 In Everything Give Thanks
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I love God's Word and how the Holy Spirit gave men such precise words to write God's life-changing truths. In the verse above, I am seeing a life-changing truth to give thanks in everything, not primarily for good things.
THANKFUL TO GOD FOR GOOD THINGS
We indeed can be thankful to God for His many blessings, including material things like a job, a car, a home, etc. However, I have yet to find a Bible verse that focuses on us giving thanks for material things God gives us. Perhaps there is a verse, I just have not found one yet.
Most of the many thanksgiving-related verses I have read point us to give thanks to God for who He is and for what He does because of who He is. :) Most verses exhort us to thank God for His presence, His mercy, His goodness, and His deliverance.
There is one verse I have found where we are exhorted to thank God for a gift, but not a material gift - but for the gift of Jesus Christ Himself! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!
THANKFUL FOR GOD IN ALL THINGS
The Bible points us to give thanks for God Himself, not just for His gifts to us. This is true thanksgiving - thanksgiving that is not conditional on gifts, but thanksgiving that is rooted in trusting our faithful and loving Giver to give us just what we need in all things.
The following story is a poignant testimony.
Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who, with her family, helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust in World War II. Their home became a hiding place for Jews. When her family was arrested, Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent together to a concentration camp.
While in the concentration camp, Betsie read the life-changing truth from 1 Thessalonians 5:18 - in everything give thanks. So, when fleas were swarming in the barracks, Betsie led Corrie and the other women to thank God for the fleas! Foolish as it seemed, it was a step of faith in God. Later, the women were delivered from some punishment from the guards who would not enter the barracks - because of all the fleas!
While in the concentration camp, Corrie's sister Betsie led multitudes of women to see, by faith, the hope and light of Christ from God's Word (please read the PS).
Betsie died in the concentration camp. Corrie lived on to testify to millions how Betsie remained thankful for God Himself to the very end -- all because of the light of Christ in her.
CLOSING
Betsie
shined the Light of life and hope to many people in a dark place where
thanksgiving had to be a miracle of God. May we, too, be thankful for
this glorious Light indwelling us to shine in everything in a dark world.
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PS
THANKFUL FOR GOD'S WORD
IN A NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMP
Women during roll call in concentration camp
Gloriously worded excerpt from
the book The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
From morning until lights-out, whenever we were not in ranks
for roll call, our Bible was the center of an ever-widening circle of health
and hope. Like waifs clustered around a
blazing fire, we gathered about it, holding out our hearts to its warmth and light.
The blacker the night around us grew,
the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the Word of God.
(Quoting Romans 8:37-39) Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him that loved us. I would look about us as Betsie (Corrie's sister) read (these Scriptures),
watching the light leap from face to face.
More than conquerors. We knew it.
We experienced it minute by minute - poor, hated, hungry. We are more than conquerors. Not we shall be. We are!
The observable, external life, grew every day more horrible. The life we lived with God, grew daily
better, truth upon truth, glory upon glory (a reference to 2 Corinthians 3:18).
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About 
Discipleship through
Counseling
Teaching
Training
Gregg Gibbons
Pastoral Director
Michael Chalmers
Training Director
Kellie Boggs
Fellowship Director
Joy Gibbons
Ministry Assistant and women's ministry coordinator
Carole Blyth
Board member and women's ministry coordinator
Randy Garrick
Board member and Elder Holly Ridge Baptist Church
Paul Crews
Board member and Pastor Mountain Creek Baptist Church
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Partnership
I believe with all my heart that ministry is through relationships.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you for your partnership in the gospel (Philippians 1:3, 5).
 
YouTube link below of my ministry commissioning service that included testimonies from several partners, including Bobby Richardson, former 2nd baseman for the NY Yankees.
Please contact me to learn more about partnering with me. I'd love to hear from you!
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On September 19th, Lifetime Ministries (formerly Lifetime Guarantee Ministries) published one of my Rest Stop articles.
Following is the link to this article:
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Ministry News
Next 8-month Advanced Discipleship Training to start January 2013. Clink on the following link for our brochure:
Gregg teaches freedom from anger through Christ at The Haven of Rest rescue mission in Anderson, SC Mondays 6:00-6:45 pm. You are welcome to attend with Gregg anytime!
Gregg is mentoring men and couples in an office at Holly Ridge Baptist Church in Simpsonville SC and at an industrial plant in Duncan SC.
Michael is mentoring men and couples in an office provided by Mountain Creek Baptist Church, Pendleton Street Baptist Church,and Earle Street Baptist Church in Greenville SC.
Carole and Joy, along with others trained through Journey in Christ, will be leading discipleship Bible studies Jan 23 through March 20, 2013 for 7 female employees at an industrial plant. This is a follow-up of their transformational ministry to the ladies in the Spring and Fall of 2012.
Michael is leading a weekly small group for Earle Street Baptist Church in Greenville this Fall.
On Nov 8-10, Charles Payton and Francie Beard of Grace Life International Charlotte were ministry partners for teaching our 8 students in the 6th of 8 sessions for our 8-month Advanced Discipleship Training. See photo below.
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Archives
Link for Rest Stops
since August 2010:
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Contact Info
JOURNEY IN CHRIST, INC.
655 Fairview Road
Suite H-188
Simpsonville SC 29680
(864) 483-3201 (Gregg cell)
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