A Psalm of praise on Thanksgiving

Psalm 100

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving.

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Greg Laurie holds Seattle "Harvest"

Pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie visited Seattle from November 5-7, holding a series of three "Harvest" outreach events at Key Arena. Attendance totaled 39,200, with more than 162,700 watching the event online. Laurie reported Monday morning that 4,225 people made a commitment or recommitment to Christ during the three-day period! Visit seattle.harvest.org to view slideshows, read testimonies and watch archived webcasts in full.

Safe in battle?!

One of the most well known among U.S. Civil War military leaders was a man by the name of Thomas Jackson. Jackson, an officer in the Confederate army, made his place in history as the result of courageous acts born out of his Christian faith.

In the first battle of Bull Run, Jackson distinguished himself by a display of resolute calm even as he led from a front line post on horseback. In the midst of the death and destruction of war, Jackson remained calm, issuing orders and focusing on his troops. Another general observed Jackson and said: "There stands Jackson like a stone wall."

Jackson emerged with a new nickname: "Stonewall Jackson." When someone asked him about his remarkable composure in battle he responded: "My religious belief teaches me that I'm just as safe on the battlefield as I am in my bed. The Lord has already appointed the day of my death, so I need not worry about that. I live my life and prepare myself so I will always be ready to meet my Lord, when death does overtake me."

Numbers 14:9
"Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." (Ten spies sent by Moses into Canaan returned with fearful reports. They chose to fear men. Only two of the spies urged an attack into the Promised Land. They chose to fear God.)
Psalm 56:11
"In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Psalm 27:1
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Submission to government authorities

Important to note in the heat of a political season is the fact that God has been, is, and always will be in control, not only in the U.S. but in all nations across the globe.

Romans 13:1
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

"Invest" in others

This morning in conversation about children, our little group of Christian dads was reminded in a painful way that our sweet "babies" WILL exercise the freedom of choice that sets humans apart from other creatures. All too often, especially as our children grow older, those choices WILL be contrary to God's will ... and they WILL cause separation and heartache.

Relationship with God must of course be a personal decision. We cannot "give" or "bequeath" our faith, even to those we love the most. But we can share the love story of Father God, who created the human race in order to be in relationship with us; we can lift them up in prayer, "fight" for them in the spiritual realm; we can support and encourage them in the faith once a decision has been made to surrender self to Jesus Christ the Messiah.

In the meantime, the conversation this morning reminded us that as Christians, we cannot offer cookie cutter answers/solutions to those we love when they share their burdens. We are called to walk through "it" (whatever "it" may be) with them. We are called to "invest" of ourselves. We are called to point always to Jesus, seeking at all times to align our thoughts, words and actions with God's will.