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It is Good to Give Thanks

11/27/2014

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From the "Generations Project"

Psalm 92:1-2* 1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.

Thanksgiving is a favorite time of the year. It is a time set aside by an earlier generation of Godly leaders to remind us of God's blessings on our nation. While it has become a time for gathering with family and friends and celebrating of “Turkey Day” and so many other things we must not forget that the central purpose is to worship God for His bountiful blessings on us. Thankfulness is a recognition that what we enjoy is not just the result of our personal efforts but also of the sacrifice of others on our behalf. Absolutely none of us would be where we are or enjoy the things we have if it were not for what God and others have shared with us.

It comes almost as an understatement for the Psalmist to say, “It is a good thing to give thanks...” By contrast it is a bad thing if we have become so selfish and self-centered that we can not recognize the benefits that we have derived from others. Let us endeavor to always see even the little contributions others make in our lives. We will be the better for it and to live life in a spirit of Thanksgiving and gratefulness can not but make our lives and the lives of others better.

The object of our thanks in this passage is “the LORD.” He is the cause and beginning of everything we have and are. He is worthy of our worship and praise. When we are grateful to Him for what He has done it just follows naturally that we will be thankful for others and their contributions to our success. It is also no accident that the Psalmist mentions singing. Not everyone can sing with a voice that is pleasant but we can always sing with the heart. Paul even expresses it that way in Colossians 3:16, “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” The purpose of the songs is to “show forth” to others. While private devotion is important it is also very important to be involved in public expression of our thanks. To “show forth” is to reach out beyond ourselves to others in the world who need to hear our witness of God's character.

The Psalmist worships God for two very important aspects of His character. First, we show His lovingkindness. That is a word that is closely akin to our word “grace” in the New Testament. It is obviously a combination of two words “loving” and “kindness.” It expresses the constant benefit bestowed on us every morning as we rise to live in the power and desire of our gracious God. Second, we show His faithfulness every night as we recount the ways God has shown Himself strong on our behalf throughout the day. This idea is expressed in another great passage from Lamentations 3:22-23, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

It ought to be the joy and rejoicing our hearts to sing His praises every morning and evening! May God grant us the wisdom to live lives of constant praise to Him.  O Magnify the LORD with me!








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Let Him Glory in This...

11/18/2014

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Jeremiah 9:23-24 23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Man, do we love to brag! We are in the midst of football season as I write this. Week after week we look at the scores and revel in our favorite teams. We speak of wins to the point of nausea and complain of losses to the point of disgust. We are by nature- braggarts. And it doesn't have to be football or any other sport. It can even be in religion. We compare doctrines and church polity and statistics to the point of near extinction. But God has a better word for us.

The Bible doesn't use the word “brag” but the concept of boasting, being proud, and having pride are definitely there. As a matter of fact the word “pride” appears 49 times in our Bibles and is never used in a good sense. Likewise the word “proud” appears 48 times and not once in a good sense. For that reason I have developed a habit of never, I should probably say rarely, using the words. When I have heard other Christians use the word they often qualify it with the phrase, “I mean in a good sense.” As a result of my studies I have trained myself to use words like, “I am grateful for... or I rejoice in... or I am thankful for...” Please don't think I am being overly critical with those who use the word in a good sense. Actually, the original Hebrew word is sometimes translated with good words like “excellent,” “glorious,” “triumphant,” and even “grow up.” See Exodus 15:1 and 15 where the word appears duplicated for emphasis and is translated, “triumph gloriously.”

Our text uses the phrase, “glory in” that is a form of this word in Hebrew. It means to “boast in” or we would say in our day “be proud of.” You could subsitute those very words and you would be giving an very accurate interpretation of the words. But it is the meat of the subject we want to look at. Men love to boast of their wisdom, might and riches but God does not want us boasting in those. Like it or not, it is God that gives us the power or the capacity to learn, it is God that gives us strength, it is God who gives us the power to make wealth. Check out Deuteronomy 8:18 if you don't believe me. Argue as we will that we worked hard in school, we worked hard at the gym or we worked hard at the job we can not escape the fact that God determines our bounds and He gives us according as He wills. Now that does not mean that we should not learn, work out or labor hard. God commends each of those concepts and he honors hard work! What God wants is for us to honor what is most important-- our relationship with Him.

“Let him that glorieth, glory in this...” First, that he understands and knows the LORD. Second, that he knows the character of God-- lovingkindness (an Old Testament word describing grace), judgment (the judge of the earth judges right), and righteousness (true righteousness is imputed to us by faith). And, third, that God delights in these things being formed in us, His children. I have often said, “You can't go wrong delighting in what God delights in.”

The Apostle Paul must have loved this passage. We find him quoting from it in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 and in this passage, "But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." "For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." 2 Corinthians 10:17-18.  O Magnify !the LORD with me!


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The B I B L E

11/10/2014

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Yes, that's the Book for me!  (From the "Generations Project")

   This is a very special little song. I learned it when I was just a little tot and love it as much now as then. The word Bible literally means “a book” and is often called “the book” my many people. It is the most important book in the world. When we look into its pages we find a wonderful testimony about its contents. It is also called scripture which means “writings.” "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:15-17. There are many things we learn about the Bible from this one short passage. Notice: Here are a dozen great things we learn about the Bible:

1. It is holy. The Bible is “set aside by God as His.”

2. It can bring us salvation. From sin and death and hell.

3. It does this by giving us faith. Faith is the confidence God has spoken. See, Romans 10:17

4. It tells us of Christ Jesus: God's “anointed Savior.” Christ = Anointed one; Jesus = Savior.

5. It is given to us by none other than God himself. We need not fear His truth.

6. It is inspired. Which means it is the very “breath of God.”

7. It is profitable. It brings increase to life and everything in it.

8. It is doctrine. Which means “teachings.” We need not wonder what God would have us know.

9. It brings reproof. Which means “evidence we can believe.” It is convicting and convincing!

10. It can correct our actions. It helps “straighten us out” when we falter or fail.

11. It is good instruction. It helps us learn in mind and in morals.

12. It makes us perfect. Which means it helps us “reach the goals for which God made us.”

   I call that a “delightful dozen” and guarantee it is sweeter than Krispie Kreme. More can be said of the Bible. The following are a few of the descriptive names for the Word of God taken mostly from Psalms 19 and 119 and is not exhaustive. It is the Law of God, the Testimony of God, the Word of God, the Statues of God, the Judgments of God, the Commandments of God, the Truth of God, the Fear of God, the Way of God, the Faithfulness of God, the Precepts of God, the Surety of God, and the Revelation of God. What a treasure we have. We can hold it in our hands, read it with our eyes, learn it with our minds, believe it with our hearts, walk in it with our feet, and trust it with our lives. It can make us cry, laugh, shout, quietly trust, speak, or be silent, hedge us in, set us free, bind us up, comfort us, enliven us, strengthen us, heal us or condemn us. Rejoice with me in this great book. O Magnify the LORD with me!

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    Michael R. Thornton is a career teacher/minister/
    counselor currently serving as the director of Vital Connections, as well as an itinerant minister in the Pine Belt area.   He has been counseling youth and families for over 20 years.

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