Prejudice all Dressed-Up
Learning to Recognizing an Unseen Evil
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10-10-10 / 08-31-11
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There used to be a time when Sunday came around and it was time for Church, the family would put on what was called their ‘Sunday best,’ with shoes shined, clothes crisp and ironed and Mother got to ‘show off’ her new dress, etc. To some degree, that still exists in different parts of the Country and Church cultures. There is also the ‘seeker sensitive’ model where you simply come as you are. Both models are perfectly fine.
Regardless the area of the Country or the Church culture represented, there is ‘someone’ that shows up in far too many Churches all dressed up but finds a way to blend in no matter the model or paradigm. That would be the ‘Prejudice Family.’
Prejudice - sometimes it is so very covert with unabashed disply and then sometimes so very subtle that it is almost inperceptible. When it is the latter or we are blinded to its presence, someone must poke us and give us a nudge that it is present - it is showing.
Prejudice can be found in great variety but for sure, it loves to get dressed up in religious garb and is pretty hard to detect or admit to and is too often denied. In other instances, it has almost become venerable and worshipped.
Prejudice is like lobster-red sunburn on the backs of those who are infected with it or affected by it because it is so, so stinging and abrasive. We grimice and recoil when we encounter it because it is genuinely painful.
For instance, in some cases the younger folk don’t like the ways of the older folk. Sometimes those who are very image conscious (I’ll call them the ‘Haves’) do not like the ‘have-nots.’ In the very, very challenging high school environment where ‘image’ is a matter of life-and-death, the preppies do not like the emos or the athletic types just can’t hang with the academic nerds. Here in Chicago, fan loyalty is almost a sacred thing and for sure, the Cubs fans have no care for the Sox fans and vice-versa. It is a mind-spinning, mind-splitting affair if one tries to keep up with it and measure one’s reactions to each nuance.
There are not too many institutions wracked with more prejudice than the church. Keep in mind that Jesus said that if anyone ‘hates’ his brother he is in danger of judgment. The Greek word that is translated ‘hate’ in this particular verse speaks of ‘having a disregard for’ another. Prejudice does just that: it causes people to either be adversarial and confrontational or completely disassociated from other believers if they are not of our particular flavor.
Prejudice is terrible but if there can be lower levels of prejudice, it is seen in the prejudice that one church or believer has for another church or believer because their faith and dogmas are not absolutely identical.
When the Apostle Paul confronted this issue, he asked the question: is Christ divided? Then he said that we are to make sure there are no schisms and divisions among us because they are absolutely contrary to the covenant connectedness that Jesus preached concerning His kingdom.
The margins of acceptance or tolerance are so narrow church-to-church or believer-to-believer that there is no room for imagining that God’s family could actually be larger than our narrow, exclusive concepts of God and His forgiveness. The church (believers) has not sufficiently wrapped their minds around the fact that God loves each and every believer and each and every doctrinally sound (ie. Nicene Creed) church as much as He does us. We like the idea that we are so right-on and thoroughly correct in our understanding of God and His Word that we are His ‘favorites.’ However, just cannot imagine or be secure enough in His love to see Him ‘feeling’ the same for another group that is not a part of our direct ‘vine’ as He does feel about us. To consider such a thought kind of takes away our religious / spiritual pride that we like to wear like a badge of honor.
You see, we want 'our side' or 'our team' to win. Consequently, we believe that God is on 'our’ side and if He is, that means that He is not on ‘their’ side. It sounds rediculous when you put it out there on paper or in conversation, but it is what it is. In reality, you are not His favorite and neither am I His favorite by some kind of assumed right or privilege. We all are His favorites and that is just fine with me!
What constitutes grounds for mutual-respect and acceptance? Too often we want the criteria to be ‘Exactness.’ However, the grounds for mutual respect and acceptance rests in the fact that every human being is created and given life by God intentionally and holds the same hope and promises for experiencing His life-altering grace as we have. God has honored and elevated every human being (by faith) by giving the life of His Son to be the ransom and price paid for our soul. What honor!
I like to engage people wherever I go hoping that I will get an open door to minister to them. People are 90+ % of the time gracious and respond in kind. However, there is one exception that I run into every once in a while – in a Christian bookstore. That is the one place (not all of the Christian bookstores but the one I visit) where I do not find open, warm and friendly greetings. It feels like I have walked into a high security area where the workers that are present are the guards who are just waiting for our infraction of some kind. I know that sounds hard, but it is my experience.
Another observation is that when faith starts becoming institutional and is no longer organic, everything exists for the maintenance and perpetuation of the ‘institution.’ The ideas is that ‘we’ must keep everyone that we can from our particular form of faith and religion and churches become cloistered, exclusive and their own stardard by which everyone else is measured. Thus, we create an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality.
The religious ritual works like this. When religious prejudice is present, one begins to gather data and information about the person we are engaging for the first time. In such situations, you can either look for commonalities as a means of putting a value on the person in order to establish acceptance. Or, we can look for differences using them as a means of eliminating any possibility of acceptance. Or, we can be like Jesus and accept them with open arms just as He did us.
The place we give people in our hearts is where prejudice begins or ceases to exist. That is why it is such a serious issue to Christ. When Jesus saw the ‘people,’ which included the people who would turn against Him and crucify Him, He saw them through the eyes of His Father and was moved with compassion for them and their needs. He was in Galilee of the Gentiles when He saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion. These were people whom a Jew should have disdained and abhorred from a religious / faith standpoint. However, He saw them through the eyes of His Father.
God existed long before any church and faith tradition began. He lived and continues to live outside any boundaries erected by man or otherwise. He cannot be contained. If you feel that you are exclusive in your claim on God and His affections, I’m here to let you know that your dogma can’t contain Him. If you believe that you are outside the commonwealth of His love, acceptance and forgiveness, even those boundaries cannot contain Him. If you think you are the only church or faith that is right, then you serve a very small, predictable god.
God’s love extends without parameters far beyond the walls of separation and isolation that dogma and tradition have erected. He reaches past our prejudice and idiotic small-mindedness to meet those who are like the Biblical ‘woman at the well’ who discovered that His love and forgiveness know no barriers.
Yes, I believe that I am ‘right’. However, I also believe that every believer who has found Life in the vicarious death, burial and resurrection of Christ are also right – as are their particular church which holds to the same. I see it, then, that if I am ‘against’ them just because they aren’t my ‘brand,’ I am actually against THE Body of Christ and have unjust, unfounded prejudice that hurts Him and His ministry.
I do not necessarily agree with everything that I hear being preached on Christian television. However, God IS using these soldiers of the Cross to reach people that I could never reach in ten lifetimes. God is using many of them to reach the un-saved at their point of knowledge and faith. And, the bottom line is a ‘net gain’ for the Kingdom of God as God takes their ‘foolish preaching’ to convince multitudes of His reality. In this, I rejoice and covenant never to impede their credibility with the platforms of influence and speaking God has afforded me.
What I do mind, are the ministers who take the valuable Harvest-reaching time to discredit another harvester who is helping to see that the Father’s house is filled. It is a waste of time and akin to sabotage to spend limited, valuable public time to discredit the work and ministry of another laborer in the field (unless the laborers infractions are absolute and undeniable). If they are preaching Christ and Him crucified, buried and raised from the dead, leave them alone and be certain not to help eradicate their platform and influence while they are de-populating hell and populating Heaven. I’m just sayin . . . .
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Bishop Freddie Steel – Life Church of Chicagoland – www.lifeinchicago.org - revfts@usa.net
6600 W. 127th Street – Palos Heights, IL 60463 - 708-824-1501
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Showing posts with label Hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hope. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, September 9, 2010
'Grace is Free - But it Sure is Expensive'
Grace is Free, But It Sure Is Expensive.
by Freddie Steel on Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 5:10pm
Grace does NOT make sense. Neither does faith. Forgiveness doesn't make sense. That is why they are supernatural and so powerful.
If grace does not make 'sense,' then I can't lean on my own understanding to dispense grace. I have to commit to living grace and offering grace intentionally rather than emotionally.
I'm pretty convinced that grace is not shared and released more liberally by more of us because far too many do not know grace personally. We live in a culture where we receive everything by way of performance. Grades in school come via academic performance. Salaries and compensation come via performance. Too often, husbands and wives relate and offer love to one another via performance. But grace sees people through 'rose-colored' glasses. Grace doesn't close its eyes to faults, failures and shortcomings, it just helps you to see them through God's 'rose-colored' glasses.
The best way to get our 'rose-colored' glasses (a personal understanding and encounter with grace), is through failing (God's Word is the foremost means). Failure is how God teaches us that He has been blessing 'everyone' of us on credit. Here is a glimpse of grace.
'God makes it rain on the just and the unjust.' Everyone seems to know how to quote this as a verse of judgment. However, rain is a blessing and shows the benevolence of God. So, Jesus is saying that the Father releases His goodness of life on the 'deserving' and the 'undeserving.' He loves ALL of mankind impartially. He is not prejudiced or secterian. God so loved the 'world' that He gave His Son - liberally and freely.
Since we really do reap what we sow, I try to sow grace every single day, and especially when it doesn't make sense. In doing so, in those moments, we are more like Jesus than at any other time. His grace is free, but it is also very expensive - it cost Him His life.
411b7bb6-df04-4465-8347-5c7dd37b14ed1.03.01
by Freddie Steel on Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 5:10pm
Grace does NOT make sense. Neither does faith. Forgiveness doesn't make sense. That is why they are supernatural and so powerful.
If grace does not make 'sense,' then I can't lean on my own understanding to dispense grace. I have to commit to living grace and offering grace intentionally rather than emotionally.
I'm pretty convinced that grace is not shared and released more liberally by more of us because far too many do not know grace personally. We live in a culture where we receive everything by way of performance. Grades in school come via academic performance. Salaries and compensation come via performance. Too often, husbands and wives relate and offer love to one another via performance. But grace sees people through 'rose-colored' glasses. Grace doesn't close its eyes to faults, failures and shortcomings, it just helps you to see them through God's 'rose-colored' glasses.
The best way to get our 'rose-colored' glasses (a personal understanding and encounter with grace), is through failing (God's Word is the foremost means). Failure is how God teaches us that He has been blessing 'everyone' of us on credit. Here is a glimpse of grace.
'God makes it rain on the just and the unjust.' Everyone seems to know how to quote this as a verse of judgment. However, rain is a blessing and shows the benevolence of God. So, Jesus is saying that the Father releases His goodness of life on the 'deserving' and the 'undeserving.' He loves ALL of mankind impartially. He is not prejudiced or secterian. God so loved the 'world' that He gave His Son - liberally and freely.
Since we really do reap what we sow, I try to sow grace every single day, and especially when it doesn't make sense. In doing so, in those moments, we are more like Jesus than at any other time. His grace is free, but it is also very expensive - it cost Him His life.
411b7bb6-df04-4465-8347-5c7dd37b14ed1.03.01
What You Will NOT Find At Life Church
I just had to create this note. It has nagged at me for days since hearing more than once the stories of how Father God is too often presented as only being a 'has been' God or as a 'will be' God when, in reality, He IS (everything He says He is) . . . was . . . and will be.
I like every church and am for every church that is for the Bible and I am for their success. As I see it, we are all on the very same team. I want them to 'win.' I 'like' every television minister too. They all present Jesus differently from one another but somehow in the sovereign design of God, I believe He can use each word to touch a heart somewhere, somehow.
Part of my calling is to be a bridge between people and God - specifically, people who have been hurt, wounded or turned off to God in the house of God. Though I have weathered a lot of church storms, I believe God has helped me and my family to remain free from hurts and wounds that could have dabilitated our faith in God and in people. I also realize that we are to help heal God's distorted image presented by well-meaning churches and voices but really does not reflect, accurately, Who He really is.
The Bible says that Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were sick and oppressed of the Devil. Later, Jesus said that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father. He was/is a perfect reflection of Father God and has not mutated into something less generous, liberal and giving or less willing than what Jesus presented Him as being. The logical and reasoning faculties of man cannot grasp, contain or imagine One Who resides outside those limits. It takes the Holy Spirit breathing life into the Word of God to enlighten our spiritual understanding to even begin to grasp His grandeur and immensity.
At Life Church, you will NOT find church politics running and ruining everything overtly or covertly. Far too many have been hurt and disconnected from a church due to church politics and the strife it can gender. We have determined to model New Testament church government that genders trust, vulnerability and unity.
At Life Church, you will NOT find us presenting a God Who 'was' or Who 'will be.' We present God Who was, will be and 'is.' In other words, He is all and everything His Word says He is and His Promises have no expiration dates. If He showed Himself to be a healer of disease and brokenness, He remains to be that same healer and restorer. Our messages and doctrine does not teach a God Who has diminished capacity or willingness to be all that His Word describes Him to be.
At Life Church, you will NOT find 'membership' in the traditional sense. You cannot just join a church like you join an organization because the church 'has' organization but is an 'organism' - not simply an institution. The Bible says that it is like a family, the Father's family in Heaven and the Earth. Therefore, rather than presenting the traditional membership, we offer 'Mutual Adoption.' It's a family thing and families are 'organically' connected for life.
At Life Church, you will NOT find that we are more concerned about your dollars than we are about your discipleship. In other words, the Word we preach will probably offend you but not just for the sake of offending. We will not adapt or water-down the Word of God so the Truth doesn't upset you.
At Life Church, you will NOT find exclusion but you will find inclusion. Our doors are open to anyone and everyone. Our love is color-blind, unconcerned about social barriers and is the true test of our spirituality.
At Life Church, you will NOT find us competing with or disregarding any other church or minister. We are all on the same 'team' fighting a common 'enemy.' When another church prospers, we prosper and our community benefits. We are a part of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) , but our affiliation carries no restrictions with how we view people in need and carry out our mission.
To learn more about Life Church and our mission, visit www.lifeinchicago.org .
I like every church and am for every church that is for the Bible and I am for their success. As I see it, we are all on the very same team. I want them to 'win.' I 'like' every television minister too. They all present Jesus differently from one another but somehow in the sovereign design of God, I believe He can use each word to touch a heart somewhere, somehow.
Part of my calling is to be a bridge between people and God - specifically, people who have been hurt, wounded or turned off to God in the house of God. Though I have weathered a lot of church storms, I believe God has helped me and my family to remain free from hurts and wounds that could have dabilitated our faith in God and in people. I also realize that we are to help heal God's distorted image presented by well-meaning churches and voices but really does not reflect, accurately, Who He really is.
The Bible says that Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were sick and oppressed of the Devil. Later, Jesus said that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father. He was/is a perfect reflection of Father God and has not mutated into something less generous, liberal and giving or less willing than what Jesus presented Him as being. The logical and reasoning faculties of man cannot grasp, contain or imagine One Who resides outside those limits. It takes the Holy Spirit breathing life into the Word of God to enlighten our spiritual understanding to even begin to grasp His grandeur and immensity.
At Life Church, you will NOT find church politics running and ruining everything overtly or covertly. Far too many have been hurt and disconnected from a church due to church politics and the strife it can gender. We have determined to model New Testament church government that genders trust, vulnerability and unity.
At Life Church, you will NOT find us presenting a God Who 'was' or Who 'will be.' We present God Who was, will be and 'is.' In other words, He is all and everything His Word says He is and His Promises have no expiration dates. If He showed Himself to be a healer of disease and brokenness, He remains to be that same healer and restorer. Our messages and doctrine does not teach a God Who has diminished capacity or willingness to be all that His Word describes Him to be.
At Life Church, you will NOT find 'membership' in the traditional sense. You cannot just join a church like you join an organization because the church 'has' organization but is an 'organism' - not simply an institution. The Bible says that it is like a family, the Father's family in Heaven and the Earth. Therefore, rather than presenting the traditional membership, we offer 'Mutual Adoption.' It's a family thing and families are 'organically' connected for life.
At Life Church, you will NOT find that we are more concerned about your dollars than we are about your discipleship. In other words, the Word we preach will probably offend you but not just for the sake of offending. We will not adapt or water-down the Word of God so the Truth doesn't upset you.
At Life Church, you will NOT find exclusion but you will find inclusion. Our doors are open to anyone and everyone. Our love is color-blind, unconcerned about social barriers and is the true test of our spirituality.
At Life Church, you will NOT find us competing with or disregarding any other church or minister. We are all on the same 'team' fighting a common 'enemy.' When another church prospers, we prosper and our community benefits. We are a part of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) , but our affiliation carries no restrictions with how we view people in need and carry out our mission.
To learn more about Life Church and our mission, visit www.lifeinchicago.org .
Saturday, December 6, 2008
"Thankstaking Dinner" and the Look of Gratitude
“Thankstaking Dinner”
- The Look of Gratitude and Generosity –
Bishop Freddie Steel
We are closing in on one of the main holidays celebrated in America. Thanksgiving is a special time. We get off from work early, meet with family and friends, eat ‘till we can’t eat any more, and get up bright and early to catch those special deals at our favorite retailer. Ah, the joys of Thanksgiving!
Pastoring a church helps one to keep life in perspective: we see the best and the worst of things. So, I do greet Thanksgiving as I explained it above and at the same time I recall the images of an elderly gentleman, lady, or couple who can barely get by even with the best of their efforts and looking forward to a Thanksgiving as I just described just won’t happen.
My mind moves to the images of a single mother who is working the best she can to meet her family’s needs and, despite her best efforts, also barely gets by. She will have a hard time explaining to her children why they won’t be having a ‘regular’ Thanksgiving like the other families that may be portrayed on TV.
All of the blessings and benefits that I explained above are to be enjoyed. However, what might be the norm and regular Thanksgiving for many, one that includes all of the fixings and trimmings, to others is a far away dream or even an extravagance that they cannot imagine being privileged enough to receive. For those who see the bountiful spread as routine may very well enjoy the lavish supply as only a temporary fulfillment at best because it has never been compared and evaluated alongside great want and need. But, when the comparison can be made, I have found that the blessings are received with greater gratitude, deeper joy, little or no criticism, and with great satisfaction. You find yourself being thrilled with the Cranberry sauce, the stuffing, the meal, service, and feel very privileged to be able to enjoy the bounty freely.
It is very possible that many American have not defined what ‘enough’ looks like, or when is it that ‘enough’ brings satisfaction and contentment?
Let me share this illustration to help explain what I mean.
Blessings From Above -
The Jordan River begins, it is birthed, near the summit of the nine thousand foot plus Mount Hermon near the Syria – Lebanon borders. The name ‘Hermon’ means the ‘mountain of the Chief’ and has three definite peaks, the middle one being the highest. Personally, it is a perfect picture of Heaven and the Trinity. The snow that covers its peaks year round speaks of the lofty heights of Heaven from which all of our blessings proceed, and the three peaks with the middle one being the most prominent reminds me of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The snow line of Mount Hermon is where the Jordan River begins. ‘Jordan’ means ‘and it comes down abundantly.’ As the condensation increases, the water of the Jordan River makes its way to the valley below and it gives birth to the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life and blessings that affects the entire region and selflessly releases and passes along everything it receives from above.
What is quite interesting to me is that the same water (representing the blessings of God) that originates from above and gives life and releases blessings below is the same water that births the Dead Sea. How can the life-giving water give life to the Sea of Galilee and then produce no life in the Dead Sea? The secret is this.
Happy To Receive, Happy To Give -
Galilee properly handles and stewards the blessings it receives by opening up and sending along all that it has taken in. The ‘secret’ for Galilee is that it is grateful to receive what has been sent down from above, so-much-so that it willingly becomes a channel and conduit for God to use to bless others. The Dead Sea does not pass along its bounty in the same way as Galilee. Consequently, the value and worth of all of the gifts it receives are corrupted and lost: that which was a blessing to Galilee becomes corrupted and spoils and the value and worth are lost. The Dead Sea holds tightly onto all that it receives, being preoccupied with self-interest, and does not offer to send the blessings along as its ‘mother’ did.
Our lives are quite the same. We tend to forget that every good and perfect gift that America receives comes down from the Father above, all of which are to be welcomed and received with deep gratitude and thanksgiving. America’s ingratitude for Father God’s great and wonderful blessings spoils and corrupts their potential for bringing us fulfillment and satisfaction.
I have reached the conclusion that the reason we Americans want more and bigger and better is because we have not identified at what point we reach satisfaction, fulfillment, enough. The blessings that we enjoy in America (but never seem to be satisfied with because of our greed) will never be able to satisfy because in order for there to be ingratitude, one has to find something lacking, something wrong with, some fault with our many blessings and gifts. Ingratitude originates with a critical spirit, a critical outlook on everything in life including employment, people and relationships.
I remember the years that I was critical about things in our marriage and family. On one occasion while praying for my wife and daughter, the Holy Spirit dropped in my heart this thought: ‘I want you to stop praying about your wife and daughter, and I want you to start spending more time in praying ‘for’ your wife and daughter.’ Immediately the acidic spirit of criticism that I had began to be ‘sweetened’ with a new sense of compassion, patience, insights, and gratitude. My life has never been the same since then. What Father God had given to me as a rare and special gift and grace was being spoiled because of the issues of my own heart.
Ingratitude is the sin that made a forty-day journey in the wilderness a forty-year journey for the Israelites. The Israelites found fault with the supernatural manna, the supernatural water, the supernatural deliverance (all of which were foreshadows of and reflected Christ the Savior), and came to believe that their relationship with God centered on and based on His ability and willingness to supply their every need. The thing that was at stake with Israel was their destiny and ingratitude was destiny’s chief enemy. Though God had moved Heaven and Earth to free them and generously care for them, the Israelites could not find it in their heart to render thanksgiving and praise to God for all He had done. Hence, they continued to think like slaves, act like slaves, and treasured the wages of Egyptian slavery more than their God-ordained destiny as being a liberated, blessed peoples and nation. This parallels America today.
Ingratitude overshadows the gifts, grace, and blessings that God daily bestows upon us one and all. I have come to the conclusion that I can complain about sitting in traffic or I can thank God that He has blessed me to have a good car that I can take anywhere anytime I desire: not the case for so many. As a matter of fact, I communicate with ministers and missionaries around the globe who would love to have the opportunity to sit in grid-lock traffic instead of having to walk great distances in terrible or dangerous conditions or ride a bike many, many miles through treacherous terrain to spread the Gospel. No, for the most part, I am quite happy and content to deal with traffic conditions where I can turn on my air conditioning, put my favorite cd in the player, lock the world outside and carry the peace and tranquility of the Kingdom of God with me regardless the conditions outside. Yes, I manage my life with a thermostat rather than reacting to the changing climate like a barometer. Yes, ingratitude can corrupt the fulfillment and satisfaction that we should be enjoying from the vast, everyday blessings Father God sends our way.
I heard someone in a restaurant complaining about the food and the service that I, too, was enjoying but had no problem with. I remarked to those sitting with me how that there would be millions of people in the world who would absolutely love to trade places with me and ‘endure’ the ‘terrible’ food and service that the other patrons were being served. There are multitudes around the globe who cannot imagine what it is like to have someone prepare a meal, bring it to them, and provide service such as what you receive in a restaurant. For the same reason, as well as out of gratitude to Father God, I never leave a poor tip. The quality of the food and service do not matter, within reason, because overshadowing the food and service are many other benevolent issues to be considered like: living in a land where there is plenty; having the money to pay for someone to prepare my meal and serve me; and on and on. No, I don’t ever have a bad meal at a restaurant. Anytime someone serves me my food and meal that I can enjoy in a decent environment are reasons enough to be grateful and be satisfied by these, God’s gifts of grace.
Want To Know A Little Secret?
The secret for receiving uninterrupted and more robust blessings from above is to learn that the amount of ‘water’ we release will determine the amount of water (blessings) we receive. The pre-occupation with self is a sure and certain recipe for creating dissatisfaction and ingratitude that will corrupt the joy and the full experience of all we have received from God’s generous hand.
In order to be ungrateful with the exquisite measures of grace Father God has given us, one must first become dissatisfied or critical with the blessings by finding some fault with their timing, quality, or quantity. If one feels that Father God’s provisions were late or in any way inadequate, then it becomes all too easy and all too normal to begin finding fault with other things of life. On this course, no one will ever be satisfied with the blessings God sends our way.
When one believes that the purpose of the external rewards of life are given in order to make us happy and satisfied, we have set our course on an ever fluctuating base line that can never serve as a foundation for life, happiness, or contentment. When one believes that the joy and satisfaction of life comes from within, wrapped in humble, reverential gratitude, then one sets their base line to a steady foundation that never compromises regardless the external conditions or circumstances. Additionally, you are able to remain content with God and with others because you have a proper perspective on life and its blessings and you are overwhelmed that Father God has supplied you with enough and then some. With this posture, people are no longer the reason for your discontent. You begin to find that life and God’s blessings do, indeed, make for a richer and fuller life. On the other hand, when the believer’s hearts are free from corruption, the absence of such things can not take our joy or gratitude because they are not built upon the ever-changing things of life. In the state of satisfaction and gratitude, your ‘sea’ is full and you are willing to share freely from life’s overflow.
The Roots Of America’s Complaints And Her Self- Image -
Ingratitude is a terrible thing. Ingratitude, an attitude of the heart, can take (actually receive) the best that is available and find it inadequate, unacceptable, and rob that thing of its potential for enriching and satisfying.
Ingratitude is the lack of appreciation for kindness or especially for a gift received. Ingratitude is the lack or the want of gratitude, being without proper thanks for kindness or favor received. Shak describes ingratitude as the ‘marble-hearted fiend. L ‘Estrange says that ingratitude is abhorred both by God and man.
Gratitude, Grace And God -
There is a double sadness to this topic because our social and faith environments are so greatly affected by gratitude. Gratitude is the essential fuel, the animating breath, for the believer’s praise and worship. Without gratitude being present when we engage Father God in worship, our actions become nothing more than ritual and routine which are offensive to Father God. He cannot receive half-hearted worship because we attempting to worship Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him.
Gratitude drives and compels us to worship Father God because we remain overwhelmed by Who He is, and what He has done for us. What He has given to us through His Son has so thoroughly changed our lives that we remain overwhelmed and experience an ongoing awe for Him so-much-so that we can’t stay quiet. Since Father God hates anything that is half-hearted or watered-down and diluted, worship that comes from hearts and lips that are not completely His cannot produce worship or praise that is sanctified, holy, and acceptable to Him. Gratitude remembers the grace of God and the God of grace that drew us to Himself out from death and into the Life shared with Him joyfully.
Gratitude And Trust -
If someone whom you completely know and thoroughly trust made a promise to you concerning an upcoming blessing or a promise of help of some kind, you would be able to wait patiently and continue to speak well of the one who made the promise to you even if all of the evidence in the world is saying something otherwise.
Generally speaking, Americans do not trust God because we have not had to trust God. It would be shameful to think that Americans place more of their trust in the promise of politicians than trust in God. During my thirty-plus years of ministry, I have also observed that American believers also elevate and trust the word of doctors above trusting God and His Word. Many times I have tried to minister faith and the Word of God to people who are in the midst of a medical crisis and it is as though a thick barrier surrounds their understanding so much so that the promises of God’s Word are deflected and repelled somewhat like what you would expect a person to do to repel vile or evil thoughts.
If the American believers have not had to trust God but have trusted in the many wonderful blessings and perks that have been showered on us all, we find that we have become accustomed to leaning to our own resources, ingenuity, and carefully-laid plans. When we place our trust in man above placing our trust in God, the Bible tells us that we open ourselves up to being cursed by making the arm of flesh our refuge, source, and strength.
Another translation of the verse that contains the warning says ‘do not prop yourself up by the things that you trust in.’ Americans have had hungry ears waiting to see which candidate can make us promises that will most effectively address our ills. Unfortunately, putting your trust in the words of any man above and before you put your trust in God’s Word will only result in disappointment. No man has the answers – yet.
I am able to tolerate a lot of things joyfully and with uninterrupted peace because I trust the Father and trust that He is in control. Patience is the by-product of trust that keeps one from running ahead of God and also helps keep our heart fixed on Father God and the integrity of His Word.
Father God Can Be Trusted -
Trust in God helps one to remain peaceful and joy-filled in the midst of congested traffic, incidents of road rage, rude shoppers or retailers. On numerous occasions Father God has proved to me that a delay, a change in my schedule, an untimed event, did not hamper or hinder me but kept me from unseen pitfalls and dangers. After enough of those episodes occurred, I learned to be proactive and begin giving Father God praise when it appeared that things beyond my control were going to adjust and rearrange my schedule and plans.
Trust in God takes the option of vengeance and retaliation off the table and helps to diminish the numbers of people you would otherwise find yourself striving with and in conflict with. Trust in God tells me that I do not have to fear or respond to bad news and threats even though the threats might be legitimate and real. However, the absence of trust does not mean that we should always try to negotiate with and appease those holding the threats, especially if they are evil. When that is the case and there are forces operating one against the other (like the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this world), appeasement and negotiations are not options. Spiritual warfare is concluded with the Kingdom of God either being advanced or thwarted.
Spiritual Warfare And Trust -
To think that one can reason with evil that seeks to destroy God’s Seed and His people Israel, is a clear statement that the foundational qualities and components of Father God’s Kingdom on the earth have been lost in the mind of many and will be bartered away for the vain and empty promises of man-made prosperity and peace. Prosperity and peace, the two ‘blessings’ that America is pursuing, will come and they will come to pass and they will be fulfilled – the Bible says so. However, they will come through the False Prophet and the anti-Christ and will be hailed by all who believe that the lure of man-made peace and prosperity are to be sought and cherished above or at the expense of the eternal treasures promised in God’s Word.
Prophetically speaking, the time has come when the dividing line has been drawn and you cannot have the best of both worlds without compromises, compromises that, if taken, will cost people their eternal soul.
If a believer does not trust God, like anyone else, they will resort to human efficiencies and, like Abraham and Sarah, create their own ‘son of promise’ that will persecute the legitimate Son of Promise. I do not recall in Scripture where Father God used PAC’s, polls, and volleying in order to gain an upper hand or gain a more advantageous position. As a matter of fact, the example in Kingdom warfare is seen in Christ as He reminded His disciples that His Kingdom was not ‘of this world’ and the establishment of His Kingdom in the Earth would eventually lead Him to trust Father God so completely with His life that He would lay down His life and die on the Cross. That is the very example the believer is to follow: it is what it means to be a Christian, a disciple, a Christ follower.
Where Are The Heroes Of Faith? -
It takes modern-day heroes of faith to lean back and trust Father God especially when there seems to be less and less of a reason to do so. These verses give poignant illustration to how Moses trusted Father God in the midst of political upheaval. These are the heroes of faith who changed the world using a most unconventional means. It also gives a brief biography of your forbears who fought the very same battles then that you face now. The italics are mine.
Hebrews 11: 24-39 - “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to (compromise His faith and God’s Word in order to) be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (which would have absolutely secured him a promising and ‘blessed’ future and life). 25 He chose to (trust Father God and) share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin (Pharaoh, who was not to be viewed as Moses Papa, and Pharaoh’s governmentally-provided perks and programs). 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt (a type and a shadow of this fallen world’s systems and way that are completely contrary to Father God’s), not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on The One who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.
29 It was by faith that (Father God supernaturally supplied all that was needed, and) the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.
33 By faith these people overthrew (not in the sense that one would today) kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them (and because America doesn’t know Father God intimately, American Christianity will not trust God and resorts to methods and means to help themselves out of their straits). They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God (and collaborate with the fallen, evil system) in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
In the days ahead, you can get frustrated and aggravated about the congested highway conditions, or you can choose to be grateful that you have a vehicle that can take you where you want to go, when you want to go unlike countless millions who are either walking, riding bikes and the like to get to church, work, etc. There would be many who would just ‘love’ to have the chance to be in their own vehicle with the means to get around even in tense and congested conditions.
Set out today to find and praise God for the blessings you currently have. They may not be the best, but if you believe Father God is in control and has the best in store for you, start looking for every opportunity to identify and thank God for His grace and gifts.
Freddie Steel - Life Church of Chicagoland - 6600 W 127th Street -
Palos Heights, IL 60463 - revfts@usa.net - 708-824-1501
[i] November 26, 2008
- The Look of Gratitude and Generosity –
Bishop Freddie Steel
We are closing in on one of the main holidays celebrated in America. Thanksgiving is a special time. We get off from work early, meet with family and friends, eat ‘till we can’t eat any more, and get up bright and early to catch those special deals at our favorite retailer. Ah, the joys of Thanksgiving!
Pastoring a church helps one to keep life in perspective: we see the best and the worst of things. So, I do greet Thanksgiving as I explained it above and at the same time I recall the images of an elderly gentleman, lady, or couple who can barely get by even with the best of their efforts and looking forward to a Thanksgiving as I just described just won’t happen.
My mind moves to the images of a single mother who is working the best she can to meet her family’s needs and, despite her best efforts, also barely gets by. She will have a hard time explaining to her children why they won’t be having a ‘regular’ Thanksgiving like the other families that may be portrayed on TV.
All of the blessings and benefits that I explained above are to be enjoyed. However, what might be the norm and regular Thanksgiving for many, one that includes all of the fixings and trimmings, to others is a far away dream or even an extravagance that they cannot imagine being privileged enough to receive. For those who see the bountiful spread as routine may very well enjoy the lavish supply as only a temporary fulfillment at best because it has never been compared and evaluated alongside great want and need. But, when the comparison can be made, I have found that the blessings are received with greater gratitude, deeper joy, little or no criticism, and with great satisfaction. You find yourself being thrilled with the Cranberry sauce, the stuffing, the meal, service, and feel very privileged to be able to enjoy the bounty freely.
It is very possible that many American have not defined what ‘enough’ looks like, or when is it that ‘enough’ brings satisfaction and contentment?
Let me share this illustration to help explain what I mean.
Blessings From Above -
The Jordan River begins, it is birthed, near the summit of the nine thousand foot plus Mount Hermon near the Syria – Lebanon borders. The name ‘Hermon’ means the ‘mountain of the Chief’ and has three definite peaks, the middle one being the highest. Personally, it is a perfect picture of Heaven and the Trinity. The snow that covers its peaks year round speaks of the lofty heights of Heaven from which all of our blessings proceed, and the three peaks with the middle one being the most prominent reminds me of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The snow line of Mount Hermon is where the Jordan River begins. ‘Jordan’ means ‘and it comes down abundantly.’ As the condensation increases, the water of the Jordan River makes its way to the valley below and it gives birth to the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life and blessings that affects the entire region and selflessly releases and passes along everything it receives from above.
What is quite interesting to me is that the same water (representing the blessings of God) that originates from above and gives life and releases blessings below is the same water that births the Dead Sea. How can the life-giving water give life to the Sea of Galilee and then produce no life in the Dead Sea? The secret is this.
Happy To Receive, Happy To Give -
Galilee properly handles and stewards the blessings it receives by opening up and sending along all that it has taken in. The ‘secret’ for Galilee is that it is grateful to receive what has been sent down from above, so-much-so that it willingly becomes a channel and conduit for God to use to bless others. The Dead Sea does not pass along its bounty in the same way as Galilee. Consequently, the value and worth of all of the gifts it receives are corrupted and lost: that which was a blessing to Galilee becomes corrupted and spoils and the value and worth are lost. The Dead Sea holds tightly onto all that it receives, being preoccupied with self-interest, and does not offer to send the blessings along as its ‘mother’ did.
Our lives are quite the same. We tend to forget that every good and perfect gift that America receives comes down from the Father above, all of which are to be welcomed and received with deep gratitude and thanksgiving. America’s ingratitude for Father God’s great and wonderful blessings spoils and corrupts their potential for bringing us fulfillment and satisfaction.
I have reached the conclusion that the reason we Americans want more and bigger and better is because we have not identified at what point we reach satisfaction, fulfillment, enough. The blessings that we enjoy in America (but never seem to be satisfied with because of our greed) will never be able to satisfy because in order for there to be ingratitude, one has to find something lacking, something wrong with, some fault with our many blessings and gifts. Ingratitude originates with a critical spirit, a critical outlook on everything in life including employment, people and relationships.
I remember the years that I was critical about things in our marriage and family. On one occasion while praying for my wife and daughter, the Holy Spirit dropped in my heart this thought: ‘I want you to stop praying about your wife and daughter, and I want you to start spending more time in praying ‘for’ your wife and daughter.’ Immediately the acidic spirit of criticism that I had began to be ‘sweetened’ with a new sense of compassion, patience, insights, and gratitude. My life has never been the same since then. What Father God had given to me as a rare and special gift and grace was being spoiled because of the issues of my own heart.
Ingratitude is the sin that made a forty-day journey in the wilderness a forty-year journey for the Israelites. The Israelites found fault with the supernatural manna, the supernatural water, the supernatural deliverance (all of which were foreshadows of and reflected Christ the Savior), and came to believe that their relationship with God centered on and based on His ability and willingness to supply their every need. The thing that was at stake with Israel was their destiny and ingratitude was destiny’s chief enemy. Though God had moved Heaven and Earth to free them and generously care for them, the Israelites could not find it in their heart to render thanksgiving and praise to God for all He had done. Hence, they continued to think like slaves, act like slaves, and treasured the wages of Egyptian slavery more than their God-ordained destiny as being a liberated, blessed peoples and nation. This parallels America today.
Ingratitude overshadows the gifts, grace, and blessings that God daily bestows upon us one and all. I have come to the conclusion that I can complain about sitting in traffic or I can thank God that He has blessed me to have a good car that I can take anywhere anytime I desire: not the case for so many. As a matter of fact, I communicate with ministers and missionaries around the globe who would love to have the opportunity to sit in grid-lock traffic instead of having to walk great distances in terrible or dangerous conditions or ride a bike many, many miles through treacherous terrain to spread the Gospel. No, for the most part, I am quite happy and content to deal with traffic conditions where I can turn on my air conditioning, put my favorite cd in the player, lock the world outside and carry the peace and tranquility of the Kingdom of God with me regardless the conditions outside. Yes, I manage my life with a thermostat rather than reacting to the changing climate like a barometer. Yes, ingratitude can corrupt the fulfillment and satisfaction that we should be enjoying from the vast, everyday blessings Father God sends our way.
I heard someone in a restaurant complaining about the food and the service that I, too, was enjoying but had no problem with. I remarked to those sitting with me how that there would be millions of people in the world who would absolutely love to trade places with me and ‘endure’ the ‘terrible’ food and service that the other patrons were being served. There are multitudes around the globe who cannot imagine what it is like to have someone prepare a meal, bring it to them, and provide service such as what you receive in a restaurant. For the same reason, as well as out of gratitude to Father God, I never leave a poor tip. The quality of the food and service do not matter, within reason, because overshadowing the food and service are many other benevolent issues to be considered like: living in a land where there is plenty; having the money to pay for someone to prepare my meal and serve me; and on and on. No, I don’t ever have a bad meal at a restaurant. Anytime someone serves me my food and meal that I can enjoy in a decent environment are reasons enough to be grateful and be satisfied by these, God’s gifts of grace.
Want To Know A Little Secret?
The secret for receiving uninterrupted and more robust blessings from above is to learn that the amount of ‘water’ we release will determine the amount of water (blessings) we receive. The pre-occupation with self is a sure and certain recipe for creating dissatisfaction and ingratitude that will corrupt the joy and the full experience of all we have received from God’s generous hand.
In order to be ungrateful with the exquisite measures of grace Father God has given us, one must first become dissatisfied or critical with the blessings by finding some fault with their timing, quality, or quantity. If one feels that Father God’s provisions were late or in any way inadequate, then it becomes all too easy and all too normal to begin finding fault with other things of life. On this course, no one will ever be satisfied with the blessings God sends our way.
When one believes that the purpose of the external rewards of life are given in order to make us happy and satisfied, we have set our course on an ever fluctuating base line that can never serve as a foundation for life, happiness, or contentment. When one believes that the joy and satisfaction of life comes from within, wrapped in humble, reverential gratitude, then one sets their base line to a steady foundation that never compromises regardless the external conditions or circumstances. Additionally, you are able to remain content with God and with others because you have a proper perspective on life and its blessings and you are overwhelmed that Father God has supplied you with enough and then some. With this posture, people are no longer the reason for your discontent. You begin to find that life and God’s blessings do, indeed, make for a richer and fuller life. On the other hand, when the believer’s hearts are free from corruption, the absence of such things can not take our joy or gratitude because they are not built upon the ever-changing things of life. In the state of satisfaction and gratitude, your ‘sea’ is full and you are willing to share freely from life’s overflow.
The Roots Of America’s Complaints And Her Self- Image -
Ingratitude is a terrible thing. Ingratitude, an attitude of the heart, can take (actually receive) the best that is available and find it inadequate, unacceptable, and rob that thing of its potential for enriching and satisfying.
Ingratitude is the lack of appreciation for kindness or especially for a gift received. Ingratitude is the lack or the want of gratitude, being without proper thanks for kindness or favor received. Shak describes ingratitude as the ‘marble-hearted fiend. L ‘Estrange says that ingratitude is abhorred both by God and man.
Gratitude, Grace And God -
There is a double sadness to this topic because our social and faith environments are so greatly affected by gratitude. Gratitude is the essential fuel, the animating breath, for the believer’s praise and worship. Without gratitude being present when we engage Father God in worship, our actions become nothing more than ritual and routine which are offensive to Father God. He cannot receive half-hearted worship because we attempting to worship Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him.
Gratitude drives and compels us to worship Father God because we remain overwhelmed by Who He is, and what He has done for us. What He has given to us through His Son has so thoroughly changed our lives that we remain overwhelmed and experience an ongoing awe for Him so-much-so that we can’t stay quiet. Since Father God hates anything that is half-hearted or watered-down and diluted, worship that comes from hearts and lips that are not completely His cannot produce worship or praise that is sanctified, holy, and acceptable to Him. Gratitude remembers the grace of God and the God of grace that drew us to Himself out from death and into the Life shared with Him joyfully.
Gratitude And Trust -
If someone whom you completely know and thoroughly trust made a promise to you concerning an upcoming blessing or a promise of help of some kind, you would be able to wait patiently and continue to speak well of the one who made the promise to you even if all of the evidence in the world is saying something otherwise.
Generally speaking, Americans do not trust God because we have not had to trust God. It would be shameful to think that Americans place more of their trust in the promise of politicians than trust in God. During my thirty-plus years of ministry, I have also observed that American believers also elevate and trust the word of doctors above trusting God and His Word. Many times I have tried to minister faith and the Word of God to people who are in the midst of a medical crisis and it is as though a thick barrier surrounds their understanding so much so that the promises of God’s Word are deflected and repelled somewhat like what you would expect a person to do to repel vile or evil thoughts.
If the American believers have not had to trust God but have trusted in the many wonderful blessings and perks that have been showered on us all, we find that we have become accustomed to leaning to our own resources, ingenuity, and carefully-laid plans. When we place our trust in man above placing our trust in God, the Bible tells us that we open ourselves up to being cursed by making the arm of flesh our refuge, source, and strength.
Another translation of the verse that contains the warning says ‘do not prop yourself up by the things that you trust in.’ Americans have had hungry ears waiting to see which candidate can make us promises that will most effectively address our ills. Unfortunately, putting your trust in the words of any man above and before you put your trust in God’s Word will only result in disappointment. No man has the answers – yet.
I am able to tolerate a lot of things joyfully and with uninterrupted peace because I trust the Father and trust that He is in control. Patience is the by-product of trust that keeps one from running ahead of God and also helps keep our heart fixed on Father God and the integrity of His Word.
Father God Can Be Trusted -
Trust in God helps one to remain peaceful and joy-filled in the midst of congested traffic, incidents of road rage, rude shoppers or retailers. On numerous occasions Father God has proved to me that a delay, a change in my schedule, an untimed event, did not hamper or hinder me but kept me from unseen pitfalls and dangers. After enough of those episodes occurred, I learned to be proactive and begin giving Father God praise when it appeared that things beyond my control were going to adjust and rearrange my schedule and plans.
Trust in God takes the option of vengeance and retaliation off the table and helps to diminish the numbers of people you would otherwise find yourself striving with and in conflict with. Trust in God tells me that I do not have to fear or respond to bad news and threats even though the threats might be legitimate and real. However, the absence of trust does not mean that we should always try to negotiate with and appease those holding the threats, especially if they are evil. When that is the case and there are forces operating one against the other (like the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this world), appeasement and negotiations are not options. Spiritual warfare is concluded with the Kingdom of God either being advanced or thwarted.
Spiritual Warfare And Trust -
To think that one can reason with evil that seeks to destroy God’s Seed and His people Israel, is a clear statement that the foundational qualities and components of Father God’s Kingdom on the earth have been lost in the mind of many and will be bartered away for the vain and empty promises of man-made prosperity and peace. Prosperity and peace, the two ‘blessings’ that America is pursuing, will come and they will come to pass and they will be fulfilled – the Bible says so. However, they will come through the False Prophet and the anti-Christ and will be hailed by all who believe that the lure of man-made peace and prosperity are to be sought and cherished above or at the expense of the eternal treasures promised in God’s Word.
Prophetically speaking, the time has come when the dividing line has been drawn and you cannot have the best of both worlds without compromises, compromises that, if taken, will cost people their eternal soul.
If a believer does not trust God, like anyone else, they will resort to human efficiencies and, like Abraham and Sarah, create their own ‘son of promise’ that will persecute the legitimate Son of Promise. I do not recall in Scripture where Father God used PAC’s, polls, and volleying in order to gain an upper hand or gain a more advantageous position. As a matter of fact, the example in Kingdom warfare is seen in Christ as He reminded His disciples that His Kingdom was not ‘of this world’ and the establishment of His Kingdom in the Earth would eventually lead Him to trust Father God so completely with His life that He would lay down His life and die on the Cross. That is the very example the believer is to follow: it is what it means to be a Christian, a disciple, a Christ follower.
Where Are The Heroes Of Faith? -
It takes modern-day heroes of faith to lean back and trust Father God especially when there seems to be less and less of a reason to do so. These verses give poignant illustration to how Moses trusted Father God in the midst of political upheaval. These are the heroes of faith who changed the world using a most unconventional means. It also gives a brief biography of your forbears who fought the very same battles then that you face now. The italics are mine.
Hebrews 11: 24-39 - “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to (compromise His faith and God’s Word in order to) be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (which would have absolutely secured him a promising and ‘blessed’ future and life). 25 He chose to (trust Father God and) share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin (Pharaoh, who was not to be viewed as Moses Papa, and Pharaoh’s governmentally-provided perks and programs). 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt (a type and a shadow of this fallen world’s systems and way that are completely contrary to Father God’s), not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on The One who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.
29 It was by faith that (Father God supernaturally supplied all that was needed, and) the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.
33 By faith these people overthrew (not in the sense that one would today) kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them (and because America doesn’t know Father God intimately, American Christianity will not trust God and resorts to methods and means to help themselves out of their straits). They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God (and collaborate with the fallen, evil system) in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
In the days ahead, you can get frustrated and aggravated about the congested highway conditions, or you can choose to be grateful that you have a vehicle that can take you where you want to go, when you want to go unlike countless millions who are either walking, riding bikes and the like to get to church, work, etc. There would be many who would just ‘love’ to have the chance to be in their own vehicle with the means to get around even in tense and congested conditions.
Set out today to find and praise God for the blessings you currently have. They may not be the best, but if you believe Father God is in control and has the best in store for you, start looking for every opportunity to identify and thank God for His grace and gifts.
Freddie Steel - Life Church of Chicagoland - 6600 W 127th Street -
Palos Heights, IL 60463 - revfts@usa.net - 708-824-1501
[i] November 26, 2008
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