I Want To Live - Skillet (violin cover)

The Vision

The Vision

JPK

Goodness

Psalm 53:3 "They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one."

God is ultimately the only One Who can be good. In our own strength and with our own willpower, none of us will ever make it.

We were created good and in God's image originally. But at the Fall, we chose to go our own way. We thought it would work out to try and make it on our own. But we were wrong. Adam and Eve quickly found out that trying to live right without God is impossible.

But thankfully, God didn't leave us alone to fend for ourselves. First he set up the system of sacrificing animals to "pay" for sin. But that was only a temporary solution. Jesus had to come and die in our place, basically trading His righteousness for our sin, so we could truly be saved from sin and it's consequences. He paid for all those sins in the past that could never really be paid for through just a sacrifice, and He paid for all the sins of the future, giving each of us the gift of salvation so we could be right with God.

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

God didn't want to condemn us and tell us what a mess we were. Even though he's holy, righteous, and just, and anything opposite of good is opposite of Him. Instead, He made a way, through sacrificing Himself to do what we could never do.

Titus 3:3-5 "3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,"

This verse is explaining that it's nothing we do that saves us. Because we have no good in ourselves. We can't show the quality of goodness in our lives without Jesus, because we just don't have it. But when we believe on Jesus to saves us, it's like His goodness is transferred to us.

Romans 7:15-25 "15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Sin, Paul's old nature, is causing him to do what he doesn't want to do. His new nature wants to do good. Anyone that has accepted Christ as personal Savior has a new nature. But even though he has these desires to do right, his old nature so often keeps him from doing it, and then causes him to mess up in some way. And when he most wants to do right, that's when it's hardest of all. That's because Satan will hits us with temptation the hardest in those moments when we want so much to live how we know we should. Jesus is the only hope Paul found that would deliver him from this discouraging path. And He's the One each of us needs to look to as well.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 "26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

We are all sinners. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. But God chose to take us, even though we could never deserve it, and be our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. He is the one that is good, but because Jesus lives inside us, His goodness can be evidenced in our lives.


JPK

Kindness

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

God has forgiven us so much, and shown far more kindness toward us than we could ever deserve. We need to learn to treat other people, even those who don't deserve it, with the same kindness that we've been shown. Obviously, we'll never come close to matching what Christ did for us. And we'll fail plenty of the time at showing kindness to others because we're imperfect and flawed and it's totally opposite our nature to treat others well when they've done us wrong. But yet that's what we're called to do, even though it may sound crazy or impossible. And by God's grace, we can be different from what people expect and be an example to non-believers of Who Jesus is. We'll never get it perfect. But un-believers will notice that we have something they don't if they see that we genuinely care and are striving to be kind.

Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."

This verse definitely demonstrates this important fruit of the spirit. Even though showing love to people who have only ever hated us or treated us terribly may never seem to change them or make a difference, it's still something we need to do. We have to turn the other cheek rather than turning around and treating them the same way. And that takes a whole lot of love and kindness to repay evil with good. 1 Peter 3:9 also demonstrates this. It says, "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing."


Proverbs 11:17 "A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself."

According to this verse, we're going to be miserable if we're cruel and uncaring toward others. We're going to end up hurting ourselves. But if we learn to show kindness and compassion toward other people, you'll find it's well worth it. Often a person that you invest in and help, will later turn around and help you when you need someone to be there for you.

Galatians 6:10 says, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

We especially need to support fellow believers. We weren't meant to go through life alone. We are meant to help each other, care about each other, and love each other. We're the body of Christ, which makes us a huge spiritual family. And we need to stick together and help each other out, especially when one of us is hurting.

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

God may want you to hurt along with someone else, to talk with them through their struggles, or just be there for them as a friend who cares. It takes a lot of love to care that much. To let you heart hurt for someone else. But that's what God asks us to do, and it's well worth it.

Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

It's not just through the good times when we're to show kindness and be a friend. It's when a friend is down when they need us most. It really shows whether or not we care if we're willing to get involved in their lives and give of ourselves to help them through their tough times.

1 John 3:18 "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

We can't just say that we care. Our actions will determine the truth. Most people can tell if you really care and are genuinely concerned and want to be there for them no matter what, or if you're just being a friend for what you can get out of the relationship or because you feel obligated to support them but don't really want to. Don't tell someone you care if you don't mean it. Loving a friend with Christ's love means that it doesn't matter what it takes, you'll always be there for them to help them through Christ's strength.

Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Again, we need to help each other. Show kindness by listening when someone is weighed down under a burden, no matter what it is. And if you can, help them through it. Bear it along with them so they won't get too weak and fall with no one around who cares enough to help. We not only need to help each other through difficult times, but also constantly build each other up. Encourage each other. And if a friend falls, pull them back up.

1 Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind." And that verse really sums up what kindness is.


JPK

Patience

James 1:2-4 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

These verses are saying that trials and trouble in our lives give us an opportunity for growth. But that's only if we respond in the right way. It doesn't help us if we go through life with a bad attitude because we can't always have what we want when we want it. And it's not like everything hard we go through is necessarily God trying to help us get greater character. But we certainly can learn to grow in difficult times if we have the right perspective. And there will be times when it is God trying to teach us something. The point is, we can live more fulfilled lives when we learn how to be patient and content.

Romans 8:25 "if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

You really can't have one without the other. Hope won't get fed up with patiently waiting, and patience won't stop believing that, in time, what you are hoping for will happen, or maybe something better that God has in store. It's not patience if we say that we'll wait for God to do something, but then get scared and doubt Him because it's not happening when we think it needs to. People often talk about God's timing, and how He has it under control, and will do what He needs to in His own perfect time. But, when it comes down to it, it's really easy to become frustrated and stop trusting because God doesn't seem to be working fast enough.

Romans 5:3-4 "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope"

According to this passage, suffering can help us develop endurance, or patience, which will in turn strengthen our character, producing hope. The reason it talks about hope is because normally we hope for the seemingly impossible, or at least the highly unlikely. Without patience, you can't hope because you'll just give up, completely tired of waiting for what seems like will never happen.

Colossians 1:11, 12 "May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."

A lot of these verses dealing with patience mention joy or rejoicing. There's definitely a connection between patience and joy. You can't really endure something with a good attitude if you're lacking God's joy. A joy that can keep you going even when your circumstances are weighing you down. It also talks about giving thanks to God. And that's not an easy thing to be thankful even while you're going through something difficult. But it is possible to find ways to be thankful despite your circumstances.

2 Timothy 4:2 "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

When we're sharing with others about God, we have to be careful to not push them to make a decision when they may not be ready. It can take a lot of patience to keep from getting frustrated when we see the truth that can set a person free, and yet they still are holding back. ...The verse also says to be ready. We should be prepared for any opportunity we have to talk with others about God. You never know when God will open a door for you to share Christ with someone, so even though you may have been praying for them a long time, you need to stay prepared. Because patience doesn't just sit back and do nothing. It waits as long as it needs to, and keeps hanging onto hope, refusing to give up when circumstances are still not improving. True patience won't ever give up.

Ephesians 4:1-3 "I... urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Patience is closely tied with love. It takes love to be patient with other people. It's something that we really can't do through our own strength. But genuine patience can happen when you love others like Jesus does. You can then put up with a person's flaws because you've chosen to love them unconditionally.

1 Timothy 1:15, 16 "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."

A lot of things in the Christian's walk come down to this. Jesus doing the impossible through us. It is His patience, and His alone that we truly need. And we can possess it if we'll let go of our will and start walking in Jesus' footsteps.


JPK

Peace

Psalm 34:14
"Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it."

This fact that we have to seek peace, means it doesn't come naturally. Sometimes we only see the opposite of peace in this world and it's normal to be troubled by that. But this verse makes another important point. It's insinuating that you can't have much peace when you're regularly giving in to sin. With all the guilt, the fear of being found out, and constantly being reminded of your sin, it's hard to have any peace. But there's a huge difference when you turn from sin, and fill your life with God.

1 Corinthians 14:33
"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." 

If we let Him cleanse away the sin that's been confusing us and stealing our peace and joy, we will be so much better off. Our lives will be much more fulfilled when we can live free of all the sin and guilt.

Psalm 119:165
"Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble."

If we're in tune with God and know His Word, it's so much easier to avoid temptation, doubt, and worry, leading to more peace-filled lives.

On the other hand, those without God are going to constantly be worried, confused, and afraid as Isaiah 59:8 points out: "The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths;they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace."

Doesn't sound like a very good way to live. I have no idea how anybody really makes it without God. God is still there for them, even though they don't know it, sometimes helping them, even if they don't ask. But without God to turn to for peace in the middle of all the craziness of life, I know I'd be pretty miserable.


So how do we go about getting peace?

Ephesians 2:14 "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility."

Jesus is our peace. It's not something we can work up in ourselves. Because peace through difficult situations isn't a natural thing. It's totally of God. As it talks about in this verse, Jesus made peace between us and God. His death made us one with God, breaking the barrier between us, so we can have direct access to God.

Isaiah 53:5
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."

Jesus' death was the only thing that could give us total peace with God. Before Jesus, they had to constantly sacrifice animals to cleanse them of sin, and they always had to worry about whether they were doing right. That's not to say, we don't need to think of that now, but Jesus' sacrifice paid the debt once and for all so we don't need to be afraid that we'll forget to ask forgiveness for a sin like they were probably afraid they might forget a sacrifice.

Romans 5:1
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Again, it's Jesus giving us peace. The point is, we can't do it on our own. It's Christ in us. It's letting Him take control, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. That's when we can experience peace.

Psalm 4:8
"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Anyone ever stay up at night worrying about life? Thinking of the future and all that could go wrong? This verse says you don't need to do that. You don't need to fear what could happen during the night, or be afraid of the unknown in our future. Instead, think about the times God has been there for you. Think about His promises. And don't worry about all the things that could possibly go wrong. Have faith that God is in control. That doesn't mean you ignore your problems. Maybe you're going through some real things that are threatening to leave you with no peace, just anxiety. Thinking about good things won't take any of that away. But it's dangerous to get focused on the unknown and the bad. Talk about it with people you trust, pray about it, and ask God to give you peace. Then let go of all the worry. You'll know if and when God gives you peace because it will be completely beyond understanding.

Philippians 4:6, 7
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."


JPK

Control

Romans 8:9
"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."

It can be really scary to not be in control of things. As humans, we like to be in charge of basically everything in our lives. And if anyone gets in the way of our agenda, we are usually going to be immensely annoyed with them to say the least.

Why are we like that?

I think it kind-of boils down to pride. We think that we know what's best for our lives. We have it all planned out and don't like it when things don't go according to our plans. We even sometimes think we can handle everything on our own. But God has a far better plan that we're missing out on if we aren't letting Him take rightful control of our lives.

Probably all of us can remember some moment in our lives when we finally realized that we couldn't handle life on our own. And maybe that's when we just gave up. But those are the moments when God can finally take control and begin to change us. When we stop relying on our own wisdom and trust in God instead.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Imagine you're a rich person that has a private jet. And you decide to go on a trip. So, you hire a trusted pilot and take off into the wild blue yonder. But after a while you're kind-of bored with the trip and decide your pilot doesn't really know what he's doing. Or maybe you hit some bad turbulence and lose faith that he knows the best way to get you through the rough places to where you're going. So you go up to the cockpit and shove him out of the seat, grab the controls and start feeling really good about yourself. Until your plane goes way off course and then starts going into an out-of-control nosedive. Instead of giving the controls back to the pilot who knows what he's doing, you plant yourself even more firmly in the seat and hang onto the controls for dear life. You're in control, right? But then again, you're not really. Because your plane is completely out-of-control, you can do nothing to stop it's downward plunge, and you're very likely about to crash. So, you start to panic when all of the sudden you notice your faithful pilot is tapping you on the shoulder and he says, "Excuse me... I know you you wanted to be in control here, and I'm not going to contradict your decision if that's really what you choose here, but I think if you just let go of the controls, got out of my seat, and let me take over, things might work out a little better..." So you finally decide to get out of his way, and with impressive skill he stops you from the impending disaster that was about to happen.

Of course, this is a picture of our lives, and the disaster that can unfold if we try to still be in control of everything. And, even though we sing songs like, "I Surrender All," we have so much trouble truly surrendering and often don't let Jesus in His rightful place as ruler over all we do. The point this story brings out, is how foolish of a decision that really is to hang onto the control we want so bad, while Jesus is standing right beside us, waiting to help us and take over if we'll submit our desires to Him.

"Many Scripture passages tell what God will do for a person who through repentance accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Ezekiel 36: 26, 27 is one of the most clear. It has been used frequently by Dr. Billy Graham to explain what God wants to do in the hearts and lives of those coming forward to receive the forgiveness found only in Christ. The verses say, 'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep my laws.'

"A 'heart of stone' is inflexible, unyielding and insensitive. It is not apt to receive from or have any devoted affection toward its Creator. A man with a heart of stone has no fellowship with the Lord. He does not do the will of God, thus, he does what seems right in his own eyes which will lead to his own destruction. God alone gives physical life and He alone can give spiritual life in what Jesus says is being 'born again.'

"When God supernaturally gives a repentant person a 'heart of flesh' and puts His Spirit in a new believer, that person becomes sensitive and alive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Only then can he determine and do the will of God. This enables him to know the joy that comes from obedience to the Word of God. Once the Holy Spirit of God has entered the heart and life of a repentant person, [and control is given over to Jesus,] they are never the same! Guaranteed! The Bible says they are a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Jesus made these truths very clear to Nicodemus, and He desires to make them crystal clear to all who will hear even now. In heaven there will be only those who are born again, those who have trusted Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord."

When it comes to living your life in a way that pleases God, you ultimately have to stop trying. That doesn't mean you just let whatever happens happen because you don't care anymore. It means you let go of the controls, stop trying to do it your way, and let God's love lead you, and change you, turning your "heart of stone" into a heart of flesh, willing to follow your Savior wherever He leads you.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."



quoted paragraphs were taken from this web address: http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-terry-laughlin-stories-newcreature-68516.asp

JPK

Easter Musings

This is just a talk I gave Easter morning at my church before Sunday School. Nothing special, just me speaking the things that had come to me to say.

Easter Sunday, 3-31-13

JPK

Culture Shock

Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"

The following story is called "Culture Shock" and is written by Gianna, a student who had the opportunity to take a mission trip to Zambia.

"This morning as I was standing in the hotel bathroom brushing my teeth with bottled water to prevent from infection and while running the shower, waiting for the water to heat up, I experienced an overwhelming sense of guilt. I thought, I am about to meet some of the happiest people ever, and yet those same joyous people have to pump a well just to get a jug full of water, and the water that they do get must supply the needs of an entire family. Think about every aspect of life in which water is necessary- cooking, hydration, washing, and anything else we may flip our faucets for. Every ounce of the water they need, takes many more ounces of effort to get it.

I can sum this experience up in one word- shock. The shock of how wasteful I am. The shock of how much I have. The shock of how little others have. The shock of the fact that these people in need are God’s children just like you and I, the fact that Jesus gave his life for these people, but they are still suffering in such an unjust way. I still don’t know what to make of that realization and shock. The best thing I can do is keep an open heart and open mind so that our awesome God can do everything in His power to work through myself, the rest of Team Zambia, and everyone else involved in the famine to change the world and put an end to suffering". 1

The young woman in this story got to experience firsthand some of the poverty and deprivation of a 3rd world country, and it really changed her perspective on the way she lived and how she wanted to serve God. She talks about how it made her realize what God had given her that she had been taking for granted up to that point. Sometimes we need eye-opening experiences like that to show us how blessed we are and how blind we have been to the suffering of others so God can start using us how He wants.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Not all of us can go on a mission trip like Gianna did, or like a friend of mine who is in Liberia, Africa right now, serving with a group of young Christians for two weeks, but there are still ways we can be more aware of all the suffering going on in our world. More of it goes on even in our own country than we may realize, and God wants us to have compassion towards those in need, comforting and helping them as Jesus would were He here in our place.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to go on a 30-hour fast from everything but juice and water with a group of youth from a local church where I live. We had the goal of raising money to send to World Vision, a Christian organization dedicated to feeding the hungry and starving. It was a unique experience to see how much I have to be thankful for and how I should be more content with all that I have been blessed with. It also gave those of us participating a little glimpse of what it's like to really be hungry, because we here in America honestly have no idea what hunger even feels like. We only think we do, but we've never truly experienced what that type of hunger is like. Even though it may sound like a long time, 30 hours without food is really nothing in comparison to what nearly a billion people are going through all around the world with no assurance of where they're getting their next meal. 7,000 children younger than the age of 5 will die today from hunger-related causes. No, we can't save all of those dying and in need, but so often we stay in our own little world, not trying to help others when we see a need, or not even so much as caring about anyone except ourselves and those closest to us. And even though we may feel bad about it when we hear stories of what others are going through, it's not enough to just be compassionate towards their situation; we have to actually do something, whether it be large or small.

As it says in James 2:15-17 "15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

You don't have to go to another country or fast for over a day to help those in need, although those are some good ways that will help you to be more aware of how much you have to be thankful for, and how God has blessed you so you can be a blessing to others. But you can start right where you're at by looking for ways to serve God and others with the skills and resources you have been given. Donate towards those serving in underprivileged countries, even if you can't give much. Only $30 can feed a starving child for a month. Help out someone that doesn't have the time or strength to take care of their house or property, without expecting anything in return. Give of your time to listen to the needs and struggles of others, whether they seem insignificant to you or not, and ask God for wisdom on how to help make a difference in their lives. If you have more than you need, give somewhere like the a family mission for the homeless that will redistribute food, clothes, and so on to those who truly need help. Most importantly, ask God to show you how to be Jesus to the rest of the world, because if we don't show the world Who Jesus is and what kind of change He makes in a life, who else will?

2 Corinthians 5:15 "And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

JPK


1 story found here: http://www.30hourfamine.org/2012/08/culture-shock/
2 hunger facts found here: http://www.30hourfamine.org/test/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Talking-Points1.pdf

Internal Thermometers

Acts 27:35 (ESV) "And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat."

"Newspapers recently told of a woman in China who has lived with a thermometer inside her lung for 44 years. Apparently, she accidentally swallowed it during a routine checkup when she was twelve years old, but her family couldn't afford the surgery to remove it. Now doctors are planning to remove it before it breaks and leaks mercury into her body."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

"We all have an internal thermometer that measures our emotional health and that thermometer is gratitude. You can tell how happy [and content] someone is by noticing whether they grumble or give thanks whatever the circumstances."

"[There was] a news story once of a woman who was getting ready to jump off a 44 story building in New York City. Witnesses said that she did not look like the type of person who would do such a thing. She was very distinguished and well dressed. All the attempts made by the police to get the woman off the ledge had failed. One of the officers asked if he could call his pastor in to see if he could help. When the pastor arrived, he asked permission to go to the ledge and talk to the woman. As the pastor neared the edge the woman screamed, 'Don't come any closer or I'll jump!' The pastor took a step back and then said, 'I am sorry that you believe no one loves you.' This got the woman's attention and it got the attention of the police. That was something that you don't usually say to a person who is threatening suicide. The woman took a step towards the pastor and said, 'My grandchildren love me and so does my children. My whole family loves me! I have 8 wonderful grandchildren and they love me.' The pastor took a step towards the woman and said, 'Well then, you must be very poor, maybe that is why you want to take your own life.' The woman who was a little overweight said, 'Do I look like I go without any meals? We live in a very nice apartment. I'm not poor.' The pastor took another step closer to her and was now 3 feet from her when he asked, 'Then why do you want to kill yourself? I don't understand.' The woman thought for a moment and then said, 'You know, I don't really remember.' The story ends with the pastor and the woman walking towards the elevator as she shows him pictures of her grandchildren. Eventually this woman becomes a volunteer on the city's suicide hotline, helping others choose life. What did the pastor do to help this woman? He helped her get her eyes off herself and onto the many ways that God had blessed her. She learned a valuable lesson that day. She learned that thankful people are happy people." 1

Colossians 3:17 (ESV) "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

"There was a teenager who didn’t want to be seen in public with her mother, because her mother’s arms were terribly disfigured. One day when her mother took her shopping and reached out her hand, a clerk looked horrified. Later, crying, the girl told her how embarrassed she was. Understandably hurt, the mother waited an hour before going to her daughter’s room to tell her, for the first time, what happened. 'When you were a baby, I woke up to a burning house. Your room was an inferno. Flames were everywhere. I could have gotten out the front door, but I decided I’d rather die with you than leave you to die alone. I ran through the fire and wrapped my arms around you. Then I went back through the flames, my arms on fire. When I got outside on the lawn, the pain was agonizing but when I looked at you, all I could do was rejoice that the flames hadn’t touched you.' Stunned, the girl looked at her mother through new eyes. Weeping in shame and gratitude, she kissed her mother’s marred hands and arms." 2

Gratitude, and a spirit of thankfulness can give us a totally different perspective from the rest of the world. While others are missing out on what God wants to give them because they are not yet thankful for what they have already been given, a person who has learned the benefits of gratitude will already be reaping the rewards of being thankful in all things. Gratitude, even about undesirable circumstances, will help us see the situations and people around us through Jesus' eyes, prepares us to be joyful regardless of whether life seems to be going our way.

Acts 27:33-38 (ESV) "33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, 'Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.' 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea."

"In Acts 27, the apostle Paul was drenched to the skin, reeling from a vicious storm, and trapped on a sinking ship. But he found something for which to thank the Lord, and he led his 276 fellow passengers in thanksgiving. The ability to be thankful in any given set of circumstances is an indication of the health of our souls." Sometimes it's only in the midst of pain and trying times that we finally realize what we've had to be thankful about all along.

A wonderful verse that illustrates that we can trust God no matter what, and therefore, be grateful, is Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

"Even when a storm is raging around us and all things seem to be against us, we shall find that we have much for which to be thankful." - James. H. Snowden


JPK

*the quoted passages are either from the ESV translation of God's Word, a devotional entitled "Internal Thermometers" in Dr. David Jeremiah's July 2012 edition of Turning Points, or sermoncentral.com.