But I Don't Feel Thankful

By Jim Elliff

"But I don't feel thankful." I can hear this perfectly logical complaint coming from my kids when I make them say "Thank you" for some act of kindness done toward them. Should we really act grateful when we are not?
But perhaps the better question is, "How could we be so blind to all that God has done that we would ever be ungrateful?"

When the Pilgrims ate the first Thanksgiving meal in 1621, they were being thankful even though they had seen horrific tragedies from the very beginning of their experiment in this new land.

"The Mayflower remained in New England with the colonists throughout the terrible first winter. Although the ship was cold, damp and unheated, it did provide a defense against the rigorous New England winter until houses could be completed ashore. Nevertheless, exposure, malnutrition and illness led to the death of half the group, both passengers and crewmen. There were four deaths (and one birth - Peregrine White) during the month they spent at the tip of Cape Cod. The remainder of the winter saw the deaths of another 40 or 41 colonists. At the lowest ebb, only seven people were healthy enough to tend the sick. On January 14, a fire destroyed the thatched roof on their first structure or "rendezvous" but fortunately none of the sick people that lay within were hurt. A second fire a month later was put out without incident." (Plimoth Plantation web site, www.Plimoth.org).
Experiencing the loss of loved ones and all normal conveniences and even basic necessities has a way of heightening one's appreciation for God's most mundane mercies.

It all has to do with our starting place. What do you think you deserve? If you deserve to be six feet under with your soul writhing in hell, then you're bound to have an elevated motivation to be thankful for any mercy at all. Even a few drops of water on the tip of the rich man's tongue, as in Jesus' Luke 16 story, could elicit thanks, if you felt what you really deserve.

The problem with being thankful is not so much one of manners as it is of alertness to the facts, that is, simply having open eyes to what is true. And it is true that you and I deserve nothing good. No, more than that, we deserve everything bad?an eternity in hell.
Sure, it makes sense to teach our kids to say "thanks" even when they don't feel like it. It is a reasonable service to others and makes our world much more pleasant to live in.

But we could probably nip ungratefulness in the bud if we could ever learn well what we deserve because of our sins.

Try this mental exercise this Thanksgiving when you are feasting on turkey and dressing and enjoying a warm and comfortable home or apartment. Stop for a moment and look around you at the abundance, the family, the nice clothes you have and all you enjoy, and then say to yourself, "I deserve hell." Repeat it several times and believe it because it is true.

Then thank God for even the next breath you are given. Because it is only "in Him" that we "live and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:26)

Who Did It?

by David Stone

------Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.--Zechariah 4:6

The Christian life is the life of Christ reproduced in the child of God by the Spirit of God for the glory of God. We become what we ought to be by His power, not our effort. We need to remember that! Human effort is never enough. We need Divine aid. Without God we can do nothing.

Selwyn Hughes wrote: The minister of a large church, when asked what was the outstanding need of his congregation, said: "Faithfulness. Fifty per cent of church members are hangers-on, getting a free ride, contributing nothing from purse or person; twenty-five per cent promise to do something and then, after a few stabs at it, drop out. They lack fidelity. The life of this church is carried on by the remaining twenty-five per cent." D. L. Moody, the great American preacher, said: "If we could get people who put their hand to the plow and never draw back no matter what the wind or weather, we would have a growing and powerful church."How many of us, I wonder, have loose ends, broken promises, half-fulfilled tasks cluttering up our lives? Whose fault is it? It cannot be the fault of the Holy Spirit, for He dwells in us to provide the power to see things through -- if we let Him. Success in this area of the Christian life, as in all areas, is letting go and letting God -- letting go of self-effort and surrendering to the power of the Spirit who is resident in us. As someone once put it -- the Christian life is not my responsibility, but my response to His ability. I tell you, never does the Holy Spirit appear more wonderful than when He appears in the fruit of faithfulness.

Hurting Others

by David Stone

"---first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."--Matthew 5:24

Have you ever hurt someone? I'm talking about more than physical abuse. I'm talking about breaking their heart, crushing their spirit, leaving them in a pool of tears, grieving them beyond what they are able to bear?

So what did you do about it? Sadly, most people don't do anything. They just go on their merry way, leaving their victim writhing in anquish and pain. They're like a hit-and -run driver. They do the damage and take-off down the road, leaving others to deal with the harm they've done--no apology, no aid, no remorse (unless they get caught, and start feeling sorry for themselves). We see it all the time. But it's where we see it that is most troubling.

You expect such cruelty from the world, but you don't expect it from professing Christians. They're suppose to be different. We don't expect to get "blind-sided" by someone who says they "love Jesus". Well, you better get ready for it--sooner or later it will happen. Nor everyone who sings,"O How I Love Jesus" cares about you. But, believe it or not, it's better to be the victim than the perpetrator!

Don't think for a minute that your sin will go unnoticed or unpunished. When you hurt God's children you hurt God (Matthew 25:40) and you're going to get hurt! You can't hurt others without hurting yourself.

If you are guilty of this terrible sin you need to repent. Confess your sin to God and to all those you've affected, then do everything in your power to make restitution. Doing so will be painful, but not nearly so painful as not doing it. Remember--no one ever sinned successfully!

Taking One for the Team

The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached Part XV

Reflections on the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5-7

(Commentary by Guy Glass and Scott Hescht)

Matthew 5:38-42 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Scott: This passage has been used frequently to speak out against capital punishment. In other words, if someone murders, they should not have thier life taken as a result. Is that what Jesus' intentions were? Was he speaking against capital, or even more broadly, legal punishment altogether? If so then why did He not rebuke the thief on the cross who declared that his own punishment was just (Luke 23:41)? When the Apostle Paul is standing trial in Acts 25:11, he too implies that in certain cases, the death penalty is just. In the letter to the Romans, Paul declares that the governing authorities bear the sword for a reason (Romans 13:3-4). In other words, they have the right to punish crime.

So did Jesus speak againt the law of Moses here? Jesus has already declared earlier in this sermon that He had not come to abolish the law, but rather to fulfill it. Jesus is not changing the law God gave to Moses. In this sermon, Jesus does a lot of clarifying, but not changing. He clarified that it is not just killing somebody that makes one a murderer, but rather a heart of hatred. He clarified that it is the heart of lust that leads to adultery. Here too, He clarifies that the laws put in place to bring about justice are not to be used as an excuse for personal revenge. Eye for eye and tooth for tooth was set in place to insure that the punishment fit the crime. However, it had been reinterpreted by some in order to enact personal vengeance on those that mistreated them. This sermon is all about love and that is where Jesus continues to point His listeners.

Jesus' followers are to stand apart from the world in the areas of love, mercy and grace. It is the way that the light of Christ shines through us. If you are reading this passage attempting to figure out how many times you can be hit in the mouth before you can hit back, you are missing the point. The message isn't about not using self defense, but rather about being secure enough in Christ's love for you that you do not have to defend your honor. Sacrifice your honor for the sake of a lost and dying world. Yes, that world mistreats you. It is selfish. However, we too were once a part of that world and Christ set us free. We were self seeking, but if you are in Christ that is not you anymore. Seek His honor and not your own. Be a fool in the world's eyes as you seek to go out of your way for those that mistreat you. After all, it is the way of the Master. In His eyes you will be blessed. He has already declared, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12).