Thanks :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: November 24, 2019 by RR7

Should we say thank you to people? Some people don’t want to be thanked for their acts of kindness because they say they are only sharing what God has given to them. If you try to thank them, they get offended. On the other hand, there are others who become insulted if they don’t receive a great show of gratitude for any kindness they do. Jesus spoke about this and, like many Scriptures, people take it out of context.

“But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:” (Matthew 6:3).

That seems to make it clear that when you give a gift or do a service, it shouldn’t be done with a big show for all to see. This has nothing to do with the recipient of the kindness being grateful or saying thank you. When we look at the rest of this passage, we can get a clearer understanding of the issue which Jesus was addressing.

First, let’s take a look at alms. What are they?

Alms are gifts of kindness given in order to help another person who has a need. These kind acts are supposed to be done quietly without drawing attention to the giver. They are never supposed to be given to puff up the one giving the alms nor humiliate the person with the need. I saw this quality in my husband many times. One time he saw that my cousin was in desperate need of a washing machine. With a severely handicapped son and a toddler, her life was difficult and laundry day was a real problem. So, Ron went to our local appliance dealer and bought a washing machine for her. He gave strict instructions that they should just deliver it and not make mention of who had purchased it for her. My cousin was so surprised when the washer was delivered, and the feeling of having done a kindness was enough for Ron. That’s what alms are and they should bring gratitude to God, not to the giver.

When Jesus talked about quietly doing alms, He was speaking against hypocrites. The Pharisees liked to give alms, but they made quite a show of it so everybody could see just how generous they were.

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Matthew 6:1-2).

When doing a kind deed for another person, check your motives. If you’re doing it so you’ll receive a big thank you and so everyone around you will know just how giving you are, then your motives are wrong. Don’t have false humility, though, and reject the recipient’s gratitude. That person needs to say thank you. When the washing machine was delivered to my cousin, the company made a mistake and put our telephone number on the paperwork. She said thank you, and Ron was gracious and humble in accepting her thanks. A Christian’s goal is to please God, and blessing others pleases Him.

Christians know that we need to thank God for everything, but do we do that? He gives us everything, and we need to let Him know that we’re thankful.

“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

Birds stay very busy gathering seeds and worms to eat. God provides for them generously. People also are provided for by God. We don’t need to gather birdseed, but God provides the means for us to earn our food, shelter, and clothing. We need to sincerely thank Him for all He provides. When we stop being grateful, that’s when we begin to think we deserve all we are given. Saying thank you to God or to a fellow human being is a way to stay humble. We acknowledge that we have received something we didn’t deserve, but are grateful to have received it. If you’ve received help, then give thanks. If you’ve given help, then accept the gratitude.

Some people say that we should never thank people. The say that the gifts are from God, so only He deserves our thanks. It’s true that all blessings come from God, but it’s also true that He works through people. The Apostle Paul worked tirelessly in service for the Lord, but he needed help from fellow Christians. He didn’t beg for money and he did without some basic comforts on many occasions. He established many congregations during his missionary travels, and some of those congregations supported his ministry. Paul was thankful to them. The congregation in Philippi was one that supported him, but their gifts didn’t always reach Paul in a timely manner. Paul knew how to live on very little and he never complained in times of want, and he was sure to show gratitude when help came his way.

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity” (Philippians 4:11).

Paul wasn’t easy to send gifts to. Just when they thought they knew where to send their gifts, he may have traveled on, or he might even have been put in prison. The Christians in Philippi were faithful to send help, and Paul was not too proud to say thank you.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction” (Philippians 4:13-14).

God uses people in many ways. Some are spreading His message and some are supporting their efforts. If someone fills a need in your life, thank God, but also thank the person. Paul was humble enough to say thank you, and hopefully the Philippians were gracious enough to accept his thanks.

Today there are many people with great need, and Christians need to look to the needs of fellow Christians and help. That help isn’t always in the form of money. A gift of time is always welcome. A person in a rest home or hospital can get very lonely. Let them thank you when you spend some time there. If you see a brother or sister struggling with a crisis, stop and pray with them, then let them thank you for your prayers or other help. It’s very humbling when a brother or sister helps to fill a need; and if you reject the simple words, “Thank you,” then you have rejected the humble gratitude of a fellow believer.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Be sure that God is glorified in all that you do. Don’t do kind acts to get the gratitude of people; but when you receive a thank you, be sure that the glory goes to God.

Saying “Thank you” is important for our humbleness, but we must never forget to thank Jesus for all He does. Remember the ten lepers who were healed? They were all very happy about the healing and scurried off to the priest to be declared clean. Only one thanked Jesus.

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:15-16).

Only one of the ten said thank you and glorified God. It’s from Him that all blessings come. Jesus didn’t take the gift of healing back from the ones who didn’t say thank you, but He did notice that only one turned back to thank Him. If we claim to be a Christian, then we need to show our gratitude to Him. God gave us the ultimate gift…the gift of salvation.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

No mere mortal could accomplish that, and He deserves our gratitude. Jesus chose to enter His creation, walk among men, then go through the agony of crucifixion in order to offer us the free gift of salvation through Him. That gift must be accepted; and if you’ve accepted it, don’t take it for granted. Thank Him for loving you and taking your sin away.

If you’ve been given a gift, thank the person who gave it. If you’ve given a gift, accept the thanks. In all cases, give thanks to God.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” – God breathed.

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Hungry for The Word, Starving in The Pews :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: November 17, 2019 by RR7

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

Many Christians are starving. Not because they have no food, but because the word of God is watered down and questioned by those who should be feeding the flock. That’s a sad comment on the preachers and teachers of today. They claim to have been called by God to stand in pulpits and lead a congregation, but many congregations are dying because they’re being starved.

I get many emails from people who yearn to find a Christ-centered congregation where the word of God is taught and honored. These people are looking for fellowship with Christians who find joy in their faith and their worship services are alive with the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, in these last days, those congregations are few and far between. God saw it coming.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

This verse is specifically about Israel, but we are in the last days, and there is a famine today in our Christian congregations. Many preachers today don’t preach the full counsel of God because many in the congregation don’t want to hear it. It’s more comfortable to die in sin than live in truth.

It’s the duty of a pastor to shepherd the flock in a God-fearing manner. A shepherd cares for the sheep. He is sure they’re well fed and have plenty of water, and if something dangerous comes among the flock, it’s dealt with swiftly. If a shepherd sees a member of the flock wandering away, he will go after that sheep and bring it back. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and is the example to follow. He cared for the people who followed Him and never tickled their ears with a watered-down Gospel. When He faced opposition from the Jewish leaders, He never caved to their demands.

Today, liberal governments forbid pastors to preach the full truth of God’s word. Instead of standing firm on God’s truth, most pastors tickle ears and sidestep important issues. Why? If they call homosexuality a sin, they’ll lose their tax exemptions. Just like the money changers in the Temple, who cared more about money than truth, many pastors are willing to sacrifice God’s truth in order to keep the money coming in and tax exemptions in place. Peter and John were arrested for preaching God’s truth and were threatened not to preach about Jesus. They wouldn’t be silenced and were brought before the high priest.

“And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:27-28).

Peter knew whom he followed and whom he served and would not allow himself to be silenced when preaching the truth.

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Peter had a lot more to say to the men who tried to stifle the word of God, and pastors today should take heed. It’s God who must be obeyed, not Satan who is the ruler of this world and influences liberal-minded folks to try to stop the truth of the Gospel. The name of Jesus must be preached and the full truth of God’s word must be taught.

Peter had followed Jesus for a long time, but he didn’t always stand up for the Lord. Peter was always outspoken and bold, until he was afraid of being arrested and put to death along with Jesus. Peter hid as Jesus was crucified but when the tomb was found to be empty, he ran to see for himself. What bitter conflict he must have felt. He had followed Jesus but fear of being punished for his faith caused him to deny His Lord. It was Jesus who calmed Peter’s fears.

After the resurrection the disciples were instructed to go to Galilee. Jesus met them there, and they shared a meal with the risen Christ. On the night Jesus had been arrested, Peter denied knowing Him three times. Now, on the shores of Galilee, Jesus asked Peter three times “Do you love me,” and each time Peter was given a responsibility. The first “…Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15b). Lambs are young. They aren’t ready for adult food, but need nourishment. Milk is their main food and it helps them grow into sheep. The Greek word bosko is translated “feed,” and that’s exactly what it means. It’s also descriptive of how a Christian teacher is to promote the spiritual welfare of the congregation. The lambs need to be fed milk at first, but they will never grow to be sheep if only fed milk. New believers need to be gently led to grow into strong Christians.

Jesus asked a second time if Peter loved Him and told him to take care of the sheep. “…feed my sheep” (John 21:16b). This time, instead of books, Jesus used the Greek word poimaino, which means feed but also means to tend a flock. That means to look out for their welfare and provide for their spiritual growth. If the sheep are allowed to stray, the flock will die. Then Jesus asked a third time if Peter loved Him and told him to “…Feed my sheep” (John 21:17b). Once again, the word was bokos. Sheep need adult food, not milk. Very few congregations today are being nourished and only lambs are being fed. People are hungry for the word of God but are starving as they sit in the pews.

Notice too that Jesus said “my lambs” and “my sheep.” Peter might have been the shepherd, but the flock belongs to Jesus. Peter took Jesus’ words to heart and faithfully fulfilled his calling. Peter was the one who spoke boldly on the day of Pentecost, and thousands of people accepted Christ as their Saviour that day. Read his words in chapter 2 of Acts and see if he tickled ears that day or if he was politically correct. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and no longer feared for his life. He served Jesus and wasn’t afraid to speak the truth.

What about your pastor? Does he tiptoe around Scripture or does he boldly preach God’s truth?

Pastors today are called to feed both lambs and sheep. Many are failing. They feed the lambs but forget to feed the sheep. On more than one occasion, I’ve had someone tell me that God doesn’t want us to understand all of Scripture. These people have never been fed anything but milk.

The Apostle Paul wrote two letters to a young pastor named Timothy to guide him in shepherding his flock. Paul told Timothy “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Paul didn’t say that only the easy Scriptures are to be taught, but all of Scripture is for our edification. At that time, Scripture was the Old Testament. Does your pastor only teach from the New Testament? If so, you’re being deprived of some important doctrine. Does your pastor hop, skip, and jump through Scripture rather than teach verse by verse? If so, he probably avoids teaching against sin so the tax exemption will stay in place and nobody will be offended and stop tithing. That’s why so many congregations today are dead. Prophecy is a little more difficult to fully understand because it sometimes describes a future event that was hard for the prophet to describe. For instance, how could John have understood how the world would see the two witnesses lying dead in the street? Today we can understand because satellites and cell phones make it possible.

Sheep need a shepherd but we have a Shepherd who is greater than any man. Jesus Christ is that Shepherd who will never leave us wanting.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:11-14).

Your pastor may be a hireling who’s not interested in shepherding the flock like he should. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He loves us, cares for us, and will never flee in the face of opposition. Most pastors won’t preach all of God’s truth for fear of losing members of the congregation or being persecuted for preaching God’s truth. The flock belongs to Jesus and He gave His life for our salvation.

It’s important for Christians to feed on God’s word. Does that mean you have to sit in a pew and starve? Fellowship with other Christians is important in our spiritual walk, and that usually means attending a worship service, whether watered down or not.

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).

Being with other Christians is important, but if you’re sitting in a pew starving because you’re only being fed milk, don’t wait for the hireling to feed you. You can feed yourself. Jesus is the Bread of Life and our Good Shepherd. Turn to Him. You have a Bible and can read and study. Don’t wait for a hireling to tend to your spiritual needs, but take care when studying that you aren’t duped by a false teacher. There are many.

Read Scripture and digest it. Study it and understand that the entire Bible from Genesis through Revelation is all inspired by God. Men held the pen to write it but they wrote God’s word as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Also remember they didn’t write it in English or Spanish or French. It was mostly written in Hebrew and Greek. If a certain Scripture is confusing, then look up the words in a Hebrew and Greek dictionary to get the original meaning. Then see where that word is used and translated elsewhere in Scripture. Never take a verse out of context. The best way to begin your study is with prayer. The Holy Spirit will guide you. I’ve found some very inspired Bible teachers that I listen to online, but I never listen to just one man. That way I don’t become a follower of a man. The men I study don’t worry about fitting a teaching into a 15-minute sermon, but may take an hour to be sure the sheep are fed.

If you’re hungry for the word of God but starving in the pews, look to Jesus for nourishment.

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water.