April 2025
Feeling Thankful During This Resurrection Season
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Do you sometimes feel less than thankful for all that you have? Is there a way we can be more thankful for everything God has given us? Are we genuinely thankful that Jesus Christ suffered and died on our behalf, and in our place?
The three questions I have asked above are vital ones in regard to our own outlook on life, and how we see
things. Psalm 92:1 – ‘It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.’
When life gets busy, aren’t we prone to forget even the basic blessings God has bestowed upon us; life itself,
health, family, friends, marriage, work/career, finances, and hobbies, to name just a few. Even the very air we breathe is His gift to us. How many of God’s blessings do we take for granted, or give little thought to on a
daily basis?
The most important thing to be thankful for, especially during this resurrection season, is Jesus Christ. When we consider what Jesus did for us on the cross at Calvary, how can we be anything but thankful? John 19:30 – ‘Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.’ At that moment, Jesus had paid the price for your sins, and mine. When the full penalty had been paid, only then could Jesus say that it was finished. Jesus had completed the mission He was sent to accomplish by His Father.
Then we read these wonderful words in Matthew 28:5-6 – “The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as
He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” 'By overcoming death, Jesus guaranteed us eternal life. He had defeated the devil, and in so doing, gave us the free gift of salvation found only in Him. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Do the truths contained in this verse cause you to be thankful and grateful to our Lord Jesus?
Here are some additional ways we can be thankful in our daily lives:
1) Take time each day to stop and thank God for His many blessings
2) Use wisely what God has given to you
3) Give freely to others
4) Live your life for Christ, and not for yourself
The Bible tells us in Colossians 3:2 – “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on
earth.” First Baptist, I pray that this article, and my suggestions, will help guide you in being more thankful in
your lives, not only in this resurrection season, but all year long.
Pastor Thomas
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March 2025
Does God Really Hear My Prayers? Does He Always Answer Them?
These are two very important questions. As always, we must go to the Bible for the answers.
We read in Proverbs 15:29 – “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Elsewhere, we read that Jesus spent a whole night in prayer: Luke 6:12 – ‘It was at this time the He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.”
The Bible tells us to ‘Pray without ceasing,’ (1 st Thessalonians 5:17). We read of people like David, Solomon and Paul all praying to God. How can we define prayer? It’s our way of communicating with God. In prayer, we can pour out our hearts to Him, seek wisdom and solutions for troubling situations, thank Him for answering our prayers, or just praise Him for all He has done in our lives. God desires that we pray to Him and seek Him daily. Yes, He does hear the prayers of those who have placed their trust in Him (called ‘the righteous’ in Proverbs 15:29 above).
And yes, God also answers prayers. Matthew 21:22 – “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Mark 11:24 – “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Our problem is that often, the answers we seek and expect are not those that God chooses to give us.
We desire a certain reply, and when that doesn’t occur, we think God has not answered us. In reality,
God HAS answered as He desires, and as He wills.
Additionally, our focus must also be correct when praying (Philippians 4:6-8). If we approach each prayer with a wrong mind set, we’re preparing ourselves for only frustration, disappointment, and maybe even anger.
First Baptist, allow me to suggest this to you. Take your Bible, and read every verse pertaining to prayer and praying. When you have finished, you will have an excellent idea of how a true believer’s prayer life should be. Once you do this, you will never pray the same way again. And you will more clearly hear when God answers your prayers.
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Pastor Thomas