Friday nights message at the mission was about being thankful. It was pretty cool to hear Gene's testimony and experiences from Vietman and about being "touched" by angels in the worst of moments. He questioned his own mortality in varies situations and asked why was he lived through some of these moments. I know alot of the guys sitting there could really relate to some of those experiences. Thank you Gene!
The message of thankfulness was given by Richie. I've heard Richie give a message in India but he blew me away on Friday with his message on being thankful. He started out talking about what we generally think are things to be thankful for like our family, our homes, but quickly made the point to the audience that these things are just material and that there is something greater to be thankful for.
1. Thankful for and it's okay to be "weak."
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.- 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9The best part about this is that we often feel weak. Life comes at us hard and unexpected, I (we) feel weak, we can't carry some of this stuff all the time, we just can't, believe me I've tried! The last time I checked the self help industry is a multi million dollar machine. Does it satisfy? Maybe for a little bit but it never lasts, so we just bury this stuff. When it creeps up we just push it back down, never letting it go. No matter what the "outside" says, inside we're a mess! God is our strength.
2. Thankful that He cares.
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." - 2PETER5:7Religion by itself is a belief with no power. Having a personal relationship with God is when His power becomes your strength. Who else knows you better? He's been with us through every step even when we don't want Him. He'll carry our worries because we know he cares.
3. Thankful I'm forgiven.
" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 JOHN 1:9Thats a tough one. Forgiven? I can't seem to forgive myself on so many levels, but He has already forgiven me. Jesus died not for the righteous but the unrighteous, they didn't take his life, he gave it as a sacrifice, to take our place, to carry our sins so that we may be forgiven. It's definetly not to say we will never sin again, but He's forgiven us for things we've done and things we're going to do. We still need to recognize our tendencies to sin and rely on His power to overcome it.
4. Thankful He will never leave me.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." - DEUTERONOMY 31:6Never leave me or forsake me. If one thing I do know for sure is that people leave. People I've loved and still love are no longer in my life. Through whatever circumstances I've felt the pain of being left or separated from relationships. It sucks. I'll leave that there for now. :(
5. Thankful he loves me/us.
" But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - ROMANS 5:8Jesus died for us not because we were good enough, but because He loved us. For a time in my life, I didn't even want God, but He wanted me. I pushed Him away and He waited. I fought Him and He never fought back, He just loved back. How could I not be thankful for this kind of love?
Gene, Richie, you guys were great! Paul thanks for playing guitar with me, we have to get together again! It was a fun night. For anyone interested in serving at the LBRM, let me know good things always come out of it..I am truly thankful for what God has given me/us.
