Thankful

Is your heart fully engaged?

Posted on by Jesse Walker

Have you ever found yourself running through the routines of life without much thought put into it? You know you hustle into class with your attention a mile away? Or with a thousand different things on your mind. You hope the preacher hasn’t prepared one of those long sermons.  You have a softball game to get to, a picnic planned, a bike ride, or an afternoon at the lake.  All good family activities.

I suppose we have all done that at one time or another.  Life can be hard to leave at the door on Sunday mornings. Our minds are cluttered with distractions. But can I challenge you to take a moment and breath, and to slow down and ask God to help you prepare. Before you head out the door, or maybe in the car, ask God to help you get ready for worship. Simply say, Lord thank you for loving me. Thank you for carrying me when I couldn’t stand. Lord, thank you for saving my marriage, and thank you for giving me my job. Father, thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for walking with me through the valley of death when my enemy was all around. Thank you for carrying the load when I couldn’t. These simple words will help you dump the things in life that aren’t really that important.  And when you arrive at the doors of the building, you will be ready to help others see what God has done for them.  If they need a shoulder to cry on, you’ll be ready. If they need someone to rejoice with, you got it.  And your Father in heaven will smile down from heaven and accept your worship as a sweet aroma. Not because of perfection or imperfections, but because of an honest heart.

No God is not seeking perfectionist. Or those who think they can do it on their own. He’s seeking an honest and pure heart.  In Matthew 15:8 we read of those whom Jesus said, “’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”.  Church let’s check ourselves this morning, and make sure we are not just giving God lip service but that our hearts are fully engaged. Then our sacrifices will be acceptable and rise before Him as a sweet aroma. And this is Jesse Walker with the Glenwood Church of Christ.

The Spirit of Thanksgiving

Posted on by Bob Mathews

The expression of gratitude is a commendable trait and one which is divinely approved (Phil. 4:6-7).  An examination of the New Testament reveals several contexts in which thanksgiving was freely exercised.

Thanksgiving may be expressed in contexts dealing with spirituality, including our spiritual warfare within (Rom. 7:23-25), our knowledge of others’ godly life (Eph. 1:16), or remembering the fellowship of other Christians (Phil. 1:3-5).  Or, it may be expressed as we experience anxiety in life (Phil. 4:6), as we are being built up in Christ (Col. 2:7), or as we realize anew the manifestation of God in creation (Rom. 1:20-21).

Thanksgiving may be expressed in contexts dealing with religious observances.  Such was done as Christ ate His last Passover meal with the disciples (Mt. 26:18-20) and in the church’s assembly (1 Co. 14:16-17).

Thanksgiving may be expressed in teaching contexts.  The parable of the Pharisee and the publican included the expression of thanks (Luke 18:9-14).  The Apostle Paul expressed thanksgiving as he penned the Roman epistle (Rom. 1:8) and as he discussed the act of speaking in tongues (1Co. 14:18).  He also expressed thanks as he discussed fainting not in the ministry (2 Co. 4:15).

Thanksgiving may be expressed in contexts involving persecution.  The apostle Paul expressed thanks as he faced false accusations before Felix (Acts 24:1-3), as he was about to be become shipwrecked (Acts 27:27-44), and as he journeyed closer to Rome (Acts 28:14-15).  One may express thanks as another endangers his life for fellow Christians (Rom. 16:3-4) and as one is persecuted as a child of God (2 Co. 1:11).

Thanksgiving may be expressed even amidst congregational division.  Such was done amidst judgmental differences (Rom. 14:6), concerning spiritual leaders in the congregation (1 Co. 1:4, 14), and as some were able to conscientiously partake of food offered unto idols (1 Co. 10:30).

Thanksgiving may also be expressed as we feed the hungry (Mt. 15:36), as we help needy saints (2 Co. 9:11-12), as we receive healing (Luke 17:11ff), and in contexts of life and death (John 11:41).

Thanksgiving can be expressed in a multitude of situations. Things don’t always have to be good or easy in our life for us to be thankful. We have the choice and ability to always see the best in any situation we may face. The reason we may find it easy to do at times, is because we have God. No matter how good or bad things go in our life, God will always be there for us. Even at the end of all things for our lives we can be thankful that God will take us home with for eternity. If you find it hard to be thankful for anything in your life, maybe you have not yet become a child of the one that brings ultimate joy. If choose to follow Him, no matter the good or bad that may come, your life can have joy and peace and that is something outstanding to be thankful for.

The Grace of God

Posted on by Bob Mathews

The mediate source of grace flowing from the Father’s throne is the Son of God, Christ Jesus (Rom. 1:5). Our assurance that divine grace will be extended to all men (Titus 2:11-12) is evidenced both prophetically and by promise (1 Peter 1:10; Zech. 12:10). The grace of God serves distinct and wonderful purposes, including our personal salvation (Eph. 2:8), our justification (Rom. 3:24), our receipt of the imputation of righteousness (Rom. 5:15-17), our sufficiency in all things (2 Cor. 9:8), our abounding to every good work (2 Cor. 9:8), and our receipt of the gift of eternal life (Rom. 5:20-21).

Knowing that such wonderful blessings flow from the grace of God, we must endeavor to access the Father’s grace by personal faith (Rom. 5:1-2) working in harmony with the Abrahamic promise (Rom. 4:16), the expressed Word of God (Rom. 10:17) and the calling of God (2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:14) in association with the Word. Because of the importance of these issues, we must remember that grace is always in harmony with truth (Col. 1:3-6) and it requires obedience of faith (Rom. 5:21; 6:16-18). Meritorious works have no role to play in the Father’s system of redemption (Rom. 11:6). Our efforts to safeguard our standing in the grace of God is essential because we can so conduct ourselves so as to no longer be in the grace of God (Gal. 5:4).

Biblical motivation to continue in the grace of God by God-approved means includes our desire to escape the dominion of sin (Rom. 6:14), our desire to be a member of the elect of God (Rom. 11:5), our desire to be blessed with spiritual gifts (Eph. 3:8), our desire to maintain our hope (2 Thess. 2:16-17), and our desire to be the recipient of all the expressed purposes of the grace of God. The Father’s grace is surely worth our full personal dedication to all that the grace of God demands.

We Should be Thankful

Posted on by Bob Mathews

As I ponder over things in this life and the things I should have done, I awaken to the fact that I still can do the things I should have done long ago. The thing that comes to mind first is that I should have been much more thankful for what I was blessed with. When the inspired writer of Malachi writes in 1:2, it says this, “”I have loved you,” says the Lord, But you say, “How have you loved us?”” The Jews during this time were not very thankful for what God had done for them. Even though this is written to the Jews, it still can apply to us today.

Are we thankful for all that God has done for us? Or do we say I am not very blessed, just look at my situation in this life. We all just need a calculator to start numbering all that our God has blessed with and be so thankful. I understand it today but as I was growing up I should have been more thankful for my family. I was very blessed to have parents who really loved me and gave their all to make me the person that I am. Not only my parents but my whole family, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. As I look back in time when all these members were here, I should have been even more thankful. You really don’t understand these great blessings until you don’t have them any longer. Most of us could relate to this and understand how we have been blessed, so we must be thankful.

In my youth I was blessed by a great church family. Elders and preachers who were great examples but I should have been more aware of how much they loved me and taught me about God. There was a little old lady who told me a story from the Bible that I still remember, Alice was her name. I wish I could tell them all thank you for helping for this person called Jack.

The things that should never come from me at this point in life is that I am ungrateful for all the blessings that come from our God. Our God has given His Son to me. God has given us the hope that carries us thru every day. He will bless us with the hope of heaven if we are true and obedient to Him.

Psalm 111 says, “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them. Splendid and majestic is His work, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonders to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and compassionate. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever. He has made known to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

I am thankful. Will you be?                                                               – Jack Hawes