A lot to be thankful for

Today, as we approach the Thanksgiving season, we have much to be thankful for. I know that I am thankful for the fact that I was born and raised in the USA, for the freedoms that we have here and most of all for the privilege of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of God?s mercy and love for mankind. The Bible says that ?God is love,? and I am always amazed at the greatness of that love, that no matter who we are, where we have come from or what we have done, when we will turn and come to Him, He will receive us and welcome us into His family and we can know real love, real peace and know the joy of life that we can have and that which He wants us to have as we look at the words that Jesus spoke when He said, ?I come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.?

In the Bible, in Isaiah 26:3, the Word of God says, ?You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (focused) on You, because he trusts in You.? In Proverbs 4:23 it says, ?Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.? What we center our lives on, what we feed into our systems, is what governs our lives and causes us to live the way we do and do the things that we do. If we feed on the wrong thoughts, that is the way our life will be lived. If we feed on the right thoughts and have them in our hearts, our lives will be lived accordingly. This brings to my mind all the talk about gun control and having laws that will deal with the violence that we see taking place today. Laws do not stop the violence or change things, or change the heart of man. God gave us His Ten Commandments years ago, but they have not made man any better unless he obeys them, and real obedience comes from the heart, the inside of man and not from the outside. Until the heart of man is changed, all the laws are not going to make a difference.

Today, we are taking God and His love out of everything and instead of feeding our hearts and lives with good things, we are focusing on the wrong things and we are reaping the harvest. What we watch on TV, the video games that we play, the lifestyles of people who are clear out of a concept of God and what it is that really is right and good. Taking God out, and replacing Him with man-made ways and doctrines, is not the way if we truly want to have and live an abundant life, one that is satisfying and fulfilling. Regardless of what people may say, Jesus is the answer and He has the keys to life and its abundance that God desires that we should have. Why settle for less? Think about this, and if you have questions or would like to know Him better, come see us or give us a call at the Church of God here in Washington. Remember, Christ loves you and came that you may have life and have it abundantly.