The blessings of giving

Now that Thanksgiving Day is behind and the shopping has started in a fenzy and with many of the outdoor Christmas decorations up it is clear that Christmas Day is now close. There are now a variety of Christmas parties, family gatherings and host of things to do in the next couple of weeks. With all that going on we can become to lose focus on the true meaning of Christmas. There are two verses that I want to briefly share that serve to remind us the true meaning of Christmas. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave is one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." The expression of God's love is one of giving. This season we must remember the greatest gift ever given which is Jesus coming into the world. Without this gift there is no Christmas. Without this gift there would be no civil society because through Christ there is hope, peace and love. Even among people who have little to do with the church will emphasize these themes at this time of the year. The other verse is Acts 20:35 "remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give thean to receive.'" The blessing of giving comes from a heart of love. This is clearly the message of God in John 3:16 and if we are ever going to follow God then the development of a giving heart based upon love is a good place to start. The issues of life will always come back to the issues of the heart. Let us pray and seek for a greater revelation and understanding of His love so that our heart's motivation for all that we do will be based upon His love.
May the love of our Creator God overshadow our lives.

Pastor John

Thanksgiving: What I am thankful for.

We celebrate Thanksgiving Day in three days. I have talked about being thankful and now I am going to express my list of what I am thankful for this year. I encourage you to set a little time aside and begin to list all the things that you are thankful for this year. I am thankful that God loved me and continues to love me. I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that God accepted me and now I am a child of God. I am thankful that God is bigger, much bigger then my biggest problem and when I trust Him He has always been faithful. I am thankful that God has filled with the Holy Spirit and His power is made great in my weaknesses. I am thankful that I am a servant of the Most High God with His kingdom. I am thankful that I have experience victory and freedom as I walk with Christ. I am thankful for my church family. I am thankful for the privilege of serving King Jesus as one of His undershepherds of His church. I am thankful for His provisions within my life. I am thankful for a beautiful, godly wife who has been loving and patient with me. I am thankful for my four children and three grandchildren. I am thankful for my son-in-law who is a godly husband to my daughter. I am thankful for the health I have at this moment and the ability to enjoy golf and running and other types of recreation. I am thankful for the house that God has blessed my family with and the vehicles that we have and a lot of nice others toys of life. I am thankful that the things of life do not have a hold on my life and that Jesus is my source. I am thankful that in the midst of frustration that God continues to communicate His love and care to me. I am thankful for this day and the opportunities that is before me. I am thankful for the wisdom and guidance that He has promised to give to me. I am thankful for the faithfulness of the Lord to all His great and precious promises. I am thankful that most of my family will be able to be with us for Thanksgiving Day.
There is more I could have said but I trust I have inspired you to be more thankful for all things of life and not just the big things.
May the Lord bless all the family gatherings this Thursday on Thanksgiving Day.

Pastor John

Benefits of being Thankful

Last week I talked about the power of Thanksgiving. The value of being a thankful person cannot be over stated. I want to briefing state some benefits of being thankful. First, being thankful helps us to keep the right perspective on the things of life. If we are not careful the things of life can become more important then they ought to be and with a thankful heart it helps us to appreciate what we have and not take things for granted. Second, being thankful helps us to more pleasant to being around. No one like a grumpy person with poor manners. There is still great value in saying please and thank you. Third, being thankful helps keep us level headed when life takes one of those unexpected turns. Unpleasant things can happen to anyone at anytime. This is an aspect of life we do not allows understand and one that is difficult to deal with but when you are thankful it keeps us focusing on the right things. Fourth, being thankful is an indication that we are growing as a follower of Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." The encouragement here by the apostle Paul is for all believers facing all kinds of different circumstances. Either we are going to trust God or we are going to trust in our own ability to handle the tough times. I will trust God and be thankful regardless of whether or not I understand because I know that it is He who directs my steps and who can meet each and every one of my needs. Being thankful is a choose and is not based upon our present situation. Therefore I choose today to be thankful.
May of light of Jesus be with you.

Pastor John

The Power of Thanksgiving

Even though Thanksgiving Day is still a little over 2 weeks away it is not too early to begin to emphasis the importance of a thankful heart. Many times within the Psalms we are encouraged to be thankful. Psalm 100:4-5"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations." The basis of thanksgiving is not so much on what our present circumstance is but based upon God's goodness and love. When our thanksgiving is connected to our present situation then it can be sparodic at best because all of us has good days and bad days. There are times we do not have all we want or due to no fault of your own you are experiencing a time of financial crisis. When those things happen it does not change God and His character. His goodness and love is still present and will continue throughout my lifetime and my children's lifetime. I choose to be thankful because of who God is and not based upon my present situation. I am thankful for this morning that I was able to go on a good run. I am thankful for a godly wife. I am thankful for His provision, though this last year has seen some tough and tight times. I am thankful that I can be a servant of the Most High King, Jesus Christ. I am thankful for His everlasting love though I do not deserve anything. I am thankful for God's faithfulness and His Word which bring consistency to my life. As I write this my mind is thinking of many other things that I can be thankful for and it is a choose. The power of thanksgiving comes in giving us a positive outlook on life. It opens the eyes to see the possibilities of God's activity in my life and it helps me to combat the temptation of the enemy who wants God's children to be negative and doubting of God ability to handle my life's difficulties. I encourage you to spend some time everyday and speak out to the Lord thanksgiving and praise. What would happen on Sunday morning if everyone who came was prepared to give the Lord thanks and praise? I personally think He would show up in a special way for God inhabits the praises of His people.
May His blessings rest upon us as we do life His way.

Pastor John