Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

I Am Grateful

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Bulletin Article, Holidays, Preaching

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As a Christian, for what are you grateful?

I am grateful to the Lord because back in 1983, Alamogordo, New Mexico, I obeyed the Lord Jesus, associating my life with His in faith and water baptism – exactly like the Lord called on me to do. Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-4, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (KJV), and this is exactly what I did.

I am also grateful to the Lord because I learned the church of which I was a member (the Nazarene Church) came into existence well-over eighteen-hundred years after the time of Christ. Eighteen-hundred years too late. I also learned the Lord’s church came into existence merely ten days later than when Jesus ascended to the Father (Acts 2). As great as the Nazarene Church was to me in the early years of my life, the Lord’s church is far more influential because of who Originated it.

I am grateful to the Lord because I serve as a preacher in His kingdom. With this role wherein I serve, I have a heavy responsibility placed on me to do at least two things. First, live the life of Christ as revealed in Scripture. Second, be faithful to teaching that which He said He wants taught. Peter wrote, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11). I do not have the liberty to go too far, or not far enough. I must stay with the Lord with a “thus saith God” in my preaching and teaching. I could faithfully serve the Lord in any number of roles, but I chose to serve the Lord in this role.

I am grateful to the Lord for His mercy. As I look back over my life as an adult (nearly forty years), I am humbled by “where I was” and “where I am now.” The baggage I brought to the Lord is more than some have experienced, but perhaps not as much as you. Still, I carried a full load. To this day, I have many regrets associated with that baggage, but in the Lord’s mercy, He remembers it no more. Gratitude beyond measure I have to the Lord for that!

I am grateful to the Lord, as I mentioned a moment ago, for the responsibility placed on me. It is my prayer He is pleased with what I am doing. I am grateful He has given me the ability to write, to think quickly and deeply, to challenge error, but to do so with compassion, understanding and without a threatening disposition. I am grateful to the Lord for a thick-skin. Time and again people try to penetrate, but I know my standing in the Lord’s presence. I know my strengths, and I know my weaknesses. I know what is true about me, and I know what is false about those things said concerning me. For me to be offended, as one sister said, one would need to use a two-by-four against me. I refuse to be troubled by that which is not the truth. In fact, it is only truth that I want to penetrate, and especially the Lord’s truth.

For what are you grateful?  RT

Thanksgiving Week (1)

29 Sunday Nov 2015

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                At CBI earlier in the month, brother Dan Winkler said the following: “I did that to that man.” It was this repeated phrase in his lesson/sermon that stayed with me (Matthew 27:26-31). Thus, I wrote it down in order to write a few words on this. The following are some thoughts along that line.

It was on a significant occasion that Jesus stood before Pilate having injustice rendered to and against Him because of the outlandish disposition of the “religious” people of His day. How can (could) anyone treat another so violently then kill such an innocent man? Because of sin, even my sin. Jesus went through that which He did because of His love for all. How did they treat Him?

First, they scourged Him. This word means they beat Him with a whip. His back (skin) was exposed and He was lashed; there was no limitation to the number of lashes He could or did receive. It was not unusual for there to be some shards or bone chip at the end of the whip strips to add a little extra pain!

Second, they stripped Him. This was a point of humiliation. It is not uncommon to see images of Jesus standing before the authorities with no clothes from the waist up. This, however, may not have been entirely the case. A number of expositor’s write that Jesus was completely naked, then clothed with the royal garment for humiliation, doubly so.

Third, they spat on Him. This is in accord with the humiliation of the previous point. It is an action of complete contempt. Try to imagine the disgusting scene. Jesus stood in the midst of people opposed to Him because of what He stood for. As they spat at Him, some of those who spat was able to have it land on Him, even (possibly) His face. He could do what? Wipe it away, maybe?

Fourth, they struck and scoffed (mock) at Him. He was beaten, naked, dripping with spittle, and now He is mocked with a crown that did nothing but tear the flesh; in His right hand was a reed that was supposed, I presume, to be similar to the “rod of God” that Moses used many years previous to this occasion (Exodus 4:20). This scoffing was not only against Jesus, but it was against all that He stood for, including Moses, the prophets and even God Almighty.

As the picture is painted and, as one allows the rage inside to seethe, it is a good reminder that Jesus did this for me. In fact, “I did this to Him.” RT

Thanksgiving Week

27 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by in America, God, Holidays

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In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he mentions one reason for a person to be grateful to the Lord (among many reasons). He said, “Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God” (9:10-11, NET). Paul said this in a context of a great collection being gathered for saints in a different location suffering deprivation. Sometimes we can fail to remember or reflect on just how well we have it in regards to material things. It may be that in our society we are poor, but those of a generous heart will even give of their poverty to help another. That is the love of God!