November 29th 2020
Be Thankful Today For Everything We Have Because It Was All Given To Us By God!
2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Yesterday did you express thanksgiving to God for giving you EVERYTHING? Those who have been blessed by God are expected by Him to be willing to share their abundance with those who for whatever reason find themselves to be in need! Do you believe this statement to be Biblical? Just before the selected verse Paul wrote this. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (2 Corinthians 9:10). In the selected verse it says, “your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” When you woke up yesterday, it was because in the beginning, God gave us life and allows us to continue breathing. The food you ate yesterday will nourish your body and help you to continue to breathe and continue to live on this earth, until He calls you to the home Jesus has prepared for you.
Of course, the above paragraph is only totally true for those who have elected to turn their lives over to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7). Do you “continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught?” Do you attempt to teach this great truth to all the people you love? Many people believe that everything they have they earned by their own hard work; thus, they do not need to share what they have with anyone. Such people are too self-centered to be concerned about other people. They feel strong on their own and think everyone should be self-sufficient too.
If you profess to be a Christian yet feel like you do not owe any debt to help people who are less fortunate than you then maybe the writings of James, Jesus’ brother may help you feel better about helping people who seem to not be willing to work. What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? (James 2:14). James first wonders about the strength of a person’s faith, as it is our faith that saves us. Next James states how those who have faith will show it by taking actions that show they have a strong faith. In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (James 2:17-18). James believes that people who have a strong saving faith will automatically attempt to do good deeds.
In the Gospels five times Jesus said, "your faith has healed you." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. (Matthew 9:22). He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5:34). "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:52). Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." (Luke 8:48). Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." (Luke 18:42). The point here is for us to realize the positive effects of our faith, which may even be able to heal us in this life. However, we must remember that in this cursed world we will eventually leave it and go on to be with the Lord, therefore, not all aliments will be cured. While Jesus walked this earth as the God/man He had the ability to heal all ailments. We must remember that all those Jesus healed eventually may have become sick again, and eventually they died.
We all have an immortal soul created by God in His image that will never die, and in this mortal lifetime we have the privilege of claiming our place in heaven, by coming to believe that Jesus Christ came into this world and died for my sins. This is the only salvation plan there is, and it is offered by the One God, and is redeemed through developing a saving faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. We must humble ourselves and rely on our faith to save us through the grace afforded us by God. We cannot gain heaven by any good deeds we may perform in our lifetime; it is only given as a gift based on Jesus’ death and resurrection! Therefore, do not depend on your own strength to provide for your salvation.
Paul wrote about not depending on our strength, but it is important that we be humble and to know our strength comes from Jesus when we depend on Him. Paul wrote about what he called a “throne in his side.” Paul asked Jesus to remove this pain. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). What Paul is trying to teach here is that we must rely on Jesus for our strength, and give Him thanks for healing us from our sinful nature that may cause us to think we are in control, and that we are good enough to deserve salvation.
Therefore, be thankful today for everything we have because it was all given to us by God!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Yesterday did you express thanksgiving to God for giving you EVERYTHING? Those who have been blessed by God are expected by Him to be willing to share their abundance with those who for whatever reason find themselves to be in need! Do you believe this statement to be Biblical? Just before the selected verse Paul wrote this. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (2 Corinthians 9:10). In the selected verse it says, “your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” When you woke up yesterday, it was because in the beginning, God gave us life and allows us to continue breathing. The food you ate yesterday will nourish your body and help you to continue to breathe and continue to live on this earth, until He calls you to the home Jesus has prepared for you.
Of course, the above paragraph is only totally true for those who have elected to turn their lives over to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7). Do you “continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught?” Do you attempt to teach this great truth to all the people you love? Many people believe that everything they have they earned by their own hard work; thus, they do not need to share what they have with anyone. Such people are too self-centered to be concerned about other people. They feel strong on their own and think everyone should be self-sufficient too.
If you profess to be a Christian yet feel like you do not owe any debt to help people who are less fortunate than you then maybe the writings of James, Jesus’ brother may help you feel better about helping people who seem to not be willing to work. What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? (James 2:14). James first wonders about the strength of a person’s faith, as it is our faith that saves us. Next James states how those who have faith will show it by taking actions that show they have a strong faith. In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (James 2:17-18). James believes that people who have a strong saving faith will automatically attempt to do good deeds.
In the Gospels five times Jesus said, "your faith has healed you." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. (Matthew 9:22). He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5:34). "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:52). Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." (Luke 8:48). Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." (Luke 18:42). The point here is for us to realize the positive effects of our faith, which may even be able to heal us in this life. However, we must remember that in this cursed world we will eventually leave it and go on to be with the Lord, therefore, not all aliments will be cured. While Jesus walked this earth as the God/man He had the ability to heal all ailments. We must remember that all those Jesus healed eventually may have become sick again, and eventually they died.
We all have an immortal soul created by God in His image that will never die, and in this mortal lifetime we have the privilege of claiming our place in heaven, by coming to believe that Jesus Christ came into this world and died for my sins. This is the only salvation plan there is, and it is offered by the One God, and is redeemed through developing a saving faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. We must humble ourselves and rely on our faith to save us through the grace afforded us by God. We cannot gain heaven by any good deeds we may perform in our lifetime; it is only given as a gift based on Jesus’ death and resurrection! Therefore, do not depend on your own strength to provide for your salvation.
Paul wrote about not depending on our strength, but it is important that we be humble and to know our strength comes from Jesus when we depend on Him. Paul wrote about what he called a “throne in his side.” Paul asked Jesus to remove this pain. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). What Paul is trying to teach here is that we must rely on Jesus for our strength, and give Him thanks for healing us from our sinful nature that may cause us to think we are in control, and that we are good enough to deserve salvation.
Therefore, be thankful today for everything we have because it was all given to us by God!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak