Category: Thanksgiving

Posted on

Giving Thanks to the Lord on this Thanksgiving

For November 27, 2025
Thanksgiving is more than a holiday—it’s a declaration of the heart. We give thanks as we join generations of believers who have experienced the goodness, blessings, and faithfulness of our loving, amazing God. Gratitude is our testimony, as we—the redeemed of the Lord—say so.

The Word of God encourages us to give thanks unto Him:

 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.     1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AKJV)

Here are four reasons we can give thanks to our Lord:

We Can Give Thanks for His Majesty and Splendor
The majesty of God fills the heavens and the earth. His glory is displayed in every sunrise, every heartbeat, and every moment of beauty that reflects His power. As we give thanks, we stand in awe of His glory and splendor, proclaiming—as did King David in Psalm 8:1 (NKJV):

O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth,  Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

It is impossible to describe God as we would inanimate objects or created beings. The Scriptures tell us that in Him we “live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Although we only “know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9), every question finds its answer in Him and every problem its solution.

His incomparable majesty and splendor are beyond human comprehension. Yet, in His grace, He chooses to reveal Himself to us through the person of Jesus Christ, so that we can truly know Him and experience His perfect plan for our lives.

We Can Give Thanks for His Sovereignty and Almighty Power
Even when life feels uncertain, God’s sovereignty gives us peace. He reigns with wisdom and love, guiding every moment according to His perfect plan. To give thanks in all things is to trust that His hand is at work—shaping our stories for His glory and our good, as Romans 8:28 (NKJV) affirms:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

God is limitless in power, knowledge, and presence. He is present everywhere at all times, and His omnipresence fills heaven and earth without diminishing His essence. He exists beyond all we can comprehend, as the psalmist declares:

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.             Psalm 147:5 (NKJV)

God’s power is absolute to do anything He wills, and His will is always aligned with His perfect nature. He is the self-existent origin of all life—the Living God, the Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth.

It is comforting to know that in the face of an uncertain and chaotic world, the Lord is in control and has promised to be with His precious children until the end:

 I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)

We Can Give Thanks for His Holiness and Righteousness
God is morally and spiritually perfect in all aspects. Holiness is self-affirming purity and the very essence of His being. God alone maintains moral excellence because only He is pure, majestic, glorious, and without equal:

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?  Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?   Exodus 15:11 (NKJV)

God embodies truth and faithfulness as the very standard of moral integrity. His judgments are just, His promises unshakable, and His unwavering character inspires our unwavering trust:

The works of His hands are verity and justice;  All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name.    Psalm 111:7–9 (NKJV)

Yet, God’s holiness and righteousness do not preclude His intervention in human lives. In His perfection, He has chosen to dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. His perfection doesn’t distance us—it redeems us. This Thanksgiving, we thank God that the Holy One welcomes us into His presence through grace:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.    Ephesians 2:8–10 (NKJV)

We Can Give Thanks for His Mercy and Lovingkindness
In this modern age of defiant sin and selfish entitlement, we deserve God’s wrath—death! But thank God for His mercy and lovingkindness.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23  (NKJV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 6:23 (NKJV)

God’s willingness to forego judgment and apply mercy is motivated by His great love for us. This eternal, deliberate, selfless, and sacrificial plan for our benefit lies at the core of His love. Although He continually reveals His heart through countless expressions of benevolence each day, His greatest demonstration was in the giving of His Son to forgive our sin and restore our fellowship forever:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.   John 3:16–17 (NKJV)

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love . . . In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.     1 John 4:8, 10 (NKJV)

God’s mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23). It meets us in our failures and restores us with forgiveness. We who have tasted His mercy are truly thankful and blessed.

This Thanksgiving, may we thank Him for His majesty that inspires awe, His sovereignty that brings peace, His holiness that transforms, and His mercy that endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.   Psalm 107:1–2 (NKJV)

Won’t you trust the Lord today and experience His grace and mercy?

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a Wonderful Savior!

Photo by Kiy Turk

Posted on

Jesus Rose For Our Justification

For April 20, 2025
Like any other Sunday morning in Jerusalem, the Roman soldiers, stationed at Joseph’s tomb, prepared for what seemed to be an ordinary day. But this day would not be ordinary.

The women, heartbroken and grieving, came to the tomb to embalm the body of their Savior. The tomb was sealed, guarded by Roman soldiers ready to defend it with their lives.

Yet, as they approached, the earth trembled with a mighty earthquake, and the stone that sealed the tomb was rolled away, by a supernatural power. An angel, shining brighter than lightning and clothed in white as snow, appeared, and the soldiers, fell to the ground as if they were dead.

When the angel spoke, his words echoed with hope and promise that still reverberate around the world today,

Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Now I have told you.    Matthew 28:57 (NLT)

This is the moment that changed everything.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. It is not just a historical event—it is the power of God unleashed on the world, offering forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life to all who believe. Skeptics may try to explain it away; they may claim the disciples stole the body, or that the women went to the wrong tomb, or that the witnesses were hallucinating. But after two thousand years, no one has ever disproven the testimony of those who witnessed the risen Christ.

The fact is that Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive today. He is alive to offer salvation to you, to transform your life, and to give you hope beyond this world as this hymn reminds us today,

He Lives
Alfred H. Ackley1

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today; I know that He is living, whatever men may say; I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him He’s always near.

In all the world around me I see His loving care, And tho my heart grows weary, I never will despair; I know that He is leading thro all the stormy blast, The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, Rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King! The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find, None other is so living, so good and kind.

Chorus:
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me A-long life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

Because of His resurrection, we know that:

    • Jesus is the Son of God, victorious over death and the grave. Sin and the grave have been defeated, and we, too, have new life in Him.
    • God’s perfect sacrifice was accepted. We now have reconciliation with God through Christ as we repent and put our faith in Him.
    • His Holy Spirit lives in us, guiding and transforming us.

Christ has risen is a message that has been passed down for two thousand years, a message that has changed countless lives, and a message that can change yours too. If you’ve never made the decision to place your faith in the risen Savior, perhaps now is the time to do so.

The resurrection isn’t just an ancient story—it’s a message of hope for all today. Jesus died for our sins, and He rose again to give us eternal life! Without Jesus, there is no hope for eternal life, now is the time to call on His name. The Bible promises that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Don’t wait. Don’t let another day pass without receiving the forgiveness and life that Jesus offers.

Christ the Lord is risen today! He is alive, and He offers us the chance to live with Him forever. Won’t you accept His invitation today? Just believe in Him and be saved.

Christ the Lord is risen today … Yes! He is risen, indeed!

What a Wonderful Savior!

 

Posted on

Jesus Christ Died For Our Sins

For April 18, 2025
It was early Friday morning of Passover Week, and Jesus had not slept. Over the last few hours, He had transformed the Passover Seder into a commemorative Lord’s Supper, leaving behind a lasting institution that would continue throughout the ages.

Then, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed Him into the hands of corrupt religious leaders for a mere thirty pieces of silver. Unjustly condemned, He was hastily brought before Pilate, Herod Antipas, and Pilate once again and sentenced to death.

Yet before the final verdict, He endured horrendous suffering at the hands of Roman soldiers who beat Him mercilessly and crucified Him on Calvary. Was Jesus a mere innocent victim, or was something far more profound taking place?

In Ezekiel 18:4, God tells us that every soul belongs to Him and that the penalty for sin is death. Romans 6:23 repeats this truth, “The wages of sin is death.” To remedy sin’s curse, God established blood sacrifices to atone for human sin. (Leviticus 17:11).

As the Son of Man, Jesus knew that His death was part of God’s divine plan for our redemption as He foretold,

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him. 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 3:14-16 (NIV)

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, willingly chose to pay the price for your sins, past, present, and future, with His own precious blood. Although He had the power to forego the cross, He chose to embrace it for our benefit instead. Despite the brutal beatings, the mockery, and the crown of thorns, He continued to walk the path of suffering because of His great love for us,

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.      Romans 5:8 (NIV)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.       1 John 4:10 (NIV)

Christ He chose to give His life, becoming the Perfect Intercessor between a holy God and sinful humanity, and He did this for us all of us.

Jesus knew that our sins stood between us and God. He took our place on the cross, bearing the wrath of God that we deserve. He did this so we could be forgiven, so we could have eternal life and peace with God.  His love is immeasurable, and His grace transforms lives yet today.

If you have not yet accepted the gift of eternal life that Jesus offers, today is the day you can make that decision. Jesus died not just for the world but for you personally. Through His sacrifice, He offers forgiveness for your sins. All you have to do is believe in Him, ask Him for forgiveness, and invite Him into your life as your Savior and Lord,

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 
Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, gave His life so that we could live forever with Him. He did not come to condemn us, but to save us. We don’t have to carry the weight of sin any longer. He paid the price in full. Won’t you accept His free gift today?

Yes! Jesus, our Lord and Savior, chose to be the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world so that we could experience His abiding joy, peace, and great salvation today.

What a Wonderful Savior!

Posted on

In Remembrance of Me

For April 17, 2025
What an incredible and life-changing week for those in and around Jerusalem! On Sunday, the Triumphal Entry took place, and the streets were filled with the jubilant cries of people who saw Jesus Christ as the long-awaited Messiah. Their hopes and dreams were centered on Him, believing He was the Savior who would bring deliverance.

The very next day, Jesus entered the Temple and, with righteous indignation, drove out the money changers and vendors who had defiled the sacred space—showing once again His authority and purity. As the week unfolded, Jesus made it clear that He was more than a prophet, He was the promised Savior.

An unnamed woman, identified by John as Mary (John 12:3), anointed His feet with costly, fragrant oil, a beautiful act of devotion that foreshadowed His sacrificial death. After this moment of quiet reflection, Jesus and His disciples sought a moment of rest before He asked for a furnished room to prepare for the Passover Seder.

Fast forward to Thursday evening, and the disciples gathered with Jesus, eagerly anticipating the Passover celebration. For Jews, this was a time to celebrate God’s miraculous deliverance from 400 years of slavery in Egypt, led by Moses. It was a festival of hope, remembrance, and renewal.

But for the Twelve, this Passover would be unlike any they had ever known.

From the very start, the evening was marked by tension. After the disciples argued about who would be the greatest in His Kingdom, Jesus, the King of Kings, humbled Himself by washing their feet. He performed this ancient act of service, showing that true greatness in His Kingdom is found in humility.

Then, the mood shifted as Jesus spoke of His coming death, their betrayal, and desertion.

What could have been a moment of profound disappointment turned into the turning point of human history as Jesus radically alters the traditional Seder. He takes the bread, breaks it, and gives it with His disciples, saying,

This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19 (NIV)

Then He took the cup, and after giving thanks, He said,

Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.    Matthew 26:27-29 (NIV)

Thus, Jesus established the New Covenant: His body, broken for us; His blood, shed for the remission of our sins. The New Covenant fulfilled the promises of the Old Covenant, where God made a way for His people to be reconciled to Him. The Law and sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed to this very moment, when Jesus would be the ultimate sacrifice, securing our forgiveness and reconciliation with God through His blood.

This moment is not just a historical event. It’s also an invitation. An invitation to enter into a relationship with God, made possible through Jesus Christ. His body was broken for us. His blood was shed for us. He offers us forgiveness and eternal life, not based on our works, but because of His finished sacrificial work at the Cross.

Jesus calls today, just as He called to His disciples that fateful evening: “Do this in remembrance of me.” It’s a personal challenge, one that requires a personal response

The Lord’s Supper is not merely a ritual—it is a living promise to embrace. Jesus extends His invitation to be forgiven, to know His love, and to walk in the new, abundant life He offers. Won’t you accept His invitation today? The choice is yours, and it’s one that will shape your eternity.

What a Wonderful Savior!

Posted on

Remembering Jesus on His Birthday

For December 25, 2024
As social creatures, nearness to our loved ones is a dominant human characteristic we express particularly around the holidays. Over the Thanksgiving Holiday last year, the Transportation Security Administration reported over 2.9 million travelers screened on November 26, 2023, which was the busiest day of the year in the US, to illustrate this longing.2

In the same way we yearn to be with our loved ones, God also desires to have a personal relationship with each of us. Immediately after Creation, God demonstrated His longing for our companionship by walking with Adam and Eve in the tranquil Garden of Eden.

Although sin broke our bond with God, His love for us has remained unchanged. However, it extended beyond mere emotional feelings as He actively sought to restore our vital connection and recover a lost humanity personally.

Our Holy God, in an act of unimaginable grace, bridged the vastness of a  universe so enormous as NASA describes,

Based on the deepest images obtained so far, it’s one of about 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. Groups of them are bound into clusters of galaxies, and these into superclusters; the superclusters are arranged in immense sheets stretching across the universe, interspersed with dark voids and lending the whole a kind of spiderweb structure. Our galaxy probably contains 100 to 400 billion stars, and is about 100,000 light-years across.3

Yet He set His heart on reaching you and me, by entering our world as a human being. The Gospel of Luke records this magnificent event in Luke 2:8-14 (NKJV):

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’

Beneath a wide expanse of stars, the love of God came to a serene Bethlehem stable. Imagine those shepherds, men working in the fields, unaccustomed to visions and miracles, watching the night sky as the heavens open above them, with angels proclaiming the birth of our Savior. Their world was changed forever that night, just as yours can be as well.

There lay Jesus, God in human flesh, on a bed of straw, offered as a precious gift for every one of us.

You’ve Been Invited to New Life
Beyond a mere historical event, Jesus birth symbolized the start of a new era that invites all of humanity to come to God. Before Christ, access to God’s promises was attained through rituals, laws, prophets, and priests.

Now, through faith in Christ, God’s love and forgiveness are accessible to everyone, regardless of their past.

Choosing the Lord Jesus as our Savior opens the door to a life of purpose, hope. Yet it also restores our personal, direct relationship with our loving God; a connection that transforms our lives in profound ways, unlike anything else we could ever experience in this world, as Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) declares:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Come and experience God’s forgiveness, peace, and the joy that derives from  His presence. Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJV) describes what the Lord did for us:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A Personal Choice with Eternal Implications
There will be a day when all knees will bow and all tongues will confess Jesus Christ as Lord. The choice we make out of love rather than compulsion makes a tremendous difference.

By accepting Jesus as our Savior, we begin a heart-changing relationship with God that fills us with His love, hope, and peace. Each day there is a reason to live because we have the the assurance of eternal life with Him.

This Christmas, don’t just honor the story, welcome the opportunity. Welcome the Savior, who was born to save you and me, who walked on this earth and gave His life for us, and who is now eager to bring us into a close connection with God forever.

Open your heart and let this season be a time to discover the love,  peace, and joy that can only come from knowing the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus Christ. Won’t you welcome Him into your life today and make this Christmas a celebration of new beginnings and everlasting hope?

Happy Birthday Jesus.

What a Wonderful Savior!

Top