Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton,
the official podcast of Cross -Christian Fellowship,
Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico,
where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're
here. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for this
day. We thank you for this time of praise and
worship of you. We thank you for this time in
fellowship. and is definitely going to come after
as we enjoy this delicious food that's been prepared
for us. We ask in the meantime, though, that
you open the eyes of our hearts, open the ears
of our minds to let us see and hear the word
that you have prepared for us and how to apply
it to our lives as we leave here today. In Jesus'
name, amen. Again, everybody, welcome. It's great
to have you all here, and I hope you brought
your appetite. I know I did. You know, the last
few weeks we've been talking about why we need
to be grateful for the thorns that are in our
side, right? Today, it's not part of that series,
but it's still going to kind of emphasize a bit,
you know, the fact that we need to be thankful
for the bad in our lives just as much as we are
the good. All right. And to start off, I'm going
to share a little story here. There were two
men. that were walking through a field one day.
And there was a bull. The bull got a little agitated
seeing him. It started to charge him. The cowboy
started running, running for the fence. This
bull's hot, though. It's in hot pursuit. It's
tearing down the field. It's catching up to him
in record time. And one of the guys, in fear,
yells to his buddy, hey, say a prayer. Your dad's
a preacher. You know how to do this. Guy says,
I've never made a public prayer in my life, but
I'll say the one that my dad says all the time
at mealtime. Oh, Lord, for what we're about to
receive, make us truly faithful. Today's world,
we're very much like the cowboys running from
the bulls, aren't we? We truly are. It doesn't
matter how plugged into the Lord we think we
are. When things get going and things start moving,
we tend to forget. Instead of going to the source
that we should be first, we're just caught up
in what's going on around us, caught up in what
we're doing. And it's real easy when things are
good. When things are good, we just keep on trucking,
right? That we might remember to give thanks.
Oh, thank God. Yeah, things are good. And other
times, it's just good. So we're just going to
get wrapped up in it and just keep on going.
Usually, you know, usually when it does hit,
it's usually like a quick hit and run though.
Kind of like this bull if it hit the cowboy.
Just keep on going, right? When we do get that
thing, so like I said, as quick as it is, we're
off and running even faster. We're so caught
up. We don't take time to stop and actually enjoy
that good time, that blessing that's in front
of us. Take eating, for example. I love to eat.
I really do. It's one of my favorite times of
the year because there's food. There's a lot
of it. Well. Food is also some of my downfall.
For those of you who don't know, I went to a
military school. Military school, everything
is regimented. The way you sit, the way your
dishes are laid out, you ask permission the whole
bit, and you have a set time once you get permission
to eat, and you're scarfing. Yeah, you get to
taste it, sure. You don't get to enjoy it the
same way, and after a while, this becomes second
nature. And then, of course, after that, I went
into the Marine Corps. I'm in boot camp. You
got all of 15 minutes from the time you hit that
door to get your food, get seated, eat your food
and get back out. So you're eating in record
time again. And you get used to it. So it's second
nature. I can't tell you how many times we sit
down and I think I'm slowing myself down. And
my wife looks over and says, are you enjoying
your food? Are you even chewing it? Right? My
mom, I don't know how many times she's done the
same thing. It's hard for me. I have to try to
force myself. There are a few exceptions in between
where I'm able to really slow down and enjoy
it. I'll be honest, usually that's when I'm bumping
my gums. After all these years, it's still there.
That's some nice thunder. Amen. You know, with
this said, though, it brings up the old idiom.
We all need to stop and take time to smell the
roses. We have so much good going on in our lives
that regardless of our circumstances, we need
to slow down and take it in and enjoy it. Sometimes
it's easier said than done. When things are really
bad, we need to recognize that there's still
something to be thankful for. And again, we need
to slow down and be appreciative for it. We need
to be grateful. And I can assure you, no matter
how bad things are, you can still find something
good. Let's open our Bibles to 2 Corinthians
11. We're going to go to verses 23 through 28.
So 2 Corinthians 11, 23 through 28. All right,
2 Corinthians 11, 23 through 28. Paul writes,
are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool.
I am more in labors, more abundant in stripes
above measure in prisons, more frequently in
deaths. Often from the Jews, five times, I received
40 stripes minus one, three times. I was beaten
with rods. Once I was stoned three times. I was
shipwrecked a night and a day. I have been in
the deep and journeys often in perils. of water,
in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen,
in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the
sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness
and toil, in sleepiness often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Besides the other things, what comes upon me
daily? My deep concern for all the churches.
And here's the thing, Paul, he's talking about
being grateful. He's talking about being thankful
in all circumstances. You see, when he wrote
this, he was really upset because there were
a lot of false teachers that were leading people
astray. They were deceiving the Corinthians.
So when he was writing this, he's reminding them
of who he was, where his authority came from,
the trials and tribulations that he had to go
through as a follower, as a disciple of Christ,
right? One of the apostles. And he had to endure
a lot. Beatings, imprisonment. humiliation, various
dangers along the way, sacrifices galore. He's
still having to endure them. He has more on the
way. And you just look at this piece of scripture
right here. He's running from his own people,
right? At times. Other times, he's dealing with
the Gentiles who hate him. You know, 40 lashes
minus one, because 40 lashes was a death penalty.
Minus one to make sure that he still lived. Right?
Beaten. Unmercifully. He had more going on for
him than most people. And as followers of Christ,
we're all going to have trials and tribulations.
Hard times await just as much as the good times.
And those trials and tribulations are there for
good measure, though. They shape us. They build
our character. They help us to find how much
more we need Jesus in our lives and to lean into
him. They prepare us for further service into
the kingdom. They give us everything that we
need so that we talk to others. We're able to
actually talk to them. We're able to empathize
with them. I know a lot of people like, ooh,
empathy. No, it's important because you need
to be able to get to people on their level. If
you don't have these experiences, how can you
do it? How can you appreciate the good, let alone
the bad? So it's a reminder. We don't just go
to Jesus when things are hard. We go to him when
things are good. We pray and we give thanks.
Turn into 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. verses 16
through 18. So 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through
18. Now 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through 18, the
word says, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
and everything give thanks, for this is the will
of God and Christ Jesus for you. And it says
right here, Give thanks in everything. Everything.
The good, the bad. All of it. Why? Because if
you don't, you start to become ungrateful. You
become grim, sad, depressed. Oh, woe is me, right?
You start to see yourself as a victim in the
world. Everything is somebody else's fault. Nothing
is your fault. The world is out. To get you.
But let me tell you something. As a believer
in Jesus. As a follower of Christ. You're no
longer a victim. You are an overcomer. You are
an overcomer. Plain and simple. And it's no longer
about you. But the Holy Spirit who's in you.
And that's why you're able to overcome. You adapt,
you change. And Paul knew all too well the good
times and the bad. And he chose to overcome the
stinking thinking. That mindset that a lot of
us get caught up in way too often, especially
in those hard times. Instead, he kept the mindset
of Psalm 18, verse 24. I'm going to go through
this one quick. So Psalm 118 verse 24, this is
the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and
be glad in it. There's a song out there that
uses that. I love that. That's a good reminder
when you listen to the radio, right? Brian's
up here already singing it. But it's a good one.
It's the same mindset that we should all learn
to have regardless of our circumstances. Sure,
sometimes it's easier than others because there
are some things that weigh on us. Heavily, right?
Heavily. But we have to be diligent and we have
to put forth our best foot. We have to make that
effort. You know, it's one of those things that
we like to refer to as find the silver lining,
right? And I'll tell you what, finding that light
in the darkness can be hard, but it can be done.
Sometimes you just have to turn around or look
up. And Paul and Silas can do this after being
beaten and imprisoned. Remember, we talked about
this a couple weeks ago. What did they do? They
sang hymns of joy. They sang to the Lord. And
if they can do that in one of the worst circumstances
anybody can find themselves in, I'll tell you
what, you can do it regardless of the circumstance
that you find yourself in today. There is something
great there looking you in the eye. You just
have to open your eyes and see it. Ukrainian
evangelist David Karcha is quoted saying, in
a time of peace, the gospel is powerful. But
in a time of war, it is unstoppable. Ukraine,
an area that's been at war for years now. The
church is still going strong. People are still
coming to it. They're still coming to Christ.
Amen. And they're going out and they're ministering
in hospitals and orphanages and families that
have been torn apart. Not only that, but it's
on their home turf, right? Their home soil. So
they get to do something that very few churches,
especially coming from the West here, get to
do. They get to minister to their soldiers in
the field. Here you have a believer that's able
to meet a warrior out in the field in the trenches
and pray with them and speak to them and minister
to them. And remind them of the hope that's there
for them. They're out there finding good in a
country that's been torn apart by war. Their
world is literally blowing up around them. And
they still find the light that is Jesus Christ.
Much like with the story we opened with today,
they're giving thanks while being chased by that
bull. In his book, How to Be Decadent, George
Mike wrote, In Budapest, a man goes to a rabbi
and complains, Life is unbearable. There are
nine of us living in one room. What can I do?
The rabbi answers, Take your goat into the room
with you. Incredulous. Excuse me. The man is
incredulous, but the rabbi insists, do as I say
and come back in a week. A week later, the man
comes back looking more distraught than before.
And he says, We cannot stand it. The goat is
filthy. The rabbi then tells him, go home and
let the goat out. Come back in a week. A week
goes by. The man comes back and he's radiant.
He's smiling and he's happy. And he tells the
pastor, life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute
of it now that there's no goat. In the room.
There's only nine of us. Hmm. Mindset. That's
the stinking thinking, right? You see, sometimes
being thankful is not always about looking for
a silver lining. Sometimes it's adjusting your
mindset. Being thankful to God isn't about where
we are. It's not about what we have. It's the
simple fact that he is in our lives. He is a
part of our lives. He wants to be a part of our
lives. He wants a relationship. He has broken
the chains of sin and freed us from them and
has very little in return. That's what we have
to be thankful for. That is our gratitude above
all things. And it's one of those things that
we need to remember. Especially those times when
we're feeling lonely. And this is one of those
times of the year that a lot of us feel lonely,
right? It really is. The next couple months,
I tell you what, ERs get packed. Packed. You
know, the discussion about suicide this time
of the year, it is statistically backed up, which
is unfortunate because people feel disconnected
and alone. As believers, though, We don't have
to feel that way because God is there. Jesus
is walking with us and he's cheering us on every
step of the way. Yeah, things are hard. He's
like, you know what? It's okay. You got this.
You got this. You got this. You can do it. The
finish line's ahead. Just keep going. Keep running
the race. If you have to slow down, slow down.
If you have to walk, walk. If you have to crawl,
crawl. But you've got this. You're going to get
through. I'm not going to leave you. I'm right
here. Just keep. Chugging along. And it goes
all the way back to 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through
18. We just read that, right? It's the mindset.
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing in everything.
Give thanks. This is the will of God and Christ
Jesus for you. Trust him. And you'll find the
good in all situations. Pray constantly. Constantly
be praying in everything. It doesn't matter how
silly it is, how worthless it may feel. Pray
for everything. That's relationship. That's what
relationship is supposed to be. That's what the
Father wants. He wants us to come to Him with
our needs. Sometimes I chuckle and I have to
remind myself, nope, you pray for everything.
Because we'll be pulling into a parking lot somewhere,
my wife's driving, or even when she's not, even
when she's riding. What's the first thing that
comes out of her mouth? That's it. Thank you
for the parking we are about to receive. We are
truly grateful. Amen. It sounds silly. Sometimes
when you're sitting there, it can sound silly.
But it's not. It's okay. It's good. It's actually
great. Why? Because that is her relationship
with the Lord. And that's what we should all
have. It is a great example, which is why I call
her out. We forget about those little things.
It doesn't matter how big or how small it is.
We still need to be praying. And that prayer,
that relationship that builds up, that's love.
It's an attitude of gratefulness that we should
all carry. It's gratitude. Gratitude itself is
love. And I'll remind you, love is not just empty,
hollow words. It's not just a little card. on
Valentine's Day or something like that, right?
It's action. It's the stuff that we do. What
can we do for the Lord? What can we give the
Lord? Ourselves, our time, our words, our thoughts,
our worries. Share our triumphs with him and
thank him for them. The whole bit. You think
of... Speak of Jesus when he was asked, what
are the greatest two commandments? What's the
first one he led off with? Love the Lord with
all your heart, your mind, your soul. And the
second one is like it. Love your neighbor as
yourself, right? Well, it's real easy to remember,
love your neighbor as yourself. And we're talking
about the foundation of the golden rule, right?
Do unto others as you have done unto yourself.
It's biblical. But all too often, we forget about
that first part. Love God with all your heart,
all your mind, and all your soul. How do we do
it? We pray. We go to him in prayer. We do the
things he asks of us, even if we don't agree
with them. That's conviction right there. Because
he does know what's good. He knows what's right.
He knows what's wrong better than anybody. But
that's how we have true gratitude. As we celebrate
the good and we go to him with the bad. And this
is how all of us should be showing gratitude
as we celebrate Thanksgiving this week and we
go into the Christmas season for the rest of
the year and well beyond. 365 days a year or
however much time we have on this planet, right?
With that said, let us pray. Lord, we thank you
for being a part of our lives. We thank you for
your love, your mercy, your grace. We ask that
you keep reminding us what gratitude should look
like in our lives, what love should be in our
lives, that we're able to find ourselves thankful
regardless of what's happening in our lives,
where we are, what's happening around us or to
us. that we find that thankfulness simply because
we have you. Guide us in sharing these things
and guide us in sharing our blessings with the
world as we leave here today. And while we're
at it, I just want to go ahead and we want to
thank you for this food that we're about to share,
this fellowship that we're about to have, and
the blessings that you've provided us with. We
are truly grateful, and we ask that you use all
this to nurture not only our bodies, but our
souls and our minds. And all these people said,
amen and amen. Remember, as you do leave here
today, you are loved and you are blessed. So
go and be the church. Amen. Yes. Thank you for
joining us at Healing Scars with Pastor Burton.
Until next time, take care and God bless.