Pray for One Another

Thought For Today - June 16
Pray For One Another
By Robert A. Searles

"To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day." 2 Timothy 1:2,3.

How should we pray for one another? We ought to pray for each other as Paul prayed for Timothy: That God would give to our beloved wife, or husband, or children, or parents, or friends, grace, mercy and peace. Grace- the unearned gifts from God. God's unmerited favor, undeserved forgiveness and pardon, unearned, and undeserved eternal, everlasting life, and undeserved provision for their moment by moment needs.

Mercy - God's infinite compassion for us, that is, God not pouring out his wrath and judgments on us when he would be justified and righteous in so doing, also, God's willingness to come more than half way to meet and greet the runaway prodigal and rebellious child, and welcome him back into the family.

Peace-That peace that only God can give to comfort our hearts when we are in the center of his will, a sense of well being, and knowing that everything is all right in our father's house, and so it is well with us who are his children.

May we learn to pray for one another that God would grant his grace, mercy, and peace Even as Paul prayed for Timothy.

God Does Not Hold Grudges

Thought For Today - June 15
God Does Not Hold Grudges 
By: Robert A. Searles

"If thou, Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." Psalm 130: 3,4,5.

Praise God! He does not hold grudges and hold our sins and wrong doing over our heads to condemn us; but he is ever ready to hear our confession and self judgment, and remember our sins no more. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, otherwise, if this were not the case, who could stand? Who would be able to serve him? Who would be able to preach and to teach? For none is worthy unless he accounts them to be worthy through his grace, and mercy and forgiveness, for - :" There is none righteous in himself, no ,not one, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

 Therefore, once having brought our sins before God, and claiming the cleansing power of his shed blood, let us go our way rejoicing and sin no more.Each new day he gives us a clean new slate upon which to write the history of our lives. Beginning today, the first day of the rest of our lives, with the strength of our forgiven, redeemed lives and resurrected souls, let us be renewed in our mind and empowered by the Holy Spirit to go forth today to our place of duty and service and be glad, and do all that God wants us to do for him.

Are Our lanps Trimmed and Burning?

Thought For Today - June 14
Are Our Lamps Trimmed and Burning, Waiting For the Lord's Return ?
By: Robert A. Searles

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. and five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. and at midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord, open unto us. But he answered and said, verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh." Matthew 25: 1-13.

I wonder, if Jesus should return suddenly without warning, how many of us Christians would find no oil in our lamps. Has the fire and enthusiasm, for the things of the Lord in our lives gone out?
Are we so wrapped up in the things of the world that we fail to keep our spiritual lamps trimmed, and the spiritual fire burning, and a light shining in the window, waiting expectantly for the Lord's return? Jesus has told us to keep watching and waiting, and praying, for we know not the day nor the hour when he shall return for his bride.

They That Trust in the Lord Shall Abide Forever

Thought For Today - June 13
They That Trust in the Lord Shall Abide Forever
By: Robert A. Searles

"They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity." Psalm 125: 1-3..

Praise be to God! If we are in fact the redeemed of the Lord, we are kept in the palm of his hand, as it were, and no one or nothing can pluck us out of his hand or separate us from his love.
"The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." Psalm 126: 3 

Not to be proud and haughty, but grateful:

"So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun, when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19.

The Secret Place

Thought For Today June 12
The Secret Place.
By: Robert A. Searles

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. I will say of he Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Psalm 91: 1,2

We put to shame the grace of God when we fail to live and dwell in that secret place that God has provided for his redeemed children. The secret place of the most high - As the song writer has expressed it -"There is a land that is fairer than day", where God dwells, “Beulah land”. In “Beulah land” we are delivered and kept safe from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisesome pestilence.

Christ is the door to this secret place, and our faith in him is the key which unlocks the door.

God in his power and grace has made it possible for us that while our feet are still on earth, our mind and our soul can be soaring in the heavens. "A higher plain than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground."

In “Beulah land “, in the presence of God, there no evil can come upon us, no plague shall come near our dwelling.

Create in Me a Clean Heart

Thought For Today - June 11
Create in Me a Clean Heart
By: Robert A. Searles

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise." Psalm 51: 7-15.

Bad odors rise up from a dirty and cluttered basement. Likewise,, bad attitudes and negative ideas germinate in the depths of the heart of people whose minds have not been thoroughly purged of the residue of former things that were contrary to the will of God and not pleasing to him. The bible tells us that we need to have the inner man, or our heart of hearts, (our sub conscious minds), renewed and washed daily in order to be rid of the bits of sin that so easily beset us and cause a bad stench to rise up from within us, and cast a bad reflection on the works of God. We need to take a bath, as it were, in the word of God daily, and ask God to wash us with the water of his word and make us clean, and create in us a clean heart.

Thy Will Be Done As It Is in Heaven

Thought For Today - June 10
Thy Will Be Done As It Is in Heaven
By: Robert A. Searles

Jesus taught us, through his disciples, to pray to God our father, and to say: "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

When we are born again and become the children of God by God's grace, and our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we not only become the children of God, but we also become citizens of Heaven. As citizens of Heaven, we are under the jurisdiction of the king of Heaven. Thus, while we remain on earth, we are , as it were, strangers in a foreign land, subject to, and responsible for keeping the laws of the country of our residence, but as citizens of America, or whatever country we may be citizens of, if we find ourselves in trouble in a foreign country, we have a right to appeal to our home government to assist us in our difficulty.

So it is with our heavenly citizenship: we are told that we sit together in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. We are citizens of Heaven. When we pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are appealing to our king that all that happens in our lives here on earth would be the same as if we were already at home in Heaven.

When the will of our King of kings and Lord of lords is being accomplished in our lives, then, all that transpires in our lives here on earth is the result of his power and authority. "The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of waters he turneth it wither so ever he will."

Would it be God's will for me to be lost forever in Heaven? Would it be God's will for me to be discouraged if I were in Heaven? Would it be God's will for me to be unhappy if I were already in Heaven? Would it be God's will for me to be sick and poverty stricken if I were in Heaven? I don't know the final answer to all these questions; but I tend to think the answer would be no to all of them. Heaven is a happy, healthy, wealthy, eternal place where God is. I believe that none of these situations can coexist in the presence of God, therefore, If God's will is done in us on earth as it is, or would be if I were already in Heaven, what is the conclusion of the whole matter? What does God desire, and what is his will for us while here on earth?