I know its a little late with a Thanksgiving message but wanted to post this anyway.  It is easy to be thankful when all is going well, but what about when times are tough or life doesn’t seem to be treating you fair?

In Acts 16:16-34 Paul and Silas are in Phillipi, a Roman colony in the district of Macedonia on the first of Paul’s missionary journeys.  They are on their way to the place of prayer and are met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.  The girl, directed by the spirit harassed Paul and Silas until finally Paul rebuked the spirit and it left the girl.

Once the owners realized the girl was no longer useful to them they had Paul and Silas thrown in prison for being trouble makers; a bogus charge.  In prison they were stripped and beaten, severely flogged.

So what was their response?  While in prison, Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to God.  During their time of praise an earthquake came that shook the foundations of the prison so much that the prison doors fell open and the prisoners’ chains fell off.   When the jailer awoke and realized what had happened he was set to kill himself, fearing his punishment.  Paul shouted out to him not to harm himself because they were all still there. The jailer was so moved and impressed by it all that he asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?”  They witnessed to him the way of salvation and he and his entire house with him came to believe in God.

Paul and Silas are arrested for doing something good.  Have you ever been punished, persecuted, or at least suffered for doing something good?  It is so easy in those times to pout and complain to God, asking Him, “why did You let this happen?  I was only trying to do Your work.”  It certainly doesn’t seem fair when something like this happens and probably the last thought on our minds is to praise God.  It is quite possible that Paul and Silas didn’t feel like praising God either.  Yet they did praise Him.  As Paul and Silas praised the Lord in a spirit of thanksgiving a miracle takes place.  I’m not just speaking about the miracle of the earthquake.  No, a much greater miracle takes place.  The earthquake was merely the tool used to provide freedom to someone, real freedom.  Not just freedom from earthly chains and bars, but freedom from sin and bondage.  I’m not sure why Paul and Silas didn’t just get up and leave, but somehow the Spirit kept them there and as a result the real miracle takes place.

The jailer was ready to kill himself.  This tells us a little about the man.  First he was selfish; you see he had a family at home, but to avoid the punishment, which I am certain would have been awful, he is ready to kill himself.  Secondly he is a man without hope.  What a contrast between his response to adversity and Paul and Silas’ response.   Which camp do we fit in?   Obviously the fact that all the prisoners were still in place impacted the man but I have to believe Paul and Silas’ praise earlier sent a message to him as well.  He was so deeply moved by it all that he accepted Christ in faith and became a man with hope.

Often we get upset and lose faith and become depressed when things happen to us that are not fair; especially when we feel like we are “serving the Lord”.   We act as if while we are serving the Lord nothing bad will come our way and then when it does we either doubt our faith, and\or we get mad at God.  If Paul and Silas do not get put in jail they probably do not get to witness to the jailer and his family.   Consider Romans 8:28 here – “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

Paul and Silas probably did not enjoy being thrown in prison and felt like it wasn’t fair.  They praised God anyway.  They had a spirit of thanksgiving anyway.  The result was a miracle, ultimately the salvation, ‘setting free’ of a man and his family.   What might happen to us if we praise and give thanks even when we don’t feel like it?

In a recent post I wrote about acting happy before you felt happy and it will often result in making you happy.  Well come to find out that can work on others too.

In Proverbs 15:30 It says “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.”  Don’t underestimate the power of a cheerful look.  In this scripture we see that a cheerful look can bring joy to someone’s heart.  Want to spread some joy today, it may be as simple as giving someone a cheerful look.  You never know, it may bring some joy to your own heart as well.

What is it you want to accomplish, and why do you want to accomplish it?  Once you have reached your goal, if you do, what will you then have?  Where will you go then?

Take care that you are not driven by pride or the desire to be someone.  You are already someone.  Your accomplishments will not make you more someone than you already are.  Your worth is measured in how God sees you, not how man sees you, or even how you see yourself.  Man may be impressed by your accomplishments, but he will not be your judge.

What is it you want to accomplish, and more importantly, why?  To live up to ones potential is a worthy goal indeed.  But the wrong motive will tarnish each accomplishment and make it sound like a hollow drum rather than an orchestra.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

 in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight.   Proverbs 3:5-6

Isn’t it just so cute when someone puts a little sweater on their dog?  And what an industry is growing in the care of pets.  You can drop your cat or dog off at a daycare center much like you can your child.  Just the other day I heard that congress was actually considering a tax credit for pets similar to the tax credit for dependents.  How long will it be before you purchase health insurance for your pet?

People become increasingly emotional and upset when they hear about cruelty to an animal.  I too find intentional acts of cruelty to animals as inexcusable.  An act of cruelty to an animal gets news headlines more and more each day, while abused children and abortion become increasingly passe’.  I have heard people, including professing Christians, make statements that they like, no make that love, their pets more than they do people. 

Now, when we get to this point something has gotten out of balance.  Pets are increasingly becoming the companions of people – in place of other people.  Is this how God intended it?  Take a look at Genesis chqpter 2, verses 18 through 20.  It reads like this, “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”  ¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
      But for Adam ^[g] no suitable helper was found. ”

Amongst the animals no suitable helper, or companion was found for Adam.  Instead God created a companion for him from his own flesh.  Someone who was like him in very nature.  This became his suitable companion and people remain the suitable companions for people today.  This is not limited to a spouse, but is indicative of a higher level relationship that is only possible between people; higher than that which is possible between people and their pets.

So why do we see a growing trend of people preferring pets and what are the real problems with this?  As mentioned, relationship with other people is a higher level relationship so there is a connection at a higher or deeper level.  These relationships take more effort and attention.  Certainly we care for our pets by feeding them, etc. and this requires effort, but it is a different kind of effort. 

To build and maintain a human to human relationship that is not merely superficial, but rather is meaningful, requires acceptance and patience; much more-so than with a pet.   People often talk about their pets giving them unconditional love.  Think about that term for a minute, ‘unconditional love’.   We find it so endearing from our pets yet we are unwilling to extend it to other people.  Unconditional love means we love someone without conditions.  There are not expectations of something in return.  There is simply love given.  Are animals really capable of such love?

Our relationship with our pets can only go so deep.  Our dog cannot understand what we are feeling and they certainly cannot empathize with us.  Our cat’s purring may be soothing but it won’t do much for us in the way of helping us know how to handle that situation at work better.  Our relationships overall are becoming more superficial, that’s why our society is becoming increasingly more dependent upon their relationships with their pets rather than with people.

Pets do not disappoint us as much because we do not expect as much from them.  We do not have to really open up to our pets or make real emotional sacrifices in our relationship with them.   They cannot sin so therefore we do not have to forgicve them.  That may sound great, but the same thing that keeps them from being able to sin is the same thing that keeps them from being able to forgive.  They cannot do extreme wrongs, but that which limits them from doing great wrongs also limits them from doing great good.

Our ever-growing dependence on our pets as our ‘companions’ is a symptom of our dilution of real, sincere, meaningful relationships in our lives.  It takes a lot to love other people deeply and it comes with risk, but it also comes with reward.  Where there is little risk there is little reward and likewise where there is great risk there is great reward.  How much risk did God take in loving us the way He did?

Do you believe that if you act happy it will lead you to be happy?  How about if I told you about a Bible story that validated that idea?  Now certainly I would not state this as a perfect formula for happiness, but rather an important piece of the puzzle to being happy. 

In Acts chapter 16 Paul is thrown in prison for proclaining the news of Christ.  That sure doesn’t sound like something that would produce being in a good mood, and chances are Paul probably wasn’t happy about the turn of events.  Yet we read starting in verse 25 the following, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Why were they singing and praising God?  They had been unjustly thrown in prison for serving God.  Unless you are crazy that does not make you happy.  But Paul and Silas decided to praise the Lord in spite of their circumstances.  I seriously doubt they were actually happy when they started singing.  Instead they acted happy.  This is different that “putting on an act”.  It is intentionally, willingly choosing to act happy even when you are not happy.

The result was that the prison was shaken and the doors and chains that were keeping them captive were opened.  You can draw your own analogy from that one pretty easily.  The further result was that when the prison guard was going to kill himself out of fear of what would happen to him when it was discovered his prisoners all escaped Paul and Silas were able to witness to him.  An even greater miracle then occurred when the prison guard and all his family weer saved that day.  Now, Paul and Silas had a reason to be happy.

Acting happy will not always function as cause and effect to be happy but it is very much an important part in actually being happy.  Don’t wait until you are happy to act happy.  Act happy first and let it lead to being happy.

To read this passage click here

In the previous chapter in verse 24, the spies that Joshua had sent before the people brought back their report which ended with the statement, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”  Such confidence and boldness should be a trademark of God’s people.  Notice though, the key phrase that provides this confidence, “The LORD has surely given…”.   The confidence of a Christian is not to be found in themselves, but rather in their God.

In chapter 3, Joshua and the people set out from where they were and went to the Jordan and camped.   Wait a minute.  What about the Jordan?  This great river, which at this time of year had swollen to exceed her banks posed a real barrier to success.  How would they all get across?  Its one thing for a couple of spies to cross a flooded river, but for a large populous to do so is a daunting and perilous task at best. 

The people pressed on to the river without a plan of how to cross it.  They had not yet been told how they would cross the river, yet they proceeded on in faith.  This is how we, who seek to follow the Lord should proceed.  Matthew Henry writes in his commentary on this passage, “We must go on the way of our duty though we foresee difficulties, trusting God to help us through them when we come to them.”

After waiting on the Lord for three days they were given the orders to proceed.  The orders were specific.  The officers said, “”When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.”  The result was the parting of the waters much like the Red Sea had done a generation earlier.  The order was given to to move before the waters had stopped flowing from upstream. 

Are you confident?  Is your confidence in God?  The ark of the covenant represented the promise and presence of God.  When you recognize the presence and the promise of God you should follow in confidence.  He will deliver you.

Its not important how many people know your name, but rather who knows your name.  Many throughout the ages have pursued fame and notoriety and forsaken what really matters, a relationship with Christ.   Having your name mentioned by thousands or even millions may bring a smile to your face, but it will not bring joy to your heart, especially eternal joy.

Rest assured, God knows your name.  Is it written in the Lambs book of life?  If you’d like to know more about how your name can be written in the Lambs Book of Life, please feel free to ask.