AuthorTerry R Baughman is Lead Pastor for LifeChurch in Gilbert, AZ. See his complete bio at trbaughman.com Archives
October 2024
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Celebrating God11/22/2020 ![]() Celebrating God Thanks Living Terry R. Baughman “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” (Psalm 96:7–9). Thanksgiving is a “God celebration!” It is an occasion to glorify the name of the Lord for everything that He is and all that He has provided. The passage from the Psalm above is just a portion of the song of praise exalting the one God of Heaven who created everything and brought us salvation. He has performed many wonderful works among us. Every praise we offer to God is deserved and appropriate; it is “the glory due His name!” So whether we gather with family and friends or just spend the time alone, during this season let us celebrate God! Often Thanksgiving is more about us. We ask for our favorite dishes or forbidden desserts. We eat too many calories and find ourselves on the couch in a food coma after an excessive meal. Many have a day free of work, or the entire weekend off, and make plans to celebrate with recreation, road trips, or go shopping to take advantage of Black Friday specials. For others it is football games, or other sports activities for entertainment. Among the myriad events and activities surrounding the annual celebration we often make it more about our desires: gluttony, self-gratification, and entertainment. We are all guilty of at least some of these things. During the holiday this year let us take some time to reevaluate how we celebrate. Let us make Thanksgiving a celebration of our great God who supplies such bounty and has blessed us with peace and prosperity that we do not deserve. When we put God first and bring glory to His name, He graciously responds with more blessing and allows us to participate in His celebration. In ancient Israel the feast days were celebrations around the tabernacle and occasions of great joy as the people gathered to honor God. The people brought appropriate offerings and the priest offered sacrifices. They offered the first fruits of grain and baked special loaves to offer to God in worship. Depending on the particular purpose of the sacrifice there were portions given to sustain the priesthood and provide their living. In some occasions there was a celebration and the bounty that was offered to God was in turn shared with the worshippers that had come to honor God. They were indeed feast days!” The principle extends to us today. While we are not required to bring the lamb or calf for sacrifice, we are encouraged to offer the sacrifice of praise! The psalmist wrote, “Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (Psalm 27:6), and, “I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good” (Psalm 54:6). In the New Testament the writer of Hebrews continues this theme of thanksgiving to God and the sacrifice of praise, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:15–16). As we celebrate God, we can celebrate with one another and we can share with others in need. This brings the favor of God. He is “well pleased.” Theme passage: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4 NKJ).
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The Lord’s Portion11/15/2020 ![]() The Lord’s Portion Thanks Living Terry R. Baughman “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). From the early days of biblical history the practice of offering God the firstfruits of the harvest was observed. Under the Law, giving of the firstfruits was established. The priests and Levites were the recipients of the gifts that the people brought as an offering to the Lord. This was God’s provision to sustain those who dedicated themselves to His service. “All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits which they offer to the Lord, I have given them to you. Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours” (Numbers 18:12–13). The giving of the tithe (ten percent) was observed even before the Law was given to Moses. Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils of battle to Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God. The writer of Hebrews recorded, “Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, …” (Hebrews 7:1–2). God blessed Abraham for his giving and the principle of tithing was established. The benefits are reciprocal. First the abundance of harvest provides for our needs and we offer gifts of thanksgiving to God, who in turn pours out more blessings on our lives. Blessings, both natural, financial and spiritual are returned to those who open up their hearts in giving. Tithing is a steadfast principle of Scripture, predating the Law and continuing to be observed after Christ came to the world. The prophet Malachi attached conditions and blessings to the obedience of the tithing principle. It may be the only provision of Scripture where the prophet was instructed to “try the Lord and see” the abundance of blessings that will be returned to the giver. (See the text above.) More than a return of provision, there was also a promise of protection established. The Lord said, “I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field” (Malachi 3:11). We are reminded of the Lord’s promise to Joshua based on the condition of his faithfulness to the Word of the Lord, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7). Obedience to the Word of the Lord always results in the blessings of the Lord. The practice of tithing and giving is a consistent reminder of God’s provision. Weekly, monthly, our according to our increase we are reminded that everything we possess is a blessing from the Lord. We honor the Lord with His portion and we find ourselves being blessed again and again. Thanks living is thanksgiving! Theme passage: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4 NKJ).
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Acknowledge Ownership11/8/2020 ![]() Acknowledge Ownership Thanks Living Terry R. Baughman “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” (Psalm 24:1 NIV). The horn of plenty is a common illustration of Thanksgiving. Centerpieces and other seasonal decorations may include a horn shaped basket with an abundance of produce spilling from the opening. This cornucopia has history in Greek mythology as a symbol of a goat’s horn that was purported to have sustained Zeus in his infancy. Rather than fanciful myths of ancient history, to us, it is simply a basket of blessing, a container of an overflow of harvest after the ingathering of produce. Recognizing that all that grows and all that is in the earth is provided at the hand of One Almighty God, then we have cause to rejoice in His blessing and express thanksgiving for His provision. David said, “The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof” (Psalm 24:1 KJV). Everything we have been given belongs to the Lord as well as we ourselves belong to Him. An important aspect of this time of the year that brings reflection is an opportunity to express our thanks to God for all He has provided. However, it should not just be in November that we find occasion to be thankful. When we come to the realization that God is the source of all blessings we must live with an attitude of thanksgiving all year long. As much as we might express thanks to a kind gesture, such as someone opening a door for us, or a small gift or a thoughtful favor, we should also be quick to offer thanksgiving to God for every day we live and every blessing we receive. In another Psalm God is quoted as expressing His ownership. He said, “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine” (Psalm 50:10–11). An old time preacher once said, “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills … and all the taters under the hills!” It is really true. The potatoes and every other vegetable, legumes, fruit, nuts or meat belong to Him, but He has freely shared them with the inhabitants of earth. Back to the time of Adam, humans have been vested with the responsibility and the privilege of being stewards of all creation. Our stewardship includes the husbandry of produce and the cultivation of a multitude of plants. The reward is that we eat of the harvest and enjoy feasts from the result of our labors. Having known difficult times with insufficient food, the early settlers who came to America learned to survive from the indigenous people who shared from their supplies. After another summer and the resulting harvest the first Thanksgiving was initiated as both settlers and natives ate together and all gave thanks for an abundant harvest. Inherent in the celebration of Thanksgiving is the aspect of sharing. It is a wonderful time to have family get-togethers. Often others who may not have family or close friends are invited to share in these special meals and expression of appreciation for our blessings. This year and through the years, let us be more aware that all we have received is a gift from God and it all belongs to Him. Whatever we have received was a blessing of Divine provision and it is appropriate to acknowledge His ownership and His gifts to us. Knowing that it all belongs to God helps us resist the temptation to cling to things as those we are the true owners of these material things. What we have worked for, saved for, purchased and brought home feels like something that we own. In the light of the Word of God we should realize that nothing really belongs to us; we are just stewards of what God has allowed us to call our own. “The fulness of the earth” is literally “everything in it” and thus several newer translation render the verse that way. Everything belongs to God. Thankfully, He is such a God that only enjoys the things that He shares with us and He is pleased when we receive them with thanksgiving and share them with His same attitude. Acknowledge His ownership and give thanks for His blessings! Theme passage: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4 NKJ).
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Be Thankful11/1/2020 ![]() Be Thankful Thanks Living Terry R. Baughman “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Thankfulness is a choice. We can choose to be thankful or we can give in to complaints. We can practice gratefulness or join in with the complainers. We can make our lives into a practice of helpful and healthy choices or allow bitterness or personal disappointment to alienate our lives and negatively affect everyone around us. The Psalmist recognized that there is a daily resolve involved in our choices and he encouraged us to be thankful to God for His wonderful works. It is apparent from the text that we can choose to be thankful! It is a state of being that is readily available any of us. Rather than giving in to adversarial attitudes that are so prevalent in the culture, we can be set apart through our steadfast commitment to thankful living. The fruit of our choices bring presence of His peace. In our text Paul said, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” So, it must be within our ability to allow peace to prevail and within our strength to submit to the authority of Christ in our relationships. He explained that this happens because we are members of one body AND “we were called to peace.” The conclusion of the verse simply states, “And be thankful.” It is our natural human response to oppose those who rule over us, resulting in our being filled with turmoil, while grumbling or complaining because of our lack as we begin to covet the blessings of others. The simple solution to all of these attitudes is to be thankful! When we are thankful we will find ourselves at peace, unified with other members of the body of Christ. We will be grateful for our blessings and have the ability to rejoice with those who have more than we have and be willing to share with those who have less. Unity of the body of Christ is a calling of the Spirit and thankfulness is the catalyst to promote that cohesiveness. As we respond to the leading of God and pursue righteousness we will find that we become more loving, united, and peaceful. During a time of crisis and in the face of political divisiveness, God is calling us together. Through all of our unique diversity, our cultural preferences, and our varied ethnic influences there is a beautiful peace that is promised to those who will be thankful. The directive to be thankful is found in both Testaments. In the Psalms we are given specific instruction on how we should come before the presence of the Lord. The 100th Psalm is “A Psalm of Thanksgiving.” In this song we are instructed, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). Come through His gates with an attitude of thanksgiving and continue into His dwelling with praise. Our services are intentionally designed to begin with praise, worship songs, and expressions of thanksgiving toward God. It is appropriate to approach God with respect and honor, but we also must come before Him knowing that He is indeed worthy of honor, glory, and adoration. Whether in public service or private prayer, it is always right to praise Him and express our thankfulness for His provision. Finally, we are instructed to “Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” This is the Old Testament admonition to be thankful, not just as a positive attitude, but gratefulness directed toward God. We are to bless His name! It is overwhelming to think that we may bring glory and honor to the name of our Lord. This is why we sing songs that exalt the name of Jesus. This is a pleasing praise to our God. Theme passage: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4 NKJ). |