“I’M NOT THANKFUL FOR ANY THING”

“I’M Not Thankful for Any thing”

by Keith Bellamy

Someone who had overcome polio…had overcome cancer…who had a loving family…said, “I’m not thankful for anything.” How sad!

We use this time of year to Give Thanks to our Lord, from Whom all blessings flow.

Are you thankful?

A Professor asked his 7 A.M. Saturday class to write down ten things they were thankful for. And I can remember taking a Marketing class fifty years ago at 7:30 A.M. at the University of Houston. I can’t imagine being asked to write down one thing…let alone ten things I was thankful for. However, I started thinking about the things I should have been thankful for. I woke up. I could breathe. I could see. My wife still loved me. My car kept running so I could travel several miles to the class. I was still alive. My parents were still alive. My God still loved me. And God hadn’t given up on me! The list could get longer and longer.

What about now?

I am thankful for the advancement of medical science. Some of us would not be here without it. I am thankful that Jesus cares! I am thankful we still live in a country that has so many opportunities. I am thankful that we can serve.

Many years ago, when President Reagan turned the commodities loose for the disadvantaged, two women were interviewed. One said she wasn’t thankful for anything the President has done. The other woman was a lady, and said how grateful she truly was.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NASB).

We have so many things for which to be thankful…so why not make a list of those things, and thank God every day for each and every one of them?!

A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM

A Little child shall Lead Them

by Keith Bellamy

This Sunday evening we had an old-fashioned revival.

When Duane Turner baptized his grandson, Carson Fasske, I was thinking of Isaiah 11:6, which points to the Messiah. That verse ends with “a little child shall lead them” (ESV).

Everyone gets excited about a baby’s birth. Look at the birth of Christ and notice the excitement. And everyone should get excited about someone being born again (John 3:3-5).

Because of Carson’s desire to be baptized, there were several in attendance, some who were not members of the Woodville church family. However, they were there. And they were excited! The singing was fantastic because of the excitement.

I was also thinking of how we need the heart of a young soul like Carson. Do you remember what Jesus said in Luke 18:16-17? “But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it’.” (ESV)

The children who comprise this church family are the life of this church.

People will come to Jesus Christ because of children.

Many years ago, someone started bringing a five-year-old to church. That five-year-old went back and influenced his whole family to start attending that church. That young child is now a grown man. He inherited a crippling disease his mother had that eventually took her life and the same disease took the life of his brother. But that man is now a preacher. Because of that young man’s desire to see his family saved, they all became Christians.

Could one, or all, of our young lead people to Christ? Think about it!

GETTING EXCITED ABOUT THE LORD

Getting Excited about the Lord

by Keith Bellamy

What would it take to get you excited about the Lord? This is an important question.

We have so very many in our church family and elsewhere who are suffering with illness, bad news, and whatever else comes their way. Some have lost loved ones, and some have had broken relationships.

I was amazed the other day when Diane was singing along with some children’s songs that she once taught our girls and the young children in our church family. Her comment was that she wanted our older kids to teach the songs to our younger kids. Diane was excited about the Lord.

So, my lesson from her was one of excitement for the Lord. He has been so good to her and our family.

And God has been so very good to you, too. This ought to cause excitement. If you read some of the Psalms, you can detect the excitement the writer has for the Lord.

I think about Mark 11:7-10 when they were singing “Hosanna!” as He was riding the colt into Jerusalem. The people were excited. They were excited because Jesus was there. People are fickle, though. Many of these same people would be shouting, “Crucify Him,“ just a few days later.

We can get excited about the Lord though, knowing God is on our side. He has promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20).

We can get excited about the opportunities we have to reach out to others who are hurting…to others who are lost, confused, or mixed up.

I hope you will look at the material from World Video Bible School and use it. Look up video.wvbs.org

There are many who don’t know where to turn. You can help guide them with these tools, and hopefully they will respond to the Good News of Jesus.