Today’s Thought “Halloween or Hallelujah Night?” G. Ward

Romans 14:4 “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

 

Knowledge’s availability (very particularly as it searches out origins of special days) at an instant can serve as ruin to another’s conscience that desires to promote each day as sacred; not worthy of any worldly interactivity. Believers have conflicted on recognition and interactivity with secular association on days and practices that allows outsider’s criticism of lack in unity. While Holy God gives an authoritative pathway to life’s uncertainties, it remains incumbent onto every priest (1 Pe.2:9) to promote reconciliation without hypocrisy. *There continues to be categorization in perfecting believer-ship although all reliance monolithically embraces their Redeemer (*1 Cor.12:4-7).

Today’s Thought “First In Line” G. Ward

Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

There’s a bilateral position from the mindset of man upon each encounter (soul to soul) that will either render another hopeless, or a view of their rescue (contemplating your own). Mercy obtained can be the frustrating factoring, in that the demand of interrogating, then surrendering one’s own impropriety is the contingency promoting rest (Jas.2:13). The regeneration then offered (particularly upon transformation) will ultimately refuse a champion’s platform because they know Who the real Mighty Conqueror is (*Ro.8:37).

Today’s Thought “Self-Preservation” G. Ward

Luke 22:41-42 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

 

Luke’s account of the sufferings of Jesus before crucifixion observed the agony the Savior endured from a physician’s point of view; witnessing extraordinary stress from the Incarnate causing Him to actually sweat blood. Howbeit that such a wonderful Redeemer while in a torturous state (cf. Ro.5:8) could declare that the Father’s desire use Him wherever/however for sin found in you and me (*1 Jn.1:6-8); to now make demands of safety, healing and monetary rescue, while forgetting the progenitors of faith (Heb.11:3-40) having endured great sufferings while testifying that earth was not their home?

Could any of your great-grandparents declare the same perpetuations we’re insistent with? Are we morally more sufficient than that generation (cf. Eph.2:8-9)?

Today’s Thought “Problem Solved” G. Ward

 

Hebrews 12:2 “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

The question through song by The Bee Gees (1971) asked “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” to which remains a struggle. The lyrics emptied with two stanzas expressive of “No one said a word about the sorrow.”

The writer of Hebrews insisted every believer be motivated by the endurance of their spiritual predecessors (Heb.11:2, 4, 5, 33, 39) listed prior and not those spectators of indecision (Heb.12:1). Every individual of faith in that era didn’t witness the achievements of Christ in earth but were yet content with anticipation of His deliverance. It would/did ultimately grant them eternal presence with HIM.

We also are no better than the All-Wise Savior (Jn.15:20). Sufferings are mentioned 84 times alone in the New Testament and while the world says speak it away, generations before couldn’t (*cf. Ro.8:18). Will you decide on today to walk alongside the dispirited/depressed?

Today’s Thought “Bologna Isn’t the Same” G. Ward



Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”



Altogether, food lacks the flavor of old. Whereas salt and pepper could establish any household’s yearly requirement, we now must consider every herb imaginable. Food’s natural intent (i.e. flavor) is supremely marginalized by a varied “filler” component synonymous with how embalming fluid coagulates existential blood in a corpse whereby a dead body remains intact for an expansive period.

The gospel’s corollary is the same for the believer; warranting a return to the highest priority unto any trusting in Holy God’s reign. We must insist on our spiritual transformation’s first delight, reproduction. If good singing and preaching was ever the catalyst for growth; 1. God would have said so. 2. The local church’s numbers wouldn’t experience decline, but build additional facilities for the real overflow…

Today’s Thought “Insomnia At Work” G. Ward

Psalm 28:2 “Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.”

While many may seek to unfold some spectacular television show or a great novel of sorts, my insomnia (currently) desires to fill my soul with something far more substantive, God’s word. *I want to be clear; I’ve suffered with insomnia many times before and like so many surfed more than eight hundred channels looking for the perfect movie, whereas this time the quiet room was so very noisy and I needed rest.

Dependence on Who we regard as LORD must condescend from self determinations onto a spiritual posture that grants peace and when that level of worship becomes the insistence for any that will endure affliction’s visitation (cf. Jas.1:2-4), it won’t conjure up an elixir seemingly sufficient, but enjoin themself unto Who is Omniscient…

Today’s Thought “Unfathomable” G. Ward

Romans 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

 

Our believer’s status rarely perceives Holy God’s pursuit of us because of our sin condition (1 Jn.1:8), but HE did. Any identification therefore, that makes HIM co-pilot over the course of life presented, fail to comprehend “worshipping in spirit and truth” (cf. Matt.10:28). There’s absolutely no gift we can present outside of perfect conformity to HIS chartered course planned from the beginning. Moreover and finally, HIS tolerance for any lacking an implicit regard with the proven care HE offers (that demands our total dependence), has become the determination soon unavailable (Ps.90:10-12). Altogether, the essence in being favored never proclaimed you and me favorite (particularly with our giftedness and abilities), just loved.