As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, let us be ever mindful of all that our Abba Father has done for us, all that He has given us, all that He has allowed into our lives, and all that He has protected us from. Remember and rejoice.

Amidst the turkey and dressing, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce, let us pause and with a grateful heart rejoice in our Salvation. Share a word of encouragement, a smile, a silent prayer, praying for those whom the Holy Spirit brings to our mind. But, most importantly for those of us who have been given the gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ, God’ Son, let us share the good news:

He’s alive, He’s alive. He’s alive and I’m forgiven,
Heaven’s gates are open wide.
He’s Alive.!!!.

"And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, ..." Exodus 20

Many read this a breath a little easier - no worry here.!

But wait before you pat yourself on the back and ask yourself a question:

How much time do I spend at my job? How much time do I spend in prayer?  How much time do I spend watching television? How much time do I spend reading The Word?  How much time do I devote to God? How much time do I devote to sports or hobbies.

Idols are not sticks and stones, idols are anything that occupies more of our time, our talents, our emotions, our hearts more than our God - ANYTHING.!. 

I deeply believe that the sin of unbelief is among the most devastating in modern Christianity. Unbelief spiritually puts us to sleep and binds us little by little, inexorably, year after year, until we accept the unacceptable.

The Kingdom of God worldwide is presently experiencing the greatest spiritual revival in the history of mankind. However, during the same period of time, more than 90 percent of evangelical churches throughout North America and Europe have shown no significant growth. They are reduced to recalling their past awakenings, or desperately clinging to the latest fad promising some breathtaking and instantaneous breakthrough. Please understand me. The revivals in Africa, China, Korea, Latin America, and in countries formally behind the Iron Curtain fill us with joy and praise. I thank God for what He has done yesterday—but I am here today! I must repent (change direction) for the dullness in my faith that has caused me to tolerate the intolerable. It is inconceivable to live in such spiritual drought and accept this dreadful routine while new pages of the greatest soul-winning revival in history are being written before our very eyes around the world.

Unbelief is more serious and devastating than we can understand or fathom. Surrounded by a world filled with immorality, decadence, idolatry and demonic religious rituals, Jesus stood firm and stayed strong. But He wept at unbelief; it literally tore Him up. In the gospels, when dealing with Lazarus’ loved ones, Jesus wept because of their hardness of heart and refusal to trust Him (John 11:33-35). He wept as they refused to believe in His promises of power and resurrection—and He weeps over us today as we sit comfortably in spiritual apathy, as we build up rationalizations and embarrassing pseudo-religious “doctrines,” rituals, and sophisticated explanations that allow us to justify our lives so void of true power and supernatural fruit.

My friends, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and there is no favoritism with our God (see Hebrews 13:8 and Acts 10:34-35). He is immutable (He never changes), omnipotent (there is nothing He cannot do), absolutely just and totally committed and desirous of doing in your life, your city, your church what He is so majestically and so supernaturally doing all over the world. Between us and the limitless greatness of His power stands the gulf of unbelief. That is why we cannot live another day without crying out:

Lord, increase our faith.

WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM
by Claude Houde

We can grin or we can groan.

We can grumble or we can be grateful.

Whichever we choose, and it is always a choice, our choice, we must always remember ~
 
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

We know our true spiritual state by how troubled we become over our slightest sin against our Lord.

Some Christians only grieve over what they consider the “big sins”— adultery, drug abuse, drinking, cursing. But the truly spiritual
person knows that no sin is small in God's sight and so he grieves every time he gossips, tells a dirty joke or has a lingering evil thought. He knows these things spring from his heart, the very center of his being.

You can disobey God in such “small things,” excusing yourself and forgetting all about them. But if you do, you will never mature in Christ. Your righteousness is measured by your unwillingness to accept anything that grieves your blessed Savior.

This is Godly sorrow.

snippets from David Wilkerson

“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner.” 2 Corinthians 7:9

Soldiers attending a pre-deployment briefing at Fort Hood say they were told that evangelical Christians and members of the Tea Party were a threat to the nation and that any soldier donating to those groups would be subjected to punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

It is oft times necessary to be reminded that we, the twice-born of God, are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that [we] should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9

and then act accordingly.

hmmmm, most interesting -

Israeli President Shimon Peres, Education Minister Shay Piron and Texas Governor Rick Perry recently signed an agreement to establish a "Peace Campus" in the northern Israel Arab city of Nazareth.

The campus will be a branch of Texas A&M University, one of the top research institutions in the world. It is the first time a leading foreign research university has opened a campus in Israel.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Peres said, "Nazareth is the largest Arab city in Israel, as well as the birthplace of Jesus. It is a city committed to spiritual values, and so is a fitting location for a major university campus intended for students of all faiths."

Jesus said, "I AM the way the truth and the life," - there is no other way.