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

Jeremiah 1:4, 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremiah 1:1-3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proverbs 23: 29-24:4

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Philippians 1:18b-26

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philippians 1: 12-18a

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 820: Tuesday 24th February 2015: Zephaniah 3:14-17

Zephaniah 3:14-17 click here for passage)

Zephaniah concludes on a high note of hope.

‘’Raise the rafters, Israel!’’ The Message.

God’s people should be ‘the happiest people on earth’ (14) – a people of unfettered praise; an exuberantly joyful community, praising God from the heart. A friend of mine was going through a tough time. He told me that he wrote to a well-known pastor in America, who, he knew, had been through a similar set of circumstances. This renowned man of God replied, encouraging him to discover the awesome power of spiritual song. My friend not only read the ‘prescription’; he also took the ‘medicine’. He found it had a delightful taste! When I was staying with him, I would hear him get up in the early morning, go downstairs, and pick up his guitar and sing to the Lord.

Consider some reasons why we can have unbounded joy:

  • The Cross of Jesus and all it means (15a): Here are two aspects of its significance – forgiveness of sins and the conquest of all spiritual foes. (The Lord has ‘’taken away’’ our ‘’punishment’’ because He took our punishment on Calvary.) May we never lose the wonder of the Cross;
  • God’s reign over you, and His presence with you and in you (15b, 17a). ‘’From now on, GOD is Israel’s king, in charge at the centre…Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you.’’ The Message.
  • There is nothing to fear (15b, 16). When you allow the revelation of who God is and who you are in Him to overwhelm your thinking, you realise that there is nothing to fear and no reason to be discouraged. (You don’t have to ‘’let your hands hang limp’’ 16b). Nothing can happen to you that will ‘’harm’’ There may well be many things that will ‘hurt’ you, but nothing can ‘harm’ you in any ultimate sense. Your God is ‘’mighty to save’’ and you are safe. (Reflect, for example, on Revelation 20:4. Is it not true to say that these faithful ones were hurt but not really harmed? They are eternally safe with God. Revelation gives us the bigger picture.)
  • God the Father’s ‘maternal’ characteristics (17b). He loves you so much. He is like a mother doting on her young child. It is a truly beautiful picture.

Today, you have every reason to sing and not be silent, if you are a believer in Jesus. Learn how to be happy (and stay happy) in God! Your circumstances may not tend towards happiness, but you can learn to make yourself (or allow yourself to be) truly happy. The truth will set you free – if you let it!

And don’t forget the awesome power of spiritual song.

Prayer: Lord, you have put a new song in my heart. Don’t let the devil steal it from me. I choose to sing and not be silent, for you are faithful and you are good.

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 817: Thursday 19th February 2015: Zephaniah 3:1-5

Zephaniah 3:1-5

The people of Jerusalem should have set an example to their near neighbour nations (2:4-15), but they had been just as bad as them. Straight away (3:1) you see, by contrast, some qualities of godly people. They include:

  • Prayerfulness (see the promise in James 4:8);
  • Trust in God
  • Humility – expressed in submission and teachability;
  • Kindness and fairness in the treatment of others. (See also verse 3. God does not appreciate leadership that ravages people. There is such a thing in the church as ‘spiritual abuse.’ It happens when shepherds turn themselves into dictators, and try to dominate and control people. They become ‘’oppressors’’, whether or not they realise or intend it. ‘’Her very own leaders are rapacious lions, Her judges are rapacious timber wolves out every morning prowling for a fresh kill.’’ The Message. )

In (1) God was speaking about ‘’the city’’ of Jerusalem, but he clearly wasn’t referring to the stones and buildings that made up the place. This was what the general populace were like. ‘’Sewer City!’’ The Message.

But we cannot expect a people to be living right when the ministry they sit under is all wrong (4). The spiritual leaders in Zephaniah’s day had strayed from God’s truth in proclamation, and from God’s character in their conduct. A preaching ministry that dilutes or twists the Bible; or leaves important (and unpalatable) bits out, may make you popular (with some), but it will not make the people pure. It is an awesome responsibility to speak from a church pulpit. Here were spiritual leaders who dishonoured God’s Word and were marked by sinful characteristics. It is a serious crime in the eyes of heaven to ‘’do violence’’ to the Bible. It is still being done today – with the same catastrophic results (2 Peter 3:16). As a general principle, I believe it is true to say that a quality ministry will produce a quality people. We need leaders in the church who have integrity written through their core, like the words ‘Blackpool’ or ‘Scarborough’ in a stick of rock. The city of Jerusalem was as it was in those times because the leaders were as they were; and especially because the spiritual leaders were what they were: wide of the mark. They were (blind) guides carrying wilfully damaged road maps. As church leaders, our authority lies in God’s Word. If we move away from this we’re in serious trouble, and we endanger everyone under our care and influence.

What a contrast with ‘’The LORD within her…’’ (5).

‘’Yet GOD remains righteous in her midst, untouched by the evil. He stays at it, day after day, meting out justice. At evening he’s still at it, strong as ever. But evil men and women, without conscience and without shame, persist in evil.’’ The Message.

God remains unchanged by all this evil around Him, even though He is close to it. That is the challenge for disciples of Christ, called to be ‘’the salt of the earth’’ and ‘’the light of the world’’ (Matthew 5: 13, 14) We have to live in the polluted city and influence it for good, whilst remaining clean. God Himself will teach us and help us do this.

Prayer: I pray today for all who preach your Word, that they will speak your Word, and not their own.

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Daily Bible thoughts 816: Wednesday 18th February 2015: Zephaniah 2: 12-15

Zephaniah 2: 12-15

‘’God’s judgment begins in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17), which explains why Zephaniah started with the people of Judah; but now he explains how the day of the Lord will affect the Gentile nations surrounding Judah. Though they were never given God’s law as were the Jews (Ps.147:19-20), the Gentiles are still responsible before God; for God has revealed Himself to them in creation and conscience (Rom.1:18ff.). Furthermore, these nations had not always treated the Jews kindly and now the time had arrived for God to judge them. The nations named may represent all the Gentiles, since these nations correspond to the four points of the compass: Assyria (north), Cush (south), Moab and Ammon (east), and Philistia (west). During the great day of the Lord, all the nations of the earth will taste the judgment of God.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (Old Testament), p.1484.

Wiersbe also says: ‘’…God’s promise to Abraham still stands: Those who bless Israel, God will bless; those who curse Israel, God will curse (Gen.12:1-3). The nations that have sinned against God by mistreating the Jews can expect Him to judge them.’’

Assyria comes last in the list in chapter 2. (Before the Assyrians, mention is made of the ‘’Cushites’’ in verse 12. They lived in the southern part of Egypt and Sudan. They ruled Egypt for many years, so it’s likely that the Egyptians were included in this judgment.)

The Assyrians are a prime example of pride going before a fall. If people set themselves up as if they were God (or gods) they will be brought down (15). Those who follow Jesus will want to copy His humble example. If you lift yourself up (as the Assyrians did) God will pull you down. But if you humble yourself, as Jesus did, God will lift you up. There is also a dangerous complacency that goes hand in hand with pride. The people of Nineveh thought their city was impregnable: ‘’This is the carefree city that lived in safety.’’

Until the rise of Babylon, the Assyrians were the superpower in the world. They were a ruthless people, infamous for their pride and terrible cruelty to enemies. You may recall that there was a remarkable ‘revival’ in Nineveh, following the preaching of Jonah. But then successive generations fell back into their old ways, and Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C. Within a few years the once mighty Assyrian empire disappeared from the face of the earth, and Zephaniah saw it coming.

‘’The ghost town of a city, the haunt of wild animals, Nineveh will become home to raccoons and coyotes – they’ll bed down in its ruins. Owls will hoot in the windows, ravens will croak in the doorways – all that fancy woodwork now a perch for birds. Can this be the famous Fun City that had it made, That boasted, ‘’I’m the Number-One City! I’m King of the Mountain!’’ So why is the place deserted, a lair for wild animals? Passersby hardly give it a look; they dismiss it with a gesture.’’ The Message.

There is no city in the world today that should not look and learn. Pride, arrogance, complacency, and persistence in sin still bring human greatness down to the ground.

Prayer: Lord God, I tremble at your Word and honour your Name. May all the peoples of the world turn to you while there is still time.

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