November Newsletter

Dear Friend in Christ,

Fall is truly one of my favorite seasons. I love the undeniable aura that surrounds it. The beautiful landscape as the leaves change color. And the crisp, frosty mornings are a refreshing change from the oppressively hot days and the sweltering nights. A pleasant reminder of my childhood as my dad watched football in the living room with my grandfather and uncles, and the aroma of freshly baked apple and pumpkin pies in the kitchen, as my mother, grandmother and aunts prepared the Thanksgiving Day feast. A nostalgic reminder that God has indeed "shed His grace on this Nation". We have so much to be thankful for as we sit at our dinner table celebrating the bounty; a table that is overflowing in the abundant harvest of all that He has provided for us.

This is a season of reflection. It's a time to gain a new perspective, and to take the time to evaluate what we accomplished the past year, and establish the goals we want to reach. This all implies change, and our Heavenly Father graciously moves upon us by the Holy Spirit, taking us from summer to autumn, and patiently He waits for change to begin in our lives.

At the roots of His agenda is this promise in Philippians 1:6, and we need to think of it as a guarantee. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" In other words, the One who started this good work within you, won't leave the work unfinished. He won't quit and He won't fail. And He doesn't expect you to figure out for yourself how to get the work finished.

Thanksgiving is a reminder that God has been faithful. It's a time of quiet reflection on the past and a time to focus on the solid and simple things of life, so that everything else fades into insignificance. It's a time for you and me to usher in the sincere spirit of gratitude, and truly walk in His Love, and extend His mercy and grace to others.

We have so much to be thankful for, especially as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. But the part of Thanksgiving that most believers have missed is the element of honor. As Christians, we reverence and honor God by walking in His ways and following after the leading of the Holy Spirit. And as I said, we have so much to be thankful for. Knowing every ugly thing we've ever done, and still, His mercy endures forever! That's exactly what Psalm 136 tells us. Giving honor and praise and worship to God is something that we should desire to do, and to do that in excellence of worship, in thanksgiving for all He has done for us.

1 Chronicles 16:25 says, "For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods..."; verse 27, "Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place."

This scripture tells us to fear God and worship Him in His holiness, not because we are afraid of Him, but because His mercy endures forever. Verse 34 says, "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." That's why we worship and praise Him; because His mercy endures forever! That's the reason we are to separate from the world and walk holy before Him. We praise and worship Him because His mercy endures forever, and His mercy and His grace are stronger than anything, and will outlast everything in our lives.

God established many feasts of thanksgiving under the Old Covenant. He told the people to shout and dance, rejoice and praise Him. And that's what they did. They celebrated their covenant with Him, thanking Him for blessing them. Deuteronomy 8:18, "But you shall remember the Lord your God; for it is He that gives you power to get wealth..." And in the Book of John 10:10, Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." And that's something to shout about!

When was the last time you praised God and thanked Him for the abundant life He's provided for you? Giving thanks and honoring Him is very powerful. When you honor Him, He will honor you and take up your part, and that praise and that thanksgiving will bring deliverance and freedom to your life.

We are blessed as a nation to have Thanksgiving as a national observance to thank God and honor Him for everything He has given to us. But in reality, we as Christians have something to celebrate in Jesus every day of the year. And the foundation of our thanksgiving to God is the Covenant we have with Him. In that covenant we have protection, strength, and the power of God as a Father to His children. And it's His desire that we remember everything this covenant contains and means to us.

As believer's, it's absolutely essential that we know and understand God's grace and His mercy, but so often, the religious world misrepresents God to us. If we are to have faith and confidence in Him, we have to be able to trust in His mercy. And this confidence doesn't come from man's attitudes about God; it will only come from a relationship with Him and spending time in His Word.

Psalm 30:4-5, "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger endures but a moment."

Psalm 145:8-9, "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of GREAT mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." As new creatures in Christ Jesus, we are His workmanship. Therefore, His tender mercies are over you and I all the time.

Love,

Paula