Being Thankful In Rocky Times

Yesterday, the vast majority of us sat down to eating way more food then we had any business eating, watched a ball game on the tube, fellowshipped with family and friends, and - for the most part - pretended nothing else was going on in the world. After all, it was Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day - a day when we focus on what we are thankful for, realize how many things we have been blessed with, the head out at midnight or 5 AM the next morning to spend all the money you were thankful for having on "Black Friday" deals.

My question is...what are you thankful for...today? "But wait, we just did that yesterday," you say. "We even said prayers to tell God all that we are thankful for!" In today's financial woes, political "bailouts", and other rocks in our path - it is easy for us to slip away from the thankfulness we should have and, instead, focus on the problems we are facing.

Psalm 100 (Amplified Bible)

1 MAKE A joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before
His presence with singing!

3 Know (perceive, recognize, and understand
with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves
[and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a
thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him,
bless and affectionately praise His name!

5 For the Lord is good; His mercy and
loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all
generations.

I love the way "The Message" puts verse 4:

4 Enter with the password: "Thank you!"

Make yourselves at home, talking praise.

Thank him. Worship him.

I am blessed to have a pastor who has been leading our church in a series called "Thriving In A Bear Market". Recently, my pastor shed light on just how "wealthy" we are. Wanna be leveled? If you're reading this blog...I can pretty much guarantee you that you, my friend, richer monetarily than 96% of the rest of the world.

The problem facing most folks who are now hit hard with economic crisis as individuals is that we can't seem to separate needs from wants. We "need" shelter....but we don't "need" the bonus rooms, two car garage, swimming pool, and all the extra square footage. We "need" have fellowship and communication with others...but we don't "need" a cell phone in order to do it with. The problem comes when we start viewing all the little extras in life as "needs" and when finances get to the point that we have to cut a cell phone out of a plan or make some other cut in spending - we balk and say "but I need that." As long as our perspective is geared in this direction - we may never see what we have to be thankful for.

Thank you, God that I may be struggling to make ends meet...that I am at a point in my life where I am selling stuff on eBay to bring in some much needed income...and all the while, when I strip it all away...never have you let me lay my head down to sleep without a roof being over my head...never has there been a day that I have done without food and water....and never has there been a day when you weren't watching over me.

It's the day after Thanksgiving...and we ALL have an abundance of things to be thankful for - regardless of the economic positions we are in.

Recently, I posed a question to some of my friends. The question was simple:

"If your time on earth were over today and you were standing before God, aside from thanking Him for His Son, what would be the first thing you would thank Him for and why?"

Here are a few of the responses...

Kyle Goen
Executive Pastor - FBCSmyrna : Smyrna, TN

"I would thank God for:
1. Thank Him for choosing me before the foundation of the world
2. For my wife and children
3. For placing in the home He chose me to grow up in
4. For giving me His Word so I could know Him and His ways more clearly."

Kyle Campos
Worship Pastor - Life Connection Church : Pheonix, AZ

"Grace. In all it's forms, grace has given me everything, my family, my breath, my salvation. All that is good in my life is a product of God's grace."




Micah Huebner
Worship Leader - FBCSmyrna : Smyrna, TN

"Well after my wife of course, it would have to be that we actually get to be a part of His plan on earth. He doesn't just save us and leave us alone. He saves us and allows us to actually have the privilege of serving Him while we are still here. I love that."


So what do YOU have to be thankful for? Make each and everyday "thanksgiving" ... and enter his courts with praise!

SONG SEARCH: Hiding Place

Though the song is not new, it may be new for you : "Hiding Place" is a song from the awesome talent pool at New Life Church in Colorado. This song is one that can close your eyes to, earnestly open your heart, throw all your cares upon God, and feel His presense softly saying "I'm here...I am your hiding place"

The song takes on a whole new meaning for the folks at New Life. The church endured the resignation of it's originating pastor in November of 2006 after improper actions were discovered. It was, imagineably, a huge blow to the church...but one that would not be its greatest.

A little more than a year later, a young man walked into the church and openned fire. His bullets reached four people - and left two dead before the church's security guard wounded him. The gunman then took his own life.

Today...the church is still absolutely thriving and filled with God's love. Why? When confusion existed after their pastor's resignation...they sough solice in God. When they experienced an event later that is more horrific that any of us will ever endure (we would hope) ...they sought after God to heal the emotional wounds.

Can you imagine how much the words of this song now mean to that church? What about you? What wounds do you have? What fears do you have to lay on the Lord? I know my wife and I are uncertain about economic issues like many of you are...but isn't it nice to know that God is still in control? Many are concerned about the leadership of our country. Rather than open a can of worms of political discussion (read Romans 13...and, regardless of where your vote was cast, you will find the Spiritual End of Discussion), I will quote a young gal who is wise beyond her years. My niece - not even old enough to vote - posted a comment on her Facebook that simply said "Relax, we didnt't elect a new God...just a new president." Isn't it satisfying to realize...God still reigns!

Psalms 55:22 assures us that God will take our fears, our burdens, our darkest thoughts...and shoulder them...if we just let Him.

22-23 Pile your troubles on God's shoulders—
he'll carry your load, he'll help you out.
He'll never let good people
topple into ruin.
But you, God, will throw the others
into a muddy bog,
Cut the lifespan of assassins
and traitors in half.

And I trust in you.

Let God be your hiding place...and have peace. Take heart in the words of this New Life Church song...just as they took refuge in God in the midst of their shadows.

Veteran's Day Reflections : "Freedom"

If you haven't already today...thank a Veteran! Veterans past, present, and departed have paved the way for and protected the freedoms we have today. Many of us, regretably, take our own freedoms for granted. Last night, I was reminded from the scriptures how God says we should use our freedom:

Galatians 5:13-26 (Contemporary English Version)

13My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. 14All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself. 15But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves.

16If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. 17The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. 18But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.

19People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. 20They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are 21envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.

22God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. 25God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. 26But don't be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are.

And finally, remember one very important veteran today...Jesus - who gave His life so that we could have the ultimate freedom:

John 8:31-36 (Contemporary English Version)

31Jesus told the people who had faith in him, "If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. 32You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33They answered, "We are Abraham's children! We have never been anyone's slaves. How can you say we will be set free?"

34Jesus replied:

I tell you for certain that anyone who sins is a slave of sin! 35And slaves don't stay in the family forever, though the Son will always remain in the family. 36If the Son gives you freedom, you are free!

Happy Veterans Day!

**Song Search**

Thanks to our friends at OurRisingSound.com for pointing this great song out! Chris Lizotte has found a new rocking way to say "Thank You" to our Lord and Saviour with this sneak peak from Chris's “Signal Hill Revival” release.

The Internet Age

According to GigaTweet, we are about 2 days until Twitter reaches one billion. Twitter has become wildely popular these days. I know I use it to "chat" with my friends, update my Facebook...and even send status alerts to show you when this blog is updated. As cool as it is, there are even churches using Twitter during services to post questions, praises, ect.

What is amazing is how were are able to use technology to spread God's Word. I have been a member for years of MostImportantThing.org which can be used seemlessly in a witness conversation. I used to carry cards that asked "Whats The Most Important Thing to you?" and simply gave the website for readers to go to if the simple question sparked their curiosity.

Today, we see more an more technology used ... Twitter in worship, using holograms in worship...the list goes on and on.

As of today, I have two "Projects" going on on Facebook. One is a group called "Saved!" which hass no other purpose other than to let people in Facebook proclaim for others to see that they are saved. My most recent project is a cause called "Jesus Loves You" which simply passes along the message that...well..."Jesus Loves You"! I hope that it spreads like wildfire. In less than 48 hours, it has grown to over 50 members. It's my goal to start something within Facebook that hass the potential to reach the millions of Facebook members and let them each know that Jesus Loves Them...and that He gave His life for them. (If you haven't already...PLEASE join the cause and invite others to do so. Facebook Causes REQUIRE us to set up a benficiary for donations, so I chose Shaohannah's Hope, an AWESOME group with a fantastic purpose. It was started by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman. We are proud to know much of the Chapman family, so it is an honor for us to help support the endeavors of our friends.)

All this talk of using technology and the internet for God's glory sparked a question with me? What MORE can I do? The internet is vast...and there is more to be done. So I ask....what are YOU doing online to promote God and His purpose?

I normally do not post a lot of comments sent to this blog...but I want you to be an intregal part of this discussion...so feel free to comment below and let me know how you are using the internet or other technology for God's glory!

When my son accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior three years ago - I was ecstatic. I was on the third day of a children's revival and had seen about twenty kids each night who had accepted Christ. When my son stood up on the third night to accept Jesus ... well ... I'm sure you could imagine my elation. I can imagine the emotions my son had...because I went through the same emotions before.

Oh, to return to those days. Tonight, as I turn my clocks back in the house...I'm going to turn myself back to those days. I'm returning back to the days when all was new, when all I ever wanted was to study God's Word, and had the newness of being a Christian.