fbpx
×

Log into your account

We have changed software providers for our subscription database. Old login credentials will no longer work. Please click the "Register" link below to create a new account. If you do not know your new account number you can contact [email protected]
Be thankful!
K. Allan Blume, BR Editor
November 18, 2013
3 MIN READ TIME

Be thankful!

Be thankful!
K. Allan Blume, BR Editor
November 18, 2013

I am thankful. I know there is much in the world to be grieved about. We feel the burden of our nation’s ungodly debt, failed leadership, and unprecedented spiritual darkness. International calamity and vast lostness grieve our souls.

The apostle Paul itemized these concerns and many others in the third chapter of Colossians, where he described the perspective of the believer in Christ. Yet, the Holy Spirit steered his discussion toward an important truth, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15, NKJ).

The peace of Christ, unity in the church and a thankful heart – those are worthy personal goals. So, I choose to be thankful. May I share with you some specific points of gratitude in my life?

I am thankful for:

  • God’s salvation by grace through faith and his infinite mercy

  • God’s Word and the truth that He reigns

  • my wife, Pam, and God’s blessings on her health through 20 months of chemotherapy

  • my son, Jeremy, who serves faithfully in Kingdom work

  • the generosity of N.C. Baptists and their support of the Great Commission through the Cooperative Program

  • Milton Hollifield, his leadership, vision and passion for kingdom ministry in N.C. and the Baptist State Convention staff

  • the great staff God has given to the Biblical Recorder

  • Southeastern Seminary that has trained five out of seven on the Recorder’s staff

  • Mark Harris’s visionary leadership and strong convictions

  • Fruitland Baptist Bible College and the apples they give away at each annual meeting

  • Michael Blackwell and the Baptist Children’s Homes of N.C. who never gives a dull report at the annual meeting

  • M.O. Owens and the blessing he has been to my life and to countless others

  • our International Mission Board missionaries and their commitment to God’s glory among the nations

  • the pastors, churches and associations who invited me to preach this year

  • the sale of the Hollifield Center and the boost those resources will be to Caraway Conference Center

  • great friends – brothers and sisters in Christ who practice Proverbs 18:24

That’s the beginning of my list. What does your list look like? “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4, NKJ).