1 Peter 4:9-10 (KJV) That Is Hospitality

 1 Peter 4:9-10 (KJV)

Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I thought today of the connection between the words hospitality and hospital. Apparently, the archaic use is derived from hospice, a charitable home, house, or school. Consider how homes would open their doors to the passing stranger in ancient days.

The Bible tells us, as every man has received the gift, so minister. Consider the hospital setting. Within the establishment are:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Orderlies
• Administrators
• Receptionists and
• Data entry specialists
• Etc

Each one is there to provide hospitality. Each one contributes to that hospitality by employing their own training. No one expects or wants the lady behind the computer to perform the surgeries. By doing what they have been trained (or gifted) to do, each one creates the ability of hospitality within the hospital.

God gifts Christians. We are not asked to do what he hasn’t gifted us to do. We are only asked to apply the gift He has given us to others.

That is hospitality.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

1 Peter 4:9-10 (KJV) That Is Hospitality

Psalms 119:160 (KJV) The Beginning and Forever

 

Psalms 119:160 (KJV)

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Once in a while, a preacher will say something like, “I believe the Bible is true from beginning to end.” Or else they might say, “I believe this book from the front all the way to the back.” He might say something like, “I believe the Bible from Genesis all the way to Revelation.”  He might even jokingly say, “I even believe the cover where it says, Holy Bible.”

God’s Word is true.

• From front to back
• From Genesis to Revelation
• From beginning to end

But it’s even more true than that.

God’s Word is true from the beginning and forever. It was true when God created the heavens and the earth. It will still be true when He creates the new heavens and the new earth.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Psalms 119:160 (KJV) The Beginning and Forever

Psalms 119:148 When I Can’t Sleep

Psalms 119:148 (KJV)

Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

There is a balance in everything. The same Psalmist has also assured us that God gives His beloved sleep.[1]

I am thankful that, in all my years in ministry, sleeplessness and restlessness have not been a struggle for me. I can sleep just about any time.[2]

That said, I admit to experiencing sleepless night from time to time. Most recently, during the first months of 2020, just prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 fiasco, I found myself awaking every night, or nearly so, just after midnight. I took that as an indicator from God to pray. I specifically began to pray for revival. I asked God to do something unknown before, not manageable by us and even, if necessary, uncomfortable to us, that we might be led toward revival.

I do not know that God specifically answered my prayer, especially for revival. I will say that I am not confident most of us would recognize a God sent revival if one did happen.

I can say this, when God prevents our sleep, it is a good time to pray.

---

[1] Psalms 127:2 (KJV)
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

[2] Just for fun, I started playing with a Dr. Suess type rhyme and sleep
I’ve never had trouble getting sleep. 

I can sleep here, I can sleep there
I can sleep just about anywhere

I can sleep on a train, I can sleep on a plane
I can sleep on the water, I can sleep on the terrain

I can sleep near, I can sleep far
I can even sleep in a car

I can sleep cold, I can sleep hot
For me a problem, sleeping is not.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Psalms 119:148 When I Can’t Sleep

Psalms 119:133 (KJV) Prayer Life

Psalms 119:133 (KJV)

Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

We live in a different spiritual economy than the Psalmist. That matters.

The Psalmist looked forward to the cross
We look back to the cross

The Psalmist hoped in the promised sacrifice
We rest in the completed sacrifice

The Psalmist had no assurance of the Holy Spirit[1]
The Holy Spirit dwells forever in us

The Psalmist needed then to ask for external help to Overcome son
We have the power of the Holy Ghost in us so that we have already overcome the world[2]

I suggest that this Psalm nevertheless provides a valuable subject for our prayer life. Never ought we to let down our guard but must be vigilant in prayer that iniquity does not have dominion over us.

---

[1] Psalms 51:11 (KJV)
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

[2] 1 John 5:4 (KJV)
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Psalms 119:133 (KJV) Prayer Life

Psalms 119:113 (KJV) Worthy of Hatred

 

Psalms 119:113 (KJV)

I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

There are no people worthy of our hatred, but some things are worthy of hatred. One of them is right here.

Vain, empty, useless thoughts.

One might think of a vain thought as thinking about sinful things. That would be included, but it is not exclusively what the idea conveys. It would be any worthless thought. Any thought that causes double-mindedness. It could be pondering foolish questions that gender strifes[1] or vain[2] janglings.[3] It might be something that is idle.[4]

• Vain thoughts rob the mind of time in God’s Word
• Vain thoughts occupy a space that would be better used in godliness
• Vain thoughts steal our love for meditation upon holy things

An appropriate response is to hate them. Anything less than hatred of those thoughts will surely allow the mind to entertain them.

---

[1] 2 Timothy 2:23 (KJV)
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

[2] Titus 3:9 (KJV)
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

[3] 1 Timothy 1:6 (KJV)
From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

[4] Matthew 12:36 (KJV)
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Psalms 119:113 (KJV) Worthy of Hatred

Psalms 119:97 (KJV) How Could It Be?

 

Psalms 119:97 (KJV)

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

I was thinking about the average Christian. How could it be remotely possible for them to meditate upon God’s Word all the day? For almost forty years, I have had the privilege of doing that. But would it be at all possible for those who are not full-time in the ministry?

If, in fact, the writer of this Psalm is David, then he wasn’t in full-time ministry. His days were occupied with matters of state and military and, for some portions of his life, just trying to survive. Still, the Word of God was his meditation all the day.

It occurred to me that it would be the one who said, “How can I possibly do that?” That couldn’t.

First, it’s not a matter of having to do it.
There is, I believe, no grace in meditating in the Bible because you have to.

Second, if you love God’s Word, it would be the natural
A man in love can do his daily business while, at the same time, having the object of his passion ever in his mind.

If we truly love the Word of God, meditating upon it is what we do. All the day, no matter what else may take our attention.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Psalms 119:97 (KJV) How Could It Be?

Psalms 119:79 (KJV) A Way to Pray for our Church

 

Psalms 119:79 (KJV)

Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

Picture with me a young king David. He had done nothing by way of human manipulation to gain his throne. It was God who anointed him. He waited on God’s time for him to be seated upon that throne.

The Bible says, in 1 Chronicles 12:22 that the people of Israel came to him “day by day.”[1] Once Saul was out of the way the people of Israel trickled in under his rule.

See him hear praying something akin to, “Father, I have waited upon Your promise. I have believed Your Word and trusted it through these years. Father bring into my sphere those who fear You, believe You and wait upon You.” Anyone else would just be a challenge to the kingdom.

What a marvelous way to pray for the growth of our church.

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[1] 1 Chronicles 12:22 (KJV)
For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Psalms 119:79 (KJV) A Way to Pray for our Church