THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
No matter how righteous you are, you cannot do ‘it’ alone
“A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.
Proverbs 18:1 (NKJV)
Matthew 18
Who Is the Greatest? You, if you are born again
Matthew 18:1-5 (KJV), “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”
Jesus first said not to be of this world
Matthew 18:7 (KJV), “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”
Then John…
1 John 2:15-16 (KJV), “15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
John 18:36 (KJV), “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
And then Paul
1 Corinthians 7:31 (KJV), “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.”
If you are aware of potential stumbling blocks, stay away from them
Matthew 18:8-9 (KJV), “8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”
When you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, He will constantly protect you
Matthew 18:12-14 (KJV), “12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”
To correct a brother or sister in Christ is not the same as to judge
Matthew 18:15 (KJV), “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Pay attention to the next verse when Jesus talks about two or three gathered in His name
Matthew 18:16 (KJV), “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”
Jesus is then speaking directly about this particular situation when He says…
Matthew 18:20 (KJV), “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Jesus is ALWAYS in your midst alone when you pray, you do not need another person to bring Jesus into your midst
You must forgive your brother or sister if they trespass against you
Matthew 18:34-35 (KJV), “34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.”
Daniel 11
What is the abomination of desolation?
Daniel 11:31 (KJV), “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.”
As previously stated in Daniel 9:27
Daniel 9:27 (KJV), “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
And in a future prophecy of Daniel
Daniel 12:11 (KJV), “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
Jesus talks of the impending abomination of desolation
Matthew 24:15 (KJV), “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:).”
The sacrilegious object Jesus called “the abomination of desolation” could be the “image of the beast” that the Antichrist’s right-hand man, the false prophet, will order to be set up and worshiped
Revelation 13:14 (KJV), “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”
Those who are alive during the tribulation should be watchful and recognize that the breaking of the covenant with Israel and the abomination of desolation will herald the beginning of the worst 3½ years in history
We also have a reference to the last half of the tribulation in Daniel 7:25
Daniel 7:25 (KJV), “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
There, the ruler will oppress God’s people for “a time, times, and half a time” (time=1 year; times=2 years; half a time=½ year; total of 3 ½ years)
Revelation 13:5 (KJV), “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”
Matthew 24:21 (KJV), “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
It is still to come
Daniel 11:35 (KJV), “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.”
Jeremiah 33
God will send His Son when He restores Israel and Judah
Jeremiah 33:15-16 (KJV), “15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.”
Proverbs 18 Please read (a heavy emphasis on ‘the mouth’)
Ezekiel 31 Egypt Cut Down Like a Great Tree
Grow in the Word of the Lord 