Free daily Bible notes

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.

July 15, 2015 0

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.

July 14, 2015 0

Daily Bible thoughts 921: Monday 13th July 2015: Jeremiah 10: 6-16: Incomparable God.

Jeremiah 10: 6-16: Incomparable God.(click here for passage).
In this chapter Jeremiah ridicules the idols worshipped by the pagan nations (and, sadly, by many of his own people.) He contrasts them with the living God, and shows how, in truth, there is no contest. There is no one like the Lord. The reality of true faith comes across clearly in The Message:
‘’All this is nothing compared to you, O God.
You’re wondrously great, famously great.
Who can fail to be impressed by you, King of the nations?
It’s your very nature to be worshiped!
Look far and wide among the elite of the nations.
The best they can come up with is nothing compared to you…
But God is the real thing—
the living God, the eternal King…
…But the Portion-of-Jacob is the real thing.
He put the whole universe together…’’

The tenth verse highlights the heart of the contrast:

‘’But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God, the eternal King.’’ New International Version.

He is ‘’true’’ while they are false; He is ‘’living’’ but they are dead; and He is ‘’eternal’’ whereas they are transient.

In his commentary on the Old Testament, Warren Wiersbe quotes A.W. Tozer:
‘’…the essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.’’
He goes on to say: ‘’The remedy for idolatry is for us to get caught up in the grandeur of God, the true God, the living God, the everlasting King. An idol is a substitute, and you would never want a substitute once you have experienced the love and power of the Lord God Almighty.’’ pp.1218, 1219.
May I suggest that we take some time during this week to just meditate on God. Focus on who He is, and watch happens to your heart.
Prayer: How I thank you Lord God Almighty that you are ‘’the real thing’’. Make my heart a blazing furnace of fiery love for you, and let many others be drawn to the ‘heat’.

July 13, 2015 0

Daily Bible thoughts 920: Friday 10th July 2015: Jeremiah 10: 1-5: Don’t be a chameleon!

Jeremiah 10: 1-5: Don’t be a chameleon!(click here for todays passage)

This chapter sees the conclusion of the series of messages that Jeremiah delivered at the gate of the temple (7:1, 2). It contains a warning against idolatry (1-16).

In Romans 12:2 Paul writes: ‘’Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world…’’ He says, in effect, ‘Don’t be a chameleon, taking on your moral colouring from the environment.’ (I heard recently, by the way, that the way to kill a chameleon is to place it on tartan!!)

‘’Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.’’ The Message.

This passage in Jeremiah reminded me of Romans: ‘’Do not learn the ways of the nations…For the customs of the peoples are worthless…’’ (2, 3)

Idolatry was one of the ‘’ways of the nations’’. The people of Judah were about to go into exile in Babylon. There they might be tempted to worship Babylonian gods. They might conclude, incorrectly, that these gods were responsible for their downfall. God’s people were not to go down the ‘way’ of idolatry. They must not let the world of their day squeeze them into its mould. They shouldn’t be like jelly. (Notice these words were addressed to the ‘’house of Israel’’, verse 1, and not only to Judah). Through Jeremiah, God warned the exiles not to learn these idolatrous ‘’ways of the nations’’ – and especially not the ways of Babylon.

Pagan people worshipped the heavenly bodies as gods (2b). They put great stress on comets, meteors, eclipses and the like. God’s people were not to do that.

This is another of those great Old Testament passages that shows how ludicrous it is to worship idols (3-5).

‘’They trim it with tinsel and balls, use hammer and nails to keep it upright. It’s like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch – can’t talk! Dead wood that has to be carried – can’t walk!’’ The Message

It brings a smile to your face. An idol is like something to frighten off the birds, and not a holy power to subdue the sinful inclinations in the human heart (5). It leaves you scratching your head, asking, ‘Why would anyone be an idolater?’ (See also Psalm 115:2-8; Isaiah 40:18-20; 44:9-20; 46:5-7).Yet we know how easy it is to slip into idolatry – even without bowing down before statues: 1 John 5:21. We can easily adopt substitutes for God. An idol is anything or anyone taking His rightful place in our hearts.

The last part of (5) spoke to me as I prepared for a prayer meeting this morning: ‘’…they can do no harm nor can they do any good.’’ I thought, ‘Yes, but our God, the ‘’living God’’ (10) is good and He does good. He does good in answer to our prayers.’

So let us pray…and worship Him alone.

Prayer: Lord, you alone are deserving of all my worship. Help me to stay true to you.

July 10, 2015 0

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.’’

July 9, 2015 0

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.

July 7, 2015 0

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.

July 6, 2015 0

Daily Bible thoughts 913: Wednesday 1st July 2015: Jeremiah 9:23-26: The greatest thing.

Jeremiah 9:23-26: The greatest thing.(click here for todays passage)

This morning, some words from a song went through my mind after reading this passage:

‘’The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you. I want to know you more…’’

Nothing compares to knowing God (Proverbs 1:7; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Think about all the things people may boast about. For example:

‘I got a first at Oxford’;
‘I made a fortune in business’;
‘I got invited to the Queen’s Garden party’;
‘My team won the F.A. Cup’;
‘I won a medal for gallantry’.

No-one can deny that it may well be wonderful to have these experiences, or to notch up these achievements and accomplishments, but their value is as nothing when compared to knowing God. To know Him is of supreme value. Everything else fades by comparison. That’s what the Isaiah passage means by talking about ‘boasting’. It is expressing the supreme importance of knowing God. This really matters whereas, in the grand scheme of things, none of the other stuff does. When it comes to the end of your life, what will truly matter is not the O.B.E. pinned to your coat, but your hand reaching out in faith to the Christ of the Cross.

Of course, boasting seems out of place in talk about knowing God. So the passage from 1 Corinthians, quoted above, needs to be emphasised also. God has chosen us to be in Christ. So our boast is not that we made ourselves Christians. The boast is ‘’in the Lord’’ Himself (1 Corinthians 1:31). It’s in who He is and what He’s done for us. In such ‘boasting’ we worship the Lord who saved us. It is the only form of boasting that is permissible for Christians. In fact, it is to be actively encouraged.

Another thing we can’t afford to boast about is religion. External rites and rituals will not save anyone (25, 26). All the nations mentioned in (26) practiced the surgical operation of circumcision, but it did not change their hearts. When someone is converted, God does a work in their heart, enabling them to trust in Jesus. Because it’s God’s work, there’s no room for pride. All the glory goes to Him.

‘’It is not our minds, our might, or our money that wins the day (v.23) but our faith in God and our desire to glorify Him.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.503.

Prayer: ‘’The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you. I want to know you more…’’

July 1, 2015 0

Daily Bible thoughts 912: Tuesday 30th June 2015: Jeremiah 9: 17-22: ‘A time to weep.’

Jeremiah 9: 17-22: ‘A time to weep.’(click here for todays passage)

In Ecclesiastes 3: 1a & 4, Solomon writes: ‘’There is…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…’’

As Jeremiah considered what he knew was going to happen to his people, he saw that it was a time for tears.

Tom Hale makes these interesting and perceptive comments: ‘’Since the Lord’s judgment on Judah has been determined, there is nothing left for the people to do but lament their fate. The Lord tells Jeremiah to call for the wailing women, professional mourners whose job it was to arouse the bereaved to weep and mourn (verses 17-18). In verse 19, the Lord gives the words the women are to say. In verse 20, Jeremiah tells the ‘’wailing women’’ to teach their daughters how to wail; otherwise there will not be sufficient wailers, given the terrible judgment that is about to fall! In verses 21-22, that judgment is vividly described.’’ He goes on to say, ‘’The people of Judah no doubt wept and mourned when Jerusalem fell and they were carried into exile; but they wept and mourned for their loss and not for their sin. If they had repented of their sin, they would not have had to weep for their loss.’’ ‘The applied Old Testament Commentary’’, pp.1090/1091.

It was a terrible and graphic scenario painted by Jeremiah: ‘’Death has climbed in through the window, broken into our bedrooms. Children on the playgrounds drop dead, and young men and women collapse at their games.’’ The Message.

‘’God called the nation to lament because they would soon be going to their own funeral. Death was coming, and the politicians and false prophets wouldn’t be able to hinder it. Death is pictured as a thief who comes unhindered through the windows to steal precious lives.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (OT), P.1218.

Just imagine if such things were being said to us: ‘’The dead bodies of men will lie like refuse on the open field, like cut corn behind the reaper, with no-one to gather them.’’ (22).

Yet is our situation in any less serious? Do we not live in a nation that is shaking its fist at God? We have broken His laws. We have passed our own laws that are contrary to His. We reject Christ and the gospel. We do not want this Man to reign over us. Is this a time for frivolity in the church? Is it a day for apathy? Why are our prayer meetings so empty? Why are our eyes so dry? May God have mercy on us.

‘’Never in history has there been more ribald hilarity with less to be funny about.’’ Vance Havner.

‘’Look over the trouble we’re in and call for help.’’ The Message.

Prayer: Lord God, turn the heart of your church back to you. Help us to understand the seriousness of the times and the part you are calling us to play.

June 30, 2015 0

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