January 23 Gratitude versus Grumbling 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Politics, COVID19 Coronavirus, Restrictions, Shutdowns, Radical Changes in our Lifestyles, has caused many folks to become grumpy and preoccupied with the short term challenges of this present day! In the midst of all of this unrest and despair, we have the opportunity, as Followers of Jesus Christ, to “Shine!” What a glorious opportunity to be that “Light that is set on the Hill, that ALL can see the Light of Jesus!” In my own life, I am praying more and reading more and, even with the increase in communications with my Savior, I still find myself, from time to time, a bit grumpy! By the way, I have a witness… ask Annette! Praise God! I am continuing to dig deeper into His Word and continuing to spend more time in prayer and limiting my exposure to the negative thoughts of this world. Praise God! During this unprecedented difficult time, I am focusing on the call that we see in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, to rejoice always, to pray without stopping and to recognize that, with a heart of gratitude, my God will take care of me! Unfortunately, 2020 saw many professing believers, focusing on the earthly, temporal issues and failed to see the “Big” picture of reality! I have a dear friend that I have known for years and every time that we are together, he begins his “Soapbox” monologue on the politics and attitudes of the day! This is wrong and that is wrong and, if this one wins, then we are going to suffer and if this one wins, then we will be better! Please recognize, I have opinions, I have political thoughts and I have standards for my living, yet, the earthly, often, non-edifying actions, if allowed to dominate my thoughts, will conflict with the reality of my calling and my “Birthright!” Psalm 32:8 tells us that, “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’” Armed with the assurance of God’s promises and in full “Faith” to believe that He is telling the Truth, then, I choose to “Rejoice” in the assurance of His protections, and I choose to Pray and to be in an attitude of Prayer, every minute of every day and I am going to be grateful and glad in everything that I do, because that is God’s will for my life! Please be careful, fellow believer! Struggles, trials and challenges, provide a “Golden” opportunity for us to “Shine the Light of God’s Love, Provision, Power and His Protection,” into the lives of the struggling and “Lost” masses! Please, Please, Please, do not allow Satan to deceive you to believe that taking a stand for the temporal issues of the day, or the fleeting political thoughts, or the “Doomsday” fear of the satanic minions to RUIN YOUR WITNESS FOR JESUS CHRIST!! I does matter who you choose to serve! YOU CANNOT SERVE SATAN AND SERVE GOD, SIMULTANIOUSLY!! PLEASE REMEMEBER THIS FACT: THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME, WE ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH!!! This is the last word for today! Are your daily conversations centered on Jesus and His Love, or are they centered on the politics and preferences of today? Are your daily habits and actions bringing you closer to God or further away? Are your thoughts becoming more and more consumed by the thoughts of Jesus or are they flooded with temporal thoughts that will not last? Listen to me, your political and social thoughts, that make some so militant and angry, are not edifying to God, and regardless, of how righteous that you perceive that they are, they are not bringing the Lost to Jesus! Please hear this one thing…When you are shouting to the rooftop that evil exists and that we must do this or that to combat this evil, well, guess what? God is aware of the evil, God is aware of the power and influence of Satan, and He is aware of the fragile nature of our pseudo- religious convictions! He is the solution to our limited perspectives and our anger driven, momentary reactions… Focus on what matters, Focus on what is real, Focus on being a faithful follower of Christ, with the mission of witnessing to the last and to assist the saints and to GROW in your relationship with God! Attitude is KEY! WE MUST HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE and we must recognize that we CANNOT CHANGE THE ULTIMATE PLAN FOR HUMANITY, THAT GOD HAS ALREADY ORDAINED TO OCCUR! What is your calling, what is your duty, what is your responsibility? Simple…“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!