12.17- What we believe about the nature of human beings makes a big difference about how we live and how we die.

 12.17-

What we believe about the nature of human beings makes a big difference about how we live and how we die. I was taught by my parents and grandparents that human beings are meant to live life with the spirit of gratefulness. Sheila's parents did the same and we tried to do this with our family as well.

Gratefulness sets an attitutde that effects every every day. It sets a direction to our approach to all the challenges of life.

In the home where I grew up we started of our breakfast with;

"Kind, heavenly Father,

Thank you for this food and all your many blessings.

Be with those who are sick and those who are depressed and lonely.

In Jesus name,

Amen."

That was the basic prayer of my dad most days and it reminded all of us that we are not alone and we have blessings that do not need to be overlooked.

For dad and mom the belief in God was not just about life beyond the church building and the cemetery, but daily life trying to help God to bring a heavenly attitude into their daily earthly life and help others to do so.

They did this by dedicating a couple of hours on Sunday to meeting with a bunch of other people to worship God and learn His ways. I am thankful that this was their habit and their custom.

To meet with the church in person on Sunday morning has been the habit of my life for most of my 76 years and this has made a big difference in my life.

There I see people who want to encourage me to not give up but keep going for the best kind of life on this earth. There I see people who have overcome amazinh challnges and keep a spirit of joy and happiness day after day.

When Jesus gathered with people to worship He read Scripture that reminded them to not forget the need to help the sick and prisoners and the oppressed. These are reminders that I need.

I had to overcome some inertia yesterday to go and worship in person, but once I got there I received many great blessings. I worshipped with about 1,400 but about 60 of them were personal friends of mine and about 16 of them took time to personally interact with and encourage me.

I do not take the habit of prayers for meals and worshipping Jesus with others for granted.

As my brother Reed and Gene and their daughter Gena are all in heaven now I reflect on how they loved to meet with their Christian friends on Sunday morning for study and worhip.

I never feel so close to Sheila now as much as when I am worshipping the lamb of God with the church on Sunday morning believing that she is doing the same in heaven now.

Worshipping with others has some great benefits.

Thank you God for my parents and grand parents and other family members and their good habits.

Thank you for all the good memories.

Hebrews 10.

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[e] 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,

“In just a little while,
    he who is coming will come
    and will not delay.”[f]

38 And,

“But my righteous[g] one will live by faith.
    And I take no pleasure
    in the one who shrinks back.”[h]

39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.