Thank You!
Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)
When your child receives a sucker or a stick of gum, teach him/her to say: "Thank you."
My friend, the late Paul Ferguson told me a story that I will never forget. (P.173 in Paul Ferguson the Fighter.) He was conducting a meeting in a church in Carthage, NC. He always took a bag of suckers with him to give to the children every night as they left the meeting. On the first night he stood at the door with the bag of suckers, the pastor’s only child, a son (7-8 years old) said to him: “I want five suckers and I want ‘em right now.”
Paul said to him, “I can’t give you five because I don’t know how many I will need to give to the other children. I’ll give you one and if I have some left, I’ll give you four more.” Preacher’s kid said: “If you don’t give me those suckers now, I’ll kick your old leg”. I said, “Well, you shouldn’t do that.” But he kicked me anyway. After the service Paul went by the preacher’s house a minute and gave the boy his four suckers.
The preacher’s kid demanded five suckers the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th nights and kicked Paul. Paul told the Lord that he(Paul) had to do something to stop that kid. On the 5th night after he gave the boy a sucker, the kid threatened to “kick his old leg.” Paul calmly told him: “Son if you kick me again, I’m going to kick the devil out of you. I’m going to kick you good.”
His mother, a good bit older than her husband, happened to be close by and heard it. She said: “You won’t kick my boy!” At the same time, the kid let Paul have it on the shin. But Paul reacted like lightning and kicked the boy on the shin and “brought the bark off his leg. I mean I broke his leg open. He went screaming through the office door to his daddy." His mother said, “I’ll bring my husband out here and he’ll beat you to death!” Paul replied, “If he steps out of that door I’m going to knock him cold.”
Paul told me, “I meant it. I was going to do it. But he never came out. I’d had all I could take. (Remember that Paul had been the welter-weight boxing champion of the Southeast United States for eleven years, (1939-1950) had never been knocked out and won most of his fights as knock-outs.)
“I stood there wondering if I’d made a mistake and should I have waited a day or two.” Just then a man came up to me and said: “Brother, that’s the best thing I’ve ever seen happen around here and I want to give you something.” He stuck something in my coat pocket. As people came by, other people put money in my pocket and by the time it was over, there was something like $450 in my pocket. At that time, that was a lot of money.” I said later, “Well, I don’t know what ever happened to that boy but if he turned out all right, I get the credit for kicking part of the devil out of him.”
That’s a strange story and a bit on the crude side. But it illustrates what I have preached for years, that if you allow your child to receive a stick of gum without saying “Thank you,” you’re teaching him/her to be a criminal. Nothing handicaps a child more than for them to think they are entitled to whatever they want. A child needs to be loved dearly and they need to be taught to respect other people around them. One way to respect people is to say “Thank you” as often as it is appropriate.
Children desperately need to be taught to say: “Thank you” from the time they can say much of anything. If that simple act becomes a way of life, it will align them other human beings in a way that will be to their advantage their whole lifetime. We are not entitled to what other people have. When someone gives us something or does something for us, it is appropriate to say, “Thank you.” If it is appropriate to breathe, it is appropriate to say “Thank you.”
If you want to ruin your children in the shortest time possible, just teach them that they deserve everything they want from anybody around them and you will heap upon them much ill will and possibly an early grave. That’s my soapbox for today and I’m not giving it up because it is the truth.
America desperately needs God and He is the one who teaches us to say, “Thank you.” Saying “Thank you” won’t save your eternal soul, but it will make life a lot easier for you and everybody around you. If “Thank you!” is part of your makeup, it was either taught to you by someone or caught from someone.
It is one of the most powerful Christian graces that can adorn the life of a child or adult. No one will ever jump on you for thanking them. On the other hand, the lack of it may mark you as an ingrate in the mind of people. If we are in the habit of thanking God as we should, it will be a lot easier to thank people who are due a “thank you.” Let’s look at four verses about that. The King James Bible uses “Thanksgiving” 28 times and uses “thanks” 73 times. The word: “thankful” simply means full of thanks.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21)
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (Psalm 100:4)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Romans 13:7)
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, let’s do a little thinking about the importance of it and its great benefit that accrues to people who practice it. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 21, 2017 - TUESDAY
A.M Ezekiel 24-26 P.M James 3
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Song for Today:
You’re Still Lord (4:59) (Janet Paschal)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWBQ3Pgay50&list=RDf8q3TrW_4Ms&index=4 It moved the singer. It moved me. Listen carefully to understand the words.
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Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)
When your child receives a sucker or a stick of gum, teach him/her to say: "Thank you."
My friend, the late Paul Ferguson told me a story that I will never forget. (P.173 in Paul Ferguson the Fighter.) He was conducting a meeting in a church in Carthage, NC. He always took a bag of suckers with him to give to the children every night as they left the meeting. On the first night he stood at the door with the bag of suckers, the pastor’s only child, a son (7-8 years old) said to him: “I want five suckers and I want ‘em right now.”
Paul said to him, “I can’t give you five because I don’t know how many I will need to give to the other children. I’ll give you one and if I have some left, I’ll give you four more.” Preacher’s kid said: “If you don’t give me those suckers now, I’ll kick your old leg”. I said, “Well, you shouldn’t do that.” But he kicked me anyway. After the service Paul went by the preacher’s house a minute and gave the boy his four suckers.
The preacher’s kid demanded five suckers the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th nights and kicked Paul. Paul told the Lord that he(Paul) had to do something to stop that kid. On the 5th night after he gave the boy a sucker, the kid threatened to “kick his old leg.” Paul calmly told him: “Son if you kick me again, I’m going to kick the devil out of you. I’m going to kick you good.”
His mother, a good bit older than her husband, happened to be close by and heard it. She said: “You won’t kick my boy!” At the same time, the kid let Paul have it on the shin. But Paul reacted like lightning and kicked the boy on the shin and “brought the bark off his leg. I mean I broke his leg open. He went screaming through the office door to his daddy." His mother said, “I’ll bring my husband out here and he’ll beat you to death!” Paul replied, “If he steps out of that door I’m going to knock him cold.”
Paul told me, “I meant it. I was going to do it. But he never came out. I’d had all I could take. (Remember that Paul had been the welter-weight boxing champion of the Southeast United States for eleven years, (1939-1950) had never been knocked out and won most of his fights as knock-outs.)
“I stood there wondering if I’d made a mistake and should I have waited a day or two.” Just then a man came up to me and said: “Brother, that’s the best thing I’ve ever seen happen around here and I want to give you something.” He stuck something in my coat pocket. As people came by, other people put money in my pocket and by the time it was over, there was something like $450 in my pocket. At that time, that was a lot of money.” I said later, “Well, I don’t know what ever happened to that boy but if he turned out all right, I get the credit for kicking part of the devil out of him.”
That’s a strange story and a bit on the crude side. But it illustrates what I have preached for years, that if you allow your child to receive a stick of gum without saying “Thank you,” you’re teaching him/her to be a criminal. Nothing handicaps a child more than for them to think they are entitled to whatever they want. A child needs to be loved dearly and they need to be taught to respect other people around them. One way to respect people is to say “Thank you” as often as it is appropriate.
Children desperately need to be taught to say: “Thank you” from the time they can say much of anything. If that simple act becomes a way of life, it will align them other human beings in a way that will be to their advantage their whole lifetime. We are not entitled to what other people have. When someone gives us something or does something for us, it is appropriate to say, “Thank you.” If it is appropriate to breathe, it is appropriate to say “Thank you.”
If you want to ruin your children in the shortest time possible, just teach them that they deserve everything they want from anybody around them and you will heap upon them much ill will and possibly an early grave. That’s my soapbox for today and I’m not giving it up because it is the truth.
America desperately needs God and He is the one who teaches us to say, “Thank you.” Saying “Thank you” won’t save your eternal soul, but it will make life a lot easier for you and everybody around you. If “Thank you!” is part of your makeup, it was either taught to you by someone or caught from someone.
It is one of the most powerful Christian graces that can adorn the life of a child or adult. No one will ever jump on you for thanking them. On the other hand, the lack of it may mark you as an ingrate in the mind of people. If we are in the habit of thanking God as we should, it will be a lot easier to thank people who are due a “thank you.” Let’s look at four verses about that. The King James Bible uses “Thanksgiving” 28 times and uses “thanks” 73 times. The word: “thankful” simply means full of thanks.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21)
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (Psalm 100:4)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Romans 13:7)
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, let’s do a little thinking about the importance of it and its great benefit that accrues to people who practice it. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 21, 2017 - TUESDAY
A.M Ezekiel 24-26 P.M James 3
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Song for Today:
You’re Still Lord (4:59) (Janet Paschal)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWBQ3Pgay50&list=RDf8q3TrW_4Ms&index=4 It moved the singer. It moved me. Listen carefully to understand the words.
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