Daily Thoughts From God's Word

In reading the Bible, we often come across stories of miracles and miracle workers.  An interesting quote I read, from a pastor in India, was, “Miracles are common here in India.”  Well, now!   Something about that statement seems amiss.  Miracles that are common, everyday occurrences?  Maybe he meant that, relatively speaking, they see more miracles in India than, say, Europe or North America.  But common and frequent?  Miracles by their very nature are uncommon.  They are e

We are strange birds, at least in the eyes of the world:  “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God;  and so we are.  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him” (3:1).  The world just does not understand why we live as we do.  The world does not understand why we give away such amounts of our money and other things.  The world does not understand how we can be so joyful in the midst of difficulty and tr

In today’s religious climate, I think 1 John is one of the most important, certainly one of the most helpful, epistles.  John explains exactly why he has written the letter:  “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (5:13).  The matter of assurance of salvation seems to be at the top of church members’ lists of questions, i.e., “How can I know that I am saved?”  John answers that question.   But befor

False teachers, blasphemers, lovers of the world, apostates . . .  Peter does not mince words.  The Lord will deal harshly with these people.   And there were lots of them around, as there are in every generation.  There were also scoffers, who doubted and ridiculed the return of Christ.  But he will return, and so, Peter exclaims:  “What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God!” (3:12)  He also

“For this very reason (because God has given us all things, and we are becoming more and more like him), make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the k

Peter gives closing counsel to pastors:  “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock (5:1-3).  To all, be humble, caste all a

Hear Peter’s argument, here.  Christ has suffered and died so that we might no longer live our old lives, rather, that we “might live in the spirit the way God does” (4:6-7).  Furthermore, “the end of all things is at hand” (4:8),and it is all the more urgent that we live lives pleasing to God.  Now, we live in a fallen world, and we must not be surprised, Peter writes, regarding “the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening t

Such good and wise counsel from Peter!  “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (3:8-9).   Oh, if we always lived in this manner!   How sweet, how heav’nly is the sight, When those that love the Lord In one another’s peace delight, And so fulfill His word;   When each can f

Once not a people, we are now the people of God.  Once receiving no mercy, now we have received mercy (2:10).  The Old Testament prophet Hosea, speaking for God, told Israel, “In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God’” (Hosea 1:10).  Paul put is like this:  “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Ab

All that we have, in any good sense, is only because of our God.  In particular, Peter writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1:3).  Peter continues his thought and reflects on the living hope we have, the imperishable inheritance that is ours, God's protections, etc.  And that which we have was foretold by the pr

James concludes his letter with a warning to those of whom he says, “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence” (5:5.).  To those brothers in Christ who suffer under the mistreatment of the rich James writes, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the

The world.  We live in the world.  The world and all its attractions constantly call out to us.  And how easy it is to reason, “God has made all things and given them to us for our benefit.  Surely, he wants us to enjoy what he has given.”  On the one hand, we can affirm this reasoning.  What blessings are ours!  Even the rain and the sunshine!  Peter came to understand (Acts 10) that the foods he called unclean, well, God called them clean; Peter could enjoy them.  And we co

“The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.  How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire” (3:5-6) and, so, it is able to do so much damage.  A good reminder always to watch what we say.  Words once spoken cannot be retracted.  And isn’t it so that harsh and ugly words are so often said from jealousy and selfishness, which James warns against:  “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and ever

We talk a great deal about salvation being entirely of grace and rightly so.  If not for Christ dying for us, the Holy Spirit working in our hearts, turning us, and drawing us by faith, we would be lost.  As the prophet Jonah exclaimed, when he sought to be saved from the belly of the whale, “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9).  That statement can also be applied to our salvation from sin and death unto life and a full righteousness in Christ.  And here’s the thing, that s

The use of three-fold things is common, the numeral 3 often signifying completeness or used for emphasis.  How about some examples?  What about Isaiah 6 and the prophet’s vision of God?  “Holy, holy, holy!”   I once had a student whose attention I really needed to get.  In class, I called out, “Harley, Harley, Harley!”  I once needed quickly to stop Donna from doing something (I can’t remember what.  Maybe she was about to press a wrong button or something.), and I cried out,