Where Should Your Thanksgiving Focus First?
Remember this Thanksgiving Day to also offer your thanksgiving to the one who makes it all possible – Jehovah God.
He does so much for His children – beginning by packing every day with the potential for happiness:
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Ps. 118:24 NLT
How about thanking God for giving us a manual (Bible), that helps us make the most of our entire lives?
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Ps. 1:1 – 3. NLT
Take time to reflect on just how much Jehovah cherishes you:
For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. Zeph. 3:17 NLT
I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. For thus says the Lord…‘I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. Jr. 32:41, 42. AMP
We are the recipients of His loving provisions:
LORD, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. Ps. 16:5, 6. CSB
“…ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete.” Jn. 16:24 AMP
Our Father’s greatest provision is our redemptive pathway into His arms:
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Ps. 16:11 NLT
I rejoice greatly in the LORD, I exult in my God; for he clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness… Is. 61:10 CSB
Jehovah God loved you before you were born – before you knew who you were, before you knew who He was:
God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins…We love because he first loved us. 1 Jn. 4:9, 10 & 19. CSB
Are you starting to feel a little thankful? I hope so, because even if God is immeasurably loving, we can’t access that love unless we reciprocate it:
The LORD protects all those who love him… Ps. 145:20 NLT
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.Ps. 37:4
When you demonstrate gratitude for your loving Father in heaven, you bring Him glory:
Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. 2 Co. 4:15 CSB
He who offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving honors Me… Ps. 50:23 AMP
Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. Ps. 95:1, 2. NLT
How God loves it when we celebrate Him! As we do, we are thanking Him for our most precious gift – our very lives, which are an extension of His love.
Being thankful is a small price to ask for, in exchange for a full and satisfied life, with a promise of an eternal abundance in the very presence of our Maker. Moreover, that grateful attitude spills over and makes for a joyful journey in the here and now…
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Goodnight and God bless.
Fundamentals of Christianity
Can you be a perfect Christian?
Of course not. That’s why Jesus came:
Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself [as a sacrifice to atone] for our sins [to save and sanctify us] so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father— Gl. 1:3, 4. AMP
The world outside of Christianity doesn’t get that. Should you fall short in your ‘walk’, (and we all do), the worldly people are delighted to see you fall. One way they try to facilitate that is by trying to dilute your faith:
I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel; which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not]. Gl. 1:6, 7. AMP
The apostle Paul was admonishing a church in Galatia, who were being swayed by ‘Judaizers’ – Jews who taught Christians that they had to incorporate Jewish laws and rituals in addition to the Gospel of Jesus, to be saved. Thus, they were trying to negate the gift of the grace of God.
No one, on their own, is perfect in anything. So, we needn’t be perturbed by the opinions of the ignorant, with regards to of our spirituality. We know that we can become a perfect Christian in God’s eyes, because of the cloak of righteousness that Jesus provides to all His followers.
We also know that on this earth, we are humans who make mistakes. Thank God that we aren’t judged by them (because we are made immune to His wrath through our continued faith in Christ, and our continuing practice of confession and repentance):
…yet we know that a man is not justified [and placed in right standing with God] by works of the Law, but [only] through faith in [God’s beloved Son,] Christ Jesus. And even we [as Jews] have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law. By observing the Law no one will ever be justified [declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty]. Gl. 3:16 AMP
(The ‘Law’ refers to the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament).
There isn’t anyone who could live in perfect obedience to all of the Mosaic laws. We slip and fall – repeatedly. So, we do our best to obey those that we can, and humble ourselves before Christ for the ones that we struggle with:
For through the Law I died to the Law and its demands on me [because salvation is provided through the death and resurrection of Christ], so that I might [from now on] live to God. Gl. 2:19 AMP
I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not ignore or nullify the [gracious gift of the] grace of God [His amazing, unmerited favor], for if righteousness comes through [observing] the Law, then Christ died needlessly. [His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever.]” Gl. 2:20, 21. AMP
The apostle Paul speaks of the ‘curse’ of the Mosaic Law because its function was to bring an awareness of one’s sinful nature. [1] Yet, in and of itself, the Law offered no solution for overcoming our tendency to indulge our flesh. Instead, it showed us where we were helpless, and our need for divine intervention to achieve the righteousness required for entering the kingdom of God.
That same righteousness is offered to all people, who place their faith in the saving power of the blood of Jesus. Indeed, the ultimate purpose of the Mosaic Law was to point us towards that necessity:
Why, then, the Law [what was its purpose]? It was added [after the promise to Abraham, to reveal to people their guilt] because of transgressions [that is, to make people conscious of the sinfulness of sin], and [the Law] was ordained through angels and delivered to Israel by the hand of a mediator [Moses, the mediator between God and Israel, to be in effect] until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Gl. 3:19 AMP
The seed was Christ – who brought the Mosaic Law to its final evolution. The original law was given so that people would know what constituted ‘transgressions’ against God, and that having such knowledge might place some restraint upon the would-be perpetrator.
The Law itself was not bad. How could it be? It is the word of God. But its relationship to God’s children changed with the advent of Christ:
Now before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, [perpetually] imprisoned [in preparation] for the faith that was destined to be revealed, with the result that the Law has become our tutor and our disciplinarian to guide us to Christ, so that we may be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under [the control and authority of] a tutor and disciplinarian. For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values]. Gl. 3:23 – 27. AMP
No one can be justified by the impossible task of obeying every letter of the Law. So, as a follower of Christ, we let that insurmountable task ‘die’ in us and accept what Jesus did – how He filled that gap from what we are, to what we can ultimately become: a righteous child of God. We are justified by faith – period. How so?
In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Gl. 3:6 NLT
There is a spiritual transformation that takes place upon salvation, and it does not require that the recipient perfect their flesh. Can’t be done. It’s like this: we do our best to live by God’s laws, and Christ will free us from the curse of the law when we stumble in it. He stands between God and His child and says, “It’s okay, I’ve paid the price for this one.”
Moreover, even in this life, Jesus sends us His ‘helper’ (Holy Spirit) to help us minimize those stumbles:
…walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. Gl. 5:16 AMP
But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. Gl. 5:18 NLT
So, next time someone tries to find fault with you for your imperfections, explain to them why you have those covered. After all, what a great opening for evangelizing!
Goodnight and God bless.
[1] Gl. 3:10
What’s the Big Deal About Sexual Immorality?
Book of 1 Corinthians – part 2
Previously, we looked at the apostle Paul dealing with the disunity within the church of Corinth (See Apostle Paul Brings God to the Corinthian Church.) Next, he shifts his focus to sexual immorality.
Again, In last week’s study, you will recall that the church had brought prostitutes into the worship services, and, he learns, some of the congregants were practicing incest (1 Co. 5:1). The apostle tells them to have no association with sexually immoral people if they will not confess and repent. In fact, he tells them to throw the unrepentant offenders out of the church!
What he is saying is that matters such as these need to be handled within the church. He strictly forbids taking these problems to outside sources, as he infers that some have done:
When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?
Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 1 Co. 6:1 – 3. NLT
It is important at this point to understand that Paul is referring to judging people for what they do, not who they are. He continues by elucidating what behaviors require judgment – for the express purpose of helping the sinning brothers and sisters in Christ get back on track
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Co. 6:9 – 11. NLT
The apostle then directs his focus solely onto sexual immorality:
The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body [to save, sanctify, and raise it again because of the sacrifice of the cross]. 1 Co. 6:13 AMP
Paul elaborates further:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Am I therefore to take the members of Christ and make them part of a prostitute? Certainly not! Do you not know that one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall be one flesh!” [1]
But the one who is united and joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Run away from sexual immorality [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written]. Every other sin that a man commits is outside of the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body. 1 Co. 6:15 – 20. AMP
What Paul is revealing through the Holy Spirit, is that our body is to be sacredly dedicated to serving God. However, if we add immorality to our union with Christ, we desecrate Jehovah, Jesus, and our union with them through the Holy Spirit.
Let us not forget that the apostle is just as human as the rest of us. He knows that we are powerfully drawn to the flesh. Because of that, Paul suggests that the best way that we can fully serve God, is by remaining celibate.[2]
Yet that urge to do otherwise (which was initially implanted initially in humans to encourage them to populate the earth[3]) is irresistible to many. So, God stepped in and said that the only way to instill morality into that behavior was to express it within the confines of marriage:
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives the authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Co. 7:2 – 5. NLT
So wise is our God. He knows all about the strong pull for sexual union between a man and a woman (He put it there!). But He only gifts us with that union in a monogamous marital relationship.
We also see that we must yield ourselves to our spouses for a cooperative exploration of a path to intimacy that is mutually rewarding.
Finally, we see that we are not to deny our spouse their present-time desires (e.g., withholding intimacy out of anger), because the devil will leverage that withholding, to try to turn the eyes and heart of the afflicted spouse elsewhere.
Paul then addresses Satan’s greatest tool for the destruction of a godly household – divorce:
A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife. 1 Co. 7:10, 11. NLT
Divorce should never be an option unless one spouse is an unrelenting, unrepentant adulterer, abuser or abandons their spouse.
Lastly, Paul speaks to the marriage where one of the spouses is not a believer, (e.g., a couple who are non-believers but only one decides to come to Christ). The apostle prefaces this by saying Jesus never explicitly spoke of this situation. Yet, if it is coming out of Paul’s mouth, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit:
If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him.
For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 1 Co. 7:12 – 14. NLT
However, if the unbeliever departs from the marriage, the believer is set free from judgment:
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. 1 Co. 7:15 CSB
But with the case of mutually believing spouses, marriage is a bond until death. Then the surviving widow is released:
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 1 Co. 7:39 NLT
Obviously, it applies for a widowed husband as well if he marries in the faith. Then, you are still in a place where you can be sacredly drawn to the flesh.
To be continued… Goodnight and God Bless.
[1] See also Gn. 2:24
[2] 1 Co. 7:1
[3] Gn. 1:28