Thursday Thought 11/7/2024 - The Holidays: Give Thanks

As we rush towards the busiest time of the year, we start to take stock of many things during this season.  Let’s just start a list….

1.      Thanksgiving meal, family, thankfulness

2.      Tis the season – getting ready for Christmas!  Gifts, family, friends, gatherings, decorations, weather, travel, hurriedness.

3.      End of the year – past goals, business wrap up, taxes.

4.      Beginning of the year – new goals, business plans, annual meetings, taxes.

And in all of these actually quite important and large events that all occur within a 2-month period, we have multiple concerts, school events, church events, family events, community gatherings, work to complete, and things to cross off the list to finish prior to 2025.

Do we even have time for giving thanks?

Psalm 107: NIV “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.”

The Bible has many verses about giving thanks.  And not just giving thanks when it’s the holiday or we are in a happy place.  The Bible guides us extensively in giving thanks even when we are not feeling very thankful…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)” Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I mean, come on – the holidays are busy, and hectic, and we must put up with a lot of stuff that many people are just not comfortable with.  Crowds, waiting in lines, traffic, bad weather, thinking about others before ourselves, (yeah, let’s be real, this is a hard one, right?!) We are constantly being fed commercialized stories and banter that is all made to get you into a worldly view of these holidays.  To be in a hurry.  Because when we are in a hurry, we do not listen to anyone, do we.  And we need to be listening to One in particular…

The Bible tells us in Psalm 46:10 NIV “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

When we start to lose our way in this holiday season.  When the jingles and new catch phrases become too much – Be still.  Listen.  God will guide you.  He will allow you to see what you have to be so thankful for!  We have so much in this life.  And even in tragedy and hurt – we can have hope, because Christ is the Hope of the world!

Jesus — the sinless Son of God, died on the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead so that we too might have life in eternity.  Paul describes Jesus Christ as “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1) and “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Jesus not only came to bring hope. He IS our Hope.

We have hope because Jesus forgives us and changes us. Knowing Jesus brings peace and thankfulness regardless of possessions, and joy even through hard things. Nothing can come against this hope, because it’s Him.  He IS the HOPE!

So as this holiday season starts, and you feel those anxious feelings, sadness creeping in, and thoughts of the world take hold, think about this verse…

Philippians 4:6-7 "Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks"

And stop and listen.  You will find Him, because He is waiting for you!  Yep, you.  And He wants to let you know that He loves you and doesn’t care what you’ve done.  He just wants you to know Him.

Make this season a season of giving thanks to the Lord.  For He is good, and He loves you so much!

God bless you and keep you.

PTV

Thursday Thought 10/31/2024 - Halloween

I think it’s funny that people get worked up about a “holiday” that celebrates with dressing up in costumes, and traditionally going out to your neighborhood and asking for candy from neighbors.

It makes me wonder where it all came from.  Hmmmm.

There is a storied past in European countries for the celebration of Halloween, but it was extremely limited in colonial New England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems there.

As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups and Native Americans meshed, a distinct American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” which were public events held to celebrate the harvest. Neighbors would share stories and tell each other’s futures, dance and sing.

Did you know? More people are buying costumes for their pets. Americans spent some $700 million on costumes for their pets in 2023—more than three times what they spent in 2010. Wow!  now that cracks me up!

Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories.  By the middle of the 19th century, annual autumn festivals were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country. But in the second half of the 19th century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants from European countries helped popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally.

But what about the whole going house to house and getting candy?  I mean, isn’t that the point?

Borrowing from European traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. In the late 1800s, Halloween was turned into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts and pranks. And at the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the common way to celebrate the day.  By the beginning of the 20th century, Halloween had lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones.

Now, people use it as an excuse to go out and party.  If you talk to any nurse, or hospital worker, or EMT, you will find that October 31 is the busiest day for intoxication, disorderly conduct, broken bones, and car accidents.  An interesting way to celebrate, I think.

And I am not saying I never had any fun on Halloween eve.  I remember distinctly on an October 31st in my first year at St. Paul Bible College, (which was not in St. Paul at this time, but in St. Bonifacius) my roommates and I went to a cemetery and played hide and seek with a bunch of people from school.  I suppose that is tame, but also probably not so respectful of the people laid to rest there, or their families.

For myself growing up we just never made a big fuss about the “holiday”, and we never did with our kids either.  I mean we would go in our neighborhood and “trick or treat” or take them in their custom Mom-sewn costumes to see their grandparents, but otherwise, not a big day in our house.

I think as humans, we get way over worried, anxious, concerned about what everyone is doing about a holiday – but then we don’t seem to get as worried, anxious, or concerned about everyone’s eternity.

I mean Halloween is a man-made thing – eternity, however, is the rest of time, the whole of time itself.  And considering where you are going to spend that time, seems much more reason for concern for me.

Let’s consider what’s important before we go off on someone about what they do for a “holiday” and judge them on their actions.

What are our actions when we find out they are not going to heaven?  Are we concerned?

Peace,

PTV

(history info on Halloween provided by: The History Channel)

Thursday Thought - 10/24/2024 - It Feels Soon

This year has rushed by, hasn’t it?  I mean, it seems like we just came out of the “deep freeze” of winter here in MN, and now we are headed back into it.  In another week, (November 3rd) we will be turning our clocks back an hour just so we aren’t in perpetual darkness for a bit.  But those days of getting up in the morning to darkness, and then driving home in the early evening in darkness are almost here.

I think lately I have been feeling like life is that way too.  As I have headed into later years of my life, I feel like more of my time is in darkness than in light.  This world, this time in our culture, and the things that are occurring in our world right now, remind me that we are on a timeline.  There is only a finite set of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years left.  I don’t say this to cause alarm, or anxiety – especially in families where there are young children involved, but I do say it to remind us that God is coming back.

In taking stock of life, and decisions, and legacy I find myself wondering if I’ve done enough.  And if I am wondering if I have, then its probably a good indicator that I have not.  There are people out there who don’t know that simply by not making a decision, they are making a decision.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He came to earth to die for all sin, because He loves us.  Then He rose again and went to be with The Father in heaven.

Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"

1 Peter 2:24: "'He himself bore our sins' in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness"

2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God"

So, when I look and see people walking into eternity with no plan for it, I find myself overcome with sorrow and a renewal of purpose to trust God’s plan for me to tell others about God’s love and His wanting of all humanity to join Him in paradise.

I don’t know when Jesus is coming back, no one does – but the Bible tells us:

Matthew 24:36-44 NIV “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Let’s be diligent.  Let’s be mindful of the people around us.  And let’s be willing to take a chance that someone needs to hear how much Jesus loves them.

Peace,

PTV

Thursday Thought - 10/10/2024 - Mental Health and the Church

How does one move forward through sadness and grief.

This question has come up quite often lately, and more often than it used to.  These times seem to be breeding this instability that makes people unsure of how to focus, be guided by God, or even reason through some things.  We have become a nation of people completely unfocused on our own beliefs.

There is an answer of course.  It is God.  And I could end the conversation right there.  But of course, as human beings, we need some things explained.  Wouldn’t it be nice just to say it and it be done.  (but again, that’s not the human way)

Jesus said in John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So, if we were to just go to Him, we would find the way, (a path through our struggles), we would find the truth, (enlightenment and plain facts), and we would find “the life”.  Not a life, not a life we are currently enduring. But the life that only He can give us is in relationship with Him.

It’s not rocket surgery.  I was reading “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers today, and it states,

“…We do not grow into a spiritual relationship step by step— we either have a relationship or we do not. God does not continue to cleanse us more and more from sin— “But if we walk in the light,” we are cleansed “from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It is a matter of obedience, and once we obey, the relationship is instantly perfected. But if we turn away from obedience for even one second, darkness and death are immediately at work again.

All of God’s revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to us through obedience. You will never open them through philosophy or thinking. But once you obey, a flash of light comes immediately. Let God’s truth work into you by immersing yourself in it, not by worrying into it…”

The beauty of this is that it is that simple.  We can achieve a walk with God, relationship with God, a cleansing from sin, and an understanding of our purpose if we obey Him.

And what defeats depression, anxiety, sadness more than knowing what your purpose is?

Nothing.  That is why God makes it so clear what our purpose is:

• Worship God and live your life as an offering to Him. 

• Share the Gospel with those around you. 

• Love others the same way God loves you so they can also have a restored relationship with Him. 

• Do everything for the glory of God.

 To be clear, this is not to minimize or take lightly any struggle that anyone is having with depression, grief, anxiety, or any type of mental health illness.  We recognize that these are illnesses, and need care, counsel, and attention.  The church has far too long looked upon these and placed them into a bin to be sorted later.

 That should not be the reaction of the church.  We need to address these concerns, and help with mercy and grace, just like Jesus did.  To love and understand, and to guide towards the truth of relationship with Christ.

 If you or someone you know is struggling right now with a crisis, a mental health illness, and depression – please reach out.  Call your church, call our church, call a mental health professional and share.  There is no shame in getting help.  In fact, there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel!  Working together with a relationship with Jesus and talking to a mental health professional is a wonderful way to find balance.

 Isn’t it great to know that God made it so simple for us to find Him?  Jesus said:

 John 14:27 NIV “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

 Peace,

PTV