Because Everyday is Thanksgiving

My dad preached a sermon similar to this on Sunday, and I wanted to share this with everyone in hopes that someone will receive a blessing from it. 

We hear all the time about how we should be thankful for the things that we have, and for what God has provided us with. But do we really consider the sacrifices that God and Jesus made for us so that we can have the things that are taken for granted everyday? Here are just a few of those great blessings that we could never be thankful enough for. 

God sent His Son: John 3:16- "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."

I couldn't imagine how hard it was for God to give His own son to die. Thinking about it, it hurts to know that God had to watch Jesus die. It's hard to imagine the selflessness that God had when He did this, and that He still has. God loves Jesus more than we can imagine, though, He was willing to give the one He loves so dear for us to be able to have salvation. We could never fully understand this great sacrifice. 

Jesus freely gave His life: 1 John 3:16 - "Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren."

Although God gave Jesus to die on the cross, Jesus had to be willing, which He was. I don't know many people that would be willing to give up their own life for others. I know that it would be very hard for me to do so. Our flesh is so protective of our life that we hate the thought of dying, while Jesus did the ultimate selfless action, which was giving up His life so that others could live. The love that Jesus felt for us led Him to have no hesitation to die for us, and it could never be compared to anything else in the universe. 

Jesus provides salvation: Mark 16:16 - "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Because Jesus died on the cross, we have the choice of salvation. Jesus allows us to choose whether to accept Him or not. Because of His sacrifice, the world has a new hope. If we only ask, Jesus will come into our hearts, make us new, and give us eternity in Heaven. 
While on Earth, God is with us: Joshua 1:9 - "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest."

It is impossible to get away from God. Even if we wanted to get away from Him, we can't. He follows us everywhere we go, and keeps us safe. He sees us everywhere we go, and provides us with safety and a friendship above all others. Whether we are in a room with a hundred people or we are in a room with no one else, we are never alone. No matter how many people we are surrounded by, God will be the most important. 

God guides us: Psalms 32:8 - "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."

We would all be so lost today without God's guidance. God knows all about our futures, therefore, He knows exactly what paths that we need to take. Alone, we would make awful mistakes concerning our presents and futures, but because God is all knowing, we have the opportunity to choose the right path. 

God provides: Philippians 4:19 - "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

While on this Earth, God said that He would provide for us. This means that He will provide us with our needs; food, water, shelter, and so on. God cares for us, and if we live by Him, we will never truly be poor. 

God gives hope: Psalms 39:7 - "And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope [is] in thee."

In the world, there is a lot of troubles and tragedies that occur. It's easy to get down about the things that are going on, but we have a hope for the future that is greater than anything that this world could give us. Because this world is full of sin, it will never be home for a truly saved person. Those that are saved has a home where God is number one, where there is no sickness, sin, death, or sadness. 

Jesus is coming back: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."

What joy we should have as we anticipate the coming back of our Savior. Sin continues on Earth, but it's soon going to end. No longer will God's children have to endure the hardships of the world. Soon, we will see Jesus appearing in the sky, and He will take us to where there are no hardships. 

God gives us eternal life: John 17:3 - "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Not only does God allow us to be saved from Hell, but He gives us a life in Heaven forever and ever. It's very hard for me think about something never ending. Everything that we have ever known has an end; football season, church service, seasons, vacations to Disney World, etc. Heaven is one thing that will never change, and it is the greatest place that could ever exist. 

Today, with Thanksgiving Day in the past, remember the entire reason that we have the opportunity to be thankful. Without God, our lives would be doomed, and we wouldn't have the hope of a better day. There would be no happiness with our families, or a meal on our table. Remember the real reason that we are on this Earth and who has given us the blessings that we have been graciously given. Remember that everyday is a day to give thanks, for God is good every day of every year.

Praise God For Mending My Heart

Today, I thought that I would do something a little bit different than what I usually do, and just praise and thank God for a great blessing and miracle that He has performed in my life recently.

God mended my heart, literally. I know that I have told this story in my blog before, but this time, I have an ending. A couple of months ago, I went to the doctor with a minor illness, and the doctor found that I had a heart murmur. It completely freaked me out because I knew that heart murmurs could be minor, but yet again, they could be the sign of something much more dangerous. So the next day, I kept thinking about it and thinking about it, and it set some serious anxiety up in my mind, landing me in the hospital. I felt like I was having a heart attack, when in reality, it was my mind playing tricks on me. Still yet, the doctors wanted me to see a cardiologist since a heart murmur had been found, so they scheduled an echo cardiogram for a month later.

Throughout the time until my test, I was experiencing a lot more anxiety, and it set up some depression in my life. I was worrying constantly, and it was physically making me feel sick. Just the thought of something being wrong with my health, made me feel completely hopeless, and negativity took over my mind.

So a month later, which was last week, I finally had an echo cardiogram done. I went into the test scared out of my mind. There was really nothing to the test, but the thoughts of what it could show about my health just send my mind into a frenzy. For the doctor to read the test results of my echo cardiogram, I went back to the doctor today. I sit anxiously awaiting the doctor to come into the room with the results, and my mind kept telling me to be prepared for the worst, because in that moment, that was what I was expecting.

The doctor finally came in, and was asking me all of these questions, which made me think that there was something wrong. Finally, he looked at me, and said, "We found nothing wrong at all." I was relieved beyond belief. The doctor didn't even find a heart murmur anymore. God had healed me.

I cannot thank God enough for the work that He has done, and I am so thankful for the people that I have praying for me in my life. I am so blessed to have such a Godly family, Godly group of friends, and a Godly church family. This is proof that God works, and prayer is not in vain. God mended my heart, spiritually, 5 years ago, and physically, today. I couldn't think of anyone else I would rather praise and worship than my almighty God.

Before You Go To Sleep, Make Sure You Are....

Before you go to sleep, make sure you are...

1) SAVED:

1 John- "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Going to bed knowing that you are saved is the best feeling in the world. You don't have to worry about what will happen once you go to sleep. No matter what happens in your life, your final destination is Heaven.

2) THANKFUL:

2 Corinthians- "Thanks [be] unto God for his unspeakable gift."

God sacrificed everything for us, including His own son, the least we can do is thank Him for what He has done in our lives. He blesses us, and keeps us safe on a daily basis, and that is definitely something to be thankful for. God deserves praise.

3) FORGIVEN:

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Asking God for forgiveness will prepare the heart to do the things of God. If we have sin in our heart, it is preventing us from being as Godly as we can be. With sin, we are weak, but with God, we are strong. 

4) BURDEN FREE:

Psalms 55:22 - "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

Galatians 6:2 - "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

Giving all of your burdens to God before falling to sleep will help you be worry free, and release what is bearing down on your heart. Praying for those things and the prayers of others will give you hope that God will take care of those things, and give you the Godly end that you are hopefully looking for.

 
5) READ UP:

Romans 15:4 - "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

Reading the Bible gives a peace that can't come from anything else. It contains promises and hope for what is to come, and you can rest easy knowing those hopes are in your heart. 

How to Be Happy in Your Walk With God

Proverbs 17:22- "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."


Having a joyous and thankful heart is one of the key characteristics that a Christian must possess, in order to see their relationship with God flourish. God is looking for the purest of hearts to represent Him. If Christians drag around all the time, tired and sad, people are not going to be influenced to find God in their own life. In a world that is becoming more sinful and stressful, how can we make sure to be happy?

Find Wisdom: Proverbs 3:13 - "Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding." Wisdom comes from learning about God, and knowledge of God comes from the Bible. If we are to read and study our Bible, we can have the hope that comes from God's word, and have the knowledge to explain God's love to others. When there is hope, there is happiness.

Do Good: Ecclesiastes 3:12- "I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life." When we do right by God, we will find God's blessings. God rewards those that follows Him, and good works will not be in vain. 

Be Content: Hebrews 13:5-"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." If we are unhappy with the things that we have now, nothing in the world will ever bring us happiness, because we are always going to want more. In reality, if we have God, we have everything. God's love is more than enough, and no possession can replace that. 

Love Others: Galatians 5:14-"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Hate take more energy than loving someone. Hate brings strife and darkness into a person's heart, while love cleanses the heart. If we are to love those around us, a positive outlook will follow. 

Worship/Serve: Exodus 23:25- "And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee." When we praise God for what He has done for us, we will find joy in our hearts, for a grateful spirit is highly honored by God. By coming together in our place of worship, we can find happiness among our fellow Christians, and find encouragement from one another. 

God is the center of happiness. If we are to follow Him, we are guaranteed an eternity of happiness in Heaven. No work of God will ever go in vain, for it will be cherished. Obey God and His word, and sadness and depression will be feelings of the past.