The Way Of Thanksgiving - James 2:15-17

 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. - James 2:15-17

    As we approach Thanksgiving it is important for Christians to extend the cause for thankfulness to all people in our sphere of influence. It is not enough that we are thankful for our own blessings. We must help those with less to see that despite their shortcomings they still have much to be thankful for. The first way we can do so is to remind them (and ourselves) that everything we have God has provided for us. “John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.’” - John 3:27. Even the poor in Christ have much to be grateful for.
    With this in mind, we now take our blessings to the next step in Christian love: to share our blessings with others in need. We always share our good gifts with others among our family and friends at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and throughout the year but what about those around us who don’t have that advantage? What about the poor, the homeless, and the hungry? We are called by the Gospel to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” - 1 Peter 4:10. This passage specifically regards the gifts of the Holy Spirit but it can easily be extended to all the graces we have received from God, including temporal blessings such as clothing, food, and housing.
    It does no one any good to merely chant blessings to someone in dire need of physical necessities. We must go from merely praying for others to saying, ‘what can I do for others’ in addition to our prayers? The hungry must eat. The naked must be clothed. The homeless must be sheltered. The sick must be attended to. Helping them with their bodily needs as well as their spiritual needs lightens the burdens of these souls. We must see to the corporeal provisions of those who are without. This is something for which Christ commands us - “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’” - Matthew 25:34-36. Jesus tells us that the result of our treating the needs of others will result in our inheritance in His kingdom, prepared for us from the foundation of the world!
    Let us all put forth the Christian effort to help those in need not just as the holidays approach, but everyday of every week, month, and every year. Let us cultivate the habits that show our Christian love so God’s glory may be known to all.
    As we go forward, we must remember that God sees every action taken by man. But more important: He sees every motivation as well. Making sure we ‘get a receipt’ for our generosity sucks the spiritual fruit away from the tree of our heavenly reward. The fruit withers on the tree when our giving away becomes a veiled way of ‘getting back.’ Forget the receipt! Is it not a gift we are giving? Do we require a receipt when we give birthday gifts and Christmas gifts? Think of how ridiculous the idea of a receipt for a gift is. The gift is no longer from our hearts; it’s now all about our wallets.
    Let us all go beyond the earthly honor that the world associates with giving. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. . . But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” - Matthew 6:1, 3-4. God loves the motives and the gifts of our humble hearts. This is God’s will for us. Let us seek how and who we may help this holiday season and throughout the years ahead.

God’s Answer To PTSD - Psalm 34:4

 
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. - Psalm 34:4

    Pick up any newspaper or turn to any news channel and you’ll probably find some mention of the ongoing suffering of people who are exposed to some form of trauma in their lives. You may even know someone who is suffering. Whether it is our noble and patriotic soldiers coming home from war or victims of violent crime, these suffering souls need reassurance, intestinal fortitude, and peace in their lives. They survived a trauma which has thrown a deep dark shadow over their lives, and they still need help from those around them and those charged with their healing. Though there is help and counseling for these victims of trauma, more often than not, they need more. They need the help that springs eternal: the assurance of God Almighty. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” - 2 Timothy 1:7.
    God has promised that those of us who trust in Him will not trust in vain. It takes truth, commitment, and faith in Him, without which we are boats without rudders, and the first strong wind we encounter will send us into a hazardous port. Alcoholism and drug addiction greedily await hungry souls looking for relief, looking for a place to rest their weary hearts. But God has a better plan. “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”- Psalm 91:3-6.
    How does a soul that has experienced the saving grace of God then react to the pressure and insecurity of PTSD? They fall back on the hope He has surely provided for them. They hope in God, not in man, as man has too often been the source of their trauma. “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” - Lamentations 3:21-24.
    God’s position is apparent, as it has been since the dawn of time. It has never and will never change. That is why the suffering can rely on the truth of His promises. Those who ignore Him and avoid Him have carved out a grave of their own making, but the ones who listen to God find relief and security in His Words. “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” - Proverbs 1:32-33.
    We know what God has given us; how He will deliver us; what hope will provide for us; and where our security lies. But how can one access our great and loving God’s strength in the face of trauma? We are called to pray. Our prayers and supplications to God must start from a baseline of reasonable faith. And from there, the flower of God’s peace will bloom for us. “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7.
    The road to peace from the trauma of PTSD is not an easy journey. It is often wrought with setbacks, stumbles, and falls, but God is here for them and for their families, especially in their times of need. God never abandons the faithful, never! “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” - Psalm 34:18-19.
    Let us surrender all our pains and insecurities to God Almighty, as ultimately, He is the source of our renewal of mind, body, and soul. He is the source of our healing.“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.” - Psalm 30:2.
    We must seek the Lord and He will both answer us and deliver us from all our fears, doubts, and worries. He has promised to do so.

Strength And Confidence - Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105

Sometimes, in all our lives, we face a moment of indecision. “What should I do?” has been a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another. Whether it is deciding if we should share bad news with someone or if we should tell them the truth, even though it may hurt them, we have all had to question ourselves prior to committing ourselves to action. And it should be a concern for us.

There are only two choices we can make: the right choice or the wrong choice. Some will suggest that a third choice is to do nothing, but that’s just faulty logic. To do nothing is a choice and most often the wrong one. Procrastination and indecision lead to soul crushing doubt, and doubt leads us nowhere. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”- James 1:6-8.

As Christians, we are told succinctly how we are to make decisions- ‘with the fear and knowledge of the Lord.’ It’s not rocket science; it’s actually self-explanatory. We are to see every situation through the light of God’s Word. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5-6. We are instructed to take all our misgivings and reservations to God for an answer. We cannot remain frozen in time like the Tin Man because if we don’t make our own decisions, someone else will surely make them for us.

In many situations, something already made our decisions for us. To list such things is unneeded, since we’re all pretty familiar with the rules of government, society, and culture. However, we are daily faced with decisions that need weighing for their ethical propriety, decorum, morality, and most times for their Christian virtue. We must take it to the Lord. “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” - Proverbs 16:1-3.

Many of us seek advice from others in times of decision. And without a doubt, godly advice from a Christian brother or sister is always a blessing. But there are going to be times when we have no one to ask, times when fervent prayer is our only recourse. We should establish right now that prayer should be our first resort, not our last. “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” - Philippians 4:6.

God has given us a plan to follow when we have our doubts: the Ten Commandments. If the decisions we make cannot don’t come to us by seeing the question through the light of the Commandments, we’re going to wind up making the wrong decision. Seeking advice from anyone outside the parameters of God’s will inevitably steers us off the course He has set for us. Most often, men give advice with an expedience and pragmatic out-come in mind, rather than the will of God. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” - Psalm 118:8.

Simply deciding on a set course doesn’t make it the right choice. It just means that we have decided. We will still have to deal with the repercussions and consequences that come from making such decisions, but we can achieve strength and confidence in our decisions when we make those decisions as God has intended, not the government, society, or the culture. “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” - Acts 5:27-29.

Making Godly decisions provides strength and confidence for the Christian. The culture of man is fleeting at best and hellish at worst. Only God’s way is straight and narrow.

One Christ, One Church - John 17:22-23

    The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. - John 17:22-23

    “A Roman Catholic, a Baptist, and a Presbyterian were sitting on a park bench. . . .” you’ve heard at least one version of the story. But there is no joke to be told. As John’s Gospel tells us, we are all one in Christ, regardless of our Christian denomination. Remember that prior to the Reformation, there were only two Christian sects - the Western or Roman tradition and the Eastern or Orthodox tradition. This ‘Great Schism’ occurred in 1054 AD. Prior to this ‘East-West Schism’, there was one holy, apostolic, catholic church. The split in 1054 and in the years following the Reformation were internecine battles over doctrine and, in many cases, politics. Over the years, Christians allowed many adiaphoristic (inconsequential) issues to rise to the rank of critical importance to determine the primacy of one denomination’s faith over that of another. While truthful doctrine always matters, there are irrelevant issues that separate otherwise bona fide believers in Christ and His holy and apostolic church. That church is also ‘catholic’ in the genuine sense of the word, meaning ‘universal,’ not necessarily Roman.  
    The defining of ‘the church’ resolutely depends on one central person - Jesus Christ. “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” - Matthew 16:18.
    Christ never once says He will build His churches. His claim is not pluralistic; it is singular - His church. So who will make up Christ’s congregation? Everyone who believes that Christ is the Son of God, Redeemer, and Savior. “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” - 1 Corinthians 12:13. Our membership in God’s church transcends race, color, and ethnicity. It is in Christ’s name alone that we are the church.
    The ecumenical movement does not include Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, Wicca, or any other non- Christo-centric religion. It is all in Christ alone. Solo Christo! There is only one criterion that Jesus Himself pointed to during His earthly ministry - “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” - Matthew 18:20. This is where we find Christ.We do not find Him in the meandering imaginations of unbiblical people.
    Ecumenically, we respect each other despite our denominational differences. As Paul taught - “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” - Ephesians 4:1-6. This is Christ’s church!
    We must stop bickering with one another about the trite differences between our denominations so long as what we are referring to does not specifically deny ‘Christ is the head of the church.’ Is the ‘believer’s baptism’ more lawful than paedo-baptism? Should a woman cover her head upon entering a church? Should a man? Does drinking alcohol violate the sanctity of God’s Word? Is one liturgical form more acceptable to God than another? Do human institutions trump the Word of God under any circumstance? These issues, and many more like them, often divide Christians and keep us from the unity that God demands of us.
    In closing, we must keep I mind it is God who calls us together and not one pastor or  another.“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” - 1 John 1:1-5.

Our Most Pressing Need - Mark 1:40-41

    
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” - Mark 1:40-41

    If we were ill with a terminal disease, is there anything we wouldn’t do to be cured? This question assumes that we are ill and that we are aware of our illness. But what of those who are both sick and dying but do not know it? This, of course, brings us to the truth that we must recognize our great need for restoration to begin with. Our blindness as sinners often keeps us from admitting both our sins and our need for the cure.
    There are many who know they are sinners and simply don’t care. They don’t have the least concern about offending God. They see no great requirement of repentance or contrition because they don’t see that they have done anything wrong. There are the very people who claim that they are basically good people. They are wrong.  “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” - Romans 3:10-12.
    Of course, there will always be a dying soul who asks about all the fine things he or she has done in their lives. “Do they count for nothing?” They ask. Again, the Scriptures are clear - “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” - Isaiah 64:6. The KJV refers to our ‘righteous deeds’ as ‘filthy rags.’ So we clearly have not recognized our need for forgiveness. As long as we go about our lives believing God grades us all on a curve after we die, He will not forgive or redeem us from an eternity in hell. But there are many who complain and say “That’s not fair!” Unfortunately, we have all become like the culture we live in. We no longer believe in the equality of opportunity. We demand equality of outcome. Hint: God makes the rules, not us, and complain as we might, until we recognize our need for forgiveness, we are all headed for hell. We must know our salvation is not accessible by anything we can possibly do. We must rely on God’s grace to find our redemption. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9.
    We must put away our human pride and recognize that our greatest need cannot be emphasized enough. We first have to come to conclude that we are sinners. On our own, we will never come to that understanding. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. With His illumination of our thoughts, words, and deeds, He convicts us of our sins. If His conviction of our sins does not lead us to regeneration and faith, we are left in a world without truth, without promise, without hope! “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” - 1 Corinthians 2:14.  
    What all of us must do if we don’t want to end up in hell is listen to and heed the words of Jesus Christ. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” - Matthew 7:21-23.
    No valiant human virtue will accomplish for us what only God can do. Neither all the charitable works, nor all the generosity, nor all the mercy we show to others will do what only God can do. Only He can save us in eternity.
     Each of us is running out of time. Acknowledging our sinful natures and being regenerated by the Holy Spirit is our only hope of being washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. This is our most pressing need!

Our God, A Consuming Fire - Hebrews 12:28-29

 

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:28-29

The writer of Hebrews draws a conclusion based on the previous texts. And that text provides a theology that is exclusive to Christianity alone. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” - Hebrews 12:22-24.

According to Holy Scripture, first we are called to be grateful for this ‘heavenly Jerusalem,’ this kingdom, that we have been granted access to, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Because it is through Christ it cannot now or ever be shaken. It is rock solid for those who believe. We have been assured of this by Christ himself. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” - John 5:24. Our guaranteed salvation awaits us all in the shadow of the Cross.

Gratitude should be of paramount importance to the Christian. Our gratitude should be observable in our worship to God. Thus, we are called to offer Him ‘acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.’ Those three criteria should be apparent in the way we worship God. Starting with acceptable worship we are instructed, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” - Romans 12:1. We cannot come before God with flippant attitudes and casual convenience. We are WORSHIPING GOD!

We must show our Lord both reverence and awe. Reverence should be obvious in the very way we approach our worship. “You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.” - Leviticus 26:2. We can define reverence as ‘deep respect’ tendered in solemnity and severity. I fear most people today lost the ability to respect very much. It shows in both their attitudes and behavior. God has said He will not accept such profane worship. “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” - Hosea 6:6. All the worldly things that we might do to please God injure our worship rather than enhance it. We must revere God in our hearts, our minds, and our actions. A proper heart toward God is not a mere suggestion. It is a command.

Next, we must worship with awe. The King James version, as well as many other versions, replaces awe with fear. It is most appropriate when one considers that awe is simply a synonym of the word ‘amazement.’ It does not mean the type of fear that requires recoiling in stark terror, although it could be so. Awe in this usage means wonder or astonishment. Both words often lead to fear. When we refuse to comply with God’s edicts, we should be filled with reverential fear.

Finally, we recognize that ‘our God is a consuming fire.’ If we cannot perceive this or recognize it as an offshoot of God’s holy wrath, we don’t know God. And Holy Scripture reminds frequently “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” - Psalm 111:10.

The knowledge of God is reserved for those who ‘offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe’. After all, our God IS a consuming fire.

Hardened Hearts

 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. - Exodus 7:3-4

    One of the first objections ‘non-biblicals’ (a person unfamiliar with the Bible) make concerning God’s treatment of Pharaoh in Exodus is that God told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. He would ordain it so Pharaoh would reject the request to let the people of Israel ‘go.’ So how could it possibly be Pharaoh’s fault if God made him do so?
    People also often incorrectly blame God for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. They surmise that since Judas was one of Christ’s twelve Apostles why would God allow him to betray His Son? Once again it is either stark disbelief in the Lord’s Word or ignorance of it entirely that leads to their error. Because we are clearly told in Paul’s letter to the Romans -“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” - Romans 1:28.
    Could God also have prevented Adam and Eve from disobeying His command? Could God have prevented Joseph’s brothers from selling him into slavery? Could God also have prevented the Gerasene demoniac from becoming possessed in the first place? The answer to these questions and thousands more like them is an unequivocal ‘YES!’ God can do as He pleases with anyone, anytime and anyplace. So why does God allow such unpredictable irregularities to happen?
    Let me start by saying that the things that people do are neither unpredictable nor irregular. A person’s character is often betrayed by his or her behavior. Did it come as a surprise to anyone that the imbalanced mind in a megalomaniac like Adolf Hitler would lead to atrocities beyond belief?
    When personal choices, both good or bad, lead to habitual behavior in a person, it most often leads to the development of that individual’s character. The formula isn’t rocket science. Consistently good behavior leads to good character building. The inverse is also true.
    Why then does God allow us to make bad choices? The answer shouldn’t come as any surprise - free will. We are not God’s robots. That is why God ‘gives us up’ to our constant inclinations and proclivities. If we choose to shoot heroin on a consistent basis, it is not God’s fault that we become addicts! If we consistently berate, belittle, and abuse our spouses, it is not God’s fault that we become abusers, both domestic and in general. The things we fill our minds and hearts with are good indicators of what kind of people we have become or will become. And quite possibly the very worst thing that can happen to us is that despite warnings, opportunities to change, and even signs from God Almighty, our necks can become hardened against any kind of repentance because we have deliberately chosen to ‘be this way.’ “They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” - Romans 1:29-32.
    We should all heed the words of the Apostle Paul when he tells us - “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” - Philippians 4:8-9. The choice really is up to us.