Word of the Week: Gratefulness

WOW (Word of the Week) GRATEFULNESS

Luke 17 & 18 gives us a contrasting picture of gratefulness vs. ungratefulness. A principle is taught by our Lord: Gratefulness is a direct result of humility and is demonstrated in our words and actions, specifically in our worship of the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness of turning (James).

In Luke 17 & 18 we are given two very sharp contrasts which causes us to see that we quickly forget from whom we are blessed, and we fail to respond with appropriate gratitude.

The 9 lepers quickly “forgot” from whom they had received the healing --note they were from Israel, that is implied, but the 1 leper who was grateful was a Samaritan! He returned and worshiped. The Pharisee failed to see all that he had was a direct result of the Father's blessing and instead of worshiping Him he worshiped himself. The Publican saw who he was and was grateful that God would be merciful to him as a sinner. He was the one who went home justified. The ungrateful rich young ruler failed to see that all his riches were a blessing from God and that they were temporary; he worshiped his riches and not God. Bartimaeus was asked a question by our Lord; it was answered and he worshiped and followed Jesus.

Out of all of these only three worshiped Jesus...the leper, the Publican, and Bartimaeus. Interesting the contrast between them and the Pharisee and the rich young ruler. The leper, the Publican, Bartimaeus had a need and when that need was met they were grateful and worshiped. Neither the Pharisee nor the rich young ruler saw their need and thus they worshiped themselves and their riches. They were neither grateful nor humble.

May we remember this idea this week: Lord , open our eyes to see our need that we may be humble before you, grateful and using all we have been given for the kingdom, which Jesus said is within us.

How do you celebrate Oct 31?

Oct 31…Halloween or Reformation Day? Does it matter? As a believer in Christ perhaps it does. As many years as I had been a believing Christian, the church I attended never mentioned it nor did they honor the man for whom it is remembered. It was not until I was a Reformed Christian Day School teacher that I was awakened to what this day symbolized for me as a Protestant. This was new to me and as the “new kid on the block” so to speak, I had no idea about what was before me. With my teammate, Linda we decided we would combine classes on that day and have a “Reformation Party”. A Reformation Party? I had just come from 12 yrs in a public school where the party idea was centered around Halloween, costumes, candy and spooky music! What an awakening I was about to experience which would forever alter my view of this day. We planned games, readings, food, costumes and a special chapel centered around the key character of Martin Luther. To prepare myself I set off to do some research. Why was this a new idea? Why didn’t my church celebrate this day? What was so special that we should devote an entire day to him? I found that he, as a respected professor, was drawn into a controversy with the Catholic hierarchy about the sale of indulgences (certificates sold by the Roman Catholic Church that promised people release from works of penance for absolved sins, both in life and in purgatory). These indulgences “assured” the peasant population of their entrance into heaven. Luther realized from the study of the scriptures that this was a blasphemy against Christ and a deception on those truly seeking their eternal destination. Because of this Luther drafted a series of 95 statements in Latin explaining this and nailed them to the door of the Wittenburg Church on All Saints Day, Oct 31, 1517. Martin Luther was sure that once the church realized this error they would change their ways and he could have an academic discussion with the church and “reform” their thinking. Instead this document brought Luther into conflict with the Pope and the rest of the Church. In the end Luther was excommunicated from the church. Martin Luther then began preaching and teaching the masses of the truth he had come to learn from Paul in Romans: “the just shall live by faith”, that man is saved not by works but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. It learning about this that gave me another viewpoint of why this is an important day for Protestants and should be so honored.
So as a parent, grandparent or even a school aged child how might this day be celebrated? Here’s some ideas I found cruising through the web: http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/Reformation/ReformersWordSearch.pdf Have a Reformation Day Faire:
http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/Reformation/activities.html#anchor58776
Sing “A Mighty Fortress is our God” written by Martin Luther: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/m/i/g/mightyfo.htm
Print out this picture for little ones to color as you explain this day: http://www.teacherhelp.org/images/Martin%20Luther.pdf
Excellent ideas for teaching about this special day; activities, books etc.
http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/Reformation/#anchor22952

What a testimony to your neighbors if you welcome each trick or treater dressed as Martin Luther! Post your “95 theses” as an additional welcome: Rom 1:17 “The just shall live by faith.”

An Appointed Time

Word of the Week: Time
Appointments! We live our lives here on earth by our day timers and our appointment books. We know we have to be at work at a certain time, we have to pick up Susie or Johnnie from school at a certain time. And we even have to be in our pew at a certain time on Sunday a.m. Did you ever think that Jesus too had an appointment calendar? Listen to what the Apostle John recorded about Jesus “My time has not yet arrived” Jn 7:6; “My time has not yet come” Jn 7:8; “no man laid a hand on Him, because His time had not come” 7:30. But at the appropriate time Jesus’ Calendar book turned the page to the right date and the right time: Jesus replied, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Jn 12:23. I often pondered why God chose that time and not a time earlier? Why not in the time of Noah or Abraham or David? Why the 1st century? What made that time the “right” time? Theologians and Scholars say this prophecy and that prophecy had to be fulfilled. But, God is God, couldn’t he have expedited those prophecies to be fulfilled earlier? I don’t have the answer except what Isaiah wrote long ago and I trust God in His sovereignty to have brought about it in His perfect time: Isa 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The word “time” is especially relevant to me this day. It was on Oct 23, 2008 that my precious Mother’s appointment book came to the last page and the last verse. At approximately 9 a.m. Jesus sent His angels to close her earthly book and begin her new book in the heavens with Him. It was her appointed time just as the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us: For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth Eccl 3:1.


So what does all of this mean to us today about our appointments and our daytimers? We all have an appointed time as Hebrews reminds us: 9:27 And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment.. The question is are you ready for your appointment? If God should send His angels to close your earthly daytimer will you say as Jesus said “The time has come…”

Word of the Week: Listen!

On at least two occasions, God spoke from heaven regarding Jesus as His Son.
Mark 9:7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son. Listen to him! Luke 9:35 Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”
God is referred to only as the word “voice”. We note several points from just two verses: 1. the voice came from heaven; 2. the voice came from a cloud, 3. the voice spoke regarding Jesus, 4. The voice proclaimed Jesus as his Son, thus indicating possession by the pronoun “my”; 5. the voice was understandable to those listening.
We also note several details about the Son: 1. He is the dear Son, 2. He is the only Son, 3. He is the Chosen one;
There is one command and only one command: “Listen to him”. This phrase has the idea that one is to attend, pay attention to, to perceive what has been or will be said to them. Listening then is an active word.
There are two examples of truly listening to the Word of God. One is found in Nehemiah 8 where the people asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law and read to them. He read from early morning until midday….and the people were attentive to the book of the Law. The second example is in Luke 10:39 Mary,… sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said
Principles: Listening is an active word; Attentiveness to Jesus is commanded.

Thought for today: Did you listen to Jesus today? When you listen are you actively listening or is your mind on other things? Where do you need to stop and really listen to Him?

Word of the Week: Compassion

WOW: Compassion
Have you ever read something that tugged at your heartstrings and left you feeling grateful and is a reminder of God’s grace to you? On Oct 8^th in the Dallas Morning News there was an article on a homeless man whose life had been turned upside down. He was known affectionately as the “mayor” of a village of cardboard shacks living under a bridge on Interstate 45 for the last 15 yrs. The article tugged at your heart as you read of this man’s life, going from prosperity to poverty. But all that changed on Oct 8^th as he became the newest resident of a new “village” to house homeless people with the sole purpose to help them get back on their feet. He has been given a second chance. How did it happen? It took just one individual, a man who at one time thought life was all about “him” but God grabbed his heart and transformed his life. Now this individual takes time to deliver peanut butter sandwiches and befriend the homeless, one of whom was the “mayor”. As he visited, he learned that this person had seen the hypocrisy of many and thus it took him 6 yrs to alter this perception. How was he able to do that? He demonstrated one key element: the compassionate love of Christ. Compassion means to reach out to someone in need and meet that need; it means you step out of your comfort zone and reach into the heart of one, putting aside all cultural boundaries and see this person in God’s eyes and remind yourself that one day you may stand next to him/her in eternity.

As we read the gospels we are touched with the compassionate spirit of Christ as He reached across the boundaries to heal a man’s withered hand or heal a leper. In sharp contrast we are given a view of the uncompassionate hearts of the religious leaders who sought to accuse Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. He challenged them to think about what is the principle of the Sabbath rule. Is it to wait when there is a need or to meet the need when it arises? Mark writes that Jesus was “grieved at the hardness of their hearts” and spoke these words to them: Matt 12:7 “If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy (compassion) and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” Jesus reminded these religious leaders that although they knew the rules/standards for righteousness they lacked a key element: compassion towards those in need. So where will you step outside your comfort zone today and show Christ’s compassionate spirit? Who in your sphere of influence is in need? Who needs to hear the words of the Hymn “Wonderful Words of Life”?