The most precious gift of all….

“When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit.”

And…..Spoken by the prophet Joel:

“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.”

The same power that transformed the disciples from a quaking, shivering, huddled with fear bunch; listening for footsteps and clenched fists pounding at the door, to an “empowered by God” group that would turn the world upside down, still empowers you and I today as believers, and the church continues to flourish….

Consider these facts from Philip Jenkins:

A few years ago, Bishop Spong wrote Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and his message was that Christianity is becoming discredited in the West, the old supernatural lessons are ceasing to carry any weight, so Christianity must change or die.
I will die, Bishop Spong will die, but, as far as we can tell, Christianity seems to be flourishing remarkably. The Christianity that is flourishing in the global South is a Christianity that looks very strange to Western eyes. It takes prophecy and spiritual healing very seriously. Dreams, visions, trances are all notions that carry a good deal of currency in the countries in which Christianity is succeeding very dramatically. It would be hard to convince a congregation in Seoul or in Nairobi that Christianity is dying, when they are far too busy building a new facility for the 20,000 or 30,000 new people they have added to their congregation in the last decade.

Places considered unreachable several decades ago have now become hot spots for Christian growth, and hundreds of new churches are being planted each month in those places. Take the small country of Nepal, for example; the church there is growing faster than in any other nation. In 1960, the number of Christians totaled only twenty-five. Today, the number has risen to almost 1 million. Despite the abuse and isolation many Nepali Christians have faced in recent years, churches are springing up all over the country. And though Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims, still constitute the majority of the population, Christianity is growing twice as fast as the other faiths.

Philip Jenkins is Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He was born in Wales and educated in England, where he received his Ph.D. from Clare College at Cambridge. He has written over fifteen books and many articles on contemporary religious issues and controversy.

The list of gratitude goes on:

21. The first cup of coffee in the morning

22. People that continue to love even when it seems impossible

23. Friends that know how to fix broken washers (washer gave out this morning and very smart friend pulled part out and also repaired part) Hallelujah!

24. Precious gifts from people that remind me of their presence.

25. The knowledge that ALL good things come from God.

26. Computers that keep us in touch with our loved ones far away.

27. Telephones that do the same thing.

28. Service people that show up on time and do a good job

29. The innocence of children

30. People who go out on a limb to rescue those who can’t rescue themselves

I am starting my gratitude list along with many others……

1. Knowing that I am loved by God….The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zeph.3:17

2. The gift of health, of breathing in and out without discomfort or effort, freedom to move about with no pain….what a gift! “This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:8

3. Loved ones who smile and say “Good morning!” “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

4. Laughter….always finding something funny and sharing that with someone special. There are really some people who go through a whole day without laughter. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

5. Freedom to worship….Lord, I know I take it for granted sometimes, please help me to fully appreciate this wonderful gift we have in America. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2

6. The gift of belief….belief in Someone bigger than myself who holds it all together. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—” John 1:12

7. Friendship….”A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

8. Birds in the morning….they are singing and they don’t even question whether they should….singing is just what they do. Why shouldn’t we be the same? “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;” Job 12:7

9. Nature all around us. Even sitting here at my computer I can imagine being in a quiet forest….sitting by a gurgling stream….walking on the beach, waves crashing all around. I know it is out there to enjoy! “Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11,12

10. Two parents still alive and healthy, who answer the phone when I call…”Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” Proverbs 17:6
Thank you to Ann Voscamp at Holy Experience for starting all this, once you start listing things, it changes how you think!

I am grateful for rain last night, drumming on the roof, silly sideways rain that we hardly ever seem to get anymore….It was making me laugh out loud as I scooted my clean car up closer under the carport and tried to wipe the back bumper dry…God said, quit trying to be so perfect….cars can be washed again, as He laughingly side-swiped me with a gush of windrain. I laughed back as I thanked Him for that which I have been praying for lately.

I am grateful that as I study His word more, know God more, I ask where He is less and less. I ask Him why less too. No longer needing to have all the answers, I rest my hope in the One who does.

A miracle is when you see faith giving birth to knowledge, through God’s infinite grace.

Why should we ask God why when He has told us all along how to treat each other? The rules are in the Book.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. By this was God’s love revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:7-11