None of Self and All of Thee Theodore Monod (1836-1921) Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow, That a time could ever be, When I proudly said to Jesus, “All of self and none of Thee.” Yet He found me; I beheld Him Bleeding on the cursèd tree: And my wistful heart said faintly, “Some of self and […]
Author Archive: Douglas Thomas
Travel Brochures
Hotels, rest stops and some gas stations have racks of brochures describing local areas of interest to tourists. Even though the brochures are produced by the owners or managers of the destinations, some contain accurate details, while others are just hype designed to lure people into the trap and out of some money. Much of the world has similar advertisement and deception. The immeasurable information found through the internet is […]
Forgotten Names
Remember Shammua? Probably not. How about Shaphat? No? Maybe Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur? Nahbi? Geuel? In contrast, how many people have named their children after Caleb? How about Joshua? You don’t remember those first guys because they are only famous for doubting Yahweh. Joshua and Caleb are heroes for believing Him. (See Numbers 13) Even if your name is never remembered in the earth, cause it to be […]
Getting the Point
Frequently Jesus told parables that were never explained in some other Scripture passage. The couple of times that His disciples are recorded as asking Him to explain one, He told them what the parables meant. I suggest that if you have one that is stumping you, you can ask Him what He meant, and get an answer. He wants us to know what He likes and what He hates and lots […]
Being Faithful
Just as the bronze serpent Yahweh instructed Moses to make in the wilderness had the power to heal those who had been bitten by the serpents that had been sent into the camps of Israel, the Holy Book has the power to bring life and health and direction and wisdom and protection. The key to accessing the power of each is the same – faith in the One Who gave […]
Being Hopeful
Our God could end our miseries with a word, but He frequently will not end them without our agreement and our cooperation. The process has to happen His way. Misery is a response of ours to our circumstances. When our response to nasty circumstances is faith, the misery is replaced by hope. When our response is patience, misery is replaced by hope. What you respond with is what you end […]
Trees or Forests
When Jesus fed thousands of people at once, He likely saw it as thousands of miracles, not just one big one. He likely had each hungering stomach in mind as He created food to fill each one, I think. He didn’t see the people He passed each day as a forest, but as trees. How do we view the people around us? On the highway, in a line at a […]
Being Possible
Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” “Because of your little faith,” Hen told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:19-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible ®©) Lord, make us able to have and to […]
Being Related
I am convinced that the real nature of the ekklesia in the earth is that it is made up of the real relationships we have with other believers, especially those relationships through which Kingdom work is being produced. I wonder how much more we would be capable of in our work if we were to frequently examine our relationships with believers to increase the amount of time we spend with […]
Being Late
Timing is very important. I had a job that was as likely to require me to report to work at 3:00pm one day as 3:00am the next. My alarm would go off, and I would wake up trying to remember whether it was daytime or nighttime. The longer I studied the situation, the more likely I was to go back to sleep. I nearly lost the job because of frequent […]