Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving

Hebrews 13:15 says, "Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." (NASB)

How oftern do we give thanks to God and praise His name? Sure we may go through our routine of thanking God for our food, and around thanksgiving time we may evenn make a list of the things God has done in our live during this past year. But do we "continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God" as the verse says?

Continually doesn't mean once a year or once a day for that matter. It implies that it is repeated without interruption. David said in Psalms 34:1, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (NASB) He also said in Psalm 119:62, "At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous ordinances." (NASB) When was the last time you were up at midnight giving thanks and praising God.
Consider also Psalms 119:164, "Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances." (NASB) Do we stop seven times a day to thank and praise God? Do we even stop once or twice a day?

Make thanksgiving a continual part of your life.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Service With a Smile (part 3)

1 Corinthians 12:14-18 syas, "For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." (NASB)


Dizzy Dean was one of the greatest--and most colorful--baseball pitchers of all time. He once won 30 games in a season. Dizzy liked to brag about his pitching and make public predictions. In 1934, Dizzy predicted, he and his brother, who was nicknamed “Daffy”, would win 45 games. On September 21, 1934, Dizzy pitched no-hitter for eight innings against the Brooklyn Dodgers, finishing with a three-hit shutout in the first game of a doubleheader, his 27th win of the season. His brother then threw a no-hitter in the 2nd game of the doubleheader, to win his 18th, matching the 45 that Dizzy had predicted. After the game, Dizzy was heard to say to his brother, "if I'd a-known you was gonna throw a no-hitter, I'd a-thrown one too!"

One day Dizzy Dean swaggered into the opposing team’s locker room and told each hitter exactly how he would pitch to him, and then went out and pitched a shutout.

But one day in 1937, Dizzy hurt his big toe--a minor injury, nothing important. After all, it was only a toe, you know? But it was important. He began favoring that toe, which affected his pitching motion, which affected his arm. And by the time he started to consider that toe to be important, and took his injury seriously, his pitching arm was so severely affected that his career was over. Because, you see, the pitching arm cannot say to the big toe, “You’re not important; I don’t need you.”

You are important to the body of Christ. God has designed you for a unique and importand place within the body. Find your passion, find your spiritual gifts, and find your place of service. You are IMPORTANT!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Service with a Smile (part 2)

1 Chronicles 28:9 - "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts..." (NKJV)


A church was having a fellowship dinner one night. As things were wrapping up, some people were leaving, others were standing around talking, still other people were starting the cleaning up process. The younger children were sitting in a circle tucked away in a corner, talking and laughing.


From the doorway between the fellowship hall and the kitchen, you could hear a mother's voice holler out, "Zach, I want you to pick up all the cups and napkins off the floor." Zach was one of the young boys in the corner. His head popped up, he looked at his mother and back at his friends. "Now!", she stated. Obediently, but reluctantly, he got up and did the bidding of his mother.

Why and how do we serve the Lord? Do we serve Him because we have to? Is it an obligation or a pleasure? Are we serving out of love or duty? Am I, perhaps, doing the things I do out of a sense of guilt - a need to make up for the wrongs I have done? Is it a half-hearted obedience? Or is it with all the passion and enthusiasm I can bring out of a heart full of love and devotion for my God?

God wants us to serve Him with a loyal heart and a willing mind. Service brought on by a desire to show Him just how much I want to obey His calling, not because I have to, but because I want to.

Consider the words of a song by Bill Gaither

I will serve You because I love You,
You have given life to me.
I was nothing until You find me,
You have given life to me.
Heartaches, broken people,
Ruined lives are why you died on Calvary.
Your touch was what I longed for,
You have given life to me.