Happy Thanksgiving!!

On Sunday, we continued our study in the Book of Philippians where we looked at
Philippians 3:12 which says, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead”
From that verse, we see three principles that will help provide joy in our lives;
1) The Discipline To Focus- “But, one thing I do”
2) The Discipline To Forget “forgetting those things which are behind”
3) The Discipline To Follow “reaching forward to those things which are ahead”
When we are focused on the things that really matter in life, leave the past in the past, and allow ourselves to look in the future, we will be allowing ourselves to live a life in which joy is abundant. We would do well to follow this life motto…

Learning to focus on the Aspiration
So We Can
Let go of the past with Assurance
That while we
Look into the future with Anticipation
We can go on
Living with the right Attitude

LIVING A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE?

Thanksgiving is here…

“God gave us our relatives; thank God we can choose our friends.” -- Ethel Watts Mumford
“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”--Erma Bombeck

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, 'Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy answered, 'No ma'am, they're dead.'

Are you really thankful or do you just expect things to be hand delivered to you?

“The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts … nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” --H. W. Westermayer

We live in a nation where God has blessed beyond all comprehension, and yet we can be the most ungrateful people in the world. We complain about taxes, gas prices, and the number of bills that we receive each month. At times, admittedly, they can seem unreasonable, but if we are not careful, we begin to complain and we rob ourselves of a heart that ought to be filled with thanksgiving.

In the book of Romans, we read these frightening words: “For since the Creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened”.

What a stark contrast to what David wrote; “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms, for the LORD is the great God.”

Are you singing and making a joyful noise to the Lord? Are you coming before His presence with Thanksgiving or is your heart deceived by your own foolishness?

My daughter has become fascinated with Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and the more I watch that children’s television program I am convinced that we are either Tigger’s or Eeyore’s. Now I am not calling you a donkey, but I am persuaded that we can either be thankful and happy or a grouch and always be looking at the negative. Only you can decide in which category you are.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving...salvation, family, friends, your church, a free country, life itself, or are you so filled with bitterness and complaining that you cannot even enjoy this Thanksgiving? I challenge you to find several children and ask them what they are thankful for this year, I can almost guarantee you that things that they are thankful for will challenge your perspective on thanksgiving?
C.S. Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.” God wants our worship to be motivated by love, thanksgiving and delight - not duty.

This week brings us to a very busy schedule:
Tuesday at 7 is the Ladies’ Bible study
Tuesday at 7 is our board meeting.
Friday is our men’s ministry Kickoff as the men in the church will be going to watch the B.C. Lions play the Edmonton Eskimos.

We have been given the privilege and opportunity to worship our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a free country. As the Psalmist said, “Let us worship His name together”. I invite you to come and worship the Lamb of God. This Sunday morning we will be meeting for Sunday School at 10:00, followed by the morning service beginning at 11:00. Come worship our Saviour with us!

Like never before, the words of the book of Hebrews should be on the minds and hearts of all of those who belong to Jesus Christ: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together; as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see that Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24, 25.

Pastor Paul

May God richly bless your life as you continue to serve and remain faithful to Him!