Morning Thought with Pastor Tim

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Victory is Mine!

An East Texas school will no longer read scripture during the morning announcements. This decision comes after a formal complaint was filed with the school by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

That organization says the practice of Biblical readings is not only offensive to non-Christians, but against the law. According to the FFRF, the decision is a win.

How sad it is when removal of Christ from society is considered a victory.

Let me share my victory!

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:57

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. 1 John 5:4

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Rom 8:37

We sometimes sing a song in church:

Victory is mine,
victory is mine,
victory today is mine.

I told Satan to get thee behind,
victory today is mine.

The FFRF did not win – they lost!

Jesus said this and it may be a bit of a stretch but I think it’s appropriate,

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:35-36

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Rain again!

Rain, rain, rain!

It’s another rainy day on my last day of vacation. 
I remember the lyrics to a nursery rhyme. 
Rain, rain, go away. 
Come again another day, 
Little Johnny wants to play. 
But I promised myself that I would never complain about rain after that terrible drought a few years ago. 
Often in the Bible rain is symbolic of God’s Spirit falling upon us. 
Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. Hosea‬ ‭6‬:‭3
I wonder if God poured out Himself on us over and over if we would complain about it like we do the rain. 
I think not!
So I am preparing for God’s rain. 
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Take up and follow!

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matt 16:24

That saying of Jesus may have sent chills down the backs of those listening. Continue reading →

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Time off and back to business

FYI… last week’s sickness really had me down and I took the week to rejuvenate my body and my mind, which includes the Morning Thought. Thanks for your prayers and your patience.

I think everyone deserves a time to refresh, renew, rejuvenate, regain, and repair.
Jesus often took time to do it with prayer.

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. Matt 14:23

Getting away from the crowds and getting alone with Father is what renewed His strength.

It does not say Jesus or any other person took vacations or a day off. There was probably no way to do that in an agrarian society. If you did not work, you did not eat; you did not provide for yourself the means to barter for other goods and services. In other words, the common person could not afford to take a day off.

There were no vacations until perhaps the 19th century and it was the elite usually taking time off, quite often, for health reasons.
The Puritans would take a day off for church and fellowship. The preacher would tell everyone the blessings of hard work and the sin of idleness.

Certainly the Bible had things to say about that subject.

Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Prov 19:15

She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Prov 31:27

Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks. Eccl 10:18

Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; Ezek 16:49

Now vacation’s, holidays, and personal days off are pretty common place. Linda is on spring break this week and I took a week vacation to be with her.

But vacations can’t last forever. And taking a little time off from daily devotion can’t be put on permanent hold.

As Jesus said, and I take liberty to use this here,

Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business? Luke 2:49