100 Things to be Thankful for-Part Two

My gratitude list, continued:

51. God alone made the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1: 1)
52. He created man in His own image. (Genesis 1: 27)
53. He makes everything beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
54. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13: 8)
55. God is faithful in calling us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 1: 9)
56. God's agape love is not like man's kind of love. (I Corinthians 13)
57. Three things will remain forever: faith, hope and love. (I Corinthians 13:13)
58. He wants to reward for what He Himself does in us. (Philippians 2: 13)
59. He who began a good work in His children will complete it to the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1: 5)
60. If we are faithless, He remains faithful.(II Timothy 2: 13)
61. Jesus came into the world as a light so that anyone who believes in Him will not walk in darkness. (John 12:46)
62. A bruised reed Jesus Christ will not break. (Isaiah 42: 3)
63. By His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53: 5)
64. Christ's dying sacrifice satisfied God's justice once for all without need of repetition. (Hebrews 10: 12)
65. Christ has made believers kings and priests. (Revelation 1:6)
66. He has washed our sins in His own blood. (Revelation 1:5)
67. God is not willing that any should perish. (I Timothy 2:4)
68. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. (Ezekiel 18:23)
69. God had to bare His own arm for us by sending His own Son. (Isaiah 52:10)
70. God's righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. (Psalm 119:142)
71. There is no other God like our God. (Deuteronomy 4:39)
72. His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136)
73. We just need to Look upon Christ to be saved. (Isaiah 45: 22)
74. When Christ gave the Sermon on the Mount, He gave "Be-attitudes" and not "do" attitudes. We are transformed without travail by looking in the mirror of the Word. (II Corinthians 3: 18)
75. Moses had to cover His face to go into the presence of God, but we do not have to cover our faces. (II Corinthians 3: 16-18)
76. In the Savior are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)
77. Salvation is the gift of God, so no man can boast(in and of himself). (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
78. But we are allowed to boast in the Lord. (Psalm 34: 2)
79. We are free indeed in Christ. (John 8: 32-36)
80. The Lord of the Universe humbled Himself to be "born in a barn" among animals. (Luke 2: 7)
81. The Greatest became the least and our ultimate example of humility. (Philippians 2: 5-8)
82. Therefore God has given Him the name which is above every name. (Philippians 2: 9)
83. The Lord knows them that are His. (II Timothy 2: 19)
84. Our names our engraved on the palms of His hands. (Isaiah 49: 16)
85. Not one hair of ours will be lost even if we are hated for His name's sake. (Luke 21: 17-18)
86. Our sins are thrown into the deepest depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)
87. Through Christ (and Christ alone) we have access to the Father. (Ephesians 2: 18)
88. Overcoming believers in the church of Laodecia will be able to sit with Christ on His throne. (Revelation 3: 21)
89. Whosoever will may come and believe in Christ and appropriate His saving work on their behalf. (Revelation 22: 17)
90. Whosoever may take of the water of life freely. (Revelation 22: 17)
91. There is no other way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven but through Christ. (John 10: 1-3)
92. He calls His sheep by name. (John 10:3)
93. The Church Age will not be over until the "fullness of the Gentiles has come in." He will wait for the very last believer of the Church Age. (Romans 11: 25)
94. He does all things well. (Mark 7: 37)
95. The believer's times are always in God's hands. (Psalm 31: 15)
96. Precious in His sight are the death of His saints. (Psalm 116:15)
97. For the believer in Christ, living is Christ. (Philippians 1: 21)
98. For the believer in Christ, dying is gain. (Philippians 1: 21)
99. For the unbeliever in Christ, it is never too late to change your mind as long as you have breath, because God does not mark our iniquities, there is forgiveness with Him if you seek it. (Psalm 130: 3-4)
100. That He begs us seek Him while He may be found, and to call upon Him while He is near!(Isaiah 55:6)

If you have read this long blog post, I thank you. If you do not have the assurance of salvation as a free gift through Christ, I urge you to look up these beautiful promises from the Word of God, these wonderful gifts freely given through the grace of Another. You do not have to sweat or strain to get to heaven, and no matter what you have done in the past, you can be forgiven. All that work was already done for you, courtesy of the Lord Jesus Christ! No other religion or god can promise you these things. Today can be the day of your salvation!

Speaking For Those Without a Voice

Isaiah 59: 5-8: "They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not serve cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; and they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace."

Do we who have freedom realize what it would be like to be caught, as it were, in a spider's web? It is not pleasant to talk about, but brothers and sisters of ours in the Body of Christ are trapped in an ugly web of Christian persecution even as I write this blog. It has only intensified in recent years, as human history winds down. If it were not for an influential ministry called Voice of the Martyrs (or VOM), as its called (www.persecution.com), I would not be as knowledgeable as I am. It occurred to me the other day while praying that not only were these real people with the same aches and pains that I have, but they were members "in particular" of Christ's Body.

In I Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul emphasizes that we all are the members of Christ's very own Body. There could be no higher association than to be included in His own flesh. But look particularly about what Paul says because
we all share in that privilege:

I Corinthians 12:24-27 says

"For our comely (well-formed, decorous, honorable*) parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to the part which lacked; That there should be no schism in the body but that the members should have the same care for one another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST and members in particular."

*definition of comely from Strong's Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, #2158

Our brothers and sisters in foreign lands are being slaughtered for their faith in Christ in many places, like in Nigeria. Families are being torn apart. Others are being burned out of their churches or having villages being bombed in the Nuba Mountain region of Sudan, while others are attacked with machetes. Some have to run and hide, not just in Africa but also in India and Pakistan, Iran and other countries. Another fine missionary organization that ministers to the Nuban believers in Sudan is the Persecution Project Foundation ( see www.SavetheNuba.com or info@persecutionproject.org )In addition to providing relief from attacks, they also are committed to providing clean water wells across the region. Without these wells, many would die from disease.

In many places across Asia, believers come under attack when they convert to Christianity from their former religions, as is reported by the ministry Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) But this comes with the possibility of persecution as well. These are only a handful of many who help those who also a PART OF CHRIST'S BODY, and just as important as we are.

In the book of Hebrews (chapter 13, verse 3) it commands us to:

"Remember the prisoners as if chained with them--those who are mistreated--since you yourselves are in the body also."

It all goes back to being in the Body. If your particular part was screaming out in agony, and no one even cared, how is that showing the tender mercy of Christ? There are many urgent needs in this world. I can't possibly meet all of them. Galatians 6: 10 can guide me, though:

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."

We will discuss different ways of helping our brothers and sisters next time. Till then, God's grace and peace to all.