Kindness of God- Thankful

  Titus 3:4 
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.

I’M THANKFUL that I serve a good and kind God. “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.”(Ps 63:3) God demonstrated the exceeding riches of his grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7) Kindness is defined by the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate: God considered our sin, and was generous to send His Son to die for our sins so that we could be reconciled to Him.
As Christians, we should be living in the spirit of kindness. It is one of the evidence that we are children of God by the kindness we show to others. There are those in the world that see the virtue of being kind to humanity. How much more should God’s people reach out to a messed-up world and show kindness, and let others know about the loving kindness of Jesus. The words we speak are powerful. What you say, and how you say it changes how others see Jesus in you. I’m THANKFUL that Christ was kind to me, giving me the chance to be kind to others. “ If you can't say something good or kind about someone, it is best not to say nothing at all.” Let kindness abide in your heart and be spoken through your mouth. Why? Because Jesus has been kind to us.

Never Alone- Thankful

 Heb 13:5 he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I’m THANKFUL that we serve a God who will never forsake us. “Moses encouraged God’s people: “Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He is that will go with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you.” And the writer of the Hebrews affirms the promise of God. “ I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” When it feels like you are all alone, fear not, for He is with you! Examples can be found of many who experience being alone. During the time that the COVID epidemic reached its peak of impact, many were shut in, left alone. Cut off from family and friends. Hospital beds were filled with people left to die without a loved one by their side. Being left alone to face the end of life. The greater epidemic was that of loneliness. Look around you. You may know of people who may feel forsaken, isolated from others. Feeling alone even in a crowded room, filled with conversation. I’m THANKFUL in my hour of loneliness that God made Himself known to me. His Spirit never left me alone. Even though I didn’t know it, He was by my side, guiding me every step of the way. I’m reminded of the old hymn, Never Alone, “When in affliction's valley I tread the road of care, My Savior helps me carry the cross so heavy to bear; Though all around me is darkness, earthly joys all flown; My Savior whispers His promise, never to leave me alone! No never alone, No never alone,” THANKFUL that Jesus sent the Comforter that we never need to be alone.

Anchor in Jesus- Thankful

 Heb. 6:19 
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil

I’m THANKFUL for the ANCHOR we have when the storms of life come our way. The Hebrew writer pinned the words, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” We all face “storms” that will cause our lifeboat to face perils beyond measure. Like the disciples, we may cry out, “Master, care not that we perish.” THANKFUL that Jesus can be our ANCHOR and is able to keep us steady, our faith can be anchored in the Rock of Ages. We don’t have to drift through life with uncertainty. We can be anchored in knowing that Christ will take us through any crisis that we will face. We can sing with assurance the words of the songwriter, “We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll; fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.” Is your life anchored in Jesus? Are you trusting Him with your life? Storms are inevitable. Don’t be caught without an anchor. Thankful for the Anchor in Jesus!

Heart can be Clean- Thankful

 Psalm 51:7 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” 

I’m THANKFUL for a Heart that can be made clean by the blood of Jesus. A heart that was darkened by sin can be made whiter than snow. THANKFUL that God can take a heart that is full of selfishness, a heart that is bent toward sin, and purify it by faith in the Blood of Jesus. Do you remember the day that Jesus came into your life and made your heart clean? Like David, we cried out, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” The heart is desperately wicked. We were all born into sin with this sinful carnal heart. We were born with a heart that was enmity with God. Separated from God’s holiness. All have sinned and come short of His favor. No amount of “good deeds” are able to make it clean. The Sin nature can be cleansed by the blood of Christ. THANKFUL that Christ died, so we can draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to us.. James says, “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” Thank you, Jesus, for a new heart!

Truth of His Word-Thankful

John 17:17

 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth 

 I’m THANKFUL for The Truth of the Word of God, for it speaks to us truth that is not negotiable, it is absolute! It is a light, a lamp that directs our path. It speaks of Jesus being the way, the truth that leads us to the Father. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” We live in a day when truth has been rejected for a lie. Paul writes in Romans 1:25. Who, Who are the “who”? (those who have rejected God’s word as absolute truth) changed the truth of God into a lie, (Calling evil good, and good evil) and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator.” I’m THANKFUL that we can stand on the authority of God’s word. His word has never failed. I trust we never take His word for granted. We need to hide His word in our hearts so that we may be able to withstand the evil in our day. I’m THANKFUL for His truth, it is our firm foundation. It is more than just words printed on a page, it is God speaking to us. Hold on to God’s word. Read it, study it, live it, let it fill your daily life.

Adopted Children

 Eph 1:7
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Predestination basically says that God is sovereign, He is in control, knowing all of what will happen in the future, and therefore is able to predetermine what man can and will do beforehand. There are two main thoughts in regard to how God predestined the outcome of human behavior. Either man has no say in what will happen, and therefore their fate is sealed before they are even born, or because God is all knowing, He already knows the choices that man will make and therefore salvation is predestined based on the fact that God knows whether a person will choose to believe or not believe.  All of this can be confusing to a person who is seeking God and desires to live pleasing to Him. I don’t claim to know or have any insight into the mind of God, but I know that it is God’s  desire that all who are born in this world come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am also convinced that God does not determine the choices we make. History is made by the choices made by man and the effect of these choices can change the future. It is God’s good pleasure that all be saved and not perish. God has given us the gift of choice, we are free moral agents to do good or to do evil. The scripture is full of verses that support this. “ And let him who is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) It is not just a select few who are predestined to come, but whosoever means anyone, anybody, leaving no one out. The message is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Come to Jesus, He has the answer to all our needs. Jesus speaks, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” God desires that we all become adopted into the family of God, and not only be a child of His creation, but a child through Christ.” But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Roman 8:15). The joy of being part of the family of God, being adopted for His good pleasure. We are His children, He is our Father. Thank you, Jesus, for making this possible!

Saved By Grace

Oct 30th, 2025
Eph 2:8,9
 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:.. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

What do we need to be saved from? The word saved implies that we need help, or we need to be recused. Saved from a life-threatening situation. When someone is lost in the mountains, a rescue team is sent out to save them and bring them back safely. Spiritually, we are all lost. Every human being born into this world is born with a sin nature. No matter where we were born, or who our parents are, we all must come to the realization that we are sinners, with a bent to satisfy the sinful flesh. As civilized human beings, we are also created in the image of God and God has instilled within each one of us a conscience to do good. But sin is ever present, tempting us to put ourselves and our wants first. Therefore, we need to be saved from this sinful nature, because sin will destroy and will eventually lead to eternal death (hell). We cannot redeem ourselves. No matter how many good deeds we do, it cannot save us from the sin that we were born with. Jesus came to earth and did many good works, but His main purpose in coming was more than just setting a good example of how to live, but He came to save us from our sin and set us free from the bondage of sin. So by the grace of God, God the Father sent His Son to die and pay the debt for the sins of the world. It is grace, a gift that we receive by believing that the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, giving His life, can and will bring forgiveness of sin. Many believe that their good deeds will outweigh their bad deeds and God will see all the good things they have done on earth and let them in through the gates of heaven. But the truth given to us in the Word of God is that there is only one way, and that is through the forgiveness of sin provided by Jesus Christ. Isaiah says, “All our righteousness are as filthy rags.” I have been to many memorial services, and the accolades of their good works are made known, and many truly were good and kind people, but salvation is not possible by good works lest any man should boast. A person who is saved through Christ will manifest good works. The Holy Spirit does a work in the believer, and the fruit of the Spirit will be manifested as they walk in the light of God. So good work is an outcome of our faith, and not the way to have eternal life after death. So faith in Christ is essential to salvation. His grace is sufficient to save us from all sin.