What are you thankful for this thanksgiving? Are there things you are not thankful for? It is so easy sometimes to be concerned about our have-nots and not really inventory the good things going on in our favor.
Here are some things I am thankful for and items I do not take for granted:
- The great marriage of 43 years that Sandee and I have, 30 of them Christ centered.
- 4 wonderful children all with God fearing mates.
- 8 awesome grandchildren with God loving, Christian parents.
- A loving savior, Jesus Christ, who the Bible says will never leave me nor forsake me, or my precious family!
- Freedom in our nation to be who I want to be.
- Freedom to fellowship with whom I want to spend time with.
- Freedom to worship where I want to worship.
- Freedom to minister to whom God leads me to.
- Freedom to write this email without being censored for subject matter.
- Freedom to own and possess rifles, shotguns and pistols.
- Freedom to get on a highway of my choice and travel anywhere I chose.
- Freedom for my grandchildren to be educated where their parents chose.
- Freedom to vote and voice my opinions to those in leadership.
- Freedom to start, own and run any business I so desire.
One email I received today was from a man who said he was thankful for the change coming with the new president. I agree that we need change but the change that is needed and imperative is not the one represented by the apparent new president, but something quite different. The change that is important for every one of us who claims that we love God and His son, Jesus Christ, is to not take Him for granted. Even for those of us in ministry, it is not church as usual that will bring about the future most of us desire. This is a very critical time to focus our lives on what it is God wants for us and to remove ourselves from the fear planted and watered by our massive media.
Often people mention the trials of Job when things are not going well. If you carefully read the first chapters of Job you find that he was constantly worried and fretting about his family and his fortune. Then finally he admits, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come upon me.” Job3:25.
We must not be “Jobs” at this very churning time in our nation. We must not let fear and worry dominate, consume and direct our lives nor influence our decisions. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Even if you are already a believer, why not speak this out right now, “Jesus, I want you to be my Lord and Savior.” Please lead today by your Spirit, Lord, in the way that I should go so that I may be the person you want me to be and accomplish the things you want me to accomplish. I refuse to fear or worry about the future but rejoice that my name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.
If you have personal concerns and need agreement in prayer, send us those concerns so Sandee and I can pray for them.
May God’s Blessings be obvious to you this day,
Gary Coe
If you have not read my blog, Polarization Part I, http://yourfreedomalert.blogspot.com/2008/10/polarization-part-i.html
