognise the wisdom of going your way. My way will take me into captivity. Please save me from myself, I pray.

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Daily Bible thoughts 827: Thursday 5th March 2015: Jeremiah 1:1-3

Jeremiah 1:1-3

‘’Jeremiah’s troubled life spanned one of the most troublesome periods in Hebrew history, the decades leading up to the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., followed by the Babylonian exile. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. And Jeremiah was in the middle of it all, sticking it out, praying and preaching, suffering and striving, writing and believing. He lived through crushing storms of hostility and furies of bitter doubt. Every muscle in his body was stretched to the limit by fatigue; every thought in his mind was subjected to questioning; every feeling in his heart was put through fires of ridicule. He experienced it all agonizingly and wrote it all magnificently…In looking for a companion who has lived through catastrophic disruption and survived with grace, biblical people more often than not come upon Jeremiah and receive him as a true, honest, and God-revealing companion for the worst of times.’’ Eugene Peterson: From the introduction to Jeremiah in ‘The Message’.

The words Jeremiah wrote in this book were his own ‘’words’’ (1). But they were at the same time the ‘’word of the LORD’’ (2, 4, 9 and 11). This is true of all inspired Scripture. The Bible was written by more than fourty human authors. God did not override their personalities. They did not become like computer keyboards in His Hands. They were not automata; they were not turned into machines. God so superintended everything in the process that what they wrote was their own, and yet it was His at the same time. (See 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Matthew 22:43).

In a superb article that appeared in ‘Christianity Today (January/February 2015), Andrew Wilson, an elder at ‘Kings Church’ in Eastbourne, wrote:

‘’…if we consider the language of inspiration – breath, wind, Spirit – then helpful illustrations abound. God is the wind; David is the sail. God is the breath; David is the balloon. God is the musician; Isaiah, Paul, and Peter are the various instruments he plays, each with its distinct sound. Nobody listening to Louis Armstrong playing in a jazz club would have asked whether it was Louis or his trumpet making the music. The breath and tune came from Armstrong, but the trumpet was the instrument through which his breath flowed in order to become audible. Likewise, the Biblical authors are instruments of revelation – a trumpet here and an oboe there – each making its own sound. But the musician, the skilled artist who fills them with his breath and ensures the tune is played correctly, is the Holy Spirit. While this is an imperfect analogy, it…helps us see that the divine and human aspects do not cancel each other out any more than Armstrong’s musicianship cancels out the role played by his trumpet. And it’s not as if the trumpet’s role increases as the musicians role decreases. Nor is the sound 50 percent musician, 50 percent instrument. Far from it. The more inspiration the trumpet receives, the louder and more distinctively trumpet-like it becomes. It’s not 50/50, but 100/100…the Bible…always highlights the excellence of the one whose breath fills its pages. It is inspired and true, like jazz.’’ (p.28).

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your ‘God-breathed’ Word. It is a miracle to me. As it comes afresh today, I receive it from you with awe and wonder and deep gratitude.

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Daily Bible thoughts 826: Wednesday 4th March 2015: Proverbs 23:29-24:4

Proverbs 23: 29-24:4

That which appears attractive may be loaded with danger. It could be carrying deceptive beauty (31). This applies to all temptation and sin, but especially, here, to excessive drinking and drunkenness (even alcoholism? See 35b.) All sin gives ‘’needless bruises’’ (29b), and that is definitely true of insobriety. ‘’Who keeps getting beat up for no reason at all? Whose eyes are bleary and bloodshot? It’s those who spend the night with a bottle, for whom drinking is serious business. Don’t judge wine by its label, or its bouquet, or its full-bodied flavour. Judge it rather by the hangover it leaves you with –the splitting headache, the queasy stomach. Do you really prefer seeing double, with your speech all slurred, Reeling and seasick, drunk as a sailor?’’ The Message.

‘’In these verses, the writer vividly describes the problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption. Scripture teaches us not to become intoxicated (Proverbs 20:1; Romans 13:13; Ephesians 5:18); here the writer goes further and points out the dangers of persistent drinking, or alcoholism…Modern psychologists tell us that alcoholism is primarily a medical problem; but they are wrong. It is primarily a spiritual and moral problem; the alcoholic has started out by disobeying God and has become entrapped by a physical addiction. Only by repenting and casting himself upon God can the alcoholic experience true deliverance and spiritual renewal.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary, p.957.

While it is generally true that it is good to have friends outside of the Christian faith, we need to be careful about our level of involvement with certain kinds of people. Their evil may be infectious (24:1, 2; See 3:31; 22:24-25; 23:17). If possible, try to monitor yourself and how your contact with people is affecting you. If you are being influenced for ill, rather than influencing for good, it would be better to keep your distance. If you are in doubt, do the same. Some company is toxic and will contaminate. Do all you can to avoid evil cross-contamination.

It takes wisdom to build and establish something solid, durable and of worth (3, 4); to build a life, a family, a ministry, a company etc. ‘Lord give us wisdom!’ (James 1:5-7) I like the thought that wisdom is ‘the ability to see things from God’s point of view.’ Wisdom will restrain you from excessive drinking and regulate your friendships. It will furnish the home of your life with ‘’fine furniture and beautiful draperies.’’ The Message. Probably the reference to house building in (3,4) is primarily about building a life. The best kind of ‘make over’, causing a person to become truly attractive, is one carried out in accordance with the wisdom in God’s Word.

Prayer: Lord, may my life always exhibit the beauty of your wisdom.

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 825: Tuesday 3rd March 2015: Philippians 1:18b-26

Philippians 1:18b-26

‘’Yes, and I will continue to rejoice…’’ (18b).

As we have noted, everything in Paul’s circumstances was not hunky-dory, but he was determined to rejoice. It was his decision; his commitment. You can choose joy, as Paul shows (e.g. 3:1; 4:4). You may not be able to choose your situation, but you can choose your attitude.

One big reason for Paul’s rejoicing was because he knew the power of prayer (19). There is a definite link between ‘’your prayers’’ and ‘’the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ.’’ Although the final outcome of his prison term wasn’t clear, in his heart Paul knew it was settled (25, 26). He was prepared to die, but expected to live.

But regardless of what did happen (20), Paul did not want to be ashamed of being a Christian. He desired to have ‘’sufficient courage’’ to ‘’exalt’ Christ in his body (his whole life) whether he lived or died. He saw their prayers as playing a part in this. He says ‘’now as always’’: this was a particularly testing (even tempting) time in his life. But Paul did not want to cave in to fear, or anything else. He believed there was a distinct connection between the prayers of the church and his boldness. (See Ephesians 6:19, 20 for words written at about the same time during the same prison sentence.)

Maybe you are not ready to live until you are ready to die, and when you are truly ready for death you will live better. Paul had so many brushes with danger and death that it may have helped him to get ready. He was no doubt tired; battered and beaten by life in many ways. The prospect of going ‘home’seemed sweet to him. Someone said, ‘Life is what you’re alive to.’ For a musician it may be music. I heard an interview with a famous conductor in which he said something like this: ‘I believe it is important to have other things in your life, but I sometimes think music is all there is.’ Music is what he is alive to. For a football supporter, his/her team may be their life. Everything rises or falls on the fortunes of their team. For Paul, Christ was his grand obsession. If death meant seeing Him and being with Him, that could only be ‘’gain’’ in his eyes, and ‘’better by far’’ (23).David Watson said, when he had cancer, that he had to change his thinking from wanting to stay on earth, but being willing to go, to wanting to go but being willing to stay on earth.

Paul was in the place where he was ready to go, but willing to stay for the sake of the church (23, 24). There was a death involved in that willingness to stick around. Paul knew that his continuing to live would be:

  • For the ‘’progress’’ of the church (25);
  • For the ‘’joy’’ of the believers (25, 26).

Paul was ‘’torn between’’ (23) going and staying. But he felt it was for the good of the church that he should stay, and that’s what he believed the outcome would be.

‘’Life versus even more life! I can’t lose…The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it’s better for me to stick it out here.’’ The Message.

Prayer: Lord help me to see life and death through your eyes, and think about it in a way that honours you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 824: Monday 2nd March 2015: Philippians 1: 12-18a

Philippians 1: 12-18a

A moment ago I saw the familiar quote: ‘’If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.’’ The important thing to remember is that God is in control. Paul’s suffering was purposeful, and the fact that other people could see the reason for it was a blessing to him. He saw himself, first and foremost, as ‘’the prisoner of Christ Jesus’’ (Ephesians 3:1), and his chains were ‘’for Christ’’ (13). ‘’Do you think first of Christ when circumstances are difficult?’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.778.

Paul was imprisoned at the time he wrote Philippians (12). But he could see that God was bringing good out of his bad (Romans 8:28). It’s helpful if you can see that in ‘’all things’’ God is working for your good, and the benefit of others in the church. Paul was all about getting the gospel known. If his restricted circumstances could serve that purpose, then that was a cause for joy. He was still fulfilling his ministry. The men who locked him up in prison couldn’t confine his message (see 2 Timothy 2:9). ‘’I want to report to you friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All of the soldiers here, and everyone else too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the Christians here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah.’’ The Message. There were three things in particular which caused Paul to rejoice:

  • The gospel message had penetrated the most unlikely place (13);
  • Paul’s example and sufferings had enervated many other believers (14). So now more people were speaking about Jesus and spreading the gospel;
  • Christ was being preached (15-18a). It was true that some people were not preaching with good motives. There always have been those who use the gospel as a means of self-aggrandisement; who want to make a name for themselves. Nevertheless it pleased Paul that Christ was being preached. Whatever the motives of the preachers, the apostle knew that God could do something with the message about His Son. All he wanted was to exalt Christ (20). It was the fame of Jesus that mattered to him. ‘’It’s true that some here preach Christ because with me out of the way, they think they’ll step right into the spotlight. But the others do it with the best heart in the world…So how am I to respond? I’ve decided that I really don’t care about their motives, whether mixed bad or indifferent. Every time one of them open his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on!’’ The Message.

Paul simply wanted to spread the gospel message. He knew that it is ‘’the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…’’ (Romans 1:16). He knew that if people let this ‘Lion’ out of its ‘cage’ it would go to work. It would get on with its job.

Prayer: May my love for you, Lord Jesus, be so great, and my courage from the Spirit so strong, that I always live, in all circumstances, to lift up your Name

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 823: Friday 27th February 2015: Philippians 1:9-11

Philippians 1:9-11
When you love people with the love of Jesus (8) you will pray for them. It’s a practical way to express love. It’s not the only way. It shouldn’t be a substitute for other things we obviously ought to do. But it is right to pray for those we love, as Christ Himself did (John 17).
When you are convinced that the good things you see in people (3-5) are the result of a ‘’good work’’ of God in them (6), you will be encouraged to pray for more.
We all need to love more (9); love God more and love people more. When you boil it all down, this life of Christian discipleship is about loving God and loving people, and where love is concerned we have ‘growing room’ in our souls. But love must not be ‘wishy-washy’ or gullible. ‘’So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush.’’ The Message.
• There are people who are lovely but they are easily taken in ‘’by every wind of doctrine’’ (Eph.4:14). They are like weather vanes. They easily move in the breeze of the latest fads, fancies, trends and opinions. They lack deep roots. They are short on settled convictions based upon solid Biblical truth. They have a ‘water bed’ beneath them rather than a firm foundation.
• Others claim to be Christians, but they are flexible regarding the truth. Their beliefs have soft edges and they get blurred as they attempt to blend in rather than stand out. They have an ‘anything goes’ attitude.
Loving more doesn’t mean going along with everything others say. Love must have backbone. There is such a thing as tough love. I can love you without agreeing with you or pretending I do. I can be tolerant towards you without having to incorporate your beliefs and practices into mine. Loving discernment is required in this world in which we are surrounded by a toxic atmosphere of error (10). We need to be able to:
• ‘’discern what is best’’ to believe, and
• ‘’discern what is best’’ to do.
We need to be able to think clearly and choose wisely in order to live lives that please God as we look forward to meeting Jesus. I think it was John Wesley who said, ‘’There are only two days on my calendar: today and that day.’’ The Christian life is one of constant movement towards ‘’that day’’ when we see Jesus. We look forward. We anticipate. We live ‘in the future tense.’ We let ‘then’ affect ‘now’. Someone pointed out that whenever the second coming of Jesus is mentioned in the New Testament it is done so without date, to keep us on our toes.
As we grow in love for others, let it be a discriminating affection so that we do not permit another’s bad attitudes, ideas, behaviours become our own. May we so grow in love for God and others that we hate sin and grow in Christlikeness (11; see Gal.5:22, 23; John 15:5). Such growth comes ‘’through Jesus Christ’’ and so is ‘’to the glory and praise of God.’’ (‘’…making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.’’ The Message.)
Prayer: Lord make me like you.

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