 |
|
| Volume 20 Number 11 November 2018 | Page 3 |
|
|
| Volume 20 Number 11 November 2018 | Page 3 |
Gary C. Hampton
Members of the church in Laodicea did not see any need for God. They had wealth, good clothing and good medical care, especially for the eyes. We might say they had left home. The Lord saw them as spiritually destitute, but He would not force them to change. The Savior did not command but lovingly counseled them to buy from Him all their spiritual necessities (Revelation 3:14-22).
They needed the riches of the knowledge of God to withstand being tested in difficult circumstances (Colossians 2:1-3; 1 Peter 1:7). They needed to put on the clothing of holiness, purified in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 1:5; 7:14). Their spiritual eyes needed to be opened to the stains of sin that needed to be cleansed from their lives (James 1:25).
The Lord still loved them and only disciplined them because He desired to see them change (Hebrews 12:7-11). He wanted them to turn aside from their sinful uselessness so that He would not have to spew them out of His mouth.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). How shocking and sad it must have been for the Laodicean Christians to realize they had cast Him out of their hearts. He, nonetheless, stood and repeatedly knocked outside the door of each heart. He lovingly called to be let in so that he could “dine” with them. Had this church banished the Lord from his own Supper?
The good news is that Jesus has overcome the tomb and is now seated on the throne with his Father (Acts 2:32-36; Hebrews 1:3). The Christian who overcomes sin through letting Him into his heart will be blessed to reign with Christ Who overcame.
He still desires to have an intimate relationship with each Christian. Let Jesus come into your heart.
[Editor’s Note: Many sincere religious people mistakenly believe that they can through merely praying ‘receive Jesus into their hearts.’ Instead, Christianity is a doing religion. Jesus is only Lord to those who “do” His will (Luke 6:46). Only those who “do” the will of the Heavenly Father may one day enter into Heaven (Matthew 7:21). Initially, to “do” the will of Jesus one must comply with His directive to believe and to be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16). This, anyone desiring to be saved from his or her sins and to have Jesus in his or her heart, “must do” (Acts 9:6). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
In All Things Give Thanks
Robert Johnson
A French proverb states, “Gratitude is the heart’s memory.” Many years before that, Aesop wrote, “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls” (550 B.C.). Throughout the years, an attitude of thanksgiving has been recognized as a reflection of the person we are inside.
According to tradition, the English Pilgrims, who had founded the Plymouth Colony in what is today the State of Massachusetts, celebrated the first American Thanksgiving in 1621. The Pilgrims marked the occasion by feasting with their Native American guests—members of the Wampanoag tribe—who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. Although this event was an important part of American colonial history, there is no evidence that any of the participants thought of the feast as a thanksgiving celebration. Two years later, during a period of drought, a day of fasting and prayer was changed to one of thanksgiving because rains came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed among New Englanders to annually celebrate Thanksgiving after the harvest. As the years passed, the event became a national holiday, and in 1941 it was legally decreed an event to be celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November.
While our nation celebrates a day of Thanksgiving annually, the Christian should give thanks continually. “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20). “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). No matter our circumstances, in Christ we can always have a heart filled with gratitude for the rich blessings we have from God in Him, for today and eternally. None of our earthly problems can compare to the eternal glory we share in Christ (Romans 8:18).
Since every day is a day of God’s blessings to us, every day should be a day of thanksgiving from us to Him. As mentioned before, an attitude of thanksgiving is a reflection of the person we are inside. Make it a part of each day to look for God’s blessings, and what a difference it makes in how each day is lived. Does your life reflect this sign of a noble soul?