TAKE TIME TO THANK GOD

To me, the national holiday of Thanksgiving is my favorite. While we are to be thankful each day for the bountiful blessings that flow from the hand of our gracious God, this day is set aside as a time for the entire nation to express its gratitude and to enjoy the fellowship with family and friends. David wrote long ago, “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving…” (Psalms 95:2). “Enter into his presence with thanksgiving…” (Psalms 100:4). “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving” (Psalms 69:30). The apostle Paul said “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you ” (I Thessalonians 5:18). Again, Paul wrote, “In nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God'' (Philippians 4:6) We must accept by faith that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). My friends, it is impossible to “count your blessings, name them one by one” because they are innumerable. Thanksgiving will produce ‘thanksliving’. It is only when we live by faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ that we can say as Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” The faith that saves is the faith that obeys (Hebrews 5:8; Galatians 3:26,27). When our hearts are ‘overflowing with thanksgiving’, we cannot help but to - “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly hosts; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!”

WHERE DO SINS GO WHEN THEY ARE FORGIVEN?

Where do our sins go when they are forgiven? That too is a most difficult question. However the word of God does offer us some understanding on this subject. Take for instance the passage found in Micah 7:19: “He will again have compassion upon us: he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Sin in this verse is regarded as a personal enemy which by God’s sovereign grace will be entirely subdued. As God destroyed Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, so shall he cast our sins into the depths of the sea of forgiveness and forgetfulness (Exodus 15:4, 10). If you will observe, the Lord will cast our sins into the “depths of the sea,” and not near the shore where they can be washed back again. In Psalms 103:12, we learn, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” In reference to the new covenant that God would make with Israel and Judah, the promise was made: “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34: Hebrews 8:12; 10:17). Thus we learn that the Infinite Intelligence possesses the attribute of forgetting sins that are forgiven. To some degree we understand how this is possible. Loving parents have often forgotten as well as forgiven the mistakes and sins committed by their children. In perfection, our Heavenly Father forgives and forgets the sins of His penitent children (I John 1:7, 9). My friends, if you have not had your sins blotted out by the blood of Christ, please, as a penitent believer, be immersed in His name in order to obtain His divine forgiveness (Acts 3:19; 2:38). And God who forgives will also in His mercy forget your transgressions.

GODLY FATHERS

GODLY FATHERS Raymond Elliott One of life’s greatest blessings and challenges for a man is fatherhood. This relationship involves the greatest joys and demands the best one has to give and often will include many sorrows. A godly father loves his wife and is loyal to his marital vows (Ephesians 5:25). He desires the best for his children. A father is industrious. He labors to provide for his family and the needs of others who lack the material things of life (I Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 4:28). The greatest contribution a father can make to his family is leadership in spiritual matters. In every age, the head of the family has been required of God to provide the proper direction regarding religious training. Modern fathers are most likely to leave this responsibility to the wife and mother. However, Paul exhorted: “And you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4). It is a tremendous requirement to make sure one’s children are taught of God but the rewards are everlasting. A Christian father may not be able to give very much materially to his children but the legacy of having a father who loved his family and the Lord, surpasses everything else. The greatest inheritance a Christian father can leave is one that is rich in faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. We should never underestimate the love that a father possesses in his heart for his children. His emotions may not be as noticeable as the mother; yet, the feelings are just as deep. Most fathers would give their lives on behalf of their families. Their hearts are filled with deep gratitude when they witness their children succeeding in life. The Christian father rejoices greatly when his children obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. My father will be remembered for being a fine Christian gentleman. Also, the legacy of having a good name has meant more to me than all the riches of this world. It was the wise man of old who wrote: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1); and, “A good name is better than precious ointment…” (Ecclesiastes 7:1). Godly fathers are rare in this modern society. But, we should always be thankful for the ones who are. Truly, you are blessed indeed if you have/had a Christian father who placed Christ first in his life. His influence in your life and even in the lives of his grandchildren will be felt for many years to come. Say, have you hugged your father recently? Fathers Are Wonderful People By Helen Steiner Rice Fathers are wonderful people Too little understood, And we do not sing their praises As often as we should... For, somehow, Father seems to be The man who pays the bills, While Mother binds up little hurts And nurses all our ills...

"I WANT TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS"

In the hymn, “More Like Jesus", the first stanza lyrics are, “I want to be more like Jesus, And follow Him day by day; I want to be true and faithful, And every command obey.” Our beloved Savior is worthy of our imitation. After all, He is the perfect example. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps”. The apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Corinth to “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Here are some of the characteristics of Jesus we should instill within our lives. 1. Jesus was submissive to the will of God His Father. Jesus stated in John 8:28, “I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true…” The eternal Word was willing to leave heaven to be made lower than angels and to suffer on Calvary for our sins so we could be saved (Hebrews 2:7;Phillipians 2:5-8).And, near to the ending of His life on this earth, He prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:36). So, from eternity to His death on the cross, Jesus was submissive to the will of His Father. 2. He came to this world to be a servant.. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Our Lord also said, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26). Therefore, Christians should have a ‘servant heart’. The apostle Peter wrote, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10). 3. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). We know that God desires all men to be saved (2 Pet 3:9). It is the mission of the church to preach the gospel to all the world, beginning where we are (Matthew 28:19,10). The church of our Lord is the “pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). We can teach the word publicly and from house to house as Paul did (Acts 20:20). We can support mission work in foreign lands; and preach and teach the gospel of Christ by every expedient method to reach the lost in every country. 4.Our Lord and Savior had compassion on people. “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus had compassion on the “four thousand men, beside women and children” who followed Him and fed them (Matthew 15:32,38);and, the “five thousand men besides the women and children” who had followed Him, and He also healed their sick (Matthew 14:13-21). The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12,13, that Christians should “ Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another….” True compassion is not just to ‘feel sorry’ for someone but to make an effort to help the person who is in need. 5. Jesus Christ was often in prayer to His Father in heaven. Here are a few times when Jesus prayed: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;c with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21).Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Jesus prayed before choosing 12 of the disciples to be apostles: “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). Of course, there is the prayer of Jesus when in the garden of Gethsemane as recorded in John 17. In Matthew 26:39, Jesus prayed, “saying, “O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” And while Jesus was on the cross he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments” (luke 23:34). We are to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4::6). Also we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should “Continue earnestly in prayer..” (Colossian 4:2). 6. Jesus possessed a forgiving heart. Jesus was indeed merciful and forgiving. He told the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven) (Mark 2:5); when a sinful woman bathed the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48). Even more compelling is the way that Jesus forgave those who sinned against him directly. For Jesus, forgiveness was not an automatic, it was intentional, a conscious choice. After the Roman soldiers had scourged and nailed him, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Lk 23:34). Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14,15). As Christians, we are to be forgiving. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even asGod in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). 7. Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life for us. We can never love as our Lord Jesus Christ loved while on this earth. It is expressly stated that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:3,5);the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21) and His disciples (John 13:1;15:9,12). Though not explicitly stated, it is believed to have been the apostle John whom the Lord Loved (John 13:23;19:26;20:2;21:7,20). But the greatest manifestation of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ was at Calvary when He shed His precious blood for the sins of the world. ”Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).”But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9) So, Our Lord shed His blood for all of mankind and His desire is that all would believe in Him and obey the gospel of Christ so the blood could wash away their sins, Therefore we should love God with all our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37,38). We are to love our Savior who died for us: “If you don’t love Jesus, you won’t have Jesus. Paul says: He who does not love the Lord, let him be accursed.O Lord come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22). We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34,35). And, “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and even those who would persecute us (Matthew 5:43,44). Though we cannot attain to the degree that Jesus loves; nevertheless, we should strive to be “More and more like Jesus, I would ever be, More and more like Jesus, My Savior

GOD'S PLAN FOR RELIGIOUS UNITY

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (NKJV, John 17:20, 21). In the Lord’s Prayer there are several things that are quite evident: 1. Jesus’ concern for His apostles. 2. Not only for His apostles but for all who would believe in Him. 3. That this belief would come through the apostles’ doctrine. 4. That there would and could be unity among all such believers. 5. This unity would have a tremendous impact on the unbelieving world. One of the most difficult things for modern man to accept and understand is that God intended for all believers to be united in religious matters. If this is not the case then our Lord prayed a deceptive prayer, knowing all the time that he was praying for something that was not possible. But our Lord knew that men could be united if we followed the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42). Unity of teaching cannot help but to produce unity of believers. There cannot be unity in diversity of doctrine and beliefs. Each separate and distinct religious organization exists today because of a distinctive and different doctrine. This is in direct contradiction to the Lord’s sentiments expressed in His prayer to the Father. We can also know the mind of God and the desire of the Holy Spirit in this matter through the inspired scriptures. God hates “he that sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19). The apostle Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit wrote in I Corinthians 1:10: “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Paul instructed early Christians in this manner: “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). We know that “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (I Corinthians 14:33). We must conclude therefore that religious division exists today, not because of God’s desire: rather, it is man’s unwillingness to be guided by the sole authority in religious matters and as found in the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). It seems odd that we accept the fact that the government has written a book for the Postal Service to use in the setting of prices regarding the sending of mail and packages, but, we reject the thought that God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us a divine book which can unite believers in his Son Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father has not left us without direction in this matter of religious unity. The Holy Spirit had the apostle Paul make a plea to the first century Christians to “Give diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). It should be the desire of every believer to contribute to unity and not disunity in religious affairs. This unity is possible if we subscribe to the Spirit’s platform as follows: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). These are seven basic truths that will unite all believers if we follow them in our heart and in our practice.