Count Your Blessings Psalm 7:17

Apostolic Pentecostal Church - Wateloo IA  Circa 1999

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of "............. 

When I was found by the Lord back in 1978 (actually he found me a lot earlier than that, I just quit running away in 1978) we attended church in Waterloo at the Apostolic Pentecostal Church on the corner of West Second and Wellington Streets.  It was an old church when we moved in, I think I must have been about 6 yrs old  when Pastor start the church, and when I got there it was a very old church building.

You know what though, that building and the assembly that occupied it under that APC banner had a reputation among, at least my family members, that if you stepped inside for a service you were going to be IMPACTED by the Holy Spirit of God. It was an airtight lock that Jesus Christ was going to find room right beside you, between you and Brother and Sister Bell (My sister Karen) and their family, and He WOULD talk to you by name through that entire service.

How did these guys know what songs to pick for the song service? How did the pastor know about the issues that we were facing in our lives that day? How did he know about my secrets? My hurts and pains? My longing for more than I had in my parched spirit and soul? What was going on in this place??

Well if you "know" Jesus then the answer to the questions I asked is clear.  What was going on was we had come into the very real presence of God. Coming in to a place where the fallible, very human Christians were making them selves available to the Savior and His plans for us that day. This won't cost you anything extra, but its interesting how we can become so critical of people and put them into such ugly categories AFTER we know the Lord.  That is pure irony to me. After we "know" the One the makes us Righteous by His Mercy, Grace and Love, we then look about and say such petty and immature things. Maybe not everyone does this but then again maybe everyone does, God knows. I will tell you reader, I have been one of those people looking around the beam in my eye and spying the motes in the congregation. All my good works, well that has to count for something right. Right?? Yep - filthy rags. Thank God that He is God and I am not!

 Which brings me full circle to Count Your Blessings!  In that old church we used to sing an old song, "Count your blessings name them one by one, Count your blessing see what God has done, Coouunnnt your blessings, Name them one by one. Count your many blessing see what God Has Done.

So today do yourself a favor and write down  just 3 things that you can and will tell God (out-loud) , "Thank you for this blessing!" sometime today.  A little coaching now. Dont write The Snow or My Job or Our Church or my Family,,,,, unless you/we are truly thankful. You will know what those things are. Being honest always brings about the most remarkable results in our lives. Honesty with Jesus has the most transformational effect.  New creation kind of stuff.

Have a good Sunday and thanks for your time.

PS,  I have put a poll up if you would like to participate and help me make this a more valuable read. I really want to know what you think.