Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving

Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

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

If we desire a closer relationship with our Lord, thanksgiving is the first step.

The Israelites murmured in the wilderness even though the Lord had brought them through the Red Sea, guided them by day and by night, supplied manna and fresh water and kept their shoes from wearing out.  

As a society, we have no grounds for throwing self-righteous stones at the Israelites.  I don’t recall any scriptures that tell us to overlook our blessings and wallow in what we consider to be our misery.  Complaining has, unfortunately, become a cultural trait. 

God is calling us out of that complaining and into more than occasional thanksgiving.  He is calling us to a lifestyle of thanksgiving and praise. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright.  Praise the Lord with harp; sing unto him with the psaltry and an instrument of ten strings.  Sing unto Him a new song" (Psalm 33:1-3).

Praise is “comely”?  Yes, the Word of God says that we are more attractive when we are praising.  Furthermore, scientific research indicates that not only are we more attractive when we are overflowing with praise, we are both physically and emotionally healthier.  

 “New research shows that practicing gratitude may be the fastest single pathway to happiness, health, long life, and prosperity. In a remarkable study performed by Dr. Emmons, people who kept a gratitude journal for just 3 weeks measured 25% higher on life satisfaction afterwards. They exercised more, drank alcohol less, and their families and friends noticed that they were nicer to be around. And the effects lasted for several months beyond the initial 3 week study.”  Read the entire article at: http://www.happylifeu.com/Attitude-of-Gratitude.html

 A lifestyle of thanksgiving is key to our relationship with our Lord.  It is thanksgiving and praise that usher us into His presence.  Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.”

As we come before Him in thanksgiving, we can lay all our cares and petitions at His feet knowing that He is our provision, our hope, our peace.  Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

We often hear Christians say that we must be thankful for all things.  That is a misquotation of 1 Thessalonians 5:18. The scripture says, “in all things be thankful; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  It is not the will of God that we be thankful for disease, devastation, and despair because those things are not good gifts which come from above from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). However, we are to be thankful in the midst of and in spite of those things.  God is with us and in Christ we have victory over death itself.  

 Let’s be thankful as for the creative power of the One who created the universe and holds it in the palm of His hand.   Let’s rejoice in the mercy and resources of the One who supplies our daily  bread and loves us with agape love. More than anything else, praise Father God for sending Jesus to pay the price for our sins and for the Holy Spirit Who indwells all believers.

“Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ His Son”—Henry Smith

Becoming a Mighty Army of the Lord

Becoming a Mighty Army of the Lord

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

2 Timothy 2: 1-3

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.

Remember this old Sunday School song?

“God's got an army that's marching through the land
With deliverance in our souls and healing in our hands
Everlasting joy and gladness in our hearts
And in this army, I've got a part.”

Our times are perilous, but God has an army and our Commander-in-Chief has issued a call for us to join Him.  Yet, many Christians are sitting on their blessed assurance, fearfully complaining as they await the coming rapture.  The rapture is coming. It is coming in God’s timing. Jesus told His followers in Acts 1:7:  "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”   

This is not a season to wrap ourselves in the rapture.  It is a time to go to war. It is the mission of the Church, the earthly army of the Lord, to be about our Father’s business until our Lord returns.  Our mission is to preach the good news of deliverance, healing and everlasting joy that comes through a covenant relationship with God that has been purchased and sealed by Calvary.

It is a time to decree Psalm 144:1-2: “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle, my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge.” 

Paul describes the battle we are facing in Ephesians 6:12-13: “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”   This is an evil day. Are you ready and willing to stand?

Soldiers in obedience to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords are issued the spiritual armor of truth, righteousness, peace, faith and a salvation which includes deliverance, healing and victory (Ephesians 6).

God is training His army today just as He has done in the past.  In the wilderness of Sinai, He changed a generation that had been born of fearful people operating in a slave mentality. He changed the children of those people who often desired to be dependent upon their oppressors. He changed that new generation into a conquering powerhouse.

 When David fled from Saul, outlaws and other outcasts of society joined him as he hid in the caves of the En Gedi wilderness.  With the Holy Spirit to anoint, guide and empower him, David became a warrior king, a man after God’s own heart and the sweet singer of Israel.  Members of his army have been immortalized in Scripture as the “mighty men of Israel.”   

“Israel” means “one who is triumphant with God” or “one who prevails with God.”  Are you willing to be trained for the spiritual warfare of today, to find safety in the promises of the armor of God and to be a mighty warrior who prevails because of a relationship with our Lord Who will, in the fullness of time, return leading the army of heaven?

In God’s army, all believers have a part. 

Yom Kippur--the Day of Atonement--2016

Yom Kippur--the Day of Atonement

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

  Religious Jews believe Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year. It is the day they feel the closest to God. It is the Day of Atonement--"For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you to cleanse you so you may be clean from all your sins before God" (Leviticus 16:30).

This is the day when the Jews hope that their sins have been covered and that their names are written in the Book of Life for the coming Year.

As Christians, we have just spent the past 10 days meditating on the atoning work of Jesus Christ. We know that if we have received the His blood’s atoning, our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, not just for the coming year, but for all eternity. On Yom Kippur, we can say in Hebrew, "Baruch HaShem Ha Maschiach Yeshua, blessings in the Name of Messiah Jesus."

Yom Kippur figures in End-Times prophecy as a picture of the final day of atonement when the books are closed. Revelation 21:11-15, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

We receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior when we acknowledge to Him that we have sinned and that our sin has separated us from God. We must confess that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, both man and God, paid the price for our sin with His death on the Cross and testify that He was buried and rose again in triumph over sin and death. We wait in eagerness for His soon return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 

Celebrate Yom Kippur. Receive The Lord's Supper in communion with Him.  Praise Him for making it possible for your name to be written in the Lamb's Book of Life. He is our "kippur", our atonement.  His sacrifice on Calvary makes it possible for us to live victoriously during our sojourn of earth and to dwell with Him for all eternity.

"Oh, the blood of Jesus,
Oh, the blood of Jesus,
Oh, the blood of Jesus,
That washes white as snow."

Choosing to Speak Life

Choosing to Speak Life

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

            Proverbs 18:21 declares that both death and life are in the power of the tongue.  We are cautioned many times in scripture to guard our mouths.  However, throughout the ages, we seem to have forgotten the power of our words.  The reason we have forgotten the power of our words is that we have not regarded the source of that power.

            In the beginning, the power of the spoken word was evident when the Lord spoke into the formless void and created the universe.   We are created in His image, and in that image is the power to create through the words we choose to speak.

            We live in a world where incivility abounds.  As children we often chanted, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  We chanted to hide the fact that words spoken to us had crushed us.  In truth, broken bones heal more quickly than damaged emotions.

            The Spirit of God is grieved when our words create pain and anguish for others and, therefore, for ourselves.  In Ephesians 4:30-32, Paul directs, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”  (NKJV)

Simply put, God is pleased when we choose to create life with our words.

            Proverbs 10:11 reminds us that the “mouth of the righteous is a well of life.”  Our words can heal. (Proverbs 12:18) Our words can bring joy and gladness. (Proverbs 12:25) Our words can impart grace to others. (Ephesians 4:29) Our words allow us to stand in the presence of God. (Psalm 15:3) By our words, we will either be justified or condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37.)

            The Word of God encourages us to speak the word of God over ourselves and others so that we can more fully walk in His image.  We can choose to begin each day with a declaration of life.  The psalmist proclaimed, “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

            We can follow the course Jesus himself prescribed for us in Matthew 5:44-45, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (NKJV)              

                If we are seeking the “good life”, we must speak blessings over ourselves and others. “For He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit” (1 Peter 3:10 NKJV).

            We have the freedom to speak words that bring either life or death. I pray that we will choose to speak life.

Let No Corrupt Word

Let No Corrupt Word

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

We are currently navigating the maelstrom of political rhetoric which includes some truth and much name-calling, stone throwing and chaos on both sides.  As Christians, we are called to be salt and light and ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. 

Now, more than ever, we must stand for truth. We must not back away from righteousness. We must be firm in our defense of the things of God and our constitutional right to worship Him. In His Word, our Father has given us strategy for standing.  

Much of that strategy is found in Ephesians 6:11-18 (NKJV).  Paul wrote the epistle during his first Roman imprisonment. 

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- "

We do not struggle against flesh and blood. We struggle against spiritual forces of evil.   No matter what political forces are in play, what the Word says is right is right, and what the Word says is sin is sin.  While standing for the truth of God, we must also stand in the nature of God.  Our only offensive weapon is the sword of the Word delivered truth, righteousness, peace, faith.

Among those sinners highlighted in Romans 1:29-31 are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, the violent, boasters, those who are undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful. We must guard against sinking to the level of those who exhibit such behaviors.  

We must speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) without resorting to harsh words and name-calling. We can be forceful, even aggressive, without being hostile.  

In Ephesians 4:29-31 (NKJV), Paul wrote (again from prison), “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”

Holy Spirit of God, convict us of those times when, in standing for truth, we have grieved You. We repent of the bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and malice that have spewed forth from our inner being.  We are reminded that out of our bellies should flow forth rivers of living water. We cry out according to Psalm 78:72, “Oh, God, our heart’s desire is that our government will be led by those who, like David, have integrity of heart and skillfulness of hand. Amen.”

In Spite Of

In Spite Of

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Surveys posted by Facebook friends often quiz about our “favorites.”

What is your favorite color? Breed of dog?  NFL team? Etc.  Etc.  I love all God’s colors.  I prefer stuffed dogs.  I like whichever NFL team my daughter-in-law’s nephew, Dennis Kelly, plays for.  It is currently the Tennessee Titans. 

However, this year of both difficulty and triumph has given me cause to embrace a new favorite, a favorite prepositional phrase, “in spite of.”

In this year, in spite of deep grief, we have experienced God’s comfort and grace.  In spite of our loss, our cup runneth over in the outpouring of love from people whose lives have tenderly touched ours.

In spite of hail storms, basements flooding, smashed fenders and battered friends, God has provided and given us an abundance so that we can be blessings to others.   

We are testimonies to the words of Jesus in John 16:33:  "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.''

In spite of the tribulations of the past year, we are testimonies to the overcoming power of Jesus Christ.  In Him, we truly are more than conquerors. We have, in the Lord, allowed the seasons of our lives to overlap.  In our time of weeping, we have laughed as well.  In our time of mourning, we have danced in step with our Lord. Tears of sorrow and tears of joy often flow together. 

In spite of sorrow and in the face of discouragement, we have celebrated and will continue to celebrate the blessings of our heavenly Father and the joy of family and friends.

In spite of the fiery darts of the enemy, we are experiencing an abundant life in Jesus Christ.  

 In spite of our uphill climb, the scene from the mountaintop is spectacular.

Standing in the Freedom of Christ

Standing in the Freedom of Christ

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Galatians 5:1 For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.

Freedom is autonomy, independence and the power and authority to make wise choices that will lead us into an abundant life in Jesus Christ.  The freedom that comes from knowing who God is and the freedom that comes from knowing who we are in Christ is true freedom.  This freedom comes when we choose to walk out of the bondage of the past. 

The way our past determines our present and our future is established by our response to it. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul encourages, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new..

God has made all things new, but how do we walk into our newness without the excess baggage of our past?  One of the first bits of baggage that we need to leave behind is blaming others for our mistakes.  When we own our failures, we can move past them.  When I understand that I am my worst enemy, I can begin my growth toward emotional and spiritual wellbeing.  I learn from my failures and move past them. When I acknowledge that I have missed the mark, I open the door to forgiveness.  When I accept the forgiveness of God, I can move on to forgiving myself.  When I forgive myself, I can better forgive others.

Shame and unforgiveness are excess baggage that hinder our freedom in Christ. Romans 8:1 says, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  When we walk according to the Spirit, we walk out of condemnation of both ourselves and others and into the freedom of who we were created to be.

  

     In Micah 7:18-19, the prophet encourages, Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.  God is omniscient. Yet He chooses to forget what He has forgiven.  To grow in the grace of newness, we, too, must choose to forget what God has forgiven whether it is our own sin or the sin of others.  God has cast our sins into the depths of the sea.  We don't have a license to fish them out again.

When we rid our lives of the anguish and regret of the past, we are set free to learn from our experiences.   In Romans 8:28, Paul writes, 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. God uses both the joys and the difficulties of our lives to teach us the peace of faithfulness, the power of His authority, the blessings of obedience, and His plans and purposes for our lives.

In that sense, it bodes well for us to revisit the past, but we must be careful not to pitch our tents there. It is important to examine and resolve issues from our past, but God never intended for us to dwell there.  He has called us to be present and future people.  When we have a healing and healthy perspective of the past, we are free to move into our destiny in Christ, a destiny founded on an abundant life in relationship with our Savior.