HOW TO SAY THANKS ON THANKSGIVING

    I don't know about you, but I find  Thanksgiving to be one of the most difficult times of the year. I mean, other than saying, "we ought to be thankful," what is there to say?

   That is where the problem is I think. Giving thanks or really, being able to say thanks with a real sense that you are really grateful. It’s not something that you can just conjure up because it is the thing to do, you know, like your mom reminding you to say thank you when someone gives or does something for you. It’s those times when you say thanks that it really does not mean a thing because you were prompted to do it or the occasion called for it so you just did it out of habit.

    So how do we approach Thanksgiving? I can't say I've got the whole thing figured out, but I've found a few clues in Luke's story Luke 17:11-19 of the 10 lepers that's often the story we think about for Thanksgiving.

    Most of us are probably familiar with the story: ten lepers are healed; one returns, and it's a Samaritan no less. Okay, so one way to go is to lift up the Samaritan as an example. Trouble is, most of us hate examples like this, because they just make us feel guilty.

    What's more interesting, I think, is the fact that all ten were healed. All ten, even the nine who didn't return to say "thanks."

    So what made the Samaritan different? He noticed. That's pretty much it. Oh, I know, he returned to say thanks once he noticed. But I think that was kind of inevitable, or even almost involuntary. I mean, once you notice something spectacular, it's hard not to say something like . "I've got good news; the cancer is in remission"  for example.

    I think it was like that for the Samaritan: once he realized he'd been healed, he couldn't help but turn back and share his joy and thanksgiving with Jesus.

    Thanksgiving is like that. When it's genuine, it's spontaneous, even involuntary -- you recognize you've been blessed and can't help but sharing your joy through thanksgiving.

So the Samaritan turns back to say "thanks." He knows he's been given a gift and can't help turning around to saying something. And in doing so he's given a second gift, as he leaves his encounter with Jesus not only healed but also blessed.

    Blessed in his own recognition of healing, blessed at being drawn into deeper relationship with the one he thanks, blessed at hearing himself commended for having great faith.

    Imagine the difference that must have made in his life. He, a Samaritan, being commended by a Jewish rabbi for having great faith, faith sufficient to effect healing.

    That's the way thanksgiving always works -- in giving thanks for a gift given we are blessed again.

    So how does all this help us this thanksgiving?

Two things.

    First, after learning and understanding the teaching about the nature of gratitude and thanksgiving -- which is certainly worth doing, if briefly -- then you need to move to this issue of noticing. For those with eyes to see, God's blessings are all around us. And as we give thanks for them, we notice even more and are blessed yet again. We live in an age governed by a sense of "scarcity" and an ethos of "looking out for number one." A simple word of gratitude opens us up to world of abundance, mercy, and grace. It may seem a small thing -- noticing and thanking -- but it's the first step to setting in motion a cycle of gratitude and grace.

    Second, after we learn this, try modeling. That is, try noticing what God did. . Share  some of the things you're thankful for, some of the places you've encountered God's blessing. Even more, notice what God has done all around you. Tell your loved ones and friends  what you are thankful for about them, about your life together, and the world you share. Having been noticed with gratitude, they will find it easier to gratefully notice in return.

    This Thanksgiving, try some of this and watch the blessings flow, to you, and those around you. Above all…make sure you truthfully  thank God for everything He does.

    Blessed Thanksgiving! 

    

    Pastor Coutts

     If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.

IT'S TIME TO GET STIRRED UP!

Acts 19:21 says, “So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed.”

            Ephesus was an impressive city that stood proudly on the Crystal River, back in from the coast of the Icarian Sea. It had natural wharfs which made it the commercial centre of Asia for trade.

            It was the crossroads of Asia and the melting pot of mankind. In this city could be found every culture. There were every trade known to man, right down to the sorcerers who filled the people with awe.  Ephesus was called the “First Metropolis of Asia.”

            It was also here that one of the seven wonders of the world existed, “The Temple of Diana” with it’s hundred marble monoliths that displayed the art of Phidas and Scopas and Apeles. Later there was the theater built to seat nearly 25,000 people. Ephesus, city of wealth and culture and power.

            Then one day, into that city came a disciple of Jesus wearing tattered clothes and worn sandals. Paul.

            He found a handful of Christians and persuaded them to make a full surrender of their lives to the Holy Spirit and to deepen their walk with the Lord. Because of his bold delivery of the Gospel there came an awakening to a truth that jarred that great city of Ephesus. Demetrius rose up in defense of Diana and the mobs cried out, but the Gospel was firmly planted in Ephesus!

            The history of Ephesus is great. Countless nationalities walked through it’s streets; kings rode there; soldiers and conquerors and merchants alike all were there. But, nothing ever happened to it that could compare to what happened when the Gospel invaded it.

            Diana is gone, and so are the temples and the commerce. The desert covers  the Ephesian glory; but the Gospel that flowed forth from there still blesses the world!

            It’s big news when Christ’s Word comes in to stir us! Let His Word stir you today.

            Have a great day in the Lord.
            Pastor Coutts 

 If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.

THE SCOURGE OF PREJUDICE

     Prejudice is a stain on society. At one time we thought it was becoming scarce, but it seems to be resurging these days.  The United States and many other nations have a history of upheaval and turmoil as a result of the prejudice of it’s people.  People would justify their prejudice on the basis of race, gender, social class, and a host of other distinctions that make one group of people “different” from another. If you were to study the origins of prejudice you would find that many times these prejudices were enshrined in the civil laws of our country, and were enforced with shameful brutality. Many people in our history were jailed and persecuted because they dared to oppose this social evil. At the very least, whole groups of people endured social and economic discrimination simply because of who they were.
 

     Jesus on the other hand, struggled to overcome the social and religious prejudices of his day. In Scripture we read that while traveling through Samaria, Jesus stopped by a well to rest. A woman of Samaria came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink”. (John 4:7). He then engaged her in a long conversation. Talking to a woman in public was then considered a serious breach of social and religious custom that could cost a religious teacher his reputation and authority. A rabbi would not even speak to his wife or daughters in public. What is equally important, this woman was a Samaritan for whom Jews felt a longstanding and bitter animosity. Even more striking, she had an immoral past.

      But our Lord was undeterred by these prejudices. He had come to destroy these barriers. He would follow the course of love by breaking down the enormous barrier of sin that separates us not only from God, but from each other.

      We, too, need to ask ourselves—Are there barriers in our hearts that keep us from reaching out to people because of social, racial, and even religious prejudices? If so, we need God’s forgiveness, and the wisdom and strength to begin the process of tearing them down. Breaking down barriers, after all, should be one of the marks of those who choose to follow the example of Christ.

If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.

MEASURING SUCCESS

     If we are to measure success today it would probably be measured by our accomplishments, our wealth, our position in society or our caste. People who fit these categories are usually emulated because of those accomplishments. Now however it is the sports figure or the actor/actress who are the ones we hold up as our role models because we perceive them to have achieved ‘it’. No longer are the role models teachers, or doctors or police who do all the hard stuff. It is the ones we have catapulted to the top by visiting their movies or buying their music. We have definitely got it backwards.
     If you look to the Gospel of Christ, you will see that it is very much different when it comes to God’s judgment. When we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, our success will not be measured by how much money we have or how popular we are with humanity. Actually it will be based on where we stand in relation to Ephesians 4:13; “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” we shall be judged by the standard of whether in life we reached “to the very height of Christ’s full stature.”
     I would think this would be a sobering thought that would inspire us to be concerned about the kind of person we are. It will be the best among us that set the standard of judgment and if we call ourselves followers of Christ then the incentive is already in place to live right.
     Jesus exemplified through every moment of his life the way each of us should act—with great kindness, gentleness, and thoughtfulness. The Gospel witnesses his compassion to the sick; when the leper exclaimed that Jesus could make him well if he wanted to, Jesus answered “I do want to” and the man was made clean. Mark. 1:40-42. It tells us of his gentleness toward the spiritually needy through his words to us. “Come to me all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest.” Matthew. 11:28; and of his kindness toward children, “He took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them.” Mark. 10:13-16;  The Gospel speaks to each of Christ’s self-sacrifice to the lost “the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve others and to give his life to redeem many people.” Mark. 10:45;

     This glorious example led St. Paul to exhort us. “O man of God … pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” I Timothy  6:11; Measured against these standards, how successful have we been?

Pastor Coutts

If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.

WHAT IS A CHRISTIANS VIEW OF SUICIDE AND WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT IT

Over the years as a pastor  have had the dubious task of counseling would be suicides. It is not an easy task and sometimes takes a different turn than you want it to. But in many cases the outcome is awesome because they go on in life and become successes. Through it all I needed to develop a stance on what is a Christians viewpoint concerning Suicide. I hope this helps and if you are one who is torn in this life and have been or are thinking this way, please seek out a pastor or someone you trust and talk to them before you take any steps in that direction. You can even email me and I will be glad to help you. (rcoutts60@gmail.com). What follows, is where I stand on the issue. Please read with an open heart.

Interestingly enough, there are six incidents in the Bible related to suicide.

The first one is Abimelech and is found in the book of Judges 9:54; It says     Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died.   

The second one is Saul in 1 Samuel 31:4; Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.

The third one is Saul’s armor-bearer  1 Samuel  31:4–6;  Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. ⁵ And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. ⁶ Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.

The fourth one is Ahithophel   2 Samuel 17:23; When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

The fifth one is Zimri 1 Kings 16:18;  And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died,

The sixth one is Judas Matthew 27:5;  And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

Except for Saul’s armor-bearer (of whom nothing is mentioned about his character), five of these men were noted for their wickedness. Some consider Samson’s death an instance of suicide, because he knew his actions would lead to his death  Judges 16:26–31, (And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” ²⁷ Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.²⁸ Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” ²⁹ And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. ³⁰ And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. ³¹ Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.)
 but Samson’s goal was to kill Philistines, not himself.

The Bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it is—self-murder. God is the only one who is to decide when and how a person should die. We should say with the psalmist, “My times are in your hands”    Psalm 31:15;  My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

God is the giver of life. He gives, and He takes away  Job 1:21  And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”   Suicide, the taking of one’s own life, is ungodly because it rejects God’s gift of life. No man or woman should presume to take God’s authority upon themselves to end his or her own life.

Some people in Scripture felt deep despair in life. Solomon, in his pursuit of pleasure, reached the point where he “hated life” Ecclesiastes 2:17; Elijah was fearful and depressed and yearned for death 1 Kings 19:4. Jonah was so angry at God that he wished to die Jonah 4:8; Even the apostle Paul and his missionary companions at one point “were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” 2 Corinthians 1:8;

However, none of these men committed suicide.

Solomon learned to “fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” Elijah was comforted by an angel, allowed to rest, and given a new commission.

Jonah received admonition and rebuke from God.

Paul learned that, although the pressure he faced was beyond his ability to endure, the Lord can bear all things:  “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” 2 Corinthians 1:9;

So, according to the Bible, suicide is a sin. It is not the “greatest” sin—it is no worse than other evils, in terms of how God sees it, and it does not determine a person's eternal destiny. However, suicide definitely has a deep and lasting impact on those left behind. The painful scars left by a suicide do not heal easily.

May God grant His grace to each one who is facing trials today  Psalm 67:1;  And may each of us take hope in the promise, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13;.

Pastor Bob

If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.