HAPPY THANKSGIVUKKAH

Something very unusual will occur this year as Jews in America celebrate Thanksgiving.  Their mashed potatoes will be replaced by potato pancakes  (latkes), a transitional Hanukkah treat.  Why?  for the first time EVER , the first day of Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, falls on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day is always the fourth Thursday in November.  The latest it can be is November 28th.  The earliest Hanukkah can be is November 28th.  According to the Jewish calendar, the last time the two holidays coincided was 1861. However, Thanksgiving was not formally established until 1863 (by President Lincoln). 

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will never coincide again because the Jewish (lunar) calendar is very slowly getting out of sync with the solar calendar, so that eventually the earliest Hanukkah can be is November 29th. The next time Hanukkah falls on the 28th is 2146, which happens to be a Monday.The two holidays will converge again in the year 79,811 on the Jewish Calendar. So...This is a special year!  Some are even calling the event "Thanksgivukkah."

I  personally love Thanksgiving.  It is a constant reminder to give thanks in all things. The holiday often gets lost in all the preChristmas music, decorations and of course BLACK FRIDAY. 1Thess.5:16 says,"Rejoice in all things, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus." To experience the joy of the Lord, I believe it is directly related to giving thanks.   Giving thanks is always an act of faith, more difficult in trying times, but always pleasing to God. It makes a way for the joy of the Lord to be present, despite adverse circumstances. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVUKKAH!!!!!     

A MYSTERY REVEALED

How does the Lord take a man and a women and make them one flesh?  Have you ever noticed after years of marriage how a husband and wife often look alike? They know each other,s thoughts before they even speak.  How does this amazing mystery develop?  I don't know.  It just happens.

My husband and I have been a part of this GREAT MYSTERY for 55 years, and more is still being revealed to us. We have our problems, discouragements,and misunderstandings,  but the Lord has preserved our covenant of marriage.

We were NOT believers when we were married in 1958.  By the grace of God we were born again in 1970 and our whole marriage began to change.  We had so much to learn. But the Lord was faithful to bring us year by year into a greater love for each other. 

There are many good books written about marriage. But, this one truth that is often quoted at weddings, we have valued the most. It is Ephesians 5:32. "This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.  However, let each one of you LOVE his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she RESPECTS her husband."    This has been the key in our relationship that has turned our heart more and more to each other.  Men need to be RESPECTED and women need to be LOVED. 

The world has this upside down.  It can not possibly understand God's ways, (1Corinthians 2:14, 1John 2:15). The world wants everyone to be equal and fair in their own eyes. Selfishness  reigns in the center many marriages, which only leads to failure.  But when the wife respects her husband, with a growing sense of gratitude in her heart, her husband will respond in love. The children receive the overflow of their parent's love for each other and are emotionally more mature. 

If you are a Christian and believe in holy matrimony between a man and a woman, your marriage is special.  You have entered into a holy covenant of marriage with Almighty God. He will keep HIS covenant through the many storms of life, even when you think you have failed.  He is faithful when we are faithless. (2Timothy 2:13).  His forgiveness will heal many wounds of the heart and His love will restore lost affections.

We would  like to recommend to you a great book, which we believe will help you understand more of this great  mystery of marriage.  It is called  "LOVE AND RESPECT" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I know you will be blessed.

THE TRUE ABUNDANT LIFE

As an American christian ,it is easy to think that the abundant life is a new house, a bigger house, a new car, fancy designer clothes, an Ivy league college education, an influential circle of friends and a 6 figure salary. It doesn't get any better than that.  Thank you Jesus.  But, what if you were living in Africa, India or South American?  Would you feel that the Lord didn't care about you and was giving His leftovers to you?  What is the abundant life that the Lord is speaking about in John 10:10?

I would like to propose the real abundant life is not a WHAT, but a WHO.  Jesus said in John 14:6 that He was the way, the truth and the LIFE. I believe that Jesus is the abundant life and that His desire is to give to ALL His children, in every nation, Himself, if only we would believe His Word." Jesus came to give us life, and life more abundantly. Is this eternal life?  It could be at some level, but He didn't say, I have come to give you 'eternal' life,  but an 'abundant life'. We already have eternal life through our new birth, and no man can snatch us out of His hands.

 However, we are still on earth with trials and tribulations.  Is Jesus enough to take us through our testing times? When we are sick, struggling with a disease, or a besetting sin is Jesus enough?  How can He help us.?  Where is this abundant Jesus? It is written, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth  and the truth will set you free."  Free from what?  I believe we are free from the consequences of Adam's sin, which is sin, sickness and disease. Jesus is our redeemer, healer and deliverer. We are NOT under the Law, but under Grace. We are children of a New Covenant, born again in Christ Jesus.  That doesn't mean we don't sin, get sick and contract some disease.  The Good news is  Jesus has overcome the world.  He died and absorbed into Himself all our sins, sicknesses and diseases that we inherited in Adam. By faith in His resurrection He gives to us His abundant life. Truly, it seems like an uneven exchange, but it is true.

It grieves my heart when I sin to know that it cost My Lord His life.  There is only one answer I know, "It will cost me my life," and I can't continue to sin.  I hate my sin.  It is wicked. I am very grateful for the gift of repentance and being able to take responsibility for my sin of unbelief, rebellion, self-righteousness,, self-pity, pride, arrogance, unforgiveness, hate, anger,  and complaining. The list goes on and on.  I don't feel condemned, but graciously forgiven and am being changed from the inside out from glory to glory.

Yes, Jesus is the abundant life no matter where we live. He has 
overcome the spirit of  the world, our flesh (sin nature) and the devil. Satan no longer can hold us in bondage to our sin, but only what we consciously or unconsciously give Him.  Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing that is holy, righteous and good. He is the new life in us that produces the fruit of  love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness,kindness, goodness, and self-control. He is our health, our provider, our righteousness, our wealth, our hope, our faith, our love, our forgiveness, our mercy, and our ABUNDANT LIFE no matter what nation we might  live in.

95 YEAR OLD BILLY GRAHAM PRAYS FOR OUR NATION

This is a prayer that we all can agree with before our Father in Heaven.  Billy Graham at 95 years old is still interceding before the Throne of Grace. THERE IS POWER IN AGREEMENT. Let us pray in agreement with him. 

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.  We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.  We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.  We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.  We have killed our unborn and called it choice.  We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.  We neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.  We have abused power and call it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.  We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.  We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.  Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from sin and set us free. Amen!"

Also, I believe the Lord is saying " It is time to take back our land from the enemy.  Satan has no right to America."  Jesus paid the price for our country with His BLOOD. As the body of Christ arises and joins the Head, (Jesus),we will march through this land on our knees and watch the Lord restore its godly heritage. Jesus needs His body to pray, NOW!.  How can a body exist without the head? or a head without a body?  We must be one body; THE BODY OF CHRIST.

Together by faith, if we repent and turn fully  to Jesus, He as the head will continue to instruct us how to pray His heart and give us back our Nation. America belongs to the church and the church belongs to the Lord Jesus.