Going from Grateful to Ungrateful in No Time Flat!

Grateful: thankful or appreciative for benefits or kindness.

Ungrateful: not thankful; showing no appreciation.

Have you ever thought about how easy it is to be grateful when things are going your way? I know that I can't just be speaking for just me when I say, "It's VERY easy!!" What about when things exceed your expectations? Have you ever thought about how easy it is to become complacent or even ungrateful? For example, think about some simple things: we know that we need rain in order to have the pretty green grass, beautiful flowers and beautiful gardens, right? So when the rain comes, we are initially so grateful. But what happens when it rains longer than we think it should? Those same folks who were grateful for the rain can become the first folks in line complaining about the number of days in a row that we've had rain! We don't typically mean any harm, but we can easily become ungrateful and we start complaining about the very thing we were so happy to get.

Look at the ten lepers in Luke 17:12-17. When those lepers saw Jesus entering into the village, they (all 10) "...lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us," and Jesus said, "go show yourself unto the priest and it came to pass, that as they went they were cleansed. One of them saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice, glorified God, and fell down on his face.." at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks. Jesus said "...were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" Surely the nine were very appreciative for being cleansed, but so ungrateful that they did not come back to give thanks.

The children of Israel are another example. They were grateful to be out of Egypt from under the hands of their hard task masters, but by the third experience on their journey, they started to murmur and complain about the very one that had brought them out. They sang God praises after He made a highway in the midst of the Red Sea, but not too far on the other side  they started complaining, "would to God we had stayed in Egypt." They were very grateful in short term, after crying out to be delivered (or ungrateful) in the long term.

But as it turns out, we really don't have to go that far back for an example; most (dare I say "all") can look in our own lives. For instance, some of us might have prayed long and hard for a spouse, but when we get blessed with one, about six months in some of us probably wish that he or she would change, when most of the time it's us that need to change! When we were going to the altar, we were so grateful, but six months later, it's all "woe is me!" We find ourselves becoming ungrateful and we start wondering where did I get this woman or man from and why didn't I see that they were like this before?! 

Let's learn to be grateful, my friends, for the Lord is not under any obligation to even wake us up in the morning! So let's first be grateful for Him, for people, places, things and for the person that the Lord has allowed us to become. Instead of talking about the things we don't have, let's celebrate all the many blessings that we do have in our lives!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!

Speaking God's Promises Back to Him!

Speaking: to utter words; to express a thought in words.

Words: a comment, an order or command.

It is so important that we speak God’s word back to Him. God gave us His promises and He wants us to use them. The word says in Isaiah 55:11, "So shall my words be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it." Remember, "God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19. It's all up to us, my friends, to believe what God has promised.

When we go through our storms in life - and they are surely going to come - if we don't have the words stored on the inside of us, just pick up your bible; find the scriptures that fit your situation and pray them back to the Lord. For instance, when I was diagnosed with three different types of cancer, I found one of God promises, I typed it out, and I put it on my computer at work where I could see it every day. Each and every day I continually reminded Him of what He said. John 15:7 says; "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." God's word could not return to Him void, it had to accomplish what He promised - and it did - I've been cancer-free for many years now!

Have you ever said to your child; "if you finish your dinner, I'll give you a special treat" and then mess around and get busy? I'm sure if that's happened to you, your child probably hunted you down and say "mom/dad, you said I could have a special treat when I finished my dinner!" Do we not hasten to perform/fulfill our promise? Yes, we do, because we said we would. It's the same way with our Heavenly Father - when He hears His word, He hastens to perform it!

We don't have to worry about His word ever becoming old or obsolete, because as Isaiah 40:8 informs us, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever." I can't express it enough, friends - Jesus loves us and He wants to show Himself strong in our lives.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!

There Is a Message In the Mess!

Message: A sign, indication, communication in writing or in speech

Mess: Disorder, confusion, trouble

We so often get ourselves in a mess - sometimes it's because we choose not to listen; sometimes it's because we get selfish and "decide" that it's going to be our way or the highway; and sometimes we just sit around and allow things to escalate and we simply don’t handle our business. There are many reasons why we find ourselves in a mess, but I'm here to tell you in every mess there’s a message!

Let’s take a look at Haman in Esther 3:1-2 -- the King promoted Haman and advanced him, and set his seat above all the Princes that were with him. "And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the King had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence." As a result, Haman got himself all worked up, just because one man would not bow down or give him reverence, so worked up that he sought to destroy all the Jews. All he really wanted to do was destroy Mordecai - he wanted to hang him, so much so that he had a gallows built for him - but in the end, he got himself into a big mess. Haman was exposed to the King by Queen Esther and they hanged Haman on the very same gallows that was prepared for Mordecai. The message there is don’t dig a ditch for someone else, because you could be the one to fall in it!

As parents, we sometimes get ourselves into a mess by trying to rescue our children (especially us moms). Sometimes we get ourselves in a financial bind that causes problems with our spouses. Most of the time our children don’t have the opportunity to learn and grow, because their crutch is right there to bail them out (that's us just in case you missed it). Much like being in school, life is a learning process for our kids. If they don’t pass the test, they will just have to repeat the process again, which means they will turn up at our doors again looking for that crutch. The message there is for us to stop trying to take the Lord’s job, as my daughter always tells me. It could be they are right where the Lord wants them to be, because He’s working on them - teaching them how to lean and depend on Him. Before bailing them out, be sure to go before the Lord and ask Him what He would have us to do and He will guide us.

Young ladies often get themselves in a big mess, because they think their biological clock is ticking and they need a husband, so they can have kids. The man could be on a page all to himself and that young lady still won’t listen to the Lord or any one else. She marries him and the next thing she knows, she's gotten herself into a big, old unhappy mess. The message there is, don’t go out and find a Bozo, pray and ask the Lord to send you a Boaz. The book of Ruth tells us that Boaz was a man of quality and character; a mighty man of wealth. Boaz didn’t fall in lust -- he fell in love.

Remember, God is not the author of confusion, He is the God of peace. He is our protector, our healer, our guide, our bank, our doctor, our lawyer and so, so much more! If we would just turn to Him and wait, we won’t get ourselves into such a mess and that is my message to you, my friends.

With all that said, let the church say Amen... and AMEN!

Thank You, Sir!

Thank: to tell someone that you are grateful for something he or she has done or given

There's an old song that says, "I can't pay the Lord, I just want to tell Him - 'Thank You Sir.'" There is so much that the Lord has done for us - when we were yet sinners, He set us free, all of our burdens He helped us to bear, all our trouble God helped us to share. We can't pay the Lord, but we can say "Thank You, Sir."

Think of the woman that had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years and was bowed together and could in no way lift up herself. When Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And He laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God (Luke 13:11-13). I'm sure that woman couldn't pay the Lord for the change He made in her life, but as she was glorifying Him, I'm sure she was saying "Thank You, Sir!"

We have no right or reason to be ungrateful after all the Lord has done for us; because He has given us a little more courage to run this race of life. I know that some of us can say that there were times when we didn't know how we were going to put food on the table, or make that car payment, or if we would ever find a job. And as we think back upon those times, surely we can all say one thing - God has not failed us yet! We can't pay the Lord for all that He has done for us, but my friends, we can tell Him, "Thank You, Sir!"

He has kept us and brought us through many a storm - all the way from our childhood. Even then, He was our shield and protection. And I know He is our stay, because we could have been dead and buried in our grave, but God, in His mercy spoke one word; He told death to behave. We can't pay the Lord; we just need to tell Him, "Thank You, Sir!"

I'm sure if Jonah was here today, he would be a witness. After being in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, the word tells us that Jonah cried out to God in the belly of hell and the Lord heard him and spake to the fish and that fish vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Jonah said I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. No doubt Jonah was saying, I can't pay the Lord, but I just want to tell Him, "Thank You, Sir."

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!