Have you been counting your blessings?

Bro. Scott Hopkins
Youth Pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church

Heirs of a Blessing

I work at a grocery store when I am not at church, and I see many people throughout the day! I hear about their days, some good, some bad. I see their kids and some aspects of their lives. Many of these people have a perspective on life that causes them to look at life in a negative way. Sometimes it saddens me when all hear about is how bad some of their lives are to them. I heard one lady say never have children as she was being bugged by her 6 year old, and she meant it. I have a gentleman come in almost every 3 days, and I am a little petrified to ask him how he is doing or about his day. He complains about something every time, and it becomes so disturbing to see someone constantly negative. The Bible says in I Peter 3:9 "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." God has promised us an inheritance of everlasting life! This life will be with our Saviour forever and forever. I realize that these people I meet are most likely not saved, but I find too many Christians that are the same way as the people that I meet in the checkout line at Publix. We as Christians are promised eternity in Heaven with Jesus and what we give for that many times is complaining. Why can't we look at life like Jesus wants us to and live it knowing we shall inherit a promise? Why Go about life in a negative outlook on our circumstances? God says we shall inherit a blessing. Let us live in the right attitude and spirit because we are going to inherit the ultimate blessing! What kind of blessings has God give YOU? If we look at just our daily lives we can find many blessings from the Lord, but what about our hourly lives? Can we see God bless us hourly? Yes, we can! God gives us each breath we take and allows us to sleep and eat. So everything in our lives are basically blessings from God! So, now the real question to help put your life into the right positive perspective.

Have you been counting your Blessings

Consistent Love

By Paul Chappell
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2014

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
Proverbs 17:17
In August of 2011 a terrorist rocket brought down a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan, killing thirty American troops. Among the dead was a Navy SEAL, Chief Petty Officer Jon Tumilson. His body was returned home to Rockford, Iowa, for the funeral. The service was held in a gymnasium, and the family brought Hawkeye, Tumilson's dog. The dog walked to the front where the casket was draped with an American flag and laid down beside it. Hawkeye did not move throughout the service, staying as close as he could to his master.
The world around us regards love, loyalty, and friendship as disposable commodities. Marriages come and go, friendships end over minor matters and the day when “a man's word was his bond” seems very far away. Yet God's plan is for commitment in every relationship. He expects us to be faithful, whether things are going well or going badly. There are few things more disappointing than finding out that someone on whom you were counting has let you down. Proverbs 25:19 says, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.” That places a great responsibility on us any time we enter into a relationship. We must be willing to faithfully and consistently love the other person.
Changes in circumstances do not justify a failure of love. God does not love us because we are lovely, but because of His nature. Paul wrote, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). In the same way, our love should not be based on what the other person does or does not do. Such love will never be consistent. Instead love should be built on the foundation of the commitments we have made and carried through in our lives.

Today’s Renewal Principle: 

Be faithful and steadfast in loving your family, your friends, your church, and your God.

When Love Grows Cold

When Love Grows Cold
By: Paul Chappell
 
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
Matthew 24:9-12
The best way to determine what we love the most is not to listen, but rather to look. Most of us will say the “right things” when asked. We will say that we love God, love our churches, and love our families. But the way to truly determine love is to observe where we invest our time and energy. The things to which we give our lives are the things which we love most.
Love must be guarded and tended if it is to be kept alive. Just because we love God today does not mean that we will do so tomorrow. Jesus told us that in difficult circumstances many hearts will grow cold. We see this illustrated in an event from the life of Paul. The great missionary apostle traveled across the Roman Empire preaching the gospel. As a result of his efforts, he endured great hardship, suffered persecution, and would eventually be martyred. Throughout his travels Paul had a number of men who journeyed with him and helped him in the work.
Late in his life, when he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote his final epistle to his protégé Timothy. In it he asked Timothy to come to see him. “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia” (2 Timothy 4:10). Even though he was in the company of great Christians, Demas allowed his heart to grow cold toward God. As a result, he fell in love with the world, and his ministry ended.

Today’s Renewal Principle: 

Keep your heart warm toward God today, or tomorrow you may find it has grown cold.

The Impact of Loving God

The Impact of Loving God
By Paul Chappell
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2014


"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:"
Deuteronomy 6:4-6
If our walk with God is going to be what it should be, it is imperative that we love God as we should. Nothing else can be allowed to occupy the central place in our thoughts, efforts, and emotions that belongs to Him alone. Our love for God should be so complete and all-encompassing that it flows out in every word and every action. Our love for God should also cause us to live in harmony with other Christians.
In a letter to the noted evangelist George Whitefield, John Newton wrote: “The longer I live, the more I see of the vanity and the sinfulness of our unchristian disputes; they eat up the very vitals of religion. I grieve to think of how often I have lost my time and my temper in that way, in presuming to regulate the vineyards of others, when I have neglected my own. . . . When our dear Lord questioned Peter, after his fall and recovery, he said not, ‘Art thou wise, learned and eloquent?’ nay, He said not, ‘Art thou clear and sound, and orthodox?’ But this only, ‘Lovest thou me?’”
Our relationships are shaped by our love for God. When He is in His proper place on the throne of our hearts, everything else falls into alignment. Christians who love God as they should do not spend their time fighting over insignificant matters with others. Instead like two instruments that have each been tuned properly, they act in harmony with each other. If we have trouble getting along with others, the underlying problem may be our lack of proper love for God.

Today’s Renewal Principle: 

Our walk with other Christians is shaped by keeping our love for God strong.

"It Should Disturb Us!" By Paul Chappell

It Should Disturb Us
By: Paul Chappell 

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him."
Acts 17:16-17
On January 13, 2012, the massive Costa Concordia cruise ship with more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board was sailing off the coast of Italy on a tour of the Mediterranean Sea. The captain deviated from his planned course and the ship struck a reef near the shore. After taking on water for a while, the ship began to sink. Going against centuries of tradition, Captain Francesco Schettino left the ship instead of remaining to make sure everyone could be rescued.
In a phone conversation, the local Coast Guard commander repeatedly pressed Schettino for an update on the situation. “Tell me if there are women, children and people in need there.” Failing to receive a satisfactory reply, he ordered Schettino to return to the ship. The captain responded, “You realize it’s dark and we can’t see anything?” “You’ve been telling me that for an hour, now get back on board!” the Coast Guard official shouted. The captain was later arrested for his failure to do his duty, resulting in the deaths of more than thirty people.
Every day we are surrounded by people who will spend eternity either in Heaven or in Hell. The fact that so many are lost should disturb us. The Bible tells us that Jesus cared about the people a great deal. “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Let your heart be stirred by the condition of the lost and do everything you can to win others to Christ.

Today’s Renewal Principle: 

As you walk through the world let the lost condition of the men and women you meet stir compassion in your heart. 

  

Proverb of the Day

Proverbs 15

¹ A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. ² The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. ³ The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. ⁴ A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. ⁵ A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent. ⁶ In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. ⁷ The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. ⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. ⁹ The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. ¹⁰ Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. ¹¹ Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men? ¹² A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. ¹³ A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. ¹⁴ The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. ¹⁵ All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. ¹⁶ Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. ¹⁷ Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. ¹⁸ A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. ¹⁹ The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. ²⁰ A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother. ²¹ Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. ²² Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established. ²³ A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! ²⁴ The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath. ²⁵ The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow. ²⁶ The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. ²⁷ He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live. ²⁸ The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. ²⁹ The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. ³⁰ The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat. ³¹ The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. ³² He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. ³³ The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

The Giving of Thanks

Thanksgiving is a time as we all know that as a nation we come together and give thanks for what God has done in our lives. Not only that, it is a time for the gathering of families all across America to come together and be with each other to count their blessings together! I love Thanksgiving because of the fact that as a family we put all differences aside and come together to give thanks and praise to the only one that has allowed us to have what we have in our lives. Now do we actually dwell on what God has done for us and who He is during Thanksgiving? If we are honest with ourselves, we don’t give much if any thanks or praise besides a longer prayer before we carve into our freshly cooked turkeys. This makes me stop and wonder if Thanksgiving, to many of us, is just a time of family, food, fellowship and football. What has Thanksgiving become to me and to you? Don’t forget the shopping that is now starting on Thanksgiving instead of black Friday! Is Thanksgiving really a time that is the giving of thanks to God for what He has allowed for us this past year or is it a time focused on food, family or whatever. I’m not saying that all of these are bad, but we need to keep the giving of thanks to God a priority!

"To all ye Pilgrims:

In as much as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetable, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience;

"Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings. William Bradford, Ye Governor of Ye Colony."
--William Bradford (1590-1657), Pilgrim father and second governor of Plymouth colony.

This was the first Thanksgiving in America! It was all because the pilgrims had a good harvest that year and they had kind of settled down in the “New World!” They wanted to take a day out of the year to thank God for all that He had done that year, giving them food, protection and friends or allies with the Indians! The year was 1621 and the first Thanksgiving lasted 3 days!

Read Psalm 95 and 100 this year, as it will help us to realize why we should give thanks and praise to God!

Love=Authority

Something that has been in my mind for the last couple of months has been a question that I ask myself when I pick up kids on the van route every Sunday and Wednesday. This question is simple but also complex! Why would a child come to church when they aren't forced to go to church, and they don't have the support they need at home to help them in life? I know the Lord is helping them come to church but so are the people in the church whether you know it or not, you are helping a child come over and over again to church without the support from their homes. How? One may ask. It is because the greatest thing we can show these children every Sunday and Wednesday is love. One major way we show this love and compassion is by exercising authority. Now, I am not saying that we yell at the kids and punish them because we are saying we love them that way. I am saying that at home they get little if any punishment at all for the things they do wrong so at church just by us exercising authority with them, it shows that we actually care enough about them to see them do right! This really never hit me like it has the last 3 months or so in ministry. I teach 18-24 kids every Sunday and 10-14 teens every Sunday and Wednesday and most of them are clamoring for some kind of authority in their lives. You know the best part about this is that we as Christians can show God's authority over sin and death with these kids. It all relates back to God! So through this, I have become better at understanding these kids and their needs. It has encouraged me to work with them even more and I pray it has for you too!