"An Attitude Of Gratitude Can Change Your Life" - Inspirational Weekend

We Americans tend to have an attitude of entitlement rather than an attitude of gratitude.  Part of that may be due to the fact that the younger generation has had everything handed to them and also the fact that materialism is the religion of most of us.   We are never satisfied and content with what we have; we want something newer like the latest IPhone  or whatever the latest fad is.  Maybe we go into debt to get a fancy car or buy a home out of our financial reach.  Always wanting more, and never truly satisfied.  

Friends, there is only one thing that can satisfy a hungry soul, and that is a relationship with Jesus, the Savior.  Only He can fill the void within our soul that is always searching for and craving for that elusive "something" .....that need to fill the void within our inner being that only Christ can truly fill and satisfy.  

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."                         -  Jesus at John 10:10b   

Jesus is not speaking here of material riches, although He may bless you with that as well, but, rather, He is speaking of having spiritual blessings and riches;  a relationship with Him and the Father.   Such a relationship will give you peace and comfort, although you may still have trials and sorrows to endure. 

We should be grateful for all the Lord has done and will do for us.  Think about it.... He gave His very life as a sacrifice on the cross for you and me.   He bled and died for us.   He redeemed us; He sets us free from sin and bondage if we will but accept Him as our Savior; by faith believe in Him and in His resurrection, and surrender our life to Him in obedience.   Yes, we have much to be grateful for !!

"Jesus is moved to happiness every time He sees that you appreciate what He has done for you."              -  Ole Hallesby

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul."   -  Henry Ward Beecher

"Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it."  -  A. W. Tozer

Did you know that by expressing gratitude you actually make yourself happier? It seems, so some experts say, that feeling and expressing gratitude gets those feel good chemicals in the brain to produce dopamine.  So go ahead and count your blessings daily and say "thank you" with heartfelt gratitude.  Some people actually keep a gratitude journal in which they daily (or every few days) write down things that happened that day that they are grateful for.  It seems this can even turn you into a nicer person, by being thankful for all of your blessings.

 As an adult, I tended to not be satisfied myself.  But when I turned to the Lord in faith and surrender, I realized that all I really needed was Him.  He took me out of the pits, out of the darkness, and into His glorious life-giving light and began to transform my thinking.  (Romans 12:1-2).  I am very grateful for all He has done in my life, my heart, my soul, and my mind.   

The Bible has much to say about thankfulness and gratitude.  

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever;"  -  1 Chronicles 16:34

"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD."                  -  Psalm 116:17

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;"  -  Ephesians 5:20

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."                             -  1 Thessalonians 5:18

From the preceding verses, we can clearly see that thankfulness and gratitude should be a way of life for us.   Think about it:  our very existence is dependent upon God! He gives us our every breath.  We should live to please Him in everything we do, and that includes being grateful for all of His blessings.  

"Thou who has given so much to me, give one thing more: a grateful heart."  -  George Herbert

Following is a moving song about thankfulness:

"Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever, Amen."   -  Revelation 7:12

Have a wonderful and blessed Christ-centered weekend!

"Your Best Friend Ever" - Inspirational Weekend

What is a friend?  The dictionary says a friend is "a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard; a person who gives assistance; a patron or supporter."  I don't know who originated the following quote, but it is quite beautiful:

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

A true friend is a treasure indeed.  Today, many people spend more time alone on the internet or in front of the television than they do mingling with other people. Sometimes finding a best friend is not that easy; but then again, you need to be a friend to have a friend.

You may already know Who the best friend ever is:

A new believer in the Lord tends to think of Jesus primarily as the Savior.  But as one reads the Bible, prays, and grows in faith, he will realize that Jesus is very much his Friend as well.   Not any so-called earthly friends are likely to die for you, but Jesus did just that and suffered a torturous and painful death at that.   

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."   -  John 15:13

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."   -   Romans 5:8

Jesus' sacrificial death proves His great love for us.  No other friend could love you that much.   When I think on it and try to comprehend the power and depth of His love, my mind just cannot fathom such a wonderful and true love as His.   I never felt love from my earthly father , or from my mother either, for that matter. My father's parents raised me for the most part, and I sensed that they loved me by their care, but they never actually told me that they loved me.   My family was just not demonstrative in any way. Guess who has had difficulty in understanding and demonstrating love?  Yep, me.  The turning point in my life was when, after much heartfelt prayer to the Lord for an extended amount of time several years ago, I blurt out to the Lord with all my heart "I love you", and actually understood what love for God and Jesus meant.   In the years following, after much prayer and Bible reading, my love has grown for the Lord, and also so has my gratitude for all that He has done in my life and my heart, soul, spirit, and mind.   He has truly transformed my mind and set my priorities straight.  (Romans 12:2)

Part of having Jesus as a friend is to be a friend to Him.  We do that by obeying His commandments.

"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."   -  John 15:14   

When you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind (Mark 12:30),  obeying His commandments will be easier and you will find a true joy in having close fellowship with Him.  After all, life is all about relationships and the reason you were created was to have a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  And to love, honor, reverence, obey, and draw close to Him and to share His love and the Gospel with others. Remember, however, that obedience to Him is the only means by which we can declare our love to Christ.  

Another way Jesus is our friend is the fact that He prays for us.  

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."   -  Hebrews 7:25     (See also Luke 22:31-32).   

Unlike our earthly friends, who can be fickle, Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us.  (Hebrews 13:5).   He really, really loves us. Let that sink deep into your mind and heart.   He is always willing to forgive us.

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

Remember the hymn "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" ?  I thought I would share it now with you:

Pay close attention to the words in this hymn.  We can take everything to the Lord in prayer, and He will help us in our time of trial or sorrow.  

You must be born-again and a true believer in Jesus as your Savior and Lord and Master to be a friend of His.   Imagine, the glorious Creator and Redeemer, the very Son of God, calls us His friends if we obey His commands; and He in turn is our very best Friend ! 

If you are an unbeliever and are living in sin, you are not being a friend of God and you will perish in your sins unless you repent and turn from your wrongdoing, and by faith accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.  

"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."   -  John 3:16

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us:   "(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Keep in mind that we are now living in the last hours of the last days that the Bible prophesied about;  many prophecies are coming to pass now or are leading up to their soon fulfillment.  Jesus could return at any moment to rapture true believers to be in heaven with Him before the 7 year Tribulation of God's wrath occurs on the earth to all the ungodly who will be left behind.   No one knows the day or the hour that Jesus will return, but students of Bible prophecy feel it must be very soon in light of world conditions and the convergence of so many end times signs right now on earth.

Don't be left behind to face the horrors of the Tribulation period. You also do not want to go to Hell as an unbeliever.  Give your heart to Christ before it is too late.   

Jesus loves you.

Jesus will forgive you.

Jesus is waiting for you with open arms to embrace you with love and acceptance once you repent and come to Him in faith.

This reminds me of that poem, part of which says:  "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."

It is all about Jesus, folks.  

Turn to Him in total surrender.

Live for Him and Him only.   

Jesus is your best Friend Ever !