Bible Thoughts by Terry Hedderman

- Tuesday, 11/6/18  Proverbs 29:27, An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked. How many “abominable” things have you encountered lately? I’m guessing, if we’d be honest, we’d have to say that we’re much more tolerant of sin than we’d like to admit.                                  Psalm 78:8, And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. It’s easy to pass the buck and lay blame elsewhere, but the status of my heart and of your heart is our responsibility, and no one else’s. It’s MY fault if I’m angry or backslidden or bitter or cold or hard or impatient or rude or far from God. No provocation can make me be a bad Christian: 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises that. We easily and oftentimes blame others, but it’s a lie to excuse OUR sin. So, for your eyes only: how's your heart, right now?
 
- Wednesday, 11/7/18  Proverbs 30:26, The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks. We need to be consciously aware of our weak spots and need to be constantly working to shore them up or compensate for them. So, what are yours, and are you?                         Isaiah 41:6-7, They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. Whom is it that you wouldn’t encourage to be a better Christian? “Oh, no one!! That’s an absurd question!!” How about the one who hurt you so deeply? Who brought shame upon you or your family? That one who simply wants to get back to God and to His people...only to find that His people have ostracized him? Maybe because he didn’t come back with the level of sincerity you deemed appropriate, or did it awkwardly... Don’t let your pride cause a wounded Christian to give up and quit.
 
- Thursday, 11/8/18  Proverbs 30:28, [The virtuous woman’s] children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. None of us feel like we get too much praise. But we can’t control what comes our way, but we can give more. There’s the task for the day.                                    Psalm 139:24, And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. A blunt, “how dare I ask that” kind of question: are you walking those everlasting paths today and recently? If you’re born again, I know that you’re on your way to Heaven, but the paths THIS WEEK, how would they be characterized? We must examine ourselves to see if we’re walking talking hypocrites.
 
- Friday, 11/9/18  Isaiah 36:4, And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? I say, sayest thou... We can listen to the king of Assyria (world) or the King of Israel (Heaven): it’s our choice.                              Genesis 1:21, And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. There are thousands of kinds of trees; thousands of types of birds; a zillion species of fish: each unique, each beautiful, each fulfilling the Master’s plan. So why do we insist that every believer believe and act JUST LIKE US? Every church HAS TO BE just like ours...or, if they’re not, there is something wrong with it/them; there must be some sin or cold heart or lack of maturity to account for the differences. The mature apple tree is nothing like a redwood, but each is as God wants. The goldfish in our aquarium barely resembles a great white shark, but each is following God’s master plan. Let others be to God as they feel He wants: you and I have enough to correct without pointing out every else’s “OBVIOUS” flaws.
 
- Saturday, 11/10/18  Psalm 80:3, 7, & 19, Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. If Christ be for us, what else matters? If Christ be against us, what else matters? Are you living a life that is pleasing to Him or one that is provoking Him?                          Psalm 142:4, I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. The right hand is the position of strength and honor. Leader (pastor, teacher, parent, boss, husband, mature Christian, senior saint): others are looking to you for strength. Do they see it? Compassion? Wisdom? Consistency?
 
- Sunday, 11/11/18  Proverbs 16:31, The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. In looking at the trees this fall, I had this thought: even the final days of life can be a blessing. Death has it’s own unique beauty. Senior saint, are you continuing to bless others? Younger people, encourage the elder folk.                           Jeremiah 1:6-7, Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.  But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak... We can bamboozle others with excuses, but not God. If He’s commissioning us to do something, we CAN do it. He knows what He has in us. The question is not, “Can I?” but, “Will I?” So, will you go soul winning? Will you tithe? Will you forgive? Will you not quit? Will you “bless, and curse not”?
 
- Monday, 11/12/18  Psalm 1:2, [Blessed is the man whose] delight is in the law of the Lord. We read the Bible; hear It preached; try to obey It to some degree...but do we “DELIGHT” in It? How can we cultivate a taste for It so that It becomes an enjoyment to us?                                    Simeon, the old devout, just man when he held baby Jesus in his arms said, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” Luke 2:30.  Be very sure that salvation IS a person, not a creed. People go to Heaven or Hell, not based on what they do with my church or your church, my standards or yours, my level or sincerity or yours. People go to Heaven or Hell based on what they do with Jesus Christ. He is THE ONLY way to Heaven, and it’s through Him alone. Is what He did on the Cross sufficient to take you to Heaven, or must you “finish the job” by getting baptized, or speaking in tongues, or trying to live rightly? If you have to do anything to get to Heaven, then He didn’t do enough, and, in effect, YOU are your own Saviour. So, who is the Lord of your salvation? You? or Him? If you’d like to know 100% for sure, without a doubt, that you’ll be in Heaven 1 second after your heart stops, message me. I’ll show you exactly what the Bible says: not what my church or pastor says; not what I think; not what makes sense...I’ll simply show you what God Almighty says, and you can intelligently and purposefully choose for yourself.
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