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Daily Devotional thoughts by Stephen Thompson

Daily Bible thoughts 924: Thursday 16th July 2015: 1 Thessalonians 1:1: The retirement home!

 1 Thessalonians 1:1: The retirement home!(click here for todays passage)

Many years ago, I read a story about an elderly Christian gentleman who had gone to live in a retirement home. One day, a well- meaning visitor asked him what it was like to live in ‘an old folks’ home.’ The man pulled himself up to his full height and replied with great dignity, ‘I don’t live in an old folks’ home; I live in God.’ Our primary identity as Christians (and churches) is in God. Above all else, He is our location, our home, our residence. We live ‘’in’’ Him first, and in our ‘Thessalonica’ second. Because we live in God, we can be at home anywhere.

Let’s think about three things in this opening verse:

Company: ‘’Paul, Silas and Timothy…’’ There is something wonderful about fellowship in the gospel; about being part of a team. These three men had been through tough times as they laboured in the cause of Christ. They must have been a great help to each other. They were a ‘’cord of three strands’’ (2:1, 2; see Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Matthew 18:19, 20). Don’t neglect Christian fellowship (Hebrews 10:25), and value those you get to work with. What you achieve together will be greater than what you can accomplish alone. It’s not about competing, but pulling together to glorify Christ by making Him known.

Calling: ‘’Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ.’’ The Message. When Paul writes about ‘’the church’’ it literally means ‘a called-out people.’ It has nothing to do with buildings. God is calling a people out from this world (Acts 15:13-18) to be His congregation, His community. In John 17 Jesus speaks of believers seven times as those whom the Father gave Him out of the world (verses 2, 6, 9, 11-12, 24). Dallas Willard speaks of the ‘great commission’ being about bringing people into fellowship with the Trinity (Matthew 28:18-20). We become the community of the Triune God. In the reality of fellowship with Him we are changed.

Cure: Here is the great cure for all the ills of the human heart (and of the human race). ‘’God’s amazing grace be with you! God’s robust peace!’’ The Message. Our greatest need is to experience God’s grace – His undeserved favour. We cannot earn His Kingdom; we do not deserve to be in it. But we receive it as a gift. When someone can honestly say, ‘It is well with my soul’, they have entered into a life of peace. It’s not that nothing will ever go wrong. They are not clutching on to a promise that they won’t face trouble, pain or death etc. But they know that whatever comes their way they are forgiven; they are accepted by God. Next to this nothing else really matters. Grace inevitably leads to peace. The Thessalonian Christians had a turbulent start to their Christian journey. Paul knew that they would face further stormy waters. But that did not alter one iota the fact that peace was their legacy in Christ (John 14:27).

Prayer: Lord please help me to live calmly in your ocean of peace.

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Daily Bible thoughts 923: Wednesday 15th July 2015: Jeremiah 10:23-25: Who is Lord?

Jeremiah 10:23-25: Who is Lord?(click here for todays passage)

In contrast with the leaders we thought about yesterday, who did not seek God (21), Jeremiah was a man of prayer. He prayed that the people of Judah might be corrected but not destroyed (24). He also prayed about the fact that ungodly nations had themselves acted wickedly in their attempts to wipe out God’s people (25). He did not pray with a vindictive spirit, but he did ask for justice and deliverance. He wanted to see God’s promises to Abraham kept (Genesis 12:1-3). Although these nations were God’s instruments of judgment, they were still held responsible for going too far. The Babylonians were ruthless in their treatment of Judah. God answered Jeremiah’s prayer and eventually brought an end to the terrible rule of Babylon (chapters 50, 51.)

But at the heart of Jeremiah’s praying, there lay an understanding that he belonged to God (23).If you recognise that you don’t belong to yourself, but are the property of the Lord Jesus Christ (something that is true of every Christian), you will want to know what are His plans for you. You will be keen to get a hold of His road map and follow the route He has planned. In short, believing that Jesus is Lord will motivate you to pray

‘’I know, GOD, that mere mortals can’t run their own lives, That men and women don’t have what it takes to take charge of life.’’ The Message.

‘’As far as our own lives are concerned, there is no truth more crucial than this. We are not our own; we belong to the Lord. We have been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20); the price was the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:9).Since we are not our own, it is not for us to direct our steps; it is not for us to go where we please and do what we want. Rather, it is for us to do what our Owner wants. When we make ourselves His servants, we experience peace, joy and freedom. We become truly free by making ourselves ‘’slaves’’ of God (John 8:31-32). All of our fears and anxieties, all of our pride and self-centredness, arise from this fundamental sin: we seek to be the ‘’god’’ of our lives. We seek to ‘’direct our steps’’. We may ask God to bless our plans, but we are the ones who make the plans. True conversion, true spiritual rebirth, takes place only when we acknowledge that God is our Owner and we submit our lives to Him (see Romans 12:1).’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary, p.1092.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I gladly own your Ownership and rule over my life. It isn’t mine any more. You have bought me for yourself and I am yours. Please unfold all the plans you have for me and strengthen me to follow wherever you may lead.

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Daily Bible thoughts 922: Tuesday 14th July 2015: Jeremiah 10:17-22: The heart of the problem.

Jeremiah 10:17-22: The heart of the problem.(click here for todays passage)

‘’Jeremiah saw the invasion of the Babylonian army and the distress it would bring. He urged the people to pack their bags and get ready to move, because they would be hurled out of the land like stones from slings. The prophet lamented the ruin of houses and families, the separation of parents and children, the scattering of God’s precious flock.’’ ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (OT)’: P.1219

This section of chapter 10 brings us to the heart of the problem. Here’s why they were in such serious trouble and facing disaster:

‘’It’s because our leaders are stupid. They never asked GOD for counsel, And so nothing worked right. The people are scattered all over.’’ The Message.

The political and spiritual leaders were not people of prayer; they did not sincerely and earnestly seek God. There were many religious leaders in Judah who were just plain backslidden (Lamentations 4:13).

In a book written in the year 2,000, R.T. Kendall said that according to one survey, many clergy pray for no more than four minutes a day. Of course, there will be other surveys that say something different, and this statistic will not be true across the board. Now we’re not in a competition to see who can log the most hours in prayer, and we cannot measure a person’s spirituality by how long they spend praying. We must not become judgmental, and I don’t want to lay a heavier burden on already pressurised leaders. Nevertheless, it remains the case that the church’s pastors must be men and women of prayer. If we are to experience true ‘prosperity’ in Christian ministry, we must ‘’enquire of the LORD’’ (21). This is not just about saying prayers, or asking for things, but walking closely with God so that we catch even His faintest whispers (Psalm 25:14a).

We need to know His mind;

To feel His heartbeat;

To be filled with His power.

True success in Christian ministry will come to those who ‘pray the price.’ If we fail in our ministry of prayer, others will pay the price, as was the case in Jeremiah’s day. There’s a lot hanging in the balance of a Christian leader’s prayer life.

I find I need to remind myself constantly that Jesus is ‘’the vine’’ and I am a ‘branch’ in the vine, and apart from Him I can do ‘’nothing’’ (John 15:5). Do I want to be regarded as a great preacher or do I want to be fruitful? Do I want God to do something significant through me? Do I want compliments or do I want power? I would choose the latter every time.

Therefore I must pray.

Prayer: Lord, I confess the sin of prayerlessness. I do not feel that I can pray too much, only too little. Please pour upon me the Spirit of prayer and make me even more usable to you. I want to produce eternal fruit for your glory.

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 919: Thursday 9th July, 2015: Psalm 118: 17 -29: Divine intervention.

 Psalm 118: 17 -29: Divine intervention.(click here for todays passage)

As we saw previously, this psalm was written by someone who came perilously close to dying, but God intervened and rescued him. The psalmist recognised that God had used his recent suffering to discipline him (18), and we may feel the same about the trials we go through

The psalm closes (29) as it opened (1). It is an expression of profound thankfulness.

In (22-24), the psalmist, who may have been the king or some other leader, refers to himself as the ‘’stone’ who had been ‘’rejected’’. He had come so close to experiencing a disastrous defeat. Enemy kings, we might say, had ‘rejected’ him. But the Lord had saved him and made him the ‘’capstone’’. He had elevated him to a very important position. He had lifted him higher than these other kings, so that he was in a position of triumph over them.

‘’What the psalmist pictures for us in verses 22-23 is a marvellous reversal of circumstances: from imminent defeat to glorious victory, from humiliation to exaltation. And this is why Jesus applied these verses to Himself (see Mark 12:1-12), as did other New Testament writers (Acts 4:8-12; 1 Peter 2:7). Jesus suffered rejection by man, but God accepted Him and made Him the ‘’capstone.’’ No one has ever experienced a greater reversal of circumstances than Jesus did.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary, p.909. (It is interesting to think that this may be one of the psalms Jesus sang with his disciples before going out to the Garden of Gethsemane.)

Ever since Jesus’ death and resurrection, every day is ‘the day of salvation’ for those who trust in Him (24). It’s a new day, and it’s a great day! It is such a joyful day.

In (25-29) the psalmist speaks on behalf of the people who are celebrating the arrival of their victorious king in the temple court: ‘’Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD’’ (26). Centuries later these same words were used by citizens of Jerusalem to welcome the Messiah, Jesus (Mark 11:9).

‘’The stone the masons discarded as flawed is now the capstone! This is GOD’s work. We rub our eyes – we can hardly believe it! This is the very day GOD acted – let’s celebrate and be festive!’’ The Message.

Let what God did for this king, and ultimately for Jesus, speak to you. There is no mess you are in that He can’t get you out of, should He choose to exert His power on your behalf. And like this psalmist, you can call on Him in your day of trouble.

‘’Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures for ever.’’

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Daily Bible thoughts 918: Wednesday 8th July 2015: Colossians 4:16-18: And finally…

Colossians 4:16-18: And finally…(click here for passage)

There are three clear exhortations in the final verses of this wonderful letter:

  • Read it (16): It is important that Paul’s letters are read. Still today their contents are to be digested by the churches. Don’t neglect the Bible as a whole. Don’t let the Apostle Paul stay on the shelf! (This verse shows that there was another letter written by Paul to a neighbouring church at Laodicea. These letters were to be swapped over and read by both churches.) In living the Christian life we don’t make it up as we go along. We are not left to our own devices to decide what is right and wrong. We have authoritative documents, and they are to be obeyed and not merely considered.
  • Stick with it (17): Jesus said: ‘’No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’’ (Luke 9:62). Did ‘’Archippus’’ feel like giving up? And what happened to ‘’Demas’’ (14)? There surely is a warning in his story (2 Tim.4:10)? All kinds of forces can combine and conspire against those in Christian service, causing us to feel tempted to drop out of the race. The way to persevere is to ‘’fix’’ our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). If anyone could have given up it was Jesus. Nobody suffered like He did. But He ‘’endured’’. (By the way, we are all in Christian service!!)
  • Remember them (18): This is a touchingly simple comment coming at the end of the letter. There is no self-pity in it. It is the briefest reminder of his sufferings. He wanted their prayers, as we have seen. ‘’Remember to pray for me in this jail.’’ The Message. He also wanted them to remember his love for them; his heart for the church as a whole; and the cost of being a Christian. In a way those ‘’chains’’ sum up a whole way of life. Paul was chained to Christ, and as His ‘prisoner’ he knew perfect freedom.

‘’When Jesus bids a man come and follow Him, He bids him come and die.’’ Dietrich Bohnoeffer.

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Daily Bible thoughts 917: Tuesday 7th July 2015: Colossians 4: 12, 13: The hard work of prayer.

Colossians 4: 12, 13: The hard work of prayer.(click here for todays passage)

In Paul’s ‘final greetings’ section of the letter to Colossae, he lists a number of people, most of whom are not well known. One of them was ‘’Epaphras’’. Here are four things we can say about this man:

  • He was a faithful witness (1:7): It is generally believed that Epaphras was the ‘church planter’ in Colossae. It’s thought that he was probably a convert from Paul’s two year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19). He went back up the Lycus valley to his home city of Colossae, and there he founded a new Christian community. (He may also have started the churches ‘’at Laodicea and Hierapolis’’.) Having found Jesus for himself, he did not keep Him to himself. This one ‘beggar’ told other ‘beggars’ where to find bread. (2 Kings 7:9).
  • He had a servant heart (12a): This is evident not only from what Paul said about him, but also in view of the picture of the man that emerges as we read between the lines. He was a willing servant of the church because he knew himself to be, first and foremost, Christ’s slave.
  • He was a praying man. He had the spirit of prayer about him. He prayed ‘’without ceasing’’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Paul said, ‘’He is always wrestling in prayer for you…’’ He wanted this church he had founded to grow; he deeply desired that the congregation would develop spiritually. Much vital pastoral work is carried out on bended knees.
  • He was a hard worker. The implication in the passage is that he worked hard in prayer. He laboured and toiled in the place of prayer. He put his back into it. Like Paul himself, he worked hard in God’s strength (1:29). He had a good mentor as he set out to follow Christ. Prayer is hard work. It is not glamorous. This may explain why it is not popular with many, and why prayer meetings are often poorly attended. I find that many people love to hear about prayer. But the doing is another matter. To make matters more difficult, we have invisible spiritual enemies who are committed to keeping the ‘missile’ of prayer on the launch pad. They know full well what it will do to their domain if it blasts into the air.

It will be obvious from these words that Epaphras combined evangelism, discipleship and prayer in a balanced ministry.. It is important that we too hold these things together. Our entire work must be undergirded by prayer. Without it we will lack power, and we will not see eternal fruit for Jesus. As someone said, we must work like it all depends on us, but pray like it all depends on God.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please pour out the spirit of prayer on your church. Help us to be like Epaphras: vocal in witness, faithful in service and earnest in prayer.

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Daily Bible thoughts 916: Monday 6th July 2015: Colossians 4: 7-15: No unappreciated people.

 Colossians 4: 7-15: No unappreciated people.(click here for todays passage)

We have noted before that Paul was a team player. He valued other people in the church who worked alongside him and he affirmed their contributions. Most of the people who appear on this list, with a couple of notable exceptions, were not well known. But all of them were significant; each of them mattered. Paul loved them and was thankful for them.

What an unselfish man Paul was! Although a prisoner, he did not curl up in a ball of self-pity. His letters to the churches at Colossae, Philippi and Ephesus (plus the personal one sent to Philemon) show that he was still outward looking, and concerned for the well-being of others. These were all written around the same time, when he was under house arrest. He was thoughtful and considerate, as (10b) shows.

Whatever is going on in your world, try to keep considering others. The temptation to close in and become self-focused may be very great, but you will grow and you will be blessed if you continue to love and serve. Don’t think about what you’re getting but concentrate on giving.

And here’s a thought, why not take some time this week to drop a line or two to someone who has been a great help to you? So you love them and value them? But do they know what you think about them and feel for them? They are not mind readers. Some things definitely ought to be expressed in ‘’the living years.’’

Let no-one feel unappreciated in the church family. May no one in your world fail to feel your love and gratitude.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the people you have put around me, now and in the past, who have made my ministry possible.

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Daily Bible thoughts 915: Friday 3rd July 2015: Colossians 4:7-9: No insignificant people.

 Colossians 4:7-9: No insignificant people.(please click here for todays passage)

There are no insignificant people in God’s Kingdom, and there is no insignificant work. ‘’Tychicus’’ and ‘’Onesimus’’ are not the best known figures in the New Testament. We have a little more information on Onesimus because of the letter to ’Philemon’. We know that he was a runaway slave who met Paul in prison and was converted. But in comparison with Paul these two men were not high profile. Paul, however, valued them and the contribution they made. Paul’s appreciation of people shines through his letters. You don’t get any sense of hierarchical thinking. Paul, who wrote about the church as a body, was appreciative of the role played by each part. (I once heard someone comment that a part of the body having no work may soon become ‘a grumbling appendix’!! There are to be no redundant or unemployed members in Christ’s church.)

It is believed that Tychicus was the ‘postman’ who delivered Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In the previous paragraph we saw how Paul earnestly requested the prayers of the Colossian Christians. It is helpful if people can pray intelligently, so Paul sent key information with Tychicus and Onesimus. He wanted his friends to know how he was. He wanted to assist them in their prayers: ‘’My good friend Tychicus will tell you all about me…I’ve sent him to you so that you would know how things are with us…Together they’ll bring you up-to-date on everything that has been going on here.’’ The Message. This may not seem like a glittering assignment, but it was important.

The other purpose for sending Tychicus was: ‘’…and that he may encourage your hearts.’’ (8b). You may feel that you can do very little for God, but everyone can be an encourager. There is endless scope for those who are willing to take up the work of encouraging others. Who of us can carry on without it? Who could you encourage today? There are so many ways in which this can be done.

It was said of Hudson Taylor, I believe, that he was ‘’a man small enough for God to use.’’ He was due to speak once at a meeting, and the convener, no doubt meaning well, gave him an impressive build up. It is said that Hudson Taylor came to the pulpit and simply commented, ‘’I am but the small servant of an illustrious Master’’, or words to that effect.

In the church, some people will become well known, such as Paul was. Others, like Tychicus and Onesimus, will be in the ‘support cast’. They won’t win any ‘oscars’ for their performances. They will not be lauded as ‘stars’. But their work is vitally important. Whether well-known or anonymous, remain small in your own eyes, and look to serve and glorify your infinitely big God.

‘’There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.’’

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be humble and usable before you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 914: Thursday 2nd July 2015: Colossians 4:2-6: Prayer changes things.

 Colossians 4:2-6: Prayer changes things.(please click here for todays passage)

Paul the apostle clearly believed in the effectiveness of prayer. He regular asked the churches under his care to pray for him, and he obviously wasn’t simply trying to fill up space in his letters. He genuinely believed that these prayers would make a material difference. He was humble enough to ask for help. The help he wanted most of all was that which comes from God in answer to the faithful prayers of His people (see Philippians 1:19).

Evangelism involves our words (6) and our actions (5), but it is to be carried on in an atmosphere of prayer. Prayer and effective witness are ‘married’. God has joined them together and we must not separate them. Let us pray for our own outreach efforts, whether they are personal or collective, and also, let’s not fail to pray for preachers and missionaries and Christian leaders working on the ‘front lines’. We can partner with them in this way. No-one is big enough to succeed by themselves. There is a need for committed intercessors in the ‘supply lines’. Do we believe that our prayers will make a difference?

As we pray, we need to be sensitive; alert to God and anything He may be saying or doing. We must keep our eyes open to observe what is going on around us. ‘Watchfulness’ is a vital ingredient of prayer. And it’s not simply a matter of asking God for things. Let’s also be ‘’thankful’’ for everything He has done for us. It will add fuel to our prayers if we take the time to remember how the Lord has already answered prayer in the past. We can (and we must) combine ‘please’ and ‘thankyou’.

In particular, Paul asked for prayer for an ‘’open door’’ for the message to be preached, and for clarity in communicating it. (Compare this with similar requests in Ephesians 6: 18-20). Here are important points to still inform our praying for the spread of the gospel.

Someone said that he had noticed that coincidences happen when Christians pray which don’t occur when they’re not praying! We need a lot more of these ‘coincidences’.

Prayer: Lord God, let me see prayer through your eyes. Help me to believe all that the Bible teaches about prayer’s power. Enable me, please, to resist every temptation to stop praying, and to fight the lethargy that would keep me from ever starting.

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