It's Not Too Late to be Thankful, Is it? by Linda Maynard

This Thanksgiving Week, we are looking at what we are grateful for.

My list would include knowing the Lord Jesus, my marriage, my family, my home and my church to name a few. I will eternally be grateful to God for the deep blessings in these areas.

 Soon after this past presidential Election, I was ambushed with thoughts with an urgent tone. It was a strong message that resonated deep within my soul.


“Don’t forget to be grateful for the freedoms that you enjoy in America, especially the freedom to worship and the freedom of speech.”

For a long time. The ministry, “The Voice of the Martyrs” had been placed before me. I am going to be honest and tell you that I heard about its existence, but shied away from knowing anything more about it. I suppose it came into the category of ““Well, I can’t support every Christian Ministry and having to do with the fact that I knew their news would not be uplifting "(at least in my eyes at the time) Its reports, from distant countries, seemed far removed from me.
That was my stance, until I signed up to receive a free book “Tortured for Christ”, written by Richard Wurmbrand. Like Fox’s Book of Martyrs, it is a not an easy read.

 Through that offer, I also signed up for the magazine Voice of the Martyrs.


The accounts and their pictures told of horrific tales of believers standing for their faith in Jesus Christ. These men and women and yes even children are modern heroes of faith.

Many live in countries that are more than just intolerant of the Christian Faith, but those who are utterly hostile to it.


Many think it is honorable to rid their areas of Christians. In some countries Christians are referred to as infidels…people to get rid of.

Sometimes they will declare that they are doing so in order to follow the dictates of their own “consciences” by “honoring” their "god(s)"

Babies are still sacrificed in India and thrown into a fire to appease the gods. In India, I think the number of "gods "is in the millions.

In many hostile places, they are neither able to practice their faith nor to speak about it.

I recently became friend with a Chinese college student who is a new Christian. She shared how her friend and she would study the Bible together, but of course these meetings had been clandestine, she also mentioned how the teacher, who told her about the Lord, could have been arrested for proselytizing.

Growing up, I was told not to take things for granted. The message ,more or less, focused on any material things I had acquired.  Taking for granted the blessing of freedom… to practice my faith and express my beliefs openly seemed like a given.

I know there is a word that is thrown around these days and it is entitlement. I would have to say, that was my attitude. I couldn’t really see any reason why these freedoms wouldn’t always be there for me and my family.

When thoughts contrary to that long held belief intruded, I could chase them away…until this past presidential Election.
I don’t want to be among those anymore who think the freedoms that we enjoy in our country are any less, than a God given grace and blessing over our land.

I want to be among those who join with wholeheartedly praying, in the long requested prayer, which has been around the Body of Christ for years.
If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land….2 Chronicles 7:14

A beautiful and favorite patriotic song that I love is God Bless America….It even has more words than we usually sing

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Will you join me in thanking the Lord for blessing America? Will you pray that we all will turn from our wicked ways and humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to spare us from wickedness and hostility, such as we have never seen in our lifetime?

In most polls, we will never come out on top but… if we take a lower stance and humble ourselves, God promises to hear our prayers.

 And for that very fact, I am grateful.




          

God, what are you doing?

God, what are you doing?

Imagine a gun pointed at your head. If you agree with the message of this message the gun will fire—and you will enter eternity.

It will happen to someone before you finish reading this. Approximately one person every five minutes will be killed today, for their belief in Jesus Christ; twelve within the hour; two hundred and eighty-eight by this time tomorrow; over one hundred thousand by this time next year. BANG.

God, what are you doing?

The following is a statement from the White House: February 24, 2012.

The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms reports that Iranian authorities’ reaffirmed a death sentence for Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani for the sole reason of his refusal to recant his Christian faith.  This action is yet another shocking breach of Iran’s international obligations, its own constitution, and stated religious values.  The United States stands in solidarity with Pastor Nadarkhani, his family, and all those who seek to practice their religion without fear of persecution—a fundamental and universal human right.  The trial and sentencing process for Pastor Nadarkhani demonstrates the Iranian government’s total disregard for religious freedom, and further demonstrates Iran's continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens.  The United States calls upon the Iranian authorities to immediately lift the sentence, release Pastor Nadarkhani, and demonstrate a commitment to basic, universal human rights, including freedom of religion.  The United States renews its calls for people of conscience and governments around the world to reach out to Iranian authorities and demand Pastor Nadarkhani's immediate release.

This man is on death row for his refusal to recant his Christian faith.

God what are you doing?

I prayed for my family, my kids, my country last night before I went to bed—and for you, before I went to church today.

Just for attending a church service, Damare, a young slave boy, was left to die after having his feet and knees nailed to a board. Miraculously he survived and said he forgave his tormenter because, Jesus was also nailed and forgave him.

God what…

I made some cookies yesterday. I had to ask my wife a lot of questions since I’d never really done it before. Figured I’d take some to a couple bachelors that live nearby—my Christian duty to reach out to the lost.

Right now thousands of folks are feeling the pain of hunger, and fourteen thousand will starve to death before another day begins.

God…?

115,000 babies were aborted yesterday, and that many more will be again today and tomorrow and the day after and…

I write words—and pray they make a difference.

God what are you doing? When I look at this great big world, with all of its great big problems, I look and feel disgustingly puny. God, what are you doing?

Loving.

In the next 24 hours statistics say eighty-thousand people will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and be born again. Christianity: the fastest growing of all beliefs.

Through one venture alone: The Jesus film. Every eight seconds, somewhere in the world, another person indicates a decision to follow Christ after watching the "JESUS" film. Every eight seconds... that's 10,800 people per day, 324,000 per month and more than 3.8 million per year.

 

I’m supposed to write about: What’s God doing? But can I be honest here? It’s kinda overwhelming.  

 

There was this guy, John, sitting in prison and his friends were telling him about all the stuff Jesus was doing. So, John told them to go ask Jesus if this was God’s doing—if He was the Messiah. Jesus told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. Luke 7:18-23

 

I ask God what He’s doing. He’s doing what He’s always done—hanging out with those that need Him. He’s near the hungry, the sick, the dying, the hurting, the lame, the poor, the brokenhearted…He said those who are well don’t need a doctor but those who are sick. He’s with those.

 

So, when we see suffering—rather than asking: Where’s God? What’s He doing?—we should see God sitting right in the midst of it, looking to us to offer our support, our hand, our help.

 

And ultimately…when I ask the question: God, what are you doing? His reply is: What are you doing?    

 

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
⁴⁴ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
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