The Journey Continues:
My journey this week took me to Redwood Baptist Church; the Sunday message on Thanksgiving was preached by the Associate Pastor, Michael Johnson. Johnson is a graduate of Texas A&M Kingsville, and retired from The Community Action, Inc, of Hays, Caldwell and Blanco Counties. He has experience in benevolence with a diverse population through his volunteer work for Hays County Salvation Army. His intense study of the Scriptures has blessed his ministry.
Pastor Johnson wrote: “No doubt most readers were taught as a child to exhibit good manners. Our parents taught us to say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ when appropriate. We learned to respond to acts of kindness and consideration with politeness. Isn’t it true that sometimes the words themselves were not, and may still not, be enough? For those of us with a deeper level of gratitude and moral sensitivity, we feel a burden to go beyond just the words and we look to attach action to the words. We look for an opportunity to do something now or later to extend our thankfulness. If we can have this kind of mindset and heart-set with one another, how much more should we feel compelled to offer such thankfulness to God? We need to show our thankfulness to God beyond just saying the words. In prayer we express our thankfulness to God for all He has done and is doing and because He hears our request but, then what?
“Evidence of true thanksgiving to God is found in sincere Thanks-Living for God. Because, if our words of thanks are followed by attitudes or behaviors that are ungodly, how can our words be considered genuine? Before God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and according to the power of the Holy spirit, as Christians in this world, we are supposed ‘to shine.’ Thanks-living must follow thanksgiving.
“If we consider the healing ministry of Christ Jesus, we find broken hearts and broken lives mended, blind eyes opened, the lame made to walk, lepers made whole, evil spirits cast out and sins forgiven.
“Those individuals, having been in the presence of Christ and having been recipients of his healing ministry were thankful. Don’t we prefer to think their lives were different? Don’t we prefer that they were more aware of pleasing God? Don’t we prefer to think they said ‘Thank you’ to Christ with more than just words? Don’t we believe that is what should have happened?
“But we also must consider the words of Christ to ‘go and sin no more’ as another way he was encouraging Thanksliving. In one parable, Matthew 18:21-35, He introduced a servant he called wicked because he was forgiven a huge debt that he could not pay back to his Master. He begged for mercy, and it was granted. That servant was grateful and was thankful. But then he sought out someone who owed him a small amount of money and treated that debtor very badly. His thanks-living did not match his thanksgiving, Christ said ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive our debtors.’
“So, what about us today? At this time of year despite all that has happened, should we say ‘thank you’ with our lips and say ‘thank you’ with our lives. The evidence of true Thanksgiving is found in sincere Thanks-Living.”
You can listen to Michael Johnson’s Bible Study every Wednesday through Thursday 7 - 9 p.m. on Facebook @Redwood Church San Marcos, or via Conference Call: 305-848-8888, Option #1 — use Code 333-216-2394#.
