Who Do We Thank?

 

Welcome to my Monday Blog, my Friends!

For us Americans, Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Originally, it was celebrated as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest of the preceding year. For us, it’s a day to celebrate family, feast and of course football.

In the United States, the modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition celebrated by the Pilgrims and Puritans, is commonly traced all the way back to 1621 at Plymouth, in the present-day Massachusetts. President George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide Thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, “as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God.”

That date to celebrate Thanksgiving changed in 1941, when president FDR changed it from the last Thursday to the fourth Thursday in November.

And here’s a bit of cool info, which I’d  forgotten…”in modern times, the President of the United States, in addition to issuing a proclamation, will “pardon” a turkey, which spares the bird’s life and ensures that it will spend the duration of its life roaming freely on farmland.” Does the President still do that, I don’t know but I like it — no doubt the turkey does!

OK, this concludes our Thanksgiving history lesson for today, however, I still have the need to share even more important thoughts with you…like President George  Washington’s feelings regarding who to thank for this day we call Thanksgiving, in his statement above: “as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God.”   

Who Do we Thank? ALMIGHTY GOD

In the Bible, the apostle Paul points out “four awesome blessings that we possess through the mighty acts the Father has accomplished in the person and work of His beloved Son. It is also important to see that these blessings, the objects of thanksgiving, do not begin a new section as some have maintained. They are not only still a part of Paul’s prayer, but point us to the reasons why Christians can have a life that is pleasing unto the lord in the four areas listed—bearing fruit, growing, being strengthened, and giving thanks. The reason for thanksgiving is found in the saving acts of God because it is these blessings that deliver believers out of Satan’s domain of darkness and into the realm of light and spiritual fruitfulness. These four objects of thanksgiving are only a partial listing of the blessings God gives us in Christ, but these four do give us a wonderful illustration of what God has done in the person and of what all believers possess in Christ. Through Christ, the Father has:

qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light,

delivered us from the domain of darkness,

transferred us into the kingdom of His Son and

redeemed us, providing the forgiveness of sins

Thankfulness is an important subject to the apostle Paul and in the Word of God as a whole. The concept of thankfulness comes from two Greek words, meaning “grace’ and “to confess, acknowledge”.

“Thankfulness is a mental and/or verbal expression of one’s acknowledgement and appreciation of God’s person, His grace, blessings, and sovereign work in one’s life and the world. So why should we be thankful?

Because it honors God

Because it is commanded in Scripture and

Because of the dangerous consequesces of thanklessness

“But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of Him in every place.” – 2 Cor. 2:14

We should give thanks whenever we pray, in everything and for everything. We should give thanks for God Himself and for His sovereign activity and control over the universe. We should give thanks for our salvation through Christ and for the unfathomable riches that are ours in Him. After all, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing, and we are complete in Him. We should also give thanks for others who know Christ the Savior and are growing and serving the Lord.

Let’s all remember that thankfulness is the opposite of selfishness, pride and self-trust. The thankful person seeks to triumph and lives by the grace of God rather than by his own ingenuity or self-sufficiency.”

I love this!!

My prayer for all of us this week of Thanksgiving is that we will ALL truly GIVE THANKS to ONLY ONE GOD and embrace our gift of the precious JESUS inside us! Talk to Him. Praise Him. THANK HIM, properly.

GOD is Good! GOD is Great!! !Always!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and may you continue to be blessed in the ways that only our Almighty God can. AMEN!!

I love you,

Margaret

Note: A special “Thank  You” to the work of the beloved Pastor J. Hampton Keathley, 111 for today’s Scripture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Greatest Miracle of ALL!

Monday Blog

Welcome to my Monday Blog, my Friends!

When we think about it, we throw that word miracle around rather loosely and not at all in a scriptural sense. I catch myself doing it more than I’d like to admit.

So what’s a miracle anyway?

Miracle:

According to the Bible – is not just any unusual event, nor would an event be called a miracle just because God caused it. A miracle is an event that would be impossible by natural law, but is brought to pass by the supernatural power of God.

Webster – an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.

Christian Science – a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law.

*”A miracle is a divine operation that transcends what is normally perceived as natural law; it cannot be explained upon any natural basis. The miracles recorded in the Bible fall into several categories. The following examples are illustrative, though certainly not exhaustive:

First, there are supernatural acts of creation. Certain creation activities were accomplished by the word of God (Hebrews 11:3); he merely spoke, and it was done (Psalm 33:9). Obviously, this type of divine action is not being duplicated today since the creation process of the material universe was concluded at the end of the initial week of earth’s history (Genesis 2:1-2).  

Second, there were miracles which involved a temporary and localized suspension of laws regulating nature. Jesus calmed a ferocious storm of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27) and, on another occasion, he walked upon the waters of the lake (John 6:16-21).

Third, there were signs which involved the healing of man’s physical body. The blind were made to see (John 9:1-7), and the lame to walk (Acts 3:1-10).

Fourth, there were signs demonstrating divine power over death. Lazarus, dead four days, was raised (John 11:43-44), and, of course, the resurrection of Christ is the very foundation of the Christian system (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). 

Fifth, some of the wonders of the New Testament age had to do with the expulsion of demons that had entered into human bodies (Matthew 12:22ff). This was evidence of the fact that the Savior’s power was superior to that of Satan.

Sixth, the exhibition of divine authority was seen in the manipulation of certain material things. Christ turned water into wine (John 2:1-11), and multiplied a lad’s loaves and fishes, so that thousands were fed (John 6:1-14).

Seventh, miraculous power was demonstrated in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Ballam’s donkey spoke with a man’s voice (Numbers 22:28), and the Lord Jesus, in an abject lesson relative to the impending destruction of Jerusalem, destroyed a fig tree with but a word from his mouth (Matthew 21:19). 

In biblical times, miracles always had a worthy motive. Signs were not done for the purpose of personal aggrandizement. Though Jesus’ miracles established the validity of his claim of being the Son of God, that designation was not assumed our of personal interest. Rather, the documented claim was motivated by a love for man’s salvation. 

Those performing wonders in the first century did not do so for the purpose of enhancing themselves financially—unlike the wealthy “faith-healers” of today. When Peter encountered the lame man of  Acts 3, he had no money (v.6).

As a general rule, the miracles of the Bible era were done in the presence of a multitude of credible witnesses—even hostile observers. When the Lord multiplied the loaves and fishes, possibly some ten thousand or more people were present (cf. John 6:10ff). Truly, the signs validating Christianity were not “done in a corner” (Acts 26:26).

Actual signs must be independent of secondary causes. By this we mean there must be no possible way to explain the miracle in a natural fashion.

One is reminded of the little boy whose cat gave birth to kittens. When the lad noticed the kittens were blind, he prayed for them. Sure enough, in about nine days they all could see! Hardly a miracle.

A genuine miracle will generate more than a superficial and temporary interest. It will have an abiding effect. The miracles of Christ were never denied during the apostolic age, nor even in the immediate ages beyond. “

The greatest supernatural sign that God ever performs is the turning of the heart to Him in reconciliation, redemption and salvation. That’s why God’s greatest miracle happened on a cross when the Son exchanged our sinfulness with His righteousness so that we would be liberated from all transgressions and commune with God forever starting in this life. So often we Christians ask God for greater signs and wonders, not realizing that God has already caused the greatest miracle to happen in our life already, when He took our hearts of stone and made them hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26), when Jesus came down as man to give us eternal life. Every other miracle today comes only as a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross and the miracle of salvation He has already performed in our lives.

In the case of Jesus dying on the cross and being resurrected, is much more than a man dying and rising from the dead. Jesus was a man, but not just a man. He was the God-man – God in the flesh, God incarnate, both God and human in one. The greatest miracle of all is that wonderful, incomprehensible act by which God became human, and was born to a young Jewish girl named Mary, in a stable in Bethlehem, about 2000 years ago during the reign of Herod the Great.”

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13

And this is the #1 miracle of so many performed by God, essentially, and thus the reason for Jesus’ instructions to us:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6

My prayer for all of us this week, is that we’ll revisit these incredible miracles and may we be humbled by God’s Grace and undying sacred love for us… and ask ourselves…Do we truly comprehend what He, in all His wisdom and power, has done for us? What do we do for Him? Do we even say “Thank You, God” enough?

We are weak, but He is strong, yet He loves us so.

GOD is Good! GOD is Great!! Always!!!

I love you,

Margaret

*A special “Thank You” to my friends in Christ – Wayne Jackson/Christian Corner & Don Mears/Grace Communication, for their contributions of text & scripture today. Bless you!!

The Gospel Truth!!

Monday Blog—Welcome, my dear Friends!!

Lately I’ve been praying a lot about my true purpose in this Life and that’s probably because the days ahead of me number far less than the days behind me. When we reconcile this fact within ourselves, we tend to focus more on what not to do, rather than what to do.

For me, it’s all about FUN! When I say “fun” I’m referring to living every day thanking and honoring our Heavenly Father for this Life—in the first place. I want to wake up happy and go to sleep happy – in the knowledge that I’m living my life in ways that say “THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR MY GIFT OF LIFE!”

Question: Where would we be without Him?

Answer: We wouldn’t— No you, no me, no body.

So for me, the thoughts of living Life through Him so I may enjoy every single blessing on His earth for the time I have left, is causing me to pause, once again, and take a personal inventory of my Purpose, His Gifts and my Gratitude.

You know, as Christians, we truly must continue to grow in our lives with a conscious purpose; to accomplish this I’ve found some very helpful information to set me on a stronger foundation – The Gospel. In my case, this will serve me well, as my new focus will be on what not to do, as I continue to serve the Lord. It’s my heartfelt desire to live out my gift of Life to the fullest— enjoy every minute, every relationship, every opportunity,  every…everything!! Hallelujah!!

Share with me now, what The Gospel is not, and my prayer for us all is that we will embrace The Gospel and allow it to fill our hearts with a rededication of our gift of Life.

*1. The Gospel is not about you being so valuable to God that He would save you. 

There is none righteous, not even one. — Romans 3:10b

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. — Romans 3:23

At the right time Christ died for the ungodly. —Romans 5:6b

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8b

“Jesus didn’t die for us because we were worth dying for. He died for us because that’s what unconditional love does.”

2. The Gospel is not about you earning Heaven by the things you do or don’t do.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”—John 19:30

3. The Gospel is not about you being happy.

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship; of His suffering, being conformed to His death. —Philippians 3:10

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted,  they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. — Hebrews 11:37-38

4. The Gospel is not about you not having any more problems.

In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. —John 16:33b

5. The Gospel is not about you obtaining your “dream destiny.”

6. The Gospel is not about you becoming rich/getting a hundred-fold increase on your tithe (giving to get is the height of selfishness).

7. The Gospel is not about you needing to help God reach the world. (If God needed help, He wouldn’t be God).

8. The Gospel is not about you being a restored apostle or prophet after the likes of Peter and Paul or Elijah and Elisha.

Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. —Ephesians 2:20

“Nowhere in the New Testament after the replacement of Judas is any attention given to a so-called apostolic succession.”

9. The Gospel is not about you establishing the kingdom of God on earth so that Jesus can return.

10. The Gospel is not about anything else other than Christ dying on the cross and rising from the dead on the third day for the FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. —Romans 10:9

Go into all the world and preach The Gospel to all creation.—Mark 16:15

They went out and preached that men should repent.—Mark 6:12

Let’s all think about how we may live our lives on the foundation that it’s not about us, but about Him and those who do not “know” Him. If we live for Him, our gift of Life He suffered so for, will not be in vain and “surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life; and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” —Psalm 23:6

Amen!

GOD is Good! GOD is Great!! Always!!!

I love you,

Margaret

*Note: A big Thank You to my friend in Christ, Pastor Mike @AHeartforGod.org (for *today’s scripture)