Tag: Honoring God

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Heavenward ‘Applause’

For a moment, think about how we train our young people. Those in our children’s Bible classes and up through the teen years.

So often we talk about teaching our young men to lead, but stop short of providing them with the opportunity. We provide summer trips, monthly activities and weekly Bible studies, we even practice song leading and preaching (with Leadership Training for Christ, Lads to Leaders, Timothy classes, etc.) But how much of the teaching and training of our young people is focused on actually leading as opposed to entertaining. Young men prepare talks, practice singing and then stand up before the congregation to lead. But rather than accept audience-applausetheir work, honor their contribution and receive edification from their message, we smile and applaud. In like manner a young person makes the great confession, is baptized into Christ and the first thing they hear coming up from the watery grave is the sound of clapping. What message are we hoping to give when we clap for their service? Are we saying, “good job,” or “congratulations,” or “we approve?”

In a society that is devoid of hard work, the sound of applause is heard at the accomplishment of a task. A beautiful, musical score played or sung by a talented musician is means for applause. The athlete hitting a deep drive into the gap, or making a catch or scoring the winning run is honored with a standing ovation. But when he’s training and practicing for the performance, where is the clapping? Yes, we want to recognize the accomplishment, but why clap for one who is training to lead and teach? Too often we honor the servant when we should be glorifying the Master. In John chapter 13, verse 16, just hours before His arrest and crucifixion he said, “…truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.”

A congregation in Nashville, Tennessee (Woodson Chapel church of Christ) participates in the Lads to Leaders program. During an extended training opportunity for their boys who have been trained, one young, 3 year old boy asks if he can lead a song. Not being old enough to participant in the ‘official training,’ this little man stepped up to lead the congregation. Listen and watch him as he ‘directs’ the saints in the song, “Blue Skies and Rainbows.” But more importantly listen to the lesson this body of believers teaches him AFTER the song has been sung.

You’ve heard it said, “Actions speak louder than words.” Our children will learn from what we do as well as what we say. If we truly want to glorify God, we’ll consider carefully how much ‘glory’ we give each other. We must train our father son singingyoung people to ‘…honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God and honor the king.’ I Peter 3:17. Honoring all people and the king doesn’t mean to applaud their service. Loving the brotherhood doesn’t refer to clapping at their new birth, but fearing God does mean…‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’ Leviticus 3:10 Remember the preacher and the song leader are nothing more than servants, and each of us should concern ourselves with who we honor and how we honor them. Perhaps we should focus more of our ‘applause’ heavenward.

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Thanksgiving…224 years ago

Unless you simply refuse to accept it, our country was founded by God-fearing men.  The first president of our United States understood the importance of honoring and fearing (respecting) our Heavenly Father.  As George Washington penned this proclamation, notice how many times our president gives reference to God, our protector and ‘Author of all that’s good.’

thanksgiving proclamation

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Note: To 1) acknowledge the providence of God, 2) obey His will, 3) be grateful to Him and 4) humbly ask for His protection…is the duty of all nations!

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks–for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war (recognizing God’s role in the Revolutionary War)–for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.”

Again note: Our tranquility as a country, the unity we enjoy as a nation, and our extreme ‘plenty’ is surely a blessing from God!  These truths are not from our own making, but from the hand of God.  That was something our first President clearly understood and adamantly promoted.

“…and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease (increase) of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.washington praying”

Each November our nation is united around ‘Thanksgiving,’ but how many of us will truly humble ourselves and pray?  Do we see this time as an opportunity to perform our ‘several and relative duties (for each other) properly,’ or are we too busy ‘shopping for the holidays?’  God has so generously blessed us!

“Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

G. Washington”