THANKSGIVING! November 2008
Dearly Beloved of Our Lord:
We are very, very thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for His wonderful salvation and for the Holy Spirit’s presence throughout our journey every minute of every day! And we are thankful for you, for your friendship, your prayers and your support.
We are in difficult times in our nation and we will all experience difficult times together as brethren. Even though there is much fear and anxiety being spread about, we have the opportunity to continue to walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We can continue to express love, joy, peace, kindness, humility, self control, etc. during times when most people around us are experiencing so many other things. When people are afraid that they will not have enough we can continue to be kind and generous, especially with one another as brethren. And we can be content with what we have and not complain about what we do not have.
Here are some scriptures we use to help us focus on being thankful. We are encouraged to give thanks for all things and in all things. So no matter what our circumstances are we want to remain thankful whether we are in abundance or in lack.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
“..be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (Ephesians 5:18-20)
We are permanent citizens of the Kingdom of God and temporary citizens of this world and of this nation. We already have a King who has given us His love, His provision, His healing and indeed, His very life through the shedding of His precious blood. We follow Him who is the Light of the world and He is the very Light of our lives so that we do not stumble in the darkness of this present evil age and its attempt to influence us. (Note John 8:12)
Thanksgiving for One Another
Many scriptures encourage us to give thanks for all the saints and to remember one another in our prayers. We are thankful for you, for your friendship, for your prayers, for your encouragement, and for your financial gifts to us. We are thankful when we are remembered or when we are not. We know that we are in a time where there can be many pressures on our lives and we believe many of these pressures will be increasing. Each time we receive or send out letters and emails we remember you in our prayers and carry you in our hearts. May you have a most blessed Thanksgiving!
We have Jesus and we live in the Kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. Our source for all we need is God and His Kingdom and not the world. But Our Father uses one another to bless and to encourage one another. And we should do so even in difficult times and as we see the day of His return approaching. One way is through hymns, songs, and scriptures so we include the words to “Here is Love” on the next page for your encouragement. This hymn was very well known during the Welsh Revival in the early twentieth century.
Here is Love Robert Lowrey & William Rees
Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.
On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.
Let me all Thy love accepting,
Love Thee, ever all my days;
Let me seek Thy kingdom only
And my life be to Thy praise;
Thou alone shalt be my glory,
Nothing in the world I see.
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,
Thou Thyself hast set me free.
In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
And Thy grace my need is meeting,
As I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and power on me,
Without measure, full and boundless,
Drawing out my heart to Thee.
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)
~ Ron & Karen
E-mail: awakening1s@comcast.net
Home Page: awakening1s.net
church @ 24/7
Ron & Karen Rohman
PO Box 14292
PORTLAND OR 97293