Life is precious. Enjoy it while you have it.

There were 151,000 people who died last night. In case you didnt know that's the daily death rate. However, God saw to it that you made the wakeup list!

I understand that for some people the holidays can be the most depressing time of the year. While everyone around seems to be in a celebratory mood life may be hitting you where it hurts the most (family, finances, friends). Often, when we choose to view things from another perspective, not only can we see the good of a situation, but therein lies a smidget of hope. You have fresh air flowing through your lungs. You are alive. You still have time to get it right. You have hope!

The Bible says this:Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God, our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1). Its time to put our hope in the Lord. He loves us with an everlasting love. He will never leave us. He will turn it around.

I no longer use the word friend loosely. Over the years, my wife would warn me about who I called my friend, and she was always right. A real friend will be there when you are at your lowest low. When everyone else may be gossiping, lying and laughing at you, a real friend will stand right beside you.

We all have had individuals that we call friends not do very friendly things to us. Well, guess what? Those people were not really our friends. Here is a word that belongs in the friendship discussion: accountability. True friends hold each other accountable for their actions. True friends dont let each other smoke, drink or sex their life away!

There may be someone right now who honestly has no true friends. May I recommend someone? Listen to what Jesus says: Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known unto you. (John 15:15)

Could you honestly imagine yourself living anywhere else? Some may say some exotic island or perhaps some other place. I know that this part may stir up the hornets nest. I understand that America has some serious issues at hand. Perhaps the most notorious problem at hand is race relations. So I am not naive to what is going on in our country.

Nevertheless, we cant let negative circumstances erode the greatness of our country. The devil hates America because America was founded on the precepts and principles of the Bible. We are a country that has chosen Jesus Christ as our God.

Again, I realize that there are other religions in America. However, America pumps out, through various media outlets, more than 82% of the worlds gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful to be living in this country. Let's use our faith and believe God that the problems of our country will change for the better of mankind. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance (Psalm 33:12)

The Rev. Ron Moore Jr. is the associate minister at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Frankfort. Contact him at Revronmoore@gmail.com.

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Rev. Ron Moore: Three reasons to be thankful - State-Journal.com