Personal Editorial

Hebrews 12:28, "Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe." (NLT)

I will offer this disclaimer to begin with this morning. You are about to read an opinion that I want to share with you. The early morning news today caught my attention and I just could not ignore the thoughts that arose in my heart. I know that these stories have been shared on television over the past few weeks but they drew my attention today. 

Is it possible that we have lost the true meaning of the "Thanksgiving Celebration" to the latest marketing strategies for our local retailers? I am not against the Free Market Trade that is one of the symbols of the freedom that we enjoy in America. I understand the need for "corporate America" to succeed and I understand the need for individuals to "make a living" to support their family. But can't we expect a "little break" from all of the hub-bub that focuses on money, sales, profits, and Wall Street? 

We are more concerned with the time that the stores will open for us to shop than we are the time that we will spend thanking God. Many homes will face the challenge of asking everyone to be quiet for a few moments so that we can offer thanks to God for our food. And even if we pray we hurry through the process so that we can get on to the "important" things such as food, football, and looking through the advertisements for the "best deal" on the latest new toy or electronic gadget. We have to be up-to-date with everyone else and we can not afford to fall behind in the "gadget race" for sure. 

I assume that some of you will think that I am just complaining when you read these words. But I really don't think that is the true intent of my heart. I believe that we need to stop just giving God a "tip of the hat" (you may have to remember an old western movie to understand that word picture) rather than focusing on His awe and His presence in our lives. 

Take a little extra time tomorrow and remind yourself as well as each other of all the good things that God has provided in your life. A few moments of genuine thanksgiving will make a difference in your personal life and you will be able to teach others about recognizing and remembering the goodness of God. 

Meditation

I recently read a post by a blogger friend of mine who reminded us that some Christians are afraid of the word "meditation" because in many cases it is associated with New Age Religion. I understand those fears may have some factual evidence but it still does not change the call from God to meditate on His Word. It is a blessing as well as a benefit to study, meditate, or think about the Word of God and the impact that it can have on our daily lives. Many of us have found the Bible to be an answer for us as we were facing certain circumstances in our lives or in the life of a family member. I remember sitting in a waiting room of a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee in the early Spring of 1986. My wife's brother was in a coma from a serious car accident in which he had suffered a severe head injury. The Doctors had reached the conclusion that Danny would more than likely remain in that vegetative condition for the reminder of his days on earth. We were waiting for visiting hours when Ann picked up a Gideon Bible and begin to read. The Spirit led her to a passage in Psalm which became her "verse of promise." She read the verse out loud to me and then she made this statement to me; "Michael, I have got to read this verse to Danny as soon as we go into his room." I realized that the Word of God had made a direct impact on her faith and she wanted to release that faith into her brother's life. Needless to say, that verse was read when we entered his room and that verse was read every time that we entered his room. FYI: Danny recovered, went back to his job after a time of recovery and rehab. He has since retired from that job and has moved to Kentucky and attends church with us. 

Meditating on the Word of God does pay great dividends in our lives.

Would you take a moment to meditate on the following promises in Psalm 34?

1 I will praise the Lord at all times.
    I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
    let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
    let us exalt his name together.

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
    He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! (NLT)

Remembering

I have been meditating on these words of the Psalmist David for the past few days. The Spirit continues to remind me that the Word of God is "alive and powerful." The Word of God not only transforms us but it also challenges us to examine our lives and identify those areas that need improvement or correction. Each of us need to commit to "remembering" those blessings that God has provided for us. I understand that it is humanly impossible to remember everything that God has done for us but neither can we use that as an excuse when we have the opportunity to offer praise to God. Neither can we use forgetfulness as an excuse when it comes to praising God and offering thanksgiving to Him. Let us also read the reminder that the Word of God issues in Psalm 68:19, "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah  (NKJV)

Psalm 103:1-5

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!  (NLT)

Doing What is RIGHT!

James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  (NKJV).

Our Life Group at church last night had some very interesting discussion concerning Daniel's trip into the den of lions. I will not take the time to go into great detail about all of the discussion but I do feel led to make reference to one point that was brought to our attention by one of the brothers who was in attendance. Daniel had previously made his decision concerning his obedience to God prior to his entrance into the den of lions. His decision had been made when he chose to pray as he had normally prayed even when a law had been passed that made his praying illegal. 

His courage to face the lions had been developed through his courageous decision to do what was right regardless of what everyone else may have chosen to do. The failure to obey the law of the land put him on a collision course with the den of lions but Daniel possessed a strong desire to do what was right. Isn't that one of the character traits that we need in the modern day church? Isn't that one of the character traits that I need in my personal life on a daily basis? Isn't that one of the character traits that we need to demonstrate to our family, friends, and fellow believers? Do you remember the question that Jesus asked in Luke 18:8b, "...Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (NKJV)

I read these words in one of my devotionals this morning. I felt that they confirmed what God was speaking to us about last night.

"When we hear from God and think we are done – that is self-deceit.

When we hear from God and put it into practice – that is godly obedience.

I once attended a leadership conference that changed my life in many ways. The speakers did not talk about money or success. They focused on the fact that God created each one of us in response to His unique plan for our lives. One of the simplest but most powerful motto's I came away from that conference with was: “Do it now!”

I truly believe that God is looking for faithful obedience from His followers! 

Preparation for Thanksgiving

I would like to share this "song" from Psalm 92 with you. I desire to see the Word of God prepare our hearts not just to celebrate a "holiday" called Thanksgiving but to live in an attitude of THANKSGIVING!! Would you join with me in offering this song of gratitude to God?

Psalm 92

A psalm. A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day.

1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to the Most High.
2 It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
    your faithfulness in the evening,
3 accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp,
    and the melody of a lyre.

4 You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
    I sing for joy because of what you have done.
5 O Lord, what great works you do!
    And how deep are your thoughts.
6 Only a simpleton would not know,
    and only a fool would not understand this:
7 Though the wicked sprout like weeds
    and evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.

8 But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.
9 Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish;
    all evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.
    You have anointed me with the finest oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees
    and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
    They flourish in the courts of our God.
14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
    they will remain vital and green.
15 They will declare, “The Lord is just!
    He is my rock!
    There is no evil in him!”  (NLT)

Attitude

"Attitude is little thing that makes a big difference." (Winston Churchill)

These words were included in one of the daily devotionals that I read today. I was struck by the challenge that they offered to me and I believe that this same challenge will make its way into your thought process. 

The Spirit has been dealing with my heart over the past several weeks concerning the need for "praise" to be a vital part of my everyday relationship with Christ. Is it possible that we have relegated "praise" to a time slot on Sunday morning when we sit with our church family in a corporate worship service? We may deny that statement as being true when we first read it but we do have to realize that our "attitude" in many cases may determine the amount of praise that we offer to God. It may have been John Maxwell who coined the phrase, "Live your life with an attitude of gratitude." 

Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment and admit that we all have days when our attitude is running low on gratitude. The daily challenges of life have a way of "draining away" portions of our gratitude. Your mail contains the arrival of an unexpected bill. One of the kids is sick and they need to see a Doctor which more than likely will require medicine to treat the illness. You have a flat tire or a dead battery. Your company will not be issuing any pay raises for the coming year and they are eliminating any type of Christmas bonus. The preacher's sermon was boring and you almost feel asleep during the invitation. I could continue but I better stop now and pull the hose away before I drain you dry of any attitude of gratitude that you may still possess. 

It is during those times that we all struggle to remember the good things of life. We fail to remember the miles that we have driven on that tire without any blowouts. We fail to remember the number of times that the battery started our automobile. We fail to remember that we do have a job that is paying the bills and allowing us to live a comfortable life in comparison to a large portion of the world. We fail to remember that the preacher normally does an awesome job sharing the Word of God and even preachers have "off days." We fail to remember the health of our child and realize that hospitals contain children who fight a deadly disease on a daily basis. 

Psalm 107:8, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" (KJV)

Witness

Matthew 28:16-20, "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (NKJV)

Sunday morning found me listening to our guest speaker at New River. Pastor Scott Martin from the Sacred Assembly fellowship in Tel Aviv, Israel was our guest. He challenged our resolve to be witnesses of the message of the Gospel. Do we realize that each of us are called to "live out" the Great Commission in our daily lives? Do we realize that we are called to live with a "missional" purpose in which we spread the Good News through our daily lives? Do we realize that we are people of influence and that we can influence our fellow man in a positive manner and point them to Jesus Christ? 

We have heard this warning from our parents, friends, educators, and even Pastors through the years of our lives. "Be careful and don't allow the wrong people to influence you." BUT we are called to do our best and to become a "right influence" in the lives of others. These words are not being written in a critical or judgmental spirit/attitude. I have known and still know many people who have done an excellent job in revealing Christ to me through their daily lives. I applaud each one of them and I am thankful for each one of the them.

BUT this is not a time to "go to sleep at the wheel." This is not a time in which we can fall prey to spiritual inactivity. We must be alert and aware of the times. The enemy is seeking whom he can destroy but the Love of God is seeking to rescue and redeem fallen humanity. I want to work with God in this process and plan of rescue. I want to offer myself wholly to God as a workman ready to enter the harvest field and witness the deliverance of people from the captivity of sin. 

Would you please take time to read the scripture passage in Matthew 28 as a personal commission and not just a corporate commission to the Body of Christ?

Today's Scripture Passage

I wanted to share this passage of scripture with you today. Many of us are facing our own unique set of trails or challenges. Read this passage from the New Living Translation and allow the Word and the Spirit to breathe faith into your life. Your faith is stronger than your enemy wants you to realize!!

I Peter 1:3-9

The Hope of Eternal Life

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Jesus Christ

Acts 4:12, "12 And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved. (Amplified Bible)

New River was blessed to have a Pastor from Tel Aviv, Israel minister to us last night. The Word that he brought last night has continued to challenge my heart this morning. He spoke from the book of Colossians concerning the challenge that the Spirit through Paul issued to the church. We must be very careful and not allow ANYTHING move us away from our relationship with Jesus Christ. He is still our hope and He is the Savior for all of humanity. The Pastor reminded us that Christ is the answer for our lives and in Him alone do we find salvation. We can not afford to mix any of our "spiritual additives" to the doctrine of Christ. Christ does not need you and I to add anything to the plan of salvation. Christ died once and He completed the mission of the Father regarding the purchase of our salvation. Our challenge is to respond, believe and walk in the strength of that purchase. 

I truly believe that the deity of Jesus Christ is under attack in our modern culture. The culture of the world seeks to list Christ as one of the many "ways to God." But Jesus has already made this declaration about Himself and His mission/purpose when He came to earth in the form of a human being. John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (KJV) Christ leaves no doubt where He stands when it comes to the plan of salvation. We must resist the efforts of satan to remove this foundational truth from the message of the church. We must declare the truth in love and share it under the anointing of Grace and Mercy. 

I am one of those who chooses to lift my voice in support of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I sincerely desire to exalt Him and to declare the greatness of His name even in the midst of pressure to do right the opposite. I refuse to allow the enemy to steal the power of the Gospel from among us as believers. Jesus is still our Hope, Life and Strength!!

PS for Yesterday

I would like to add a post script concerning the post that I made yesterday. Yesterday was a day which was filled with programs, parades, activities, speeches and even free meals in some restaurants for the Veterans who have served our nation in the Armed Forces. All of this recognition is well and good and I am thankful for each gesture that was made to honor these individuals for their heroic acts of service for our nation. We definitely should applaud them on special days of celebration/recognition but our appreciation as a nation needs to go deeper than just a "holiday" full of events and "planned" celebrations. We should live with an attitude of appreciation and recognition for the honorable service that men and women have offered through the years of our existence as a nation.

I do not know the originator of this statement; "Freedom is not free", but we must fully grasp the truth that is contained in those words. We must NEVER FORGET the true price of freedom. We celebrate our "freedoms" on a daily basis but how often do I stop and remember that many men and women have defended those freedoms so that I (we) could enjoy them on a daily basis? Many of these individuals bear the scars of that defense in their body and even in their minds up to this present day. Isn't it true to say that our freedom is worth more than just a yearly time of celebration? We need to be committed to letting the Veterans know that we appreciate them on every opportunity that we can. We need to let those in the Armed Forces who are presently serving know that we appreciate their service. 

Soldiers have given their lives so that I could live in nation with religious freedom. Soldiers have given their lives so that I could live in a nation where I could work and provide for my family. Soldiers have given their lives so that I could live in a nation with food, opportunities for recreation, numerous item on the shelves of various type of stores, etc. I challenge you to let the attitude toward our military personnel become more than just a "yearly tip of the hat." I challenge you to let the "attitude of gratitude" for our Armed Forces become a characteristic of our daily living. This action on our part will cause the military forces to be encouraged but it will also cause each of us to become a better person.

Better people will cause us to be a better nation and isn't that what we need at this critical point in our history? 

Veterans Day

Today is a special day around our nation as we take time to remember and honor those men and women who have offered their service to our nation in our Armed Forces. Some of these individuals are old enough to know the feeling of being drafted while some of them are individuals who willfully made the decision to enlist in the Armed Forces. Either of these categories are filled with men and women who have served with distinction, valor, and sacrifice. Some sources estimate that there are approximately 23 million American veterans that are alive today. That is a large group of Americans who have served each of us and because of their service we are able to enjoy our freedom, our opportunities to succeed in life and the blessing of pursuing our dreams. I encourage you to take the opportunity to share your thanks with a Veteran either today or some time this week.

This is a special day in the life of our family. Our Dad is a Veteran of WWII. He served as an infantry soldier in the European Theater of of the war. He served under General George Patton and this division of the Army understood the price of sacrifice. As a matter of fact, all of those who have served have understood the price of sacrifice. It is difficult to honor the living without taking a moment to remember those who paid the ultimate price of sacrifice. Many of these soldiers sacrificed their life at a very early age yet we reap the benefit of their willingness to serve. Many of these soldiers returned home maimed, disfigured, and bearing the difficulty of the emotional stress that they encountered on the battlefield. I am thankful that we are awarded the opportunity to say THANK YOU in this small way. We must let our soldiers as well as the families of these soldiers know that they are appreciated, admired, respected and remembered. Hopefully we are realizing that we need to treat these individuals as the true heroes our nation rather than sports figures, political leaders, actors & actresses, etc. I am able to set at this desk and type these words because of individuals who chose to serve others and not just serve their selfish desires.

On a personal note, I spoke with my Dad prior to writing this blog post. He is 88 years old. He participated in two celebrations on Monday and he was headed to another parade/celebration this morning. He has served as a volunteer Chaplain with the Disabled American Veteran (DAV). He has served as an Honor Guard for soldiers who either died on the battlefield or died later after their military career was completed. We have two (2) WWII veterans connected with our local congregation; both of these men are in their 90's. I share these final thoughts to remind you that many in this group of Veterans are being promoted to their eternal reward on a daily basis. Our local congregation is blessed to have other Veterans who have served in Korea, Vietnam, the first Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other troubled spots of the world. We need to honor our heritage and remember each individual who has served our nation either in war time or what we refer to as "peace time." They are truly worthy of our respect and appreciation. 

Take a moment today and say a prayer for our Veterans and their families. Take a moment today and say a prayer for those individuals and their families who are presently serving today. Take a moment and say a prayer for those families who have laid their Veteran to rest at some time in their lives. Each of these groups deserve our prayerful support!!

Praise, Part 2

Psalm 34:1-3
"I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together." (NKJV)

It was during prayer time this morning that the Spirit reminded me of the importance of this scripture passage in my personal life. I noticed the use of the personal pronouns such as "I, my (twice), me, and us." Do you see the pattern of the Psalmist's declaration? He was making this psalm a personal desire that He was expressing to God as well as to those people that would hear these words as well as those individuals who would read this Psalm. I truly believe that these words are being spoken to us today. The Psalmist was committing his life to be a life that would offer praise and honor to God "at all times" and in all circumstances. This is a challenge that each of us need to accept and this is an opportunity that each one of us need to embrace.

I have declared these words during various "worship services" and I am going to declare them one more time. "No one can offer your praise to God!" You and I can not expect the Worship Team to offer our praise. You and I can not expect the Pastor or other church leaders to offer our praise. You and I can not expect the local Gospel Radio Station to offer our praise. You and I can not expect the other members of the Body of Christ to offer our praise. We may join in with these other "worshipers" but I believe that God is waiting to hear each of us lift our voice in praise and honor to Him. NO ONE CAN TAKE YOUR PLACE WHEN IT IS TIME TO OFFER PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD!!

Will God hear YOUR VOICE offering Him praise today?

Praise

Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV)

I woke up this morning with "praise" on my mind. The thoughts about the need to praise God actually began to stir in my spirit last night as we returned home from a Small Group meeting. I am listening to "Praise & Worship" music as I am typing these words. But I must confess that the music did not awaken this praise in my heart. I turned on the music as a result of what is stirring in my heart this morning. The "stirring of praise" caused me to seek out the music rather than the stirring of the music causing me to release the praise. Is it possible that we are always "waiting on some event or answered prayer" to stir our praise? 

What is stirring in your heart today? What has God heard from your voice this morning? Has your words and thoughts contained words that offered praise and adoration to God? You may have spoken a few words or a lot of words before you have the opportunity to read this post. Did you begin your day with words such as, "Oh no, it is Monday, time to start another week." Did you possibly say, "I can't believe the weekend is gone already." Did you say, "I don't know if I can face another day at work." These are just a few examples of statements that many of us have made at some point in our lives. 

I am not saying that there is anything sinful about these statements but I am saying that we need to examine our words and make sure that we add enough words of praise, thanksgiving, appreciation, recognition of the goodness of God, etc. into the expressions of our language. God is looking for your voice to express praise to Him. I believe that He listens for YOUR (MINE) voice to be spoken. I enjoy hearing my family tell me that they love me. I enjoy hearing my family tell me that they appreciate me. I enjoying hearing my family tell me that I am an important part of this family.

Remember, that God enjoys hearing your voice offer praise and worship to Him!!!