The Thankfulness Train Day 20.  Today am grateful for a godly man that loves and cares for me.  That God sent him to me to love and care for.  That we have a wonderful family of children and grandchildren to joy and delight in.  I  thank God for this precious man who has taught me so much about integrity, kindness and character in such gentle ways and mostly just by being those things to me, with me and for me.  A man who loves God, who loves me and his family and gives with such a heart of generosity that sometimes I stand in awe.  Thank you God for this husband, companion, friend and mentor with whom you have taught and shown me  so much.  May our lives and marriage be a reflection of your glory and grace in the next 26 years..

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #18

2 Corinthians 4:14-18 has a wonderful ‘Thanksgiving’ message for us, 

“Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

16 For which cause we faint not;

but though our outward man perish,

yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction,

which is but for a moment,

worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen,

 but at the things which are not seen:

for the things which are seen are temporal;

but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

As we focus over the next week or so on giving thanks, Paul reminds us that our thanks when joined with others brings glory to God.  He also reminds us to keep our minds on things eternal rather than the light and temporary sufferings that come into our lives regularly.  God is at work always.

No matter the weight or burden we bear,

“… my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19.

Our confidence and assurance can rest in the hands of our God completely.  What joy we can experience when we remember to rest in the arms of our all-sufficient God.

And as He has promised in Hebrews 13,

He will “never leave thee, nor forsake thee”.

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—!!!!  Look up and thank God for His grace so abundantly showered on us.

So??????  Keep looking up!!!  Develop that attitude of gratitude.  Look with the eyes of the spirit not the flesh.

The Thankfulness Train Day 19.  I am thankful for HOPE!!!  And the precious young people who give me hope when I see them love God, study the Word, live right,  love people and do kind,  loving things for those around them.  Sometimes we get so discouraged by all the horrible things we see and hear around us today that we often miss the lovely people God sends our way to remind us that HE IS still in the life changing business and He’s still calling and equipping men, women, youth and children to love and serve Him in this world of corruption we live in.  Thank you Jesus for the precious young people you have sent to encourage me (the adults too).  Thanks Bailey and Hailey—you are so special to me….You renew my hope in what God IS doing…

The Thankfulness Train Day 18.  I thank God that by His word we can know that “….God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ( 2 Tim 1:7)  I don’t have to be afraid of what comes my way.  I serve the sovereign God of the universe and I know that  “Greater is HE that is in you (me), than HE that is in the world.”  (1 john 4:4b)  Oh, how reassuring and powerful to rest in the knowledge that God has given us power, soundness of mind and LOVE. I can trust to His unchanging grace and His continual working in me to conform me into the image of Jesus. “ Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.”  2 Corinthians 2:14

Bible Ballistics: Pinch Hitter?  11/17/13 Vol. 3 No.01

I’m sure you must be wondering about the title of this week’s article.  As we’ve been looking at God, our source, ‘our first love’  so to speak, it seems to lead right into the reason to give ‘Thanks’, especially at this time of year.

 A ‘pinch hitter’ is “someone who plays in the place of another, or acts as a substitute for someone.”

What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? Every thing, I believe !!!!  As we think of all the ‘things’ that we have to be grateful for, let’s take our minds to the cross.

Jesus took my place!!

He paid my debt!!

He suffered for me!!

He was sin for me and paid the price I owed

to give me the good standing with God

that I could never win,

earn,

achieve,

buy or

accomplish—

He saves those who believe.

Romans 5:1 & 10, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:…. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

John 3 :14-17, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Just a brief reminder of some of the things that Jesus did for us at Calvary. He took my place—my sin– upon himself when he was sinless, and I was not. Only Jesus can save and He does when we come to Him by faith to receive His grace and the salvation it brings.

Romans 5:6-9, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

John 14:5-6, “Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Romans 81-4, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

John 1:10-14, “ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

We can be God’s children, be saved from Sin, know God our Father and His only son Jesus.  We can be the children of God rather than the children of wrath when we believe and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Oh, how could we be anymore blessed?

For what could we be more grateful?

So what do I do about it?

Let’s see what the Psalmist has to say about Thanks giving.

Psalm 26:7, “That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”

Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

Psalm 116:17, “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.”

Just a few of the ways we can praise and express our gratitude to our Lord Jesus and our Father God.  How about taking some time this week to rehearse the blessing of God in our lives.

Not just material,

but spiritual,

physical,

familial,

emotional……

so many ways He blesses and works in our lives.

THANKS AND PRAISE BE TO GOD!!!

Isaiah 61:11, “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”

We are the voice of praise……let it spring forth.