Thanksgiving Isn't For Sissies

No, I’m not talking about the Thanksgiving day sport of stuffing our faces then watching football and stuffing our faces some more. Anyone can do that. I’m talking about the real point of the feast we know as Thanksgiving, which is giving gratitude unto the Lord. For that I say, a real heart of thanksgiving is not for the meek.

When we gather around that November table it’s easy to thank God for this feast and forget the other 364 days since our last feast. Yet the words of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonican church tell us to do just that, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

When you think about that it is a pretty tall order, “In everything give thanks.” As you look back on this last year no doubt it was a year filled with both highs and lows. This past year in our family we experienced the joy of new life, and we felt the pain death. We had health as well as sickness. There was feast and there was famine, joy and sorrow. My guess is that describes a typical year for most of us. As we gather around the Thanksgiving table we are called to give thanks for all of it.

The Bible carries this idea one step deeper and this is where we separate, “the, men from the boys” so to speak. Notice that the word says “’IN’ everything give thanks.” That means as you stand on the mountain top, you are to give thanks and while you are in the “pit,” well we are to give thanks there as well. All to often we relegate our thanksgiving to an annual feast. Yet God clearly expects that we as the recipients of the love and grace of God are to live with an “overflowing” attitude of thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6) that is the same in the valleys of life as well as when we are on the mountain tops

In our thanksgiving we glorify God. “I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30). In our thanksgiving we honor God “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…” (Psalm 50:23). In everything give thanks.

Praying For People Who Have Everything

How do you pray for people who seem to have it all together? Well, the first thing we need to acknowledge is that no one really has it all together. But if you get my drift here, we are not always focusing our prayers on traumas and trials. What are some guidelines for praying for those in our lives who have no glaring needs? The apostle Paul may shed some light on this in the opening of his letter to the church at Colossae.

The city of Colossae was the center of trade and commerce in its hay-day. Paul had never actually visited the church at Colossae, in fact it was founded by Paul's companion Epaphras. Yet Paul harbored a strong affection for this church and its members. Paul notes that they had faith in Jesus Christ and because of their faith they had hope for the future. They were strong in their love for all the other believers and they seemed to be doing things right. So what was there to pray for? For the apostle, the very fact that things were looking good at the time was a reason to pray.

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light." Colossians 1:9-12

It is human nature to focus on the "squeaky wheel", you know, those who have glaring needs, obvious issues or annoying flaws; and we tend to take for granted the seemingly "less needy." In this passage Paul shows us that prayers don't stop because someone seems to have their act together. So how do we pray for people who seem to have their act together? Let's look at Paul's formula from Colossians 1:9-12.

Pray Without Ceasing
On the day I publicly surrendered to the ministry one of the elderly ladies in my church, a dear saint, came to me and committed herself to praying for me, "everyday." She would come to me with her note pad weekly to update her prayer list with my needs and those of my family. I wasn't the only person on her list, but I was comforted by the fact that she brought my name before Jesus every day until the day she went home. In my 20 plus years of ministry some of my greatest comforts came from knowing that a handful of faithful saints had committed themselves to praying for their pastors and leaders.

Paul said, I "do not cease to pray for you." Make a prayer list and commit yourself to continuous prayer for those on your list. Send them notes of encouragement and reminders that you are praying for them. Make a habit of maintaining a continuous conversation with God.

Pray For Fullness
Fullness of the Holy Spirit? No, that happened when you received Christ. The fullness Paul asked for was, "...that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." The word "filled" here means to be complete. Paul is praying that they are complete in the knowledge of God's will. Now that's a filling we can all use. How many times have you found yourself praying, "God show me what you want me to...do,be or say?" Knowledge of God's will and the spiritual understanding to navigate life is a pursuit of all followers of Jesus and a safe prayer for the best of us. Even the apostle Paul admitted that he's not yet arrived where he needed to be but that he presses on towards that goal (Philippians 3:12-14).

It's All About The Walk
The Apostle now says that the reason we need a better knowledge of God's will is, "that you may walk worthy of the Lord..." Our "walk" is our behavior or our life. It is the way we carry ourselves. He prayed that their behavior would be "worthy" of the Lord.

I remember as a child that my parents would require a standard of behavior for my siblings and me that reflected our home and our standards. When we were at the home of other kids who were raised with say, "more relaxed" standards or as my parents would say, "they're allowed to get away with murder!" We knew our boundaries. We were to maintain a walk worthy of the Myers' standards...or else. Walking in that manner was definitely pleasing to my mother and father. Life was good when mother and father were pleased. Likewise, Paul notes that this walk will be, "fully pleasing" to the Lord.

As if that alone is not enough, another benefit of this God pleasing walk in that it will bear fruit in, "every good work." The idea of good work here is the work of pleasing God, which is in and of itself, a very good endeavor. This walk also allows us to increase "in the knowledge of God" and strengthens us with, "all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy." In a nutshell, the good work of a God honoring lifestyle allows us to better know God and in knowing Him we find our strength to endure this life. This, as Paul says, leads us to an attitude of thanksgiving and an acute appreciation for our being counted as a partaker of the inheritance with the others who have everything!

A Passion for Compassion

“A leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44 and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.”
Mark 1:40-45

These verses constitute one of my favorite pictures of the heart of Jesus in the gospels. Imagine the scene; Luke 5:12 tells us that a multitude of people crowded in on Jesus as he taught that day. From the back of the crowd, a commotion begins to stir. A leper, one who was afflicted with the most feared communicable disease of his day, begins to make his way through the multitude.

This was not his usual behavior, because of his condition he was literally deemed untouchable. He was forced to live and remain outside the gates of the city. The law required him to cry out the words, “Unclean!” everywhere he went to prevent accidental human contact. As for intentional human contact, that meant the death penalty. No doubt those words became his identity to the people who looked down upon him with pity.

“Unclean!” He had said those words so many times in his life that they became the very image he held of himself. How miserable and hopeless the future would be for one feeling as unclean on the inside as others made him feel on the outside; it was not his way to press through a crowd.

In and around Jerusalem these days, everyone is talking of the teacher who claimed to be the very Son of God. With all the stories that his touch healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, it was all too much to ignore. Hundreds crowded Him everywhere Jesus went. Therein lay the leper’s problem; he remained untouchable to the crowd, which was like a wall between him and the One whose touch was his last chance.

The leper knew if he didn’t make it through, he’d be stoned for trying. He also knew that if he did make it through to Jesus, there was a chance that He might not be willing to risk His own “cleanliness” to touch him. The risks were many, as many as the years he’d spent with no human contact. Today, we’d maybe say, “I’m going for it,” but what were his words to himself just before he started pressing into the crowd? We’ll never know; but as if being drawn by God Himself, his feet began to move towards Jesus. Every step closer was more desperate than the last. His heart was pounding at the walls of his chest. His throat felt as if he swallowed a whole orange. Would he even be able to speak once he got there?

He had to be surprised at what happened next. It was nothing less than God parting the sea for him. The crowd began to open before him as he pressed forward and it closed in behind him as he passed. Coming within proximity of the feet of Jesus, the Bible says, “He fell on his knees before Him.” The only words he could muster were, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” He hung his head, it was all he could say, it was the most he could do for himself. It was impossible for him to know that in that very moment, Jesus was in the process of feeling everything this man felt. The Son of God was acquainted with rejection; He knew the loneliness of being separated from those you love; Jesus knew the scorn of the crowds. Mark wrote, “He was moved with compassion” for this leper, meaning Jesus’ guts wrenched for this man.

As if it were one of his dreams, or a distant memory, the leper finally felt the touch of another. He opened his eyes in disbelief to see the hand of Jesus on his shoulder as Christ said the words, “I am willing; be cleansed.” The words sent a shock wave penetrating every fiber of the leper’s being. His skin regained its color, the bumps and lesions that covered his body disappeared, and feeling came back to his fingers. He could once again feel the cool breeze on his face. He was clean! What happened? Why? How? The answer was more simple than he would have imagined in that moment; the Lord had compassion on his condition, and desired to touch his life.

Why is this such a remarkable story to me? Because it’s been repeated thousands of times since the remarkable day it happened, but more importantly, I’ve witness the same type of compassion repeated in my own life. You see, Jesus looked on me and felt my pain, He identified with my trials and He saw me in all my “Uncleanness.” With that same compassion for me and my condition, he reached out from the cross, into my life, with a touch and the words, “Be cleansed.”

In His Grace,
Pastor Glenn

Got Questions?

From time to time we all have questions that need answers. Have you ever read the Bible and asked why did God do that? Or What does that mean to me in 2009? How many times have your studies gotten you to the point where you've said, "I just don't get it?"

Sometimes our questions are about how we can best live out our lives as followers of Jesus. Like, what does the Bible say about, marriage, relationships and family issues? How do I know I'm in the right church? What is a good Bible to purchase? Or, how can I figure out what God wants me to do?

Sometimes even after being in church, and doing our own Bible study we still end up with some of our questions going unanswered. This is your opportunity to ask the questions that have been on your mind. Submit your questions by placing them in the offering box at the church or email me at lifepoint1@live.com. We may not be able to answer all questions on this blog but my staff and I will make every effort to respond to you.

In His Grace
Pastor Glenn

Accountability

What is it? The dictionary says it means the quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions. In a biblical sense, it is developing relationships with other believers which will promote spiritual authenticity, personal integrity and obedience to God. This happens through feedback, evaluation, and wise counsel regarding how we are doing in our walk with God, in relationships with others and in the responsibilities of life.Accountability involves teaching, challenging, supporting and encouraging one another in ways that promote spiritual growth in us as believers. What accountability is not is coercion, invasion of privacy, or bringing people into conformity through guilt. It is also not submitting to one someone's personal opinion, legalism or manipulation.

The OPPORTUNITY in accountability is to demonstrate love to one another.

In Proverbs 22:6 we see that parents show their love for their children by holding them accountable to “the way they should go” or the direction they should take.

Colossians teaches us that accountability in love is an opportunity for demonstrating the presence of Christ in our lives.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:12-17)

The POWER of accountability is the word of God.

As previously stated, accountability is not about holding someone to an arbitrary set of moral standards or personal beliefs. Biblical accountability centers on the word of God as the standard and model for behavior and actions. In his letter to the Philippians the Apostle Paul says, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:8-9). Paul valued the encouragement of the Philippians in knowing Christ over his own wants and desires.

There is nothing a man can seek, know or own that is of more value than the knowledge of Christ and the righteousness which comes through faith in Him.

Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word, which by the gospel was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:23-25)

The RESULT of accountability is maturity.
No doubt you have heard that old saying “Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime.” That is what a good accountability system will do for us. Those who have encouraged me in the word of God have given me a foundation for living.

“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

Some Practical Steps:

1. Get into a Bible study where the word is accurately taught.
2. Develop a relationship with a person who can challenge you in the truth.
3. Invest yourself in another and find someone who will invest in you.
4. Commit to living what you learn.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)

In His Grace,
Pastor Glenn

Hello!

Happy new year my friends,

Welcome to my blog.

This whole blog thing is all new to me, but I do see it as a useful tool for communicating thoughts and ideas. I look forward to this being a place where we can exchange thoughts and challenge one another to higher learning and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.

As the pastor of Lifepoint Church my earnest desire is to be a resource to help you all to develop a real hunger for gaining more of the riches of the words of the Bible. My belief is that once you become a student of the Word of God you will grow in your relationship and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17,18

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,

Pastor Glenn