Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart - A Post-Thanksgiving Day Sermon

This is the manuscript of my Post Thanksgiving Day Sermon at The Church of Divine Guidance, Los Angeles, CA. The audio recording of the sermon can be heard by clicking on the image at the end of the manuscript.

Once again just this past Thursday we celebrated as a nation what we call Thanksgiving Day.  You hear all the time, and it’s certainly true, that you don’t need a turkey, dressing, greens, pumpkin and sweet potato pies to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for people of faith represents more than an annual holiday, it serves as a reminder that giving thanks is part of who we are as believers because we demonstrate faith when we are grateful. All you need is a reason, and God has given us plenty of reasons to be grateful.

Start with what you see—the clothes you’re wearing, the food in the fridge, the beauty of a fall day (and we have a lot of those in Los Angeles). Then think about the people you love and how they’ve touched your life. Next, think about the things God has given you that can’t be held in your hands—things like hope, forgiveness, freedom, salvation, and your future home in heaven. Stopping to say thanks will remind you of how big God is and how good your life is, no matter what’s going on.   

You can’t separate gratitude and faith. Giving thanks=gratitude… Giving God thanks (or gratitude)  is an expression of your faith in His Sovereignty.

It is impossible to understand and receive all that Christ did for us on the cross and not be grateful. For those of us who have been given so much, it is important that we continually express our genuine appreciation to our Heavenly Father both in words and by the way we live our lives.  For the Christian, every day should be a day of thanksgiving…

Some of you may remember a song from the 1990s ( a hundred years ago).

Everyday is a day of Thanksgiving (written by Leonard Burks)

Recorded by Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA)

Chorus:

Everyday is a day of thanksgiving.

God's been so good to me,

everyday He's blessing me.

Everyday is a day of thanksgiving;

take the time to glorify the Lord today.

Verse 1:

I thank God for the moments

when I worship His name,

I thank Him for the sacrifice of praise.

It's no mystery to say,

how my God is everyday;

making my way through clouds so dark,

bringing His light into my heart.

Chorus

Verse 2:

Yes, there's pressures all around me

when fighting Satan's descending powers,

that never cease from trying to bring me down.

But I just lift my hands to glory,

believing in God's redemption story;

thanking Him for His saving grace,

as God gives me power just to win this race.

Chorus

Bridge:

He keeps blessing me,

blessing me;

He opens the door

that I might see,

He's blessing me.

He keeps blessing me,

blessing me;

take the time to glorify the Lord today.

THE MEANING OF THANKFULNESS

Thankfulness is a mental and/or verbal expression of one's acknowledgement and appreciation of God's person, His grace, blessings, and sovereign work in one's life and the world.

Who Should We Give Thanks For?

Colossians 1:12-14 (NKJV)12  giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.13  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,14  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

• We should give thanks for God Himself and for His sovereign control over the universe. The world is a mess but think of how much more of a mess it would be if everything was just a matter of chance and there was no purpose in anything.  

Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

• We should give thanks to God the Father for Christ through which we gained our salvation and the freedom, favor, and blessings that come with it.

Colossians 2:9-10 (NKJV)9  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;10  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

We are complete in Christ and we should give thanks for that.

When Should We Give Thanks?

• We should give thanks whenever we pray.  The reason we should give thanks when we pray is because when we are thankful we take our eyes of ourselves and our problems so we can focus on God.  

Look at these examples from the apostle Paul:

Ephesians 1:15-17 (NKJV)15  Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,16  do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Philippians 1:3-6 (NKJV)3  I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,4  always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,5  for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,6  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Colossians 1:3-5 (NKJV)3  We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,4  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;5  because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (NKJV)2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,3  remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

When we pray with thanksgiving it helps us to see life through the perspective of God, His principles, His promises, His plan, His provisions, and His purposes. This focus on God promotes faith and courage in the face of the trying and painful situations that we all eventually face.  

• Second, we should always give thanks in everything and for everything
  

  

Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)20  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

You were waiting on that one weren’t you?

This means that there is no limit on the time or the  extent of our thanksgiving.  God’s will for us includes constant joy, ceaseless prayer, and boundless thanks.

Why should we give thanks for and in everything?

First of all it’s God’s will for us.

Being thankful at all times helps us to focus on the fact that God is in control and working all things together for good regardless of how they may seem to us.  Our perspective is limited by time and space and God’s perspective has no limits.  Because we are thankful and know that God is in control of everything and that He has no limitations we can say as we do every week;

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)28  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Here’s another reason to give thanks in and for everything.  

We learn patience.  God said that He would never leave or forsake us so we can be patient and thank God no matter what's going on.  In fact He says it in 3 places.

Deuteronomy 31:6-8(NKJV)6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”[a]

Because He never leaves or forsake us;

James 1:2-4 (NKJV)2  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.4  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

If you don’t understand that, or what’s happening ask God for the wisdom to understand.

James 1:5-8 (NKJV)5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.6  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.7  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

While all things may not be good, all the time, God uses them for good.  That good is making us like His Son.

Back to Romans 8:28, let’s read a little more.

Romans 8:28-29 (NKJV)28  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Since a spirit of thanksgiving keeps our eyes on the Lord, it also keeps us alert and makes us eager to go to God in prayer to lay our burdens and those of others at His feet.  

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)16  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

WHY SHOULD WE BE THANKFUL?

1. Because it honors God. When we are thankful, we recognize that God exists and that we are dependent on him.  We are acknowledging His sovereign control, His infinite wisdom, His purposes for our lives, and His grace.

2 Corinthians 4:15 (NKJV)15  For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.  

2. We should be thankful Because it is commanded in Scripture.

Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)4  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Colossians 3:12-15 (NKJV)12  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;13  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.14  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Back to 1 Thessalonians 5 but I want to start with verse 16 this time.  

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)16  Rejoice always,17  pray without ceasing,18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I’ve mentioned this scripture a couple of times and we’ll talk about it a little later.

3.We should be thankful Because there are dangerous consequences for not being thankful.

Being thankless dishonors God and leads to pride or dependence on man rather than God

Romans 1:18-21 (NKJV)18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,19  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,21  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Depending on ourselves or other people can lead to bitterness, complaining, and grumbling, and those things can turn into depression and feelings of hopelessness, because we focus on ourselves, other people, and our problems rather than on the Lord.

Now let’s talk about that scripture that I said we would discuss later;

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

How can we do that?  

How is it possible to obey and “give thanks in all circumstances,” especially if our circumstances are horrible,  when life seems to be one discouragement, disappointment, disease, disaster, and death after another?

Let me give you an example of somebody who showed thankfulness in a situation that most people would not consider at the time to be thankful at all. I ran across this in preparing for this message:

“One night the Biblical scholar Matthew Henry was robbed. When he got home he was still trembling with fear. Yet, he regained his calm as he prayed This is the prayer he offered and wrote in his journal: "Father, I thank You first because I was never robbed before; second, I thank You because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, I thank You because although they took everything I had, it was not very much; and fourth, I thank You because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed"  

Wow!!!

Before I give you some suggestions as to how you can give thanks in all circumstances I want to talk about what being thankful in tough times does for you:

• Being Thankful in Tough Times Cultivates Your Character
  

  

1. In the verse that we just read it says that thanksgiving is the will of God for us. There was a Roman poet, Cicero, who wrote ;  "Thanksgiving is not only the greatest of all virtues, it is the parent of all virtues."
2. Parents recognize the virtue of thanksgiving when raising children. If the children don't learn to be thankful, they grow up to be selfish, narcissistic (having an excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance), manipulative, complaining, and thinking that the world owes them a living.
3. Being thankful causes you to focus on what you have…. not on what you don’t have.  Remember the hymn “Count Your Blessings”  it says, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed / When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost / Count your many blessings, name them one by one / And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

The blessings of God are often subtle and simple things that can be easily overlooked unless we take the time to look for and acknowledge His gifts.

Psalm 103:2 (NKJV)2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

• Being Thankful in tough times Increases Your Joy

Go back to 1 Thessalonians 5 but this time start at the 16th verse again;

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)16  Rejoice always,17  pray without ceasing,18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In verse 16 it says rejoice always.

The words thanksgiving and joy come from the same Greek root, charis, meaning "grace."  Thanksgiving is eucharis, and joy is chara. Thanksgiving and rejoicing go hand in hand.

We talked already talked about what we get  when we don’t give thanks in tough times.  We get the opposite of thanksgiving, we get  bitterness, complaining, and grumbling  not joy.

You may have heard the saying "When you can't change the wind, adjust your sails."  Well if times are tough and you can’t change the times then change your attitude to one of gratitude.  

Here’s something else that I read while preparing this sermon it’s by Maltbie B. Babcock from a book “Inspiring Quotations”

"Be on the lookout for mercies. The more we look for them, the more of them we will see. Blessings brighten when we count them. Out of the determination of the heart, the eyes see. If you want to be gloomy, there's gloom enough to keep you glum; if you want to be happy, there's gleam enough to keep you glad. Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your blessings by counting your troubles"

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”

Go to Lamentations

This expression of thanksgiving was written by Jeremiah.  Jeremiah was a prophet used by God  at a very crucial time in the history of Israel and Judea.   God told this man, Jeremiah to tell Israel that they were going to be overrun by Babylon,  and that Jerusalem and the temple were going to be destroyed and they would be taken into exile for 70 years.  God sent him to do this at the same time that others, who said they were prophets too, said everything is going to be fine.  Well you can imagine who they would rather believe.  In fact they wanted to kill Jeremiah, he was imprisoned even thrown in a well.  Was he supposed to be thankful?  Yep.

Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet because he expressed sorrow for the things that God had shown him about what would happen to his people.  He wrote Lamentations after all the stuff that he said would happen to the nation, to the capital Jerusalem and the temple actually happened.  The nation was in ruins, Jerusalem destroyed, it’s wall torn down and the temple, burned to the ground.  

Yet he was able to be thankful.  Here is what he wrote:

Lamentations 3:22-24(NKJV)22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,Because His compassions fail not.23 They are new every morning;Great is Your faithfulness.24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“Therefore I hope in Him!”

• Being Thankful in Tough Times helps you Conquer Your Problems.  I didn’t say eliminate I said conquer.

I don't mean that all your problems go away when you give thanks, but  they stop being such a problem. What goes on around you no longer controls what’s going on within you.  You start to live from the inside out.

Here’s another saying that I found;

"Bitterness comes to all. Sours some; sweetens others. I shall use it to sweeten my spirit."

You can't control the problems that come into your life but you can control how you respond.  

Thanksgiving changes our mindset from that of a victim to that of a victor.  

Romans 8:31-39 (NKJV)31  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?32  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?33  Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.34  Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36  As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."37  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.38  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,39  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Nothing can help the person with the wrong mental attitude, and nothing can stop a person with the right mental attitude.   The right mental attitude for us the believer is thanksgiving.  It will cause you to overcome your obstacles and win your battles.   Like it says in verse 37 yet in all these things we are more than conquerors.  

Now back to the Big Question How Is It Possible to Be in an attitude of gratitude in tough times?  

Here’s another example of somebody being thankful in really tough times;

In 1636, amid the darkness of the Thirty Years’ War, German pastor Martin Rinkart is said to have buried 5,000 of his parishioners in one year, an average of 15 people a day. His parish was ravaged by war, death, and economic disaster. In the heart of that darkness, with the cries of fear outside his window, he sat down and wrote this Thanksgiving table grace prayer for his children:    Now thank we all our God With heart and hands and voices Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices.    Who, from our mother’s arms, Hath led us on our way With countless gifts of love That still are ours today.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Yes I keep going back to it because it says that it’s God will that we be thankful in all things.

This year I battled feelings of confusion, anger, disillusionment, and a sadness that can suck the life out of you.  There were certainly times that I didn’t feel very grateful. I told the folk in my Sunday morning Bible Study group and the Tuesday night bible study, there were times that I doubted that God was willing to work on my behalf or Ruth’s behalf.  My guess is that most if not all of you have been there.  However we are told to be thankful even at those times.

Just think about;

• the person recently divorced
• the person who had a miscarriage of a baby they wanted badly
• the person who's body is devastated by the treatments they are receiving
• the person who feels they are barely "existing" in the Nursing home
• the person who is overwhelmed by financial demands
• the person who has to helplessly see their child suffer
• the person who lives with a cloud of depression over them
• the person who recently stood at the fresh dug grave of someone they love
• the person who feels suffocated by their loneliness

In each of these cases, the idea of "giving thanks" is very difficult. In fact, it's not just difficult. It seems impossible.

Yet, we are to give thanks in ALL circumstances.

How is that possible?    

I have a few simple ideas that I believe can help you ?

But before I give you the ideas I need to tell you that of all this is impossible to do in your own power.  It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit which indwells you that you are able to give thanks in all circumstances.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT)14  When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,15  the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.16  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.17  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.18  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.19  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.20  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.  

Now Here are my simple ideas;

1. Sometime when you are alone slowly look around you and notice the things you have to be thankful for.  If you are at home or have your smart phone, look at the pictures and thank Him for the memories that the pictures represent. Look at your possessions and thank Him for the ways He has provided for you. Look at the things others have given as gifts, and thank Him for the blessing of friendship. Look at the things that remind us of our friends and family who have have already gone on to their eternal reward . . . and thank God for things these people poured into your life.  Look at your television, computer, stereo, your refrigerator and the food in it,  and thank God. Thank Him that you are living in a time where you can talk to you friends or family anytime you want and even see them while talking to them, if uou want to.  You can text them and tell them how much you care for them in the middle of the night, without waking them.  Notice the wall where you marked the height of your children and give thanks for them. Look at the things left lying around the house and give thanks that signs of life surround you.

2. In some quiet night sit in the dark and list as many things as you can in God's character that you can be thankful for. He is love, Hebis merciful, He is faithful, you can think of many more.  Remember where you were when He changed your life. Remember the times of crisis you thought you could not survive but did, by His strength. Recall some of the life changing lessons you have learned or some of the Bible passages that have become your foundation for living.  Think about the place that He is preparing for you and thank Him in advance for the riches He gives.

3. Make it a point to say thanks to the people you love. Be specific. Maybe you need to phone call somebody. Maybe you need to visit a  gravesite . . . but do make it a point to be grateful. It will mean a lot to you but it will probably mean even more to those you thank.

4. Take the time to talk about the Lord. Remind yourself and those around you that He is good, his love endures forever, and His faithfulness will never cease. Remind yourself of when days were better. Tell stories of the past and then look forward to the future day when there will be no more tears, the pain will be gone, and the smile of Jesus will bring a joy unspeakable.

1 Peter 1:6-9 (NKJV)6  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,7  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,8  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,9  receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.

A friend sent me this a couple of weeks ago.  Imagine the God of the universe speaking these words to you… ;

Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything. There is an element of mystery in this transaction: You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you Joy (regardless of your circumstances). This is a spiritual act of obedience—at times, blind obedience. To people who don’t know Me intimately, it can seem irrational and even impossible to thank Me for heartrending hardships. Nonetheless, those who obey Me in this way are invariably blessed, even though difficulties may remain.

Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same set of circumstances, but it is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see from My perspective. It is this Light of My Presence that removes the sting from adversity.

Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)20  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalm 118:1 (NKJV)1  Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 89:15 (NKJV)15  Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

Let me end with the thing that we should thank God most for …….. salvation.  

Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving to God for His salvation, verse 14 says

Psalm 118:14 (NKJV)14  The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

That salvation is by the grace of God and our faith in which we acknowledge the sacrifice of Jesus to atone or pay the penalty for our sins.  

Acts 4:11-12 (NLT)11  For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’12  There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

The Bible tells us that we are separated from God because we have sinned.

Isaiah 59:1-2 (NLT)1  Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.2  It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

Romans 6:23 (NLT)23  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:23 (NLT)23  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

But God loves us—He loves you, He loves me—and He wants us to be part of His family forever. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son into the world to die as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. All we need to do is reach out in faith and accept Christ as our Savior and Lord:

Romans 3:24-26 (NLT)24  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.25  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,26  for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Have you opened your heart to Jesus Christ? If not, turn to Him with a simple prayer of repentance and faith, and thank Him for what He has done for you. If you have never done this I’ll help and lead you in that prayer of repentance and faith.  If you want to do that today come up now and I’ll help you.  If you’re shy and don’t want to come up here that’s OK come talk to me after service and we can do it where there’s nobody but you and me and Jesus.  

If you do know Christ, how long has it been since you thanked God for your salvation? We should not let a day go by without thanking God for His mercy and His grace to us in Jesus Christ.  

Sermon Audio

Grandparents' Day 2024 - Unconditional Love

Introduction

The idea of Grandparents Day was started by Marian McQuade of West Virginia in 1970 when she initiated a campaign to establish a day to honor grandparents. Mrs. McQuade had behind-the-scenes support of her husband Joseph L. McQuade. They had 15 children, 43 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. After being married for over 60 years, Mr. McQuade passed away in 2001. Mrs. McQuade passed away in 2008.


In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a federal proclamation, declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. This day has been celebrated every year since in honor of our nation’s grandparents.  (September was chosen to signify the "autumn" years of life).

In part, the proclamation reads:

Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near-past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect our lives and the world around us. Whether they are our own or surrogate grandparents who fill some of the gaps in our mobile society, our senior generation also provides our society a link to our national heritage and traditions.

We all know grandparents whose values transcend passing fads and pressures, and who possess the wisdom of distilled pain and joy. Because they are usually free to love and guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations.

There are three purposes for National Grandparents Day:

• To honor grandparents.
• To give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children.
• To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.

I have 11 grandchildren and been a grandparent for a long time. My oldest grandchild is 23 and the youngest, and my first great grandchild is just a little over one month old. So when I started preparing for this message the Lord had something for me too.

Here are some quotes I found about us grandparents:

• Grandmothers are mothers with lots of frosting. 
• Grandfathers are just antique little boys. 
• Never have children, only grandchildren. 
• When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window. 
• Grandmothers never run out of hugs or cookies. 
• If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first. 
• My grandkids believe I'm the oldest thing in the world. And after two or three hours with them, I believe it, too.
• An hour with your grandchildren can make you feel young again. Anything longer than that, and you start to age quickly. 
• Grandmother - a wonderful mother with lots of practice.
• Grandparents are similar to a piece of string - handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren. 
• No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet. 
• Being a grandparent is a chance to try again . . . only this time with a lot more to give and a lot less to prove. 

Grandparents are special people provided by God. We have made enough mistakes to understand that our grandchildren aren’t perfect. We can be great teachers but our best lessons are caught not taught. We’ve been seasoned through heartache, loss, and realism. Jesus isn’t just our Lord, He’s our Friend and Counselor.

Put all these things together and that describes a grandparent who loves like God -- unconditionally.

This is Grandparents Day but the things I want to talk about today apply not just to grandparents but to parents, godparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, or anybody else involved in the nurturing of our children. So if that's you everytime I say grandparents put your name there.

What is Unconditional Love?

The dictionary defines it as affection with no limits or conditions; complete love

When we Christians talk about unconditional love we say it’s Agape the God kind of love.

Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the kind of love God has for mankind.

John 3:16 (NLT) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Unconditional love is the kind of love that caused God to send His Son to pay for the sins of all mankind even when mankind thought nothing of Him and were His enemies.

Romans 5:8-10 (NLT)8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

Agape is the kind of love that Jesus showed as He offered Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

John 15:12-13 (NLT) This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

1 John 3:16 (NLT) We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

We all know Paul’s description of unconditional love in 1 Corinthians 13. I especially like the description in verses 4-8

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

That kind of love has no conditions attached to it.

That’s the kind of love that grandparents have for their grandchildren. Of course there are exceptions but we are not talking about those today. We are talking about the vast numbers of grandparents whose love toward their grandchildren is unconditional. I’m talking about all the grandparents that are here today.

Grandparents have made tremendous impact throughout history. Most of the famous people of the Bible from Adam and Eve on were grandparents. Often the grandparents played a key role, if not the major role, in the way history went.

Hezekiah was one of the best kings of Judah

2 Kings 18:5 (NLT) Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time.


but his father

Ahaz, was one of the worst.

2 Kings 16:2 (NLT Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done.




On the other hand, his grandfather was Jotham, and he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 27:2 (NLT) Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done, except that Jotham did not sin by entering the Temple of the LORD. But the people continued in their corrupt ways.

Hezekiah took after his grandfather and great grandfather rather than his father, and the result was a prosperous time for Judah.

One of the things we know about Timothy is that his Christian faith had its roots in his grandmother.

2 Timothy 1:5 (NLT) I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.

It was my grandmother who caused me to love reading and studying the Word of God. I didn’t realize it at the time but one summer when my brother and I went to visit my grandparents my grandmother made me read at least one chapter of Proverbs every single day. She would make me sit in the same chair and read everyday. I wasn’t real happy about that but one day I read two verses that have stayed with me and something that I try to follow every day those verses are;

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

We use to live next door to my great grandmother, my mother’s grandmother, and every Sunday morning as long as she was able she would be sitting on our front porch waiting to ride with us to Sunday School and church. I mean every Sunday.

Grandparents, your grandchildren need to know that God can still do what God has always done. It’s good to tell your grandchildren stories of God from the Bible, but you also need to tell them how God has and is working in your life. This will have a much greater impact on them when they see your faith in action!

Now to my text for this message today;

Psalm 78:1-8 (NLT)1 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying,2 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—3 stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us.4 We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders.5 For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,6 so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children.7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.8 Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

Let’s take a look at verse 4 – “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders”

Each generation has a responsibility to help the next generation. It is the older generations that teach the younger generation.

So grandparents we must be faithful in passing down the Word of God to the next generation. We stand between past generations and the generations to come. We are entrusted by those who have gone before us with great and important truths; truths to be preserved and transmitted in their purity to future ages. We must be faithful to discharge this responsibility.

I mentioned Timothy’s grandmother Lois earlier. She passed her faith on to her daughter, Eunice. Then Eunice passed it on to her son, Timothy who grew up to be a great man of faith in the early church.

What are we to pass on?

Verse 3 says “stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us”. In other words the Word of God.

We don’t need to come up with some new spiritual reality. The same God who brought Noah through the flood and Israel through the Red Sea and Daniel through the lion’s den can bring our grandkids through whatever they may face. I don’t mean to disregard the new stuff like social media. I use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn in my ministry and these new things can help us reach many more people than in past years. Technology is helpful but the substance, the reality, the basics will never change and we must never try to change them. Our grandkids still need to know the Word of God, they still need to know how to pray and worship, they still need to know how to love their enemies and forgive others. The essentials of what our grandparents, our fathers and our mothers taught us have not changed.

But more than just talking about it, how about living those essentials and being the example for your grandkids? That will make a much greater impact. Not only will your grandkids hear what you say but they will see you live it. How about reading the Bible with them? How about praying with them? How about singing praise songs with them when they are with you? How about letting them see you forgive somebody for cutting you off in traffic instead of screaming at them?

Remember the story about my great grandmother sitting on our porch every Sunday? That made a much greater impact on us than her saying ya’ll need to to get up and go to Sunday School. She went with us. Not only did my grandmother make me read the bible, I saw her and my grandfather reading thiers. My mother and father too, and I know where they got it, and from the stories my grandmothers told me I know where they got it. It’s one thing to tell our grandkids how to live, which may go in one ear and out the other, but it’s quite another to show them how to live.

Our grandkids need the word of God.

But they need it lived out before them. They need see it applied to daily events.

They need to learn the principles of the Word . But more than that they need to also learn how to apply those principles and they can see that in watching you grandmother and grandfather.

Look at verse 5 of Psalm 78;

“For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,”

Verse 5 is talking about the commandments of the Lord. Our grandkids need to know them, but they also need to hear stories about God’s faithfulness to His people as verse 4 says, “we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders.” They also need to hear your stories about how God has been faithful to you. We should tell our grandkids stories about God’s faithfulness to our parents and their parents.

They need to know of the times that you were down to your last dollar and you didn't know how you were going to pay your rent or house payment but God made a way somehow. Or how like when our family moved to California from Oklahoma, my father was stationed in Thailand, my mother hadn't started teaching and we had to eat spaghetti so much that my brother vowed to never eat spaghetti again, and he never did by the way, but God provided for us. Those are the kinds of things our grandkids need to hear from us. Then when they read or we read to them the story in 1 Kings about about the widow who gave her last to Elijah and then having enough to last until it rained and the famine ended, then that story will become real to them.

They also need to know the will of God.

Verse 5 “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children”

Life is to be lived in the boundaries of God’s commandments. Every child should know the Ten Commandments as a foundation for good decisions in life.

The consequence of us passing these things forward to our grandkids is found in verse 7 of this psalm;

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.”

There is no greater heritage we can give our grandkids than a solid faith in God. Material stuff will fail them. There are some problems no amount of money can solve. The economy may fail them. Their friends may even fail them. But God will never fail them.

If they know what He has done for us in the past; if they know how powerful He is and how willing He is to intervene in their lives, then they can live with a peace and joy confident in God’s goodness. They can know that they can take their problems to God in prayer and get some help.

I want to end with this;

Psalm 71:17-18 (NKJV)17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

Psalm 102:18 (NKJV) This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.

This is something written by an anonymous author that I found in preparing this message;


Grandparents bestow upon
their grandchildren
The strength and wisdom that time
And experience have given them.

Grandchildren bless their Grandparents
With a youthful vitality and innocence
That help them stay young at heart forever.
Together they create a chain of love
Linking the past with the future.
The chain may lengthen,
But it will never part....
- Author Unknown

The question is not will our children and grandchildren have faith, but will our faith have children and grandchildren?

Will you pray that your children will find Godly spouses so that you can have Godly grandchildren? Will you ask God to help you influence and impact your grandchildren toward faith? Will you pray for your grandchildren?

Let’s pray.

Predestination Or Free Will?

Romans 8:28-30 (HCSB) 28  We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. 29  For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30  And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.

Ephesians 1:4-6 (HCSB) 4  For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5  He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6  to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.

Predestination:  What Is It?

Do these two and similar scriptures mean that God determined beforehand who will be saved to eternal life and who will be eternally damned, separated from God?  If true then what about free will to choose?  If true why evangelize?   If true then why should I be concerned about my sin because it was predestined by God?

Predestination or freewill?  This question has fueled debate among Christians for centuries.  This post will in no way end this debate or prove which is true.  By the time you finish reading  you will have a pretty good idea of where I stand in the debate. 

One important point before I continue.  Your salvation doesn’t depend whether you believe in predestination determining your salvation or if you have free will to choose.   Your salvation is by God’s grace, whether predestined, or by your free will.  You are saved because Jesus paid the penalty for your sins on the cross.   

Predestination

Merriam-WebsterDictionary

• :  the act of predestinating :  the state of being predestinated
•  :  the doctrine that God in consequence of his foreknowledge of all events infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation
•  : the belief that everything that will happen has already been decided by God or fate and cannot be changed the decree of God by which certain souls are foreordained to salvation.

Easton’s IllustratedBible Dictionary: And Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography,Doctrine, and Literature.

This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom 8:29, 30; 1Co 2:7; Eph 1:5, 11; and in all of them it has the same meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all events.

This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guide, we must accept this doctrine with all its mysteriousness, and settle all our questionings in the humble, devout acknowledgment, "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."

Predestination is often equated with or sometimes referred to as election.  There are two views on election which correspond to predestination and free will;

·         Unconditional election (predestination) is the belief that God chooses whomever He will, based solely on His purposes and apart from an individual's free will.

·         Conditional election (free will) is the belief that God chooses, for eternal salvation, those whom He foresees will have faith in Christ. This belief emphasizes the importance of a person's free will

The Debate

 

Predestination

The belief in predestination or unconditional election is based on God's sovereignty and omniscience. Sovereignty meaning “in authority over” or “in control over.” We believe God to be in control over everything that happens. So if God is in control over everything, he must also be in control over who is saved and who is not.

Omniscience means “all-knowing.”  We believe that God knows the past, present, and future. So, if God knows what will happen in the future, there is no possible way that what he knows will happen could not happen. His knowledge of the future effectively determines the future.

Proponents of predestination say that before creation God chose who would be saved and who would not.

Ephesians 1:4-6 (HCSB) 4  For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5  He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6  to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.

Perhaps the best known proponents of predestination were St. Augustine and John Calvin.  Calvin’s views on predestination are known as Calvinism.  (Click this LINK for information on Calvin and Calvinsim)

Other scriptures in addition to Ephesians 4:1-6 and Romans 8:28-30 used to support predestination are;

Matthew 24:31 (HCSB)  He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Romans 8:33 (HCSB) Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies.

Romans 11:5-6 (HCSB) 5  In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace. 6  Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.

Ephesians 1:11 (HCSB) ¹¹  We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will,

2 Peter 1:10 (HCSB)  Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble.

Revelation 3:5 (HCSB)  In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels.

Free will

Critics of predestination argue that this view eliminates humanity's free will because it denies human beings the ability to choose salvation or reject it.

From the Holman Bible Dictionary (http://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hbd/view.cgi?n=2896)

Human Free Will

The ability the Creator gave people to make meaningful decisions, especially concerning their relationship to God. Because humanity was created in the image of God, freedom is an inherent part of human nature (Genesis 1:26 ). Since this freedom is like God's freedom, it includes the power of choice. Mankind's actions thus derive from the voluntary actions of the human will. Outside forces can influence the human will to take a particular course of action but cannot force it to do so. Free will has been the subject of considerable debate over the years. Biblical evidence indicates that God Himself does not predetermine the choices that mankind will make. This is especially true in relation to God's will (Matthew 23:37; John 7:17 ).

 Since God gave mankind the privilege of a free will and then intervened through Jesus Christ when sin changed this freedom to bondage, He gives mankind the privilege to make individual choices. This includes the relation of mankind to God. Salvation and obedience are left to mankind's free will (Romans 10:12-13 ). God elects all people to be saved who will call upon His name (Romans 10:1-21 ). It is left up to the individual's free choice to accept or reject salvation and to accept the consequences of the choice. - Bob Sheffield

Here are some scriptures that proponents of free will use as proof of their argument;

Isaiah 45:22 (HCSB) Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other.

John 3:16 (HCSB) “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 12:32 (HCSB) As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all ⌊people⌋ to Myself.”

Romans 8:28-29 (HCSB) 28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB)  The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

Revelation 22:17 (HCSB) Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift.

My Thoughts

Did God predetermine or predestine specific people to be saved and specific people to be damned?  I say Absolutely Not!   

The Bible clearly teaches that God is not willing that any man should perish, but rather that all of mankind to come to the knowledge of truth and be saved.

2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB) The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 (HCSB) This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4  who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

These scriptures and others tell us that it is God’s perfect will at all mankind be saved.  That is what would please God most.

Scripture also tells us that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 

Ezekiel 33:11 (HCSB)   Tell them: As I live”—the declaration of the Lord GOD—“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?

So if those scriptures are true, and they are,  and it’s true that God is sovereign, and He is, and he predetermines who is saved and who’s not,  then he would make absolutely sure that every person who ever lived “..will not perish but have eternal life.”

Let’s take a look at the verse both sides use in the debate of predestination or free will.

 Romans 8:29 (NKJV) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. brethren.”

This from an article, “What Does the Bible Teach about Predestination and Free Will”, by Jack Wellman on the website What Christians Want to Know

Freewill and God’s sovereignty are not opposed to each other but run parallel with one

other.  Imagine that you are a slave on a ship.  You are chained to the deck below.   It is determined that you row for the captain of this ship.  You have no choice but to be chained to this ship.  This is like God’s sovereignty.  But even here you have freewill.  You are free to row or not to row.  If you do not row you choose to receive beatings by the quartermaster, but if you row, you choose not to be beaten.  You might even chose to break free of the ship by escaping your chains, but God’s sovereignty is not diminished.

God’s sovereignty does not diminish man’s freewill.  God never twists anyone’s arm into heaven.  God is all knowing of the past, present, and future.  He alone knows what we will do.  One example is that there are said to be over 600 prophecies in the Bible regarding Jesus Christ.  God alone is able to know the future and the means to bring about what He desires to come to pass.  God knew that I would be saved and come to a saving faith in Christ.  The very fact that you are reading this may be an indication that He is or has called you for salvation.  You have freewill to either reject Him or to accept this saving grace. Either way, He knew it, He planned it, He purposed it, He desired it, and He predestined the very thing that you are now reading. 

Here is another that I found, on the Social Media site Quora.  It is an answer to the question “What are your views on predestination?”

 Brian Zwick - Domestic Christian missionary, musician, reader, writer, father, thinker.

I see no conflict between the fact that God can know the results of our future decisions and the fact that we can make a decision freely. God's knowledge does not negate our freedom. He created us; he knows us more intimately than we even know ourselves.

For example, think of your closest friend or relative, or your spouse. Let's say you're trying to decide what movie to watch that night. Your choices are an action/adventure, a drama, a comedy, and a thriller. You know in your head which movie your friend will prefer, and you even know if those preferences will come out if you try to convince them otherwise. But you knowing which movie your friend will prefer does not remove the freedom of the choice from him or her. I believe God's relationship to us is similar in this regard: that he knows us perfectly, but we are still free and responsible for our own choices.

Because God is sovereign and omniscient or all-knowing He has known from before the foundation of the world who will be saved and have eternal life in His presence, and who will not be saved and be in eternal torment.  Foreknowledge of those who will and will not be saved is not the same as predetermining who will and will not be saved.  What is predestined, as shown in Romans 8:29, is that those who God foreknew would be saved, will be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus.  The choice of acceptance of that salvation is yours.  Just like the slave who is confined to the slave ship has the choice to row or not row and to accept the penalty of not rowing, we have the choice to accept the sacrifice of Jesus as payment for our sins or to reject it and accept the penalty.  The choice is yours.  It’s God’s desire that all men be saved, but He has given us the free will to accept or reject salvation.  Eternal life with God or eternal separation from Him is your choice.  I urge and pray that if you haven’t done so please choose life.

It Doesn’t Matter Whether You Believe In Predestination Or Free Will

 Although as you can tell by this post I believe in the doctrine of free will it doesn’t mean that those who believe in the doctrine of predestination are not saved and will not have eternal life.  The doctrines of free will and predestination are just doctrines and we can agree or disagree on them.  Belief in either of them is not a requirement for salvation. What is a requirement of salvation is that we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died in payment for our sin, that God raised Him from the dead and He is the only way to achieve eternal life.  If you haven’t come to that decision in your heart it doesn’t matter which one of these doctrines you believe.

John 14:6 (HCSB) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Romans 10:9-10 (HCSB) ⁹  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. ¹⁰  One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

If you want to receive God’s grace all the benefits that God has promised to His children then pray this prayer in all sincerity (only you and God know if you’re really sincere);

“Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Savior.”

If you have just prayed this prayer, in all sincerity, call, text, email, Tweet, change your Facebook status and tell somebody, leave me a comment here or send me an email with this Link.  Then find a bible believing church and start to fellowship with other believers.  Welcome to the family of God.

I would also like to hear from you and your thoughts and opinions on my view of predestination versus free will.  Please comment whether you agree or disagree and I will respond within 24 hours.  God bless you.

Biblical Mothers of Faith

I recently spent several days with my mother, who is 92 years old. Although I talk to her nearly every week I hadn't seen her in nearly three years. A lot has changed and happened in my life since I last saw her, including the death of her daughter-in-law, my wife earlier this year. This was the first time that I had seen her without Ruth. Mother doesn’t drive anymore and she moves a lot slower, her memory fails her sometimes but given some time she does remember, but her mind is still clear and she is aware of what is going on around her. When I made my reservations to visit her I didn’t realize that I would be coming home just a few days before Mother’s Day so I won’t be spending it with her. My brother is still there and my sister lives close so they will be there. Since I won’t be there I’m dedicating this post to her.

In thinking about and doing some research for this post “Mothers of Faith” I ran across this hymn,  “Faith of Our Mothers” with words written in 2013 by Lawrence A. Wik, to the tune of ST. CATHERINE, by Henri F. Hemy, 1864; adapt. by James G. Walton, 1874. I thought it was very appropriate for this post.

I consider my mother a hero, or if you prefer "shero". I’m sure that you consider your mothers heroes too. I believe that God considers mothers heroes as well because the bible contains many accounts of heroic mothers of faith.

The bible speaks very highly of those with faith. There is an entire chapter in the book of Hebrews that identifies heroes of faith. I talk a lot about people of faith in this blog. Most of the people mentioned in the bible, and in this blog, when talking about faith are men and fathers. That certainly doesn't mean that men have more faith than women or men’s faith somehow is more powerful than that of women, and mothers. A quick look at church attendance, and who gets things done in our churches will tell you that’s not the case. In fact it may even be the other way around. I’m just kidding of course but there are many mothers of faith who we can learn a lot from by studying them and their stories.

Mothers of Faith

Eve

Genesis 3:20 (HCSB) Adam named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living.

Eve was the first woman and the first mother. Without a single role model or mentor, she paved the maternal way to become "Mother of All the Living." She and Adam lived in Paradise, but they spoiled it by listening to Satan instead of God. Eve suffered terrible grief when her son Cain murdered his brother Abel, yet despite these tragedies, Eve went on to fulfill her part in God's plan of populating the Earth.

Sarah

Everybody has heard of Sarah, Abraham’s wife she’s mentioned in Hebrews 11 along with the heroes of faith;

Hebrews 11:11 (HCSB) By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful.

Abraham and Sarah with their son Isaac

Sarah was one of the most important women in the Bible. She was the wife of Abraham, which made her the mother of the nation of Israel. Yet Sarah was barren. She conceived through a miracle in spite of her old age. Sarah was a good wife, a loyal helper and builder with Abraham. Her faith serves as a shining example for every person who has to wait on God to act.

Genesis 21:1-3 (HCSB) 1 The LORD came to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him—the one Sarah bore to him—Isaac.

Jochebed

Jochebed, the mother of Moses, is one of the under appreciated mothers in the Bible, yet she also showed tremendous faith in God. To avoid the mass slaughter of Hebrew boys, she set her baby adrift in the Nile River, hoping someone would find him and raise him. God so worked that her baby was found by Pharaoh's daughter. Jochebed even became her own son's nurse. God used Moses mightily, to free the Hebrew people from their 400 year bondage of slavery and take them to the Promised Land. Although little is written about Jochebed in the Bible, her story speaks powerfully to mothers of today.

Exodus 6:20 (HCSB) Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.


Exodus 2:1-10 (HCSB) 1 Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son; when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with asphalt and pitch. She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 Then his sister stood at a distance in order to see what would happen to him. 5 Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe at the Nile while her servant girls walked along the riverbank. Seeing the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave girl to get it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child—a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a woman from the Hebrews to nurse the boy for you?” 8 “Go,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. So the girl went and called the boy’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

Hannah

Hannah was the mother of the great prophet Samuel, who anointed Saul Israel’s first king, and David, perhaps it’s greatest king. Hannah would go to Shiloh year after year, with her husband, Elkanah, and his other wife, to worship and sacrifice. Every year Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah, would ridicule her because she couldn't have children, especially a son. Hannah didn’t give up though. She continued to pray and ask God for a son. In her prayer she told God that if He would give her a son that she would give him back to serve Him. God did bless her, she conceived and had a son, Samuel.

1 Samuel 1:19-20, 27-28 (HCSB) 19 The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 20 After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because ⌊she said⌋, “I requested him from the LORD.” 27 I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD gave me what I asked Him for, 28 I now give the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is given to the LORD.” Then he bowed in worship to the LORD there.

Hannah honored her promise and as a result she had five more children, including three more sons.

1 Samuel 2:21 (HCSB) The LORD paid attention to Hannah’s ⌊need⌋, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

The widow of Zarephath

This is the widow who Elijah asked for some bread during a famine. She told him that she only had a little bit of flour and oil and she was going to bake some bread for her and her son to eat and then they would die. Elijah told her to not be afraid and go ahead and make the bread for him and afterward she would always have flour and oil until the famine was over. She did and she had food to eat throughout the famine. Later her son got sick and died.

Elijah and the widow who shared

1 Kings 17:17-18, 21-24 (HCSB) 17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God, what do we have in common? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to kill my son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the LORD and said, “My LORD God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”22 So the LORD listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and the LORD’s word from your mouth is true.”

The woman of Shunem

She and her husband provided a room for the prophet Elisha when he was in their town. Elisha was told that she had been unable to conceive and he told her that she would be blessed by God and would have a child, and she bore a son. Some years later her son died. She went and got Elisha and brought him back to her house.


2 Kings 4:32-37 (HCSB)32 When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed.33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.34 Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy’s flesh became warm.35 Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” He called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; she picked up her son and left.

Mother in Nain

This lady, a widow, lost her only son. Jesus was moved with compassion and, for her sake, resurrected her son.

Luke 7:13-15 (HCSB) 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then He came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And He said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Elizabeth

Barren in her old age, Elizabeth was another of the miracle mothers in the Bible. She conceived and gave birth to a son. She and her husband named him John, as an angel had instructed. Like Hannah before her, she dedicated her son to God, and like Hannah's son, he also became a great prophet, John the Baptist. Elizabeth's joy was complete when her relative Mary visited her, pregnant with the future Savior of the World.

Luke 1:24-25 (HCSB) 24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, 25 “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people

Mary

Mary the mother of Jesus is the most honored mother in the bible and of all time. Mary was very young, some say as young as 12 or 13 years old. She was also a peasant which means that she was very poor.

Mary, although troubled, didn't hesitate or question the angel Gabriel when he told her that she had found favor with God and that she was going to have a son who she was to name Jesus, all this without having any intimate relationships with a man

Luke 1:38 (HCSB) “I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her. Well we know the rest of the story Mary did give birth to our Lord and Savior Jesus only to see Him crucified on a cross for her salvation and ours.


These are just a few examples of mothers of faith in bible. So the next time that you are tempted to think that men are more important in God’s plan for mankind …..think again.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY MOMS!!!!