November 28th 2021
Give Thanks! You Can Be Sure Of Going To Heaven, Because It Is Guaranteed By What Jesus Christ Did In Your Stead!
John 15:16-17 (NIV)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Jesus lived on this earth during a time when the people He lived with were in captivity being held against their will by the strongest nation on the earth at that time. Yet, Jesus told His disciples at that time “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” Today, it seems evangelism is considered difficult, because many people living today were not raised by parents who put any emphasis on participation in a church organization. Many of them would consider it a waste of their time to get up on Sunday morning and go a church of their choice. Such people feel no need for they have all the things they perceive to want to live well in this world. The other end of this spectrum there are those who claim they are being deprived by harsh treatment, because of some form of prejudice! Too many people let the past dictate their future by continuing to dwell on past problems, which clouds their ability to enjoy their today. Isaiah wrote about this to the Israelites of his day, trying to inform them of the future arrival of Jesus their Messiah who was coming. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19). The main point here is do not dwell on the bad days from the past.
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica and us, to try to accept your current lot in life, and to give thanks for what we have not what we want! Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18). This type of praise can be witnessed when we see an area devastated by a storm or a fire, and the person is standing there in front of a pile of rubble or ash, and they say “Thanks God that our family all survived this destruction! We can rebuild our house, but we cannot bring our loved ones back from the dead. Our house can be replaced but our loved ones cannot! They are very sad about their loss, but happy for the safety of those they love. Here Paul emphasizes this type of thinking, when he wrote, “give thanks in all circumstances.” Easy to write, not so easy to live out!
This coming week many of us will meet with our family or friends to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Will you truly be able to profess thanks to God for many blessings you have received? Some of us may have to think about past blessings, because at the present time, there is not abundant positive circumstances for us to give thanks. Prayerfully, I hope this is not felt by you to be true! Remember, what Paul wrote for us, “give thanks in all circumstances!” If you woke up this morning breathing, then you can at least thank God for another day of this life! If you are a professing Christian then you have the reality to look forward to beyond this life, because we know that when we die our immortal soul will go to heaven to live with Jesus forever! Now that is the most important situation you can profess thankfulness for every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day! Paul wrote for us about this wonderful situation all believers in Jesus Christ can look forward to! Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Remember, you can be sure of going to heaven, because it is NOT dependent upon anything you can do during this lifetime, it is guaranteed by what Jesus Christ did in our stead!
Paul wrote to Timothy warning him to watch for deceiving spirits that exist in this world, which will attempt to misdirect you from following Jesus, but instead to follow demonic instructions. In this world, if you are not following Jesus, then in some form you are following demonic instructions. The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5). The old idea of a devil is on your left shoulder, and an angel is on your right shoulder, each of them are whispering in your ear trying to direct your lifestyle! Who are you listening to?
Even though we are sinners, and have inherited a sinful nature from Adam because of his original sin, God had a plan to free us from this doom and gloom atmosphere in this lifetime, as Jesus came into this world to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice needed to allow forgiveness of the sins of all mankind. Paul wrote about this wonderful plan for which we must be thankful, as we are forgiven through God’s grace. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. (1 Corinthians 1:10-12). We must be childlike to accept this wonderful gift of grace from God. It is too simple for some people to accept, but you need to accept it and be thankful!
Every day is a day in which we should give thanks! Give Thanks! Because you can be sure of going to heaven, because it is guaranteed by what Jesus Christ did in your stead! All you must do is believe Jesus is who He said He is and confess this to others you care about! That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9). Life is not always easy, but salvation is! Thank you, Jesus!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Wishing You and Your Loved Ones,
A Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 15:16-17 (NIV)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Jesus lived on this earth during a time when the people He lived with were in captivity being held against their will by the strongest nation on the earth at that time. Yet, Jesus told His disciples at that time “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” Today, it seems evangelism is considered difficult, because many people living today were not raised by parents who put any emphasis on participation in a church organization. Many of them would consider it a waste of their time to get up on Sunday morning and go a church of their choice. Such people feel no need for they have all the things they perceive to want to live well in this world. The other end of this spectrum there are those who claim they are being deprived by harsh treatment, because of some form of prejudice! Too many people let the past dictate their future by continuing to dwell on past problems, which clouds their ability to enjoy their today. Isaiah wrote about this to the Israelites of his day, trying to inform them of the future arrival of Jesus their Messiah who was coming. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19). The main point here is do not dwell on the bad days from the past.
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica and us, to try to accept your current lot in life, and to give thanks for what we have not what we want! Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18). This type of praise can be witnessed when we see an area devastated by a storm or a fire, and the person is standing there in front of a pile of rubble or ash, and they say “Thanks God that our family all survived this destruction! We can rebuild our house, but we cannot bring our loved ones back from the dead. Our house can be replaced but our loved ones cannot! They are very sad about their loss, but happy for the safety of those they love. Here Paul emphasizes this type of thinking, when he wrote, “give thanks in all circumstances.” Easy to write, not so easy to live out!
This coming week many of us will meet with our family or friends to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Will you truly be able to profess thanks to God for many blessings you have received? Some of us may have to think about past blessings, because at the present time, there is not abundant positive circumstances for us to give thanks. Prayerfully, I hope this is not felt by you to be true! Remember, what Paul wrote for us, “give thanks in all circumstances!” If you woke up this morning breathing, then you can at least thank God for another day of this life! If you are a professing Christian then you have the reality to look forward to beyond this life, because we know that when we die our immortal soul will go to heaven to live with Jesus forever! Now that is the most important situation you can profess thankfulness for every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day! Paul wrote for us about this wonderful situation all believers in Jesus Christ can look forward to! Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Remember, you can be sure of going to heaven, because it is NOT dependent upon anything you can do during this lifetime, it is guaranteed by what Jesus Christ did in our stead!
Paul wrote to Timothy warning him to watch for deceiving spirits that exist in this world, which will attempt to misdirect you from following Jesus, but instead to follow demonic instructions. In this world, if you are not following Jesus, then in some form you are following demonic instructions. The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5). The old idea of a devil is on your left shoulder, and an angel is on your right shoulder, each of them are whispering in your ear trying to direct your lifestyle! Who are you listening to?
Even though we are sinners, and have inherited a sinful nature from Adam because of his original sin, God had a plan to free us from this doom and gloom atmosphere in this lifetime, as Jesus came into this world to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice needed to allow forgiveness of the sins of all mankind. Paul wrote about this wonderful plan for which we must be thankful, as we are forgiven through God’s grace. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. (1 Corinthians 1:10-12). We must be childlike to accept this wonderful gift of grace from God. It is too simple for some people to accept, but you need to accept it and be thankful!
Every day is a day in which we should give thanks! Give Thanks! Because you can be sure of going to heaven, because it is guaranteed by what Jesus Christ did in your stead! All you must do is believe Jesus is who He said He is and confess this to others you care about! That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9). Life is not always easy, but salvation is! Thank you, Jesus!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Wishing You and Your Loved Ones,
A Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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