“Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” (1 Chronicles 29:10-13, NIV)
David, in this song of thanksgiving, acknowledges God’s greatness. He honors the One who is ruler over all. And he confesses this important truth: “…everything in heaven and earth is yours.”
Everything! Wealth. Honor. Strength. All that we think we possess. God’s!
Look at the things you have. You have clothes – pants and shirts and skirts and blouses and socks and shoes. Some of you own jewelry. Your wallets and purses have money in them and a credit card or two. You have a coat to wear when it’s cold outside. You own a vehicle to get you to and from work.
All these things are God’s. They are loaned to you for your pleasure and for use in God’s service should he have need of them.
I know you know this already. I’m just reminding you of the truth. It all belongs to God. Thank him for his provision.
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Bohemian rhapsody Muppet-style...
This video made me long for the good old days when comedy was fun! Loved the Muppets and their zany antics.
Hope in crisis...
Just over a year ago, this country received the invoice, due and payable, for its years of overspending and excessive debt. Millions have lost jobs and many now live in fear that we are beginning what might turn out to be a rerun of the “Great Depression.”
Looking at the approaching Advent Season and Year-End Inventories, it seems to me that leaders must become “Dealers in Hope.” I want to give you some handles for hope as we move forward.
This may well be an exciting time when it comes to the advance of God’s Kingdom. During a previous steep recession (1973-1976) we saw the beginnings of some of the greatest churches and ministries in America. Willow Creek Church near Chicago began in 1975. So were the Vineyard and Calvary Chapel movements. A few years later during the 1979-1983 recession, Saddleback Church began. Down economic times have frequently been up times for the Kingdom of God. This is not a time to fear, but to hope, and to anticipate what God will do in our time. Did you know that charitable giving (including church giving) did not decline during the Great Depression? Again, down times can be up time for God’s work.
I know that it will be a temptation to stop tithing. It will be a temptation to retrench or at least to not move forward in generosity. I urge you to resist that temptation, and to trust in God. There will be a special temptation to reduce giving in anticipation of what might happen—not because our income has actually declined. Please don’t give in to that temptation to sin. It really is sin because it’s a temptation to stop trusting in God to provide for now and for the future. It breaks the principle of living on what God’s provided, and giving at least 10% of income to kingdom causes. (See Malachi 3:8.)
While none of us would have wished for this time of difficulty, there is an opportunity for us, as God’s people, to model to the world that our faith is not just a ‘sunny day faith.’ Throughout the ages, it has been during times of crisis that God’s people have had the most impact. Let me challenge you to model with your life and lips by:
- Being a person of generosity while others are hoarding (John 3:16);
- Being consistent in faith while others are fearing (2 Timothy 1:7);
- Showing great love and concern for your friends and inviting them with you to church so they too can find hope (1 Peter 2:12).
Remember 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” Jesus repeatedly reminded us to “Fear not!” This is a time to shine like beacons of HOPE in the midst of darkness.
Dr. David Robinson, EFC-MAYM Superintendent
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Be one...
There’s a thanksgiving story in the seventeenth chapter of the book of Luke. Starting at verse 11, we have this report of the event.
“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’
“When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed.
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.
“Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’
“Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” (Luke 17:11-19, NIV)
Ten healed. Nine did not praise Jesus. One gave thanks to him for his gift.
Will you be one who gives thanks to God today?
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’
“When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed.
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.
“Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’
“Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” (Luke 17:11-19, NIV)
Ten healed. Nine did not praise Jesus. One gave thanks to him for his gift.
Will you be one who gives thanks to God today?
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
RadioShack finalizes roster...
LOS ANGELES — Johan Bruyneel, manager of the new RadioShack team headlined by Lance Armstrong, has finalized a 2010 team roster that includes 16 riders from 16 countries.
"It is a well balanced team," Bruyneel said of the team that will gather for the first time in Tucson, Arizona, in the second week of December.
"We have experienced riders - with some of them I worked already many years in my former teams - but we also have young talents who can develop in the perfect environment.
"I am happy that our sponsors want to invest in the future of cycling. Our main goal will be the Tour de France and other stage races but I am confident that, with these riders, we can perform very well in the one-day races as well."
Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong announced the new team during the Tour de France. He finished third overall in the Tour while racing for Astana, his first participation in the race since securing his seventh yellow jersey in 2005, after which he retired.
Armstrong said in August that winning an eighth Tour de France title is his goal.
RadioShack team roster
Riders: Lance Armstrong (USA), Fumiyuki Beppu (JPN), Sam Bewley (NZL), Jani Brajkovic (SLO), Matthew Busche (USA), Ben Hermans (BEL), Chris Horner (USA), Daryl Impey (RSA), Markel Irizar (ESP), Andreas Kloden (GER), Levi Leipheimer (USA), Geoffroy Lequatre (FRA), Fuyu Li (CHN), Tiago Machado (POR), Jason McCartney (USA), Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ), Sergio Paulinho (POR), Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Gregory Rast (SUI), Sebastien Rosseler (BEL), Ivan Rovny (RUS), Jose Luis Rubiera (ESP), Bjorn Selander (USA), Gert Steegmans (BEL), Tomas Vaitkus (LTU) and Haimar Zubeldia (ESP)
Sports Manager: Johan Bruyneel (BEL)
Sports Directors: Dirk Demol (BEL), Alain Gallopin (FRA), Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) and Jose Azevedo (POR)
Source AFP
"It is a well balanced team," Bruyneel said of the team that will gather for the first time in Tucson, Arizona, in the second week of December.
"We have experienced riders - with some of them I worked already many years in my former teams - but we also have young talents who can develop in the perfect environment.
"I am happy that our sponsors want to invest in the future of cycling. Our main goal will be the Tour de France and other stage races but I am confident that, with these riders, we can perform very well in the one-day races as well."
Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong announced the new team during the Tour de France. He finished third overall in the Tour while racing for Astana, his first participation in the race since securing his seventh yellow jersey in 2005, after which he retired.
Armstrong said in August that winning an eighth Tour de France title is his goal.
RadioShack team roster
Riders: Lance Armstrong (USA), Fumiyuki Beppu (JPN), Sam Bewley (NZL), Jani Brajkovic (SLO), Matthew Busche (USA), Ben Hermans (BEL), Chris Horner (USA), Daryl Impey (RSA), Markel Irizar (ESP), Andreas Kloden (GER), Levi Leipheimer (USA), Geoffroy Lequatre (FRA), Fuyu Li (CHN), Tiago Machado (POR), Jason McCartney (USA), Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ), Sergio Paulinho (POR), Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Gregory Rast (SUI), Sebastien Rosseler (BEL), Ivan Rovny (RUS), Jose Luis Rubiera (ESP), Bjorn Selander (USA), Gert Steegmans (BEL), Tomas Vaitkus (LTU) and Haimar Zubeldia (ESP)
Sports Manager: Johan Bruyneel (BEL)
Sports Directors: Dirk Demol (BEL), Alain Gallopin (FRA), Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) and Jose Azevedo (POR)
Source AFP
Monday, November 23, 2009
Our God is thanksworthy...
Our God is thanksworthy. (I made that word up!) You ought to thank him multiple times every day. I ought to do the same. His praise should be, as David put it in Psalm 34, continually on our lips. We are commanded in the Bible to “Be joyful always; [to] pray continually; [and to] give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)
Can you do those things? Can you be filled with joy at what God has done? Can you pray as often as your God comes to mind? Can you give thanks to him even in the difficult times? I challenge you – and me – to at least try? As I said, our God is thanksworthy!
The writers of the psalms knew that. Over and over David and Asaph and others give thanks to God. They acknowledge his goodness and love toward them. They honor him for who he is and what he has done.
Psalm 7:17, “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (NIV)
If David praised God for his righteousness, we ought to praise him even more. He has made that righteousness available to us through faith in Jesus. We are made right in God’s sight when we believe. We are saved not by our own goodness, but by Christ’s.
Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” (NIV)
God protects you and me. He watches over us. When we see it and when we don’t. We trust in him. We must thank him for his help.
Psalm 30:11-12, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.” (NIV)
When things are darkest, God gives us hope. He rescues us from depression. He restores joy. His goodness ought to be spoken. Thank him for the many ways he has rescued you.
All of Psalm 100 shouts out thanks.
“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (NIV)
God made us. We belong to him. We are his people because of his grace. That’s worth a little thanksgiving.
Psalm 106:47, “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.” (NIV)
Our God, in love, sent his Son to die for us. He did it so that all who believe will not perish but have everlasting life. We who will live with God forever because of our Savior’s death have every reason to give thanks. He has gathered us from this nation. He is gathering others from every nation, tribe and language group. Praise his name!
Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (NIV)
Has God been good to you? What has he done in your life? What has he seen you through? Whatever it is that he has done, it deserves a loud and heartfelt “Thank you!”
Psalm 118:21, “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.” (NIV)
God has answered your prayers, hasn’t he? Maybe even this week, you’ve heard a “Yes” from him. Thank him for every answer. Thank him for your salvation.
Psalm 119:62, “At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.” (NIV)
Giving thanks to God is not always what I think of when I’m awake at midnight, but maybe it should be. What better time to praise him than in the darkest times of our lives! When we are saved from heartache through obedience to his word, we give thanks to him. His righteous laws protect us every day in ways we don’t even comprehend.
There are more words of thanks in the psalms, a dozen or more additional passages, but these will suffice. These few set our hearts in the right direction – toward Heaven, the eternal home of God and of all who believe. They set our eyes on the right one – our great King who will for all eternity be praised by angels and saints alike.
Will you praise him now? Will you thank him? He is good!
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
Can you do those things? Can you be filled with joy at what God has done? Can you pray as often as your God comes to mind? Can you give thanks to him even in the difficult times? I challenge you – and me – to at least try? As I said, our God is thanksworthy!
The writers of the psalms knew that. Over and over David and Asaph and others give thanks to God. They acknowledge his goodness and love toward them. They honor him for who he is and what he has done.
Psalm 7:17, “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (NIV)
If David praised God for his righteousness, we ought to praise him even more. He has made that righteousness available to us through faith in Jesus. We are made right in God’s sight when we believe. We are saved not by our own goodness, but by Christ’s.
Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” (NIV)
God protects you and me. He watches over us. When we see it and when we don’t. We trust in him. We must thank him for his help.
Psalm 30:11-12, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.” (NIV)
When things are darkest, God gives us hope. He rescues us from depression. He restores joy. His goodness ought to be spoken. Thank him for the many ways he has rescued you.
All of Psalm 100 shouts out thanks.
“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (NIV)
God made us. We belong to him. We are his people because of his grace. That’s worth a little thanksgiving.
Psalm 106:47, “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.” (NIV)
Our God, in love, sent his Son to die for us. He did it so that all who believe will not perish but have everlasting life. We who will live with God forever because of our Savior’s death have every reason to give thanks. He has gathered us from this nation. He is gathering others from every nation, tribe and language group. Praise his name!
Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (NIV)
Has God been good to you? What has he done in your life? What has he seen you through? Whatever it is that he has done, it deserves a loud and heartfelt “Thank you!”
Psalm 118:21, “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.” (NIV)
God has answered your prayers, hasn’t he? Maybe even this week, you’ve heard a “Yes” from him. Thank him for every answer. Thank him for your salvation.
Psalm 119:62, “At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.” (NIV)
Giving thanks to God is not always what I think of when I’m awake at midnight, but maybe it should be. What better time to praise him than in the darkest times of our lives! When we are saved from heartache through obedience to his word, we give thanks to him. His righteous laws protect us every day in ways we don’t even comprehend.
There are more words of thanks in the psalms, a dozen or more additional passages, but these will suffice. These few set our hearts in the right direction – toward Heaven, the eternal home of God and of all who believe. They set our eyes on the right one – our great King who will for all eternity be praised by angels and saints alike.
Will you praise him now? Will you thank him? He is good!
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
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