Text Box: Years ago I was driving a Salvation Army van that broke down near the United Nations in Manhattan. As I waited for a tow truck in a small park, I befriended a homeless man who had a full shopping cart and was sitting on his favorite bench. It was a warm summer day as he told me of his life since his wife had died. One sentence from that conversation will stay with me the rest of my life. As he shared his grapes with me he said, “With weather like this, I don’t know how anyone could live in a home.” He acted more like a kid on a camping trip than a castaway of society. As we prepare for Thanksgiving this month, may I remind you of author’s Neil Anderson’s definition of “happiness” – wanting what you have. Thanksgiving is the time of year that we stop and thank God for the many blessings that we often take for granted. As I write, I know that a number of readers can point to disappointments in life as reason that happiness is not the dominant emotion felt these days. Times are tough economically and we all face problems. That is why I began with a homeless man who was thankful. As we turn to the Scriptures, we see many reasons to walk in thankfulness. Phil 4:4 says emphatically, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!” The Bible does not say, rejoice when all the bills are paid, family is healthy, and the job is a pleasure. We are to rejoice – always. The Apostle Paul personalizes the theme of rejoicing earlier in the same letter. In chapter 1 Paul rejoices in the Philippian church’s partnership with him in the ministry (1:3-5). Paul also rejoices in the Text Box: preaching of the gospel, even when preached with the wrong motives of envy, rivalry, and selfish ambition (1:15-18). Paul seems to be rejoicing in his imprisonment (1:12-14, 18,19). A key to Paul having such a good time while locked up in prison is Phil 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” We often look at death as a worst case scenario, while Paul looked at death as a best case scenario. Death is the only means to get to heaven. He could rejoice in every situation. Paul also had a belief about suffering that lead him to embrace it as a way to be more like Jesus – the One who suffered more than anyone when he died on the cross, bearing the sins of the world. Think of Paul’s conversion experience in Acts 9. He did not become a follower of Jesus because someone told him that God loved him and had a wonderful plan for his life. Rather, Ananias was told to see Paul because he was God’s chosen instrument to preach to the Gentile. Then God said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:16) If you are in a season of suffering, know that Jesus understands and has been through far worse. Also be reminded that your pain is often the road to becoming the follower of Jesus you were created to be. My prayer for each of us in this Thanksgiving season is that we might ‘rejoice in the Lord always.’ It is human to be thankful for our many blessings, but our faith leads us to thank God even in our trials and disappointments. May God continue to work out His purposes in our lives as we live a thankful life! -Pastor Rick Text Box: Rejoice in the Lord Always

Fort Lee Gospel Church

1625 Palisade Ave.                     Fort Lee, NJ 07024           (201)947-1465   

Pastor:

Rev. Rick Spenst                       

Web site: www.fortleegospel.org

E-mail:

fortleegospel@juno.com

Gospel News
Text Box: November 2011

Thanksgiving

2

Humor

2

Faith & Reason

2

November Events

3

Christmas Child

3

Steve Jobs

4

Nov Calendar