Monthly Archives: November 2014

Thanks-Living 7

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As we close out this series of “Thanks-Living” I find it funny that it is the seventh installment.  Seven in the Bible is the number of perfection or complete.

As I close out this series I have to ask myself, “Am I a thankful person?”  Maybe you should ask yourself that question.  Now, we both have to answer honestly.  This is the painful part of this little exercise in thankfulness.

I am afraid that if the truth be known to us we would find that we might not be as much of a thankful person as what we might want to be.  I mean truly thankful.  I don’t mean just flippantly throwing out a “Thanks” or “Thank you” on occasion.  I mean that we need to be thankful, sincerely thankful all the time.

How much would you do for someone that was not thankful?  It would not be too long and you would want to quit doing anything for them.  I know.  We need to work on being genuinely thankful and doing it all the time.  Look at Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”  I know this is hard for me as I get caught up in circumstances and I seem to lose my thankfulness.  God forgive me!

So, how are you doing?

Thanks-Living 6

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My wife was able to spend time with her side of the family on Thanksgiving afternoon.  I was glad that she did.  Her Grandfather was there and both of her sisters and their family and of course her parents.  They had a good visit together.

As they were enjoying the evening the doorbell rang.  At the door was a couple that are friends with Tara’s uncle in California.  They had come to see her Grandpa.  A little while later the doorbell rings again and nobody was again expecting anyone else.  This time it was the son of the visiting family and he brought his family along.  Yes, I realize that they people were not really “Thanksgiving Crashers” as I have portrayed them in this post; but, only Tara’s Grandpa knew them.  To the family they kind of were.  Nobody cared; but, they all had a good laugh about these strangers that came to visit.

This caused me think.  I began to think about salvation and Heaven.  There will be no strangers in Heaven.  The only people that will be in Heaven are God’s children.  The only way to be one of God’s children is to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour.  Look at His words in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Today, are you one of His sheep?  Are you living and dwelling in His pasture?  If you will trust Him today then you can do just that and be His eternally.

So, how are you doing?

Thanks-Lliving 5

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There have been times in our marriage of over twenty years that times were lean.  Most times we would tell family about it and they would come to our rescue.  God has used them many, many times to deliver us.

The other day I received a message that a friend wanted to bless us for Thanksgiving.  I knew that meant food.  I was excited.  I like to eat for sure.  So, Tuesday evening I went to pick up the food.  To my surprise there was double the amount for one family.  I knew what that meant.  It meant that we could either keep a double portion or find someone to “bless” with a feast also.

So, at 9:30 at night I drove twenty-five miles to a relative’s house who I know struggle with finances and she has children.  It worked out that my Grandmother got out of the hospital on Wednesday after having three stents put in the back side of her heart.  My Dad was staying with her after she got home from the hospital.  So, I because someone blessed my family and I we were able to bless my Grandmother, my Dad and my cousin and her family.

On my way home God spoke to my heart about a dear Pastor friend in our area that has fallen on hard times and is struggling financially and is living with their youngest child and their family.  God told me to bless them with the food that was given to us.  I talked to my wife and she immediately so yes, let’s do it.  So, Wednesday evening we met this dear Pastor and gave him the food we had been given and we even purchased a little more to go with it.

Why am I sharing this?  Please know that I do not share this so you will know how wonderful I am and what a good person I am.  Not at all!  I share this in order to help you see the truth of God’s Word.  Look at Acts 20:35, “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  I promise you this is true.  I have lived this for the past four days and I cannot describe how I feel.

So, how are you doing?

Thanks-Living 4

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Happy Thanksgiving 2014!  I thank God for you my readers.

Bible commentator Matthew Henry was robbed once.  As he gave account of what happened he said something close to, “I thank God that I am the one who was robbed and not the one doing the robbing…”  This man really knew how to give thanks.

Today is Thanksgiving 2014.  What are you thankful for?  I have learned to be more thankful.  I hope you do not think I am bragging; because, I am not.  As you walk with Jesus farther and farther down the road you learn things.  Something you learn is what is truly important and what is not important.

We often have such a hard time being thankful when things are not going the way we think.  If things are going according to what we like then things are good.  If things are not going the way we had planned then we think God is out to get us.  Look at what the Bible says in I Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  The word “in” is huge here.  I mean we are commanded to be thankful even in the midst of dark trials and tribulations.  Just like Matthew Henry I can learn to be thankful for those things like he was.  Sometimes it is hard to be thankful in the midst of trials and tribulations; but, since God commanded it then we know it can be done.  Oh; by the way, it is a command.

So, how are you doing?

Thanks-Living 3

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Well, today is the day that strikes fear in the heart of many turkeys.  This could very well be their last day on this earth and then they become the centerpiece of somebody’s Thanksgiving meal.  That makes me happy!

Tomorrow is the official Thanksgiving holiday.  Many of us will gather around the table with family.  Some will even take time to say one thing they are thankful for before starting the meal.  I like this as a tradition.  The problem is that I have such a hard time coming up with just one thing to say that I am thankful for.  I am blessed beyond measure!

I was thinking.  If a person is an atheist to who is he thankful?  I mean, really.  Are they thankful to “Mother Earth”?  This makes we want to vomit.  As a Christian we are to be thankful to God Almighty.  He is the Creator and Sustainer of life.  He is the Object of our Thanksgiving.

Look at Colossians 1:3, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,”  I am thankful to God for so many things.  Most importantly I am thankful that He love me so much that He died for my sin.

As you sit down to the Thanksgiving table tomorrow I hope you can genuinely offer Thanksgiving to God Almighty for what He has done for you.

So, how are you doing?

Thanks-Living 2

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As I sit and write this blog post it is raining very hard.  As we continue this line of thinking about Thanks-Living I can honestly say that I am thankful that this is rain and not snow.  We would be under snow like the east coast of our nation.  I cannot imagine getting six feet of snow in one day.  That just kind of blows my tiny mind.

It does not matter how bad things are we can still find something to be thankful for even in a seemingly bad situation.  A woman that was known for her positive speech was told one day that someone thought that she could even find something nice to say about the devil.  She said, “He sure is persistent.”

Being thankful is a choice that we make every moment of every day.  Some old sower people just make a choice to be that way.  We must make a choice all the time to be thankful no matter.  Look at Ephesians 1:16, “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;”  Notice Paul just simply says, “Cease not to give thanks…”  What stops you from being thankful?  Maybe you need to work on removing that obstacle and becoming a thankful person.

So, how are you doing?

Thanks-Living

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With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching I have been thinking about that very subject.  It will not be too many days and I will be standing before the men at the mission and I am looking for some nugget of truth to share with them.

I have been rolling around the idea of “Thanks-Living” and “Thanksgiving Living”.  Either idea is a good one I believe and I think they both convey about the same message really.

We have all met people that are so self-centered or self-focused that they would not say “Thank you” to anyone.  That is sad.  As I get older I try to let those around me know that I am thankful.  I especially try to let those in the public who serve us know that I am thankful for their service to me and my family.

Someone wisely said, “If you can read thank a teacher.  If you can read in English thank a soldier.”  This is especially true in this day and age.  When was the last time you thanked your trash man for picking up your stinking garbage.  Don’t give me, “He gets paid to do that.”  I try to let them know that I appreciate them picking up our nasty smelling garbage.  In return when I need to get rid of something a little outside the parameters for pick up they usually just take it.  Then I give them a little something with a “Thank you!”

Look at Romans 16:4, “Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.”  When you look at those who serve you in this light of Scripture it changes things dramatically.

So, how are you doing?

 

 

 

 

Praising God

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Today is the first day of the week, Sunday.  It is today that is set aside to go to God’s house and worship him.  Some people are outgoing in their worship for various reasons.  Other people are very introvert in their worship of God.

Let me ask you a question that my wife posed to me after hearing Dr. Charles Stanley say this last night on an older broadcast.  “Do you praise God enough to be on the front line?”

Now, before you think we have all lost our minds look at Joshua 6:3-5, “And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.  And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.”

I know you are wondering what this has to do with praising God.  Here it is.  The priests were and the singers were put in front of the infantry.  What?  Yes.  God has a plan and He operates far differently than we operate.  He sent those first that praise Him.  Then the warriors came behind them.  Again I ask, “Do you praise God enough to be on the front line?”

Worship is giving worth to someone or something.  We must worship God because He only is worthy of our worship.  I mean seriously.  Can you walk into Church and just sing halfheartedly the hymns?  We need to prepare to go to Church and be ready to meet with Almighty God and worship Him because He alone is worthy.

So, how are you doing?

On Your Mark. Get Set. Grow!

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Over my short years of ministry (20 plus now) I have been around many different kinds of people.  I love it when you show up at a house on visitation and someone shoves a beer under the couch or they try to extinguish their smoking materials.  You might hide the physical evidence; but, the smell lingers.

I understand there are instances where people are addicted to things like nicotine or alcohol.  If you never seek to get victory over these besetting sins they will just continually drag you down.

If you had a child that was five years old and still the size of a newborn would you not think something is wrong?  I would hope so.

Well, how about the Christian life?  If you are a Christian and have been for a number of years and you still are not getting victory over besetting sins maybe you need to make some changes in your own life.  You cannot expect to grow spiritually if you are still enslaved to sin.  It just will not work.

It is time to want to grow more spiritually than to satisfy the flesh.  Look at Hebrews 5:11, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.”  A big reason we do not grow spiritually is because we are “dull of hearing.  The word “dull” means sluggish or lazy.  There are too many sluggish or lazy Christians in the Church.  It is high time we wake up and get going for the cause of Christ!

So, how are you doing?

Welded

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I was noticing the other day on social media that far too many of my friends were getting remarried or have split up and were in new relationships.  This is sad to me.  What happened to the day when marriage was for life?  I don’t mean that we decide that the life of the marriage is over.

People no longer see marriage as a sacred vow before God.  It has become nearly useless in the minds of the post Christian era that we live in today.  Look at the words of Scripture in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  The word “cleave” means literally to weld together.  That is a bond that is not easily broken.

Again, Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24 in Matthew 19:5, “And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”  We are to leave our parents and begin to live on our own and take care of our mate.  We are to be welded together into one flesh.  We are to voluntarily give ourselves to the other and we thus become one.

Few things in this world last forever.  The soul of man is one that will live on forever and ever somewhere.  You and I need to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ and cleave to Him.  When we trust Him as Saviour we are “welded”; if you will, to Him and nobody can take us from Him.  Put your faith and trust in Him today.

So, how are you doing?