Where is God?

Thought For Today - June 1
Where is God?
By: Robert A. Searles

    "I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed . Selah. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah." Psalm 77:1-9.

    Every time we find ourselves in a situation which seems hopeless and we become depressed and fearful, we tend to ask the same questions: where is God? Has he forgotten us? These are the times that we need to review former things and remember how God has brought us through difficult times and situations, and troubles in the past.

"And I said, this is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high. I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders; thou hast declared thy strength among the people.".Psalm 77: 10-14.

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What will you choose, life, or death?

 
Thought For Today - May 31
 What will you choose, life, or death?
By: Robert A. Searles

    Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Christ Jesus came into the world to save me, and Christ Jesus came into the world to save you. Are you saved? If you can not say with absolutely certainty that you are saved, and know for sure that you will go to heaven when you die, then it is absolutely true, according to the teaching of the holy scriptures, the Holy Bible, that you are still lost, and if you are still lost when you die, you will spend eternity in hell forever with all its' misery and torments, and be separated from all that is pure and lovely, and righteous, and apart from the presence of God forever.

    The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy said: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15 

If the apostle Paul declared himself to be chief of sinners, where does that leave each of us? That should convince each of us that we also are lost sinners and need a Savior.  We have a Savior provided for us if we will believe him and accept him, and believe his word when he ,through the scriptures ,warns us of our fate if we make the wrong choice concerning him.

    "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3: 10-12. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.

    God in his love for us has offered us a remedy for this condition by offering us, through his mercy and grace, his own righteousness through Christ. - "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." Romans 3: 20-22.

Otherwise, if we refuse God's offer of salvation through Christ, then: "The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

If we choose to receive wages for our works, then, we receive eternal death; but , if we would rather rely on the free gift of God and denounce our sinful works, and acknowledge that Christ paid our sin debt with his blood, then we are freely given life eternal.

    "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth commeth to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God." John 3:14-21.

 "He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36. 

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:10. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

How about it? Are you saved? Will you choose life or death? Will you choose darkness or light? Will you choose Christ or the devil?

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Our kinsman Redeemer!

 
 Thought For Today -May 30
  Our kinsman Redeemer!
By: Robert A. Searles

    Ruth, returning with her mother in law Naomi from the land of Moab after Naomi's husband and sons had died, one of them having been the husband of Ruth, found themselves in need of help and assistance to survive. -  where could they go? What could they do?  

"And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. And Ruth ,the Moabitess, said unto Naomi, let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace, and she said unto her, go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech." Ruth 2: 1-3

    In times of our spiritual want and famine, when we see ourselves impoverished, and not knowing where to turn for help, where shall we find grace ( that free gift), and be allowed to glean in his field? Where else, except for Christ, our kinsman, our father's son? He it is that we must seek after.

"Then said Boaz unto Ruth, hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens; let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them; have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn." Ruth 2;8,9.

Once we have found him, Christ our kinsman redeemer, or better still, when he has found and rescued us, we need not, and we must not go to glean in any other field.

    "Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?" Ruth 2: 10.

Why have we, unworthy sinners , found grace in the eyes of the Lord that he should take knowledge of us to shed his blood for us and save us, seeing that we are sinners and strangers to him. We should be so grateful for what Christ has done for us! Why should we have found grace in his eyes?

    "And Boaz answered and said unto her, it hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust." Ruth 2: 11-12. 

 God will surely reward all those who flee to him for salvation, and lean upon him for wisdom, and trust in his providence.

    When Ruth returned home that day from the field of Boaz, her mother in law asked her: "where hast thou gleaned today? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, the man's name with whom I wrought today is Boaz." Ruth 2: 19.

    Matthew Henry once said: "It is a good question to ask ourselves every night, where have I gleaned today? What improvements have I made in knowledge and grace? What have I done that will turn to a good account?"


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Who Shall Ascend Into the Hill of the Lord?

 Thought For Today -May 29
 Who Shall Ascend Into the Hill of the Lord?
By: Robert A. Searles

    Sometimes we become boastful of all that we are, and of all that we possess, forgetting that our lives, our bodies, and all that we have belong to God, and have been entrusted to us to be used for his glory.  Everything and every living creature belongs to God. He has the sovereign right to do with it as he wills.

"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. for he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation". Psalm 24: 1-5. 

 This disqualifies all of us from ascending into the hill of the Lord and standing in his holy place; for no one can say that he has clean hands and hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, except our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He only is perfectly clean and righteous, and he only is the door, and through him is the only way to enter in to the presence and fellowship of God and enjoy heaven.

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Use the Tongue Wisely!

 Thought For Today May 28
 Use the Tongue Wisely!
By: Robert A. Searles


    "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me. While I was musing, the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue. Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am." Psalm 39: 1-4.

    We must be careful as to what we speak with our tongue. The tongue is one of the chief instruments which Satan uses to cause us to sin. On the other hand, the tongue can be used as an instrument of praise to God, and sound instruction and admonition to our fellowmen.

The psalmist promised himself that he would bridle his tongue and keep silence, but he was so overwhelmed with the truth of God's word that while he thought on these things, the fire burned within him and he was compelled to speak.

    We need to listen to God's word and be so overwhelmed with the truth that he reveals to us, and the desire to share his truths with others, that the fire burns within us until we use our tongue to speak right things. We need to speak only those things that God would have us to speak, especially to the unsaved. We are obligated to use our tongue to defend the faith and to teach the gospel, and win souls to Christ.

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Why be discouraged?

 Thought For Today - May 27
 Why be discouraged?
By: Robert A. Searles 

    Are you cast down this morning and depressed? Are you weary and discouraged? Why should Christians be discouraged when we have such a great inheritance in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us so that we might have and enjoy life, and have it more abundantly?

We are alive; we have the hope and promise of eternal life with God in paradise; we live in America where we are free to worship as we please; we have a wonderful Savior who is our advocate in heaven; we have food , clothing, and shelter, and many creature comforts to make our lives easier.

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Psalm 43:5.

"This is the day that the Lord hath made. Rejoice, and be glad in it. Rejoice I say in the Lord."

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Why do I love Jesus?

 Thought For Today - May 26 
Why do I love Jesus?
By: Robert A. Searles


    Why do I love Jesus? I can tell you that I love Jesus because he had chosen me before the foundation of the world, to give me faith to believe his word and be saved. I did not choose him, he chose me. According to Ephesians 1:3-5.

    "Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."

    Unsaved friends! God has chosen to cause you to read this gospel message. All whom God has allowed to hear or read the gospel message have been chosen by him to believe and be saved.
Without faith it is impossible to please God and be saved. Faith is a gift of God: Ephesians 2: 8-9 tells us:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

    I love Jesus because he gave me the faith to believe. Once I was dead to God in trespasses and sin, a natural man who could not understand the things of God according to 1 Cor 2:14:
"The natural man recieveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned."

    Jesus awakened me from my natural state and gave me new life according to Ephesians 2: 1-3.:
"And you hath he quickened (or made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sin: wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind., and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

Therefore, I love Jesus because he chose me.
I love Jesus because he gave me faith to believe.
I love Jesus because once I was dead but he gave me new life.
I love Jesus because once I was blind, but now I see. Once I was lost but now I am found.
I love Jesus because he paid with his own blood all the debts I owe God.

I love Jesus because he will keep me secure forever according to his promise of 1 John 5: 11-13:
"And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son. He that hath the son hath life and he that hath not the son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God That ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the son of God."

If you will hear with your heart this message of salvation, believe, and call upon the Lord, he will save you, and you too will have reason to love Jesus.

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 Thought For Today - May 25
Hear The Word of The lord!
By: Robert A. Searles

    "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations, incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isaiah 1:10-20.

    God is not interested in our good work, and good deeds, not even in going to church and praying, unless our heart is in love and in tune with him. God wants us to love him and desire him and obey him above all else, and if we do, then the good works and good deeds that we do will be from the heart, and our going to church and praying will be a joy to us that we look forward to and God will be pleased..

"Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah".  Our beloved country has become like unto Sodom and Gomorrah.  What are we who are the children of God, and claim to love him with all our heart  going to do about it?
We need to consider this when we watch the news each day and see what is going on in our government  and make our voices heard by whatever peaceful means are available to us, and make our decisions for the coming elections to show that we do truly love the Lord our God with all our heart.

"To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy mind and with all thy soul is the first and greatest of all the commandments." Jesus said.

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We must Live By Faith

 Thought For Today - May 24
We must Live By Faith
By: Robert A. Searles

    "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me, Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation, on thee do I wait all the day." Psalm 25: 1-5.

    God will not disappoint any who truly wait for him to bless them. God's ways are not our ways, and God's timing is not our timing. God knows what is the best, and God knows when the time is right. God will not allow our enemies to have the final victory over us. If we truly trust him, in God's own time, all our enemies will be put down, even death itself.  If there is anything that our chief enemy, Satan, would like to have us to do is to doubt the word of God and his faithfulness to us. God's word tells us that the just must live by faith , and when we do, we are greatly rewarded.

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The Secret Place!

 Thought For Today -May 23
 The Secret Place!
 By: Robert A. Searles

    As the hymn writers have expressed it: "There is a land beyond the river, that we call the sweet forever, and we only reach that shore by faith's decree.....".

    "There is a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar. Where the father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there....".

    "There is a garden where Jesus is waiting, there is a place that is wondrously fair. for it glows with the light of his presence, tis the beautiful garden of prayer....".

    Faith is the vehicle which transports us and causes us to transcend the earthly realm of our material, natural existence in which we find ourselves with all the stress, and trouble, and woes of this life, to our vacation spot where no stress and trouble and woes can pursue us. a place which is known only to God and us: a secret place of quiet rest, where in the presence of God, there can be no evil, no sickness, no falsehood, no hypocrisy. In that secret place we can enjoy a quiet restful, mini-vacation, as it were, each day even as we go about our daily activities.  If we will retire to our quiet place with God all during the course of the day, our joys will increase, our health will improve, stress will be less, and we will find ourselves more effective in all that we do. As we commune with God the father, and he directs our paths, only far away will we hear the noise of strife falling upon our ears. We will hear only, but none of these things can move us because we will be dwelling in "Beulah Land.",

    "Be thou my strong habitation whereunto I may continually resort; thou hast given commandment to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress." Psalm 71:3.

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Only Trust Him.

Thought For Today - May 22
 Only Trust Him.
By:Robert A Searles                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3: 5,6. 

 "Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37: 3-5. 

 "Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Psalm 2:12.

    What does it mean to trust in the Lord? Trust, is the word frequently used in the old testament to mean the same as faith in the new testament For example: to trust is to have faith, and if we have faith, we trust. It means to take refuge, to lean on, to follow, to wait for.  To trust in the Lord is to put full confidence in the word of God for our salvation, and for our strength as Christians, and for our daily needs. We are told not to lean on our own understanding. In other words, we are not to try to rationalize or figure out God's amazing grace, or his power, or the working of miracles, or his work of redemption in our lives; but we are simply to trust in what his word tells us. God honors those who have confidence in his word.

How can we trust in something with which we are not familiar? How can we claim promises if we do not know what those promises are? This is why it is so important for us to spend so much time in God's word, and in our private meditation, so that we can know what God's word has to say , then we can put our trust in it.

    "Trust and do good" Psalm 37: 3-5, In other words, when God has spoken through his written word or through the Holy Spirit in our lives, again, we ought not to try to figure out what is going on in our heart or to rationalize away the working of the Holy Spirit. Instead, we ought to trust God and do good. God's word tells us the things that are good and right. We ought to obey God immediately when God speaks, with the right heart attitude, and trust God for the results.  As we read and study the word of God, and as God reveals himself to us and we see his glory unfolded before our eyes, we ought to delight ourselves in him. He ought to be our prime source of joy and happiness and gladness, and our chief desire and purpose in life ought to be to love, honor, and serve him.

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, then all the cravings and desires of our heart will be good and pure in his sight, because they will come from on high, and we shall be satisfied when he fills us with his Holy Spirit.

We ought to commit ourselves completely to the Lord. This means to surrender everything to the Lord. It is like jumping from a tall building with full assurance that someone will catch us, or we will land on something soft. We ought to let go in our lives, and let God have our family, our job, our finances, and all that is important to us.

"In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." Proverb 3: 6.


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Are You Thirsty? Come and Drink. Are You Hungry? Come and Dine.

 
Thought For Today - May 21
Are You Thirsty? Come and Drink. Are You Hungry? Come and Dine.
By: Robert A. Searles

    "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and you labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." Isaiah 55: 1,2. 

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thought: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55: 6,7.

    Think about the wonderful grace of God and the gift of God's love; God offering himself to us as the source of life, and cleansing power, and satisfaction for our hungry souls. Those who know not God in the world are empty and hungry and thirsty, and lack satisfaction for their souls. Those who know not God are forever pursuing happiness and never finding  it. Those who know not God, toil and sweat and labor, and spend their years in endless searching for something that will make sense in their lives.

    God made humans in his likeness in such a way that the only thing that makes sense and brings joy and happiness and fulfillment to their lives is when they are right with him and in the right relationship and fellowship with him through the Lord Jesus Christ.  God says that if we are thirsty we can come without money and drink from the living waters. And if we are hungry we can come without money and eat the bread of life. God has spread a banquet before us. He has paid the price and he invites all who will to come and enjoy the feast at his expense, all by free grace - God's riches at Christ's expense. 

 "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." Psalm 23: 5,6.

    Whosoever will may come. Jesus said: "He that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out". "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6.

 Jesus answered the woman of Samaria and said: "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4: 10-14.

    The words of the hymn writer puts it this way: "There is a fountain filled with blood which flowed from Immanuel's veins. Sinners plunged beneath that flood loose all their guilty stains." Yes, they loose their spiritual hunger, they loose their thirst, they are filled from within, they are satisfied in Jesus. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found and he will satisfy your thirst and your hunger.

    "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Isaiah 55:1. 
 All who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. Jesus said: "whosoever cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.'

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith call upon him and receive forgiveness of sins.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2: 8,9


 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Believe it, and receive Christ today and you will never be spiritually hungry and thirsty again.

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Worship in Spirit and in Truth!

Thought For Today May 20
Worship in Spirit and in Truth!
By: Robert A. Searles

    God is an all powerful, supernatural, invisible God, or he is no God at all. God is an invisible spirit, and unless we worship God in spirit, we cannot worship God at all. No man has seen God at any time, although he was manifested in the flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the son.  No man has seen God the father . We must approach unto God the father by the authority given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." and as sons of God, we must come boldly to the throne of grace and worship God the Father,  God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in spirit and in truth by the thoughts of our mind, and the meditation of out heart, and the words that proceed from our mouth.  We must worship by  concentrating our mind on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by letting God's word flow through our minds, and teach us with the help of the Holy Spirit, and allow the Holy Spirit to take the word of God as it flows through our mind and heart, and renew and regenerate within us the truth of God, the power of God, and the personality of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    If we are to have power with God, we must spend much time alone with God in an individual personal relationship with God and draw from his power. The night that Jesus was betrayed, he spent the whole night in the garden in prayer and meditation with God the father.  Before the Lord Jesus Christ could perform the greatest service to mankind that could ever be performed for the human race in obedience to the will of God, even though he was God in human flesh, yet he thought it necessary to spend hours in prayer and meditation, and close relationship with his heavenly father.

    In Matthews gospel, chapter 26: verse 36 , we read how Jesus came to the garden of Gethsemane. This was a quiet place where Jesus was probably accustomed to coming, where he could spend many hours alone with his father. He had probably been there many times before. 

 The hymn writer says: "There's a garden where Jesus is waiting, its the beautiful garden of prayer." Our frustrations, and fears, and sorrows and disappointments will all be put away or eased when we come to the garden and spend much time there and talk it over with the Lord.

    Unless an electrical appliance is plugged into a power source it is useless to serve us in any way, and unless we are plugged into our power source through prayer and meditation and fellowship, our service will be useless to man or God.

    "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further and fell down on his face, and prayed, saying, O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26: 36-41.

We need to be sure that the channels of  our communication are always clear and open  between ourselves and the Lord, lest we yield  to temptations that would destroy us if we yielded to them, for indeed our flesh is weak.

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Thorns in the flesh!

 Thought For Today -  September 14, 2022

 Thorns in the flesh!
By: Robert A, Searles

    When God delivered Israel into the land of their possessions, he made a covenant with them. He swore to them that he would never break his part of the covenant, and he expected them not to break theirs.  

 "And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars; but ye have not obeyed my voice; why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you." Judges 2: 2. 3.

    We who call ourselves Christians, and the sanctified children of God, are not to be a part of, nor go along with the pagan ways of the world or the world's way of thinking and philosophy. Our fellowship and conformity with the world's philosophy will be as thorns in our flesh.

    All the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and the elders that outlived Joshua, but after Joshua and the elders of Israel had died, another generation arose which knew not the things of the Lord.

"And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation, after them which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger." Judges 2:10,11,12.

    Several generations have come and gone since the founding of America which have not known God, nor considered his works. This is the fault of previous generations of Christians who have not properly taught their children the proper knowledge, or respect for God and his works.

Too many of us Christians are forsaking the ways of God, and following the God of the society in which we live. We are setting poor examples for future generations, consequently, each new generation has lesser knowledge and respect for the God of our fathers. Wealth and material things have become our object of worship.

  "And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies." Judges 2:14.

    I believe that the anger of the Lord is hot against America today for neglecting him and his worship; for adultery; for abortions - the murder of new born babies, and all kinds of sexual promiscuity and perversion. Will he deliver us into the hands of spoilers or the terrorist?

    "Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so." Judges 2: 16,17.  

God raises up preachers and evangelist and soul winners today in America to warn us; but for the most part we do not listen. We go a whoring after the things of the world. What a shame for us as Christians to do this sort of thing.

 If  we want to survive as a nation under God, and be blessed by God, and continue to be the "head and not the tail" among the nations of the world, then we who are the called of God, must rise up together, and "take our head out of the sand"  so to speak, and draw near unto God and support the  "judges" and leaders whom God has raised up to put the bible back in the schools, respect all human life from conception to old age and natural death, and pay honor to our flag; our national anthem ; and to  all our national heroes, May God's blessing be on America 

 >Can't get out to church? ? Then, enjoy up to date Sunday morning services from several local bible believing churches right here:
 

Telehelp Publications Christian Literature Ministry

                              Psalm 26: 7 

Made Rich in Christ!

Thought  For Today - May 18
Made Rich in Christ!
By: Robert A. Searles

    We, who are Christians, as the redeemed children of God, have a wonderful position in Christ's kingdom. We are sanctified in Christ, called to be saints. We are already the children of God. Our problem is that we do not always live up to the quality of our calling as the children of a king.

"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1: 4-9.

    God never fails us; he always keeps his promises.

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Cry Unto the Lord!

Thought For Today - May 17
 Cry Unto the Lord!
By: Robert A Searles

    "Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever." Psalm 28

 Notice a small child, when he wants something, what does he do? He cries and throws a tantrum to his parents or to those who are in charge of him until he gets their attention and makes them become aware of his desires. Sometimes he gets what he cries for and sometimes he doesn't; but the point is, he makes them become aware of his desires. God wants his children to cry unto him with hope and enthusiasm for the things that we need and desire. We are to approach God as dear children. The bible tells us that except we come as little children, we cannot approach God.

    Sometimes small children cry and throw tantrums and nag their parents for things that are good and right for them, and sometimes they nag for things which are wrong and bad for them. It is up to the parent to decide what is best for the children, but the point of all this is that the small child has enough knowledge and faith and confidence in his parents to believe that his parents love him enough so that they will not ignore his crying and nagging.

    God honors our faith and confidence in him as a parent and he wants us to cry unto him and nag him, as it were, for the things that we need and desire, and as a wise God and father , he never ignores us but gives us those things which he knows are good and right for us.  If we want to be built up and prosper, we must regard the works of the Lord and realize that the universe is his. He made it, and he has a perfect right to control it.

    A parent gives a child protection when that child puts his faith and confidence in the tender mercies of his parents. Likewise, God shields us and protects us when we come running and crying to him as a child.  Jesus, in the garden, cried and cried to  God in such agony that he sweat drops of blood. 

Jesus told the story of the man who was asleep with his family, and his neighbor came pounding on his door and nagging him. He had to open the door because of his constant nagging. Jesus likened this to God answering us if we are consistent and constant in prayer.  God answers those who believe in him enough to keep pounding at his door and crying unto him like dear children.

    "And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh." Exodus 8: 12. 

 "And the people murmured against Moses, saying, what shall we drink? And he (Moses), cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them." Exodus 15: 24,25.

    "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth." 2 Samuel 22: 7,8. 

 "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." Psalm 34: 17.

    "And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;...." Exodus 3:7. 

 Egypt is a type of the world in which we live, surrounded by sin and corruption. As God heard the cry of the children of Israel while they were in Egypt and delivered them, so he will hear our cry from our surroundings and deliver us.

    "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27: 46. 

 Jesus thought it to be effective to cry aloud with a loud voice to God. In the coming kingdom of God there will be no more need for crying and nagging because our inheritance will be in our hands, and we will be in the presence of God.

"And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying." Isaiah 65: 19.  

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21.4

    While we are still here on earth, waiting for the return of the Lord, and waiting for his kingdom to come, what a privilege we have to come crying to God as his dear children.

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.Praise!

 Thought For Today - May 16
  Praise!
 By: Robert A. Searles

    God is well pleased with his children when they open their mouths in praise to him. What could be more fitting for the children of the heavenly father than to salute and greet one another with praises to God, along with a pleasant good morning? Of course, in order for this praise to be pleasing to God, it must truly come from our hearts, and not just from our lips. God is worthy of our praise.

  "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God: him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen." Deuteronomy 10: 20, 21

    God has done some great and wonderful things for us. He gave his son, he shed divine blood to pay our sin debt. He forgave our sins and reconciled us to himself when we were lost and without hope. He hears our prayers, he gives us our daily bread, and supplies all our needs according to his riches in heaven. When we praise him with our lips, originating in our heart from a true sense of gratitude, we are declaring to the listening ear, the greatness and glory and worthiness of God. 

 "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Exodus 15:11.

    We ought always to be praising the Lord with our lips as well as with our lifestyle. What good is secret praise? Secret praise or unspoken words of gratitude are never heard, and how can they be enlightening or edifying to anyone else, that they might know how great we know our God to be?

"Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel." Judges 5: 3. 

 "I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high." Psalm 7: 17. 

 "My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him." Psalm 22: 25.

    My praise in the great congregation means that we praise him publicly, among all people, let them know that you are praising God. When you greet someone with praises to the Lord, you are saying to that person that you acknowledge God to be the source of all your benefits. This is pleasing to the Lord.

"Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. O Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth." Psalm33: 1-4.

God has said that whoso offereth praise gloryfieth me. 

    When we glorify God, we receive strength and power for our own lives. Praising God is being obedient to God. Obedience brings God's good favor and blessing. 

 "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God." Psalm 50: 23.

Shall we covenant ,or agree with God, that - "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." Psalm 34: 1-3.


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Plead My Cause O Lord!

Thought For Today - May 15
Plead My Cause O Lord!
By: Robert A. Searles

    "Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them. For without cause they have digged for my soul. Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself :into that very destruction let him fall. and my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation." Psalm 35: 1-9.

    When we become Christians by being born again into God's family, we immediately enter a spiritual combat zone. We face enemies that we never had to face before, enemies whose commander in chief is Satan. We must constantly draw from God our father, strength and help to fight our enemies. Christ our captain will lead us to victory if we dedicate ourselves to him and thank him.

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Oh! To Be Godly!

 
Thought For Today - May 14
 Oh! To Be Godly!
By: Robert A. Searles

    "But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him." Psalm 4: 3.

    What does it mean to be godly? To be godly means to be somewhat like God, to take on some of the characteristics of God. In the beginning God made man in his image, to be like him, but because of sin, man fell, and has come short of the likeness of God. But through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, man has been redeemed and reconciled to God on an individual basis, providing that the individual will accept it as a free gift from God.

 "As many as received him, to them gave he power ( or authority) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" John 1: 12.  As a child of God, we are in the family of God and godly.

    When we are born again into the family of God and become godly, then the Lord sets us apart from every other creature. God puts upon us his shield of love and protection, and we find ourselves in the favor of God. God gives us special work and tasks to perform for his glory. He cleanses us on the inside, and makes us a fit house or vessel in which he can live and work.  Since we who are godly are set apart ,and in favor with God ,and under his shield of love and protection, and since we are his special workmen, assigned a special job for his glory, God will give us extra special attention when we call unto him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation....", 2 Peter 2: 9.

    Knowing that by grace we are saved through faith ,and having put on godliness by God's grace, and knowing that we are God's special vessels for his honor, we ought to stand in awe and sin not. We ought to come before God with such reverence and respect that in his presence we would be speechless and spellbound to behold his glory, if it were not for the fact that he gives the privilege to come boldly before the throne of grace. When we stand before God, we ought to take off our shoes, as it were, because the place where we stand is holy ground. 

The family dinning room becomes holy ground when the family is gathered to enjoy God's bountiful blessing when we meet with God there, and the table becomes a sacred altar when we offer our gratitude and offer ourselves before God. Our bed becomes a holy place when we lie upon it and commune with God from our hearts in the long night hours.

    Because we have become the children of God, and made godly in him; and because we are set apart to receive his special favor; and because we are recipients of his great love and salvation; and because we are called out of the world to perform special tasks for him; we ought to be more than anxious to offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and die daily to ourselves, and abandon ourselves completely to God, and put our trust in him.  

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51: 17.

  "By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." "But to do well and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Heb 13: 15, 16.

    We should be continually praising God with our lips. Open wide your mouth and let the words flow out loud and clear from your heart: blessed be the name of the Lord; praise God from whom all blessing flow; glory to God in the highest. This is a sacrifice that God is pleased with-then, it follows with good works and service.

    "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1 

 If we have given our bodies over to God as a living sacrifice, then we should have no problem opening wide our mouths in praise of God and in following it up with good works.

    "And the scribe said unto him, well, master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God, and there is none other but he, and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul and with all strength and to love his neighbor as himself is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Mark 12: 32, 33.

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Consider the Goodness of God!

Thought for Today - May 13
 Consider the Goodness of God!
By:Robert A Searles

    Consider the goodness of God. Think of the goodness of God toward you as an individual, and then think of the goodness of God to your family. 

    But for the goodness and grace of God, where would we be? John Bunyan looked at a drunken bum lying in the gutter and he made the statement: "But for the grace of God, there go I". 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2: 8,9. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

    Because of the goodness of God and his love for us, we are rescued from the bondage of Satan and set free as the redeemed children of God. Because of the goodness of God, we no longer have to be slaves to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Because of the goodness of God, we can know love, joy, peace, and freedom from guilt and fear. We can enjoy the things that God has given us to enjoy. Because of the goodness and grace of God we have health and strength and are able to live normal lives. We see the goodness of God in all creation. We see the goodness of God in God's faithfulness. 

 " .......and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.   and the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generations." Exodus 34:4, 5-7.

    "He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap; he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Psalm 33: 5-9

    "Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy paths drop fatness." Psalm 65:11.

"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." Romans 2:4.

    The goodness of God demands nothing less than our gratitude, our love, and dedication to God's service ,and obedience to him. If we give God less - then, we are despising his goodness.
"Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God; on them which fell, severity; but toward thee ,goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou shalt be cut off." Romans 11:22.

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Is God Real to You?

 
  Thought For Today - May 12
  Is God Real to You?
 By: Robert A Searles

    Is God real in your life? What,  or who do you really think God is? Is God an intricate part of you as an individual? Is God as much a part of you as your breathing, or your heartbeat , or your walking and moving about? Is God just an ideal; a good idea? Is God just a philosophy of life that we pick from a book? Is God just a psychological means of control to keep us from doing immoral things? Is God just a good thought that we think about for a few moments each day, and then close the book and put it on the shelf for another day, or until something bad or unpleasant happens to us for which we have no answer, and we recognize that we need wisdom beyond ourselves? What and who is God to you as an individual?

God's word teaches us that God is a spirit, a supernatural invisible spirit. They that worship God must worship him in spirit. God's word teaches us that the supernatural invisible spirit of God manifested himself in the person and body of Jesus of Nazareth while he was on earth. Jesus ascended into heaven after his resurrection, and sent the Holy Spirit to literally live in our bodies. If we choose and desire to have it so, God the Holy Spirit will clean our house and literally , as a matter of fact, actually take up residence in our bodies. At this point it is God himself living in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. If we choose to have it so, it will be God himself in us creating our wants and desires, and it will be God himself in us controlling our thoughts and the very movements of our bodies. 

If God is really living in us, we don't really have to set up a lot of rules and regulations for ourselves, because it will be God himself that will be in control. We have to grasp the principle that we were made and designed to be the house and temple of God, the place where God lives, and walks, and has his being. Of course, before God can live in us, we must be changed, we must be born again through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must willingly yield ourselves and open the door so that the Holy Spirit can move in and take charge.

    Where do you go for counsel? Do you look to people, someone whom you admire for their great intellectual capacities, or do you look within yourselves, to the Holy Spirit of God who dwells and lives in each one of his born again children? 

 "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that covereth with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin; that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt." Isaiah 30: 1,2.

    Did it ever occur to you that if you look to a person for counsel, even though that person may be a child of God, and even though that person may be much admired for his outward appearance and apparent service to the Lord, he may not be completely yielded himself to the spirit of God, and so be limited as to the wisdom he has from God? God wants us to look to no person for counsel. He wants us to come directly to the throne of grace.

    Do we pitch our tents, as Lot did, so that we can look toward Sodom? Have we separated ourselves unto God, just enough, so that if we wanted to, it would not be too difficult to take a walk down into Egypt, as it were, which is typical of the world of sin and bondage from which we came. Are we prone to trust in the shadow of Egypt? Do we say that we love and trust God, but after all when we get hungry we must run after the things of the world to get satisfied?

    When we trust in men, and in the world system, and have no real vital relationship with the living God who wants to live and walk and abide in us, then no wonder we have no power, and are frustrated and confused. 

 "Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion." Isaiah 30: 3.


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Knowledge! Wisdom! Understanding!

 
Thought For Today May 11
 Knowledge! Wisdom! Understanding!
By: Robert  A. Searles

Knowledge is one thing. Understanding is quite another, and from whence comes wisdom?
Having a great deal of knowledge without having understanding is like having a giant computer without the knowledge of how to operate it.

    It is possible to know a lot of facts about many things, but not know what to do with those facts, or how to apply them to a given situation. We need understanding to operate a giant computer in order to utilize the wealth of information which it contains. We also need wisdom and understanding to apply to our lives the right use of knowledge. We can go to school and accumulate a lot of facts and store up knowledge, but the only place we can get understanding is from God our father who is the source of all knowledge, and wisdom, and understanding.

    There is no college or university in the world that can teach us understanding, particularly understanding of the things of God. Knowledge without understanding is a mockery of education. What uses is knowledge if you don't know what to do with it?

Understanding is of a spiritual nature, it comes from God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."

    There are many educated "fools" in the world. The reason for all the confusion and turmoil in the world is , at least, partly due to the fact that although there are men and women with a great deal of worldly knowledge and education in positions of leadership, yet they know not God, and therefore, have no proper understanding and wisdom because wisdom and understanding comes only from God.

 Wisdom and understanding  is the spiritual personality that can properly operate the giant computer which is loaded with information, and unlock the room full of knowledge.

    "But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, it is not in me: and the sea saith, it is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding." Job 28: 12-20.

  "And unto man he said, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Job 28:28.

 "But there is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment." Job32:8,9.

 "Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?" Job 38: 36 

 "Through thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." Psalm 119: 104.

    "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searcheth for her as for hid treasures; then shall thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly." Proverbs 2:1-7.

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Slow Down! Stop Making Noises! Listen!

Thought For Today - May 10
 Slow Down! Stop Making Noises! Listen!
By: Robert A. Searles

    "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46: 10.

  "For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work" Psalm 95:7,8,9.

    God's word tells us that we should slow down. Stop what we are doing, stop making noises, and listen. God wants to talk to us, but many times we do not want to listen. The reason that we do not want to listen, is because we do not want to hear what God is saying to us, and if we do not stop to think and listen, somehow we justify ourselves in not doing that which God is telling us to do. God may be trying to tell us to do or not to do something that we want to believe is, or is not the will of God for us, and many times we do not like what we hear from God.

    The world is a noisy place to live in. The world is guilty before God, and so the world will try to make as much noise as possible so it will not have to listen to the voice of God, because the voice of God would convict. The world must have the loudest automobiles, the loudest laughter, the loudest music - anything, just keep busy, running, racing, jumping, but whatever you do, do not sit quietly and listen,, and think, because it will drive you crazy, so the world tells us. Why will it drive you crazy? Because we disagree with what we hear when God speaks to us through his word to our conscience, and we cannot bear the reproof of God.

    "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility." Proverbs 15: 31-33.

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Faithfulness!

 
 Thought For Today - May 9
  Faithfulness!
By: Robert A. Searles

    "A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent." Proverbs 28: 20.

    What does it mean to be faithful? Consider the faithfulness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. God is so faithful in all that he does and says, that we just take him for granted and expect things always to be as they are.

 The dictionary says that to be faithful means to be true or trustworthy in the performance of duty, especially in the fulfillment of promises, obligations, vows, and the like.

 God is faithful. He is true and trustworthy in the performance of his work. Each new day, God our father causes the sun to rise, right on time. If he didn't, if God ever failed in the performance of his work, we would be terribly upset, and there would be chaos in the universe. God regulates our heart beat and our respiration, and keeps it steady. God brings about the change of seasons, right on time. God gives the rain and the sun, and brings forth the harvest at the proper time, so that we might have food. God was faithful to send the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem us. God is faithful to sustain us, and when we see the faithfulness of God all around us, we can be sure that he will be faithful in punishing sin, and in the return lo earth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How faithful are we? God gives us the grace to be faithful if we want to be. We have to choose and make choices daily whether or not we want to be faithful in our duties and promises, or, if we just want to indulge in pleasure and please ourselves.

    It is very easy to pledge ourselves to God and pledge our faithfulness to him when we need his blessing and assistance in something. Maybe one day when we didn't have so much, orwe were in trouble, we promised God that we would put him first in our lives. Since then, perhaps,. times have changed, and things have become  better for us. Have we been faithful? Perhaps we promised God to spend more time in his word, and in a time of quietness before God, and meditate and fellowship with him; but recently God has opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessing upon us, and now we are so busy picking up the blessings that we don't really have the time to be faithful to our promises to love, honor, and serve him. 

These things ought to follow in this order -  to love God because he first loved us and to be eternally grateful because he gave himself for us. Then, to honor him with our lives, and then comes service.

"Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me; he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me." Psalm 101:6

    Don’t allow the flesh to tell you what to do. On the contrary, it is the spirit that ought to tell the flesh what to do. Even if we don't feel like spending time in God's word or praying and meditating alone with God, if we will discipline ourselves to please God, God will bless our faithfulness.

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