Thank You Lord

Ephesians 5:20

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

This morning I just want to take the time to give thanks unto God. Sometimes we just need to stop what we are doing and say thank you. 

As I was sitting with my wife in my office at church yesterday, I became very thankful. We were watching "Old Yeller" on the television and sitting in the chair together. Patti was sitting in my lap and I was thanking God for blessing me with a wife that loves God and me. I was so overwhelmed. Has that ever happened to you?  We were just waiting on choir practice to start and not really pressed to do anything at that moment. God just kinda said, "Look at what I have given you". 

Then I heard something... Outside there was a basketball being bounced and in the sanctuary there was a guitar strumming "I Can Only Imagine". God touched my heart so greatly again. God seemed to whisper again to my heart, "You are so blessed Steve". I started realizing how right He was. 

My only thing I could say was, "Thank you Lord, thank you". But what amazes me more than that is a conversation that I had with a brother in Christ who lost a child to a tragic accident. He said that he misses her so much and that it is very tough sometimes, but he is thankful that she will never suffer, never be sick, never be raped or missing. I stood there amazed at his thankfulness of His Savior. 

It's so easy to thank Him when things are good. But our scripture says that we should be thankful always and in all things. Can you say that you are thankful always and in all things?

Coming Up Empty

Philippians 3:7

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Could it be possible this morning to take some time for math?  Even if it is just in your head, count the things that you have?  Things such as cars, homes, boats, etc... Have you gotten the total yet?  Now, count things such as family, friends, careers, and church. Still counting? 

I imagine this list could be very lengthy. This list could show you just how blessed you are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with cars, homes, boats, family, friends, careers or churches. Nothing at all.

Take all these things and think of them like this...

   Family 

+ Careers 

+ Church 

+ Homes 

+ Boats 

+ Cars

= Blessings, Happiness, Earthly Security

But subtract from that list Jesus and what do you come up with?  NOTHING!  The answer will always be nothing. See it in this equation...

   Steve

+ Cars

+ Possessions

+ Family

+ Church

- Jesus

= Emptiness, and no hope

One more math problem... The Grace of Jesus Equation

   Emptiness 

+ Hopelessness

+ Helplessness

= THE VERY SAME CONDITION

But now ADD Jesus into the equation! When we are empty, add Jesus. When we are hopeless, add Jesus. When we are helpless, add Jesus. When we are hungry, add Jesus. Then you will find yourself full. You will find yourself helped. You will find yourself filled with hope. If you trust in your possessions and friendly blessings and don't have Christ, you will have nothing. 

So how did you do in your math? Did you count up everything? Now remove Jesus from the list and look at what you have. Nothing. Without Jesus we have nothing. 

Dant.... Dant.... Daaaaaaa...

Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

In the mornings I drive a school bus for our local school. I get up early and pick all the children up for their day of learning. My routine is exactly the same just about every morning. From the time I wake up to the exact times I pick each child up. One of my routines in the morning is getting on the bus and placing my keys and cell phone in the side compartment. My ringer is usually still on most mornings so I can hear when a call or text comes through. But I can't look at them because I would get fired. That's why it stays in the compartment.

This morning I did something a little different. Because of the technology of smart phones I can actually send out what is called a "scheduled text". I simply write my text and schedule it to go out at a certain time. This is a great new addition to our technology. It helps if you think of something in the middle of the night and don't want to forget to tell the person, just schedule a text for the next morning.

Well I scheduled some texts to go out to my wife before I began my bus route.While on my route at 6:45am she received, "I love you." At 7:00am she received, "I love you." At 7:15am she received, "I really love you." And at 7:25am she received, "I really, really love you." Hopefully you can imagine what happened. As I was driving my route and picking up my children, my phone begin to alert me that I had a text. And because of technology again I have a special text alert for my wife. It is the little animal on the movie "Croods" that goes... "Dant.... Dant.... Daaaaaaa..."

At 6:45am it went... "Dant.... Dant.... Daaaaaaa..." At 7:00am it went... "Dant.... Dant.... Daaaaaaa..." At 7:15am it went... "Dant.... Dant.... Daaaaaaa..." At 7:25am it went... "Dant.... Dant.... Daaaaaaa..."
Although I couldn't check the messages I knew that Patti was receiving my I love you's.

God tells us that whatever we measure out to others it will be measured back unto us. The exact same measurement will be measured back. So what are you giving unto others? What would make them want to give back unto you? Always remember this also, God is the one who gives back the blessing. "Dant.... Dant.... Daaaaaaa..."

Go Ask Dad

Galatians 3:26
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

We are the children of God. Not by our works or merit, but by faith. By faith we become the sons and daughters of God. And so by faith we call upon our Father for all things.

Do you remember when you were little and walking throughout the toy department? I can remember saving my money from birthday or Christmas cards and looking for something to buy. I couldn't wait until I could get to the store in order to buy what I wanted. I can remember at times not having enough. So I would have to ask for help and mom would say, "Go ask your daddy." I would find him and ask him if he could help me out.

I never came to them and demanded the help or assistance, I knew better. Just because I was their child it didn't mean that I had rights to what they had. It means that they could chose to bless me with what they had because of their love for me. They knew when to bless me with help and when I needed something or not.

So when I talk to my Heavenly Father I speak to Him in a voice of asking and not demanding. I pray for His blessings upon my life because I'm a son and not because of a right that I think I may have. You see because of salvation, and the adoption of God, we have access not rights.

Lord, this morning I want to take time and thank you for your provisions for me. Thank you for your blessings upon my life. When I am short on needing something you have always came in and helped. Thank you also Lord for the things that you have withheld from me cause you knew it would bring harm unto me. I come to you always asking and never demanding. I come to you as a son who has access to the Father's blessings and not as a lawyer demanding rights. Thank you for Loving me and bringing me into your family.

Tickle Me Pastor

2 Timothy 4:2-4
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

In the mid-90's a toy hit the market called, "Tickle Me Elmo".  The craze was ridiculous.  Parents were fighting in stores to get this toy that all the children wanted.  You would stand Elmo up on his feet and search for the tickle spot.  Once you found it he would begin laughing hysterically.  He would say, "You found it" or "You did it again".  He would begin to slap his knee in laughter. Then he would roll forward in a belly laugh.  He would fall backwards and roll around on the floor laughing over and over while kicking his legs.  Children, and adults, would immediately smile and be filled with laughter.

I'm saddened to say this but many of our pulpits are filled with this type of preaching.  Now before you pick up that pitch fork listen to what God said would take place.  He told Timothy to "preach the word:"  So often we hear jokes, and I love humor.  We are filled with cliches about scripture, but far too often we never hear the meat of scripture.  We love to be entertained, this is why Hollywood is rolling in much of our money.  We love comedy, drama, entertainment and happy warm feelings. Why? Because we have itching ears that we think need to be scratched.

It's time that the preachers stop scratching the ears and take a good look at them. It may be that they don't need to be scratched anymore. The truth is they are infected and these people need a doctor.

Be ready! So many of us are not. There is a foundational lacking in the pulpits, so why wouldn't it be in our pews? Now look... Reprove, Rebuke and Exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. This speaks of telling the truth of God's Word through putting ourselves in their shoes and with nothing but the doctrine of Jesus.

This scripture says, "for the time will come..."  That time is now. People turn to pleasure instead of the scriptures. We have turned from showing the error of our ways (reproving, rebuking and exhorting) to telling the joke of the day in order to make people feel good. So look at the result of this style of preaching. They turn from the truth unto fables.

Preachers! Encourage them laugh, there is nothing wrong with that. Encourage them to weep, there is nothing wrong with brokenness (in fact we need more brokenness). But more than anything else that you do... MAKE THEM SEE JESUS! Stop tickling the ears and pray that God pricks their hearts.

Shortage on Repentance

Mark 6:12
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

A great blessing that I have had in my life is great men of God. I've been blessed to have a dad who preaches the Gospel and prays for me daily. I am blessed with a youth pastor, at the church where I serve, who preaches the Gospel to our youth. I am blessed with men of God in our church that evangelize and preach the Gospel to the lost. I have been blessed with people who invested the Gospel of Jesus in my life such as my youth pastor when I was young. Then when I became a pastor I have been blessed with mentors, other pastors, who have preached to my thirsty soul. Men such as Stanley Kilgore, Junior Hill, Jerry Vines, Adrian Rogers... all have invested a message, and friendship, to this heart of mine.

Something all of these men had in common was the Gospel message they preached. They may never be famous because they don't preach the gospel of prosperity or goodness, but they will forever be the best preachers that I have heard. Why? Because these men preached what the Word of God showed them. They preach what Jesus led them to preach. They have preached, and continue to preach, the only Gospel the world needs today. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their messages have been on... "Our Crimes and His Cross, Our Sins and His Suffering, Our Situation and His Solution."

I can truly say today that these men have gone out and preached "men should repent." Never in hatred, but always in love have they preached this message. I'm sure there were times in their lives where they wanted to be loved and to have everyone be their friend, but they faithfully chose to preach repentance over being accepted.

Today there is a shortage on the message of repentance. This is why so many are at ease attending church the next morning after being in sin all night. This is why people label themselves as Christians headed toward Heaven while living like Hell on this earth. Because of no repentance. The message of repentance is turning from your sin unto Jesus. Repentance is walking AWAY from sin, not toward it or in it. Lord please forgive us all for not sharing the message of repentance like we should. Help us to be as these men in the Bible, these men in my life. Where there is no change, there is no Christ.

Every Corner Of My Life

1 Corinthians 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Wow, what a scripture! If I were reading this with a good friend of mine he would say, "Love it!" Don't you see it? It's right there in this scripture. We now are the temple of God. The Spirit of God dwells inside of us. That is enough to make even the most dignified Christian shout.

In the Old Testament the Bible tells us of the Tabernacle and the children of Israel. The Tabernacle and Temple of the Old Testament spoke of the place of God on earth. A place for His presence. He told them to build this in order for Him to be with His people. In those days the smoke of the incense filled the Holy of Holies to shield the presence of God. The Glory of God would fill the house in such a way that the ministers couldn't even stand in His presence. Can you imagine the presence of God that strong? So strong that it fills up every corner and area of the room?

Well that's what the scripture this morning is telling us. It says that we are now the temple and tabernacle of God. God has chosen to place the Holy Spirit inside of us. Inside to fill every corner and area of our lives. We should pray that God's presence be so overwhelming in us this morning. So graciously that He would remove all sin. So powerful that He would guide our every step. Don't you know that God lives in you? He dwells inside of the believer! The glory of God is shielded by this flesh, but as the song says, "This robe of flesh I'll drop and rise, to seize the everlasting prize."

Thank you God for dwelling in me. Not only have you saved me from Hell but you have chosen to live inside of me. Thank you for the fellowship that we have every day and every hour. I don't know how I could be nearer my God than we are right now. Wow!