What a crazy picture, right? Have I lost my mind? Have I misread my calendar? Could it be Thanksgiving Day already? What happened to our summer vacation? What happened to Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, July 4th, and Labor day? I must be really confused.
Well, not exactly. I’m just trying to get your attention! Do I have it yet? For the next few minutes please give me your undivided attention.
We have so relegated giving thanks to a day on the calendar that sometimes we have forgotten that we are to be thankful all the time. Every day of our life should be a day of thankfulness. Regularly and continually we should be offering our praise to God, our Heavenly Father. Thanking Him should be more than a yearly exercise.
And, even more forgotten is that giving thanks isn’t designed just for the good things in life. Of, believe me, we are to give God thanks for all those “good and perfect” which come down from Him. But, thankfulness should emanate from our hearts even when things are not as we expected. Difficulties as well as blessing are to be received with a heart of thankfulness.
Maybe the most familiar account in the Word of God concerning thankfulness or the lack thereof, is the account of the ten lepers. Luke 17:11-19 records this event. Jesus gave healing to ten desperately needy lepers. Yet, when the healing was received only one returned to give Him thanks. Is 10% really the right percentage of thankful people? Shouldn’t it be 100%?
What about us, do we give God thanks everyday for every thing? Sunday morning we will look at this important subject as we continue to proceed through the Book of Ephesians. Come to worship with us.
20 years ago Hank Hanegraaff of the Christian Research Institute wrote a book to expose some of the excesses happening under the umbrella of Christianity. His book was one of many being written to warn believers of the dangers of departing from the historic faith “once delivered to the saints.” His work, among others, was clearly in the pathway of the Apostle Jude’s warnings in the first century.
In our evening services we have embarked upon a study of the Book of Jude. We are attempting to see what Jude had to say to his culture, and how this small book speaks to our culture. Error and apostasy are still the same animal. The basics of Satan’s attacks haven’t changed since the Garden of Eden. Satan will seek to cause doubt in the minds of people as to the truthfulness of God’s Word. If that tactic doesn’t work, he will try a direct denial of God’s Word. If that doesn’t work, he will seek to detour folks into something else to believe. In each case, whether hundreds of years ago or today, Satan’s goal is to bring people to a rejection of God and HIs Word.
If your spiritual antennas are not up when you listen to or read the works of a teacher, they should be. You and I must be discerning people as to truth. Error can be easily made to sound true simply by redefining the words or presenting a half-truth as a whole-truth. Many well know “preachers” of God’s Word today fall into that category. Sunday evening we spent some time pointing out these false teachers.
Recently Dr. John MacArthur organized a gathering of Bible-centered preachers to expose the gross errors within the “Word-Faith” movement. He called his meetings, “Strange Fire.” From that meeting a book has been written to get the information to more and more people. I would recommend the reading of Hank Hanegraaff’s book and John MacArthur’s book as primers into these false teachers and teachings.
May each of us keep our hearts and heads in tune with the God of Truth.
If you would like to read either of these books, just click on the image. It will take you to Amazon.
It sure was. A few lonely shepherds on a lonely hill just doing their job. Not expecting anything more special on that night than on any other night. But, things were about to change!
Stars and the sky seem to take a prominent place in the Christmas accounts. Beginning in Numbers 24:17 the subject of stars and lights take center stage in the expectations of the coming Messiah. By the time of the birth of Jesus darkness had gripped the world. Without warning the skies lit up to proclaim the birth of Messiah. To forgotten shepherds and to to scholarly Magi, the skies trumpeted a message for all the world to hear.
On Sunday we will have the joy of our Adult choir singing music that points us to the stars and the birth of Jesus. A live orchestra will accompany our choir to proclaim the joy of the birth of Jesus. I trust you will make plans to be here at 10:30 am for this wonderful message in song.
A part of the Christmas celebration in Los Gatos is the Fantasy of Lights display in Vasona Park. Though it doesn’t present the real meaning of Christmas, it is still quite spectacular. This year we have a a few passes which entitle the holder to enter the display for FREE! If you are one of the first THREE to call the office at 408-395-6144 you can have one of these coupons. Remember, first come, first served! Call NOW.
