“Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.” – Psalm 100:4-5 (NLT) Happy Thanksgiving! May your day be filled with peace, love, and the joy of His presence.
It is not a coincidence Jesus died and rose again during Passover week. There is amazing significance between the two events. It starts with the reason for the Passover celebration. The Passover commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as described in the Old Testament book of Exodus. During the original Passover, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood so that the angel of death would “pass over” their homes, sparing their firstborn children from death. The connection between the Passover and Jesus’ sacrifice becomes evident when we examine God’s Word, where Jesus is often referred to as the “Lamb of God,” (“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!“ John 1:29 NLT). His crucifixion is seen as the ultimate sacrificial act, where He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. By dying on the cross, Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the Passover lamb, providing salvation and liberation from spiritual slavery. Therefore, the timing of Jesus’ death during the Passover festival is seen as significant, symbolizing the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the establishment of a new covenant between
As I sit here today, the day before Thanksgiving, writing this blog, I have been sick for over a week. Like “in bed, down for the count” sick. In a season of the year where we are supposed to give thanks, I am stuck inside without any family or friends to celebrate with, and on top of that, possibly causing my husband to miss out on a Thanksgiving feast! I remembered when a pastor (retired) at our church quoted Paul’s words to the Thessaloniki church, and it puts things into perspective. “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT You see, when the pastor was encouraging us to be thankful in all circumstances, he and his family were saying goodbye to his lovely wife. She was days away from going home to be with the Lord. He was thankful even though the circumstances were not good (in human eyes). If he can express his thankfulness to the Lord during this amazingly difficult season of life, I can be thankful even when I am sick. He reminded me that being thankful is
I love the verse, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 In my linear way of thinking, this verse draws a logical line of “if” and “then.” “If” I trust in God and His legacy of faithfulness in my life and believe He will take care of all the details in my life, “then” I will be COMPLETELY filled with joy and peace! Who doesn’t want joy and peace? I know I do! We can fully trust that things will work out for the good, both in accordance with His perfect plan and for our benefit, bringing us joy and allowing us to live in peace, only when we put our faith in the One who is faithful. I want to live like that! I want to have joy and peace in my life. How do I do it? I trust God with everything, and don’t worry about anything. I don’t get impatient and try to do things on my own (get ahead of God). I put my focus on
