Give Thanks to the Lord!

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness.
Let the whole world know what He has done.”
(1 Chronicles 16:8)

If you've been keeping up with my blog posts, you know that a few months ago, I mentioned that work has been a bit slow. Self-employment has its ups and downs, but this time I was looking for a career in which someone else would be my employer. I was hoping for something stable in this very unstable world we live in today.

God has graciously allowed me to know in advance that He has granted a full-time career position. I have received my prayer request just in time for Thanksgiving!

God has blessed me in a way that exceeds my prayer requests and my expectations just in time to be very grateful for His plan to be revealed. I give Him all the glory and honor and praise during this time of Thanksgiving. Not that I wouldn't always give Him the praise at any time, but this causes me to have a heart overflowing with thanks even more!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
(Ephesians 3:20 -- bold my emphasis)

Through God, I was able to thank Him before the news. I prayed that no matter what my circumstances would be now, whether He would bless me with this new job or not, through faith and trust in Him, I would still be thankful.

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”
(Colossians 4:2)

Pray for others and pray for yourself, too.

God is love and He is so very good all the time!

Ultimately, we should keep in mind that Heaven is our home if we have received the salvation of God. As I already mentioned, this world is unstable and the earth will shake, but the coming Kingdom of Heaven will be unshakable. Therefore, keep this Bible verse in mind as we anticipate our home someday in Heaven:

“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28)

If you don't have a confidence in your salvation, knowing that your home is in the Kingdom of Heaven, then please go back to the beginning blog posts and start reading them. I will pray for you, as I have already done so, and I will continue to keep you in my prayers. God loves you and He would be so pleased to have your love in return. He wants to save you from this world for His kingdom above. Please open your heart today. Then you will be more thankful than you have ever been about anything else in your life when you receive Christ Jesus as your Savior! Praise God!

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you!

Please sign up as a follower on this blog today. I would be ever so grateful and full of thanks for more followers! Thanking you in advance, and as always:

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:7)

Copyright © 2015 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics.

Defending the Faith!

How many of us who call ourselves Christians are defending our faith? If you call yourself a Christian, are you defending your faith? 

You cannot defend something that you don’t believe in or honor, but even more than this, you cannot defend something that you don’t know enough about or understand to really express it to others. Thus, we must become well versed in the Word of God, the Bible, and be in close relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ to defend our faith.

There have been many times in my life when I felt led to speak up and defend my faith and I have even when I may be mocked or criticized. I am a Christian, saved by the blood of Christ, baptized, and born again. God has gifted me in various ways. He will do all of the same for you if you are willing to accept His gracious love and merciful forgiveness.

Just recently among several women, some of which I had never met before, the subject of gay marriage and the law clerk refusing to marry gays and the like arose. I had to speak up and say that if we are believers in God, Christians, and agree with the new law to allow the legality of marriage for anyone other than 1 man with 1 woman, then we are not following God’s law. I spoke in defense of God’s Word and explained that we must have a Godly standard if we are Christians. We cannot allow the world to dictate the ways of God. We must stand up and defend our faith or we are living just like the world. Then there is no distinction between a Christian and a nonbeliever.

“God is love” (1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16), and “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)

I created “ God’s Word for Today” blog to present the truth of God to others as God gifted me to write and I wanted to and was led to write for Him. I began the blog to guide others into God’s truth and love, praying for my readers to know God intimately and to love Him and be saved in the only way He has provided: through Jesus Christ! I also write this blog to encourage believers. I am encouraging us to have the power, which we were given when we received the Holy Spirit to DEFEND OUR FAITH!

“... In your hearts, you must honor and worship Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, always being prepared to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15) 

If you have no knowledge and wisdom of God and of Jesus Christ, then you have no defense. You need the weapons of warfare, which are spiritual.

How do we prepare as the Bible states in 1 Peter above? We must be filled with the Spirit of God. We must read the Bible and learn the ways of God and be obedient to Him through our knowledge of Him. This is how we are able to defend our faith. 

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

In fact, someday, we who are faithful in our obedience to God, if alive on this earth, will see the coming Kingdom when Jesus Christ returns and His justice will prevail. In the meantime, we are to show others the right way to live, teaching and living the Word of God out in our lives for our light to shine in the dark and evil world developing around us.

“I charge you in the presence of God and Jesus Christ, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up His kingdom: Preach the word of God; be ready in season and out of season. Patiently correct, rebuke, and exhort [or encourage] people with good teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but will having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will reject the truth and chase after myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering for the Lord, work at telling others the Good News, and fulfill the ministry God has given you.” (2 Timothy 4:1-22) 

In defending the Christian faith, we must do our best not to argue, but share the Gospel in love with everyone, being patient and gentle, yet bold in our opposition. Then, we may be the vessel by which our testimony may be the answer to another soul being led to the Lord through the truth and the knowledge of God. 

“And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:24-25)

Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Why? We must stand on the Word and be faithful in our beliefs, our words, and our actions, and be willing to share the truth in season and out of season.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

If we do “our part,” God will do His in anointing us with the courage and the strength to have great faith as a sheep among wolves. Why? The following scripture explains:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We are to share the Word of God in defense with pure motives. God has given every individual free will.

But: “Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?” (Psalm 94:16)

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.“ (Ephesians 5:11)

We must stand strong against evil. We much stand strong in God’s love.

“Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.” (Psalm 119:41-42)

The Word of God is our sword! It is our defense. “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17 — added bold and color)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:3-4)

Copyright © 2015 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics.