30 DAYS OF THANKFUL VERSES-DAY 22

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."~ 2 Corinthians 9:15

 

 



We all love receiving gifts. With Christmas right around the corner, my house is buzzing with certain little boys wondering what they will receive. A gift can brighten an otherwise bad day or make someone feel special.

But, what is this "unspeakable" gift that the Bible says we should be so thankful for?  It is the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the gift of God allowing His one and only Son to come to earth in the form of man, die and rise again that we may be with Him in Heaven. When something is described as unspeakable, it is meant that it cannot be expressed in words. I could not imagine offering one of my sons!
For those of us who have accepted this great salvation, I don't think that we really understand the wonderfulness of what we have received. We won't know fully until we reach Heaven. We do, however, know the joy and peace that comes with putting our trust in Jesus. I am often overwhelmed when I think about it. I do indeed find it "unspeakable", and I am thankful for such a wonderful gift that I know I didn't deserve!
I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)
 



30 DAYS OF THANKFUL VERSES-DAY 6-14

Good morning, everyone. Wow. I missed a lot of days! I apologize. Life got busy for me between our Ladies Retreat and sick children. I am going to catch up today:
DAY 6: "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:"~ Psalms 50:14
DAY 7: "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."~ Psalms 30:4
DAY 8: " Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."~ Daniel 6:10
DAY 9: " But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD."~ Jonah 2:9
DAY 10: " But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."~1 Corinthians 15:57
DAY 11: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."~ 2 Corinthians 9:15
DAY 12: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."~ Phillipians 4:6
DAY 13: "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:"~ 1 Timothy 4:4
DAY 14: "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan."~ Luke 17:15-16

Just searching for and writing down these verses gives me a new attititude of thankfulness towards my God! Each has such a powerful message in them. But today, I would like to talk about Luke 17:15-16, which is in the story of Jesus and the ten lepers. Now, this is not a parable, but an actual event that happened. Luke 17:11-12 tells us that Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem. As He passed through Samaria and Galilee, He entered into a village where ten lepers called to Him from afar. The reason that they did not come near to Him was due to the fact that, in those days, once someone was found to have leprosy, they were considered unclean and had to live separately from others.
Jesus heard their cry. Isn't awesome that we have a Saviour Who hears us when we cry unto Him? He told them to show themselves to the priests. They were healed as they were leaving. Such an amazing and wonderful miracle to be healed of leprosy. But guess what? Out of the ten, only one, who was a stranger as well as a Samaritan, came back to thank Him. Only one, and he did it with a loud voice!
We can look at the other nine men and judge them. We wonder how they could not even have turned around to thank Jesus for what He did for them. But wait! How many blessings and wonderous works does He bestow upon us, every day, yet we forget to thank Him? Do we take these for granted? There is always something to be thankful for. How about a special healing? For example, as a pastor's wife, I have seen many who have come home with a diagnosis of cancer. They would have the church pray for them. When they went back to the doctor, the cancer could not be found. Now, sometimes, instead of giving glory to God for the healing, it's easy to fall into the mindset that maybe the doctors "misread" some tests and made a mistake in the diagnosis. We forget to give credit where credit is due.  God healed them!
Today, how about taking time to think about what God has done for us, then thank Him? What blessings are we taking for granted?
I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)

30 DAYS OF THANKFUL VERSES-DAY 5

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

The first thing that a lot of people think when they read this verse is, What? How can I give thanks in everything? How can I be thankful for what is going on right now or has happened in my life? I used to think the same thing, until I re-read the verse.
This particular verse does not say "for" everything give thanks (although there are many other verses that do), it says "in" everything give thanks.
It is so very easy to get discouraged, I know. In all of our circumstances, though, God knows what we are going through. Sometimes He allows us to go through life storms and trials because it is to either get our attention if we have "drifted" from Him, it is to make our faith stronger showing us that we need to rely more on Him and less on ourselves, maybe it is to be a witness to some unsaved person or weaker Christian friend who is watching how we handle the situation (our life is the only Bible some people read), etc.
Did you know that gold is not pure until it goes through the refiner's fire (1 Peter 1:7-9). This process separates other elements and impurities from the gold. The Bible compares us to that. He has a reason and a purpose for all that happens in your life. Sometimes, though, we do get desperate, and want to see the other side of the storm that we are going through. Just remember, He is the master of the storm! Remember when Jesus was in the boat with His disciples during a terrible storm? All He had to do was speak, and the winds were calm. He sees the end results that we don't. I had to learn to thank Him for what I was going through. I thanked Him that He knew where I was. I praised Him that He is all-knowing and all-powerful. Guess what? When I started doing that, my attitude changed. Did the trial that I was going through miraculously end? No, but when my heart changed, I saw the situation differently.
Are you going through a life storm or trial right now? Your Lord and Savior knows all about it. Talk to Him. Thank Him for what is happening. You're not alone in this.
I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)

30 DAYS OF THANKFUL VERSES-DAY 4

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."~
Colossians 2:6-7.
In verse 6, the Apostle Paul was reminding the Colossians that as born-again believers (meaning that they had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour), they were to "walk ye in Him", meaning that they needed to let Christ be at the head in all that they said or did. They, and we, do not need to be conformed to this world, but transformed by our salvation in Jesus Christ. Everyday, we need to walk in Him, showing the world a difference in our lives. Many Christians still look and act like the world. How can we lead an unsaved person to Christ when they do not see any difference?
Whenever I read "rooted and built up in him", I always think of a tree, with it's roots growing deep in the ground. A tree's roots anchor it to the ground, keeping the tree straight and upright. The roots are also how the tree gathers it's sustenance and water. For a Christian, reading their Bible and following what God says, keeping a healthy prayer life, attending church faithfully and trying to live as Christ-like as they can are just a few ways to make sure that their "roots" are firmly planted. Did you know that the nutrients taken in by the roots are vital for the advancement of the tree's growth and development, as well as repair? The Bible is our life map which gives us just that in our Christian life. This will also keep us "stablished in the faith".
Of course, "abounding therein with thanksgiving"! I am thankful for the salvation that I have received through the death, burial and resurrection of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)

30 DAYS OF THANKFUL VERSES-DAY 3

Bran Made Tags

 

30 DAYS OF THANKFUL VERSES-DAY 2

Good Saturday morning, everyone. Today is Day 2 of my 30 Days of Thankful Verses.
Today, I chose:
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:57.
We have victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ, and I am so very thankful for that! There is no other way into Heaven, except through Jesus (Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.~ Acts 4:12). He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
How about, friends? Can you join me today in being thankful for such a wonderful salvation? Has there been a time when you gave your heart and life to Jesus? If not, why not today? You'll never be sorry.
I hope you have a blessed day!
Beth :-)

30 DAYS OF THANKFUL VERSES-DAY 1

HI, Everyone! Yes, it's November 1, 2013. The holiday season is almost upon us.
Is it just me, or does it seem like the stores skip right over Thanksgiving and jump into Christmas? It's crazy. We should always, always remember to give thanks, especially to God!
Well, today I would like to start my "30 Days of Thankful Verses". Did you know that the Bible is just full of verses about giving thanks, being thankful and thanksgiving? I myself was surprised when I did this last year.
So, here is the first verse:
"O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever."~Psalm 107:1
We serve an awesome God. He is good, all the time. Aren't you thankful and glad that His mercy does endure forever? Lamentations also tells us that His mercies are new every morning: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."~Lamentations 3:22-32. He is a God of second chances. If we fail, we can approach Him and He will receive us and forgive us.
He will never leave us or forsake us. What a promise. People will fail us, we will fail people, but God will not. AMEN!
I hope you have an awesome and blessed day!
Beth :-)

HAS YOUR CHRISTIAN JOY BEEN STOLEN?

Guess what? The devil is a thief! He will try to steal your Christian joy through things and circumstances. A lot of times, we allow him to! Yes, even I have been there. At one time I was so angry and bitter because I have to work outside of the home to provide our health insurance benefits as our church does not (my husband is a pastor). My bitterness and anger grew so big and out of control that it was affecting every aspect of my life-family, church, etc. First of all, the Bible says, "Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."~Ephesians 4:26.
Is it wrong to get angry? NO. Let's read the verse again. It says, "Be ye angry, and sin not..." It is not wrong unless we do something we shouldn't along with it. In my case, it was my bitterness. Friends, bitterness will eat you alive, literally. If we are truly born again Christians, we need to learn to bring the "old man" under subjection. It isn't easy.
Once Satan steals our joy and we have allowed what is happening to overwhelm and take over, he moves in for the kill and tries to completely destroy you, your relationship with God, family and friends. John 10:10a says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:" When someone breaks into your house, they are not there to make things better. They want to steal your possessions. They often destroy your house in the process and sometimes someone may even be killed. But wait! John 10:10b says, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." There is hope. Jesus is there to bring you back. He offers abundant life.
Is there bitterness or anger in your life? Bring it to the Lord. Pray, leave it at His feet and don't pick it back up. Find a Christian (pastor, friend, counselor) who you can talk to, pray with and can help you through. It is definitely not an easy road to embark upon. Sometimes the bitterness and anger goes very deep. Healing often takes time and the devil will certainly try to keep opening up old wounds. We are not promised an easy life, but we are promised a Saviour Who will always be there for us.
I will pray for and lift you up as well.
I hope you have a blessed day!
Beth :-)

DARKNESS AND LIGHT

The Lord has laid it on my heart to say something and I have got to say it because I cannot believe how many of my Christian friends actually approve of Sleepy Hollow, which is a new television show. I'm hearing a lot about this new show, so I decide to look into it. Many people, including some of my Christian friends, are excited and have been talking for months about it because some of the scenes were shot right here in New Bern, NC.
Guess what? After only 2 minutes into the trailer, I knew definitely that this is not something a Christian should be watching, endorsing or proud to be a part of. I saw graphic violence and gore, killing, heads being cut off, etc. The occult and witchcraft are also mingled in. The Bible says:
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" Ephesians 5:11a.
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."2 Cor 6:14,17.
The Bible also has somewhat to say about witchcraft (King James Bible Online).
Are we Christians so desensitized to sin and the occult that we readily accept and participate in it? Friends, the spiritual and demonic world is definitely real (Ephesians 6:12-13). It is not to be taken lightly. We are in a continual spiritual warfare. We are not to have any part of this darkness, but, as soldiers of the Lord, we are to fight it.
Also, our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries are losing their heads for their faith, and we are over here being entertained by that same thing on a television show. I just don't understand.
My heart is so heavy for my fellow Christians who have been drawn into the blindness that they have allowed Satan to put on their eyes. I feel a special burden for today's young people. Media (electronic and written) has such a strong influence on many of their lives, which Satan knows and uses well.
My dear readers, will you please join me in lifting this up in prayer? Or, if this has spoken to and convicted your heart, won't you ask the Lord for forgiveness and for guidance in your life? We need to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) to fight this constant battle. We do not have to fight it alone. If we are truly born-again Christians, we have Jesus on our side!
I hope you have a blessed day.
Beth :-)

ENVY, STRIFE AND MOM

Envying and strife are not of the Lord, they are of the devil (James 3:14-17)!The devil absolutely LOVES to attack a Christian home. The Bible says that he, "as a roaring lion,walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." He wants to devour and destroy your home and family. And, ladies,who better to start with than mom? Who sets the mood in the house, really? Mom does. If we are bitter and moody,our house is unhappy. I'm first in line needing a change! How short I fall many times. Lord, please forgive me! Help me to be the wife, mother and woman You want me to be.

Have a blessed day!
Beth :-)