It is
evident who lives by their past ways. But in Christ, we are born again to live
anew and that also includes relationships. In that born again man, we put off
the ungodly indeed. And we put on the new that is the image of Christ Jesus.
From the above passage, we find it lists love but also includes that being
patient, there is that being humble, merciful and the forgiving. And it will be
that peace of Christ that will control our thoughts and our emotions. In Him
and by that description, you and I are to be thankful.
A beginning
with a grateful heart to God: Psalm 100 Make a joyful shout to
the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His
presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made
us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be
thankful and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting,
and His truth endures to all generations.
Have we
gone before the LORD to worship Him? Have we gone before HIM and say “Thank you
for loving me?” Have we thought on His goodness to us in the past week? We are
told that we are the sheep of His pasture. Do you know how smelly sheep are? Do you know what they can lie down in? And yet, He is our Shepherd. He is to lead us. And in His court, we give
praise, we bless His name for we understand that His truth endures to all
generations.
There are today many spinning their false narratives, they wave their magic wands of fairy dust, and expect you to believe their false tales. They are known as false prophets, and they continue in their ways that is
certainly to a place many should want to avoid. We are to remember that we are
dust, but we also remember we have been saved for His glory and to His praise.
Without Him, we were doomed forever! But with Him we walk into glory. Thank you
Jesus for Your willing heart to step in for us even before we knew about what You had decided to do for us in this great thing!
Honoring
God, Honoring Others. They profess their
God before men, give instruction in the way of Life that is in God. Luke 2:
13-14 & suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God & saying:14 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men.” Luke 2:17-18 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely
known the saying which was told them concerning the Child. 18 and all those who
heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
We cannot
give goodwill to another if we have no goodwill towards God. That is, we each
must have peace with God. Many proclaim Christianity but are far from Him, know
nothing about Him and yet speak of a place with Him. But their mouths speak of
decay, death , lack, they speak despair, and of loneliness.
Goodwill
for others is cooperating with God in other people’s welfare. It is having the
same kind of benevolence God has toward us as believer’s. We are here to encourage others in His Word
and by prayer. When meeting with someone either from the workplace, from church
or maybe a neighbor, we are to remember that “iron sharpens iron.” And it is
for that which is purposed for their life. In giving someone the word of God is
for that purpose for which God has placed in them and to help them grow!
IN being grateful, we speak: for what God has done: He gave us life, He gave us parents ( a father and a mother), He gave us good health, a home, He has given us teachers to teach the word of God, he has given us opportunities to work in earning a paycheck and become responsible citizens.
We had
opportunity to rise this day: not only out of bed, but to rise off the floor
when kneeling to pick a hairpin off the floor! We have opportunity to rise and
give voice for Him when others appear downcast and lost! We give thanks for
mentors who have mentored us to be responsible adults, but also responsible to
give voice to the life in God. To give voice of His majesty when others speak
of sickness and death.
I am
certain many of us have remember last Thanksgiving Day or what ever holiday you
may have in the month of November, and much has changed dramatically in the
last twelve months. But I can also say for certain that I am not where I was
20+ years ago, BY SEEKING GOD AND IN PRAYER I HAVE CHANGED….AND WILL CONTINUE
TO BE CHANGED FOR HIS GLORY. YOU will
find that in being grateful to God that
we have hope!
GRATEFULNESS looks back. We look back at the Cross. And we move through life now as the
born-again believer, being grateful to God for all He has given to us through
His Son. In that we have hope as we look forward with a desire, we look forward
with a confidence that God is on the scene and the expectation that God is not
done with us yet. We are to be ever encouraging ourselves in HIM with the
thankful heart looking toward the
future. But if we fail to give that to another person or persons, then we would
tend toward or be bent toward being without grateful hearts and without hope. In
Iron ….sharpening….. Iron,…… our words spoken is of creative ability from God
where rage & wrath do not exist. We are not to be the green-eyed monster. The words we speak are of comfort, joy and
much happiness. They are bold words representing a powerful God who is
able.
When the
shepherds heard the angels of heaven speak, they made haste to go…Luke 2:8-20
NKJV 8 Now there were in the same
country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by
night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the
angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in
the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the
sign to you; You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger.”
13 And there was suddenly with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men.” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them
into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “ Let us now go to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made
known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the
Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when
they had seen Him they made widely known the saying which was told them
concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things
which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and
pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told
them.
Grateful
were these shepherds who kept their watch over their flock by night. They were
diligent doing the work they did as the responsible adult. They kept watch and
were the first to know God’s plan for redemption. The “smelly lot” received the
word given them. They moved quickly to see this which was made known to them. “And
they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.”
And when they spoke what was given them concerning this Child, all marveled.
And Mary kept these things of an announcement made to those who kept the flocks
of sheep far from the city of pomp and circumstance, of castles and kings. Then
the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that
they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Oh we give
thanks of all that was spoken in 2020, but God’s word rings truth. It is not
over to those of faith. For the faithful look toward to 2021. Our heads are
raised, and our body’s submit to the strength of God…to rise at His command. To
go into all the world with not the suggested command, but the Great Command and
give the Gospel to those who require a Savior Who is Christ the Lord!
WE Trust in
the LORD with all our heart, And lean
not on our own understanding; In all our
ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct our paths. ….concerning my life, our
spouse, our children, work and home in 2021.
We are not
the wise in our own eyes………………WE …Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will
be health to our flesh, And strength to our
bones. We Honor the LORD with our possessions, And with the first-fruits of all
your increase; So our barns will be filled with plenty, And our vats will
overflow with new wine.
We are…..the
Happy man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits
of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And
all the things we may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her
right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of
pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold
of her, And happy are all who retain her.
WE seek Her
ways of pleasantness and her paths of peace……….we take hold of her today and
will not let go! When we lie down, we will not be afraid; Yes, we will lie down
and our sleep will be sweet. WE are not afraid of sudden terror, Nor of
trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be our confidence, And
will keep our foot from being caught.
We are that force on earth. We are His beloved and we please Him by our obedience. WE embrace His beauty through His word of truth. We rest in the night and He gives us dreams to know more about Him. We live by faith and not by sight. His presence goes with us and the earth shakes. We give His truth and it thunders. We speak as the shepherds spoke and give a grateful heart of thanks and much praise! For He let us know His plan and it is a good plan for good and not evil to give us hope in the final outcome. We run with joy each day, we rise out of complacency and foolishness to give voice that the morning STAR has risen. He has risen and we rise as well….to let others know we have heard and seen this marvelous thing and to go tell others!
New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
