Be thankful always

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us we are to be thankful in all circumstances. We don’t get to pick and choose what we want to be thankful for; instead be thankful always in the good times and in the bad times.



Louis Szekely, known professionally as Louis C.K., is an Emmy and Grammy award winning American stand-up comedian, television and film writer, and actor. He is the star of the FX comedy series Louie, which he also writes, directs, and edits. Louis C.K. appeared with Conan O’Brien and presented a comedic routine that started with "Everything's amazing right and nobody's happy." It obviously grabbed the attention of many people. As of February 2009, just one clip had over 5.5 million views on YouTube. Comedians speak to a crowd in a way that the crowd wants to hear; so the transcript is edited for all audiences to read. Here is what Louis C.K. said to poke fun at our ingratitude and impatience:

In my lifetime the changes in the world have been incredible. When I was a kid, we had a rotary phone. We had a phone you had to stand next to, and you had to dial it. Do you realize how primitive that was? You were making sparks. And you would actually hate people who had zeroes in their number because it was more [work]. And then if you called and they weren't home, the phone would just ring lonely by itself. And then if you wanted money you had to go in the bank—and it was open for like three hours, and you'd stand in line and write a check. And then if you ran out of money, you'd just say, "Well, I just can't do any more things now." Now we live in an amazing, amazing world, and it's wasted on [a] generation of spoiled [people] that don't care. This is what people are like now: they've got their phone, and they go, "Ugh, it won't [work fast enough]." Give it a second! It's going to space. Will you give it a second to get back from space? Is the speed of light too slow for you? I was on an airplane, and there was high-speed internet …. And I'm sitting on the plane, and they say, "Open up your laptop, you can go on the internet." It's fast … it's amazing …. And then the thing breaks down. They apologize, "The internet's not working." And the guy next to me says, "[O, great] this [stinks]." Like how quickly the world owes him something, yes, he knew existed only ten seconds ago. People come back from flights, and they tell you their story, and it's like a horror story …. [They say], "It was the worst day of my life. First of all, we didn't board for twenty minutes. And then we get on the plane, and they made us sit there on the runway for forty minutes." "O, really, and what happened next? Did you fly in the air, incredibly, like a bird? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight?" Everybody on every plane should be constantly [screaming], "WOW!" You're flying. You're sitting in a chair in the sky! Here's the thing: People say there are "delays" on flights. Delays, really? New York to California in five hours! It used to take thirty years to do that, and a bunch of you would die on the way there and would meet a whole new group of people before you got there.


Maybe, just maybe we have forgotten how to be thankful for what we do have. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Willing to listen

Job 6:24 (NLT)
24 Teach me, and I will keep quiet. Show me what I have done wrong.

Job gives a response to his friend Eliphaz as he suffers from injuries placed upon him by Satan. Job differed in his opinion about the cause of his suffering, but he was willing to listen to reason. Matthew Henry said, “It is the undoubted character of every honest man that he is truly desirous to have his mistakes rectified, and to be made to understand wherein he has erred; and he will acknowledge that right words, when they appear to him to be so, though contrary to his former sentiments, are both forcible and acceptable.”



The wise person is willing to examine themselves and see if they are at fault. They are willing to listen to reasonable arguments against them. They are willing to remain silent while the opinions of others are voiced. The Bible tells us we often believe we are wise when it comes to the things we do, but God knows the real intentions of the heart. We may be thinking we are acting justly only to find out our thoughts are flawed.

Take the time to listen to all the views of others and examine your motives. Look to see if you are truly following God or following after your own views and desires. Be willing to say “show me what I have done wrong” and then remain silent to hear what is said.

Jesus - greater than an angel

Hebrews 1:13-14 (NLT)
13 And God never said to any of the angels, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” 14 Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.

In this chapter of Hebrews the apostle writes about Jesus being greater than any angel. He wants to make the point that Jesus is God, with God and has the authority of God. For the apostle writes in verses 8-9, “But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.” Jesus is not an angel, but God Himself.



What does the Bible tell us about angels? The Bible says they were created by God. Angels fall into two categories they either followed God or they followed after one of their own -- Satan. The angels who follow God serve Him, abiding by His will and doing what is good, just and right. Those who chose to follow Satan follow in the path of Satan to commit evil acts against mankind. These angels we know as demons.

Focusing on the angels that follow God we know the following about them from the Bible. We know they are protectors. They fight the spiritual battles we cannot see taking place against our world. Angels are comforters – bringing comfort in our times of need. Angels can express feelings of joy as they rejoice over sinners who come to know God through Christ. Angels have great power, but their power does not exceed that of God. Even Satan is under submission to God; although Satan would say otherwise for he is the author of lies. Angels bring messages of importance. They heralded the birth of Christ in praise and in heavenly song. Angels were said to have the appearance of men, yet they stood out among men as something special to behold. Angels follow God’s will to destroy evil where it exists in abundance. Angels watch over us and come to our rescue and defense. Angels are not people and people are not angels. God created mankind without the power of angels, but in return God loves mankind greatly. God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for sin that we might have eternal life in heaven.

Jesus is far greater that any angel. Jesus is God, our savior, our defender, our protector, our comforter, our assurance, our blessing, our helper, our Lord and more than we can fathom. Angels take care of us because God wills it. Jesus takes care of us because He is God and He loves us deeply.

Power of prayer

James 5:13-16 (NLT)
13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James the half-brother of Jesus writes on the power of prayer. He gives some of the reasons we might quickly seek to pray such as having a hardship, being unhappy, sickness, revealing sin and to give praise to God.



I once got to meet Pastor Dr. Tony Evans as he spoke to a group in Greenville, South Carolina. Dr. Evans is a respected leader in evangelical circles. The first African-American to graduate with a doctoral degree from Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), he served as an associate professor in DTS’ Pastoral Ministries Department in the areas of evangelism, homiletics and black church studies. He also served as chaplain for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and presently serves as chaplain for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. Dr. Evans has served as the senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship for over 34 years, witnessing its growth from ten people in 1976 to now over 8,500 congregants with 100 plus ministries.

Dr. Evans spoke of a time when he was in college and married to his wife Lois. Like any young struggling couple attending college they were met with financial burdens. One morning Lois told her husband it was time to pay bills and she had been praying for their financial needs because she knew they were short on funds. As Tony left for school that morning he was praying about how God could provide to meet those needs. On the way to class Tony stopped to see if he had any mail. In the mailbox was an envelope and as he opened it he found a check for $500. Someone had anonymously left the money for Tony and his wife with the school. Excitedly he called Lois to tell her the good news. She then responded, “It was a check for $500, wasn’t it?” Tony asked, “How did you know?” $500 is what we needed and that is what I was praying for.

James said, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” If we don’t pray God can never answer our prayers. Lois prayed because of their hardship and God responded with a generous gift to meet their needs.

I'll be praying

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

These are words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul telling the church not to worry about anything. Instead they were to pray for all their needs and give glory to God for the things they had already received in this life. For God give peace beyond measure which guards the hearts and minds of those who believe in Jesus Christ.



In Preaching with Sacred Fire, E. V. (Ed) Hill, who pastored Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, tells the story of how "Mama's" love and prayers changed his life. During the height of the Depression, Hill's real mother, who had five children of her own, didn't have enough food to go around, so she sent four-year-old Ed to live with a friend in a small country town called Sweet Home. Ed just called her Mama. As he was growing up in Sweet Home, Mama displayed remarkable faith which led her to have big plans for young Ed. Against nearly insurmountable obstacles, Mama helped Ed graduate from high school (the only student to graduate that year from the country school) and even insisted that he go to college.

She took Ed to the bus station, handed him the ticket and five dollars and said, "Now, go off to Prairie View College, and Mama is going to be praying for you." Hill claims that he didn't know much about prayer, but he knew Mama did. When he arrived at the college with a dollar and ninety cents in his pocket, they told him he needed eighty dollars in cash in order to register. Here's how Hill describes what happened next:

I got in line …, and the devil said to get out of line …, but I heard my Mama saying in my ear, "I'll be praying for you." I stood in line on Mama's prayer. Soon there was [another new student ahead of me], and I began to get nervous, but I stayed in line …. Just about the time [the other student] got all of her stuff and turned away, Dr. Drew touched me on the shoulder, and he said, "Are you Ed Hill?" I said, "Yes." "Are you Ed Hill from Sweet Home?" "Yes." "Have you paid yet?" "Not quite." "We've been looking for you all this morning," [he said]. I said, "Well, what do [you] want with me?" "We have a four-year scholarship that will pay your room and board, your tuition, and give you thirty dollars a month to spend." And I heard Mama say, "I will be praying for you!"

Let go of the guilt

1 John 3:20 (NLT)
20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Throughout the apostle’s writing, John has been giving reassurance God knows us and we know God because of His love. In this verse we are reminded God is greater than anything we can feel about ourselves. While our conscience condemns us for our actions, God is the great judge who provides mercy and grace because of His love for us.



The Greek word used in the verse above for guilty is kataginōskō, which means to find fault, blame, accuse and condemn. In our daily lives we often feel the guilt of sin, but God has already promised us that when we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from that sin. We are not to carry that guilt for it will turn into shame and weigh heavily upon our shoulders.

In the Scarlett Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.” We often do this by showing the world we are ok when we really are not. We may walk around with a smile, but we carry around a bundle of guilt on our shoulders. The guilt could be from present actions or something from long ago.

The apostle John tells us God already knows the things we have done. We are not hiding anything from him that He does not already know. We need to realize in most cases we have done the best we could do. We make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes might even be very big. Making mistakes is a part of our humanity. It is how we learn about life and as a result we hopefully become wiser.

Guilt is not caused by what we do. Instead guilt is a burden we add in hindsight. We realize the consequences and then we apply guilt. We second guess ourselves and think, “I should have known better.” Yes, maybe you should have known better but for whatever reason you did not see the consequences that were ahead of you.

God does not want us to carry guilt; so are you willing to forgive yourself? Are you willing to realize maybe you did the best you could at the time?

One more important question, if God is willing to forgive you, do you think you are greater than God that you can’t forgive yourself? Let go of the guilt and let go of the shame.

God's affirmation

Psalm 90:12-17 (The Message)
12 -17 Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—and treat your servants with kindness for a change. Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we'll skip and dance all the day long. Make up for the bad times with some good times; we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime. Let your servants see what you're best at— the ways you rule and bless your children. And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

In these verses we hear David’s petition of prayer to God. First David asks we learn to use wisely our days of life because they are limited. Second David asks for God to be with us and not stand away due to our sin, but instead hurry towards us because of our repentance. David looks for the joys and blessing of God knowing that he provides mercy. Lastly David asks that God’s work be confirmed in us.



As I turned 29 in life I suddenly sensed mortality and that my days of life were limited. Maybe it was because I was aware my next birthday would take me into another decade. There were things I had wanted to accomplish in my youth, but many of those dreams were slipping away. I dreamed of being a pilot in the Air Force. I had a scholarship to attend college under the Air Force ROTC program. I was looking forward to this dream. As I was about to turn in the scholarship papers I took an eye exam and found my vision was imperfect. The astigmatism in my eyes was going to prevent me from becoming a pilot and with that my dream slipped away.

I had friends in school that died at an early age for various reasons so I knew life wasn’t permanent. I had been a witness to those who passed away from disease, accidental events, suicides and even murders. I knew my days were numbers just like everyone else.

God helped me come to terms with my mortality by realizing I still had days to live. I could not dwell on the past and what had or had not happened. Instead I had to look to the future and trust God would be there with me. I had to keep moving forward doing what I was doing. I had to work and provide for my family. I realized God even had plans for me to work on.

God wants to confirm the work we are doing in our lives. God wants to show us we have a purpose. We need to pray as David did and ask God to be with us. God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do.

Put away judgment and condemnation

Luke 6:27-28; 37 (NLT)
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. -- 37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

These are the words of Jesus spoken to a multitude of people who had gathered to listen to His teachings. They were not words just for those who would come to believe in Jesus, but universal words that applied to all people. In these verses Jesus is speaking on two topics, love for your enemies and not passing condemning judgment but instead forgiving.



Let’s take a moment to grasp these words Jesus spoke concerning how we treat others -- Love your enemies. The Greek word used for love is agapao which means doing and caring for others in such a way that you express a deep love for them. In John 3:16 the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The word love used in this verse is the same type of love we are to express. We are to love our enemies, those who are against us, those who we know, and anyone else -- just as God loved us. How did God love us? God showed us love, mercy and grace by giving His Son Jesus as a payment for our sin - that is how God loved us!

What about judgment of others? Are you able to put away judging condemnation and instead provide forgiveness as God provided forgiveness for us? When the Jewish leaders arrested Jesus and took Him before Pilate, Pilate said to them, “Take Him away and judge Him by your law.” Pilate was telling the religious leaders to take Jesus to judge and condemn Him by their laws, their beliefs, and their rules. This is exactly what Jesus told us not to do – we are not to judge and we not to condemn.

Jesus associated himself with all types of people. Jesus ate with sinners. Jesus talked with prostitutes. Jesus talked among the poor and the sick Jesus gathered common people as His disciples. Jesus did not hesitate to take up for others who committed a sin, while at the same time lovingly telling them they should sin no more. Jesus protected the adulteress from bodily harm because He knew her sin was no greater that those who wanted to punish her. Jesus spoke to people about sin and how to live, but Jesus never condemned them. Jesus always loved.

Jesus did not go out into the crowds of sinners to point out an individual who was committing sin. Instead He spoke against sin and had His own boundaries against sin. You can have a boundary that says you won’t allow sin into your life, but you cannot impose that boundary upon others. You can speak to people about sin, but you should never judge or condemn them for their sin.

Too many people today whether Christian or non-Christian think because they have an opinion if another person doesn’t agree then they have the right to judge and condemn. Jesus spoke to all people and said this was unacceptable. Put away your judgment and condemnation and instead reach out to others in love just as Jesus did.

Take a firm stand

Ephesians 6:12; 18 (NLT)
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. --18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

The Apostle Paul gives a warning to the church of Ephesians. The warning – our fight is not with the flesh-and-blood enemies of this world. Our fight as fearful as it might sound is against dark, evil, high powers which we cannot see. The Apostle then goes on to say in verses 13-17 what we must do to be prepared for this battle, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Prepared with righteousness, truth, peace, faith, and God’s promises we must persist in praying on every occasion for those who stand firm in the faith of Jesus Christ.



In a 1960 Twilight Zone episode, “The Howling Man”, an American seeks shelter from a storm in a home belonging to a society of monks. Reluctantly the monks take the American in, but their reluctance is not without cause. In the home David discovers the monks are holding a prisoner locked behind a wooden door. The prisoner claims Brother Jerome is insane and is holding him captive. The prisoner pleads with the American for his release. The kind face and gentle voice of the prisoner eventually wins the confidence of the American. The American confronts Brother Jerome, who declares the prisoner is Satan, “the father of lies,” held captive by the Staff of Truth. The allegation convinces the American that Brother Jerome must be mad. Seeking an opportunity the American releases the prisoner who immediately is transformed into a hideous, horned demon and vanishes in a puff of smoke! The stunned American is horrified at the realization of what he has done. Brother Jerome responds sympathetically, “I am sorry for you, my son. All your life you will remember this night and whom you have turned loose upon the world.” “I did not believe you,” the American replied, “I saw him and did not recognize him,” to which Brother Jerome solemnly says, “That is humankind’s weakness and Satan’s strength.”

We cannot recognize the powers at work against us for they exist in a dark place, hidden from our eyes. There is a battle taking place in this world. It is a battle against that which is good. It is a battle against God trying to keep the world from knowing the truth about Jesus Christ. Unlike the Twilight Zone episode it is Satan who wants to hold us bondage to sin, but it is Christ who died on the cross and rose to life to release us from that bondage. Listen to the Apostle Paul’s words and take a firm stand in your faith.

Pascal's Wager

Mark 9:24 (NLT)
24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

A father brought his son to be healed by Jesus from an evil spirit. The boy would fall to the ground with what would be described in modern terms as a grand mal seizure. The father explained how the boy at times would fall into the fire or water from this problem. The father desperately wanted his son healed. He said to Jesus, “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” Jesus asked him, “What do you mean, ‘If I can?’” Jesus went on to say, “Anything is possible is a person believes.” At this point the father cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”



Blaise Pascal was a great philosopher and mathematician. Pascal questioned whether he should believe in an eternal life with God so he set out to prove an answer to his question. Paschal found his answer and today it is known as “Pascal’s Wager”. Pascal said the following about believing in God, “Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He (God) exists.”

Pascal put his doubt about God aside by noting that by believing there is a gracious and merciful God he would gain the rewards of his belief. For Pascal knew the Bible told him belief in Jesus Christ would allow him to live an eternal life in heaven. If Pascal chose not to believe in Jesus then he would lose all benefits God was willing to grant him. However if he believed and he was wrong he lost nothing. So why not put aside doubt when there was a greater benefit to believe than not to believe.

There are people today who do not believe in God or do not believe in Jesus. They are cheating themselves because God offers eternal life in heaven for believing in Jesus Christ. Why would one forfeit such a great gift offered so freely?