My wife and I have been living in the United States for about 18 months now and as all American citizens and residents, we have been celebrating Thanksgiving. I did some research on the origins of Thanksgiving and discovered that the tradition has mixed roots. Grateful Pilgrims, who had earlier on spent about two months at sea traveling to America from England, reaped a bountiful harvest after going through a very harsh winter in 1620. Many lost their lives during the winter and in gratitude to God, the survivors declared a three day feast in December 1621 (Check Christian Answers website).
The Bible says:
"Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! "(Psalm 107:21, NKJV)
"Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it." (Mark 14:23, NKJV)
My brethren, the above verses are just two of the numerous verses in the Bible that challenge us to be thankful. Jesus gave thanks when He broke bread. The Psalmist prayed that men all over the earth would give thanks for the goodness of God.
Today many people forget God in times of prosperity and blame Him when there are disasters or other problems. That is quite typical of mankind today. Our self-centered mentality focuses on what we can get out of every situation rather than what we can give. Yet we are admonished to think about the goodness of God who on a daily basis gives us air to breathe, keeps us alive, and provides our daily needs. Remember He gives us the power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18)
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, the Bible says
" in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(NKJV)
Colossians 3:17 tells us:
"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (NKJV)
Thanksgiving is a God-ordained responsibility. We are commanded to be thankful for good reasons. We came naked into the world and naked shall we leave, so to speak. We were created by God not by collective bargaining but by His divine will and for His purpose - a purpose which is rooted in love and goodness.
Take a look around, my brothers and sisters. Who is like you? You are unique in every respect. One and only, created for a divine purpose that no other person can fulfill. Awesome! Give thanks to God today. Give thanks to God everyday.
There are many individuals around the world who do not have food to eat today but God has given you shelter and food (turkey perhaps!) to eat. Is that not something to be thankful for? And that brings me to my last point. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us not lose sight of its original purpose and let us remember those who are not so privileged even in this great country, the United States of America. The US has been generous over the past decades and despite the bad news about our economy, lets continue to be generous and the blessings of God will flow our way. Lets reach out to the less fortunate, those who are not so privileged to have all that we take for granted in our society. I was raised in a place where having power supply for 3 hours a day was considered a real blessing. Let us be thankful!
God bless you all and have a great weekend.
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Saturday, 26 February 2011
PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME CHRISTIANS?
Posted by Panton Okon on Wednesday, 09 February 2011 on Facebook
I am hoping that this short note will attract our attention as believers and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Colossians 3:16 -
"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts " (NLT)
We thank God for technological advancements that have made Facebook possible. However, one is left with the impression that our lives are compartmentalized after perusing the messages/notes on Facebook - that is to say, we seem to have Christian lives, professional lives, social lives, domestic lives, etc., all distinct from each other. There is the tendency to 'switch' from one to another depending on the place, time and circumstances.
This raises the question, 'Are we part-time Christians or full-time Christians?
The truth of the matter is that we have only one life and that should be firmly rooted in Jesus. That being the case, we have a responsibility to fill our lives with the message of Christ. Christians should provide teaching and counseling (that are characterized with the wisdom Christ Jesus gives) on Facebook because our identity and significance is in Jesus. Without Him we are nothing.
It is the message of Christ that gives hope, encouragement; that challenges, corrects and rebukes; that restores and emancipates.
Jesus Himself acknowledged that He has the Words of eternal life (John 6:68, 8:12). My brethren, no matter how mature or immature we are, it is absolutely clear that we need the Words of Christ - Words of eternal life - Words of power and of faith - Words that will never pass away.
Are you going to be the mouthpiece of Jesus? What would Jesus write on Facebook if He was physically on the earth today?
I believe, without a shadow of doubt, that He would be writing those powerful words we read in the New Testament. He would be lifting His people up not with idle words but with WORDS that exude the power of God. Words of healing, Words of prayer, Words of admonition, Words that would encourage His people to run the race of faith, to fight the spiritual battles before us, Words of the certainty of victory in Christ. Hallelujah! Rich Words, sound Words, indisputable Words, Words of character, integrity, and substance.
The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:14,
"Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone" (NLT)
We have a message for those who do not know Christ Jesus, for those who are weary, for those who are despondent, for those who are full of doubt - YES the message of reconciliation. Are we going to take responsibility and shout from the mountain tops, the roads, the offices, etc, and FACEBOOK, the message of Christ?
I want to read a verse of Scripture, a revelation message or something that challenges to press on when I open Facebook, especially from my fellow brothers and sisters in the LORD. God bless you today and may He guide and keep you to glorify His Name in all things today and for the rest of your lives, in Jesus' Name. AMEN!
WE ARE FULL-TIME CHRISTIANS NOT PART-TIME CHRISTIANS.
"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts " (NLT)
We thank God for technological advancements that have made Facebook possible. However, one is left with the impression that our lives are compartmentalized after perusing the messages/notes on Facebook - that is to say, we seem to have Christian lives, professional lives, social lives, domestic lives, etc., all distinct from each other. There is the tendency to 'switch' from one to another depending on the place, time and circumstances.
This raises the question, 'Are we part-time Christians or full-time Christians?
The truth of the matter is that we have only one life and that should be firmly rooted in Jesus. That being the case, we have a responsibility to fill our lives with the message of Christ. Christians should provide teaching and counseling (that are characterized with the wisdom Christ Jesus gives) on Facebook because our identity and significance is in Jesus. Without Him we are nothing.
It is the message of Christ that gives hope, encouragement; that challenges, corrects and rebukes; that restores and emancipates.
Jesus Himself acknowledged that He has the Words of eternal life (John 6:68, 8:12). My brethren, no matter how mature or immature we are, it is absolutely clear that we need the Words of Christ - Words of eternal life - Words of power and of faith - Words that will never pass away.
Are you going to be the mouthpiece of Jesus? What would Jesus write on Facebook if He was physically on the earth today?
I believe, without a shadow of doubt, that He would be writing those powerful words we read in the New Testament. He would be lifting His people up not with idle words but with WORDS that exude the power of God. Words of healing, Words of prayer, Words of admonition, Words that would encourage His people to run the race of faith, to fight the spiritual battles before us, Words of the certainty of victory in Christ. Hallelujah! Rich Words, sound Words, indisputable Words, Words of character, integrity, and substance.
The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:14,
"Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone" (NLT)
We have a message for those who do not know Christ Jesus, for those who are weary, for those who are despondent, for those who are full of doubt - YES the message of reconciliation. Are we going to take responsibility and shout from the mountain tops, the roads, the offices, etc, and FACEBOOK, the message of Christ?
I want to read a verse of Scripture, a revelation message or something that challenges to press on when I open Facebook, especially from my fellow brothers and sisters in the LORD. God bless you today and may He guide and keep you to glorify His Name in all things today and for the rest of your lives, in Jesus' Name. AMEN!
WE ARE FULL-TIME CHRISTIANS NOT PART-TIME CHRISTIANS.
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