Thank God for My Clogged Drain!

1 Thessalonians 5:17,18 - "Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" 

During this Thanksgiving season, K-Love Radio has been giving listeners an opportunity to share on the air what they are thankful for.  I heard a great story last week after I has just dropped my wife off at work.  You see, she missed a step coming down the stairs a couple of weeks ago and broke a bone in her "driving foot".  Hence, I have become her temporary designated driver. 

I was getting a bit annoyed at all the driving back and forth…until I heard the story from a woman that said, "I'm calling in today to give thanks for my clogged drain".  Huh?  It really got my attention!  She went on to say that for two years she was homeless.  During that time, she declared 2 Samuel 7:1-7, that "no longer will you move from place to place but the Lord will build you your own house".  And He sure did, she now had a home of her own.    

That's a godly perspective folks!  In everything she gave thanks.  When she was homeless, when she was standing on the Word of God, and when she had her own home, clogged drain and all! 

 

No Trespassing!

Gen 15:11 (The Living Bible) – “Some vultures came down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away”

One Sunday I was dosing off while watching a football game after church, when I heard a commotion in my front yard.  A Pit Bull had gotten loose from one of the neighbor’s fenced in yard, and had wandered onto our property.  He was met face to face with our dog Benny, an oversized Yorkshire Terrier.  I knew that all that dog needed to do was position his jaw a certain way on Benny’s body and things would be quite serious.  On the contrary, it was Benny that had the Pit Bull on the run and was nipping at his tail and chasing him off our property.

In Genesis 15:11, Abram had laid out a sacrifice as a sign and a response to his covenant with Almighty God.  As he did this, some vultures tried to “trespass” on his sacrifice, but Abram “chased” them away!  That’s exactly what we need to do when the devil tries to come on our “property”.  Drive those “vultures” off of what belongs to you through the finished work of the cross.  You do this by exercising your authority through speaking the Word of God over your family, your teenager, your body, your bank account, your thought life and whatever else it might be.  Jesus said, “I have given you power…over all the power of the enemy”!  Declare today, “No Trespassing!”, in Jesus’ name.

 

Grace Partakers

Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified Bible) "For it is by free grace [God's unmerited favor] that you are saved [delivered from judgment] and made partakers of Christ's salvation] through [your] faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God"

When I was growing up, dinner time was a very memorable experience in the Fortunato household, with seven of us at our kitchen table every night.  Every one talking about their day, all genuinely interested in one another, it was something I will never forget. But wait a minute, let's back up to the beginning.  Here's the real memorable part.  We'd all rush to the table, spread bountifully with my mom's good cookin', my father would pray, then it was "every man for himself".  If you wanted to get your fill, you had to just "take it"!

In Ephesians 2:8, Paul said that we have been made partakers of Christ's salvation.  This word salvation is the Greek word sodzo, which means forgiveness, health, prosperity, freedom, protection, defense, and rescue. Notice he says that we have already been made partakers.  Partake means to take or be given a portion, to have a share or part of something, to bite, consume, feast, or swallow.

So, what do I use to partake of the meal that is set before me? Your mouth. That’s how we partake, we use our words.  The more we use our mouth the more we partake. Faith is the fork that brings what already is to our mouth.  2 Corinthians 4:13 says, "We having the same spirit of faith, we believe therefore we speak".  Faith is believing and speaking!  Believe, receive, and say "thank you".  DINNER IS SERVED!

 

Approved for the Master's Card

Romans 4: 6 Amplified Bible  "Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does" 

An envelope comes in the mail with large letters on the front that says "APPROVED"!  Inside is a letter that begins with "Congratulations you've been approved for a ______ credit card!"  Not just one letter, one time, but dozens of letters from the same company, over and over again.  They figure that sooner or later you're gonna take the offer.  After all, if feels great to be "approved".  The companies that send those letters want you to feel that "This is great, I'm approved, something really good just happened!"  Everyone wants to be approved, it validates you, it says you're ok, you're doing well.  Hey, it's better than being disapproved, right?

In Romans 4:6, a blessing is pronounced upon your life, and guess what, you didn't do anything at all to deserve it!  I call this being approved for "the Master's card".  An important gift was credited to your grace account, it's the gift of righteousness.  The day you made Jesus the Lord of your life this gift was given to you and you did nothing to earn it.  

"The Masters card" has given you an unlimited account to draw upon, and the great part is, there's no payments!  Hallelujah!  No monthly reminders, it's all covered!  So what does God want us to do? Draw on His unlimited supply, no interest, and no payments.  

He has pronounced "the blessing" on you and you did nothing to deserve or earn it!  Final approval has been given through the precious blood of Jesus, all payment has already been made.  This card doesn't borrow from the future, but instead has secured your eternal future.  This card has been paid in full!  Enjoy!

Get the Crimps Out

Proverbs 4: 23 Amplified " Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance for out of it flows the springs of life."  There is nothing like Springtime, it's such a great time of newness of life.  The birds are singing, the leaves on the trees are turning green, flowers are blooming.  I enjoy this time of year so much.  Well, all almost everything about this time of year...

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Go to the Source

Romans 3:4 (NKJV) "Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.’”  Does this scenario sound familiar… Someone says to you, "Did you hear what so and so said about you? They said that you were angry with them, and you ignored them at work the other day?"...

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Is That Your Final Answer?

Mark 11:14 "And Jesus answered and said unto it, no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And His disciples heard it."  "Is that your final answer?" is a phrase made famous from an American television game quiz show that first aired in 1999 called Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  The show made television history as being...

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Marinate Day and Night

Joshua 1: 8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but thou shalt meditate therin day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success".  When I married my wife Natalie, I "obtained favor with the Lord" (Prov 18:22).  I really got blessed with her love for God, her character, integrity, her sense of humor, and…

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Oh Say Can You See

Psalm 91:2-3 - "I will say...SURELY He will".  A lot can go wrong for those singing the National Anthem at a sporting event, but when it's out of your control, the audience may have your back. That was the case for Michelle Madeira, who performed both the American and the Canadian National Anthem prior to a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game a few years ago...

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Exhale

Genesis 12:2 (Amplified Bible) - “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you {with an abundant increase of favors} and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing {dispensing good to others}”. There's a really great song that says it all for me about grace, it's called Exhale by Plumb.  Listen to these powerful lyrics...

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Watch the Tram Car Please

Psalm 35:27 "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."  The five most frequently repeated words at the Jersey Shore every summer are not "license and registration please", or "we are all booked up".  Instead, it's...

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Adding Fuel to the Fire

1 Corinthians 15:56 – “The strength of sin is the law”.  Recently in the news was a story of a man that accidentally set fire to three cars while trying to get rid of bed bugs!  The New Yorker was hospitalized after dousing the interior of his rental car with...

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Bobo's Back!

Matthew 6:9 “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name”.  Some of you may remember me talking about Bobo in recent years, a dog in my neighborhood where I grew up.  He was chained up in the yard at his house, all day long, rain or shine, near the softball field where we played.  Bobo was a huge black dog with matted fur and very large teeth, and barked nonstop.  Unfortunately... 

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Absalomic Vinegar

2 Samuel 15:2 – “And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so , that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.”  I really enjoy a nice salad with my dinner…and my dressing of choice – balsamic vinaigrette!  Did you know that the name balsamic comes from...

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"Thanks-given"

2 Peter 1:3 "According as his divine power has "given" unto us all things..."  My favorite holiday to celebrate has always been Thanksgiving.  As a child, I have great memories of our family going to the big rivalry football game on Thanksgiving morning and then...

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