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Free Daily Bible notes by Rev Stephen Thompson

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Retired pastor

Daily Bible thoughts 565: Tuesday 4th March 2014:

2 Chronicles 35: 20 – 36:1

We find an unexpected twist at the end of Josiah’s story. It comes as a total shock. But it has to make us look at ourselves and apply the obvious lesson. If you go against God, however successful and effective you’ve been in ministry/service, you will not be able to don a disguise that will protect you (22a). No-one can rebel against God and expect to get away with it.

Regrettably, there can be an After all this (20a) in anyone’s life. Someone can live well and do good works, and then have a great fall. It can seem to them, and to us, like they’re standing, and then we watch the crash through horrified eyes. Josiah was like a show jumper who had a clear round until he got to the last fence, which he clattered. The rest of the history of Josiah, his exemplary and devout life, conformed to The Revelation of GOD (26). The Message. But that doesn’t alter what happened at the final fence, and, in a sense, we join with all Judah and Jerusalem in mourning him, and accompany Jeremiah in his lament. It’s a tragic and wasteful ending to a wonderful life.

Let’s be open to hearing from God through anyone. Maybe the fact that Neco was a pagan Egyptian made it easier for Josiah to dismiss him. But as unlikely as it may have seemed, this Egyptian king was being directed by God. May the Lord give us such humility and openness to Him that we do not miss anything he might be saying. (For another example of God speaking through an unexpected individual see John 11:49-53).

If God defeated Egypt in the days of Moses, surely He could do it again for Josiah! Without seeking the mind of the Lord, Josiah meddled in a war that had nothing to do with Judah, and it led to his death. A disguise is no protection if we have disobeyed God (v.22; 2 Chron.18:29). Judah was back in bondage to Egypt! We wonder what the future of Judah might have been had Josiah heeded the warning God gave him. Strange as it seems, God can speak through messengers who may not even know Him. Warren W. Wierbe: With the Word,p.252.

At the age of 57, I am increasingly aware that I am just a decade away from the official retirement age. Although I want to go on serving God for as long as he grants me life and breath, I have a growing concern to finish well. Reading Josiah’s story only serves to reinforce the desire, as I consider what could happen.

Paul told Timothy to Watch your life and doctrine closely (1 Tim.4:16). Theological purity is important. It is vital to hold correct beliefs. But you also need to ensure that your living always corresponds to your believing. Josiah shouts to us across the centuries that you do indeed need to keep a close eye on your life, and stay vigilant to the very end. You may have been sailing around the venue so far, but there are some big fences still to come!

Prayer: Lord God, help me to finish well.

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Daily Bible thoughts 564: Monday 3rd March 2014:

 Psalm 104:10-18

 God is good!

This psalm has much to say about the doctrines of creation and providence. There is no ‘deism’ in the Bible: the belief that God wound up the universe like a clock and then left it to run by itself. He is no ‘absentee Landlord’. The God who made the universe, fills it with His presence, and upholds it by His power. This next section of the psalm deals with God’s providential ordering of His world. See:

  • The abundance of God’s provision for the planet He made, perhaps best summed up in the words of (13b): the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. Consider this too: Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy, Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. The Message. Throughout these verses you have a sense of God’s generous giving, and the deep satisfaction of every living thing as we benefit from His kindness. Everything in creation is God’s gift to us to enjoy (1 Tim.6:17)
  •  God’s love for all His creatures (11, 12, 17, 18). You will note the detailing of specific birds and animals in these verses.
  •  Man’s partnership with God in the production of food and drink (14, 15). The principle that we are God’s co-workers applies both to creation and the new creation. Man was given dominion over the earth, not to rape its resources, but to reap them for the common good. God’s provision does not facilitate man’s laziness. If we want to have a harvest we must play our part and work hard.

 Christians should love nature, seeing God everywhere in it. We can only benefit by studying it, for in it we will see the works of the Lord. This is our Father’s world. Let’s not vandalise His property; the home He has graciously provided for us and furnished with such good things.

 O Nature, how can we do other than love thee, since the Being of our God is so closely mingled with thy hues and forms! F.B.Meyer: Great verses through the Bible, p.232.

 Prayer: Thank you Lord that you daily load us with your benefits.

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Daily Bible thoughts 563: Friday 28th February 2014:

Psalm 104:1- 9

Let’s begin today with the recognition that we regularly need to exhort our souls to respond to the truth about who God is with heartfelt praise (1a). Preach yourself a sermon today. Take the Word of God into yourself like prescribed medicine.  Tell yourself some truth you know you need to hear. Read this passage through. Indeed, traverse further into the psalm, and you will surely remind yourself in doing so that this great God – your God – is worthy of endless worship. Don’t rob Him of His due.

One thing that is manifestly true about God is this: He is not only great but very great (1b).

He is also beautiful. We have a remarkable poetic picture painted in these first four verses: …beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. The Message. It’s been said that if splendour and majesty (1c) are to be distinguished, the former relates to God’s intrinsic importance, and the latter to His observable majesty. The opening verses of this glorious psalm reveal God to be both transcendent and immanent. He is far above all that He has made (transcendence), yet He is intimately and personally involved with it (immanence).

F.B. Meyer makes the point that God often comes to us on a cloud (3b), something that may look dark and foreboding. Then he quotes this verse from a familiar hymn; Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head.

Alec Motyer entitles this psalm: ‘Creation rhapsody.’ God has created this incredible world which we enjoy (and often sin against, sad to say!). The psalmist compared creation to the building of a house: laying the foundations, putting up the beams, hanging the curtains, and taking care of the water system. Warren W.Wiersbe: With the Word, p.377.

The stateliness of ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation, compared with the exuberance of ‘All creatures of our God and King’, catches pretty well the relationship of Genesis 1 to Psalm 104. This psalm turns creation truth into song, environmental theory into wonder and praise. The sequence of the psalm accords with Genesis 1 and we can imagine a poet meditating on that great statement of the Creator and his work and giving free play to his imagination. There is a broad structural parallel between the two passages. J.A. Motyer: New Bible Commentary (4th edition),p.553.

It seems appropriate to quote some words from a well-known hymn:

This is my Father’s world,

Oh, let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world;

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is king; let the heavens ring.

God reigns; let the earth be glad. Maltbie D. Babcock.

Prayer: Thank you Father God for this breathtakingly beautiful world you have given us to live in. Truly, ‘something lives in every hue, Christ less eyes have never seen.’ Help me to fully play my part in being a good ‘caretaker’ of your ‘property’.

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Daily Bible thoughts 562: Thursday 27th February 2014:

 2 Corinthians 3:1- 6

The truth about Christian ministry is that if anyone is truly successful in it, it will be because of God and not because of that individual. The effective minister will have no grounds for boasting, yet he/she will be fully involved.

Three truths stand out in this short passage. Paul wanted commendation only from God; his sole confidence was in God, and he knew that any competence he had came from God.

Commendation from God (1-3): Paul was not into self-commendation, nor did he feel the need to have letters of endorsement (The Message). The Corinthians themselves were the only such letter Paul needed. The very existence of this church and the faith of these people was the divine authentication of Paul’s ministry; God’s seal of approval: Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it -not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives – and we publish it. The Message. We in the church are the only ‘Bibles’ some people will read. We are ‘Living Bibles’. This thought begs the question, ‘What is the gospel according to me?’ Paul could say that the Corinthians were the result of our ministry (3). But he wasn’t boasting. He knew he had not changed their hearts, nor could he. Their transformed lives were due to the work of the living God, through Christ and by His Spirit. It is wonderful when anyone can look at people and know that they are in some way the fruit of their ministry. However, they will also know (and must always remember) that they were the channel of blessing and not its source. By the grace of God, the letter commended the very ministry by which it was produced. While there are some circumstances in which a faithful ministry is not rewarded by apparent results, such observations should not be used to excuse ineffective ministries in other circumstances. Normally it is appropriate for our ministries to be judged by their results. Colin G. Kruse: New Bible Commentary (4th edition) p.1195. Paul’s stance was, ‘We are publishing what God has written!’

Confidence in God (4):Any confidence anyone may feel at any time about having a powerful ministry cannot be self-confidence (4). It’s a God confidence; a Christ-centred assurance. This is not a matter of egotistical boasting. It is about trusting God to work through us to bring people to Christ (and even establish churches), and we say, ‘To God be all the glory!’ He’s the ‘letter-writer’.

Competence because of God (5, 6): Three times in (5, 6) Paul refers to ‘competence’. It’s an important concept here. What was true for Paul is the case for us all. Any area of competence is God-given. He makes one person an apostle, another an encourager; one a pastor and another a helper, and so on. In the kingdom of God there are no ‘good-for-nothings’. Everyone is a ‘good-for-something.’ There are such a variety of competencies generously handed out by the Lord. He gives them so that He may be glorified and His church edified. We cannot pat ourselves on the back for what has been placed into our hands, and we must deflect any praise that may come our way to where it truly belongs. As Andrae Crouch sang : ‘Should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary. To God be the glory…’

This does not reflect an exaggerated humility, but rather a sober recognition of the fact that spiritual work can be accomplished only by the power which God supplies through his Spirit. C.G.Kruse.

…if you heard the same sermon preached where there was no spirit of prayer you might not recognize it). The congregation makes the preacher as much as the preacher makes the congregation…There is a deep connection between the prayer meeting and the Sunday services. No church can live without prayer. What changes the prayers of the saints have produced in our midst. William Still ( in a letter written to church members in June 1948.)

 Prayer: Lord, I acknowledge that all the glory belongs to you and you will not share it with another.

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Daily Bible thoughts 561: Wednesday 26th February 2014:

 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 16

Before moving on in 2 Corinthians, I want to say a few more words on this passage.

First of all, here is a helpful quote from F.B.Meyer:  Nothing touches the sense more quickly than sweet odours, unless it be noxious ones; and they almost instantly recall some scene of the past with which they were indissolubly associated…the apostle wished that his life might be a sweet perfume, floating on the air, reminding men, and above all reminding God, of Christ. It was as though he said, ”I desire so to live that I may perpetually remind God of the obedience, sacrifice, and devotion of the Lord Jesus, so that my words and deeds may recall to His heart similar ones in the earthly life of Jesus.” A sweet savour of Christ! It does not consist so much in what we do, but in our manner of doing it; not so much in our words or deeds, as in an indefinable sweetness, tenderness, courtesy, unselfishness, and desire to please others to their edification. It is the breath and fragrance of a life hidden with Christ in God, and deriving its aroma from fellowship with Him. Wrap the habits of your soul in the sweet lavender of your Lord’s character.

Note a number of other points:

  • In Christ, who triumphed gloriously at the cross, we are always triumphant (14a). Regardless of how we feel, this is a fact. We are on the winning side, even though appearances may sometimes tell us the opposite.  This bears repetition. It is so important.You may need to preach a sermon to yourself today and remind yourself that you’re a winner, because your circumstances may be mocking you and shouting, ‘Loser!’ Paul faced circumstances in Corinth that were far from what he would have liked them to be. Nevertheless, he believed these words he was writing. (Preachers, take note: makes sure you swallow the same medicine you prescribe to others.)
  • We are God’s instruments (14b) to carry Christ into the world, much as the body gives expression to the head. The head does not ‘reveal’ itself apart from the human body, but through it. That’s how it manifests its thoughts, ideas, intentions, desires etc.
  •  We smell of Jesus (15, 16), as previously noted. Christ is in us and His fragrance is on us. We are so close to Him that we are carrying His scent. So if you don’t have any opportunity to speak about your Lord today, don’t feel a failiure. You will be communicating Him in other ways, and people will take note that you are with Jesus, and that He is with you.
  • Our ministry is divisive (16). Not everyone likes Jesus and not everyone likes His aroma. As Jesus Himself said that He had not come to bring peace but a sword (Matt.10:34 -39), so He in us divides people. We get these widely divergent reactions to Christians and Christian ministry. The incense carried by the priests meant life to the Roman soldiers but death to the prisoners who would end up in the arena with wild beasts. Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word, p.758. We remind people what their end is if they reject Christ. This will never be a popular truth to the natural man, unless God changes his heart.

Prayer: Don’t let me be surprised if persecution comes, Lord, but fortify me to face it nobly with you and for you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 560: Tuesday 25th February 2014:

 2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Paul paints a picture in (14-16) of a Roman ‘triumph’. In the ancient world it was probably one of the greatest spectacles any eye could see. When a Roman general returned victorious from battle, he would march through the streets of Rome with his winning army. Behind them, in chains, there would be prisoners of war, and servants carrying incense. The streets would be thronged with shouting, cheering crowds. Paul, in these verses seems to compare himself to a captive, then to an incense – bearing servant, and finally to the incense itself that rose all the way along the line of the procession. There will be more to say about this in a moment.

Verses 12, 13 reveal a human Paul: When I arrived in Troas to proclaim the Message of the Messiah, I found the place wide open: God had opened the door; all I had to do was walk through it. But when I didn’t find Titus waiting for me with news of your condition, I couldn’t relax. Worried about you, I left and came on to Macedonia province looking for Titus and a reassuring word on you. And I got it, thank God! The Message. I once asked a rather stupid question of a Ugandan friend who was studying with me in Bible College. This was before I knew him really well, and I was just trying to make conversation at the meal table. ‘How do you find people in the U.K?’ I asked him. ‘People are people brother!’ He replied. ‘People are people.’ So they are. Paul was not a ‘stained glass window’ figure. He was a flesh and blood human being. Here we see him as rather like a parent who can’t go to bed until he knows his child is home safe and sound. This situation in Corinth was weighing heavily on him, and he wanted to hear a cheering word. At the same time, Paul found that opportunity to preach the gospel was knocking for him in Troas. It is wonderful when our desire to preach Christ coincides with God’s providential ordering of circumstances. (See in connection with this: Col.4:2-4; 1 Cor.16:8, 9). (But even when God is doing something really good for us, as was the case with Paul here, our emotions may not necessarily reflect this because our minds and concerns can be focused elsewhere. There is something so human and transparently real about these words.

Paul’s always (15) relates even to situations such as the one described in (13). Paul did not feel triumphant at that time, it would seem, but turbulent (on the inside). Yet he was triumphant. Whatever his emotions, he was part of God’s triumphal procession in Christ (14). You will note that it is through us that God spreads the sweet smelling knowledge of Christ. In terms of getting the word out about Christ, we have to ask ourselves: ‘If not us, who? If not now, when?’

But Paul is not so much thinking about our words concerning Christ. He is talking rather about how we smell. In other words, he is talking about who we really are in our inmost character. Paul says that Christians smell of Jesus. God catches that scent from us, but so also do believers and unbelievers. Whilst this fragrance is pleasant in the nostrils of fellow-followers of the way, non-Christians turn up their noses and pull faces at it. They have a totally different reaction.

Like two people at a perfume counter smelling the same fragrance and yet having widely divergent views about it, so it is with us. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation – an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? No – but at least we don’t take God’s Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap. We stand in God’s presence when we speak; God looks us in the face. We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can. The Message.

Prayer: Whatever happens today, or in the coming days, let me never forget that Jesus is the undisputed, undefeated Champion, and I’m on His team!

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Daily Bible thoughts 559: Monday 24th February 2014:

2 Chronicles 35:15-19

In (15) you get the impression of a mutually supportive team. They pulled together and did their jobs so that everyone could enjoy the Passover. As with the Musketeers, you get a sense of: ‘All for one, and one for all’ in their attitude. They were helpful to one another. Each knew that they needed the other: The security guards were on duty at each gate – the Levites also served them because they couldn’t leave their posts. The Message. That picture paints a thousand words. It speaks of a thoughtfulness that is so important for lubricating the ‘wheels’ in human relationships. Such sensitivity tends to bring people closer together. It is also interesting to note the statement about the musicians being in their prescribed places. I read a review of a book published last year by ‘Moody’, entitled ‘Worship Leaders, We are not rock stars.’ It is written by Stephen Miller. He makes the point that worship leaders are simply Christians, using their particular gifts and passions to worship God and bless Christ’s body. But the glare of the Sunday-morning spotlight has obscured the true nature of such a leader’s calling. As I have suggested before, we can get the very real place of music (and it does have such an important role in church life) all out of kilter in our minds and hearts. Let’s make sure that whatever our gifts, we are using them to glorify God and serve the body of Christ. No wonder it goes on to say in (16): Everything went without a hitch in the worship of GOD that day… The Message. People were working co-operatively with a good heart.

The challenge I both see and feel here is that of spending quality time worshipping God. It can be applied corporately and personally (16, 17). Obviously, we don’t have these Jewish Feasts as part of our worship. Their meanings have been fulfilled in Christ. But there is the abiding inspiration, I believe, of the willingness of those worshippers to devote chunks of time to come before God along with others. This seems to stand in marked contrast to the prevailing attitude where many believers seem reluctant to devote much time to worship gatherings.

So they pulled off something very special (18, 19). It was a Festival the like of which had not been seen in the land for many a long year. It happened because, under godly leadership, the people had a desire to honour the Bible, a willingness to work together, and a heart to glorify God. They were prepared to put selfish desires to death and work together for a greater cause. We too may achieve something remarkable in our day, if such attitudes and motives drive us also.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that I do not stand alone, but I am part of your family. Help me to consider others better than myself.

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Daily Bible thoughts 558: Friday 21st February 2014:(sorry, I forgot to post on Friday!!)

 2 Chronicles 35: 11- 14

As we have already noted, the Passover lambs foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. So as we read about them let’s think about Him and some of the blessings that come to us through His violent death:

  •  Sprinkling (11a): This speaks of the cleansing that comes to us freely through Christ’s blood. In the New Testament, the apostle John writes: 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 from all sin. (1 John 1:7). Take comfort in that ‘big’ little word all. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven if we confess it and don’t try to hide it (see also 1 John 1:9 – a verse that has been called ‘the Christian’s bar of soap.’) Let’s bring it into the light of God’s presence, where the stain can be clearly seen, and wiped away with the world’s most powerful cleansing agent: the blood of Jesus.
  • Clothing (11b): The skinning of the animals reminds me that Christians are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. As one hymn writer put it: Jesus thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my spotless dress. God no longer sees us in our sin but in His Son, once we trust in Christ. This is a great wonder, and it is true.
  • Sacrifice (12): One of the blessings that is ours, is the opportunity and privilege of offering to God our lives as whole-burnt offerings. This is the Old Testament picture behind the urgent call to consecration in Romans 12:1, 2. We bring our bodies as living sacrifices to God in accordance with what is written in His Word. We give him lives of dedicated obedience. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. (Romans 12:1). The Message.
  • Nourishment (13, 14): We continually ‘feed’ on Christ by faith and are spiritually nourished by Him; the Christ who was crucified for our sins, but who now is alive forevermore lives in us and we in Him. We can continually draw from Him all we need to live the Christian life. Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread – living Bread! – who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live – and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self… Only insofar as you drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you…the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always. The Message. These words, spoken by Jesus and recorded in John 6, are full of wonder and deep mystery. But this much is certainly clear: we take the crucified Lord of glory to be inside us by faith, and we continue to enjoyably feed ‘on’ Him by faith. We need never feel ‘empty’ and dissatisfied again, but always ‘full.’

Prayer: Jesus keep me near the cross.

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Daily Bible Thoughts 557: Thursday 20th February 2014:

 2 Chronicles 35: 7 – 10

We have seen throughout the story of Josiah that he was a fine example to his people. Here is something of his exemplary generosity (7): Josiah personally donated 30,000 sheep, lambs, and goats and 3,000 bulls – everything needed for the Passover celebration was there. The Message. He gave lavishly. He wanted his people to be able to celebrate the Passover. He did what he could to make this happen.

When a senior leader has a generous heart, it so often acts as a catalyst to encourage others to turn their pockets inside out (8, 9) and share their contents. (Whatever happens in the heart of a senior pastor is infectious. It’s ‘catching’, and it will get passed on to those who are in close contact with him/her. This can include bad things as well as good. If you are a senior leader you need to ensure that you guard your heart above all else, and walk with God, and let other people get close enough to you to catch the overspill.) His officials also pitched in on behalf of the people… The Message.

(10) reads like this in The Message: Preparations were complete for the service of worship; the priests took up their positions and the Levites were at their posts as instructed by the king. You get the impression of a service in which everything was done decently and in order. F.B. Meyer makes an excellent point, based on the word Prepare which comes in (4, 6, 10, 14, 15 and 16) in some translations: Nothing was left to haphazard or chance. We are taught to rely on the promptings and inspirations of the Holy Spirit; and it is certain that He would use us more on special errands, if we were to trust and obey Him better. But these extraordinary ministries should not lead us to a life of haphazard. We should prepare ourselves for service so far as we may, laying our plans, anticipating the calls and exigencies of coming days, and preparing for the demands which almost certainly will be made on us…we shall always need that preparedness of heart which is necessary for those who are to be used of God…Be always in your own place, clean so far as you can be, with the handle of your life turned towards the Master’s hand, that at any moment he may take hold of you, and use you for his holy service. By the diligent study of his Word, as well as by earnest prayer and waiting upon God, you will be prepared to do his will. Great verses through the Bible, pp 162, 163.

It is good and right that the services of the church should be thoroughly prepared, and that every member of the body of Christ should know their place and fill it. Let us not accept the slipshod in our approach, and then try to cover it with the veneer of an excuse that we are seeking the ‘moving of the Holy Spirit.’ The Spirit who hovered over the waters at the beginning and brought order out of chaos is not opposed to careful planning, as we look to Him to guide. Of course, we should be ready, if He breaks into a service like a flood, to be overwhelmed by Him and let Him sweep all our preparations away. But for the most part, our task is to seek His wisdom and direction in the study and trust Him when in the pulpit.

Prayer: Lord keep us from foolishly driving a wedge between prayerful preparation and the freedom of the Spirit. Help us to do our very best, trusting you to work in us and through us, and to sweep away any thoughts and ideas that are not of you.

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