Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 64). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That is a great way to put it, isn't it? Charles says, "It’s clear enough, but you can see only a reflection of what’s behind you if your focus isn’t right. The people of Judah made the mistake of thinking the Messiah would merely recapture the glory days of King David and merely turn the world into a Jewish empire. In other words, they hoped the Messiah would bring them the same power and prosperity they once enjoyed, only magnified and multiplied. Given their exclusive worship of God, that’s not a bad wish, but compared to the reality that lay before them, it was a wispy, unsubstantial likeness of former glory. That was the old covenant; God had a new covenant in mind. The new would build upon the old in order to provide God’s people much more than mere temporal power and material wealth. I...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 56). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Charles goes on, ". . . existentialists and self-help gurus are wrong about that. I learned years ago that following a call—fulfilling one’s purpose—isn’t that complicated and it isn’t as mysterious as it sounds. It begins with a realization that God has created each person with a unique design and a special purpose." He says, "Unfortunately, sin and selfishness make fulfilling that purpose impossible. Sin creates a barrier between our divine design and our ordained path, creating a tension that can be excruciating. Life becomes meaningless; a drab, colorless, pointless existence in which even pleasure and success bring no satisfaction. But that gnawing hunger for meaning can also create the opportunity and means for God to heal our sin-sick souls and put us on the right path." He conti...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 48). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another interesting thought. Charles says, "Disciples, through the teaching of their mentor, were to become reproductions of their master. If they failed to learn or did something publicly embarrassing, critics would look past the pupil to condemn the teacher. So, naturally, teachers took great care to choose disciples who not only had promise, but would completely submit to their instruction. A person could ask a rabbi to become his mentor, but the relationship didn’t begin until the teacher extended an invitation." He goes on, "Another potential disciple named Philip lived in Judea, perhaps with extended family in the little town of Emmaus, seven miles or so from Jerusalem. Jesus knew him to be from Bethsaida, 'house of fish,' a fishing village on the northern banks of the ...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 48). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) I find this interesting. Charles says, "The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—the only accounts of Jesus’ life that were unanimously accepted by the people who knew Him—offer no information about what happened to Him during those eleven years. History is silent. Luke alone offers this tidbit: 'The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him' (Luke 2:40).  Between the ages of one and twelve, we know nothing about Jesus’ life." He goes on, "Leave a blank space in history and, before long, someone will try to fill it. Many decades after the last eyewitnesses had died, several new documents emerged containing fanciful stories of Jesus’ childhood. They first appeared in the second century, but none of them was considered remote...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 43). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) He came to do more. Charles says, "No, the birth of Jesus was an invasion, a benevolent takeover whereby everyone and everything in the world must be transformed. So we will have to remind ourselves often that, while Jesus was a flesh-and-bone man, He was no ordinary man. And His teaching will be, quite literally, out of this world. He will sometimes sound cryptic, even evasive with His answers, but rather than write off His words as nonsense or try to squeeze them into old categories, I challenge you to see with different eyes. Open yourself up to the possibility that what He said, did, and taught was intended to create a very different world than the one you presently occupy. In fact, you might even find that the truth He brought is intended to create a very different you ! Charles continue...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 36). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that has made all the difference for us all. Charles says, "However, when God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ, He did not cease to be God, nor did He lose His divine attributes, such as omnipresence and omnipotence. He merely laid them aside for a time. Theologians call this choice kenosis , which derives from a Greek term meaning 'to empty.' Perhaps the best way to illustrate the concept is to tell the story of Thomas Mott Osborne."  Charles tells his story, "In October 1914, Osborne entered Auburn Prison in upstate New York, and like all the other prisoners, he was photographed, fingerprinted, stripped of his possessions, issued a set of prison grays, and led to a cell, four feet wide by seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet tall. The only difference b...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 35). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So true, so true. Charles says, "I have often wondered why Mary made the trip with Joseph knowing that she would likely deliver her child before returning home again. Perhaps he thought they could make the trip, conclude their business, and return in time. Maybe she delivered early or they miscounted the weeks. I happen to think they intended to stay with relatives, found Bethlehem overrun with travelers, and were surprised to find that the registration process took much longer than anyone anticipated. It really doesn’t matter, though. The decisions of men only served to accomplish the sovereign plan of God." He then says, "Caesar Augustus [he was the one who called for a census to be taken] thought this exercise of power would give him greater control over the world, but in the end, all he ...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 28). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Okay! Charles says, "Stretch your imagination and put yourself in His position. You are the supreme power over everything. You are beyond the need for food or safety, you do not feel pain, you cannot suffer death, you exist in a realm beyond the confines of time and three-dimensional space, and you are entirely content. As the almighty Creator of everything, you spoke the universe into existence, established a perfect habitat for living creatures, fashioned people to reflect your image, and then breathed life into them, only to have them rebel and make a mess of your world." He goes on, "For reasons we may never completely understand, the almighty Creator loves the people He made so much that He devised a plan to save us from this mess. And that plan called for the Creator to become a human ...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 12). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) We strive to be so smart, don't we? Charles says, "They readily accept that Jesus existed, that He was a Galilean Jew who lived and taught during the first century, that He was martyred for His teachings, and that those teachings were both radical and influential. But they deny Jesus’ miracles and reject even the suggestion that He is deity." He goes on, "Unfortunately, this view of Jesus fails to explain why so many were willing to follow Him, even to a martyr’s death, and why He continues to impact the world so profoundly. Think of men like Alexander the Great, Caesar Augustus, and Constantine, men who conquered vast stretches of the known world. Think of Plato, Newton, and Einstein, men who revolutionized the thinking of humankind. Think of all the musicians, composers, philosophers, ...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book,  Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 11). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And He was and is. Charles said, "Everyone agreed that Jesus was someone special, and everyone had his own theory as to how or why. John the Baptizer back from the dead? An ancient prophet returning to announce the revival of Israel? As theories abounded, only a very few thought of Jesus as the Hebrew Messiah. Eventually, when Jesus thought the time was right and that His disciples had enough evidence, He put them on the spot. His companions would have to make a decision. He asked them, 'But who do you say that I am?' (Matthew 16:15)." Charles goes on, "The 'you' in that question is plural. Who do all of you say that I am? The group probably stammered and squirmed before one brave disciple blurted out, 'You are the Christ' (Matthew 16:16).  "The word 'Christ...

A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book, Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series)   (p. 8). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) I'm sure that is so true. Charles says, "As I read the accounts of Jesus in the Bible, I find that time has done little to change how people respond to an encounter with Jesus. Like today, many wrote off reports of His miracles as myth. Like today, others who accepted His miracles as genuine attributed them to the work of evil or something else. Like today, some saw His works and accepted them as blessings from God but rejected the One who brought them." He goes on, "I also find that a relative few—perhaps numbering in the hundreds—saw the miraculous deeds of Jesus as proof that they had met someone very, very special. And their response was to stop what they were doing and consider the possibility that something remarkable was happening, something that deserved closer examination." C...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 76). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And He is so faithful. Psalm 37:40 says, "The LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him." David says, "David knew from experience that God rewards faith with blessings. As a young man, David had been anointed as the next king of Israel. Then he spent years living in forests and caves as the reigning king hunted him down. He had to do more than merely assent to the idea of God’s faithfulness—he had to stake his life on it. Life was hard during those long, perilous years. But in time, Saul died, David became king, and he could attest to the fact that God keeps His promises." He continues, "Timothy George, the dean of Beeson Divinity School, recalls a story from one of his professors, D...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 73). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) They make such a difference. David says, "Don’t crave more than you need; demonstrate your trust in God by being content with what you have. It’s why Paul could be stripped of all he owned and thrown into prison, yet still manifest incredible joy. The world is filled with wealthy, miserable people who have everything but contentment. Their money is an empty god that can never fill the vacuum in their souls with peace. Here Paul points those with money toward right thinking: 'Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for ...

A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 69). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Okay, this is what I need to see today. David says, "To trust is to be confident—to possess a strong sense of security. When we trust, we place confidence in someone or something. Trust is not an emotion that just springs up in our hearts as does anger, jealousy, or sadness. It is always a choice based on reason. We use evidence and discernment to conclude that this man or that bank or this investment is 'trustworthy.' Yes, God gives us the faith to act, but He first gives us a choice to make." David goes on, "To illustrate the process, let’s take a look at the stock market, which is based on high-level choices of trust. If you don’t trust in a company, you don’t buy its stock. The stock price represents an index of the overall trust people have in a company. Wis...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 56). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That is so very true. David said, "The 'spiritual greats' of our times have made the Word a first priority. Some pastors, leaders, teachers, and laymen have read through the Bible more than a hundred times. It is said that George Müller read it two hundred times. Missionary David Livingston read it four times in succession while he was detained in a jungle town. Charles Spurgeon said, 'A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who is not.'" So true. David then says, "The Bible is the greatest source of encouragement available today. When we read it, we are changed because it is a living book. Whenever we are afraid of failure or feel as if we are failures, the Word of God should be our highest priority. The words we find there will infuse...

A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 52). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) ". . . that you may observe to do according to all that is written in [the Book of the Law]." Joshua 1:8 David says, "Notice the phrase observe to do in this passage. It’s easy to pass over these three words as negligible, but in reality they present one of the great concepts of the Old Testament. We are not to read the Bible for information only or just to increase our knowledge. We are to study the Bible to discover God’s will for our lives. We observe in order to do. We observe the Bible in order to obey the Bible." He goes on, "One of the most subtle and dangerous errors we can fall into is to view the Bible simply as interesting reading. Yes, it’s timeless literature—fascinating, entertaining, and moving. But at all times the Word of God is no mere book....

A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 49). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is what Joshua 1:8 says, "You shall meditate in it day and night." The it is God's Word. David says, "We don’t like anything slow or deliberate, and we particularly hate the idea of quiet. We like things to be fast paced. We like more action and less reflection. We like 140-character tweets instead of in-depth information." So true. He goes on, "But meditation—biblical meditation, not the emptying of the mind featured in Eastern religions—is central to the life to which God calls us. It requires that we give up our hurry and listen quietly and deeply to what God has to say. J. I. Packer describes the right way to do it:      Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things th...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 46). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) It is the place to go. It really is! David said, in conquering the Promised Land, "God didn’t tell Joshua that his priority needed to be military strategy, financial backing, or bilateral relations with neighboring countries. These things have a place, but they are not the priority. Here was Joshua’s priority: meditate day and night on the principles of the Word of God." Joshua 1:7-8 says, "Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it." David goes on, "This requires dedication somewhat like that of a long-distance runner who is training to compete in ...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 42). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So true, so true. David says, "God’s responsibility is to make the promise; ours is to stay focused on it in the face of fear. To achieve success, Joshua and the new generation of Israelites had to focus their minds and hearts on the purpose God had given them." David goes on, "There’s a special, liberating power in knowing exactly what it is we must do. That’s why people derive great satisfaction from making and checking off to-do lists. To boil down all the complexities of the day into bullet points of activity is to see our way to productivity. On the other hand, whole organizations fail because people are confused about their job descriptions. Set a clear focus in your life, and fear will be crowded out. The more you fix your hope on God’s purpose for you, the ...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 34). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that is so true. David says, "They may undermine their own efforts without even realizing it in an attempt to escape the anxiety of looming failure. Have you known people like that? I have—gifted people who might have done great things in life but wouldn’t, and couldn’t, because they were protecting themselves from disappointment." He goes on, "Obviously, the fear of failure is not a modern phenomenon; it is a timeless human fear. Some of God’s choicest servants through the ages displayed this fear in spite of God’s promises of success. Their stories provide insight into how God responds to human fears. In every case, He draws alongside His servant with assurance and affirmation." He continues, "I love to read biographies of Christian leaders because they...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 9). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes it is. But David then says, "Fear of a storm that could happen is not. It’s an intrusive emotion that can lead us to a greatly diminished life. The imagined fear becomes so vivid that we no longer distinguish it from reality, and for some of us, that fear becomes so debilitating we can hardly get out of bed in the morning. Though the sky is clear, we’re devastated by thoughts of rain. Inside a storm, at least we can look the beast in the eye. But with the fear of fear, the imagined monster is always just on the other side of the door, looming large, even though it doesn’t exist." He goes on, "Everyone must face fear, but for the believer, its fangs are drawn in because we are protected by an overarching umbrella of hope. Nonbelievers must contrive coping mechani...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 5). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Maybe you feel your future is shaky. David said, "Pessimism doesn’t work, because it’s another form of mental enslavement. Optimism may have no basis in reality. The one way to walk with hope and confidence into an unknown future is to stake everything on the power and goodness and faithfulness of God." He goes on, "To understand why God is the answer to all our fears, we must understand what the Bible says about fear. And it says a lot. It tells us more than three hundred times not to fear. 'Fear not' is its most frequently repeated command. The word afraid occurs more than two hundred times, and fear more than four hundred. And lest you think our Bible heroes were fearless, more than two hundred individuals in Scripture are said to have been afraid. And not al...