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Free Daily Bible thoughts by Rev. 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 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’.

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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.

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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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