Being thankful

Well more than likely most pastors around the U.S. have probably preached a sermon about being thankful. I don't think there is anything wrong with preaching about thankfulness. I guess the issue I have is that why do we have to wait till thanksgiving to actually be provoked to think about things we are thankful for? We have all heard someone say that they love these holidays for the atmosphere or the air of joy, thankfulness, and gifts. But once again my question seems to beg a response from us as individuals the other 363 days of the year. Obviously I am not making a blanket statement about every person in the world, but in America, especially for the Christian shouldn't an outward/inward thankfulness be evident year round?




1. Thanksgiving should be continuous despite your circumstances:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus"
This passage is one of the landmark Christian passages dealing with thanksgiving. Not only does it imply through language (the Greek indicates a this phrase to be a present active imperative--meaning it is a continuous, command) but also the occasion to give thanks (in all circumstances). This is a lesson that I myself am learning on a daily basis. Our society has ingrained in us a notion that when we are happy things go well, when we are sad then its all terrible. With that comes the idea of giving less thanks when things are difficult or bad, and to give more attention to thankfulness when success, and ease of life comes. I will put this in bold, nowhere does Scripture indicate this thought process. In fact, Scripture tells us that suffering, pain are for our benefit! (read Philippians, Romans 5:3-4, 2 Tim. 3:12) That pain and suffering are part of the Christian walk! (2 Tim. 3:12) and that we will see it in our lives. Once again using this verse, Paul does not indicate that circumstances should dictate our thankfulness or our prayer life, or our joy! (Read back a couple blogs on my entry on joy for a deeper analysis.) Give thanks----always.

2. Thanksgiving is a part of Kingdom living: (Eph. 5:1-4)
What most of us forget (in application not always intellectually), is that thanksgiving is an integral part of our Christian walk! Not only have we been transformed by the blood of Christ, given new life, adopted into a new family, given a Father of perfect love, who never abandons us but its part of our sanctification, part of our newly transformed character!

Ephesians 5:-4
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Once again Paul is writing to the Ephesians about the kind of new life (4:23) they should be living. They were to put off the old self (4:22), put off falsehood (4:25), anger (4:26), and not to let the devil have a foothold in their lives (4:27).
Remember the old Michael Jordan commercials by Gatorade in the early 90's? If not here is one VIDEO (I know I'm dating myself) but the video basically has Jordan doing moves and people desperately trying to imitate him. Paul is using similar language in this passage. He encourages them to "be like Christ", imitate him, look like him, since you are new children of Christ. The old self does all this stuff....you shouldnt, your new, instead you should give thanks! Paul makes it a point for the Ephesian to understand that thanksigiving is part of the new Kingdom life! It will be in the Kingdom, it was part of Christ, and it should be part of our daily life since we are new creations!!!

Unlike our society that tries to hurry up the wonderful aspect of Thanksgiving, to get to Christmas, take some time now to be thankful for some things. Instead of thinking of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Super sales, buy, buy, buy---why not make a list of things your thankful for. But my point is this, being thankful, thanksgiving is NOT a holiday for the Christian! Its a lifestyle or at-least should be.

Be Blessed

Lights, Camera,........ Jesus?

Okay this the time of the year where many churches will celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now please believe me when I say that I do not condemn plays, nor do I hate plays, or think that it is un-Christian and the bearing of people's salvation rests in this, but I do question where we have gone with celebrating by putting on X-Mas plays specifically on Sunday mornings. (Note I know all churches don't do this)
Couldn't we celebrate the birth of Christ through our lifestyle, or by hearing preaching of His own Word? I know many churches put on plays, mine is included. But I sat thinking to myself the other day about why we do them. The answers were less than convincing: we feel a need to do them because of culture , not from a biblical perspective. We have them because we have always had them, or because that's what Christians do during Christmas and Easter. Now I know some people auotmatically would say, Hey wait, the play illustrates the gospel and it is a remembrance of the birth of God and it provides people an outlet to use their gifts and talents! All those things are true, but are they true because Scripture says so or because we think so? What I am getting at is this: I think that the holidays become more about the play than the message. That people want to be entertained, rather than hear the Word proclaimed, that these plays become more about the production with a thanks to Jesus afterwards. I was part of 3 different Easter plays. All in our huge orchestra. We are talking big budget Michael Bay type plays here. We had 150 actors and actresses, dancers, live animals, a 20 man tech grew, closed circuit TV, dvd sales, the same Jesus for 6 years straight (I tell you its hard to find a dude who looks like Jesus when you have had the same guy do it that long) and David Hassolhoff as Judas. Okay maybe not the last part but you get the hint. The question I would ask is do we really need plays? Do we need the production to truly appreciate X-mas or the impact of Easter? Or better phrased have we gotten out of hand with the holiday rituals and taken less focus off the mission?

I will use Acts as a basis for the simplicity the church can have during the X-mas, Easter season.


1. Think about the early church
The early church is a great example, not because they were great people, but because they had so much simplicity. Read the book of Acts, it has so much contained in it that teaches us about the power of the Holy Spirit and an available and willing heart.
Acts 2-Holy Spirit comes at Pentacost

Acts 2:14-41-Peter preaches the gospel

Acts 2:42-47-Early church has fellowship: apostles teaching, breaking bread, prayer

Acts 3:12-4:1-22: Peter preaches to the people (after a healing) and preaches to the Sanhedrin the gospel.

Acts 4:32-36-Believers share all things, take care of each other

The list is endless, I didn't even get into the numerous Paul sermons on the gospel.

Just look at what the early church leaders had:
1. They used the power of the Holy Spirit: Peter before he preached 2:4; before the Sanhedrin-4:8; believers were filled with the Holy Spirit which helped them preach the Word of God boldly-4:31,and so on.

2. Preached the gospel: Peter, and Paul dominate the speeches in Acts (Stephens is the longest) and each time they simply preached the gospel: the death and resurrection of Christ. That was the early churches soteriology (soteria-Greek for salvation/ logos=study--study of salvation). That was the powerful message, they proclaimed it where ever they went--that was their focus. (Acts 2:23-24,32; 3:15-16; 4:10; and read any Paul book)

3. They lived it out: Notice in the passages above I show that there are many instances of reactions to the preaching, and Spirit. People lived out the glory of God: Acts 2:42-46; 4:32-37.


Imagine if we [the church]...lived like that today. So much of ministry and evangelism is tends to get caught up in techniques, and what other books say, or how, when, why, where??!!! We need committees, meetings, and approval by the Supreme Court sometimes to do things. These guys just were empowered by the Spirit, preached the gospel, and lived it out.

Also just imagine if we told Paul, Peter or any of the 12 to put on a X-mas play during worship. How silly would that sound to them? Paul may punch you, Peter might yell, Philip was supposedly small so he wouldn't do much. It would be silly. They would say: Keep Focus on the mission (Christ) through preaching and serving.

I just feel like we have gone a little overboard, thats all. You can disagree, that's what is great about a blog and the internet. You can stare and this and be like "Hmm well this dude is a satanist and hates people with talent." Maybe I am, but my goal is get you to think biblically, not culturally. Plays are a part of culture, and entertainment. Those are the qualities we look for and it is no different with X-mas or Easter. Are they fun, yes. Are they exciting, sure. Do they stir our emotions, sometimes, but we need to hear the Word preached, proclaimed from His Word. We can take time, money, and effort to create an elaborate production to make a picture of the gospel. Why not use the money for those less fortunate, use the time for missions, and use the effort in preaching the gospel, empowered by the HOly Spirit, and then living it out everyday like it was X-mas or Easter.......its just a thought.

Be Blessed.

We are Cowards!

Just admit it. We are cowards! Your probably asking what in the world is he talking about. Or how DARE you call me a coward! So I am not trying to insult you (well maybe a little) rather just trying to get you to see that in a way we are all cowards. Have you ever had a problem with someone, or something someone did? Whether it was to you or to someone else? Ever get irritated with someone, annoyed or angered? Well I definitely have and some of them have come from within the church. Yes I said it, INSIDE the church (I do not speak of the building I work in but the overall body of Christ). There are stories perusing my mind now of situations I could have handled much better if I had just approached that person in love. Instead the natural human tendency is to tell someone else. Saying how they hurt you or mistreated you or just flat out stink as a human being. Though all those things can be true of that person, is this the most biblical way to treat someone? Well frankly no! Let's see what the bible says,

1. No matter what the problem is, or what they did to you, you MUST forgive them.

This is the one people tend to cringe on during sermons and talks. Everyone loves to be forgiven and sometimes its a lot easier but to forgive someone that has wronged you takes some serious gut check.
Matthew 6:12-" Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors..."

Ouch the assumption here is a present tense, "forgive us God", as in the past tense "we have also forigven those who hurt us, wrong us, made us angry." Watch a documentary called As We Forgive. It will make your petty arguments and silly differences seem so small. If people can forgive those in Christ for murdering their families, and yet you hold a grudge cause of an argument??

How can we ask for forgiveness from a loving God, yet not illustrate that same characteristic back to His people? Here's where it really hurts:
Matthew 6:14-15:
"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Double ouch! I think this verse is self-explanatory! (Also read Matthew 18:21-35)

2. We are called to love them regardless of what the situation is.
Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. Obviously it was to trick him, and get him to basically sound like a Pharisee. Instead He said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Then he said to , Love your neighbor." He didn't say (and sometimes I wish he did), Love your neighbor, but only when they love you back. Not when they act stupid, or say something behind your back. You can get angry with them, and say anything about them as long as its justified by your own bias and skewed logic!
Yeah sounds funny but this is how we think....we are called to love despite the falleness of people. (this goes for unbelievers to!!)

3. We must be willing to approach, be truthful and if possible let them go.
(Matthew 18:15-20)
The one thing that I think is most irritating for both parties is the unwillingness to approach each other. We either wait till the other person approaches us, or we wait FOREVER to approach the other person. Well you say I am not ready. I believe that, I have been there but the issue must be talked about (though its not was at all). Not only is approaching them hard, but telling the truth in love is even harder. To tell someone that they hurt you, or "show them their fault" is really hard to do. It makes you vulnerable in the sense of saying, "You hurt me, and you have the capacity to hurt me this way." But Matthew 18:15, tells us that we should "go and show" the faults or hurt we experienced. Then Jesus gives us steps by which aid our ability to deal with someone who hurt us:
1. Go and show, if they listen great, if not go to step two.

2. Bring one or two people with you, if they refuse to hear it go to step 3 (this way people can help to mediate, and counsel those who are hurting, but also to testify that something or someone has been wronged)

3. Bring it before the church and gossip about it till the moon turns red and treat them like crap! Okay maybe not but Jesus is making clear, that if someone is wronged that they should approach that person, love them, bring others into it for counsel and mediation (NOT gossip) then if they refuse let them go.


See the world has infected the church with the notion that if I am wronged, gossip about it. Tell everyone BUT the person who you have issue with. If we are upset with someone, 99.9999% of the time, it is due to mis-communication, or NO communication. And those two things only complicate a situation where there has been a wrong committed. Gossip, or malice or running to other people to bash, or burn their character just illustrates how much of a coward you really are. This is NOT a biblical based attitude toward other people, rather a worldly attitude that makes us feel good.
I have had many times where I have wanted to be ugly, to tell someone off, and to lay into someone about all their faults and short-comings. But I always have to catch myself and say is this the most Christ-like thing I can do? How would God gain any glory from me gossiping and tearing down someone else? I must retreat to His word, and not only retreat, I must submit to what it says (and not make loopholes or justify myself). Thankfully I am "under-construction" and being sanctified daily.

Be Blessed