Happy Thanksgiving

Scripture:
Psalm 92:1-5 (NIV)

It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp.

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;

    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
How great are your works, Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!

Devotional:

Let me start out by saying “HAPPY THANKSGIVING.” 

Here is the age old question to ask.  What are you thankful for?  What have you to be thankful for?  Who do you give thanks to?  One final question to ask…  Is God in that list?  If so where is He in the list? OK two questions.  We sit around the table on Thanksgiving Day afternoon giving thanks for all sorts of stuff.  I am thankful I have my family, a job for the moment, our family is healthy, and we have two working cars, a house that is big enough.  The list can go on and on but not once was God a thought or mentioned.

At the top of our list we should be thanking God.  After all it is because of Him that we are even alive.  It is because of Him that we have salvation and are restored into the kingdom of heaven.  Through Him we are blessed beyond measure.  We should be giving God our first thoughts and thanks.  In doing so we honor Him and all that He has done for us.  Today join me in giving God my first thanks and thoughts.  Let us together in spirit give God praise, honoring Him with all we do and all we have.  Today as you sit around the table about to eat pause for a moment.  In that moment remember all that God has done for you.  Then praise Him for it and give Him a grateful heart and a thankful heart. 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone; and thank you God for enabling me to write these devotional thoughts, thank you for speaking through me and enabling me sharing these emails to so many people…  May You be given all praise, honor, glory, and thanks…

Satan Is Prowling And Waiting To Attack

Scripture:
1 Peter 5:1-9 (NASB)

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

Devotional:

Are you alert to what is going on around you?  Is your spirit alert and ready?  Satan is out there in the shadows just waiting for a chance to attack.  If we are not careful we will give him the opening he is looking for.  Then we will be under attack before we know it.  Something that I learned years ago is that the closer you strive to be with Christ the harder Satan will attack you.

He doesn’t want you doing God’s work.  He will do everything He can to prevent you from being in God’s will.  The good news is that we are not alone and Satan cannot prevail.  Elders are to minister and teach the youth.  The young are to be attentive to their elders.  Something I have always tried to do is learn from your mistakes.  I have avoided many a trouble by observing the mistakes of my brothers.  The problem is that I still found a bunch of my own anyway.  However, it is by being examples and teaching the young that they too can grow into strong Godly men and women.  They will someday be the elders teaching the young.  In this we can watch out for one another and give strength to not only withstand but prevent Satan’s attack.  Be alert and be diligent.  Watch out for Satan’s attack.  Watch out for Satan prowling in the dark waiting to attack not only you but someone else as well.  Together we can prevent him from attacking any of us.  We can stand strong and firm in Christ.  We are not forsaken but held dearly in the arms of God.

Look At What I've Done...

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 3:6-9 (NASB)

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Devotional:

How often do we strike out to do “God’s will and work?”  How many times do we think look at what I did or accomplished?  Maybe the thoughts are I must do it all.  As Paul noted in 1^st Corinthians it wasn’t himself or Apollos caused spiritual growth in people.  They were not the ones who made someone a believer.  Look at the farmer.  He can plant the seeds.  His helpers can water them and weed the fields.  However not one of them can make the plant spring up from the seed.  Only God can.

We must be careful not to take the credit for someone receiving salvation.  It is important to also realize we are not supposed to do it all.  That is why we are the body of Christ, or the church.  The human body is made up of many different parts each part doing something different.  1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NIV):

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

By each of us doing our own jobs according to our gifts and God’s prompting we can do the most good.  We then are able to get much more of God’s work.  He will be glorified in our work.  Not all of us are good with numbers.  Not everyone can paint or put up a wall.  Not everyone can work on plumbing, electrical, or roofing.  But put everyone together we can build and move mountains.

Do not worry about what others are doing.  Concentrate on your task.  Do not boast of your accomplishments, for they are not yours but God’s.  Instead give credit where it is due, focusing on Him.  Glorify and honor God in all you do.  Then not only will you shine and be blessed but those lives you touch will be as well.

To Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

Scripture:
Acts 18:24-28 (NIV)

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Devotional:

No matter how old we are or how smart we think we are there is always room to learn something new.  Apollos who was an educated man went to Ephesus to teach about Christ.  He was very accurate in his teachings with one exception.  He didn’t teach past the Baptism of John.  His education wasn’t complete.  Priscilla and Aquila took him aside to share the death and resurrection of Christ.  Afterward he was better equipped to preach the Gospel.  He was of tremendous help to other disciples.

Apollos humbly took the instruction that was needed.  He could have refutted their teachings.  After all he was well educated and clearly knew the scriptures very well.  Because of his willingness to listen and learn new things he was able to be used by God.  He became a great help to those he served with.  Do you have a humble heart?  Are you willing to learn new things?  Do you listen to what someone else has to say?  You never know they might hold a new perspective to the Scriptures that you hadn’t thought of.  Someone may be able to clear up something written in the scripture that you hadn’t realized you didn’t know or miss understood.  Each of us can learn something new.  We can all use a little clearing up of a subject here or there.  Are you willing to allow someone to show you and teach you?  One thing is for sure, I don’t want to teach about God and be wrong.  I never want to miss lead anyone.  My goal is to always have an open mind, to listen to what others have to say.  Who knows maybe what they would teach is better, maybe no.  If I keep a closed mind I will never know…