Thought for Meditation

Biblical hope is not to be defined as a characteristic optimism 
that the future holds something good for us,
but is to be defined as a confident trust in our good Lord God 
who holds us and the future.

Thought for Meditation

(Yesterday I received through email the daily devotional, First Light, from Will Rice IV of the Bill Rice Ranch.  
In that devotional he made some statements that I believe are worthy of repetition.  
Thus I have chosen to present them as my thought for meditation today.)

Sin is departure, not from a code or set of laws, but from a person, God. 
I can no more say to God Almighty, 
"Hey I'm going to sin and do my own thing, but don't take it personally. 
I still love you; we can still be friends," 
than I can honestly say that I'm going to leave my wife, 
but there are no hard feelings and we're still going to be friends. 

Posted in Thought for Meditation, Rebellion against God

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Thought for Meditation

When an individual possesses eyes to see and ears to hear,
yet does not actually hear the truth of God's Word or see the wisdom of God's Word,
it is specifically because
that individual's heart is filled with rebellion against the Lord our God and His Holy Word.

1.  Do you believe that the Lord our God desires and requires for us believers to be in His Word every day?

2.  Do you believe that it is necessary for us believers to be consistently in God’s Word in order to live pleasing unto the Lord our God?

3.  Do you believe that it is necessary for us believers to be consistently in God’s Word in order to grow in spiritual maturity?

4.  Do you believe that it is necessary for us believers to be consistently in God’s Word in order to walk as good, godly Christians?

5.  Do you believe that it is spiritually important for us believers to walk daily abiding in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit?

6.  Do you believe that it is necessary for us believers to be consistently in God’s Word in order to walk abiding in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit?

7.  Do you believe that we believers will be spiritually immature, spiritually backslidden, and wordly Christians if we are not consistently in God’s Word?

8.  Do you believe that it is a sin against the Lord our God when we are not consistently in God’s Word?

9.  Do you believe that it is necessary for us believers to be consistently in God’s Word in order to have an effective prayer life?

10.  Do you believe that it is necessary for us believers to be consistently in God’s Word in order to experience the peace and joy of the Lord?

11.  Do you believe that we believers should be deeply burdened for a true, spiritual revival in our individual lives, our individual homes, and our individual church?

12.  Do you believe that a true, spiritual revival is Biblically and genuinely possible for our lives, homes, and church?

13.  Do you believe that the Lord our God graciously and deeply desires to grant the gift of a true, spiritual revival in our lives, homes, and church?

14.  Do you believe that we believers do not often experience the gift of a true, spiritual revival simply because we ourselves will not meet the Lord’s requirements for such a revival?

15.  Do you believe that a true, spiritual revival will have a real and noticeable impact upon the character of our hearts and the conduct of our lives?

16.  Do you believe that a true, spiritual revival in our individual lives will transform the character of our daily attitudes, both privately and publicly?

17.  Do you believe that a true, spiritual revival will motivate us unto a deep interest after the daily fellowship of the Lord and after daily obedience unto the Lord?

18.  Do you believe that a true, spiritual revival will motivate us unto a deep interest and a driving priority for the things of the Lord, such as His Word, His work, and His church?

19.  Do you believe that a true, spiritual revival will motivate us unto a consistent and faithful witness for Christ of the gospel unto the lost around us?

20.  Do you believe that it is displeasing unto our Lord and wickedness against our Lord when we do not walk daily in the path of true, spiritual revival?

Posted in Thought for Meditation, Daily Bible Study, Spiritual Revival

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Thought for Meditation

Why do so many of God's own people today 
seek after psychological and pharmaceutical solutions 
to their emotional, mental, and behavioral problems, 
rather than follow after Biblical and spiritual (Holy Spirit directed) solutions? 

Thought for Meditation
(This week we believers at Melvin Baptist Church are engaged in a series of revival meetings.  
At the meeting last night, the evangelist made the following statement that I believe was worthy of meditation.)

In order to experience and enjoy the abundant Christian life as the Lord our God intended,
we must deny our selves and must let the Lord write our biography.

Thought for Meditation

On the one hand, 
a casual and compromised Christian life is rooted in service to the Lord 
that is motivated according to a spirit of convenience.

On the other hand,
a committed and consecrated Christian life is rooted in service to the Lord
that is motivated according to a spirit of conviction.

Thought for Meditation

An individual's spiritual skillfulness 
to understand and apply the precepts and principles of God's Word unto his or her daily living is a distinct and observable indication of that individual's spiritual maturity.

Thought for Meditation

In order to be Biblically and spiritually minded, 
rather than worldly and carnally minded,
an individual must be daily reading, studying, and meditating 
in the truth and wisdom of God's Holy Word.

Thought for Meditation

Are you one who consistently cares for and is committed to doing the work of the Lord?
Or, are you one who must be constantly convinced and compelled to do the work of the Lord?
Or, are ye one who is contemptuous of and stands contrary to the work of the Lord?

Thought for Meditation

When we give unto the Lord and for the Lord's work --
The Lord our God is not pleased when we give the "leftovers" of our increase.
Rather, He is pleased when we honor Him with the "firstfruits" of all our increase.
The Lord our God is not interested in the amount of our giving.
Rather, He is interested in the percentage of our giving.
The Lord our God does not consider the size of our giving.
Rather, He considers the motive of our giving, 
whether it is out of sacrificial love or for selfish show.

Thoughts for Meditation
(The following quotes all come from articles in the magazine, "The Baptist Voice," Fall 2013)

Before Satan targets your ministry, he targets your heart.
(quote by Paul Chappell in the article, "Stand for Truth")

Take heed.  Satan attacks men before he attacks ministries.  
We are vulnerable, but Christ is strong.  
When we put our confidence in our strength, we fail.  
But when we put our confidence in Him, we have victory.
(quote by Paul Chappell in the article, "Stand for Truth")

Our freedom has been a blessing, but it has never been a necessity for the spread of truth.  
Remember first-century Christians did not have a moral majority -- 
they didn't even have a political voice.
(quote by Paul Chappell in the article, "Stand for Truth")

It is not enough to simply preach the truth.  Standing for truth means that we live the truth.
(quote by Paul Chappell in the article, "Stand for Truth")

We cannot compromise truth and be faithful to the Word of God at the same time.
(quote by Paul Chappell in the article, "Stand for Truth")

Only one who has a personal relationship with God and a public testimony for God 
can hope to influence others to serve God.
(quote by R. B. Ouellette in the article, "From My Youth")

Satan is very effective at removing men from the ministry.  
Some "foul out," some "rust out," and others "burn out."  
There is one thing they all have in common -- they are out!
(quote by Scott Wendal in the article, "Ministry: A Journey of Faith.  Valley Forge Baptist Temple in Collegeville, PA")

So, if indeed the Spirit of God, on the servant of God, 
who was preaching the Scripture of God, 
wrought eternal results in the first century, 
why shouldn't we believe the same can happen today?
(quote by Tom Farrell in "Q&A: Evangelist Tom Farrell talks about the importance of preaching in the local church")

Posted in Thought for Meditation

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Thought for Meditation

Do you possess a heart of faith like Mary did,
or do you possess a spirit of unbelief like Zacharias did?

Thought for Meditation

The Lord our God will not deliver us He would or use us as He could,
until we humble ourselves before Him as we should.

Thought for Meditation


Is the gift of eternal salvation free or costly?
Certainly, according to the truth and teaching of God's Holy Word,
we should recognize that the gift of eternal salvation is free unto all who trust Christ.
Yet we should also remember that this gift was abundantly costly 
for our Lord Jesus Christ to provide so freely unto us believers.