THREE GOOD THINGS

A very good illustration of the innate appreciation of Thanksgiving or thankfulness we have within us placed they are by God. Hope you enjoy this and have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. David

Three Good on the other ThingsContributor: Illustration Exchange

A masters level "positive psychology" student had been studying the cultivation of thankfulness and gratitude in young children, specifically, her 7 year old son, Jonah. To that end, she began a nightly exercise which she called "Three Blessings" (aptly renamed by young Jonah as "Three Good Things").

Jonah enthusiastically embraced the exercise to the point that it quickly became a beloved bedtime ritual. After some time, mom decided to interview Jonah just to see what he was really getting out of their time contemplating their Three Good Things. 

Below are excerpts of Jonah's answers to the questions she posed (along with her "adult translations" of his intended meaning). The implications of what she learned from Jonah's answers are hardly just for kids: 

Mom: “What do you think of our bed-time tradition of talking about three good things?” 

Jonah: “Umm, I like it. It’s like, you know…good to share good stuff…Why? Don’t you like it?” (Clearly I responded “yes.”) ... 

Mom: “Why do you think it feels good to talk about our good things?” 

Jonah: “Maybe because you might have something that wasn’t fun so if you talk about the good things, well, the bad things you won’t think about any more.” 

Adult translation: Focusing on the positive can help detract from the power of the negative. 

Mom: “How do you choose your good things?” 

Jonah: “The weird thing is, you might have not did a good thing or had fun, so, you can share something that you think someone else had fun with…because that would be good to have something good happen to someone you love, too.” 

Adult translation: Our happiness can be enhanced with the increased happiness of those around us. 

Mom: “Is it always easy to think of three good things?” 

Jonah: “You might get stressed because you might not be able to get one out. Oh, but if it was Saturday, or Sunday, your parents could help you share one ... Or, if you’re somebody that doesn’t have any three good things, and your parents can’t help you think of one, you can share it with your friends who might think of something and you could brainstorm.”

Adult translation: Sometimes its important to have people around who remind us of the good things we have. 

Mom: “Do you think it would be good to teach other people how to do three good things?”

Jonah: “I think it would, but you shouldn’t just, like, come in and stuff…You’d have to let them pick whether it was something they’d want to do. They might want to do other things or have another feeling.” 

Adult translation: “You can’t force other people to be grateful for what they have, but, you can offer opportunities to share.” 

Mom: “Do you think it would be just as good to talk about more than three things? Why do we pick three?” 

Jonah: “There might be like a thousand or a million things you liked that you did today, but you’ll only choose three, and those will be your best. I think it is the just right amount because you don’t have to add or keep track too much because it’s only three ... If there were more, then ... you’d have to keep it all straight in your head so three is good, actually. 

Adult translation: Four would be one too many. Sometimes less is more ...  

Application:

We could all benefit from Jonah's wisdom ...

·  It's good to share good stuff: "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD" (Psalm 92:1)."

·  Focusing on the positive can help detract from the power of the negative: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

·  Our happiness can be enhanced with the increased happiness of those around us: "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor" (Romans 12:10).

·  Sometimes it's important to have people around who remind us of the good things we have: "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad" (Proverbs 12:25).

·  You can’t force other people to be grateful for what they have, but, you can offer opportunities to share: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24-25).

·  Sometimes less is more [so stay focused and stay in the moment]: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

WHERE ARE YOU

Where Are You?

Genesis 3:8-9 (NIV) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" 

Have you heard from God lately? Surely you can say you have heard God speak to you? Let me remind you, every time you open the Word of God, God speaks. The question is can you hear when he does speak? As long as we are in a righteous relationship with him, we can hear when he speaks to our hearts, to our spirit. It's only when we fall out of relationship with God as a result of sin that we are not able to hear clearly. It's during those times that the Lord, trying to get our attention, asks us, where are you?

Adam and Eve were born without sin and enjoyed an intimate knowing relationship with the Creator God, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3). Their relationship is described as one of spending time in each other's presence. So why did God have to ask the question of them, where are you? Because of sin. They chose to disobey God and do something that God had explicitly said they were not to do. This act of disobedience destroyed the relationship between themselves and God. Once the relationship was destroyed they could no longer fellowship with God.  The only word they would hear from God was now put in the form of a question, where are you? Their only response to this question was, we are naked and hiding from you. Adam and Eve learned a very valuable lesson. All people who are part of God’s family must learn this lesson; sin will always separate us from God and make us hide. It will also make us seek the darkness rather than the light of God's presence.

God knew where they were. He never loses sight of his children. He was not calling to them so he could find them. He called to them because he loved them and knew their need.  When he asked the question it was to get them to recognize their sin and understand their need. They knew that they had been disobedient to God and tried to hide. They could no longer fellowship with God as they had before. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there, done that!

Are you in fellowship with God? Have you heard from God lately? If you heard him speak from his Word it was with words of love and caring and concern for you. When God speaks from his Word he always gives direction and meaning to life. His Word brings joy to your heart and lifts your soul to the highest heights. His perfect love casts out all fear and you want be in his presence, now and in the future, and in the life to come.

If this is not the voice you hear when you hear from God, answer his question to you. Where are you __________? You fill in the blank if you need to. Tell Him exactly where you are and ask him to forgive you of your sin and restore you to that loving and wonderful relationship that only he can provide.

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” After reading it, I think you can understand why it is one of my favorites.

BEARING FRUIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Bearing Fruit For the Kingdom of God 

John 15:5 (NIV) "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Today is self-examination day, a day to stop and reflect on our walk of faith. An examination to be successful must be based on giving the right answers to a series of questions.

Question one: How long have you been walking faithfully with the Lord? 

Question two: Has your walk of faith been fruitful? 

How did you answer the first one? Have you been walking faithfully; "walking worthily of this calling?" (Eph 4:1) 

One of the best passages of Scripture that reveals to the Christian how to walk faithfully with the Lord is in Galatians 5:16; 22-23. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.     

"So I say, live by the Spirit.” What does this mean? It means to recognize that you are indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Your life will be a reflection of the life of Christ. Your walk, the way you live, will be characterized by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

The characteristics of a Godly life are the visible evidence of the fruit you produce as you faithfully follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual fruit in the life of the believer is the same fruit that characterized the life of Christ while he ministered here on the Earth. 

Jesus was living and walking by the Spirit, producing the Spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Most of us have an understanding of the meaning of these words. They don't need to be defined. Study the life of Christ; His life will define their meaning and give you a visible example of what they look like in action. Once we recognize these characteristics, we are to go and do like-wise. We are to emulate Christ. 

Question two: Has your walk of faith been fruitful? 

Fruit bearing is not complicated when we understand its source. It's a work of the Holy Spirit and will be a natural outcome in any believer's life who willingly submit their will to the will of God and follows the leading of the Holy Spirit. Please understand what I am attempting to get you to see. Regardless of how much effort you expend in trying to bear fruit on your own it won't work. If you try to live and do the things you think you need to do to bear fruit for the kingdom of God, you will wind up being discouraged and resentful. The wonderful news for all of us who really want to do well for our Lord is to relax. Stop trying to bear fruit on your own. Just stay connected to the vine. Start reading the Word of God. Start living faithfully for Christ. Live the way He wants you to live. The result of your "staying connected" to Jesus the Vine, living in obedience to his revealed will, will produce in you the fruit of the Spirit and will be evidence to all of your walking your walk and talking your talk. It may sound simplistic but Jesus said in John 15:5 (Paraphrased) I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I remain in you, you will bear much fruit but apart from me you can do nothing. 

Fruit-bearing is all about being connected to the Vine. The branch can bear no fruit alone; it cannot exist without the vine; stay connected.

GEORGIA'S MARK RICHT INTERESTED IN NATIONAL TITLE ON HIS TERMS

 Georgia’s Mark Richt Interested In National Title on His Terms 

Georgia's Mark Richt only interested in national title bids on terms that won't compromise his faith. Dan Wetzel  

Tue, Nov 6, 2012 4:39 PM EST 

ATHENS, Ga. - Mark Richt was an assistant coach under Bobby Bowden at Florida State in the 1980s and early 1990s, when season after season the Seminoles fell short of the national title. If it wasn't one thing, it was wide right. 

Mark Richt doesn't want his life to be defined by his coaching career. (AP) 

Finally in the 1993 season, FSU broke through and was crowned champion. Soon after, Bowden held a staff meeting. Richt, now head coach at Georgia, remembers it well. 

"Coach Bowden looked around the room, 'They said we could never win the big one. And now we won it. Now that we finally won it, do you feel any different now?' "Richt recalled on Monday." He went around the room and everybody said, no not really. We all answered no. 

"And Coach Bowden said, 'You know why you don't feel any different? Because that's not really winning the big one. Winning the big one is when you accept Christ as your Lord and savior.'" 

There isn't any way to separate Mark Richt the football coach and Mark Richt the Christian. They are one in the same. Always. 

What a wonderful story of a man's faith that guides his life. Understand, I'm a Georgia Bulldogs fan and also a great fan of their coach, Mark Richt. Throughout his 12 year tenure at the University of Georgia I have been inspired by his example of what it means to be a Christian in a difficult environment. Over the years I have seen the pressure that SEC football puts on the different Universities and coaching staffs to win. I have also been a witness to a number of the universities that have made the decision to win at all cost. And even though the pressure is tremendous: of all those who coach in the SEC I have never heard anything negative about Mark Richt in regard to his integrity. He has had a number of outstanding recruits that have gotten into trouble by breaking the law and without any hesitation, after giving a proper hearing to the player, they were dismissed. 

I guess the question I ask myself and ask of each of you reading this devotional; have you been faithful in your daily walk of faith? Would the decisions you have made in the "pressure situations of life" be pleasing in the sight of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Would you be able to echo Bobby Bowden and Mark Richt that winning the “big one” in your life was when you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior? As I examine myself today, asking the Holy Spirit to look deeply within my heart, I say without any hesitation that “yes, this is true for me;” the greatest thing that I have ever done in my life is asking Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Does that mean I'm perfect? Far from it! But thank God I don't have to be. He is the only Perfect One and my perfection is in Him and Him alone. (Colossians 1:28; 1 Corinthians 13:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11).

HEALTHY LIVING ADDS 14 YEARS TO YOUR LIFE

HEALTHY LIVING ADDS 14 YEARS TO YOUR LIFE; November 5, 2012 | by Erin White  

Romans 10:6a; 9-10   But the righteousness that is by faith says:…9 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. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Keeping cardiovascular disease risk factors low may lead to healthier life

CHICAGO --- If you have optimal heart health in middle age, you may live up to 14 years longer, free of cardiovascular disease, than your peers who have two or more cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. The study was published Nov. 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

“We found that many people develop cardiovascular disease as they live into old age, but those with optimal risk factor levels live disease-free longer,” said John T. Wilkins, M.D., first author of the study. “We need to do everything we can to maintain optimal risk factors so that we reduce the chances of developing cardiovascular disease and increase the chances that we’ll live longer and healthier.” (Wilkins is an assistant professor in medicine, cardiology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital).

The participants were ages 45, 55 and 65 through 95 years of age. All were free of CVD at entry into the study and data on the following risk factors was collected: blood pressure, total cholesterol, diabetes and smoking status.  

Key results from the study:

• Individuals with optimal risk factor profiles lived up to 14 years longer free of total CVD than individuals with at least two risk factors.
• Men in middle age had lifetime risks of approximately 60 percent for developing cardiovascular disease.
• Women in middle age had lifetime risks of approximately 56 percent for developing cardiovascular disease.
• Lifetime risks for cardiovascular disease were strongly associated with risk factor burden in middle age. 

There is another Journal filled with pages of researched studies that offer even greater evidence of extending life to all participants regardless of their health needs. In fact this Journal contains ample evidence within it of numerous eyewitness accounts of those who were instantly healed of disease; the crippled walking, the blind being able to see, the deaf being able to hear and even the dead being raised to life. To top it off, this Journal offers a free prescription to anyone willing to follow its instructions that will ultimately lead to complete healing and to eternal life.

Medical science is wonderful but has yet come up with the cure for sin and evil and death. Medical science may contribute to our health and happiness but all of its medical breakthroughs are temporary at best. The greatest Physician that ever walked the face of this earth is Jesus Christ and he and he alone can cure the disease that is 100% fatal to all of mankind…sin. He adds joy to life in even in the midst of difficulties and is the only one who can give us his proven assurance that we will not die but will live for eternity in his presence. The Journal is the Bible; the prescription is faith; and the directions are to confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10) If you really want to be healed start following the Great Physician’s life giving advice today. It comes with a 100% guarantee back by God himself.

Aren't you glad that even though outwardly you are wasting away, inwardly you are being renewed day by day through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit? (2 Cor 4:16)

OUR JOURNEY IN FAITH CONTINUES

11 7 12 Our Journey in Faith Continues 

The election is over and for many the disappointment is difficult to deal with. We are stunned by the outcome, our candidate lost. We find it hard to believe so many people would rather our nation continue down a road we feel will lead to financial ruin rather than make the difficult choices that need to be made to restore it to financial health. We have seen the results of four years of an administration that seems committed to the destruction of our Nations freedoms and we have seen its blatant disregard in its attempt to cast off all Constitutional restraints. We are angry and want to do something in retaliation to those who have put our nation in such a hopeless dilemma; at least this is the view from our perspective. So what do we do? We go to the Word of God and when we do we find the following passage of Scripture: 

1 Timothy 2:1-8 (MSG) ¹ The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. ² Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. ³ This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. ⁴ He wants not only us but everyone saved…everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: ⁵ that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, ⁶ who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. ⁷ This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
⁸ Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.

Beloved, God has not changed. He is still on the throne; he is still our King. Don’t forget our citizenship is in Heaven and the time we spend on earth is spent as pilgrims passing through on our way Home. The rulers of all earthly kingdoms will one day stand before the King of Kings and be judged for how they ruled while here on the earth, so leave all judgment to God. Not only should we continue striving to be godly in our way of life now, we should be godly in how faithful we are to the authority God has allowed to be over us. The text is very clear, we are to pray for them and quietly go about our primary business of spreading the gospel message so that all have an opportunity to be saved. We are to pray and not become angry. We are to lift up holy hands to God in prayer, not angry fist at those who disagree with us.

Loving you in my prayers and in my thoughts as we continue to faithfully serve our Lord together. God is so good to have blessed me by bringing each of you into my life. My life is greatly enriched because of the fellowship we enjoy. David

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!

SALT OF THE EARTH

Salt of the Earth

http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/189-tight-presidential-race-influenced-by-peoples-faith

Matthew 5:13-16 NLT “You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden...Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Today is Election Day in the United States. It should be a day for all Americans to choose its national and state leaders to lead the country in the direction it should go. Today is also a special day for Christians to let their faith be made known by how they vote. Their vote should always be a reflection on how the Lord would vote if he stood alongside each of them.

As special as this day should be for Christians, many millions of Christians will not vote. At least this is the conclusion that researchers have found to be true based on previous elections.

The Barna Research Group analyzed the results of the election held in 2000 and discovered the following: 41% of adult Christians who claim to be born-again did not vote. In 2000 this would have amounted to over 35 million Christians. You cannot help but wonder how these 35+ million Christians will attempt to justify their actions before God. You may think the 2000 election was an anomaly but this would not be the case. It is the continuation of patterns that have developed in election cycles over the years.

You would think voting for the best candidates to lead this nation would be seen as a basic responsibility of Christian’s, but obviously many do not see it that way. Surely, no one would think their vote wouldn't matter. Could it be they are looking for the perfect candidate? If so, they will go through their entire lives without voting at all. Or perhaps they use one of the lamest excuses of all, they simply did not have the time to vote.

I wonder if those who do not vote, think these excuses will justify their behavior and lack of involvement in the political process when they stand before God?  In light of the teachings of Jesus who used a metaphor to describe believers as salt on the earth (Matthew 5:13), real salt is used to flavor and preserve food. So as believers we are to flavor and preserve through our Christian witness and testimony the lives of those around us and we do that through the power of the Holy Spirit that leads us. Jesus, in the same metaphor, Matthew 5:14, describes believers as the light of the world. Light illuminates, enabling us to see and walk without stumbling. It illuminates both good and evil so there is no excuse for us to live ungodly lives. The light of God will always lead us in the way of righteousness, in the way of Jesus Christ. When it comes time to vote the light of Christ will give us direction and insight in choosing the most worthy candidate to vote for. We are not to vote for a particular party or to be swayed by charismatic candidates; we are to vote for what the candidates stand for and we are to investigate their witness and their testimony to make sure what they are saying to us is true and trustworthy. We are to vote the Bible as best we possibly can.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 we are instructed to pray for our political leaders and those in authority over us so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. We are told to do this because it pleases God our Savior.

This is not an appeal for any candidate but it is an appeal for you to ask God to guide you in your voting and to pray for our leaders regardless of who is elected. Our elected officials are nothing more than a reflection of those who vote them into office.

My love and prayers to each of you as we continue to wage war against the enemy of our God and hasten his coming. David

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR-TRANSFORM YOUR COMMUNITY

10 30 12 Be a Good Neighbor Transform Your Community    

Comments: Do you remember the slogan used by State Farm Insurance? “Like a good neighbor State Farm is there.” I read on the internet recently an article about a two ministers who lived in the Denver area and wanted to see if there were ways the churches they pastored could benefit the communities near them. In 2009 the two ministers invited twenty of their colleagues to a meeting they had set up with the mayor of the city of Denver, Bob Frie to seek an answer to the question, "How can we as churches best work together to serve our city?" Many topics common to cities were discussed as possible ministry opportunities. Such as; at-risk kids, run-down housing, child hunger, drug and alcohol abuse, loneliness, and shut-ins that have no one to visit or to check on them.

At some point in the discussion the mayor dropped this bomb shell: the majority of the issues our community faces could be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could figure out a way to become a community of great neighbors.

His insight was straight out of the bible. It was an answer given by Jesus to a question he was asked about what a person had to do in order to inherit eternal life. The text follows: Luke 10:25-28 (NIV) On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." Following this exchange Jesus went on to tell the parable of the “Good Samaritan.” (Luke 10:29-37)

Communities are divided all over America. Many have lost hope and when hope is gone you turn to anything that will dull the senses; drug and alcohol addiction. When parents are beaten down the children suffer. Failing schools are often a reflection of hope and dreams being lost. The communities around Denver like thousands in the USA need to love God completely, come to faith, and be a good neighbor. 

When Jesus came to this earth, he entered into a world of hate and violence. He came to love us and be our neighbor as well as our Savior. He established His Church and commissioned it to go into all the world and continue to love others in his behalf.  They were to go forth and proclaim the “gospel” of Christ and be good neighbors to all people. His presence and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit would work in them and through them to accomplish all he wanted them to do. 

The mayor’s insightful observation, of being a good neighbor, turns out to be God’s will for all his people. Being a good neighbor is a witness to the world of God’s love and is basic to the life and witness of the Church; “love your neighbor as yourself.”      

You may be wondering, “who is my neighbor?” Based on the parable above, your neighbor is everyone who lives around you; those you meet or encounter as you go through your daily routine. Your neighbor is everyone God brings into your life; your family, your church, your friends and your real next-door-neighbors; all are neighbors and all have needs. All need to be befriended, all need love and respect, and all occasionally need to be given a hand-up, and for sure, all will need to hear the “good news” about Jesus.

What neighbor did you encounter yesterday, today? Did you treat them as God treated you? Remember Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).  Today, God wants you to be a good neighbor. He will bring someone into your life that needs His special touch and He will use you to deliver it. Be alert. The opportunity is coming.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!