The First Thought of the Day

“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.” H.W. Beecher

I recently discovered H.W. Beecher's great advice and started practicing it. For several weeks now, at the Holy Spirit's leading, I awaken and give thanks for a good night's sleep. Then I cleanse my spirit, soul and body in the blood of Jesus, declaring that all toxins, pain and weakness be removed and replaced with life the Holy Spirit gives me (Romans 8:11).

Then I check with the Holy Spirit to identify (take captive) the first thought of the day. On this day, I got, "Do you have your armor on, part 2. Lawlessness will increase.”

Matthew 24:4-14

4 And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” NASU

Q. Are many (believers) being misled? A. Yes. There are evangelical and even liturgical pastors and leaders who are compromising with the world. They choose to avoid controversial topics in order to “minimize disunity” in the body. Going with the flow of the world is easier than going with the flow of the Spirit of God and His Word. So many seek to ‘normalize’ sin and repentance is not even understood to be something to seek, much less a topic taught on in many pulpits today. Many may see the goodness of God, but do not allow that to move them into repentance (Romans 2:4). Lord, I pray I and my family are not among that group. I know Your goodness. If I have anything to repent of, lead me strongly to deny myself, take up my cross and follow You. In Jesus's Name I ask. AMEN.

Q. So what is a believer to do about this? A. See to it that no one misleads you. Check your armor –is the Belt of Truth firmly affixed around your waste? Are you checking the Word of God to make sure those you listen to are not compromising? Is your Breastplate of Righteousness firmly covering your heart keeping it clean and free of bitterness, resentment or any ungodly thing contrary to the righteousness of God in Christ? Are your feet prepared to take you wherever the Lord sends you to spread His Gospel? Do you have your helmet of salvation on guarding your thought life? Do you have a firm grip on the shield of faith and sword of the Spirit, ready to do battle and stand, having done all else to stand?

Many today would tell you “Jesus never condemned (fill in the blank) as sin, why do you?” My response to this is read John 3:16 and 17. In verse 16 we learn about how much God loves the people in the world and what He did to save us all. In verse 17 we find Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to offer salvation to those who believe in Him.

I agree there are many things the Bible calls sin that Jesus never addressed directly. Many things the Bible calls sin are practiced openly as “normal” in our society today. That doesn't make it right. It shows you how twisted and corrupt our world has become. For example, Jesus never condemned drunkenness as sin. To make matters worse, His first miracle was turning water into the best wine anyone had ever had. And He didn’t make just a little wine. It was gallons and gallons! Was He promoting or “normalizing” drunkenness? God forbid!

In His day, the people of The Book, especially those who actually studied and read The Book, knew what was morally acceptable and what was condemned by God.

Q. Have many come in Jesus’ name saying, ‘I am the Christ?’ A. While there have been many in history who have claimed to be “the Christ”, I am not aware of any today who are saying this. Not yet…be sure you know Who the Christ truly is or you may be subject to deception.

Q. What is a believer to do about this? A. Be sure you have received a love for the truth. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, we are warned about the importance of receiving a love for the truth.

8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. NASU

People perish because they do not receive a love for the truth and believe it.

If what you are believing is not the Truth, would you want to know? Believing the Truth brings freedom to your life. Believing a lie empowers the Liar, the Accuser, Satan.

Jesus is the Truth. He said so. (Jn. 14:6). When you love Jesus, you must be certain the Jesus (Truth) you love is the Jesus (Truth) of the Bible. He is the Jesus who saves us when we believe in our hearts and say with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord.” He is the Belt of Truth that holds our armor together. He cannot lie, for He is God. He cannot bless what the Bible condemns. He will not compromise with the world, allowing His Kingdom to become like the world. He continually offers all mankind a voice and choice (Joshua 24:15).

Be sure to choose the Truth, denying yourself, grabbing ahold of your cross (which is death to your fallen nature and desires) and intentionally follow Jesus daily. Jesus said this in Mt. 16:24, Mk. 8:34 and Luke 9:23. We have His Holy Spirit to Comfort, Help, Train, Teach and Guide us.

I started out by addressing the first thought of the day. This led me to read about the things Jesus told His disciples regarding “the end of the age.” We are seeing so much of what Jesus spoke about coming to pass today in 2025. We are not at “the end” yet. I want to encourage believers to be watchful, keep your love and your armor on, check with the Holy Spirit to make sure you're thoughts fit with the Mind of Christ. Fix your eyes on Jesus. The best days for Jesus’ Ecclesia are yet to come.

I highly recommend a book by Dr. Marsha Scudder Rano titled: Truth Wars: Discerning Truth from Error. You can find this book on-line at ChristianBook.com. Dr. Rano was honored in a ceremony held by International Impact Book Awards, February 4, 2025.

🌟 Congratulations to Featured Author, Dr. Marsha Scudder Rano! 🌟

We are thrilled to celebrate Dr. Marsha Scudder Rano and her thought-provoking book, Truth War: Discerning Truth from Error! 📖

In an age of moral, doctrinal, and cultural confusion, this powerful book calls readers to practice biblical discernment, challenge deception, and embrace absolute truth. Dr. Rano masterfully exposes modern-day distortions of truth—relativism, pragmatism, and existentialism—equipping believers with the tools to navigate spiritual deception with confidence.

🔹 A compelling guide to identifying truth vs. deception in today's world

🔹 Equips believers to discern between biblical truth and false teachings

🔹 Offers practical lessons on strengthening faith through clarity and conviction

Blessings to all who read,

Pastor Bill Kline

July 21, 2025