How to Make a Fresh Start
How many of us would like to have a fresh start in our Christian life? Many of us have made many mistakes in our lives as Christians. We have experienced many setbacks and failures throughout our lives. Sometimes we allow these mistakes, these setbacks and failures to enslave us to the point that we never enjoy the full Christian life that God has given us to enjoy.
In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they (Believers) may have life, and have it to the full.” Then he goes on to tell us that there is an adversary, called the Devil, that seeks to “steal, kill and destroy” that life. The Devil will remind us of our past in order to keep us from enjoying the life that God gave us to live. The Devil does not want us to have a fresh start in life.
The good news is, God says, “I want you to have a fresh start in life, I want you to have a new beginning, I want to do something new and exciting in your life.” Maybe in the past we’ve said, “I am going to grow in my relationship with God. I am going to pray more, read my Bible more and get more involved in my church. I’m going to spend more quality time with my family. ” The list could go on. The fact is all of us have made some mistakes or we made some bad decision that hindered us from doing those things that wanted to do.
Well the good news is according to Psalm103:12, the Lord “has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Forget about what’s happened before. He says don’t think about the past. It’s over. We need to understand that God is far more interested in our future than He is in our past. So it’s not to late to “start over”.
Maybe that is where you are right now! You feel that you have made so many mistakes, you have failed God so many times and you have sinned it all away. Now God doesn’t want anything to do with you. You feel and believe that you have no future with God. The good news is, God is saying, “ It’s not over, I have plans for your life. I am about to do something new for you. ”
Let’s look at a formula for starting over. S.T.A.R.T. Hopefully, we will remember this and pass it along to friends when they have failures. We or someone we know may have really blown it and maybe made some decisions really regret. Regardless of the failure we’ve had in our life, here’s how we can start over.
S – Stop making excuses.
If we want a fresh start in life, we have to stop making excuses for our failures. We’ve got to stop blaming other people. We’ve got to stop seeing ourselves as the victim of “our” circumstances.
Other people can hurt us, other people can harm us, and other people can scar us. But the only person that can ruin our lives is us. Nobody can ruin our lives without our permission. We have a choice and can choose how we’re going to respond to those hurts. It is hard to get people to admit when they are wrong. People do not like to admit, “I made a mistake, and I blew it.” The Bible says that the starting point is to just be honest and accept responsibility for our part in the problem.
“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
T - Take An Inventory Of Our Lives
We need to take an inventory of our lives. That means we need to evaluate all our experiences. We need to look at what we have left after the failure. We need to take an inventory of our life’s experiences and learn from them.
"Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?" Galatians 3:4
Learn from our mistakes. Failure can be our friend or our foe. We determine if failure will be our friend or foe by the way we react to it. We can choose to learn from it or choose to repeat it. If we learn from it then it can be our friend. However, if we don’t learn from it is our foe.
There are four kinds of experiences that God uses to shape our lives.
• He uses personal experiences. The family that you grew up in, the people you relate to. God can use your personal experience with your husband or your wife. He uses personal experiences to shape you.
• He uses vocational and educational experiences to shape you.
• He uses spiritual experiences to shape us, like coming to church, going on a retreat or reading our Bibles, having a quiet time.
• He uses painful experiences to shape us
As we take inventory of our lives in starting over, we need to ask - what have I learned? There are people 40, 50 years old but they don’t have 40 or 50 years of experience. They’ve had the same year of experience over and over. They’ve never learned anything. We need to learn from our failures.
A - Act in faith
We have to launch out into new territory. In other words “get out of the boat”. The Bible says that the key to changing anything is faith. If we want to change our circumstance, it takes faith. If we want to change our personality, it takes faith. If we want to change anything in our life, we have to have some faith.
Jesus says this in Matthew 9. ““Because of your faith, it will happen.” That is a very simple statement but it’s very powerful.
What are we expecting in life? Are things going to be better or worse? Are they going to be the same? If we act in faith then we will do something positive to ensure that we don’t repeat the same mistakes over.
To start acting in faith means we’ve got to stop having a pity party. We’ve got to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. “Poor me! I’m such a victim. Life is unfair.” Of course life is unfair! Whoever said it was fair? Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” (John 16:33) This world is filled with sin and because of that, life is unfair. But we have to go on with life anyway.
Stop worrying about what others say or think. Proverbs 29:25 says " Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.”
R - Refocus
We need to refocus our thoughts if we want to change our lives. If we want to get going again, if we want a fresh start, we need to rework the way that we think. We probably need to change our minds about a number of issues. Paul tells us to “…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:2) and “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)
The way we think determines the way we feel. And the way we feel determines the way we act. If we want to change our actions, just change the way we think and it will eventually change the way we act. If we are depressed, discouraged and distressed it may be because we’re thinking depressed, discouraged and distressing thoughts. That’s our choice. We don’t have to think those thoughts. If we’re acting in fearful, worried ways it’s because we’re thinking fearful, worried thoughts.
If we have to refocus our thoughts to start over to get a fresh start, that means we have to stop thinking some old patterns. Which memories are we still rehearsing that keep us from having a fresh start in life? The Bible says let go. Let go of those things. The more we hold on to that memory, the more we rehearse it, it continues to hurt us today. We have to change our mind and let go and get rid of those painful, hurtful memories of shame and guilt and other things. Of course, there are some memories that will not go away but we need to avoid focusing on these. Some are just painful and some are guilty memories and Satan will keep bringing those to our mind if we let him.
T – Trust
Trust God to help us succeed. Depend on Him. We don’t need depend on ourselves. We’ve already proven that we can’t do it on our own. That’s why we’ve failed. Some people just don’t get it. They stumble and fall and then they get up and say, “I’ll just try harder!” It’s like you go up to a wall and bang your head against it and the wall doesn’t fall down. You try it again and Bang! Again. You keep doing it thinking, “Maybe it will fall over this time.” That’s the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting different results. If we keep doing the same thing then we will keep getting the same result. We can’t change who we are, only God can do that. I am not speaking about the outward man but the inner man. The real person is the hidden person of the heart. The writer of Proverbs says “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Success in the Christian life is not trying harder, but living smarter. Giving God control of our lives! “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD” (Zechariah 4:6 )
When someone becomes a Christian, They become a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! God specializes in new beginnings. Jesus Christ has the power to do that. But we have to:
Stop making excuses
Take an inventory of our life
Act in faith
Refocus our thoughts
Trust God
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Where was God on “that” Friday?
Where was God on Friday, when innocent little children were slaughtered like animals? Where was God when evil was seemingly allowed to run free on a wild rampage? He was present. No, He was VERY present. He was in the classroom. Yes, I know there are all kinds are comments, FB posts and such where God says "y’all won’t allow me in schools anymore". I understand the argument that we booted God out, but we actually don't have the authority to tell God where He can and can't be!
He was there! And He gathered those kids up in His sheltering arms, like a hen gathers chicks under her wing. I know this because Jesus said “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” (Matthew 19:14) And He who wept at the grave of Lazarus has a heart for all His children, and none more than little children. They are safe with Jesus!
The Bible says there's one thing that gets God's fullest attention more than anything else, and that is innocent blood which cries out to Him. Where is God in such tragedy? Very present! He is all over that kind of situation, giving a dying grace which you and I have not experienced only because we've not yet needed it. God is love, and in His character we know He is there where He is needed most.
And these kids which looked forward to their Christmas party next week awoke together, not in a better place, but the BEST place, and what a class party it was and continues to be...and we, the saved, will one day join in the festivities which will last for all eternity!
“Where was God?” …
1. The same place He was when Adam rebelled in Eden – He was present, and waiting to cover his sin. (Gen 3)
Where was God when man first raised his ugly head of defiance and rebellion? Was He really present? Couldn’t He have stopped it before it began? Oh, it is not a matter of whether or not He could have. It is a matter of His design for humanity and His plan of redemption. He designed us with a freedom of choice - freewill. In His sovereign foreknowledge He made provision before the world was ever created for man’s redemption; knowing full well that man would make disastrous choices from the beginning. When Adam and Eve finally “fessed-up”, He was there with a covering for their nakedness and shame; exacting the ultimate punishment on an innocent victim to cover man’s sin. But, He was there!
“Where was God?” …
2. The same place He was when Noah built an ark – very present, and protecting him from disaster. (Gen 6-9)
Sadly, man’s rebellion did not end with Adam and Eve. Sin brought a curse to the earth and bad things happen, not because of God, but because of man's sin against God! Adam's sons, and their son’s sons for every generation followed in their rebellious path. Until such time that the wickedness of man filled the whole earth and its stench rose as an offence to the Holiness of God. Yet in the midst of such ungodliness, “But Noah found favor with the LORD.” (Gen 6:8). Here was a man, not a perfect, but a righteous man, who faithfully proclaimed the righteousness of God. (2 Pet 2) And when God, grieved by man’s wicked rebellion, determined to wipe man from the face of the earth, He furthermore determined to spare Noah and his family, and from their stock re-populate planet earth. So in mankind’s greatest natural disaster, God was on His throne protecting His own.
“Where was God?” …
3. The same place He was when Joseph was rotting in jail – ever present, accomplishing His perfect will for higher purposes than man can discern ahead of time. (Gen 37-50)
If ever anyone was misunderstood and ill treated, it was Joseph. If ever anyone suffered wrongly, it was Joseph. Yet with all his hardships, problems and abuse, Joseph was able to honestly say, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. (Genesis 50:20) This was certainly true in the case of his brothers selling him into slavery, Mrs. Potiphar falsely accusing him of attempted rape, and the lapse of memory of his Butler friend. Yet each step of the way, God was able to take Joseph’s trying circumstance and mold him ever more closely into the man he would one day become. He was there all the time, but Joseph must have wondered at times where God was, in the end all knew well He was there all the time.
“Where was God?” …
4. The same place He was when Job lost his children and everything he had {except a nagging wife} – present, and proving Himself to be God despite unfortunate circumstances. (Job 1-2)
Again we see a man, a good man, a godly man standing for what is right and hating what is wrong. Did being “blameless and upright” immune Job from problems, or even disaster? Of course not! There were evil men in his day, too, who were willing to kill and steal to get what they wanted. And, he became the special target of Satanic fury, and remember that Satan is the Destroyer who seeks to kill above all else, not discriminating between the innocent little children and the guilty man whose heart the devil likely possessed. God does not cause such tragedies, but sometimes removes His restraining hand and allows mankind to see that the wages of sin is death.
Job lost everything of value; even his precious children. Where was God? Had He turned His back on Job? Would Job return the favor by turning his back on God? No! and NO! God had not deserted Job. And Job would not curse God, even though he was urged to do so. Where was God when Job was losing all? Where was He when Job’s children were killed? Where was He when Job’s flesh was wracked with pain? Job maintained his integrity and recognized that it was God’s sovereign prerogative to give and take, and it was his duty to “Bless the name of the Lord.” And in the end God was there giving him double of all he had lost!
“Where was God?” … We could go on and on and tell of many more experiences especially the treatment of the Apostles who, with the exception John, lost their lives as a result of bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
But maybe the greatest insight into the heart of God when a tragedy strikes such as this week is to respond in this way to the question…
“Where was God?” …
The same place He was on another Friday when His own son's innocent life was being taken from Him. Very present – Jesus was God in the flesh, enduring the pain for the benefit of others. (Matt 27) And even the Father didn't flee the scene, but simply turned His back in those final moments when the sin of the world was placed upon His Son. Even Jesus felt forsaken, and asked God why His presence wasn't felt. But God was present, but allowed sin to run its course, and that is always a most ugly scene!
We really can’t even imagine what Jesus went through. Not just the thorns on His brow. Not just the lashes on His back. Not just the bruises from the beatings. Not just the insult of being spit on. Not just the nails in His hands and feet. Not just the spear piercing His side. All of this, yes; plus the weight of the sins of the world pressing down on His shoulders.
Where was God when His one and only Son hung dying on the cross? Didn’t He know? Were the mockers right? Shouldn't Jesus have been able to come down from that cross? Couldn’t the Father have prevented it? Was He helpless? Was He not aware? Didn’t He care? Of course He knew! Of course He could have prevented it! Of course He could have stopped it! Of course He wasn’t helpless! Of course He was aware! And, Of course He cared! The Father knew it was happening, could have stopped it, … but He didn’t. For this we are glad!
He had a larger picture in view. There was a greater good to be accomplished by the suffering and death of Jesus. Through the suffering of One, many would be made whole. Through the sacrifice of One, many would have their sins forgiven. Through the death of One, many would be made alive.
He wasn’t just sitting idle and helpless as His Son suffered. He was using the schemes of wicked, evil hearts to bring about the redemption of mankind. He reminds us that … ““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” … “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8-9)
God was not surprised on that Friday in Connecticut
But He was saddened by it.
God did not cause this tragedy,
But He does comfort those affected by it.
God may not prevent future acts like this,
But He will provide peace to those whose hearts are filled with hatred if they will turn to Him.
Let us pray that America responds to this wake up call, that it will be used mightily for God's purposes of good, that we will return to Him, and that multitudes will come to Jesus like a little child in faith, and hop up into His lap, and let Him fill their hearts. Let us pray against the way Satan wants to use this. Already the devil is causing us to suddenly not feel so guilty about the sins in our own lives, because, by comparison, we're nothing like this evil maniac. The world says, Hey, I shouldn't feel so guilty about my drinking, adulterating, cheating, and such. I'm not like THAT guy. I'm a good person! Even Christians are prone to try to make ourselves feel better about our own wickedness by comparing ourselves to others. "Hey, I'm no child killer!"
No, we're all evil. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) God doesn't differentiate between big sins and little sins. We are all capable of great wickedness, and we prove it every day when we choose to do wrong...we prove ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior.
Judgment must begin in the house of God. The God who said, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14) reminds us today that it begins in our homes and our church. The fix isn't found in simply posting guards in our schools or throwing more money at educating minds more. Wicked sin is in the heart, and hearts must be changed. No metal detector can change the evil human heart.
I like what author Max Lucado wrote about the tragedy:
Dear Jesus,
It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately. These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated. The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?
Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.
Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene. Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger. This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Rediscover A Thrill of Hope at Christmas
Rediscover A Thrill of Hope at Christmas
Does Christmas thrill you?
Children get excited at the coming of the season, and often we might feel a bit of a charge through experiencing their amazement, but the chores we go through to provide that for them are often the very things that rob us from knowing the wonder for ourselves. Plan the party, decorate the tree, max out the credit card, wrap stuff, mail stuff, take a trip. And that’s assuming we aren’t one of the multitudes who find themselves with a case of the Holiday Blues.
Christ’s coming into this world offers hope, and hope provides a thrill, how do we locate this experience amid the distraction and disillusionment of December?
Well that’s the cool thing about Hope. Just as total darkness can’t hold back the light of a tiny flame, so does even the smallest increment of Hope provide joy and purpose.
Here are some scriptures on this subject:
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1).
Notice the parallel between “what we hope for” and “things we cannot see.” Talk about a paradox ( a statement that seems contradictory or that does not make common sense) ; try applying “assurance” to something your five senses can’t detect. It’s a challenge. The plus side is that hope, through Christ, is available to you no matter what you see, hear, or feel. It’s above your circumstances.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:3-5).
Do you ever hear people say, “I don’t want to get my hopes up” because they’re afraid of being disappointed? What would you make of Paul’s claim that “hope will not lead to disappointment”? Might it have something to do with what we’re hoping for or expecting? Max Lucado thinks so:
“Hope is not what you’d expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I’m dreaming ending… Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction.”
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Ever wonder why faith, hope, and love are the greatest virtues?
Maybe hope isn’t actually something we do, but something we receive, like grace. If it’s true that “..it is impossible to please God without faith” (Hebrews 11:6), perhaps it’s conversely true that without Hope it would be impossible for Him to please us. The same verse says that “that he rewards those who sincerely seek him”. Is hope that reward?
If faith is what we give to God, and hope is what He gives to us, then we have the ingredients of a powerful relationship. With that in place, we can love. So love is built on hope, which is built on faith.
For hope to exist, unfortunately it looks like there has to be hopelessness first. A perfect world wouldn’t have any need of hope. Deliverance arrives undeservedly and perhaps unexpectedly, just as in the unlikely way God came to earth to provide a once-and-for-all substitute for the sins of all men on the first Christmas. That’s why things can look bleak, but that’s where hope lives.
The good news is: you simply can’t hope big enough, which goes back to the idea of our minds and senses being inadequate to judge God’s design and methods, and hope being more a function of God’s involvement than our desires. God says in Isaiah 55:8-9: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” ….. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
We readily acknowledge that we could not have conceived of the plan of salvation or the virgin birth. We couldn’t have imagined the plan for the walls of Jericho to crumble, for hungry lions to turn into Daniel’s pet kittens, or the Red Sea to part and offer up dry land. So neither do we know how our problems will be solved, or what miracles we’ll be blessed to see this Christmas.
The scripture in Isaiah 9:6-7, is concerning the hope of the prophecy being fulfilled that brought us a “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The last sentence of verse seven says that “The passionate commitment of the LORD” will accomplish this. God is excited! He’s zealous, enthusiastic, passionate, even obsessive, to bring us this hope!
Romans 15:13 should be our Christmas prayer: “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Why is there hope? Because Jesus was born! O holy night.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:8-11)
And He still lives today. “…for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” (Romans 8:34)
Monday, December 10, 2012
Love Divine
Love Divine
(So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. John 1:14)
What does Christmas mean to a mother who has lost her husband, who must take care of 3 or 4 children, working every day, never quite getting everything done, never making ends meet? What does Christmas mean to her?
What does Christmas mean to the little man in Zimbabwe, 80 years old, living in a hut, who knows nothing of shopping malls or Christmas trees? What does Christmas mean to him?
What does it mean to little children with smudges on their cheeks, & sparkling eyes that look up as you walk past? What does Christmas mean to them?
What does it mean to missionaries who are half a world away from families & friends, who are sacrificing so much to take the precious gospel message to others who have never heard? What does it mean to them?
There is one thing we can be sure of: it means different things to different people.
To merchants it is the busiest time of the year. Stores stay open longer, & hire extra people to accommodate all the shoppers. It means more profit, hopefully enough profit to see them through lean times ahead.
For some employees it means a Christmas bonus, a little more money in their pockets to do things that they want to do.
For many teen-agers & adults it is a time of fun & parties. For children it is a time of impatience, with time seeming to pass so slowly, as they wait for Christmas morning.
But sometimes there is a feeling that we are like the folks who decided to throw a party to honor a very special friend. They sent out invitations, decorated the hall, & had the food catered. All the people came together at the designated time, but to their surprise, the guest of honor was not there.
Finally, they made the embarrassing discovery that no one had ever invited the guest of honor.
Do you suppose this may happens at Christmas time? Do we go through all the decorating, & buying presents, & preparing elaborate meals, but somehow forget whose birthday it really is?
One family tried to overcome that by putting an extra place at their Christmas table for Jesus, & calling Christmas, "His birthday party." When one of their daughters was asked if she got everything she wanted for Christmas, she answered by saying, "No, but then it’s not my birthday."
It isn’t our birthday, is it? It’s the Lord’s birthday & it’s a time to remember His birth & what it is supposed to mean to us.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:8-14)
The fact that God made the announcement to shepherds helps us to understand the real meaning of Christmas. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," (John 3:16) & He chose to announce that to shepherds first of all.
Shepherds were at the opposite end of the social structure from King Herod & all the influential people of the day. They lived in the fields with their animals. They weren’t respected. They had no power or prestige. Yet, God’s angel came to them & said, " The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" Unto shepherds a Savior was born.
In that one simple announcement God made known some very important truths.
First of all, it tells us, "No matter how insignificant we may think we are, God knows us, & we are important to Him."
All throughout scripture we see God honoring & using people & things that the world often overlooks or ignores.
The Apostle Paul writes, "26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the word things counted as nothing at all,..." (1 Cor. 1:26-28a).
A Jewish youth was sold into slavery by his brothers & carted off to Egypt. Yet, when God wanted to deliver a very special message to mighty Pharaoh, it was the slave, Joseph, who was brought out of the dungeon to interpret the message. God uses the lowly & despised to show His power.
Five thousand men, plus women & children, stayed late on a hillside one day, listening to Jesus. There was no food & the people were hungry. Well, that is not totally accurate. There was one little boy who had 2 fish & 5 little loaves. But it was enough, because God took that small amount & fed the many. He is always doing that, isn’t He?
So when God decided to select a mother for His Son, He went past the fashion salons & beauty parlors. He went past the furs & diamonds & gold, & went to an insignificant village called Nazareth. He found a peasant girl. She did not dress in designer clothes. She did not have a sophisticated education. But she was pure, & God selected her to be the mother of His only begotten Son.
So when the Christ comes, He is not born in Mt. Sinai Hospital in Jerusalem, surrounded by gynecologists, nurses & assistants. But rather, He is born in a stable. He is wrapped in swaddling clothes & laid in a manger.
The world looks down its nose & says, "That’s foolishness." But Paul says, "25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)
When God makes His announcement, it is delivered to shepherds. It is like Jesus saying in the Sermon on the mount, "If God cares about sparrows & lilies, then He cares about you." (Matthew 6:25-30) If God cares about shepherds, He cares about you!
We need to hear that, don’t we? Children 12 & 13 years old need to hear that in orphanages when they see younger children being adopted & realize that they probably never will be adopted. They need to hear that.
Mothers of children without a husband to help need to hear that. Lost souls on skid row who drink away their fears need to hear that. People who are lonely need to hear that. People who have lost their spouses in death need to hear that. Church people who feel useless & empty need to hear that.
We all need to hear that. All of us have known feelings of rejection. All of us have known feelings of being left out. Christmas comes. The light shines, & God says, "No! You’re wrong. I made the announcement to shepherds, & I make it to you. Unto you a Savior is born."
The second thing this passage teaches us is that life matters. Not only to us, but our life counts with God.
Can you imagine those shepherds sitting around their campfire on cold nights & wondering if life was really worthwhile or not. "What difference does it make if we watch the sheep or not?"
Maybe we wonder, too, "What difference does it make if I get up every morning or not? It seems as if my life is an endless cycle of things that really don’t mean anything. I just wonder if life is worth living at all?"
When God comes & makes His announcement to shepherds, He is also saying to us, "Your life is worthwhile. It is My gift to you. Therefore live every golden moment of it, because your life does matter to Me."
Every life matters. We should know that. It’s impossible to live, even for a few moments on this earth, & not influence somebody in one way or another. We are always influencing someone, either for good or for bad.
Life counts. Life matters. Your life & mine. Lives of shepherds & lives of kings, all are important to God.
Finally, this. our faith matters, too. Shepherds were men of faith. They probably had more faith than some of the scribes & Pharisees who went to the synagogue every day.
They believed in a Messiah. All of God’s chosen people believed in a Messiah. When things got especially hard, during times of poverty & enslavement & exile, they would think about the Messiah & God’s promise that one day the Messiah would come.
They prayed over & over again for hundreds of years that the promised Messiah would come.
There must have been many who quit praying, & quit having faith. But when the announcement came to shepherds, God was saying, "Your faith matters, & it is not in vain. I am a God who hears & who keeps His promises. Now the Messiah has come, & I have kept My promise."
How about us? Sometimes we become weary. There may be times when we wonder if it is worthwhile going to church. There are times when we wonder if it is worth sacrificing for God.
But one day He will come back. He will come for all of us, shepherds & kings, wise men & peasants. He will come for His people. He’ll dry our tears & take away our pain. There will be no more death, no more good-byes. Then we’ll say, "It was worth it. It was worth it all!"
(So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. John 1:14)
What does Christmas mean to a mother who has lost her husband, who must take care of 3 or 4 children, working every day, never quite getting everything done, never making ends meet? What does Christmas mean to her?
What does Christmas mean to the little man in Zimbabwe, 80 years old, living in a hut, who knows nothing of shopping malls or Christmas trees? What does Christmas mean to him?
What does it mean to little children with smudges on their cheeks, & sparkling eyes that look up as you walk past? What does Christmas mean to them?
What does it mean to missionaries who are half a world away from families & friends, who are sacrificing so much to take the precious gospel message to others who have never heard? What does it mean to them?
There is one thing we can be sure of: it means different things to different people.
To merchants it is the busiest time of the year. Stores stay open longer, & hire extra people to accommodate all the shoppers. It means more profit, hopefully enough profit to see them through lean times ahead.
For some employees it means a Christmas bonus, a little more money in their pockets to do things that they want to do.
For many teen-agers & adults it is a time of fun & parties. For children it is a time of impatience, with time seeming to pass so slowly, as they wait for Christmas morning.
But sometimes there is a feeling that we are like the folks who decided to throw a party to honor a very special friend. They sent out invitations, decorated the hall, & had the food catered. All the people came together at the designated time, but to their surprise, the guest of honor was not there.
Finally, they made the embarrassing discovery that no one had ever invited the guest of honor.
Do you suppose this may happens at Christmas time? Do we go through all the decorating, & buying presents, & preparing elaborate meals, but somehow forget whose birthday it really is?
One family tried to overcome that by putting an extra place at their Christmas table for Jesus, & calling Christmas, "His birthday party." When one of their daughters was asked if she got everything she wanted for Christmas, she answered by saying, "No, but then it’s not my birthday."
It isn’t our birthday, is it? It’s the Lord’s birthday & it’s a time to remember His birth & what it is supposed to mean to us.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:8-14)
The fact that God made the announcement to shepherds helps us to understand the real meaning of Christmas. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," (John 3:16) & He chose to announce that to shepherds first of all.
Shepherds were at the opposite end of the social structure from King Herod & all the influential people of the day. They lived in the fields with their animals. They weren’t respected. They had no power or prestige. Yet, God’s angel came to them & said, " The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" Unto shepherds a Savior was born.
In that one simple announcement God made known some very important truths.
First of all, it tells us, "No matter how insignificant we may think we are, God knows us, & we are important to Him."
All throughout scripture we see God honoring & using people & things that the world often overlooks or ignores.
The Apostle Paul writes, "26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the word things counted as nothing at all,..." (1 Cor. 1:26-28a).
A Jewish youth was sold into slavery by his brothers & carted off to Egypt. Yet, when God wanted to deliver a very special message to mighty Pharaoh, it was the slave, Joseph, who was brought out of the dungeon to interpret the message. God uses the lowly & despised to show His power.
Five thousand men, plus women & children, stayed late on a hillside one day, listening to Jesus. There was no food & the people were hungry. Well, that is not totally accurate. There was one little boy who had 2 fish & 5 little loaves. But it was enough, because God took that small amount & fed the many. He is always doing that, isn’t He?
So when God decided to select a mother for His Son, He went past the fashion salons & beauty parlors. He went past the furs & diamonds & gold, & went to an insignificant village called Nazareth. He found a peasant girl. She did not dress in designer clothes. She did not have a sophisticated education. But she was pure, & God selected her to be the mother of His only begotten Son.
So when the Christ comes, He is not born in Mt. Sinai Hospital in Jerusalem, surrounded by gynecologists, nurses & assistants. But rather, He is born in a stable. He is wrapped in swaddling clothes & laid in a manger.
The world looks down its nose & says, "That’s foolishness." But Paul says, "25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)
When God makes His announcement, it is delivered to shepherds. It is like Jesus saying in the Sermon on the mount, "If God cares about sparrows & lilies, then He cares about you." (Matthew 6:25-30) If God cares about shepherds, He cares about you!
We need to hear that, don’t we? Children 12 & 13 years old need to hear that in orphanages when they see younger children being adopted & realize that they probably never will be adopted. They need to hear that.
Mothers of children without a husband to help need to hear that. Lost souls on skid row who drink away their fears need to hear that. People who are lonely need to hear that. People who have lost their spouses in death need to hear that. Church people who feel useless & empty need to hear that.
We all need to hear that. All of us have known feelings of rejection. All of us have known feelings of being left out. Christmas comes. The light shines, & God says, "No! You’re wrong. I made the announcement to shepherds, & I make it to you. Unto you a Savior is born."
The second thing this passage teaches us is that life matters. Not only to us, but our life counts with God.
Can you imagine those shepherds sitting around their campfire on cold nights & wondering if life was really worthwhile or not. "What difference does it make if we watch the sheep or not?"
Maybe we wonder, too, "What difference does it make if I get up every morning or not? It seems as if my life is an endless cycle of things that really don’t mean anything. I just wonder if life is worth living at all?"
When God comes & makes His announcement to shepherds, He is also saying to us, "Your life is worthwhile. It is My gift to you. Therefore live every golden moment of it, because your life does matter to Me."
Every life matters. We should know that. It’s impossible to live, even for a few moments on this earth, & not influence somebody in one way or another. We are always influencing someone, either for good or for bad.
Life counts. Life matters. Your life & mine. Lives of shepherds & lives of kings, all are important to God.
Finally, this. our faith matters, too. Shepherds were men of faith. They probably had more faith than some of the scribes & Pharisees who went to the synagogue every day.
They believed in a Messiah. All of God’s chosen people believed in a Messiah. When things got especially hard, during times of poverty & enslavement & exile, they would think about the Messiah & God’s promise that one day the Messiah would come.
They prayed over & over again for hundreds of years that the promised Messiah would come.
There must have been many who quit praying, & quit having faith. But when the announcement came to shepherds, God was saying, "Your faith matters, & it is not in vain. I am a God who hears & who keeps His promises. Now the Messiah has come, & I have kept My promise."
How about us? Sometimes we become weary. There may be times when we wonder if it is worthwhile going to church. There are times when we wonder if it is worth sacrificing for God.
But one day He will come back. He will come for all of us, shepherds & kings, wise men & peasants. He will come for His people. He’ll dry our tears & take away our pain. There will be no more death, no more good-byes. Then we’ll say, "It was worth it. It was worth it all!"
Monday, December 3, 2012
The Decision to Return to God
The Decision to Return to God
Do you feel trapped by a bad habit or tormented by guilt? Repentance is the key to finding freedom and joy again. We all probably know the story of David and Bathsheba, which is found in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25.
A. What attitudes masquerade as repentance?
Someone may pray, “Lord, I really regret getting caught. Now, everyone knows about my wrongdoing.” Or, “God, I’m really sorry I sinned. I certainly hope I can do better next time.” These types of responses are usually prompted by guilt or embarrassment rather than a heartfelt sense of remorse. They include no commitment to responding differently to the temptation in the future, and no admission that our choice to rebel against the Lord is harmful to us and others. Believers talk to God this way when we simply want to escape the conviction of the Holy Spirit or feel better about ourselves. That’s why a “confession” like the ones above is not genuine repentance.
God want s us to have real “sorrow” about our sinning. “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. (2 cor. 7:10)
B. What does genuine repentance involve?
1. We must confess.
Christians shouldn’t just say, “Lord, I’m sorry for my mistake.” Rather, they should acknowledge, “Lord, I have sinned against You.”
Physical symptoms can accompany unconfessed sin. David writes”When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.” (Ps. 32:3-4)
But look what the Bible says if we admit our transgressions and forsake them? “….. if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” (Prov. 28:13)
James says “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16. Note: Given its context, this verse most likely refers to spiritual healing in which a particular sin no longer holds us in its grip.
2. We must acknowledge that any transgression is primarily against God.
Although others may be hurt by our sin, believers should recognize that our greatest offense is against the Lord.
After David was confronted about his sin by the prophet Nathan, he composed Psalm 51. Look what he writes in Psalm 51:4: “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.”
This doesn’t mean that David failed to recognize the wrong he had done against Uriah and Bathsheba. However, he realized that his sin was chiefly against the Lord.
3. We must take full responsibility for sin.
Anytime we try to blame someone else for our wrongdoing, repentance is incomplete. Ultimately, each individual involved in a sin has made a decision to rebel against God. David didn’t rationalize, “Lord, I wasn’t the only one involved. You know it takes two. She should have been more careful. I am only human.”
King David’s immediate response when confronted with the specifics of his sin and God’s judgment was not making excuse. He didn’t even mention Bathsheba. Instead he said to Nathan: “I have sinned against the LORD.” (2 Sam. 12:13) David accepted full responsibility for his sins.
Do most people tend to pass the blame to others, or do they typically own up to their sin?
4. Repentance involves total honesty with God.
The Lord wants us to be honest about our sin, weaknesses, and frustrations. Truthfulness promotes fellowship. As long as we are open with Him, He can continue to work with us.
Trouble starts when believers make excuses: “Now, Lord, I just made a mistake. After all, everybody has faults. Nobody is perfect.” Responding like this avoids the real issue. It is therefore dishonest. Those who constantly deny their guilt will not mature spiritually or find freedom from sin.
The Lord appreciates “… a broken and repentant heart” (Ps. 51:17)
David wrote that God desires honesty even from the time we are in the womb. (Ps. 51:6). In other words, we need to be totally honest with ourselves and the Lord. Are we usually able to do this regarding our sin and weaknesses?
C. What happens when we delay our repentance?
After David committed many sins in his relationship with Bathsheba including having her husband killed, he didn’t confess it immediately or even of his own accord. He didn’t confess until he was confronted by Nathan. (see 2 Sam 12:1-6)?
Whether we like it or not the Bible teaches that the Lord disciplines those who are disobedient. Even though David admitted his sin: “I have sinned against the LORD.” (2 Samuel 12:13), Nathan told him “….the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the LORD by doing this, your child will die.” (2 Samuel 12:14) This is really harsh but often sin has consequences. In fact, even though David was forgiven he had troubles throughout the rest of his reign as king of Israel!
David’s failure to repent sooner increased the severity of the penalty for his rebellion. But if we deal with our sin genuinely, openly, and immediately, God often lessens the harshness of His chastisement. Why is that? Because if He sees that we have plans to obey next time, stern correction is usually not needed.
The longer we put off repentance, the greater God’s discipline. Those who are wise will repent quickly.
We need to always examine our selves and see if the is Lord prompting us to repent of a particular sin? And DO IT!
Closing: False confession keeps us trapped in guilt and sin. Genuine repentance allows us to experience renewed fellowship with the Lord. When God convicts us of wrongdoing, we must honestly admit our sin and turn away from it. We won’t regret it.
FACE TO FACE
I had walked life’s way with an easy tread,
I had traveled where pleasures and comfort led,
Until one day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.
With station and rank and wealth for my goal,
Much thought for my body but none for my soul,
I had entered to win this life’s mad race,
When I met the Master face to face.
I had built my castles and reared them high,
Till the towers had pierced the blue of the sky,
I had sworn to rule with an iron mace,
When I met the Master face to face.
I met Him and I knew Him and I blushed to see,
That His eyes full of sorrow were fixed on me.
I faulted and fell at His feet that day,
While my castles melted and vanished away,
Melted and vanished and in their place
Nothing else could I see but my Master’s face.
My thoughts were not for the souls of men,
I have lost my life-to find it again,
Since that day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.
Do you feel trapped by a bad habit or tormented by guilt? Repentance is the key to finding freedom and joy again. We all probably know the story of David and Bathsheba, which is found in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25.
A. What attitudes masquerade as repentance?
Someone may pray, “Lord, I really regret getting caught. Now, everyone knows about my wrongdoing.” Or, “God, I’m really sorry I sinned. I certainly hope I can do better next time.” These types of responses are usually prompted by guilt or embarrassment rather than a heartfelt sense of remorse. They include no commitment to responding differently to the temptation in the future, and no admission that our choice to rebel against the Lord is harmful to us and others. Believers talk to God this way when we simply want to escape the conviction of the Holy Spirit or feel better about ourselves. That’s why a “confession” like the ones above is not genuine repentance.
God want s us to have real “sorrow” about our sinning. “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. (2 cor. 7:10)
B. What does genuine repentance involve?
1. We must confess.
Christians shouldn’t just say, “Lord, I’m sorry for my mistake.” Rather, they should acknowledge, “Lord, I have sinned against You.”
Physical symptoms can accompany unconfessed sin. David writes”When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.” (Ps. 32:3-4)
But look what the Bible says if we admit our transgressions and forsake them? “….. if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” (Prov. 28:13)
James says “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16. Note: Given its context, this verse most likely refers to spiritual healing in which a particular sin no longer holds us in its grip.
2. We must acknowledge that any transgression is primarily against God.
Although others may be hurt by our sin, believers should recognize that our greatest offense is against the Lord.
After David was confronted about his sin by the prophet Nathan, he composed Psalm 51. Look what he writes in Psalm 51:4: “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.”
This doesn’t mean that David failed to recognize the wrong he had done against Uriah and Bathsheba. However, he realized that his sin was chiefly against the Lord.
3. We must take full responsibility for sin.
Anytime we try to blame someone else for our wrongdoing, repentance is incomplete. Ultimately, each individual involved in a sin has made a decision to rebel against God. David didn’t rationalize, “Lord, I wasn’t the only one involved. You know it takes two. She should have been more careful. I am only human.”
King David’s immediate response when confronted with the specifics of his sin and God’s judgment was not making excuse. He didn’t even mention Bathsheba. Instead he said to Nathan: “I have sinned against the LORD.” (2 Sam. 12:13) David accepted full responsibility for his sins.
Do most people tend to pass the blame to others, or do they typically own up to their sin?
4. Repentance involves total honesty with God.
The Lord wants us to be honest about our sin, weaknesses, and frustrations. Truthfulness promotes fellowship. As long as we are open with Him, He can continue to work with us.
Trouble starts when believers make excuses: “Now, Lord, I just made a mistake. After all, everybody has faults. Nobody is perfect.” Responding like this avoids the real issue. It is therefore dishonest. Those who constantly deny their guilt will not mature spiritually or find freedom from sin.
The Lord appreciates “… a broken and repentant heart” (Ps. 51:17)
David wrote that God desires honesty even from the time we are in the womb. (Ps. 51:6). In other words, we need to be totally honest with ourselves and the Lord. Are we usually able to do this regarding our sin and weaknesses?
C. What happens when we delay our repentance?
After David committed many sins in his relationship with Bathsheba including having her husband killed, he didn’t confess it immediately or even of his own accord. He didn’t confess until he was confronted by Nathan. (see 2 Sam 12:1-6)?
Whether we like it or not the Bible teaches that the Lord disciplines those who are disobedient. Even though David admitted his sin: “I have sinned against the LORD.” (2 Samuel 12:13), Nathan told him “….the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the LORD by doing this, your child will die.” (2 Samuel 12:14) This is really harsh but often sin has consequences. In fact, even though David was forgiven he had troubles throughout the rest of his reign as king of Israel!
David’s failure to repent sooner increased the severity of the penalty for his rebellion. But if we deal with our sin genuinely, openly, and immediately, God often lessens the harshness of His chastisement. Why is that? Because if He sees that we have plans to obey next time, stern correction is usually not needed.
The longer we put off repentance, the greater God’s discipline. Those who are wise will repent quickly.
We need to always examine our selves and see if the is Lord prompting us to repent of a particular sin? And DO IT!
Closing: False confession keeps us trapped in guilt and sin. Genuine repentance allows us to experience renewed fellowship with the Lord. When God convicts us of wrongdoing, we must honestly admit our sin and turn away from it. We won’t regret it.
FACE TO FACE
I had walked life’s way with an easy tread,
I had traveled where pleasures and comfort led,
Until one day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.
With station and rank and wealth for my goal,
Much thought for my body but none for my soul,
I had entered to win this life’s mad race,
When I met the Master face to face.
I had built my castles and reared them high,
Till the towers had pierced the blue of the sky,
I had sworn to rule with an iron mace,
When I met the Master face to face.
I met Him and I knew Him and I blushed to see,
That His eyes full of sorrow were fixed on me.
I faulted and fell at His feet that day,
While my castles melted and vanished away,
Melted and vanished and in their place
Nothing else could I see but my Master’s face.
My thoughts were not for the souls of men,
I have lost my life-to find it again,
Since that day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
The Battle
The Battle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4QOuGI3irI
There's a battle between good and evil
And it's raging inside of me
There's a struggle, it's God and the devil
It's love against the enemy
Whoa, no
I'm not giving up now
Whoa
Life's a fight of wrong and right, that's tearing me apart
Oh, but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won
There's a snake that's hiding in the garden
There's a beautiful apple tree
There is trouble on the horizon
But I'm claiming victory
Whoa
I'm not giving in now
Whoa
Life's a fight of wrong and right that's tearing me apart
Oh, but what the cross has done
Yeah, the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won
Whoa
I'm not giving up now
Whoa
I'm not giving in
Life's a fight of wrong and right that's tearing me apart
Oh, but what the cross has done
Yeah, the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won. Battle by Chris August
Today’s lesson is that all of us, are fighting even if we don’t realize it... and the only way that you can be victorious in this war is to be on the right side and that right side is Jesus Christ...
We are talking about a war between “Good” and “Evil”, a war between the “Powers of Darkness” and the powers of Heaven......a battle between “Light” and “Darkness”. This war is about the eternal destiny of every man, woman and child on the face of the earth, from Adam to the last child that will be born before time ceases to exist as we know it.
Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places”.
Signs of this great battle for the souls of men are everywhere. All you have to do is look around and you can see many who have the scars of the battle. Many are wounded emotionally........... some are not able to cope with everyday life and its pressures. Some carry around scars of guilt and shame some carry a wounded spirit or a broken heart that sends them over the edge and makes them feel like life just ain’t worth living.
The weapons in this war ain’t bullets, knives, but words, prayer, sin and faith. Satan’s arsenal is filled with temptation, loaded fiery darts of passion and he lays traps, or minefields, where we walk every day. He’s an enemy that’s out to kill, steal and destroy everything that he can, including your very soul.
God’s weapons of this warfare are love, faith, Prayer, a sound mind and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Blood of the Lamb and the Cross of Christ. God’s weapons are more powerful than the devil’s, BUT none of them can be used without faith and trust in God to make them work.
The problem is that most people won’t use God’s weapons because they don’t want to surrender their will to God’s will.
When an addict is fighting for their life, doing everything in their power to overcome whatever has them “addicted”, it’s a fight with eternal consequences. Too many try to fight this battle alone, with “will power” and think it can be strong enough to break that bondage.
“Will power” just won’t work most of the time. If you don’t think that’s so, then how long an addict can go without a fix from the needle or the pill, just relying on will power? How long can the alcoholic stand the jitters of needing that next drink...there may be a few cases where people claim to overcome these addictions through will power, most fail, and then that adds to their hopelessness and frustration.
The reason that people can’t overcome these things on their own is that these are not just physical battles with a physical addition. They are spiritual battles that can only be fought, and won, in the realms of the supernatural.
Look at the Apostle Paul..... Paul was an addict before he was an apostle. He didn’t take drugs, he wasn’t hooked on tobacco and he wasn’t a man given to drink. Paul was a Pharisee, a man who dedicated his whole life to obeying the commandments of the Law. But he was an addict. He was addicted to ambition and to recognition.
Paul was first called Saul. As Saul, he was a defender of the faith of the Jews and he loved the idea of persecuting Christians He was constantly going before the High Priest to obtain letters of authority to kill, maim and imprison every Christian he could find. Saul was fighting the battle against God. He was trying to win a battle that he couldn’t win. He could do nothing to overcome his desire for recognition and power. In fact, he saw nothing wrong with the way he was living and the things he was doing.
It’s a sad thing to see most of the world living for the devil, and fighting in his army, and not even realizing what they are doing.... No one would admit that they are fighting against God. Every man is right in his own eyes because he is blinded to the truth. The truth is that unless you are living for God and serving Him, and working for Him, then you are fighting for the devil.
Saul was soon gonna’ come face to face with the war that was raging around him. He was fighting on the side of Satan, thinking he was doing God a favor, but he was gonna’ meet the Lord on the Road to Damascus. (Acts 9) It was there, in the middle of the day, that he was knocked off of his horse into the dust by the True Light from Heaven. Jesus knew that Saul was a sincere man, sincerely wrong even though he thought he was right; and Jesus also knew that Saul’s sincerity needed some direction.
Saul didn’t know who he was fighting for. He thought that he was doing the right thing the whole time. But he soon found out that he had been in the devil’s army, fighting against the very God that he thought he was serving. It took the power of God to break through his blindness and to shatter Saul’s addiction, and it still takes the power of God to truly break any addiction today. You can’t do it on your own, but with God’s help, according to Jesus you can. In Mark 9:23, He said "…. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
When Saul gave his heart to Jesus on that road to Damascus, God changed him completely, making him a new creation in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
Saul’s addiction to power and ambition to the chief among the Pharisees came to an end, broke down forever by the power of God. From that day on, God gave him a brand new name, Paul...... and a new purpose, to preach the gospel; and a new life. All that he had been in the past was forgotten by God and forgiven. The blood of Jesus had washed away every sin and Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost and power.
He kept fighting the same war between the worlds of good and evil, but now he was on the right side for a change.
In Acts 16:16-31, Paul and Silas are battling the forces of darkness as they walked the streets of the city of Philippi,. They were going about doing good, praying and ministering, but Satan never stops trying to win the war, so even in the simple things of living for the Lord, they are still in midst of the war.
Let that be a lesson to us all. Don’t ever think that the war isn’t raging just because life seems to be good right now.
Your next battle with the devil is just ahead so be ready for it.
Sometimes we can become involved with people, on a job, or in a relationship that seems so right in the beginning. We can’t see anything wrong. But before long, something just doesn’t feel right anymore. That’s called the power of discernment, where the Holy Spirit living in you, begins to warn you that everything is not like it looks....
Satan plays for keeps. His methods are subtle most of the time, but he can be as confrontational as he wants to be when the battle gets harder. He is perfectly happy to allow anybody to do his dirty work for him.
Sometimes living for the Lord ain’t fun. Sometimes God allows things to happen to us that we just don’t understand. It’s okay to ask questions, but then we need to accept the answer and leave it in God’s hands. Nothing can happen to you that God don’t know about.
God will make a way for you to escape the traps that the devil will lay for us. We may face some strong temptations to fall into our old life but we don’t quit, we keep fighting. All of us face temptation, but that don’t mean that we’ve to give in to it. Paul writes´” …God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure”. (1 Corinthians 10: 12-14.)
And even if we fail, and all of us fail from time to time, God don’t give up on us. He says in Hebrews 4:16, "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
1 John 2:1-2, "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world."
We’re in a spiritual battle, A War of the Worlds of Good and Evil. Whose side are we on? If we aren’t on the Lord’s side, then there’s only one leader that we can be fighting for, the devil. There is no neutral ground. There is no fence. It’s either all for Jesus, or all for the devil.
The choice is ours. The victory has been won for us but we have to accept it. We can be part of the only army that is destined to win. But we need to surrender to Jesus everything.
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4QOuGI3irI
There's a battle between good and evil
And it's raging inside of me
There's a struggle, it's God and the devil
It's love against the enemy
Whoa, no
I'm not giving up now
Whoa
Life's a fight of wrong and right, that's tearing me apart
Oh, but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won
There's a snake that's hiding in the garden
There's a beautiful apple tree
There is trouble on the horizon
But I'm claiming victory
Whoa
I'm not giving in now
Whoa
Life's a fight of wrong and right that's tearing me apart
Oh, but what the cross has done
Yeah, the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won
Whoa
I'm not giving up now
Whoa
I'm not giving in
Life's a fight of wrong and right that's tearing me apart
Oh, but what the cross has done
Yeah, the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won. Battle by Chris August
Today’s lesson is that all of us, are fighting even if we don’t realize it... and the only way that you can be victorious in this war is to be on the right side and that right side is Jesus Christ...
We are talking about a war between “Good” and “Evil”, a war between the “Powers of Darkness” and the powers of Heaven......a battle between “Light” and “Darkness”. This war is about the eternal destiny of every man, woman and child on the face of the earth, from Adam to the last child that will be born before time ceases to exist as we know it.
Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places”.
Signs of this great battle for the souls of men are everywhere. All you have to do is look around and you can see many who have the scars of the battle. Many are wounded emotionally........... some are not able to cope with everyday life and its pressures. Some carry around scars of guilt and shame some carry a wounded spirit or a broken heart that sends them over the edge and makes them feel like life just ain’t worth living.
The weapons in this war ain’t bullets, knives, but words, prayer, sin and faith. Satan’s arsenal is filled with temptation, loaded fiery darts of passion and he lays traps, or minefields, where we walk every day. He’s an enemy that’s out to kill, steal and destroy everything that he can, including your very soul.
God’s weapons of this warfare are love, faith, Prayer, a sound mind and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Blood of the Lamb and the Cross of Christ. God’s weapons are more powerful than the devil’s, BUT none of them can be used without faith and trust in God to make them work.
The problem is that most people won’t use God’s weapons because they don’t want to surrender their will to God’s will.
When an addict is fighting for their life, doing everything in their power to overcome whatever has them “addicted”, it’s a fight with eternal consequences. Too many try to fight this battle alone, with “will power” and think it can be strong enough to break that bondage.
“Will power” just won’t work most of the time. If you don’t think that’s so, then how long an addict can go without a fix from the needle or the pill, just relying on will power? How long can the alcoholic stand the jitters of needing that next drink...there may be a few cases where people claim to overcome these addictions through will power, most fail, and then that adds to their hopelessness and frustration.
The reason that people can’t overcome these things on their own is that these are not just physical battles with a physical addition. They are spiritual battles that can only be fought, and won, in the realms of the supernatural.
Look at the Apostle Paul..... Paul was an addict before he was an apostle. He didn’t take drugs, he wasn’t hooked on tobacco and he wasn’t a man given to drink. Paul was a Pharisee, a man who dedicated his whole life to obeying the commandments of the Law. But he was an addict. He was addicted to ambition and to recognition.
Paul was first called Saul. As Saul, he was a defender of the faith of the Jews and he loved the idea of persecuting Christians He was constantly going before the High Priest to obtain letters of authority to kill, maim and imprison every Christian he could find. Saul was fighting the battle against God. He was trying to win a battle that he couldn’t win. He could do nothing to overcome his desire for recognition and power. In fact, he saw nothing wrong with the way he was living and the things he was doing.
It’s a sad thing to see most of the world living for the devil, and fighting in his army, and not even realizing what they are doing.... No one would admit that they are fighting against God. Every man is right in his own eyes because he is blinded to the truth. The truth is that unless you are living for God and serving Him, and working for Him, then you are fighting for the devil.
Saul was soon gonna’ come face to face with the war that was raging around him. He was fighting on the side of Satan, thinking he was doing God a favor, but he was gonna’ meet the Lord on the Road to Damascus. (Acts 9) It was there, in the middle of the day, that he was knocked off of his horse into the dust by the True Light from Heaven. Jesus knew that Saul was a sincere man, sincerely wrong even though he thought he was right; and Jesus also knew that Saul’s sincerity needed some direction.
Saul didn’t know who he was fighting for. He thought that he was doing the right thing the whole time. But he soon found out that he had been in the devil’s army, fighting against the very God that he thought he was serving. It took the power of God to break through his blindness and to shatter Saul’s addiction, and it still takes the power of God to truly break any addiction today. You can’t do it on your own, but with God’s help, according to Jesus you can. In Mark 9:23, He said "…. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
When Saul gave his heart to Jesus on that road to Damascus, God changed him completely, making him a new creation in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
Saul’s addiction to power and ambition to the chief among the Pharisees came to an end, broke down forever by the power of God. From that day on, God gave him a brand new name, Paul...... and a new purpose, to preach the gospel; and a new life. All that he had been in the past was forgotten by God and forgiven. The blood of Jesus had washed away every sin and Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost and power.
He kept fighting the same war between the worlds of good and evil, but now he was on the right side for a change.
In Acts 16:16-31, Paul and Silas are battling the forces of darkness as they walked the streets of the city of Philippi,. They were going about doing good, praying and ministering, but Satan never stops trying to win the war, so even in the simple things of living for the Lord, they are still in midst of the war.
Let that be a lesson to us all. Don’t ever think that the war isn’t raging just because life seems to be good right now.
Your next battle with the devil is just ahead so be ready for it.
Sometimes we can become involved with people, on a job, or in a relationship that seems so right in the beginning. We can’t see anything wrong. But before long, something just doesn’t feel right anymore. That’s called the power of discernment, where the Holy Spirit living in you, begins to warn you that everything is not like it looks....
Satan plays for keeps. His methods are subtle most of the time, but he can be as confrontational as he wants to be when the battle gets harder. He is perfectly happy to allow anybody to do his dirty work for him.
Sometimes living for the Lord ain’t fun. Sometimes God allows things to happen to us that we just don’t understand. It’s okay to ask questions, but then we need to accept the answer and leave it in God’s hands. Nothing can happen to you that God don’t know about.
God will make a way for you to escape the traps that the devil will lay for us. We may face some strong temptations to fall into our old life but we don’t quit, we keep fighting. All of us face temptation, but that don’t mean that we’ve to give in to it. Paul writes´” …God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure”. (1 Corinthians 10: 12-14.)
And even if we fail, and all of us fail from time to time, God don’t give up on us. He says in Hebrews 4:16, "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
1 John 2:1-2, "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world."
We’re in a spiritual battle, A War of the Worlds of Good and Evil. Whose side are we on? If we aren’t on the Lord’s side, then there’s only one leader that we can be fighting for, the devil. There is no neutral ground. There is no fence. It’s either all for Jesus, or all for the devil.
The choice is ours. The victory has been won for us but we have to accept it. We can be part of the only army that is destined to win. But we need to surrender to Jesus everything.
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Are We Truly Thankful?
Are We Truly Thankful?
Even though there are some people who truly are thankful in all things, most people are only thankful when they have to be. This goes for Christians as well. That is a terrible thing to have to say, but it is the truth. Why else would we have to have a special day to offer thanksgiving? If we gave thanks all the time like we should, there would be no need to have this holiday. The Bible say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34) We are probably not usually ungrateful and unthankful on purpose. It is probably because it is our nature as humans to take things for granted and it is nothing new. People were not thankful in Jesus’ day either. In Luke, chapter 17, we are told about an event that warranted thanks.
11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. (Hmmm, do we remember how Jews felt about Samaritans?)
17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” (Luke 17:11-19)
Let’s take a look at three aspects of thankfulness that we need to get from this Scripture.
There are no good excuses for un-thankfulness
We as Americans love to make excuses. After all, nothing is ever our fault. No one in jail has ever committed a crime. It was always someone else’s fault. When a little child gets in trouble, they will always blame it on another person. More often than not, adults do the same. When a politician gets in a bind, they will always find something else to pin the blame on. (Hmmm, again!)
Making excuses is nothing new. Think about the first humans on the planet. They are told not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree. Then, they both do and have to face God. God comes to them, and he asks what has happened. He first approaches Adam, and what does Adam do? He makes an excuse. Adam said, “it’s not my fault!. “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12)
Then, when God gets to Eve, she makes an excuse. “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” (Genesis 3:13) These excuses seemed valid, but God does not buy excuses. God had told them not to eat, but they did anyhow. Even though they had excuses lined up, God punished Adam and Eve because excuses were not enough.
In this story of the ten lepers, the nine that were not thankful probably had excuses that they thought were good for not coming back to thank Jesus. Now, we have no way of knowing if this is what they thought for sure, but knowing how we are as humans, we can easily assume that they thought they were legitimate. We love making excuses for not doing the things we should, but those excuses do not fly with Jesus. When the one truly thankful leper came back to Jesus, Jesus honored him; however, Jesus did ask, “Where are the other nine?” Jesus expected every one of them to be thankful, and he expects that of Christians today.
Everyone has something to be thankful for
There was a newspaper article in the St. Petersburg Times. In this article, some of the local children made out lists of what they were thankful for. Here were some of the highlights.
• I am thankful for my family because they love me and give me food – Andrew, age 10
• I am thankful for flowers and trees, oh so tall, for our van to go places, especially the mall – Victoria, age 9
• I am thankful for our furry little squirrels that bring great happiness to our lives – Ryan, age 7
• I am thankful for thanksgiving because I like to eat ham – Maria, age 5
• I am thankful that my dad has a permanent job and my brother is in remission from Leukemia – Anastasia, age 10
• I am thankful for Thanksgiving because it is a happy holiday, and it’s when families get together and have a time of celebrating God’s goodness. The Pilgrims are a good example to me because no matter how hard things go, God is always with you and will provide for all your needs. When God provided for them, they did not forget him, but praised him with thanksgiving – Natalie, age 10
All these are nice but how impressive is the wisdom shown by 10 year old Natalie? She gets the picture of what God wants. God wants us to be thankful in all circumstances because we all have something to be thankful for. If we call ourselves Christians, we have even more yet to be thankful for. The Apostle Paul writes: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6-7) And we need to remember that Jesus Christ came to earth and took our place on the cross. We should have went there to pay the penalty for our sins, but he was blameless and took our place so that we might live. Now, all we have to do is believe and trust in Him as our Savior, and our slate will be wiped clean. We don’t have to pay the price of death. He already did that. That act alone should be enough to make us thankful for all the days of our lives. But, God does not stop there. He continues to bless us every day and we take it for granted.
Think about it this way. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend church meetings without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion in the world. And, if your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare. And we could go on and on. We are a blessed people with much to be thankful for. We must be a more thankful people. The Psalmist tells us “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High.” (Psalm 92:1)
We as Christians need to set the bar for thankfulness
The Gallop Poll reports that 84% of Americans claim to be Christians. Of those 84%, less than 10 % of Americans are deeply committed Christians. These committed Christians are far, far happier than the rest of the population. Committed Christians are more accepting of others than the average American, more involved in charitable activities, and are absolutely committed to prayer. While many more Americans than this 10 % profess to be Christians, most actually know little or nothing of Christian beliefs, and act no differently than non-Christians.
What is the problem with this picture? Christians are called to be set apart from the world, yet only 10% of the population are acting that way. This leaves an astounding 74% of Americans that claim to be Christians and yet act no differently than those not claiming to be Christians. Is it any wonder why the church is not growing?
As Jesus healed these ten lepers, most of them were Jews. They were God-fearing, church going people.
They belonged to the moral majority and were known as the people of God. However, when they were healed, only one leper returned to give thanks, and this leper was a Samaritan. Samaritans were not allowed to go to the synagogue/church in this day because they were looked upon as outcasts and lowlifes. The “church” people of the day wanted nothing to do with any of them because they were not worth the time of one of God’s chosen ones. Yet, he is the only one who showed thanks. When the church should have been setting the bar of thankfulness, the world was actually leading the way.
The same is true today. Think of some of the Christians you know. They are bitter and mean. They never think of anyone but themselves. They are proud, arrogant and rude. The problem is that people outside of the church are often more pleasant than those in it when it should be the other way around. Christians are meant to set the bar in things like love, kindness, gentleness, and thankfulness. We are meant to live in such a way that non-believers will want what we have. However, according to statistics, 74% of those who claim Christianity are living either no differently or worse that non-Christians. I know that this statistic does not apply to this class, but if it did, that would mean that 3 out of 4 of us are not any more thankful than those of the world.
We, as Believers, need to do better. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 God desires us to be thankful and not make excuses. He desires us to be thankful because everyone has something to be thankful for. He desires us to be thankful because we are to be the example to the rest of the world of what it truly means to be thankful. How do we do this? It is only through the strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With His power and His leading, we can be thankful in all circumstances. This week, let us make a list, even if only in our mind, of everything we can think of that we can thank God for – and then do it. Thank God for all He has done for us because a thankful spirit opens the door to a closer relationship with God. After all, to enter His gates, we must do it with thanksgiving. It’s time we start doing it more.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4)
Note 1: Notice in scripture “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”, the word “in” is not the same as “for”. This means you do not have to be thankful for just be thankful “in” the circumstances. And “God’s will” means he wants you to be thankful in all not and that the bad circumstances is always His will.
Put this note as result of some questions in class discussion.
Even though there are some people who truly are thankful in all things, most people are only thankful when they have to be. This goes for Christians as well. That is a terrible thing to have to say, but it is the truth. Why else would we have to have a special day to offer thanksgiving? If we gave thanks all the time like we should, there would be no need to have this holiday. The Bible say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34) We are probably not usually ungrateful and unthankful on purpose. It is probably because it is our nature as humans to take things for granted and it is nothing new. People were not thankful in Jesus’ day either. In Luke, chapter 17, we are told about an event that warranted thanks.
11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. (Hmmm, do we remember how Jews felt about Samaritans?)
17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” (Luke 17:11-19)
Let’s take a look at three aspects of thankfulness that we need to get from this Scripture.
There are no good excuses for un-thankfulness
We as Americans love to make excuses. After all, nothing is ever our fault. No one in jail has ever committed a crime. It was always someone else’s fault. When a little child gets in trouble, they will always blame it on another person. More often than not, adults do the same. When a politician gets in a bind, they will always find something else to pin the blame on. (Hmmm, again!)
Making excuses is nothing new. Think about the first humans on the planet. They are told not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree. Then, they both do and have to face God. God comes to them, and he asks what has happened. He first approaches Adam, and what does Adam do? He makes an excuse. Adam said, “it’s not my fault!. “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12)
Then, when God gets to Eve, she makes an excuse. “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” (Genesis 3:13) These excuses seemed valid, but God does not buy excuses. God had told them not to eat, but they did anyhow. Even though they had excuses lined up, God punished Adam and Eve because excuses were not enough.
In this story of the ten lepers, the nine that were not thankful probably had excuses that they thought were good for not coming back to thank Jesus. Now, we have no way of knowing if this is what they thought for sure, but knowing how we are as humans, we can easily assume that they thought they were legitimate. We love making excuses for not doing the things we should, but those excuses do not fly with Jesus. When the one truly thankful leper came back to Jesus, Jesus honored him; however, Jesus did ask, “Where are the other nine?” Jesus expected every one of them to be thankful, and he expects that of Christians today.
Everyone has something to be thankful for
There was a newspaper article in the St. Petersburg Times. In this article, some of the local children made out lists of what they were thankful for. Here were some of the highlights.
• I am thankful for my family because they love me and give me food – Andrew, age 10
• I am thankful for flowers and trees, oh so tall, for our van to go places, especially the mall – Victoria, age 9
• I am thankful for our furry little squirrels that bring great happiness to our lives – Ryan, age 7
• I am thankful for thanksgiving because I like to eat ham – Maria, age 5
• I am thankful that my dad has a permanent job and my brother is in remission from Leukemia – Anastasia, age 10
• I am thankful for Thanksgiving because it is a happy holiday, and it’s when families get together and have a time of celebrating God’s goodness. The Pilgrims are a good example to me because no matter how hard things go, God is always with you and will provide for all your needs. When God provided for them, they did not forget him, but praised him with thanksgiving – Natalie, age 10
All these are nice but how impressive is the wisdom shown by 10 year old Natalie? She gets the picture of what God wants. God wants us to be thankful in all circumstances because we all have something to be thankful for. If we call ourselves Christians, we have even more yet to be thankful for. The Apostle Paul writes: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6-7) And we need to remember that Jesus Christ came to earth and took our place on the cross. We should have went there to pay the penalty for our sins, but he was blameless and took our place so that we might live. Now, all we have to do is believe and trust in Him as our Savior, and our slate will be wiped clean. We don’t have to pay the price of death. He already did that. That act alone should be enough to make us thankful for all the days of our lives. But, God does not stop there. He continues to bless us every day and we take it for granted.
Think about it this way. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend church meetings without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion in the world. And, if your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare. And we could go on and on. We are a blessed people with much to be thankful for. We must be a more thankful people. The Psalmist tells us “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High.” (Psalm 92:1)
We as Christians need to set the bar for thankfulness
The Gallop Poll reports that 84% of Americans claim to be Christians. Of those 84%, less than 10 % of Americans are deeply committed Christians. These committed Christians are far, far happier than the rest of the population. Committed Christians are more accepting of others than the average American, more involved in charitable activities, and are absolutely committed to prayer. While many more Americans than this 10 % profess to be Christians, most actually know little or nothing of Christian beliefs, and act no differently than non-Christians.
What is the problem with this picture? Christians are called to be set apart from the world, yet only 10% of the population are acting that way. This leaves an astounding 74% of Americans that claim to be Christians and yet act no differently than those not claiming to be Christians. Is it any wonder why the church is not growing?
As Jesus healed these ten lepers, most of them were Jews. They were God-fearing, church going people.
They belonged to the moral majority and were known as the people of God. However, when they were healed, only one leper returned to give thanks, and this leper was a Samaritan. Samaritans were not allowed to go to the synagogue/church in this day because they were looked upon as outcasts and lowlifes. The “church” people of the day wanted nothing to do with any of them because they were not worth the time of one of God’s chosen ones. Yet, he is the only one who showed thanks. When the church should have been setting the bar of thankfulness, the world was actually leading the way.
The same is true today. Think of some of the Christians you know. They are bitter and mean. They never think of anyone but themselves. They are proud, arrogant and rude. The problem is that people outside of the church are often more pleasant than those in it when it should be the other way around. Christians are meant to set the bar in things like love, kindness, gentleness, and thankfulness. We are meant to live in such a way that non-believers will want what we have. However, according to statistics, 74% of those who claim Christianity are living either no differently or worse that non-Christians. I know that this statistic does not apply to this class, but if it did, that would mean that 3 out of 4 of us are not any more thankful than those of the world.
We, as Believers, need to do better. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 God desires us to be thankful and not make excuses. He desires us to be thankful because everyone has something to be thankful for. He desires us to be thankful because we are to be the example to the rest of the world of what it truly means to be thankful. How do we do this? It is only through the strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With His power and His leading, we can be thankful in all circumstances. This week, let us make a list, even if only in our mind, of everything we can think of that we can thank God for – and then do it. Thank God for all He has done for us because a thankful spirit opens the door to a closer relationship with God. After all, to enter His gates, we must do it with thanksgiving. It’s time we start doing it more.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4)
Note 1: Notice in scripture “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”, the word “in” is not the same as “for”. This means you do not have to be thankful for just be thankful “in” the circumstances. And “God’s will” means he wants you to be thankful in all not and that the bad circumstances is always His will.
Put this note as result of some questions in class discussion.
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