Month: November 2022

November 30 – 1 John 5:11

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1 John 5:11

I am thankful that the evidence of the gospel is all around me

Evangelist Ray Comfort wrote, “Atheists who keep asking for evidence of God’s existence are like a fish in the ocean wanting evidence of water.” When witnesses testify in court they swear to to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth. But unfortunately we know that people and their promises can’t always be trusted. That’s not the case with God. We can trust that He is always true, honest, and faithful to keep His word. Throughout the Old Testament we read the glorious testimony of God promising a Messiah who would come to save the world. And that promise came true with the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And the evidence to back it up? God Himself, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the internal witness of the Holy Spirit. All testify that Christ is the One and only Son of God. And those who reject this testimony are in fact calling God a liar.

November 29th – 1 John 3:1

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1 John 3:1 

I am thankful to call God my Father 

Jesus came to be our perfect substitute. Taking our place, He paid our sin debt allowing us to be redeemed to the Father. Because of His sacrifice we are not only forgiven of our sins, freed from the burden of the Law, we are also adopted as sons and daughters into God’s heavenly family forever. Imagine that! No longer called slaves, but heirs to the kingdom through the blood of Christ. But it gets even better. In one of my favorite verses Paul says, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba! Father!” (Gal. 4:6) Abba is an Aramaic term which closely translated means Daddy. What a privilege to be able to call God, Daddy! As sinners on our own we can never be worthy of being in His family.  But because of Jesus not only does God accept us, He calls us His own. And in this gift giving season, God’s gift of adoption is one I am forever thankful for.

November 28th – 1 Timothy 1:15

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1 Timothy 1:15

I am thankful that God loves a sinner like me 

When it came to Christians, Paul was public enemy number one. No one persecuted God’s people more fanatically than him. Yet even though Paul was intent on destroying God’s church, when he accepted Jesus as his Savior, he received God’s forgiveness and unmerited grace. And so Paul says to all of us, “Look at me. If God is willing to save someone as wretched as myself, He’s willing to save all of those who believe in Him.” Could there be a more amazing truth? No matter who we are or what we’ve done, God wants us!  He wants to be our Father and cover us with His loving grace. We live in a world that fiercely opposes God’s truth. Even so that shouldn’t deter us from sharing the gospel, never giving up, and always fighting the good fight. For God’s Word is true, and “to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim 1:17)

November 27th – 2 Corinthians 4:13

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2 Corinthians 4:13

I am thankful for a heart bursting to share the Good News of Jesus Christ 

In Matthew 12:33 Jesus says, “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” No matter how hard we may try to hide, whatever is truly in our hearts is revealed by the words we speak. Paul’s heart was filled with such faith in the Lord he declared, “If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Cor. 9:16) That’s the kind of faith I want to have. The kind that makes me want to burst if I don’t share the Good News of Christ and all of the wonderful things God has done for me. To tell of the endless ways He has healed, comforted, strengthened, and loved a sinner like me. We all have a testimony to give and we should be ready to share our faith and the reason for it. The Bible says one day we will all give an account for the words we speak. (Matt. 12:36) And as for me, the account I want to give is this. “I believed, so I spoke.”

 

November 26th – Galatians 1:8

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Galatians 1:8

I am thankful for the true Gospel of Jesus Christ

The adding and taking away from God’s Word is pretty serious business. So serious Paul doesn’t just tell us to stay away from those who teach a distorted gospel, he calls for a curse upon them. As fallen people with fallen hearts, we cannot fathom such a pure, perfect, and unconditional love as is God’s love. A love whose height knows no limits, and whose depth knows no end. And most wonderful of all a love not earned, but offered freely to everyone who receives Jesus as their Savior. That’s why in our human frailty people twist and turn the gospel to fit their narrative. But the true Good News is this. Once we were dead in sin, separated from our Father in heaven. But through the grace of God and the blood of His only begotten Son, we can be reconciled back to our Father in heaven forever.  Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. This is unmerited grace. This is unmerited love. And this is the one and only true gospel!

November 25th – Proverbs 17:17

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Proverbs 17:17

I’m thankful for the Friend we have in Jesus

Who doesn’t want a friend who loves you at all times? Not just through the good ones, but especially through the bad ones. Jesus is that friend. He accepts, shelters, loves, and died for us. Fully knowing the betrayal, brutality, and rejection He would face, Jesus willingly left His glorious throne in heaven to ransom His life. Matthew 26:53 tells us that with one word Jesus could have summoned more than twelve legions of angels for His rescue. Instead He bore our burdens and much more for the sake of our salvation. This sacrificial act of love and friendship demonstrated by Jesus is one which we do not deserve. We fail Him daily. We are selfish, self-centered, and bent on our own needs and wants. Yet despite all of this, God wants a close personal relationship with us. He asks nothing in return, and instead offers us His friendship and gift of eternal life!

November 24th – 1 Peter 2:24

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1 Peter 2:24

I am thankful Jesus paid the sin debt of every person who has ever lived 

Knowing full well the agony He would endure, the Lord willingly and lovingly left His glorious place at the Father’s side. All to pay a debt He did not owe, and to give us a gift we do not deserve. And it is only through His great love and sacrifice that we can have eternal life. I love the quote by D.A. Carson which says, “It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was His unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father’s will—and it was His love for sinners like me.” Jesus suffered for us. He suffered for you, for me, and for all who receive Him as their Savior. He was beaten, flogged, spit upon, ridiculed, and nailed to a Cross to die an excruciating death. And It is by those wounds, that shed precious blood, in which we are healed. On this day of thanksgiving, may we praise the Lord above, who died to give us life, and who removed the penalty of our sins forevermore!

November 23rd – Titus 2:13-14

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Titus 2:13-14

I am thankful that Jesus is my blessed hope

AW Tozer once said, “Let us be alert to the season in which we are living. It is the season of the Blessed Hope, calling for us to cut our ties with the world and build ourselves on this One who will soon appear. He is our hope; a Blessed Hope enabling us to rise above our times and fix our gaze upon Him.” I truly believe we are living in the last days, and Jesus could return at any minute. But while we wait for the blessed hope of the Lord’s return, we have work to do. Not only are we to continue spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, we are also to continue working on ourselves. We do this by rejecting the values of the world, and leading sensible, righteous, and godly lives. Each day could be the day of the glorious return of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Are you ready? Do not take for granted that you have tomorrow for as Jesus warns, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come!” (Mark 13:33)

November 22nd – Romans 5:8

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Romans 5:8 

I’m thankful that even though I’m a sinner, Jesus died for me

Romans is my absolute favorite book in the Bible, and chapter 5 is one of the reasons why. To me it sums up the message of the gospel beautifully. Once we were helpless, dead in spirit, and enemies of God. But through the grace and mercy of the Lord, not only can we have peace with our Heavenly Father, we can rejoice in hope. Hope that one day we will spend eternity with Him. Once we lived in darkness, eternally separated by sin from God. But because of His great love, God refused to leave us in that hopeless condition. So He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to provide reconciliation. Now, because of Christ’s death on the Cross, we are declared innocent and righteous before God. And through the blood of the Lamb, we become adopted sons and daughters in God’s family and heirs to His wonderful promises. And all of this is only possible through the amazing love God has for each and every one of us!

November 21st – Hebrews 2:17

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Hebrews 2:17

I am thankful Jesus understands everything we suffer

This side of heaven we will all face challenges. Jesus too faced many challenges when He walked this earth. Why? The purpose wasn’t for His benefit but for ours. Because now any temptation we face, Jesus knows. Any pain we suffer, Jesus knows. And any trial we experience, Jesus knows. Because He knows, there is no one better to intercede for us before God. I love how Dr. Charles Stanley says, “Jesus left heaven and became a man not only to become a sacrifice for our sins but also to experience what we feel and to know exactly what it’s like to be one of us. That’s what makes Him our perfect representative on the throne of grace.” Jesus now stands at the the right hand of the Father as our High Priest. Everyday He intercedes to the Father on our behalf. (Rom. 8:34) Christ was made flesh to suffer and die for us. And how thankful we are for His love and sacrifice!