Words of Wisdom for Everyday Christian Living

By D.D. Dr. James E. Thompson

Words of Wisdom for Everyday Christian Living by Dr. James E. Thompson, D.D.

A man of great faith with a compassionate heart for God’s people, Dr. James Thompson, D.D., was born on September 24, 1939, during a very dark period in our country’s segregated history in the Deep South. He was born in a smal

• Language: English
• Publisher: LitFire Publishing
• Release date: Jan 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781643983479

D.D. Dr. James E. Thompson

Professionally, Dr. Thompson has been a full-time preacher for 53 years, 3 years in Florida and 50 years of dedicated service as the Senior Minister to the North Broadway Church of Christ in Mt. Clemens, Michigan through the end of 2017. He enjoyed his new role as Preacher Emeritus and one of the Elders to the congregation until his departure on October 6, 2018. Academically, Dr. Thompson obtained his Doctorate of Divinity, Masters in Counseling, and Bachelor of Biblical Studies from International Bible Institute and Seminary School, Orlando, Florida and is the first African American in history to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree from Freed Hardeman University, Henderson Tennessee. Additionally he has an Associate Degree in Psychology from Gibbs Junior College, St. Petersburg, Florida. A community servant at heart, Dr. Thompson was honored to serve as one of the Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals Board of Trustees, until he took his last breathe.

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Words of Wisdom for Everyday Christian Living

Copyright © 2019 by James E. Thompson DD

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

ISBN: 978-1-64398-347-9

Printed in the United States of America

LitFire LLC

1-800-511-9787

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Contents

Acknowledgements

A Good Attitude Is Priceless!

Advisement: A Common Need

Always, Always!

An Awesome Reflection

An Honorable Name

Be a Good Example!

Be Careful, God Knows!

Be Cautious, Please!

Be Honest

Be Neighborly!

Because God Is, We Are

Because of Him, I Am!

Believe in God and Yourself!

Catch Hold and Hold On

Confidence in God!

Confidentiality—a Priceless Jewel

Do Your Best to the End!

Doing Right Is Costly!

Don’t Be Confused!

Don’t Blame Others!

Don’t Forget!

Don’t Lose Faith in God!

Embrace Righteousness!

Exceptional Freedom!

First Things First!

Get Up, Regroup, Try Again!

Give God Your Best

Give It to God and Let Go!

God Ever Blesses the Obedient!

God Is No Joke

God Is Not Unrighteous to Forget

God, Not Man, Is in Control!

God’s Children Are Special!

God’s People Are Special!

God’s Power Is Enough!

God’s Way Is the Best Way

Good Counsel Ever Needed!

Good Friends—Rare and Priceless!

Good Men Are God-Directed!

GPS Signal Lost!

Growing Old Thankfully!

Hurry Up, Come Quickly!

It’s the Right Thing to Do!

Just Be Real Because God Is!

Keep Alert!

Keep from Evil

Keep the Spirit Alive Today!

Learn from Trees!

Learn, Love, Obey, and Live!

Let Go and Let God!

Let God Lead and Succeed!

Listen to God!

Love and Obey God!

No Comparison!

Not Just Sunday but Always!

Not until Jesus Touched Us!

Obey God, Be Blessed, and Live!

Our Day to Be Glad!

Our Stability Is Safe!

Please Don’t Quit or Stop

Pray in Faith

Pray, Trust God, and Let Go!

No Designer Plan Available!

Self-Restraint, Job #1!

Show Love! Show God!

Some Critical Whens in Life

Stay in the Light!

Stay Near God so He’ll Stay Near You

Stay with the Lord, Don’t Run!

Take Me! Forgive Me! Make Me!

Thank God for Family!

Thanks to God Always!

The Eclipse—God’s Story and Glory

The Love of God!

The Power of Faith!

The Revival We Need!

The Roads in Life!

The Sovereignty of God!

The Transformed of God!

They Remembered, So Did God

Think about It!

To Know and Understand

Tongue Control

Too Long in the Woulds!

Trouble on Every Side!

Trust God, Worry Less!

Trust God, No Matter What!

Unrelenting Determination!

Ups to Keep Us Going!

Wait! Wait! Wait!

Yes or No from God Is a Blessing!

Walk Worthy!

When Do I Become We or Us?

Whose Job Is It?

Words Cannot Be Retrieved

Wrong Is Wrong, Regardless!

Yes or No? Which One?

Yes, We Can Be Certain!

This book is dedicated to my loving wife, my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

And . . .

In loving memory of my parents

This book is in loving memory of my father,

Curtis Thompson, and my mother, Minnie Boykin Thompson, one of the best Southern cooks in the state of Tennessee.

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to my family and community

To my loving wife, Marva, you are a gift from God and my true love. I could not have done this without you.

To my children Dean, Therrall (TJ), and Mark, along with your families, you are my heart.

May God bless you always is my prayer.

To the leadership of the North Broadway Church of Christ and my church family near and far,

you are my labor of love.

To Henry Ford Macomb Hospital System Board and Staff, you are the heartbeat of my life and community service.

To the citizens of Mt. Clemens, Macomb County, Michigan, and community of believers around the world, thank you for allowing me to share my life’s lessons with you.

A special thanks to my staff, premium, and loving sponsors of this publication

My Staff

Doris Jones, Secretary; Marilyn Patterson, Assistant Secretary;

Shawn Boyd, Financial Accounting Secretary and Assistant Editor;

AGeorge and Erika Hadley, Audio/Sound Technician;

Marva Thompson, Assistant Editor; Brian Bees, Editor; and TJ Haygood, Assistant Editor and Publicist.

Thank you for your cooperative spirit and your labor of love for the Lord.

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� Grammar Notes: Some capitalization and punctuation marks are intentional and do not follow proper English grammar or journalism techniques. They were used to emphasize or highlight specific words and manner of speech familiar to a wide variety of readers. Prayerfully, the overall message will flow through these pages to bless your life. Let your light shine until you take your last breath . . . Matthew 5:16.

Chapter 1

A Good Attitude Is Priceless!

A good attitude is priceless. It can help one to survive while lacking certain skills, knowledge, education, certifications, relationships, and experience. A good attitude saved me when I didn’t know but thought I did!

A good attitude permitted me to reach goals; otherwise, they would not have happened. I am not an exception! Somebody said, Attitude determines altitude in life. There is no doubt this saying has merit.

He [God] hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy and walk humbly with God (Mic. 6:8). Ain’t no way for us to walk with God while flirting with an evil, nice-nasty, ego-driven, sinful spirit at the same time. God doesn’t play like that!

But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law (Gal. 5:22–23). This is about attitude—Christian style, no doubt! There is no better kind of a man on this side of eternity than a Christian man—the kind that makes enemies become our friends (Prov. 16:7).

When walking, talking, driving, working, worshipping, or whatever you do, keep a good attitude! Live godly and righteously; it will make a difference!

I have met and shared with some very bright people over the years, especially men and women of science or medicine with astounding abilities. However, some turned many people off by their ego-driven and unfriendly attitudes, which caused adverse effects despite their learning and professional expertise. Alternatively, I’ve met some who lack knowledge, skills, and education and didn’t even have certification and/or experience but had pleasant attitudes and were willing and ready to learn, grow, and glow—the diamonds in the rough. After washing, cutting, and polishing, they’ve shown great deeds. After those called by God were washed, cut, polished, and empowered, they must bear fruit like Jesus, like us, in Him (Jn 15:1–8).

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice; and be kind to one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Eph. 4:31–32). Again, this is about attitude—Christian style! The Word of the Lord says, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Attitudes are live scenes about us. A good attitude is priceless!

Chapter 2

Advisement: A Common Need

Wise men don’t need advice. Fools won’t take it.

—Benjamin Franklin

If more people would receive wise counsel from God and countless numbers of God-provided sources for our common good, no doubt this world would be far better.

Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. (Prov. 11:14)

Common to all, just like that!

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds to counsel is wise. (Prov. 12:15)

Wisdom is a divine attribute. It is priceless!

Without counsel, plans fail, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. (Prov. 15:22)

Man does not have the capacity to direct his own steps.

(Jer. 10:23; Pss. 37:23).

Someone once said, Advice is the only commodity on the market where the supply always exceeds the demand.

Before animals, birds, insects, and other creatures recognize danger, their parents teach them survival skills via certain sounds and other things to do when danger is present. Their young learn to take cover with no questions asked! The ones that do not learn and obey will not survive long usually! Even humankind. Knowledge and wisdom are an ongoing need to survive here and beyond 24/7.

Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares, "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in scorning. And fools hate knowledge. (Prov. 1:20–22)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Prov. 3:5–6)

Survival skills were the teaching in demand for Solomon’s son and for all who received his knowledge and wisdom!

God will provide the right person to advise us, someone who has been there, done that, and has learned. No one knows all but God! Though many seem to think they do! The Wisdom of God is available to all who ask Him. (Jas 1:5)

Please read Titus 2, which gives life to the above topic. No matter what we think, believe, or reflect regarding old-school and new-school concepts, collaboration will always be critical for the greater good. The old school we know now was once new school, and then time passed by and a succeeding generation rose up! Neither of the two can claim completeness on its own!

Old School and New School Interconnection

Physical: From one blood, God made all the nations of the earth to dwell (Acts 17:26).

Spiritual: And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the Promise (Gal. 3:29).

Due to a powerful physical and spiritual connection, we must be focused on demand and never labeling old and new school, which is more of a put down, instead of high regards for the incredible connection and support system that be. For whatever things were written before were written for our learning (Rom. 15:4).

Paul knew the importance of succeeding generations who are reaping good values from previous ones. Otherwise, what’s written in Titus 2 would have no merit and his powerful words to Timothy would be empty: When I call to memory the genuine faith in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also (2 Tim. 1:5). The joy or glory of good parents is seeing their young grow and become equal to and/or excel beyond them, and to see all they do for God’s honor and His glory (Col. 3:17).

Exemplary parents/grandparents are common needs in the past, present, and in every future generation to please God and for the betterment of man. A collaborative effort, therefore, must occur domestically and spiritually for the very best kind of advisement to resonate and abide in the heart and soul of man (Pss. 19:7; Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:1–4; Col. 3:18–25).

A generation that has no respect for its parents and grandparents and see their life experiences as an irrelevant, old-school thing is, no doubt, headed for a life of sin, evil, disgrace, and doom (Prov. 30:11–14). Lord, help us!

Conclusion:

A. Help change the world one person, family, community, state, and nation at a time by sharing the wisdom of God! Again, read Titus 2—a divine-approved advisement for the common good of a family, both domestically and spiritually! With God’s blessings, we can affect change.

B. Seniors, young, and all in between, accept the reality that we need one another’s help to survive in this vicious, deceptive, and sinful world. We need God all the more!

C. The Devil is ripping the world of humanity apart with three tools: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life

(1 Jn 2:15–16).