We Have Been Made Whole In Christ!

Luke 17:11-19; 10 were healed; yet, only one gave thanks. How often do we truly give thanks to God?

Thank God For The GIfts

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole

                                                                (Luke 17:11-19 KJV)

How many times in our lives have we been reminded to count our blessings?  In this very materialistic world we seem to always want more of something. Yet, the more we have the more we want and what we have already received often gets ignored and neglected. That would include friends and family. Do we take them for granted?

When our sons were little we always had them open their gifts from family and friends on Christmas Eve. Santa's gifts were reserved for Christmas morning. We hoped that by doing this they would not be in a big rush to tear open the presents and be at least little more appreciative and thankful for both the gift and the giver.

Christmas is supposed to be a celebration of the great gift of Jesus being born into this world and for this world. However, that gift is often neglected not just on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas but on every day of the year. How much do we really appreciate and give thanks for the gift of his life for us? 

The ten lepers were all given a gift of healing. Nine of them ran off without even giving one word of thanks to Jesus for that gift. Only one of the was so grateful that he turned to thank Jesus. This one received even more than the gift of healing for his physical disease. He was made completely whole because of his faith in Jesus. 

Let us not just consider the gifts of God on Thanksgiving and on Christmas; but, every day of our lives for by faith in his death and resurrection we have been made whole.  Thanks be to God!

Let us give thanks for all of the gifts that God has given us!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Say No To Temptations

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Cor 10:13 NIV)

Having lived my entire life with people who had substance abuse problems; when the "Just Say No" slogan was being used in the school systems it rather irritated me. After all, I wondered did the people who were pushing the "Just Say No" program have any clue how difficult it really is to get clean? It is; after all, a disease.

Fast forward to today and, having served as a substance abuse counselor myself, now I feel confident that:  Yes, they most probably did know. Most of the people who I have known who treat substance abuse addictions have gone through it themselves. They know how hard it is. They also are living examples that it is possible to live a much fuller life without mind altering substances.

The first step in any twelve step program is to first admit that you have a problem and that you need help. Unless you recognize a problem there is no way that you will desire to seek help and it is virtually impossible to go into recovery without help. Paul writes to the Corinthians that God will provide a way out. He will help. It is always very tempting to just keep doing the same old thing. It is difficult to change our way of living. It is difficult to say no. But, God does not tempt us beyond the place where we can say no. He always provides alternatives to succumbing to temptation. 

The second and third steps of the 12-step recovery program are to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity and make a  decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God. 

God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can say no to. You really can "Just Say No" but, it is necessary to trust God to provide a way out; an alternative lifestyle and then to help you live that new life in Christ. 

May God help all who suffer from addictions to trust in Him as they seek His help.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy