SO THANKFUL FOR EXPERIENCING THE GIFT OF THE CROSS

11/27/2019

THANKSGIVING. IT IS A TIME WHEN WE GATHER WITH OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS TO EXPRESS AND GIVE THANKS FOR ALL THE THINGS IN OUR LIVES THAT WE APPRECIATE AND HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH. I FEEL TRULY BLESSED AND THANKFUL, BUT I REALIZE THAT MY THANKFULNESS COMES FROM A VERY SPECIFIC GIFT THAT I HAVE RECEIVED. ON IT’S OWN ACCORD, LIFE CAN BE A MIXED BAG OF GOOD AND BAD. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO US DOESN’T ALWAYS FEEL LIKE A GOOD THING, AND OFTEN TIMES ADVERSITY CAN LEAVE US WITH ANYTHING BUT A THANKFUL HEART. THE WORLD CAN DELIVER THINGS THAT MAKE US ANGRY, BITTER, AND EVEN SUFFERING. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO REALLY LOOK HARD TO FIND GOODNESS OR THANKSGIVING FOR THE SITUATION YOU ARE IN. OFTEN TIMES WE FIND OURSELVES TRAPPED IN A SITUATION, AN ADDICTION, OR A RELATIONSHIP THAT IS ANYTHING BUT THANKFUL. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE PLACE OF NOT FEELING VERY THANKFUL, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SEE THE THANKSGIVING THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO EXPERIENCE. GOD WANTS YOU TO SEE THE GIFT OF THE CROSS. HE WANTS YOU TO SEE HIS SON, JESUS, AND TO SEE THE HOPE, PROMISE, AND FREEDOM THAT HE ALONE CAN BRING INTO YOUR LIFE. WHEN YOU TRY TO GET THROUGH LIFE BY RELYING ON YOURSELF, OR LISTENING TO THE ADVICE OF OTHER PEOPLE, YOU WILL ULTIMATELY UNDERSTAND THAT WITHOUT GOD, THERE ARE NO ANSWERS. GOD WILL GIVE YOU TRUTH, PEACE, AND FREEDOM. COULD THERE BE ANYTHING BETTER THAN THAT ?

THE LORD HAS DELIVERED US FROM THE DOMAIN OF DARKNESS AND TRANSFERRED US TO THE KINGDOM OF HIS BELOVED SON. COLOSSIANS 1:13

BECAUSE HE HOLDS FAST TO ME IN LOVE, I WILL DELIVER HIM, BECAUSE HE KNOWS MY NAME. WHEN HE CALLS TO ME, I WILL ANSWER HIM; I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE; I WILL RESCUE HIM AND HONOR HIM. Psalm 91: 14-15

AND YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE John 8:32

THE CROSS OF JESUS CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR US. IT WAS THAT PLACE AND MOMENT AND EVENT WHERE GOD TOOK ACTION TO BRING US BACK INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. IT TOOK OUR JUDGEMENT FROM INIQUITY AND DEATH INTO THE HOPE OF NEW LIFE; ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. OUR FATHER GOD GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON TO DIE ON THAT CROSS FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS. HE TOOK OUR SIN AND DEATH UPON HIMSELF, PAYING THE PRICE OF PUNISHMENT FOR US…. AND THEN, HE WAS RESURRECTED. BACK TO LIFE, FROM MAN TO DIVINE. RISING TO THE THRONE OF GOD TO SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER….. SIMPLY ASKING FOR US TO BELIEVE IN HIM; BE REBORN IN HIM. ACCEPTING HIM AS OUR SAVIOR AND ALSO OUR LORD. TRUSTING IN HIM TO RULE OUR LIFE, SHOW US TRUTH, AND TO BE LIKE HIM. AN INVITATION THAT IS SO INCREDIBLE, AND A GIFT SO COMPLETE THAT IT SHOULD TRULY BRING A FULLNESS OF JOY AND THANKSGIVING THAT IS ALMOST UNFATHOMABLE. YET, IT IS REAL, AND IT IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING. I IMPLORE YOU, OPEN UP YOUR HEART AND SEIZE THE GIFT AND THE LIFE IT WILL GIVE YOU.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. JOHN 3:16

TOMORROW AS WE GATHER WITH OUR FAMILY, I WILL THANK GOD FOR THE CROSS. I WILL THANK HIM FOR JESUS. I WILL THANK HIM FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW HIM INTIMATELY AND LIVE A LIFE OF TRUTH, PROMISE, AND FREEDOM. I LOVE MY LIFE, AND I LOVE ALL THE INCREDIBLE THINGS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME, TAUGHT ME, AND CONTINUES TO BLESS ME IN. MY PRAYER IS THAT NO MATTER WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF TODAY, THE CROSS CAN SHOW YOU A TOMORROW FULL OF HOPE AND THANKSGIVING. MAY GOD FILL YOUR HEART WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS, AND MAY HIS HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE YOUR PATHS TO A RICHNESS IN TODAY, BUT ALSO LIFE ETERNAL IN HIM, FOREVER ! PEACE AND BLESSINGS. THANKS BE TO GOD, AND TO HIM BE THE GLORY./JA

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD. HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER. 1 Chronicles 16:34