Thought of the Day 1/3/2020
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
Make sure when reading that first verse you do not read it like this: “And let us consider how to stir up one another”. I’m afraid far too often that is as far as most of us, professed followers of Christ or not, get. We tend to be “pot stirrers” instead of “people stirrers”, encouraging and uplifting each other in Jesus’ name. The next verse reminds us of the importance of gathering together with like-minded followers of Christ (going to church, joining a Bible Study group) so that we are better equipped with the Word of God in order to be “people stirrers” who can in turn lift each other up and be an encouragement to one another. In today’s society and world, there are so many things that point to that “Day” being near that it is ever more important to assemble together and be “people stirrers” and not “pot stirrers” so that the children of God may be fully equipped to withstand the spiritual battles now and those that are surely to come. What kind of a “stirrer” are you?
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
Alive Ministries USA
Thought of the Day 2/14/2020
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” 1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)
When the Pharisees sought to test (trick or trip up) Jesus, they sent a lawyer to Him to ask Him which of the over 600 commandments of the Mosaic Law was the most important. His response: “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”” (Matthew 22:37-40) In order to fulfill God’s Law we must love God with every part of us, as well as showing that same love toward our “neighbor” (everyone). Paul tries to explain this love here in today’s verse. Note that it is patient and kind — some versions will render this as “longsuffering”. Indeed love can be suffering, because in order to show true Godly love to those around us, we will suffer rejection, insults, persecution, abandonment, etc., but must remain steadfast in our love toward even those offending us. We also must be sure we are not envious of the material goods or status of others, nor boasting of our gains or successes (and remembering to thank God for His provision!), as well as not being arrogant. While the chapter today’s verse comes from is so often recited at weddings, how often is it lived out by those who hear it — not just the couple entering marriage, but each one of us? Let us ask God tonight to give us the wisdom and direction to be able to understand and live out this true love!
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
Alive Ministries USA
Thought of the Day 8/16/2020
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a Might One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
If you have accepted the free gift of salvation through a repentance of your sins and a belief in the life, death, resurrection, and deity of Jesus Christ, then God Himself dwells within you. “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him,, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23 ESV)
God makes the following promises to us in today’s verse:
- He will save us. “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”” (John 10:29-30 ESV)
- He will rejoice over us with gladness. “For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:5 ESV)
- He will quiet us with His love. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19 ESV)
- He will exult over us with loud singing. When translated from Hebrew, this portion of the verse could read: “He rejoices over you with a shout of joy.” The Israelites begin this portion of scripture in verse 14 by singing praises to God and shouting for joy in His honor, so it is fitting that God would join His people in being filled with joy as they sing praises to Him. Consider the reaction the angels in Heaven have when a lost soul is saved: “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”” (Luke 15:10 ESV)
Hold fast to these promises today and rejoice in our God who is faithful to keep His promises! “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23 ESV)
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
ALIVE Ministries USA
Thought of the Day 12/30/2020
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44 (ESV)
This is probably one of those passages we read quickly or skip over entirely, because it is not in our human nature to want to love our enemies or pray for those who hurt us. In fact, love and prayer are usually the furthest thing from our minds when we encounter hateful and hurtful people. However, they are exactly how Jesus instructs us to respond to such people. Easier said than done, right? Don’t worry, you are not alone in this struggle. Understand that loving your enemy does not mean condoning their behavior. That is why we are called to also pray for them; that through Christ’s love reflected through us, and our prayer for their hearts to be changed, the Holy Spirit might move in their lives. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37); He also said the second was like it in that we should love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). We would do well to remember that even those we would consider an “enemy” or those who treat us poorly are still our neighbor and we are commanded to love them.
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
Alive Ministries USA
Join our “Alive-Stream” Monday – Friday at 9:00EST (9:30 on Wednesday) on FB (Alive Ministries) or YouTube (Christopher B. Cain if Alive Ministries USA) for a time of prayer requests and study of the Word.
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button (www.Facebook.com/AliveMinistriesUSA), at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
Thought of the Day 12/29/2020
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” 1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)
How often have you heard the phrase from someone within the church: “Show [or correct/teach] them in love.” What does that truly look like though? More often than not it comes across to the lost person we are trying to reach as a “holier than thou” type of attitude. If we truly want to display love it needs to be the kind of love Paul writes to the church in Corinth about here in this verse. We must be patient with others. We must above all else be kind to them. We need to take great effort to ensure that we never come across as “better than” or arrogant. It is when we encompass these characteristics that we can truly “show them in love”.
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
Alive Ministries USA
Join our “Alive-Stream” Monday – Friday at 9:00EST (9:30 on Wednesday) on FB (Facebook.com/aliveministriesusa) or YouTube (Christopher B. Cain if Alive Ministries USA) for a time of prayer requests and study of the Word.
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).