Danger of Unthankfulness

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts…Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom. 1:24, 21). 

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Tim. 3:1, 2), and the Scripture goes on to say, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” So, even though there may be an outward appearance of holiness (a form of godliness), an unthankful spirit can corrupt our souls and cause us not to have enough power to even obey God’s laws.

Being unthankful/ungrateful can have deadly consequences. But conversely, a thankful heart is a happy heart. A spirit of unthankfulness and ungratefulness breeds depression. It's impossible to have a thankful heart and be depressed. I read that 25% of American women suffer from depression. I was actually surprised the percentage was so low. It seems depression is rampant amongst Americans. It's probably because we have SO MUCH in America. The more you have, the more you want and the less content you are. The happiest people I've ever seen have been the poorest people I've worshiped with in third world countries. They have no change of clothing, no electricity and limited food, but they are the happiest and most grateful people! Shame on us! We take so many things for granted and expect so much! We think we're ENTITLED. 

Psalm 92:1 says, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.” Therefore it follows, it is a BAD thing to be unthankful. Unthankfulness is a direct violation of the will and Word of God. The Bible commands: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

An unthankful heart leads to all sorts of other sins. When you read the long list of abominable sins listed in the first chapter of Romans, verse 21 says all these sins stem from two roots: 1) not glorifying God 2) not being thankful  It's a SERIOUS thing to be unthankful.

We have SO MUCH for which to be thankful! God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for us, that we could have eternal life. That alone is so much more than we deserve.

“Thou life of my life, blessed Jesus,
Thou death of the death that was mine,
For me was Thy cross and Thine anguish,
Thy love and Thy sorrow divine;
Thou suffered the cross and the torment,
That I might forever go free
A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings,
I bring, blessed Saviour to Thee.”

The Commission of the Call

My goodness, I didn't realize it had been SO LONG since I last posted. I'm sure there's nobody left out there to even stop by my blog. But I wanted to share this devotional that I read yesterday. It's from Oswald Chambers in "My Utmost for His Highest."

"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" (Col. 1:24).
"We make calls out of our own spiritual consecration, but when we get right with God He brushes all these aside, and rivets us with a pain that is terrific to one thing we never dreamed of, and for one radiant flashing moment we see what He is after, and we say--'Here am I, send me.'
This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured out wine. God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers He uses to crush us with. If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured out wine in a special way! But when He uses someone whom we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, and makes those the crushers, we object. We must never choose the scene of our own martyrdom. If ever we are going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.
"I wonder what kind of finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you, and you have been like a marble and escaped? You are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you, the wine would have been remarkably bitter. To be a sacramental personality means that the elements of the natural life are presenced by God as they are broken providentially in His service. We have to be adjusted into God before we can be broken bread in His hands. Keep right with God and let Him do what He likes and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children."

Two things spoke to me: 1) we don't like to be crushed. It HURTS! and 2) we CERTAINLY don't like to be crushed by other people. But God has a purpose for everything. He loves us unconditionally and He wants to create perfect hearts in us. No one ever became perfect without some pain involved. I just desire to have a willing heart, that will surrender to the crushing regardless of from whence the crushing comes. I think the juice is probably sweeter when the crushing comes from sources we least desire, and we yield to it. :-) I want to be broken (bread) and poured out (wine) for the glory of God! Take me, Lord. I'm yours.

God's BEST

One of the devotionals I've begun reading this year is by A.B. Simpson. He had this little poem in the January 5 devotional and it spoke to my heart. I desire God's BEST:

God has His best things for the few
Who dare to stand the test;
God has His second choice for those
Who will no have His best.

Give me, O Lord, Thy highest choice
Let others take the rest.
Their good things have no charm for me,
For I have got the best.

There's an old adage that says, "You get what you pay for." Having God's BEST requires sacrifice and it's not the EASY way. But it's the BEST way. I want to pay the price in order to have His BEST. How 'bout you? Let's not be "ordinary" Christians this year. If we strive to be OUR BEST, God will give us HIS BEST.

The Neglected Garbage Can

The following article was in the Fall 2010 issue of Keepers at Home, a quarterly magazine published by Carlisle Press.

Keepers at Home

2673 Township Road 421

Sugarcreek, OH 44681

This article was written by Betty Friesen. It was a blessing and a challenge to me and I thought I would share it.

"Where do these go?" Mandy asked, holding up a stack of disposable plates which had been used for a family supper.

"In that white garbage can over there." I motioned to the metal box beneath the kitchen counter. "That is, if you can fit them in." Emptying that trash can was one thing I had not done in preparation of this family gathering.

Mandy always did everything thoroughly. I held my breath as she hauled out the whole waste box. And none too soon, as an offensive odor was fast permeating the kitchen. Mandy stuffed in the Styrofoam plates and I tied the top of the waste can liner into a knot. "This must be more than kitchen garbage," she commented dryly.

I felt like plugging my nose. Besides needing a new liner, that trash can hadn't seen an exhaustive scrub for months! Now here among all the ladies cleaning up after supper this neglected duty of mine was being exposed! What now? Escape? Make excuses? Or just pretend not to be embarrassed? But no matter how much I might have wanted to deny, defend, or escape, the smell remained, and needed to be dealt with.

Even after replacing the liner, I still caught whiffs of that repulsive smell the next day while passing through the kitchen. All the while I was becoming more convinced that soap and water would have to go beneath the months of grime. Thankfully the day was sunny as I pulled the trash can into the refreshing out-of-doors. While scrubbing I had time to ponder. Sometimes it is said that other people bring out the best in us. Contradictorily, it sure felt like they brought out the bad this time. Or...was the good just disguised into something uncomfortable? Secretly I wondered how soon I would have gotten down to this cleaning job if it hadn't been for Mandy!

What if other people uncover inconsistencies in other areas of my life? It may be an impolite way of chewing my food, an uncomfortable better-than-thou attitude, some hidden pride or silent stubbornness.

When such "smelly odors" are revealed, I have a choice to make. I can choose to defend, deny, or escape. But the smell will remain and will need to be dealt with. If I want the odor to go I will want to choose to humbly admit (I did not do what I should have), confess (I'm sorry), and forsake (by God's grace replace the inconsistency with a godly virtue).

Christ's cleanisng power can then renew and make me a vessel again meet for the Master's use.

A proper sacrifice produces a sweet smelling savour, not a stink. Rotting refuse produces a stink. I truly desire to offer a proper sacrifice by giving the Lord my ALL. When someone points out something stinky in me, I want to be gracious enough to acknowledge my carelessness and make things right. I wish I would never make mistakes or display a bad attitude, and that's my aim and my goal. Until then, when I do slip up I want to not cover up--I want to ask forgiveness of the Lord and the individuals I've wronged and then do my best to scrub that old garbage can of all the accumulated filth and then resolve to keep it fresh and clean with regular scrubbings and not allow it to get to stinking again. God, grant me the grace, the motivation and determination to do it!

What Sin?

Sister Connie Werkheiser sings the song, "What Sin?" and it's always such a blessing. God's mercy and forgiveness are without boundaries. 1 John 1:9 says,"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I got to thinking about the Sea of Forgetfulness and tried to look it up. There is no such "place" mentioned in the Scripture, but these next two verses describe what God does with our sins when we repent and confess: "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19). "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:17). These two verses, combined, describe the Sea of Forgetfulness we often hear and sing about.
Here's the words to the song, "What Sins?" by Morgan Cryar, from the album Love Over Gold.

It happened so long ago
And I cried out for mercy back then
I plead the blood of Jesus
Begged him to forgive my sin
But I still can't forget it
It just won't go away
So I wept again, "Lord wash my sin,"
But this is all He'd say

CHORUS

What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness

The heaviest thing you'll carry
Is a load of guilt and shame
You were never meant to bear them
So let them go in Jesus name
Our God is slow to anger
Quick to forgive our sin
So let Him put them under the blood
Don't bring them up again
Cause He'll just say

REPEAT CHORUS

Lord, please deliver me from my accusing memory
Nothing makes me weak this way,
Then when I hear you say

Some people are guilty of going deep sea diving in effort to dredge up another person's buried sins. If God chooses to "remember them no more" then how dare we? To do so would put us in danger of being like the man described in the story of Matthew 18:21-35:
"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
In this story, the man who had been forgiven of his debt in the beginning later had his judgment reversed and he was thrown into prison himself because he refused to forgive another person's trespass. We must remind ourselves: "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses" (Mark 11:26).
Help me, Lord, to forgive those who refuse to forgive; to love those who do not love; to have mercy on those who show no mercy--help me, Lord to be like You.

Thanks to Brother Donnie

I had NO IDEA it had been so long since I last posted--until I visited Brother Donnie's blog and noticed this blog listed on his blogroll, noting that it had been 6 months! For shame! So I thought I should write SOMEthing. It's not that I have anything of interest to write, but I'm embarrassed to appear as such a slacker. "Slacker" is one thing I'm not. If you were to look at my schedule the past few months, you would agree. Since May I have attended 2 National Conventions and 3 State/Regional Conventions (or is it 4?), plus BTI. As I write, we are involved in VBS at Zion Hill. Busy, busy, busy. IYC and the Assembly are right around the corner. This weekend I will have 4 or 5 house guests--committee members of the Ways & Means Committee, who are meeting on Saturday. I'm planning to fix supper for them Friday night. Then there are a plethora of chores to complete in preparation for IYC and the Assembly, for which I'm very excited. So . . . there, in a nutshell, is part of the reason I haven't posted in 6 months . . . not that anybody ever visits Blogland anymore OR would check a blog that hasn't been updated in forever. *sigh* But at least I don't feel guilty anymore.

Feed Your Faith

"Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death." I read this adage on a sign today and wanted to hang on to it. Good thought, huh? It's easy to feed doubt, but not so natural to feed our faith and starve doubt to death. But that's my plan and I intend, by the grace of God, to stick to it! How about you?