Come Ye Thankful People (Thankful Thursday)

Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home.

All is safely gathered in,

Ere the winter storms begin;

God, our Maker, doth provide

For our wants to be supplied.

Come to God’s own temple, come,

Raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field,

Fruit unto His praise to yield;

Wheat and tares together sown,

Unto joy or sorrows grown;

First the blade, and then the ear,

Then the full corn shall appear.

Lord of harvest, grant that we

wholesome graini and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,

And shall take His harvest home;

From His field shall in that day,

All offenses purge away;

Give His angels charge at last

In the fire the tares to cast,

But the fruitful ears to store

In His garner ever-more.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,

To Thy final harvest hime;

Gather Thou Thy people in,

Free from sorrow, free from sin;

There forever purified,

In Thy presence to abide.

Come, with all Thine angels, come

Raise the glorious harvest home.

Henry Alford, 1844

The Little Things (Work-to-do-Wednesday)

            A few months ago, I posted an article about the power one person has. We are often guilty of feeling that we cannot really have an influence over others and what we do doesn’t matter, but that is wrong. It’s a collection of little events and things that make up the big ones. You may feel that preparing food for a family grieving over the loss of a loved one is not a big deal, but it is to that family; as is going to the funeral home to pay respect and show love toward them. You may think sending a card to one of the ladies who now resides in a nursing home but once attended services with you, is not really anything to get excited over; but if that is the only card she received that day or even that month, it is a big deal to her. Calling to let a brother or sister know you missed them at services last week is a big deal to them. Letting Bible class teachers know how much you appreciate all they do is a big deal. The list can go on and on.

            As ladies, we influence probably more than we realize. We are daughters, sisters, wives, moms, grandmothers, coworkers, neighbors, customers, and friends. People are watching when we go to the grocery store, the doctor’s office, the post office, the hospital, school, and church. Are we rude and impatient or kind and considerate?

            I am reminded of a story where a police officer pulled a driver over after witnessing her blow the horn and yell obscenities at a fellow driver for not putting on a turn signal. The officer had this woman driver taken to jail. When the time came to release her, he apologized stating, “I’m sorry ma’am but when I saw the way you acted with the driver in front of you and I saw the W.W.J.D. bumper sticker on the back of your car, naturally I assumed the car was stolen.”

            We are Christians. We are to be ALWAYS striving to act Christ-like. We need to let others see Christ in us by simply showing them kindness. There is a series of commercials aired by Liberty Mutual featuring strangers doing good deeds for one another and the chain reaction it creates. If you aren’t familiar with them, I encourage you to look it up on www.youtube.com. It reemphasizes my point, the little things matter. You will never know how many lives you touch by your actions. All you know if that you will influence others for good or for bad. Which would do you choose?

           

 “Kindness isn’t a marketing tool, or even necessarily an evangelistic tool, but it’s a command in and of itself.  It isn’t a means to an end; it is the end.”

Matt Wallin

Spiritual Skeletons

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          As keepers of the home, we have a job that never stops. Don’t misunderstand, there is hardly a greater blessing, but while following the steps of the Proverbs 31 woman, tending the needs of our family, we must not allow ourselves to become spiritual skeletons. This past Sunday morning the closing statement was made, “The day is quickly coming when we will each meet God face to face.” While it is our job to care for our home and family, we must take time for spiritual meals, because we will give an answer for our actions or lack thereof.

            During this time of year, the world puts an extra emphasis on giving to those less fortunate. Just the other day while picking up a few groceries, the cashier asked if I would like to donate my change to the toy drive. As Christians we are to be busy giving all year long. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and help the stranger (Matthew 25:34-36). We are told Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and that we are to do the same (Mark 16:15). However, this quote makes an excellent point,

            “Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak.”

            Like many new moms, I’ve been guilty of skipping physical meals. If we neglect our spiritual diets, how can we be prepared to carry out God’s commands? We must know the Word in order to share it. We can only know the Word, through study of our own.

Our Mission: To know Him and to make Him known.

Dressing for the Occasion

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Lately, the more I look around at parents of young children, the more disappointed I am. Too many mothers, even Christian mothers, have been swayed by the world’s fashion standards. It is heartbreaking to look at innocent children being trained to believe that dressing immodestly is acceptable in the eyes of our Lord. Have we forgotten that we are to be separate from the world? Do we not realize that we will not only answer for the way we conduct and dress ourselves, but also for what we are teaching those precious minds the Lord has blessed us with?

Equally disappointing to me is the amount of sloppiness in our presentation that is being presented to our children as acceptable. Why is it that we can “dress up” for weddings, and even funerals, but when it comes to the worship service of our Lord, who gave HIS LIFE for us, we feel the need to wear what is most convenient and comfortable? How can we expect them to have reverence for the Lord when by our actions, we tell them that we clearly do not? Do we realize what message we are sending our children?

            I have heard the following argument countless times: “What difference does it make what I wear? I can worship God in any outfit and I don’t think it really matters to him what clothes I have on any way.” We are bought with a price. We belong to God and are to glorify him with our bodies and spirit, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19. The manner in which we present ourselves is a reflection on the state of our heart. We all have pajamas or comfortable clothes that we may wear around our home but we would not wear this outfit to a funeral or wedding because it would be disrespectful to those we are seeing. Most jobs come with dress codes, whether it is a waitressing position at Ruby Tuesday or an ESPN football commentator. It amazes me that many in the world understand the importance of looking your best yet the children of God seem to struggle with the concept.

Actions speak louder than words, ladies and what you allow you child to wear speaks volumes of where your heart and priorities are.

“How things look on the outside of us depends on how things are on the inside of us.”

Henry Ward Beecher

Move Forward.

Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.

–George Washington

            There is no doubt that Tuesday night’s election results were disappointing and depressing for those of us concerned about the morality and values of our beloved country. After a long night of worry, anger, fear, and dread, Wednesday morning left us heartsick, almost as if we’d felt the loss of a dear friend. There is no doubt that losses are one of the more difficult parts of life. I remember watching my little brother lose baseball games. I hated that feeling. I have watched a friend pass on, far too early, leaving a wife and children to struggle with the question of “Why?” I’ve seen a family anticipate the arrival of a new addition, only to be heartbroken by the child’s premature passing. Tears were brought to my eyes while standing in line to comfort a grieving widow, who had been joined in marriage to her soul mate for over half a century. We know the loss of watching the pain of others. We know loss ourselves. No loss is easy, be it the loss of a parent, friend, pet or even job and health.

            Yet, with all the defeat felt yesterday, I was encouraged. Why? How? You may ask. I was encouraged because my brothers and sisters in Christ did exactly what they do in other times of loss. We grieved together, and then we looked to God and His word for comfort and began reminding one another that He is still in control. We reminded one another why we are here: to teach (Matt. 28:19). We reminded one another, that we must cover our elected leaders in prayer (1 Tim. 2:1-2). We reminded one another that this world is not our home (John 14:2-3). We reminded each other that nations fade, but our Savior always remains the same (Heb. 13:8).

            This election may be over, but we do not get to relax. We don’t get to wail and wring our hands. We don’t get to run away. We keep standing for what we believe in. We work twice as hard teaching the gospel. We go back to days of family Bible study. We invite our friends, coworkers, neighbors, and even the stranger in the grocery store to Sunday morning worship service. WE TEACH. Prayer is powerful but prayer alone will not help. Jesus did not tell us to go into the world and pray.

            Get excited and fired up. Something must change in our country. Our government will not change it. Our president will not change it. Only you and I can change it, with God on our side (Phipp. 4:13; Rom. 8:31). It will not be easy. It will take effort and energy. It will take courage and conviction, but the first century Christians did it and we can too. The president isn’t changing, my friends, neither is our commission to spread the gospel. Let’s get to work. Clearly we have a lot of people to reach.

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

Acts 5:42

Motivational Monday-Pursuing Purity

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Recently, I read an article on purity and realized that this is a topic I need to spend time with more often. Why the need to study purity you might ask? God wants us to have pure hearts-James 4:8. What better reason is there? So, how can we have pure hearts?

            First, we must obey God’s word. 1 Peter 1:22 tells us that we purify our souls “in obeying the truth.” Second, we must keep a constant watch on our hearts and lives. Paul commanded Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:22 to “keep thyself pure.” We are to do the same. We are to abstain from the very appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22).  Thirdly, we must think pure thoughts. Our lives are the product of our thoughts (Prob. 23:7), therefore we must meditate on things that are pure. Philippians gives us a list of things that we should keep on our mind…

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Php. 4:8

            Finally, we purify our hearts by being motivated to do so. Our motivation is hope. In 1 John 3:3 we read, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” As Christians, we desire to go to heaven and spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. When delivering the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that the pure in heart would see God. We want to see God, so let us “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22).

Silent Sunday

a country road on a late summer afternoon

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Genesis 8:22

Saturday Service Ideas-Be a Cheerful Giver

When I visit, I like to take a little something with me-just a small gift to hopefully brighten someone’s day. So here are a few of my ideas that might inspire you as well…

• Take a vase flowers to ladies. Younger or older in years, this gesture is always appreciated.
• If you’re visiting a family or a couple, bake a loaf of banana or blueberry bread. Don’t have a recipe for those? There are a whole host of other breads to bake and everyone enjoys something homemade.
• Make a pot of soup for supper and share a meal with one of the widows or widowers of your congregation.
• Visiting a new member to the congregation? Wrap up hand soap and a dishtowel for their home to help welcome them to the family. Candles also make great gifts for this occasion!
•  Drop off a get well basket that includes tissues, hand sanitizer, bottled water or Gatorade, Lysol, crackers and canned chicken noodle soup.
• Care baskets are often made for residents of nursing homes during the holidays but why not take a small version when you visit year round? Include items such as: pens, post-it notes or notepads, tissues, lotion, hand soap, socks/houseshoes, peppermints, chapstick, gum, peanut butter crackers, colorful flexible straws, hand sanitizer, etc.

There are so many other great ideas out there but hopefully these will get you started!

“It is impossible,” said pride. “It is risky,” said experience. “It is pointless,” said reason. “Give it a try,” whispered the heart.

Fill-Your-Cup-Friday-Falling for Fall

        Fall or autumn, whichever name you choose, has always been my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air, colorful leaves, and beginning of the holiday season. I look forward to pumpkin patches, apple cider, cornstalks, football, roasting marshmallows and hayrides. I enjoy decorating my home with the colors of fall and I love looking on Pinterest for ideas to help me. Below are a few of my own creations, some inspired by Pinterest, but with my own twist. I hope it inspires you or at least helps to get you in the harvest time mood.

So this is my table centerpiece. I already had the red, footed stand (via Southern Living) and the candles. I’ve found that the best decoration is using items you already have. I knew I wanted to do a candle centerpiece and what better way to make this a fall display than to add pinecones and hickory nuts. Most of you have these in your backyard-so it’s free! Just spray a little colorful paint onto the pinecones and ta-da! A beautifully, simply centerpiece for your table. If you don’t have a stand like mine, try it with a cake stand…

 

          It really doesn’t take lots of money to decorate your home tastefully, just a little imagination, determination and a lot of help from Pinterest!

Work-to-do-Wednesday-Handling the Bad Calls...

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No one likes to be overruled, especially in front of 60 thousand people. We play in rainy weather, cold weather, and hot weather. We play in imperfect conditions yet we want perfect officiating. Some bad calls are part of the game.

-Gene Stallings on why he refuses to use instant replay

            Although Coach Stallings was speaking of football, I believe this quote can be applied to our lives as Christians. We know that we live in an imperfect world. We know that we are imperfect people. We know that God never promised us an easy life, but rather an eternal home. We know all this, yet we often find ourselves in the same trap the Israelites fell into time and time again. We complain about the bad things or inconveniences in our lives.

            So why do we complain? As Christians should we not be the most joyful people on the face of the earth? How does God feel about our complaining?

“Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

1 Corinthians 10:6-10

            Did you read that? Murmuring or complaining is listed with lust, idolatry, fornication and tempting Christ? If you think complaining isn’t serious, think again! God considers complaining to be a very serious thing. The Holy Spirit recorded that the Israelites were destroyed because of their complaining. The New Testament reinforces how God feels about our complaining.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”

Philippians 2:14

            We all have our struggles and this is one of mine. After reading these verses, I realized that I have a tendency to complain often. I never thought about it all that much because like worry, we seem to brush it off by saying, “Oh well, everyone does it.” Does that make it okay? Does that make it any less serious in God’s eyes? Absolutely not!

           

            Remember, Jesus told us in Matt. 12:37 that our words will justify or condemn us in the last days. I, for one, need to be more aware of the words I choose, even the idle and fruitless ones-Matt. 12:36. But how can I accomplish this?

           

            First, I can ask God for help in keeping my tongue pure. James told us chapter 4 verse 2, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” So not only are we to pray but to vigilantly give thanks. If my heart is focused on constantly thanking God for all the blessing he has chosen to bestow upon me, I won’t be so quick to complain just because something fails to go my way. God has given me beyond what I deserve and even if something doesn’t work out that I feel should, I do not lose faith that the Creator of the Universe will fail to care for me.

            Let us all dedicate our hearts to thinking and speaking differently. Recognize the things in your life that cause you to complain and guard your heart against them. Replace them with thanksgiving today and everyday.

“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”

1 Chronicles 16:8

Tough Truth Tuesday-My Christianity, My Way!?

           There is a growing problem in our society among so-called Christians. Many individuals want to be called Christians but on their own terms. They want Christianity their way.

            Some want to have Christianity without commitment, however Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” They fail to realize that Christianity without commitment means nothing because the foundation of Christianity is the commitment of the Father and Son. Commitment is needed in order to live the Christian life, to grow spiritually, to be dedicated to the will of God and to continue forward in the spiritual life.

            Some want Christianity without doctrine, however the Bible says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…” in Acts 2:42. 2 Timothy 1:13 tells us to, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words.” Christianity means nothing without doctrine. The foundation of Christianity is the doctrine given by the Father and Son-2 Timothy 3:16-17. Sound doctrine is necessary in order to maintain the true faith and to go to heaven.

            Some want Christianity without having to do anything, but in Matthew 7:21 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

            You may want Christianity your way, but as Bill Cosby said, “This is not Burger King. You cannot have it your way.”

Motivational Monday-Taking the Time

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         One of the hardest tasks many Christians face today is reading the Bible. We feel guilty that we don’t read it regularly, yet we can’t seem to find the time. And we’re not sure how to go about it-without getting bogged down in the “begats” in the Old Testament.

         The first step is to make spending time in God’s word a priority. This may mean getting up a little earlier or using some of those gaps in your schedule when you fritter the time away.

         There are a number of ways you can read the Bible. Cover the Old Testament in a year by reading three or four chapters a day or the New Testament by reading a chapter a day.

         The important thing is not to get stuck in the process of finding a program, but to get started reading the Bible. To get it in your heart and mind, even if that means just spending some moments each day reading a few verses.

         There’s no better investiment of your time than spending it in God’s word. After all, as Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

         Consistent reading of Bible takes discipline. This discipline yields a potent and valuable fruit-the kind that lasts forever.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Joshua 1:8

Silent Sunday

taken in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains

“The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.”

Proverbs 18:4

Work-to-do-Wednesday-Sticks and Stones...

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On Wednesdays we have been talking about our spiritual checklist. As Christians, there are things we must practice on a daily basis. My goal is to list a few items that should be present on our daily checklist-not in any particular order. A few weeks ago we listed the first as studying. We noted that studying is important because we cannot hope to obey God if we are not familiar with his commandments. The second item on my checklist is speech.

One of the most powerful tools we use is verbal communication. As a general rule, ladies talk more than men. I’ve read statistics along the lines of women speaking 30 to 50 percent more words per day than men. So as ladies, we can do 30 to 50 percent more harm with our speech or 30 to 50 percent more good. Talk about the power of one!

            We all remember, from the Disney movie, Bambi, Thumper’s answer when asked by his mother what his father had told him…

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What does the Bible say about the type of speech we should have?

“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Colossians 4:6

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:”

1 Peter 3:10

            The words we speak come from our hearts, according to Matthew 15:18. For this reason, Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8, think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, or praise worthy. What does the Bible have to say about those who do not heed this instruction?

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”

James 1:26

We need to realize just how serious it is that we choose our words carefully. Matthew 12:36 tells us, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Take a moment to think about that. We will give an account for every idle word. Don’t be deceived by the devil, your words will not be kept secret from the Almighty One.

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:14

            James also says in chapter three, though the tongue may be small, it can fuel a great fire! Our words can be extremely uplifting or extremely detrimental. If our attitudes are correct, we will be looking for the good in others and in everything. We will be too busy doing the Lord’s work and examining ourselves to have time to criticize others. 

 So before you speak:

THINK

T = Is it True?

H = Is it Helpful?

I = Is it Inspiring?

N = Is it Necessary?

K = Is it kind?

Tough Truth Tuesday-If I wanted to...

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If I wanted to, I could help make this church the most wide-awake and working church in the entire world.

If I wanted to, I could visit members who are sick or homebound and find other ways of helping them.

If I wanted to, I could attend Bible classes regularly and encourage others to do the same.

If I wanted to, I could show more devotion in worship and receive much more good from the service myself.

If I wanted to, I could profit more from the sermon by not resenting the truth when it reveals some of my weaknesses.

If I wanted to, I could tell others about Christ and His church and lead them to Him.

But this all depends on what I want to do. I could be an honored servant of the King.

I have the ability-if I really wanted to. 

-Unknown

How often do we get inspired and motivated during church services, surrounded by our brothers and sisters in Christ but then go home and back to being busy with everyday life? In our free time we find ourselves settling into our comfortable couch or favorite recliner, flipping on the TV or reading a book and all of our good intentions remain just that, intentions. We meant to send a card to that brother they mentioned having surgery this week. We meant to take food to the family that recently lost a loved one. We meant to send one of our sisters a birthday card, just to let her know we thought about her. We meant to, but we didn’t.

Don’t misunderstand, I don’t think there is anything wrong with relaxing at home and sometimes I even try to justify it by saying well, there are many far worse things that I could be doing. But in reality I am guilty of letting my selfishness and laziness prevent me from doing what I should and are able to as a Christian. We live in a very wealthy country; not only wealthy as far as the money we have but wealthy in conveniences. With a few clicks on our computers or even some of our phones we can access a wealth of information on almost anything you can think of. With all the conveniences of our world it saddens me to think that we are more reluctant to be servants of the King than first century Christians. We know that the first century Christians spread the gospel throughout the entire world -Col. 1:23. In Acts 17:6 the Christians were accused of turning the world upside down. There is no doubt in our minds that first century Christians made a difference in the world. Amazingly they were able to do this without the modern conveniences we enjoy. How, you may wonder? They had a love for the Lord. They wanted to share with the world what he did for them and what he could do for everyone. Now back to us, we love the Lord. We profess to any way. If we truly love Him and keep His commandments, why are we not better servants of His? It comes down to priorities and attitudes. We can do anything we set our minds to.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.”

Philippians 4:13

You can do many things for the Lord, if you want to.