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“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” —Psalm 107:1 The mark of a believer is thanksgiving and gratitude. We have grateful hearts because of what Christ has done for us. We enter into the presence of God with thanksgiving and praise. The people of Israel would often bring sacrifices to celebrate great events. They would celebrate in particular their redemption, whether for crossing the Red Sea or their trip through the desert to the land of Promise. They would celebrate with massive festivals. Much like the American tradition of Thanksgiving in which we celebrate Thanksgiving as a nation. The nation of Israel would celebrate with feasts and festivals, and they would bring sacrifices offered to God in thanksgiving. We all have sinned against God and rebelled against a holy God. And yet God has loved us, He has saved us, He has brought us into His family, and now we belong to Him. It’s no wonder we say, “Thank you, Lord,” and bring these sacrifices of praise to God! When you think about what Christ has done for you, you can’t help but thank Him. When you think of the goodness of God and remember and reflect upon it, you cannot help but offer these sacrifices of thanksgiving to God. Not just because of the way you feel, but because of what you know!   GIVE THANKS NOT BECAUSE ALL THINGS ARE GOOD, BUT BECAUSE GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD! Seizing the Moment Wednesday, February 20, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13–14 In 23 BC the Roman poet Horace published his influential Odes. Among all his poems filling three volumes, perhaps the most famous line is, “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,” which translates as, “Seize the day and put little trust in the future.” The world around us has taken this philosophy of not waiting and hoping for the future but acting in the present and turned it into an excuse for self-gratification. The YOLO (you only live once) mentality often leads to foolish or sinful conduct. That is not the proper way to live in the present. The Christian is to seize the day because we do not know and cannot presume on the future. The only day that we know for certain we have to serve God and love others is today. James reminds us: “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). We must not let what is before us today slip away because we do not know if there will ever be another opportunity to carry out what is before us. When we face a “such a time as this” moment, we must act or it will forever be lost. Someone said, “The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity.” We are gifted each day with twenty-four hours, and how we use those hours determines the impact of our lives. Today's Growth Principle:  Do not let today’s opportunities pass you by while you are focused on tomorrow.