Let me explain the above title. We are a nation who loves to play games, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, etc. We also love our board games, remember monopoly and scrabble. Then there are thousands of video games to play. And nowadays lots of people are playing poker.
Imagine playing poker with Jesus. Now there’s a game you want to lose. But there are a lot of prideful people who want to compete with Jesus trying to win the game in their own strength at all costs. The Bible calls them self righteous. Example: Jesus bets a commandment, any one of the ten, it doesn’t matter. They say “I can keep that one; I’ll call your bet, Jesus.” Now by calling His bet they are saying they need only 90% of Jesus in their life. Jesus bets another commandment. They say again, “I can do that.” So they call His bet again. Now they’re saying they only need 80% of Jesus. And before long they are saying I don’t need Jesus at all. The point here that I am trying to make is that you don’t want to call Jesus’ bets. You want to fold and give Him all of your chips. And by so doing, you win. “When we are weak, then we are strong”…with Jesus we don’t have to win, His grace is sufficient.
Jesus is the only one who can keep the Ten Commandments. Jesus is the only one who can keep the law. He is the only one who ever did and the only one who ever will. And He’ll do it all for us, in us, and through us, if we will just fold. It is by grace through faith not by winning so no man can boast. Thank you Jesus!
Here is something else to thank Jesus for during this Thanksgiving season. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness; then you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation; then you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death; then you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, then you are richer that 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace; then you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder; then you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch. If you can read this Thanksgiving letter, then you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
After pondering these facts, it should be easy to realize that we truly have many blessings by God’s grace which we often take for granted. Thank you Jesus! I hope this explains the title for this month.
And we at Growing in Grace Ministries want to thank you as well and wish you a happy Thanksgiving.
We appreciate your continued prayer and financial support. We need both to meet the ministry obligations. Thank you for your faithfulness.