Season of Gratitude – Counting the Blessings of this Remnant Fellowship Church and Ministry

If you get down sometimes, (about, it could be anything), something that Gwen has said before is to COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, like the old hymn says.  So this is an attempt to count some blessings from a Remnant Fellowship Church-wide perspective…hopefully it will lift your spirits!

1. If you’re reading this, you’re alive!

2. We are about to observe and enjoy yet another Messiah Celebration and Festival of Lights event at Church this weekend…and we will learn some amazing Truth about Hanukkah, Christmas, and the Maccabees.  Not only will the MESSAGE be powerful and educational and moving, but the music also will be uplifting, beautiful, and encouraging…along with all of the great fellowship with the Saints.

3. Everywhere you look around this place there are people who are beautiful and transformed…both inside and out.

4. The members of this Church are a part of something wonderful!  You are not going to a place that is un-exciting and spiritually dead.  On the CONTRARY, it is ALIVE in Christ!

5. We truly are learning the “reason” behind Christmas/Thanksgiving/etc. now…and they have REAL meaning.

6. This is a place full of love and volunteer spirits!  Saints give of their time throughout each week in more ways than we can count or describe, cheerfully cleaning up and decorating and cooking and giving and sharing and evangelizing…amongst many, many other things.

7. Visitors keep coming and the Church is growing from all of the GOOD NEWS and CHANGE that is going on…

8. We have the YOU CAN OVERCOME online show to look forward to each week – and it is a show that is actually changing people’s lives.

9. There are Saints living in houses, apartments, and condos all over Nashville, Brentwood, and throughout Williamson County.  Especially near the Church area.  This “little Jerusalem” is a lot of fun and a great blessing to all of us.

10. In one of the worst economies our country has ever seen, we get to hear stories every week of our members getting raises, new jobs, and promotions because of the attitude and respect for authority we have been taught to have.

11. We have hope for the future.  Also, it should be said, we have hope for the first time about our CHILDREN’S future.

12. We have the assurance that if there are needs, counseling, and/or repentance that needs to happen, we have the best group of Leaders and Counselors on the planet to help out.

13. There are many extremely talented and creative people in this Church who come up with all kinds of great ideas, photos, videos, decorations, recipes, clothing, etc…and share these good things with the rest of us.

14. We can trust other members to watch our children for a few hours and don’t have to fear that they’ll be corrupted or led astray.

15. We have more parties/events than any other Church I know.  It’s a wonderful thing!

16. We have the most beautiful, meaningful, and GOD-glorifying Weddings anywhere.  And there are so many Remnant weddings that we barely know how to pull them all off.  In most places a Wedding is rare occurrence, and it’s not based on the Truth that we have.

17. We have TRUTH.

18. We get to go every week to a beautiful Church Building that’s filled with all sorts of amazing symbolism.  And by the way – Serious photographers occasionally come by our property just to get photos of the Church Building!

19. Through GOD’S leading, Gwen Shamblin has brought back the celebration of Festivals and Holy Days – which are the highlights of our year.  It also needs to be said that these events and the teachings associated with them have made the calendar year make sense as well.  (For example – Halloween has become All Saints Day, Passover marks the true beginning of our calendar year (as GOD intended it to be…with Springtime and new life abounding), and there are many more examples like these.

20. We have a Leader, Teacher, and friend in Gwen Shamblin who works tirelessly and writes every week…all while counseling and helping to steer the direction of the entire movement – and Gwen is someone who you will never see self-focused but instead is always willing to talk to anyone who needs it.

21. The children of Remnant are obviously blessed.  Visitors who spend any amount of time with us always remark about that.
22. We get to go to a Church where it’s not uncommon to be featured on cnn.com,  The Tyra Banks Show, Today Show, Prevention Magazine or something else very public like that…the point is, this is an exciting place!

23. Life is no longer boring.  Boredom is the thing many people dread the most.

24. We’ve been taught that “getting out of yourself” and helping someone else out will make you happier – not focusing more on yourself and fulfilling your own wants.  The results…are a large number of smiling and genuinely happy people.

25. Just look at the photos in this article.

26. We have the best and most blessed food and drink – as well as the best Food Committee.

27. Our Church is full of God-given original music and musical talent.  (There are many places that don’t have original music every week…nor do they have a huge variety of musicians who can help sing and play for GOD and for the Church…)

28. We have, literally, hundreds of websites, online resources, and products that are available whenever someone needs them.  A short list would include – Truthstream, Youtube channels, Online classes, Live Worship Webcasts, Facebook pages, Free weight-loss online (WD@H), Phone apps, Remnant Homepage, Bulletin Boards, ZionSpace, WDWB radio, Remnant News, You Can Overcome TV show, Music Mp3s and CDs, DVDs, Men’s Night/Women’s Night, RFLife club, Remnant Guidance email, Weigh Down books, and on and on and on…

29. Remnant has always been on the cutting edge with technology (think webcasting back before it was popular or apps for your phone, etc.)

30. The needs of many, many members are met each and every week. Most of these stories go untold but there is constant help being given.

31. This Church is a place that defends the powerless and helps widows and orphans…as well as meets the needs of those in prison.

32. We don’t have to check the Rolodex to find a preacher, worship leader, or youth minister…GOD has provided the gifts from within.

33. Though Saints are scattered all over the world, we get to worship at the same time via webcast…with no need for 2nd or 3rd services.

34.  The Church Building property is located in one of the most beautiful and blessed places and on some of the most beautiful land in the world – right here in Brentwood,TN.

35. We have a “Moving Committee” (made up of volunteers), who help Saints whenever they move to town or change residences.

36. There are people who have left this Church and message but are now coming back…praise GOD!

37. The whole Bible makes sense now.

38. We’ve learned a ton of Church history…and we now know why we do things and celebrate certain things, and we don’t just go through the motions.

39. God has given us an incredible variety of members with an equally amazing variety of gifts.
40. We don’t go to a Church that’s bound by legalistic practices and man-made rules. (i.e. no dancing, no drinking, women can’t dress up, no movies, no instrumental music, etc…those are NOT GOD’S rules…and so we don’t have them as rules either…)

41. Everyone’s health is 100 percent better…stemming from a new life of obedience to God and stopping their overindulgences and harmful addictions.  And GOD also has graciously allowed much healing in our physical bodies from our past lifestyles that were full of sin.
42. We have Shepherds and Leaders who are looking out for our good…and not to harm us or use us.

43. We have the knowledge that we can repent…and we can CHANGE!  We’re not doomed or destined to be stuck in a rut of sin forever.

44. We have hope for eternal life…with GOD, Jesus Christ, the Heavenly Hosts, and all the Saints in Heaven.  All glory and praise to GOD!

What a list!  And that, really, is just a very short START to a list that goes on and on and on…

Count your blessings everyone…and name them one by one!