11/8/13- Thanks in All

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen    and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,   he enables me to tread on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Thoughts: Christians do not give up their faith in the bad circumstances of life.  We do not worship luck.  Rather the steadfast God is our Rock and we can rely on Him in good times and bad.
Matthew Henry, the great Bible Commentator, had this to say after he was robbed:
“Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”  There is a peace that God gives that "passes all understanding" (Phil. 4:7).  It is a peace that doesn't depend on circumstances or wisdom.  It depends on faith that God will be there in the good and bad times- and that earthly blessings are secondary.  Sight tells us to weep when times are hard.  Faith tells us that God will wipe away every tear and that even the worst that life does to us- our crosses- can be turned into a resurrection.  So give thanks even when it doesn't make sense.  No, not because you feel like you ought, but because you believe there is a God who can redeem us from all our troubles.  Even on the mountains of heartache, God gives us the ability to survive like mountain deer- from crag to crag. 

Prayer: In each day, Lord, let me find a reason to give thanks. 

11/7/13- Thanks in the House of God Ushers in His Presence

13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever,”the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,(2 Chron. 5:13)

Thoughts:

     Today, someone paid off our sanctuary mortgage.  We took the loan out for $1.45 million 17 years ago.  The verse that said, "I planted another watered, but the Lord gives the growth" is so true.  To God we give thanks.  He has blessed us.  After the Temple was finished and the people sang this great song of thanksgiving, that is when the glory of God filled the place.  Thanks in worship elicits God's presence and blessing.  

      The formula in the Psalms is "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, his love endures forever."  (See Psalm 107:1; 118:1).  But the singers were giving thanks- so they didn't have to describe themselves and their actions.  The way they thanked and praised God was they ascribed goodness and steadfast enduring love to Him.  

Prayer: Help me Lord, to give thanks to you with my whole heart.  May your presence fill me.  

11/6/13- Psalm 107

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    whom he has redeemed from trouble (Psalm 107) 

Thoughts: When God delivers us, we should give thanks and part of that thanking of God is to spread the word to others.  If God has helped you, let others know.  This is the theme of all of Psalm 107.
    In this Psalm some wandered in a hopeless desert; some were in dark prisons; some rebelled against God; some were in danger on the sea; some were in danger during time of war.  In their trouble and humility they called out to God who saved them.  When the circumstances of life go up and down- God has steadfast love that never fails.
     If God has helped us, and we know it, then let us not be mute to God or neighbor.  Let us tell the other beggars where to get the bread.  Let us give thanks to God. Tell it out- Let others hear our thanks.  

Prayer: Thank you God for the many times you have delivered me and those whom I love. 

11/5/13- Saved to Give Thanks

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
    gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
    and glory in your praise.”
36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.

Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 16:34-36)

Thoughts: This was a Psalm of David and Asaph, the famous poet of the Bible, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem.  They had tried to bring the Ark into Jerusalem earlier but were careless in the way they did it and some died.  But now the Ark was there in the middle of the new capital city.  There was a sense that God was blessing them- and He was.  When we are in a time of blessing, we not only should give thanks, we need to give thanks.  To not give thanks when God has blessed us is to not recognize that God is the giver of blessing.  The doxology that is often sung is a great reminder that it is God from whom all blessings flow.  But the blessing was exponential- for the people were thanking God for worship.  They were thanking God for the opportunity to thank and praise Him.  Thanksgiving is an essential part of worship.  

   The actual words of thanksgiving here should be examined.  God is thanked for He is good.  In the end, God defines what is good.  The blessings we receive come from the God overflowing from His good presence.
    That God's love is not a flash in a pan should be a comfort to us.  His love is steady, constant, and lasts forever.  It is from everlasting to everlasting- double infinity.
     Salvation is not just for our own comfort- but now that we are His people, we are saved for a higher purpose- to thank Him (vs.3).  We are saved not for our own skin.  We are saved to give thanks.  Think of that.  We are created to give thanks and when we get in trouble, we are saved to give thanks.  Thanksgiving should be an essential and encompassing part of who we are.  

Prayer: To you, right now, I give thanks.  Thank you for enabling me to give thanks.  Thank you for saving me from trouble so that I might thank you.

11/4/13- Prayer with Thanksgiving

For the balance of November, I will be looking at thanksgiving.

6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:,6,7)

Thoughts: This verse illustrates the power of thanksgiving.  It is the power that changes anxiety about the future into the peace of God.  
What is the thanksgiving for?  Is it things that we are thankful in the past?  If so, then the idea is that when we thank God for the past blessings, it helps us to trust Him for future help.  If it is praying with a thankful heart as if the prayer has already been answered or will be answered in a positive way.
Truth is, there is room for both interpretations.  Thanksgiving in prayer develops trust in God and that gives us peace that passes understanding.  It passes understanding- in that it doesn't have a physical or secular basis for peace.  The peace of God-- which is the deepest lasting peace-- is not based on things going well, or the extra security of savings accounts, investments or insurance policies.  God's peace is found inside- it is related to our ability to give thanks. 

Prayer: Lord, with thanksgiving in my heart I pray to you, asking you to supply my needs and the needs of those I love.  Grant me your peace that comes from giving you thanks. 

11/3/13- The Perseverance of the Church

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:15-18)

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Revelation 2:4-5)

Thoughts: The gates of Hell will not overcome the Church.  But that doesn't mean churches and denominations will not fail when they lose their love for God and ability to listen to Him.  Today, if you go to Ephesus (the church spoken of above in Rev. 2), it is deserted and the church is long gone.  The church is always fragile.  No amount of money or buildings can insure the church.  There is a church in New Jersey that has a huge endowment worth many millions.  It has several paid ministers, but no members.
    I am writing about this because Lake Murray Presbyterian is celebrating its 38th anniversary.  I am deeply aware that if people lose their love for God, the church can end up as a museum or community center (as many churches have in Europe).  People need to feel the responsibility that they ARE the church.  If we do not pray for, give for, work for the glory of God in our church, we should not expect someone else to do it.
    But on the other hand, when we love God from our heart; when we make the profession that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God; when we have a humble attitude of repentance; then the gates of Hell melt away at the sight of people who really believe and act on that belief. 

Prayer: Help me to love you more Lord.  Help me to love you for your glory, and for the good of the Church, as well as for my own good.  Help me to love you because you are worthy of true, deep, devoted love.  

Here is a smilebox video of Lake Murray Presbyterian's year in 2012-13

11/2/13- Prayer Vigils

2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:2) 

44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Lk. 22:44-46)

Thoughts:  Jesus took prayer seriously when he was on earth.  He began His ministry fasting and praying for forty days- in an intense prayer vigil.  He ended His free time on this earth praying in the Garden of Gethsemane so earnestly he bled.
    The most consistently fast-growing Presbyterian Church in the last 50 years has been the Presbyterian Church in Korea.  The reason why- is clear when you observe the church.  The church survived the persecution of the North Koreans, but also puts a high priority on extended prayer.  Each day the average Korean Presbyterian Church begins with a 5:00 A.M. prayer meeting before people go to work and the attendance on average is almost the same as Sunday morning attendance.  Many also have a prayer retreat center and a prayer closet where people can go on nights to pray all night for a special need.  The key to getting in touch with God's love, God's faith, and God's hope is to make prayer a priority- even with extended prayer.  

    So my church, Lake Murray Presbyterian, is having a Prayer Vigil to end its Thirty Days in Prayer.  Hopefully, we will have many pray for our homecoming/anniversary service Sunday, and that our church will be a blessing to God.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to see how important it is to pray to you.