How Thankful Are You, Really?

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Have you ever met someone who just bought a new car, just came home from a dream vacation, or who just had some big thing happen in their life?  And the reason you know this is because it seems that all they want to do is tell you about it.  In this kind of a situation, you do not have to ask the person to find out about these things, because they want to talk about it so much.  In fact, you almost have to try and find a way to have them talk about something different, because they are so preoccupied with their big event, that it is all they seem to be able to talk about.

The Bible is very clear that God's people should be thankful people.  But sometimes this is a principle more than a practice.  In the United States, the fourth Thursday of November is called Thanksgiving, and it is traditionally a time for people to be with family and friends, but it is not always a time of being thankful.  Sometimes at these gatherings of family and friends, people will talk about something they are thankful for, and this is good, but how grateful are we really if our being thankful is mainly limited to one day in the year?  Shouldn't we be more grateful and thankful all the time? 

As Christians, there is so much that we can, and should be thankful for.  But very often, we find it easier to focus on and talk about the things we are not so happy about or grateful for.  So, how thankful are we, really?  Christians should be the kind of people that are known for being grateful, people who always have something they want to tell you that they are thankful for, rather than people who never seem to be grateful.  When we think about all that God has done for us, and all He has provided for us, it should be easy for us to be thankful.

Who Do You Act Like?

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children."
Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV)

Recently, I was having lunch with a friend.  This friend is someone I have known for my entire life, and they were also good friends with my parents.  While we were talking, my friend reacted to something I said and made the comment, "You have the same sense of humor your dad had."  This person had heard something I said, and it reminded them of something my father said.  This was not a surprise, because being his son, and having spent so many years with my father, it was very natural for me to act like him.  This is very common in families; children take after their parents and act very much like them.

There are two families in the world today, the family of God, and the family of the devil.  Everyone belongs to one of these two families, and the difference is that those in the family of God left the family of the devil by receiving Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they were born again into a new family.  And, as Paul said in Ephesians 5, as the children of God, we need to imitate our heavenly Father.  In the same way, Jesus told the Pharisees that they did the work of their father, the devil (John 8:44), they were in the wrong family. 

Paul said in Ephesians 5:1 that the children of God should imitate God.  This of course does not mean that we are trying to become God, but we should act like Him, we should display the same traits as our heavenly Father.  If we are not acting in the way that our heavenly Father and Jesus would act, then who do we act like?  If we are not following the example of Jesus, who was the will of God in action, then who are we imitating?  Just like children would imitate their natural parents, it should be natural for the children of God to behave like God, our lives should reflect the spiritual family we are in and who our spiritual father is.

Sweet Words, Or Bitter Words?

"Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing, my brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter water from the same opening?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Thus no springs yields both salt water and fresh."
James 3:10-12 (NKJV)

In Germany, and other nations, there are springs of water that you can go to and get very fresh, sweet water.  Rivers high up in the mountains have water that is also very fresh, and you can drink right from those rivers.  Unfortunately, sometimes a spring or river can become polluted.  When that happens, no one should drink from that water, because the water would be harmful.  Once the water is polluted, it is no longer fresh, even though it was at one time, because water cannot be fresh and polluted at the same time.

One theme that is seen again and again in the Bible is the importance, and power, of our words.  While some people have taken this topic to an extreme, the fact remains that the Bible shows us how our words can help or harm people.  If we are consistently speaking negative and harmful words to others, we will only hurt them.  But, if we speak positive and kind words to others, we will build them up and encourage them, because our words do matter.  The words we speak about ourselves, and others, will have an impact on us and those we speak to.

In James 3, it compares the words we speak to water that comes from a spring, which can be fresh water, or it can be bitter water, but it cannot be both at the same time.  In the same way, our words can be a blessing, like fresh spring water, or a curse, like bitter water, but our words cannot be both at the same time.  And if our words are sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse, the result is that the words we intend to be good words are diluted and will not have the value and impact that they should, because our words are inconsistent.  We need to watch our words and speak words of life that bring fresh water to others.

Places Everyone!

"But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased."
1 Corinthians 12:18 (NKJV)

When there is a production of something like a play, there are different characters in the play, there are people working behind the scenes, and there can even be some musicians involved.  When the play is ready to be performed and about to start, the director will say something like "places everyone," to let people know it is time to be in their assigned place.  If someone is out of place, it can affect the entire production and cause problems.  For everything to go smoothly, everyone involved needs to be in their place doing their assigned task.

As soon as someone receives Jesus as their Savior and Lord, that person becomes a part of the Family of God, they become a part of the Body of Christ.  There is a place and purpose in the Body of Christ for every believer.  In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul compared the Body of Christ to our natural body.  Just as there are no extra or unnecessary parts in the human body, there are no extra or unnecessary parts in the Body of Christ.  We may look at ourselves that way sometimes, but God has a part for every believer in the Body of Christ.

As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:18, God has set each of us in the Body of Christ as He pleased.  It is not up to us to pick our place in the Body of Christ, but it is our responsibility to learn through God's Word and with the help of the Holy Spirit what our place is, and how to best function as the part of the Body of Christ that we are.  If we are not in our place doing the work that God has planned for us to do, something will be missing and there will be problems.  Today, God is saying "places everyone," to all of us in the Body of Christ, because there is a world to reach, and a harvest to reap, and we need to do our part.

What Are You Equipped To Do?

"Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen."
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NKJV)

There were several places that I worked at in the past where I had to do different things.  Most of the time, when I was given some new thing to do, I would be trained to do that work.  But when I was trained to do some new job, which was different than what I had previously done, I could not just do things the way I had before.  If I tried to use some skill from a previous job to do my new job, it may not have worked, and it would certainly not have been something that pleased my boss.  To do my job effectively, I had to do the work I was trained for.

The Bible is very clear that God has a plan for each person, and God will help us in what He has planned for us to do.  But the key is that the plan God has for each of us is His plan, not our plan.  If we want to have success in life, and especially in the things that God has called us and equipped us to do, then we need to follow His plan.  If we do not follow God's plan, and we try to do our own plan, then we will be doing something we are not really equipped for, and as Hebrews 13:21 says, we will not be well pleasing to God.

God will help us and equip us do what He has planned for us, including helping us do what His Word says to do.  The key is as Hebrews 13:21 says, that God will help us do His will and what is well pleasing in His sight.  God will equip us to do His will, but if we are following our own will, we will be trying to do something we are not equipped for, we will not have the success we should have, and we will not be well pleasing to God.  The best thing for us to do is to find the will of God for every part of our life, get in line with God's will, and work with God in His plan.  

What Is Your Inheritance?

"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 the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
Ephesians 1:17-18 (NKJV)

An inheritance is something that you receive from someone, usually a relative, after that person has died, and it is not something you earn or choose for yourself.  Depending on the family you are a part of, that person who died may leave you money, some possession, or even in some cases an official title.  Someone else in the family might receive something different than you as an inheritance, but you are not allowed to just take what someone else has and try to make it yours, each person is given their own inheritance.

The Bible has a lot to say about our inheritance in Christ.  Colossians 1:12 says that we have been qualified to be partakers of the inheritance, so it is not something that we earn.  While all the things we need to live a godly life have been provided for us through Jesus (2 Peter 1:3), we need to know specifically what God wants each of us to take hold of as our part of the inheritance in Christ.  We do not just pick our own inheritance, God is the One who gives it to us, and He will show us our part in the overall inheritance of Christ, and how to make use of it in our life.

In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed that believers would understand the inheritance we have in Christ.  As a part of God's family, because of what Jesus did for us through His death and resurrection, we have an inheritance in Christ.  That inheritance belongs to all of us, but there are some things that belong to us individually as a part of God's plan for our life.  For example, Psalm 2:8 says that we can claim the nations for our inheritance, but Psalm 47:4 says that God will choose our inheritance for us.  We learn about our inheritance in the Word of God, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can learn what our part of the inheritance is.

Walking In Love - Plank Awareness

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."
Luke 6:41-42 (NKJV)

It can be easy to notice problems other people have, and be irritated and offended by them, without having any awareness of issues in our own life that cause problems for others.  A good example of this is how people deal with their luggage when boarding a plane, and they sometimes bump into others with their things.  And then they store their bags without any thought of how what they are doing affects anyone else.  It would be better if everyone paid a little more attention to what they were doing, and how it affects others.

While people seem to get more and more self-absorbed, this is not a good thing, and it is definitely contrary to what the Bible teaches.  Too often people are caught up in their own world and what matters the most to them, and they have no thought for how what they are doing affects others.  It can be hard to break the habit of selfishness, and to not be offended when other people act poorly, but as Christians, we have the love of God in our heart, and we can be kind and walk in love towards others.

In Luke 6, Jesus talked about people who saw a small problem that someone else had (which He compared to a speck), and how these people seemed oblivious to the problem they themselves had (which Jesus compared to a plank).  It is easy to see the faults of others and miss the things in our own life that need to be dealt with.  Rather than look at other people's problems (the specks), we need to walk in love and have some "plank awareness," through the help of the Holy Spirit and living by the standard of God's Word.  That way we can be more effective in helping others.

Prior Plan For Provision

"Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
"Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.
1 Kings 17:2-4 (NKJV)

Putting things off until the last minute is a normal part of life for many people.  If we are wise, we will plan ahead for things, instead of waiting until the last minute for something to happen, and then we would be ready and able to meet whatever challenge we face.  While we do not know everything, there are some things that we can do now to be prepared for what is coming in the future.  The better we are prepared for the future, the easier it will be to deal with whatever situation we might face.

No one knows the future, or is wise enough to be ready to deal with everything that will happen in the future.  But as Christians, our Heavenly Father knows the future and He is always ready to help us with whatever need may arise in our life.  Our God is the God who sees ahead, and He has a prior plan for provision.  No matter what the future holds, no matter what need may arise, or what situation we will face in the future, God already knows about it, and He is ready with the help we need to succeed in those situations.

In James 5:17, we are told that the prophet Elijah was just like us, he was not someone special who had a relationship with God that no one else could ever have.  In 1 Kings 17 we see that when Elijah had a need, God directed Elijah where to go and what to do so that the need would be met.  God was not surprised by the situation and had to tell Elijah to come back tomorrow for an answer.  God always has a prior plan for provision for our life, no matter what we face.  It is up to us to trust God, follow His direction, and do as He says so that as we move forward in our life, the provision that God has provided for us will be ours.

Bad Past? Bright Future!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

Many years ago, when I was traveling to raise financial support to live in Germany, I stopped at a hotel that did not look great, but the advertised price and location fit what I was looking for.  The hotel was not very nice, and I made a mental note to never stay at that place again.  Just because I stayed there once did not mean I had to stay there again, and it did not mean I had to stay in similarly bad hotels for the rest of my life.  Although I did stay there in the past, I never have to stay there again.

People receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord at different ages, and everyone has a past of some kind.  Some people come to know Jesus at a young age, while others are born again when they are older.  But whether our past before we met Jesus was good or bad, it has no bearing on our future with God and God's plan for our life.  God has a plan and purpose for every person, and our past, whether good or bad, does not change the plan that God has for us.  Our past is not the most important thing in our life, but what is important is that we are a new creation in Christ.

When Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17 about being a new creation in Christ, and old things being passed away, Paul was writing about something he personally really understood.  In 1 Timothy 1:12-13, Paul talked about how God had put him into the ministry, even though Paul had been someone who persecuted Christians and had blasphemed God.  Paul's past did not ruin God's plan, and God's plan in our life does not depend on our having a perfect past.  We may have been like Paul and done some bad things, but we need to leave our past behind and move forward into the bright future we have with God.

Listen To The Tour Guide

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
John 16:13 (NKJV)

When visiting some famous sight or place of interest, you might have a tour guide.  While the tour guide is there to help you, and tell you about the place you are visiting, if you do not stay with the tour guide, if you are wandering around on your own or were not listening, the tour guide might give you some information about the place you are visiting, but you would miss it.  And if you did not follow the tour guide, you might get lost and end up somewhere you should not be.  The best thing to do is to listen to the tour guide.

The Holy Spirit has been given to us to lead us, to teach us, and as it says in John 16:13, to guide us into the truth and tell us things to come.  The Holy Spirit is ready to lead us, teach us, and guide us into the truth, but if we are not listening to Him we are going to miss out on the help of the Holy Spirit that we need in life.  We need to listen to the Holy Spirit, by spending time in God's Word, and as we fellowship with God in prayer.  We have a choice in life, to trust the leading and teaching from the Holy Spirit, or to figure things out on our own.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into the truth and show us things to come, but that means we need to listen to Him and follow His direction.  In the same way that a tour guide will show us important things and give us information about a place we are visiting, the Holy Spirit will guide us in life and give us the information we need to deal with problems, to answer our questions, and to show us what to do.  The Holy Spirit will speak to us through God's Word, and the Holy Spirit will lead us, but this requires us to listen to Him and follow His direction.

Beautiful Music, Or Just Some Noise?

"But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body."
1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NKJV)

During Middle School, I played drums in the school band.  Although I would not say I was the best musician, I was in the band, and I did my part.  Other people played flutes, trombones, trumpets, and other instruments.  We practiced songs that were later performed in a concert.  By everyone playing their specific part, we were able to make some "beautiful music."  If people tried to switch instruments, or just played whatever they wanted to play, instead of beautiful music, we would have just made a lot of noise.

Christians are a part of the Body of Christ.  We are all unique and different, but we all have an important part to play in fulfilling the will of God.  As it tells us in 1 Corinthians 12, God has set each of us, each part, in the Body of Christ.  The part we are in the Body of Christ is not the most important thing, but what is important is that we know what our part is, and we do it.  If we do not do our part in the Body of Christ, then something will be missing, and the entire Body of Christ will suffer.  We need to discover what our part is and then be faithful in doing that.

Just like everyone in a band or orchestra has their own unique part to play to make the right kind of music, each believer in the Body of Christ has a unique part to play to accomplish the will of God.  If someone is out of place, or just doing what they decide to do, then the band or orchestra will just be making noise, and the Body of Christ will not be as effective as it should be.  We need to learn who we are in Christ and what God has placed us in the Body to do.  With every believer taking their place and doing their part, the plan of God in the local and world-wide church can be accomplished.

What Have You Seen And Heard?

"that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."
1 John 1:3 (NKJV)

If someone was called into a courtroom to be a witness, they would be asked to talk about what they know concerning the court case, they would testify about what they had seen and heard.  If someone was asked what they knew about a certain topic, they would only be able to talk about what they have seen or heard, what they know.  If you had not seen or heard anything, you would not be able to talk about it.  It is the things we know, what we have seen and heard, that we can talk about.

When John wrote his first Epistle, he said he was writing about what he knew, what he had personally experienced, with Jesus.  John was not writing about what Peter had told him about Jesus, John was not just relaying second hand information.  John said he was declaring, he was announcing something he had seen and heard, something he had personally experienced.  In the same way, we can only share what we have seen and heard, we can only tell others about what it is we know.

God has a plan for each person and for the entire world.  God has already sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit, so now we need to do something.  However, there are limitations to what we are going to be able to do.  What have we seen and heard about God?  What do we personally know about God that we can declare and announce to others?  We cannot give away something we do not have and we cannot talk about what we do not know.  We need to know God's Word to do what God has called us to do, and to be able to share the truth with others.

Part-Time Help, Or Full-Time?

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him or knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
John 14:16-17 (NKJV)

Over the years, I have had many jobs doing many different things.  While most of my jobs have been full-time work, I have had some part-time jobs too.  The main and obvious difference between a full-time job and part-time job is the amount of time you are doing your job.  And, if you are hired to work full-time, but you only show up for part of the day, or part of the time you are supposed to be working, that is not good.  Full-time work means you are there to do all the work required and not just part of the work.

When Jesus was physically present on the earth, He was with His disciples and He was available to help them.  Jesus taught His disciples and explained His teaching to them, and Jesus was their leader to show them where to go.  When Jesus told His disciples that He was going back to the Father, Jesus said it was better for Him to go away, so that He could send the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit would be with the disciples forever.  The Holy Spirit was sent to Christians to help us in the same way Jesus helped His disciples.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to be with us, and be our Helper.  That is great news, but when we need help, do we turn to the Holy Spirit for His assistance?  The Holy Spirit is not a part-time Helper who only helps us sometimes with some big spiritual things, the Holy Spirit is a full-time Helper who is always ready to teach us, show us what to do, and guide us in our life. The Holy Spirit is our full-time Helper, He is always with us, and He can help us in every area of our lives.

Right There With You

"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber."
2 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV)

If someone was going hunting, they might wear special clothing to blend in with their surroundings to not be seen by the animals they were hunting.  And there are products available that can help someone mask their scent so that an animal would not smell the person hunting them.  These are both things that someone could do to get much closer to the animal than they would normally be able to, and then, by the time the animal knew that the hunter was there, it would be too late.

In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter wrote that in the past, there were false prophets among the people of Israel, and Peter went on to say that there would be false prophets among God's people today.  That seems a bit hard to believe, that there could be people teaching false doctrine that were right there with God's people.  But sadly, it happened back in Peter's day and it is something that is still happening today.  This is why we need to know God's Word so that when we hear something being taught, we will know if it is accurate, or if it is wrong teaching.

When Peter warned the believers that there would be false teachers among them now, just like there were false prophets among the people of Israel, Peter did not say that these false teachers would dress a certain way or introduce themselves as false teachers.  Peter said these people would use deceptive words to secretly bring in false teaching.  By knowing God's Word, and listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can recognize false teachers and false doctrine and keep away from them.

Where Is The Word?

"My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you.
Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart."
Proverbs 7:1-3 (NKJV)

Keeping things in the right place is very important, especially things that are useful.  For example, if you had a new pair of running or walking shoes, and wanted to go for a run or walk, you would need those shoes.  But, if you misplaced the shoes, if you somehow put them in the wrong place and you had lost them, then when you needed to use those shoes, you will have a problem.  By keeping your shoes, and other important things, in the right place, they are where they should be, and you can use them when you need them.

We live in a world where most people have easy access to the Bible, and good Bible teaching.  It is wonderful to have different versions of the Bible, as well as books and audio recordings of good Bible teaching, and there are many ways online to learn about the Bible and what it says.  But, if God's Word is only in a book, some audio recording, or online, and we have not made a habit of putting God's Word into our heart, we will have problems.  God's Word needs to be in our heart, our mouth, our thoughts, and our actions; it should be the main focus of our life.

There are several places in the Bible where it tells us to have God's Word in our heart.  If God's Word is in our heart, if we make His Word a part of our life, then God's Word should influence what we do and say.  If the Bible is just a book, and God's Word is only in some teaching somewhere or online somehow, then it shows that what God says is not an important part of our life.  We do not want God's Word to just be in a book, our notes, in some recording, or online, but we need to have God's Word in our hearts, as a vital part of our life.