God Speaks--Blessings

It is the time of year when we begin to focus our attention on the blessings in our lives. This year in particular has been a difficult one in which to find many blessings. We often get so wrapped up in our sorrows and problems, that we forget to focus on the good things.  An old hymn, written in 1867, may be a needed one this year. "Count Your Blessings" was written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman, Jr, and I can only imagine it was sung quite often at the beginning of the 20th century. The country in the first 20 years of the 20th century certainly had gone through a lot, including a World War and a world-wide pandemic.

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Psalm 2:12--"But blessings await all who trust in Him. They will find God a gentle refuge."

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. 

Psalm 5:12--"You, O Eternal, are the One who lays all good things in the laps of the right-hearted. Your blessings surround them like a shield."

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Psalm 92:7--"That evil men sprout like grass and wicked men flourish, only so that they will be doomed forever." 

Psalm 128:4--"Such are the blessings the Eternal lavishes on those who stand in awe of Him!"

So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Psalm 67:7--"God is the source of our blessings; may every corner of the earth respect and revere Him."

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Psalm 115:15--"May the blessings of the Eternal, maker of heaven and earth, be on you."

God Speaks Amid Politics

What I am about to present is purely my OPINION! It is mine and I have a right to have it (at least for now). You have the right to agree or disagree. It requires no fact-checking unless you want to look up Bible verses. I will not be bashing any particular people or sides, only presenting what I feel led to present.

I have felt led for some time to address this and feel that now is the right time. Whether you are happy with the recent election results or not, I believe that as Christians it is our duty and responsibility to pray for those who lead our states and our country. I prayed for the leadership under the Obama administration, just as I did under the Trump administration, and will continue to do under the Biden administration. 

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (The Voice)--"So, first and foremost, I urge God’s people to pray. They should make their requests, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all humanity. Teach them to pray for kings (or anyone in high places for that matter) so that we can lead quiet, peaceful lives—reverent, godly, and holy—all of which is good and acceptable before the eyes of God our Savior"

This post goes beyond that, however. If you are a Christian thinking about what changes MAY happen to our country in the next few years, let me give you a word of encouragement and again, my OPINION!. I do believe that we do not have long to celebrate or worry (depending on your political preference). I firmly believe that the day of Christ's return is fast approaching. I'm not even sure we have to worry about the next presidential election. Each generation, it seems, regards theirs as the one in which Christ will return, but now more than ever many prophecies are being fulfilled. Besides the return of Israel as a nation, plans are being made for implantation of chip readers in the skin, which many attribute to being a part of the "mark of the beast" or the sign of the anti-christ. 

The whole political unrest of our own country and the loss of what many consider to be traditional values and morals is here. I attribute the political unrest, not to a particular person or party, but to the workings of the devil and his desire to gain as many souls as he can.  The Bible describes folks in the last days:

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (The Voice)--"And know this: in the last days, times will be hard. You see, the world will be filled with narcissistic, money-grubbing, pretentious, arrogant, and abusive people. They will rebel against their parents and will be ungrateful, unholy, uncaring, coldhearted, accusing, without restraint, savage, and haters of anything good. Expect them to be treacherous, reckless, swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than they love God. Even though they may look or act like godly people, they’re not. They deny His power. I tell you: Stay away from the likes of these."

Matthew 24:12 (The Voice)--"The love that they had for one another will grow cold because few will obey the law."

2 Peter 3:3 (ESV)--"knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires."

The point of this diatribe is not to scare anyone, but merely to point out that I BELIEVE the time of Christians on earth is very limited. For those who believe, we will be spared the "really bad stuff", but for those who don't believe when Jesus calls believers up, the worst is yet to come. Please be sure you are ready when Christ calls His believers up! If you are not sure you are ready, or not sure how to know you are ready, please feel free to leave a comment or fill out the contact form and I will get back to you.