Mount View Baptist Temple

Points Of Faith

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The Bible teaches us to trust, not tremble. To have faith, not fear. Jesus does not want us consumed with worrying fear.

Sometimes, our faith is Little Faith. Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Little faith is better than no faith. Four times in Matthew Jesus challenged His disciples. Little faith shows up concerning necessities of life (Matthew 6:30), concerning danger (Matthew 8:26), concerning deliverance (Matthew 14:31), and concerning bread and food (Matthew 16:8).

Sometimes, our faith may be Great Faith. Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. The Centurion’s faith started out with great humility. The same humility is seen in the woman of Canaan. Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Sometimes, there is No Faith. Mark 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? The disciples were asking Jesus if He cared for them in the midst of the storm.

Sometimes, you may be Full of Faith. Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost…

The tragic situation is when a person has Vain Faith. 1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Reflection—Trust is knowing Jesus cares even when it does not seem like it.

Goodly Heritage

Psalm 16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

What a privilege it is to grow up in a country with amazing freedoms and opportunities! Also, the time in which we live has numerous conveniences and luxuries that we enjoy. We have been blessed with many riches, with no concern of where our next meal will come from. Many of us have godly families. All of these blessings have been passed down and are gifts God has given to us.

Jeremiah 3:19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

What are we going to do with the gifts that we have been given? How are we investing in the next generation?

Our responsibility is to help our children know and love God's Word above all else. We can help them memorize Scripture daily and learn to apply its truths in decision-making.

Even if we don't have children, we have opportunities to invest in many young people. Children who do not come from strong Christian homes need the influence of godly aunts, Sunday school teachers, and Christian school teachers who can help them learn to know and love God and His Word. By serving in our local churches and by going on mission trips, we can help reach the next generation.

Joel 2:17 ...Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Although many of the Old Testament references to God's heritage apply to Israel, we can see a spiritual application to preserving our godly heritage. I Peter 5:3 says, "neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."

Reflection—May we use our goodly heritage to invest in the next generation.

A Fresh Start

By Steve Clark

January 1, 2026

Jeremiah 18:2 ...Arise, and go down to the potter's house… (18:1-6)

Do you need a fresh start today? Praise God! He is the God of second chances and new beginnings!

Have you ever wished you could go back and start over? If only you could take the words back that you said, if only you could make different choices. Sadly, in most cases, it is impossible to go back and change what has been said or done.

There is, however, one area of your life that you can have a new beginning. You can have a fresh start with your spiritual life! What do you need today? SALVATION? SANCTIFICATION? COMMITMENT? CONTENTMENT? God Specializes in New Beginnings!

Jeremiah is a true prophet with the people’s best interests at heart. Though discouraged and about to give up on God’s people, God told him to go down to the potter for an object lesson. There he saw a potter at the wheel intently shaping a vessel. But just as the vessel seemed to be taking shape, something unexpected happened—the vessel was marred.

Jeremiah probably thought the potter would reject the clay as if the material was now of no value. Instead, he flattened it again, put it back on the wheel, and started to shape it once more. The Potter could have completely abandoned it, but he didn't!

In the New Year, God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. He alone knows your possibilities, and He wants the best for you. If you are disappointed or discouraged because your life has not shaped up yet, maybe it’s because you have not yielded to the pressure of His Hands. God has a message of hope and assurance for you. He is working on us – we are His workmanship, and He wants to shape us according to His divine design and plan.

You can begin again by entrusting your life into the Master’s hands and have a fresh start again.

Reflection—When we fall apart, God can put us back together again!

Lendeth Unto the Lord

Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

The word pity is essentially compassion accompanied with some act of charity or benevolence. In Deuteronomy 15:7-8, we read, If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

In Proverbs 19, having pity on the poor is said to be lending to the Lord. This profound truth reminds us:

That we are to be faithful stewards in the resources God has given us.
That God cares much for the poor and needy.
That God blesses the generous.
Lending unto the Lord by having pity on the poor is a wonderful truth to keep in mind this holiday season. Many readers of this devotion support the Lighthouse Children's Homes and are lending unto the Lord by having pity on poor children around the world.

May God bless the generosity of His faithful servants and grant us opportunities to lend unto Him.

Reflection—We can never outgive the good and gracious Lord.

Birthday Candles

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Have the number of candles on your birthday cake gotten to the place where merely blowing is not enough? You need a fire extinguisher to get them all out without calling the fire department!

The Bible has encouragement for every age, including “seniors.” Of course, none of us know how many days we have on this earth. As the years go by and we see changes in our bodies—our hair turning gray, then white; our steps slowing; our strength failing; aches and pains increasing; illness and operations becoming more frequent, etc—these little reminders let us know that our time on earth may be coming to a close.

Until that day comes when we meet our Saviour face to face, what are we to do? We are to rely on the Lord, using His wisdom and encouragement to show others His plan of salvation. We are to stay faithful to Him.

God remains a steadfast presence in our lives. We need to continue our spiritual journey. We are to set an example for the younger generation, sharing life lessons and wisdom grounded in faith.

Aging is a natural part of life’s journey. God provides peace and security as elders navigate their later years. Age does not necessarily limit one’s abilities. Vigor, vision, zeal, and purpose can be used by God at any age. Trust God’s timing and promises. Remain faithful to the end.

Psalm 71:17-18 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

Reflection—As we journey through life, aging brings challenges AND blessings. God’s Word guides us through all seasons of life, including our golden years.

Direct My Heart

2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Come, thou Fount of every blessing;

tune my heart to sing thy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing,

call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

sung by flaming tongues above;

praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,

mount of God’s unchanging love!

Too often we may find our hearts more in tune with the last stanza of Come, Thou Fount. Some of those words are, Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. We surely need the Lord to guide and direct our hearts into His love—and to keep them there.

This is Paul’s first concern. He knows too well that our love, if left undirected by the Lord, is apt to go astray after other things. When our hearts are guided into the Lord’s love, the world’s attractions do not hold an appeal to our affections.

Paul’s second concern is that our hearts are directed into patiently waiting for Jesus to return. Patient waiting keeps us steady in our faith. It has a hopeful and purifying influence in our lives. It will affect the decisions and directions that we take day by day. In a word, consciously and purposefully waiting patiently for the Lord to return will sanctify us.

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Love and patience. These two qualities are essential for us to have spiritual stability and strength. May the Lord so direct our hearts.

Reflection—Love cannot be lacking patience, nor patience love.