Oh snap! Convicting Thanksgiving-related truth

One of the most helpful aspects of Pao’s study is how he deals with ingratitude as “one of the distinguishing marks of unbelievers.”  When Paul writes of humanity in revolt against God, he explains that ingratitude is a signal indicator of the rebellion.  Paul explains that “they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.” [Romans 1:21]

This is a truly helpful insight.  Gratitude and thanksgiving toward God will become natural to the believer who ahs experienced the grace and mercy of God in Christ — almost like a conscious and heart-rooted reflex.  Thus, a lack of thanksgiving toward God indicates a big problem — perhaps as big as unbelief.

That helps to put it all into the right perspective.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

From Al Mohler’s blog

Precious Affection-Kindling Truth

Morning quiet times are so sweet. How can your heart not soar with affection and gratitude for your God when you read passages like this?

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place– the Most High, who is my refuge– no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” 

Ps 91

Unconditional Love

Nothing particularly dramatic or difficult in my life or anything like that, but I was just comforted by this song this morning.

Daddy look at me, look at all that I achieved in my life 
I tried to do my best you ask ‘where is the rest of it son?’ 
am I never good enough? 
Father and Creator 
do you look with favor on me? 
I hear you understand 
that it’s hard to be a man 
Jesus hold me in your hand
I’m good enough
- Tim Be Told : Not Good Enough

Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!
-  O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Rom 8:38-39

 

Keeping the Appetite

Like any of us who love the Lord, my walk with Him has its ups and downs. I’m not referring to trials and good circumstances, but more like times when my heart is fully desirous after Him with all the appropriate fruits that result and when my affections are cold and doing what is right becomes a drag. Good weeks, bad weeks. Or maybe good months, bad months. Whatever the time-scale, it’s always lame to be on the bad slumps, and always so very sweet to be on the good parts.

 

As any Christian should ponder now and then, I’ve always thought through what is necessary to stay high and minimize the frequency and lowness of the dips. Of course we got the usual answers: read your Bible regularly as if it were a treasure-field to be ransacked, pray with fervency and full faith expecting God to answer in amazing ways, share the Gospel because you don’t fear man but love the glory of God, be spent serving God in the local church, love your brethren and strive to bring them closer to Christ, empirically determine how much sleep you need and make sure you get that much regularly, and a whole host of other spiritual disciplines.

 

Oh wait, they’re the usual answers because they’re the right ones. I don’t think there’s much else to it. In fact, if we survey the Scriptures, it’s more than just “I don’t think there’s much else to it,” but rather “there isn’t much else to it!” David’s, the Sons of Korah, Asaph’s example all over the Psalms. Jesus’ example (getting up early to pray, being full of the Scriptures, evangelizing to everyone around Him, and so much more), Jesus’ commands (“apart from Me you can do nothing” being just one of many), Paul’s commands in the 2^nd halves of his epistles (“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” being just one of many), and so much more.

 

And you know… it’s like this really cool chain reaction when you’re walking in obedience. You’re exercising the spiritual disciplines with the right heart (namely: because you love God and want more of Him!), and your heart’s appetite for Him is increased, your taste for sin is vastly diminished, your faith if stronger and enables you to do “stupider” (in the world’s eyes) things for Him, and the spiritual disciplines are an oasis and joy, not a duty. Totally awesome! To put it in more compact terms, Jesus said it this way: “”Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied … Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:6, 8).

 

It’s really sobering and sad though, because if I’m going to be honest, my sinful heart loves to find some excuse to indulge in what I’ve already been freed from (Rom 6) and breaks the wonderful chain reaction. Maan. Oh to be Home, Finally Home where sin is no more. I seriously can’t wait for that. ‘Til then, Lord, please keep me faithful and please continue to draw me to Yourself every day. Let me be pure in heart, that I may see You!

[God] said to them, ”Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life…

- Deut 32:46-47a

A tremendously refreshing verse provided by God at an incredibly opportune time. Sweet beyond description.

On a separate joyful note: CONGRATS Matt & Kristen! I understand John 3:29 a little better now

Bullet point thoughts after hearing Marcia Okada share

- Wow, what an amazing woman of God.

- Wow, God has seriously brought her through a lot of hard circumstances where she has had to lay aside her dreams and desires (and supposed “God’s callings”) to follow the path to ministry in Japan the Lord really has for her.

- Wow, God has REALLY refined her faith and trust in Him through some very hard times as a missionary. Particularly their first year in Japan. A pregnant Caucasian woman in a society where pregant women are left alone (for politeness) and Caucasians are left alone (because of weirdness), not easy!

- Dude, Daisuke was persistent (she wanted nothing to do with him at first! hahaha)

- Wow, what a heart to obey the Biblical call to motherhood, and to do it joyfully and to do it well.