Thankful, Day Twenty-Nine

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

This is the last day of December. It's the last day of 2010. It's the last day of the first decade of the 21st Century. I don't know where the time has gone, and I've got a feeling that this day is going to go by just as fast as the 364 that preceded it. So since its the last day of the year, I thought I would take this opportunity to look back over the year and be thankful for a few things.

I'm thankful for a house to live in that is also a home. I'm thankful for a bed to sleep in that is warm and comfortable. I'm thankful for food to eat, clothes to wear, a vehicle to drive, and money to put gas in the tank. I'm thankful for all the necessities of life (and a few extras besides) that God has provided, and for His continual provision in my life.

I'm thankful for God's protective hand and all-seeing eyes. I'm thankful that He watches over me, that He guards and He guides, that He is actively involved in my life and continues to move and mold me, making me in His image and His likeness.

I'm thankful for my church, the one special place where I can exercise the ministry God has given me. I'm thankful for all the doors God has opened for me in the last twelve months, for all the people He has sent my way, for those who have become a part of my church family, and those who have simply passed through, hopefully touched by the Spirit and power of God as we've worked for Him.

I'm thankful for my Mom who, even after being my Mom for nearly 40 years, continues still to do what mothers should do for their children. She continually goes above and beyond the "call of duty", demonstrating generosity and hospitality, grace and love toward me, and also toward all those in her life.

I'm thankful for my many wonderful friends, spread from coast to coast and some even around the world, who continue to enrich my life with their presence and contributions. If I started naming people, I'm sure I would leave someone out and then have to answer the question, "Why didn't you mention me." So let it suffice for me to say, Friends (you know who you are), thank you for being in my life!

I'm thankful for the wonderful months of April, May and June, and the events that transpired there. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, but they still turned out well. Through the course of those 90 days, give or take, some very deep wounds were healed in my life, and I discovered that I still had lots to offer and give someone else. I also learned some important lessons about listening to God rather than trusting my own heart. Regardless of anything else, those three months will always be precious to me, as will you (and you know who you are).

I'm thankful for the grace and mercy of God, the forgiveness and long-suffering of God, the goodness and kindness of God. I'm thankful for His promises to me, His actions on my behalf, His continual working in my life. And I look forward to 2011, especially the first four months, because I believe that good things are in store for me.

Thank you Jesus, for your blessings on me.

Thankful, Day Twenty-Seven

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Contrary to popular belief, truth is not relative. Nor does it change. Truth is absolute, and the truth of God is the most absolute truth there is. God wanted us to know it, and He wanted us to live by it, so He revealed it to us in a collection of narratives, genealogies, poems, chronicles, and letters, the 66 volumes contained in the Holy Bible. Those words are faithful and true. They are as relevant today as they were when they were first written. And the truth they reveal does not change!

For the man whose truth is not absolute, it changes with his opinions.

For the people whose truth is not absolute, it changes with the times.

For the religion whose truth is not absolute, it changes with the shifting tides of church politics.

But when one recognizes one truth as absolutely absolute, it never changes. What was true for Moses is still true for me. What was true for King David is still true for me. What was true for Jesus is still true for me. What was true for Paul and Peter and James and Jude and John is still true for me. When I need to find an answer to a question, a solution to a problem, a statement on any issue, all I have to do is turn to the eternal, universal, unchanging truth of God's Word and there I will find my help.

The psalmist wrote of God, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I will hide its words in my heart, that I might not sin against God."

I'm thankful today that I have the truth revealed to me in the Word of God. I will find it if I search for it, and I will be blessed when I live by it. I don't have to make up my own rules, laws, or beliefs. God has given me everything I need to know for life and for godliness, for belief and practice, for faith and conduct, right there in that Good Book.

I'm thankful today that the truth I have in God's Word does not change. I know alot of people who are disregarding the Word as irrelevant for us today, as not applicable in this 21st Century world. They add to it the things they think it doesn't say; they take away from it the things they no longer want. They deny its inspiration and its endurance. They claim new revelation that supersedes the old. But they are wrong. God never changes; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is more constant than the northern star. There is no shadow or turning with Him. And His Word, His Name, is Faithful and True.

I'm thankful today that the truth of God's Word is all-sufficient in its revelation of God. Everything I need to know about Him, I can find in His Word. And I can also rest assured that if anyone comes along with another idea about God that doesn't match the revealed Word, then they are mistaken or lying, and I don't need to heed it. I don't have to go to a man to find out about God; I can go right to the Word, which will tell me everything I need to know about God, about mankind, and about God's dealing with mankind.

I'm thankful for the Word, for the enduring truth that lives and abides forever!

Thankful, Day Twenty-Six

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His Name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

The prophet Jeremiah wrote, in one of the brighter spots of his Lamentations, that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, and His mercies never come to and end. Those mercies are new every morning. God's mercy is what He offers us instead of the justice we so often deserve. God's Law demands that transgressors pay for their sins, most of the time with their own lives. Basically: You sin, you die. But through Jesus Christ, who bore all of our sin and all of our punishment to Calvary's cross, God has offered us mercy instead.

I'm thankful for God's mercy that brought me into salvation, that covered a multitude of my sins, and saved me completely. His mercy is sufficient and enough. Anyone who has heard me preach very many times has probably heard about how wretched I was before I gave my life to Jesus Christ. I was mean, stubborn, and rebellious. I was a thief and a liar. I was abusive and destructive. I was a killer. Don't let any of this shock you, but it's all true. And I was only six. Think about how bad I might have become had I not received God's mercy through salvation! Thank you Jesus for your mercy.

I am so thankful for God's mercy this morning. Every morning, in fact. Because there is hardly a day that goes by that I don't need mercy for something. Sin isn't just about murder and blasphemy and adultery and lying and stealing. Jesus made it clear that thoughts and attitudes and intentions can be just as sinful as our actions. And of all people, I am the only one who knows my own heart. I repeat: there is hardly a day that goes by that I don't need mercy for something, and I'm thankful that God never runs out of it.

And I'm thankful that God's mercy is everlasting; it will not come to an end. As long as I stay repentant and humble before my God, He will continually extend His forgiveness, grace and mercy to me. As long as I remain in relationship with Him, nothing shall separate me from His steadfast love and His renewing mercies. As long as I keep calling on Him, He will keep answering with mercy. Thank you Lord that my past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure because of your mercy unto me!

Thank you God for mercy, because I am always in need of it!

Thankful, Day Twenty-Five

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Remember this?

PASTOR: God is good!

CONGREGATION: All the time!

PASTOR: All the time!

CONGREGATION: God is good!

I remember hearing a story one time, in the climate inspired by such back-and-forth, about a pastor who exclaimed during his sermon, "God is big!" To which a lady in the congregation responded, "All the time!" True, but it illustrates something that is often all too true. Sometimes we get so familiar with a pattern or concept that we don't truly give it our fullest attention. God is good, and it would be good for us to remember just how good He is.

When asked how we're doing, we often reply, "Good." We tell our children (and our pets) "Good boy!" when they do something right. We enthuse over a delicious meal or an entertaining movie, "That was so good!" We tell workers who perform well, "Good job!" And win or lose, we speak well of our favorite sports team when we say, "Good game!" My own vocabulary is often marked with an exclamation of "Good-NESS!", sometimes in frustration, sometimes in dismay. But do we really understand the goodness of God?

When someone called Him "Good teacher," Jesus replied with: "Why do you call me good? Only the Father in heaven is truly good." I've often thought that was a curious way to respond. After all, Jesus was a good teacher--both in his character, and in his abilities. But Jesus addressed the heart of a flatterer, a charmer, someone who wished to get something in return for his good words.

I am thankful this morning that God is good in terms of His character. There is none righteous here on earth, not one. But we serve a God who is completely good, righteous, holy, justice, perfect, amazing, wonderful...and did I say good? He is the high standard to which we are measured, the stature of Jesus Christ, and in Him there is no fault. I'm glad we don't serve the ancient pagan pantheon of gods who were neither sovereign in their abilities nor divine in their character, but rather acted like mortal man moved by their passions and lusts. The One True God is governed by His own glory and goodness, and I'm grateful to be serving that kind of God.

I am also thankful that God is good in terms of His treatment of us. He is good to us, and He knows how to give good gifts to His children. I'm glad we don't serve one of the countless millions of eastern gods who act arbitrarily toward mere mortals and have to be bought off with gifts to insure their goodness toward those who serve them. Instead, we serve the Only Wise God who is patient and forgiving, full of love and abounding in mercy, who desires to bless and not curse, and has provided everything necessary to bring us into right relationship with Him. He is the God who reaches out and fills our mouth with every good thing!

And I'm thankful today that God is good as He lives in and works through His creatures and creation. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and my own personal righteousness is garbage compared to His infinite goodness. But the Bible says that He Himself is our righteousness. When His people are abiding in Him, His goodness is imparted to and abides in them. It's only in grace that I am able to stand complete, perfected and holy, before Him. Only by His grace, only in His goodness, can I truly be good.

Thank you Lord for your goodness!

Thankful, Day Twenty-Four

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Please forgive the brevity of this particular post. I am thankful, but I am also very sleepy.

I am thankful today for the Body of Jesus Christ, the church at large, and that as a member of that body, I can go to any church and find oneness with other believers of like precious faith.

I am thankful for preachers and teachers who will still proclaim the Word of God, the absolute truth and not back up from it, and whose faithfulness to disciple is for the benefit of all.

I am thankful that God knows where I am all the time, and He knows how to reach me and how to speak to me wherever I am.

This has been a great day, and I am so thankful for it.

Thankful, Day Twenty-Three

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Christmas was a blessed day, all around. Good food, good company, good times spent with good people. I'm especially blessed to be with Mom, the woman who gave me life. And I'm so thankful for lots and lots of things today.

This afternoon, Mom and I spent some time on the porch swing in the warmth of the setting sun, singing some good ol' gospel songs that have meant alot to us through the years. She leads and I harmonize, and as much from the heart as from our memories we sing together. Most of those old songs are about Heaven and how we long to go there, and I rejoice in their message of hope and a life in the hereafter. I'm thankful today that my Mom taught me to sing those old songs, and that we can continue to worship God through them together.

Later we spent some time in the hot tub, talking and solving all the world's problems. If people would just listen to us, we could really help alot of folks! But as it always does, the conversation turned to our own continuing experience with the Lord, now 35 years along. We laughed, we cried, we got serious with the Scriptures, we shouted, we quoted, we encouraged each other in the Lord. I'm thankful today that my Mom taught me to put all of my faith, my hope, and my trust in the Lord.

And when I think about all that I've been through, all that has happened to me, and all that I'm looking forward to, I know that I have the same reasons as many to give up on serving the Lord. Not all of my prayers have been answered the way I had hoped. Not all the occurrences in my life have been happy. Not all of my dreams have been fulfilled. And yet in spite of hardship and heartbreak, in spite of trouble and lack and pain, in spite of all things, I am determined that I will not give up. I will go on to the end with Jesus. No turning back for me, I've made my decision, and I cannot change my mind. There is nothing this world has to offer that is better than Jesus and the eternity that is promised me in Him. So I'm thankful today for the assurance that I have, that in serving the Lord I have a better eternity awaiting me than the one I deserve.

Thank you Lord for your unfailing faithfulness to me.

Thankful, Day Twenty-Two

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

So, technically I missed a 24 hour period of posting thanks. But I haven't gone to bed yet, so the day is not over. And besides that, it's still Friday...on the West Coast. I'll get back to following the outline soon, but there are still a few random things I want to give thanks for.

First of all, I'm at my mother's house for Christmas. And I want to thank God that I have such a wonderful Mom. She's the best mother this boy could possibly have had, and I love her very much. She has gone out of her way to always be a blessing to me, to advise and assist and counsel and guide and provide and protect and defend. I know I've always got Mama in my corner and on my side.

I'm thankful for good friends, like the ones who got up at 4 o'clock this morning to take me to the airport. Friends who have offered their home and hospitality to me ever since I first met them. You guys are the greatest, and I truly appreciate ALL the people whom God has placed in my life through the years.

And tonight I had a rich experience at Mom's house. There are friends of theirs staying over for Christmas who have a 5 year old and a 3 month old, both boys. After dinner, the boys and I sat down in the living room to watch a movie together. I held the little guy for nearly 3 hours while he slept, and eventually, the 5 year old ended up next to me on the couch. And between those two precious boys, I felt like I was in heaven. I'm thanking God in advance for the sons He has promised me (and for the wife who is coming into my life, whomever she may be).

Thankful, Day Twenty-One

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His Name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I'm leaving soon for Christmas Vacation, and I've got lots to do, but I still wanted the world to know I was thankful to the Lord for all He has done.

Having been sick and still thanking God for being a healer, I am most thankful today that I am better than I was. Either God touched me miraculously, or the body that God created did what it was supposed to do. Either way, my wellness today is thanks to the handiwork of God.

Last night I was starving for something a little more hearty than the chicken noodle soup and tomato soup I had been eating, so I got up to make (from scratch) a potato soup. Not only did I find a wonderful recipe in my Southern Living Cookbook for a "Vegetable Chowder", but I had all the ingredients I needed to make it wonderful. So I'm thankful for that.

And today, I have some friends coming over to share the chowder with me before we all leave town together. I'm thankful for my friends, today, who make this life a little easier to bear.

Thankful, Day Twenty

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with thanksgiving.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Though sick and weak in body, I am thankful that He is healing and strength to me at all times!

Though tired and weary, I am thankful that He is my peace and my rest.

Though sometimes lonely, I am thankful that He never leaves me alone.

Thank you Lord, for all that you are and all that you do for me.

Thankful, Day Nineteen

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting;

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Still blessing His Name.

I'm thankful that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Without His willing sacrifice, I would be lost and hopeless and still in my sin, with salvation available only by following the strictest set of rules and under the threat of death every time I broke one. But because Jesus died for me, as a sacrificial lamb, I have forgiveness through His name.

I'm thankful that Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of my faith. He has everything written down, under control, and on its way to the foreknown end. He knew me before I was ever born, called me by name and wrote that name down to be His own special possession. He saved me, and He will see me through to my own foreknown end!

I'm thankful that Jesus Christ is the Son of Righteousness who rose with healing in His wings. The stripes of beating upon His back, every wound and bruise, was received for my complete healing and wholeness. He is the Great Physician, the one who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, the great healer of men today. And if I but touch the hem of His garment, I know that I will be made well.

Thank you Jesus, for being who you are, and for doing what you do.

Thankful, Day Eighteen

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good,

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I recall that I was blessing the Name of the Lord.

Abraham called Him Jehovah Jireh, which means the Lord is my provider. Because when Abraham was obedient to the point of sacrificing His own son to the Lord, the Lord provided a substitute ram. When I look around and see the need in my, I just think, "The Lord will provide!" And He always does.

Hagar called Him El-Roi, which means The God Who Sees. Because when she was down and out, despised, rejected, threatened, and victimized, she found the Lord who sees all things, knows all things, and can do everything about our situation! When I'm feeling particularly deserted and lonely, I just think, "God, you see me." And He always does.

Moses knew Him as I AM, the one Who is able and willing to be whatever we need Him to be whenever we need Him to be that. And it was in that Name that Moses overthrew Pharaoh's hold on the Israelites in Egypt, the Name that parted the waters and defeated their enemies, the Name that brought bread from heaven and water from a rock, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Whatever I need from Him, whenever I call out on Him, He is available to do for me what no other power in heaven or earth can do.

Thank you Lord for your wonderful name!

Thankful, Day Seventeen

I'm on the downside of a 14-hour day and winding now. No deep theological thoughts for me tonight, but I still want to give thanks.

I'm thankful for a great day in the Lord, from start to finish. His presence has been truly wonderful, from the singing of Christmas hymns to the message He wanted me to preach, to the beautiful fellowship I have shared with God's people all day long.

I'm thankful for people who surround me with their love.

I'm thankful for the Word of God, which is quick and powerful, and able to accomplish so much on its own.

Thankful, Day Sixteen

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I'm thankful, this morning. But I also feel like I've been run over by a truck. Not that I've ever been run over by a truck. Somehow I think I would be feeling a lot worse. So maybe it was just a small truck. Nevertheless, my spirit is thankful, even if my flesh is weak today.

The disciples called Jesus Lord, and I'm thankful today that He is my Lord, the overseer of my life and the one before whom I bow in reverence and worship.

The disciples called Him Master, and I'm thankful today that He is my Master, the one who knows what He requires of me, what He expects of me, and who also rewards me for a job well done.

The disciples called Him Teacher, and I'm thankful today for the instructive Word, for the Spirit who teaches me all things that I need to know, and for the wonderful example upon whom I can keep my eyes fixed.

I'm thankful this morning, Jesus, and I bless your name today.

Thankful, Day Fifteen

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting;

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

How do you bless someone's name, and what good does it do? I mean, if someone walked up to me and said, "I bless the name of Casey," that really wouldn't mean very much to me. Then again, my name doesn't have universal ramifications. My name isn't the Name above every name, and the only Name under heaven by which we can be saved. My name isn't powerful enough to heal sickness and disease and infirmity and affliction. My name isn't authoritative enough to make anyone tremble. My name isn't transferable as the key to answered prayer, or the means by which people receive Divine impartation. My name is just simply a name.

But what about His Name? As a preacher, I know them all. And to lift up the Name of Jesus and bless it is powerful indeed! To bless the Name of the Lord is to praise the God of all, with whom nothing is impossible, who can do everything exceedingly abundantly well, and who wants to do it for you. So maybe I'll just spend a few days blessing His name as I give thanks.

Lord, I'm thankful today and I bless the Name of Jesus--which means God is my salvation. Through the Name of Jesus, my sins are forgiven, my spirit is renewed, my soul is sanctified. Through His Name, I am protected through every trial and tribulation, through every hardship and distress! The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, into which the righteous run and are saved!

Lord, I'm thankful today and I bless the Name of Christ--which means anointed one. He is the one eternally marked as Your Son, and anointed to be my Prophet, Priest and King. His words are life, His ministry is ever-living, and His kingdom is eternal. He speaks to me and for me, He makes intercession for me at the right hand of God, and He is establishing His rule within me to save me forever!

Lord, I'm thankful today and I bless the Name of the LORD--which is the representation of Your covenant-keeping Name YHWH in our English Bibles. You swore to Abraham, and to those with faith like his, an everlasting covenant of redemption, and there being no other higher than You, You swore by Yourself, by Your Name, and You will be faithful to Your oath, Your promises, and Your Name. I cannot save myself, nor do anything to redeem myself, but You O LORD, have done everything necessary to redeem me and to reconcile me to yourself. Rightly do we call You LORD, because You have kept Your Word to all who call upon You!

Lord, I'm thankful that I'm not in danger of running out of good things to call You, and that all who call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved!

Thankful, Day Fourteen

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Unless I'm mistaken, the Hebrew word translated praise is hallel. And if memory serves it means to act the fool in praising God, to cast off all inhibitions and literally throw yourself into it. It is also the root of the universal praise word hallelujah, which literally means praise the Lord. How can we possibly be quiet and still, reserved in our praise of God Almighty, Lord of Everything, especially when we consider all that He has done for us, all that He has given, all that He has promised, and all that He is?

I'm thankful today and I give God praise because He has not abandoned me to my own ways, but rather has kept me in His. There have been times where I have strayed from the path--not walking away from God, but taking a detour from His will. I'm so thankful He didn't leave me out there to wander alone. Instead He walked with me, and talked with me, and continued speaking words of wisdom and guidance until I was back on the right path.

I'm thankful today and I give God praise because He is on my side, and if God be for me, everyone else might as well be. There have been times when I've had to take a stand, but when I stood in righteousness and I stood in faith, I knew that the Lord was standing right beside me. There have been times when I've had to face enemies and battles and other threatening situations, but God has always been there with me.

I'm thankful today and I give God praise because He sees what I cannot see, and He is always working on my behalf, even when I don't know it. He knows the beginning and the end of all things in my life, He's already worked out all the details, and He is certainly completely in control. All I've got to do is keep my heart tuned to His, and not try to get ahead of Him.

Thank you God, for your personal involvement in my little life.

One Moment in Time

 

Would you believe I didn't even know the name Whitney Houston until 1989? And would you believe it would be another few years still before I could put a face with that name? As I have mentioned several times before, I didn't listen to this kind of music when I was a kid. It was a hymnal and The Chuck Wagon Gang for me when I was growing up. Well, at least until I became a teenager, and then I rebelled by listening to things like Petra (who can forget This Means War?), Ferrell & Ferrell, DeGarmo & Key, and Carman. When I really wanted to deviate from the norm, I put on my Tchaikovsky records and listened to the 1812 Overture, cannons blasting and everything.

I was weird, I admit it.

And I know it's hard to believe now, but 20 years ago I wasn't the extroverted showman I am today. In fact, I was a little shy with my gifts and came lately to the stage. But Whitney is the one who really brought out the performer in me.

In 1989, my family made an unexpected move away from the people I'd known all my life. And we did it toward the end of the school-year. I think there were 9 weeks left in the spring semester of my Sophomore year. My folks gave me the option of staying behind with my grandparents to finish the year, or going with them. But if I got anything from my Mom and Dad, it was a sense of adventure. So I left town with them. We moved to Roaring Springs, Texas, and if you've heard of it, you must be Assembly of God from West Texas. Or a well-traveled Texan.

Actually, we didn't even move to Roaring Springs proper, a community of 356 people when I was there. We moved to a church campground 15 miles from Roaring Springs. It's the only time I have truly lived out in the country. We were on a rural bus route, and just so everyone knows...for nine weeks, and nine weeks only, I rode the little short bus. And that little bus didn't take me to school in Roaring Springs. We had to go fifteen miles further to Matador to attend Motley County High School.

So here's where the story gets kinda funny. Because I was coming from a different school system, my class schedules didn't exactly match up. So I ended up in a "journalism" class that consisted of me, myself, and an Apple 2 computer. In Matador, they split the guys and girls Biology class, but because my World History class was now for juniors, I ended up being the lone guy among five or six fairly attractive young ladies who were dumb as posts and in need of tutoring. And I was the lone Sophomore in a Junior History class. For the sake of all my White Deer-Skellytown friends, I'd like to say that we had some extraordinary educators instructing us. I'd also like to point out that for such a small town, we had lots of really smart people.

That wasn't necessarily true at MCHS and I'm glad I was only there for 9 weeks, because nobody will remember me and find me on Facebook, and then read this blog to hear that I think the average intelligence was equal to that of a fencepost. So after a short 9 week stint, I managed to sweep the awards ceremony at the end of the school year, taking home several large and impressive medals for academic excellence in a variety of subjects. And that's not the end of it. The lady in charge of the annual talent contest found out I played the piano and drafted me.

I hadn't really played the piano much over the previous 2 years, but when we moved to Roaring Springs, there was a piano available that I played every morning before the short bus picked me up. I began to pick out songs by ear, and improvise with some arpeggios and scales. Two songs that I learned were How Great Thou Art and The Rose--not songs that would normally be put together. But those two songs I performed as a medley, and I won the Motley County talent contest too...taking away the First Place ribbon from the little girl who had won several years in a row for her very talented piano playing. She was good, and she played classical music by the note. But me just playing around, and playing by heart, took the day.

And from that came my first invitation to play for a purpose. The 8th Grade class decided they wanted me to play for their graduation ceremony. So I had to learn two new songs--Pomp and Circumstance and One Moment in Time. And regarding the latter, I didn't just have to learn to play it...I had to learn to play it well enough for the 8th Graders to sing it as their class song. I worked hard, because I'm a slow reader when it comes to music. But on the appointed night, I played, they sang, the school year was over.

For a few days, I was the talk of the town...and I'm not sure it was all nice talk. But after those nine weeks of school and a summer of church camp, we left for New Mexico and I have not been seen in Motley County again.

But I can still play (and sing) One Moment in Time.



Thankful, Day Thirteen

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting;

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Praise and worship ought to be an event. I mean a hand-clapping, foot-stomping, heart-pounding, roof-raising celebration of Who God Is and all that He has done! I have never understood worship leaders who look like they just rolled out of bed, no smile, not energy, no enthusiasm or apparent interest in what they're doing. And I really don't understand church people who are supposedly saved, sanctified, spirit-filled and heaven bound who show no inclination whatsoever to offer a sacrifice of praise to God.

When I read this Psalm, I think about clapping and shouting and singing and jumping and dancing and running and hootin' and hollerin' because God has been so good to me.

I'm thankful, and rejoice today, that He's a healer, even when my body is aching and tired, when I'm sick and oh so weary! I have experienced the healing power of God for myself, I've witnessed the healing power of God in others, and I expect the healing power of God to continue to be demonstrated. But even in my infirmities, He is still a good God!

I'm thankful and rejoice today, that He's a compassionate God who truly cares for my every need. He is concerned about my well-being, and even though He may not minister to me the way I think He ought to, or provide me in the ways I think He should, I know that He is still watching over me and doing what is best for me.

I'm thankful and rejoice today, that He is my strength when I am weak, my shelter when I am in danger, my guide when I have gone astray. His strength is made perfect in my weakness, so I'm thinking, "Lord, I'd really like to see some of that strength, because I've had just about all I can take." I know this: He's never late. He may not be early, but He'll always show up in time, be on time, and do it every time!

I'm deliriously thankful for the goodness of God to meward!

Thankful, Day Twelve

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the Sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Come before His presence with singing, it says. Enter into His gates and courts. You know, all of those take effort on our part. People are sitting around all the time saying, "God come to me," and God is calling back, "YOU come to ME!" Where did we get the idea that God was the one who had to do our bidding?

And when we come to God, do we come with our wish list and our complaints, our critique of His last act on our behalf? Or do we come with singing, with thanks and praise? Keeping in mind that the Bible tells us to make our petitions known to God, it also says to do so with prayer, supplication and thanksgiving! And bookending pray without ceasing are the key phrases rejoice always and in everything give thanks. Even when the disciples asked Jesus how to pray--and his model included a place for asking--He started and ended with thanksgiving and praise.

Every parent knows that when their little jewel climbs up in the lap, puts their little arms around the neck and coos sweetly into the ears, "Daddy, I love you so much!" it's usually because they want something. And even though we know what they're doing, aren't we much more inclined to give it in the wake of a little loving than in the aftermath of a fit? The Bible shows that God (who is far superior to an earthly father) has an inclination to honor those who honor Him.

God, I may be in need of provision today, but I'm thankful that whenever I am in need, you are always my source and my supply. You've never let me down, never seen me forsaken or begging for bread. You have provided me often with more than I need, and certainly much more than I deserve.

God, I may be in need of companionship today, but I'm thankful that I have a friend who sticks closer than a brother, who never leaves me nor forsakes me, who has promised to be with me always! Even when I'm lonely in the flesh, I am never alone in the Spirit, because you are with me, your rod and staff comfort me, and I will fear no evil.

God, I may be in need of help today, but I'm thankful that when I call, you always answer. You may not do things the way I wanted, wished or prayed for, but you do always hear and answer prayer. Your Word says whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and will not be put to shame. You are my help in present time of need.

I'm thankful today that He provides all I have need of!

Thankful, Day Eleven

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, he is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Thanksgiving. That's what this whole exercise is about. Not the holiday, but the attitude. I believe thanksgiving, being thankful, is a fruit of the Spirit, one characteristic of being like Christ. It's a choice, and should be a practice. Instead of so much griping and complaining for what we lack, we should spend more time being appreciative of what we have. It's taken ten days, but this Psalm is beginning to get IN me.

Enter His gates, it says. That used to mean the temple, but since today we are the temple, where do we go into His presence where we can express our thanksgiving?

I'm thankful that when I go to church, whenever I meet with other Christians, I can enter into the presence of the Lord. Because Jesus promised us that wherever we gathered in His name, even if it was just two or three of us, He would be there with us. Jesus promised that He would never leave us, nor forsake us. That He would be with us always, even to the end of the age!

I'm thankful that whenever I praise Him, wherever I am, whatever I'm going through, He is present. Because the Psalmist wrote that He inhabits the praises of His people. Put another way, He is enthroned in our praises; He sits upon them. When I'm feeling far away from God, first of all I need to realize that God is not the one who has moved. I need to take steps back to Him in praise and petition, and I know that I will find Him. As the old timers used to say, He is as close as the mention of His name.

I'm thankful that when I shut myself into a private place of prayer, He is there with me. Because His Spirit lives and breathes and moves in me, giving me new and everlasting life. When I call upon Him, he hears my prayers, he cares for my needs, and he answers my cry.

Thank you Lord, that wherever I am, there You are, and I can enter your gates anytime I want to.

Thankful, Day Ten

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I cannot read the second half of this Psalm (starting with Enter His gates) without thinking of my Dad. When I was 18 years old, I became the church pianist, and Dad led the singing in the Key of G-Whiz. I think he only knew four or five songs by heart, so many times, those were the songs he led out with, and I knew if he sang one of them, he was going to sing all of them. Enter His Gates. This is the Day. What a Mighty God We Serve. We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise. And for the slow song: I Love You Lord. He'd get going on one of those fast songs, and just as we were nearing the end of the third or fourth time through it, he'd rear back at the pulpit and shout, "SING IT AGAIN!" I can hear him now...every time I sing one of those songs.

I'm thankful today for my Dad, who understood what it meant to be a Godly man, a Godly Father. It was Dad who first informed me of my need for Jesus. It was Dad who taught me how to pray by leading me in prayer every night at bedtime. It was Dad who taught me the importance of God's Word, first by reading it in front of me, then by reading it to me and explaining it, and then by insisting that I read it on my own. It was Dad who demonstrated the heart of true worship by praising the Lord in church and out of church, whether he had music or not.

I'm thankful for a Dad who had the courage and conviction to discipline me when I needed it, and to disciple me at all times. The Bible says that the man who spares the rod hates his son, but if he loves him he will discipline his son early and often. It also says that a good spanking drives foolishness far from the heart of a child, and will also deliver his soul from hell. I tell people, my Daddy loved me, and he wanted me to go to heaven, and he proved it to me often. My Dad couldn't save me, couldn't make me go to heaven, but I'm thankful that he refused to let me go to hell.

I'm thankful for a Dad who showed me what Spiritual boldness, power and courage were all about. He was a man who stood up when standing needed to be done, who spoke out when something needed to be said, who took action when no one else was willing. He was a man's man, and he was God's man, and he taught me how to be a man after God's own heart.

Thank you Jesus for my earthly father, my Dad!

Thankful, Day Nine

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

To the Psalmist, the gates and courts of God were the temple in Jerusalem. It was where the Israelites went to offer sacrifices to the Lord. It was where God's visible, manifest presence dwelt--between the wings of the golden cherubim over the lid that covered that ark of the covenant. Only one man, one time a year, could actually enter that Divine Presence. Only certain members from a certain tribe could come into the building that contained the room that housed the presence. Only Israelite men could come through the Great Gate of the Temple into the courtyard before the altar. Israelite women had to stay in an outer court between the Great Gate and the Beautiful Gate, and Gentiles were even further removed from the presence of God. So unless this Psalm was written by a High Priest of Israel, the author had never actually been in the presence of the glory of God.

I'm thankful for Jesus, who is our peace, who has broken down every wall of division between Jew & Gentile, male & female, slave & free, and has made us all one in Himself.

I'm thankful that when Jesus died for our sins, the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom, revealing the emptiness of the Jewish religion in the absence of the glory of God, and removing the barrier that separated man from his Maker.

I'm thankful that Jesus has now sat down at the right hand of God, where He serves as our great High Priest, ever living to make intercession for us.

And I'm thankful that I don't have to go to a temple in Jerusalem to worship God, because through Jesus each of us individually are the temple of God, dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and corporately the Body of Christ, the church!

Thankful, Day Eight

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

You know, all my life I've heard that the reason God calls His people sheep is because sheep are dumb. It sometimes gets a good laugh out of a crowd who knows their own limitations, but I also think it really misses the point. Out of all the domesticated animals on earth, I think sheep are probably the most personally cared for animals on the planet. So I'm thankful for being a sheep in the pasture of God, this morning.

I'm thankful that the Lord is my Shepherd, and that I shall not want. I'm thankful that He leads me and guides me and directs my life in the way that I should go. I'm thankful that He protects and defends me, that He comforts and keeps me. The Lord watches out for those who are His and does good to them all the days of their lives.

I'm thankful that in the Lord's pasture, He is the one who keeps the grace green and the waters still. He is a wall about me, the door through which I go in and out. He knows everything that I have need of, and He is more than able to abundantly provide for each and every one of my needs, according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.

I'm thankful that He is my Good Shepherd, the one who lays down His life for His sheep. He's not a hireling who runs at the first sign of trouble, but rather He looked death and hell in the face, and faced them down. He carried the weight of my sins on His shoulders. He took the bill of accusation against me and nailed it to the cross, to be remembered no more. He opened a big ol' can of smack down on my adversary the devil, pulled his stinger and his teeth, and provided for me through His personal sacrifice, and entrance into Heaven and eternal life.

Thank you Jesus, for being my shepherd, and letting me be one of your sheep.

Thankful, Day Seven

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I want to deviate slightly from my progression through this Psalm and offer thanks for some things while they are on my mind.

I'm thankful tonight for a sense of humor. It is laughter, the Bible says, that does good like a medicine, and tonight I enjoyed laughing with a group of my peers (other preachers, in case you're wondering). Let me tell you something, there is nothing funnier in the world than a bunch of preachers letting their hair down around each other. I'd love to tell you all about it, but "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

I'm thankful for a father and grandfather who collected lots of tools. My grandfather was a mechanic on big engines in natural gas plants. My Dad was a welder and an electrician. They both did lots of other things with their hands. And now I have a garage full of tools, many that I don't even know what they're for, much less how to use them. But this afternoon I was performing a minor household repair job and thought to myself how useful a certain item would be, then realized I had one. I think, if I begin to undertake some household jobs, I'm going to find myself better equipped then I could have imagined.

I'm thankful for the abundance with which I have been blessed. All it takes to put some things in perspective is to meet someone who has little or nothing. And an even greater blessing than having stuff is being able to share it with someone else. So I'm also thankful for the new friendship I made today, the new housemate I'm getting, and the blessings that God has in store for both of us.

I'm thankful for lots of things, big and small.

Thankful, Day Six

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I missed blogging yesterday, but I didn't miss being thankful. Tell you what, I'll blog twice today to make up for it. :)

I am thankful that WE are His people, and that I belong to that WE. We are not born naturally as God's people; rather, Jesus said, we must be born again. I'm thankful for that life that was granted to me through my mother and father, but I'm also thankful for the new life that was given me when I called upon Jesus in faith for forgiveness and everlasting life. That day, I accepted the price that was paid for my soul, and I became part of God's people.

I am thankful that God has said of us, I will be your God, and you shall be My people. He promised to live in us and with us, and to never forsake us. Again, He is a personal God who is actively involved with His people. It's not about Him owning us, although He certainly does. It is about us partaking in Who He Is and all that He has. I am so grateful that I can personally know the God whom I serve, that I can hear Him and feel Him and experience Him...and that one day I will see Him for myself! That is awesome!

I am thankful that God claims me as His own. It's not something I am entitled to, not something I could demand, certainly not something I deserve. But God looked out from the start of start and saw me as someone He wanted. He provided the way, the means, the guide. He paid the price of a one-way ticket to Him, and offered it freely to me, because He wanted me. I'm proud of my earthly heritage (mostly), but most of all I am proud of my eternal heritage in Jesus Christ. I am His, and He is mine, and that's enough to get me through the night, and through every day!

Thankful, Day Five

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

God is the creator of all that exists, the One who brought all things into existence by the power of His will, by the power of His word. It is He who calls those things into existence that are not as though they are.

I am thankful that He put me together, fashioned me cell by cell with His own hands in the womb of my mother. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, because I am His workmanship. And I like how He put me together. If I had made me, I might have made me taller, more athletic, or built differently. But then, my head might have been turned by my own good looks. As it is, I'm happy with who I am, and this body is merely a shell that will one day be shed for a glorified existence.

I am thankful that He shaped my life, forming my person and guiding my path with His own hands. He put in me gifts and talents and abilities that could be developed and utilized by His Spirit. He gave me everything that I have, everything that I am, He continues to give me dreams and visions and goals and desires. I truly appreciate everything He has built into my make-up, and can't wait to see how He will use it now, in the future, and in eternity.

I am thankful that He made all things new when He saved me, and each time He forgives me. Old things passed away the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ, and the trappings of that old life, the remnants of that old man continue to pass away as I yield myself to His will. I am a new creature, with a new name written down for me, a new white robe awaiting me, and new mercies that await me every morning. And I'm thankful that He's still working on me, faithful to fulfill every promise that He has made, and to complete everything that He has begun in me.

Thank you Lord, for making me. Help me Lord to yield.

Prophet Motive

You false prophets are leading my people astray!

You promise peace for those who give you food,

but you declare war on those who refuse to feed you.

Micah 3:5, NLT

I've heard them, and so have you. They get on TV, or stand in pulpits, and they say, "If you will give to my ministry, God is going to bless you. If you give $10 in tonight's offering, you can expect $100 back from God! If you give $100 tonight, you can expect $1000 from God! But if you don't give in my offering, don't expect to receive anything from God." I've heard preachers cajole crowds with guilt trips about the money they spend compared to what they've given in his offering. I heard one guy get up one time say, "I know how much you gave the speaker last time, and your offerings haven't come anywhere close this time!"

I've heard them say that if you give to their ministry, you're entitled to receive a portion of their anointing. As if the gift and calling that God has placed upon them is transferable at will, for a price. I'm often reminded of Simon Magus (otherwise known as Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8) who wanted to buy from the apostles the power to fill people with the Holy Ghost. Peter said to him, "You and your money can go straight to hell."

I saw an evangelist stand a young man in front of a crowd and announce how much money that young man had given in the offering. Then he announced that he was personally going to impart a blessing to that young man because of the offering he had given. He also proceeded to call that young man into full-time ministry, and promised that he would personally help that young man fulfill the call. To my knowledge, once the check was written at the end of that meeting, the evangelist never did one single thing to disciple, equip, educate, instruct, mentor, or in any other way help the man he had called into the ministry. I'm not even certain that young man felt the call of God on his life. He gave out of obedience to the Lord, out of a generous heart. And then he was made a public spectacle, so that (I suspect) others would be inclined to give if they thought the evangelist was going to bless them in the same way.

And I've heard so-called prophets tell crowds, as if they themselves were Abraham in Genesis 12, "If you bless me, I will bless you. And if you don't bless me, I will curse you." I mean, really, who do they think they are? Do they think they are the only valid ministry ordained by God, and that they have in and of themselves the power and authority to bless and curse people according to how they give?

Through the prophet Micah (who I am quite certain never got rich preaching the message God gave him), the Lord said, "You false prophets are leading my people astray." Jesus might have said it like this: "Blind guides leading the blind. You don't lead people through the gates of life, and you don't go in yourself." The mark of false prophets in Micah's day are the same as they are today. And I've personally been on the receiving end of both. I've been blessed by prophets who thought I was a blessing to them, and I've been cursed by prophets who thought I was opposed to them.

If a preacher of any kind tells you what you want to hear so that he can get your money, he's a false prophet. If a preacher shortchanges you on truth, on doctrine, on the Word of God, he is likely shortchanging you on power too. If he doesn't preach like the prophets of old, proclaiming an unadulterated message of repentance and reconciliation to God, but rather promises you all the good things in life if only you'll give more money, he needs to be run out of town (since we can't stone them anymore). And if he threatens everyone that is not for him, not supporting him, not giving in his offerings--if he pronounces judgment on churches and pastors who don't come flocking to his big tent to hear him flap his gums together--he is not the man of God he claims to be.

To borrow a phrase from Monty Python: Run away! Run away!

Thankful, Day Four

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

One more day, and I may be able to type this Psalm from memory. :) Okay, so it's not exactly the beginning of my day, but I'd like a new beginning. Or course, I may have to revisit this in a while for another new beginning, but here I am. Day four of giving thanks with this great Thanksgiving Psalm.

I am thankful that He is God, and I am not. If I was God, I would probably not be as longsuffering, or just. If I was God, lots of people would get exactly what they deserve. If I was God, I'd probably wipe everybody out, starting with people like me. So I am thankful that He is God.

I am thankful that He is sovereign, almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is everywhere present all of the time. He occupies all points of time and space simultaneously. He can do anything, He can do everything, and He works all things out for my good and His glory. None of His purposes are withheld from Him. I am thankful that He is in charge of my life, my world, my universe, my past, my present and my future. I am thankful that He's on the throne and He's not getting off.

I am thankful that He is God, and not someone else. I'm thankful that Allah is not God, that Krishna is not God, that Buddha is not God. There is no god-like representation in any other religion who is completely good and righteous and holy and benevolent and loving and merciful and kind and giving. There is no shadow or turning with Him. He never changes, and He never fails. He is not arbitrary, but does all things according to the oath and the covenant He swore by Himself, because He could swear by no other. He will do all that He has said that He will do.

And I am most thankful that He is a real and personal God, who knew me before there was a me, and called me by name. He predestined me according to His own Divine foreknowledge to be His child, and to be conformed to the image of His only begotten Son. He is personally involved in my life, personally active and working in me and through me according to His will and good pleasure. And He has a personal wonderful plan for my life!

I am thankful for God today!

Thankful, Day Three

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

it is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name!

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting;

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Today is Sunday, and I'm going to church! I've been going to church on Sunday mornings for about 35 years now, ever since I was a kid. In fact, I could probably count on one hand the number of Sunday mornings I have ever missed. And let's not even talk about Sunday nights and Wednesdays (and any other time the church doors were open). Once the folks got saved, there just didn't seem to be any other option. We went to church.

An important part of going to church is singing. I love to sing. Always have, always will. And today is one of those occasions on which I am supposed to play the piano and lead the congregation in singing. It is something else that I love to do. What is going to be a little challenging today is leading with my chest and voice in the shape they are in. But I'm going to sing anyway. Just like I did last night at the Feast of Carols, in which we were asked to participate in some of the singing. As I've heard some folks say, "I have a beautiful voice, I just tear it up getting it out!" True today.

And the best part of going to church is worshiping corporately with God's people in God's presence. I know God goes to church, because Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am also in the midst of them." And the Psalmist wrote that God inhabits and is enthroned in the praises of His people. I look forward to being in the presence of God, to experiencing the presence of God. This is not a cold, dead prophet, or an indifferent far-off deity that we serve. This is a real God that we serve (Okay, now I'm preaching instead of blogging about thanks...)

I'm thankful today for beautiful music, for music touches the heart, stirs the soul, ministering in harmonies and melodies in many deep and personal ways. I know that God loves music, because in heaven there is lots of it going on. The angels always worship the Lord with harp and song. The vivid imagery of the Revelation is one of constant praise and worship being offered before the throne of God, and one day I will join that matchless throng to sing the praises of the King of the Ages (I'm also waxing poetic...)

I'm thankful today for the testimony that song allows me to give, because I can sing of the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! I can sing about all that God has done for me, all that God has brought me through, all that God has delivered me from. I can sing about His forgiveness and His amazing grace. I can sing about His wondrous love and His tender mercies. I can sing about His power and His presence. I can sing about what I used to be, but thank God I'm longer that. I can sing about what I'm going to be, because I serve a God who is daily working to transform me into His image and likeness. And most of all, I can sing about Jesus, who gave His life for me.

I'm thankful today for the ability to sing: not the talent of singing, but the ABILITY to sing. I have breath in my lungs, vocal chords that vibrate, a working instrument to sound it all out. I thank the Lord for the ability to speak, to sing, to shout, to proclaim the high praises of God with my mouth! Like the Psalmist, I too will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, and with my mouth will I make known His faithfulness to all generations!

Thank you Lord for music!

Under the Alchyfluence of Inkyhol

Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you,

"I'll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!"

That's just the kind of prophet you would like!

Micah 2:11, NLT

I've been spending lots of time with the Prophets recently, the real ones, in the Bible, and the things that really jump out at me are the things they have to say about themselves and their fellow proclaimers. Though I've read Micah several times through the years, reading through him this last time was a real eye-opening experience, especially in the New Living Translation. It's almost as if he sat in some of the meetings I've been in myself.

When prophets like Micah and Isaiah, and later Jeremiah and Ezekiel, were announcing impending and imminent doom and issuing their calls for repentance, they always had counterparts who were appealing to the crowds with watered down messages of peace, prosperity and pleasure. When the prophets of God were calling for fasting and prayer and affliction of soul, the other guys were running around saying, "Hey, everything's gonna be fine! Eat your food, drink your wine, enjoy life! It's all gonna be okay!"

Those prophets were full of lies. They prophesied for their own self-aggrandizement, for their own selfish gain. They prophesied because they wanted to be popular and appreciated. They wanted to be lauded by the masses, featured as keynote speakers at all the big conferences. If they'd been preaching today, they'd be the ones on TV with their million-dollar plastic smiles refusing to preach against sin and wickedness, but instead insisting that God loves everybody and has a wonderful plan for their lives. Just be positive, think happy thoughts, speak words of blessing over yourself and others, and all your problems will just vanish away.

The prophets of God said, "Not so!" The true prophets of God told people the truth: "Things have to be right between you and God, before things can be right for you anywhere else!"

Micah even said, tongue-in-cheek I'm sure, "If someone came to your preaching about the joys of wine and alcohol, that's the kind of preaching you'd enjoy." It's a message about feelings and emotions and physical pleasures. It's a message about distraction from reality, disruption of Godly order, and carefully disguised dissipation. Which is why I cringe when I hear these so-called prophets telling gullible audiences that the answer to all their problems is to get drunk (or high) on the Holy Spirit. Like a little stumbling around and rolling on the floor, acting silly with a goofy look on your face is what Jesus had in mind when He said, "You shall receive power..."

Not many years ago, I remember the self-proclaimed "Holy Ghost Bartender" who spent half his speaking time doing stand-up, and the other half telling people that the overwhelming laughter was the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. And then people would begin to act like drunken idiots, becoming the center of attention themselves and creating a ripple effect of hilarity instead of doing what the Holy Spirit is supposed to do, which is draw attention to Jesus. How do you think Christ the Lord feels when people would rather watch the show than focus on Him?

Jesus was accused of drunkenness when he ate with sinners, but He never acted like an out-of-control fool. The disciples were accused of drunkenness on the day of Pentecost because they were heard speaking in lots of different languages, but Peter had to dispute the observation by saying, "These ARE NOT drunk, as you suppose." And Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:18, "Don't be drunk with wine, which will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Spirit!" Drunkenness is a sin, and drunken behavior is foolishness according to the Scriptures. And multiple times over we are encouraged to be sober minded.

Unfortunately, there are too many who want to be silly, who want to be distracted, who don't want to face the realities of righteousness and holiness. Instead, they'd rather listen to a guy who tickles their fancy and get the feel-goods all over. Exactly like Micah said they would.

What kind of prophet are you looking for?

Thankful, Day Two

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come into His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

it is He who has made us and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting.

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I am glad today to be serving the Lord, and though the road is narrow, the way rough, and sometimes my companions are few, my guide is reliable! I serve a Master who requires much, but who also provides much. He gives me with strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. He blesses way beyond measure, and He never leaves me nor forsakes me. He is a good God, far better to me than I deserve.

So once again this morning, I'm thankful that He saved me. I'm thankful that He knew before I was ever born, that He knit me together in my mother's womb and called me by name to be His own. I'm thankful that He did everything necessary to save me from myself, from sin, from sickness, from satan, from certain death and eternal suffering in hell. I'm thankful that He provided the way for me to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ my Lord. I'm thankful that while I was still a sinner, Christ loved me enough and died for me knowing what I was, because He also knew what He wanted me to be.

I'm thankful that He has called me into His service, into this ministry, and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. I'm thankful that He saw something in me, some potential that could be redeemed and transformed to suit His purposes, so that I could be useful to His plan and His kingdom. I'm thankful for the message He has placed on my lips, and the heart He has given me to serve His people as a shepherd.

And I'm thankful that He has placed in me gifts to make up for my natural lack and human frailties. He gave me Jesus to save me, He gave me the Holy Spirit to empower me, He gave me many precious promises that are faithful and true, He gave me many great and wonderful gifts, and each day He continues to pour out of His Spirit upon me and extend to me the amazing grace that I need to make it through one more day in His service.

Thank you Lord for the privilege and the pleasure of serving you!