If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

Thanksgiving is a day to spend with family and friends giving thanks to God for all He has done for us. The following day, many are shopping to seize the best deal. Though the day is crazy, at least it was the day after Thanksgiving. Stores are now opening on Thanksgiving day. Retail employees must work instead of spending the day with family. Some are out shopping on Thanksgiving to get that hard to find gift or save a bundle. I suppose we can say the stores that open are greedy but it is the enemy who is behind it. He wants nothing more than to tear down the family unit. Some stores are closing on Thanksgiving day, stating, “this is a day to spend with family and the shopping can wait till Friday.” I applaud them. I understand there are folks who must work, such as medical personnel, police officers, firemen, pilots etc. Thanks to all of them!

It is generally during the Christmas season when we encounter particular individuals who want to erase all aspects of God from our country. More and more of our religious freedoms are being taken away. Nativity scenes displayed at public places have become a thing of the past. There are battles as Christmas banners displayed mention Jesus. If our kids and grandkids go to public schools, you are not going to hear any songs about the real reason for Christmas such as Silent Night, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Oh Holy Night, etc. at their Christmas program. Prayer has been out of school for years. In schools and other establishments, one could lose their job for praying. Everywhere, we see groups or individuals doing their best to erase God.

It made me question, what happened that they detest God so much they want to erase all aspects of Him? Could it be these people are acting out of a place of pain, hurt, disappointment and are blaming God? In some cases might they feel that no loving God could cause the pain that transpired in their life so He must not exist? If so, they are deceived. They brought into a lie that the enemy has fed them. What they don’t comprehend is that we live in a fallen world because of the sin of Adam BUT Jesus set us free. He can heal all that hurt and pain. He came that they would have life and have it more abundantly.

This does not imply when facing the battles, we become passive and do nothing. There are issues in life that need confrontation and discipline BUT we need to see people the way that God sees them. God is not just about love He is love. I believe when He looks at a person, He sees what He intended that person to be. He does not see the faults but he sees the destiny He planned for them. Think about the most evil person you know and realize Jesus died for them too.

So as Christian what can we do? Our biggest weapon against these issues is prayer. We can’t expect the Lord to move if we are not bringing it to Him. Pray not for victory but pray from the victory. Pray the solution not the problem. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “the tongue has the power of life and death.” Talking about Jesus and quoting scriptures will not change anyone’s mind. They need to see Jesus in us, Jesus working through us. In previous blogs I stated that some people get on my last nerve. In the last couple of months this is changing and I focus on seeing them through the eyes of Jesus, though that doesn’t mean I haven’t fallen short at times. I am praying for the boldness to approach anyone and ask if I can pray for them no matter what their demeanor. Imagine praying for someone that is doing their best to erase God and see them get healed. If nothing else it would surely give them a new perspective. If we as Christians walk in God’s love and power, who knows, the Christmas songs and prayer may be back in schools, nativity scenes and banners will be displayed again with no protests. Possibly, stores would close again Thanksgiving Day and families would be together, giving thanks to God.

Read the Bible verse at the top. Where it says “Love is patient” etc. Replace love with the Name of Jesus and read it again, and replace Jesus’ name with your name. This says who we were meant to be.

Here is a video of a man that truly walks in the love and power of God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7s9bRIB-wE His name is Todd White. He tells the story of having been invited to a school with a number of other guests to talk about their religion so the teens could make a choice. Todd didn’t talk religion or Jesus. He showed them Jesus and it transformed them. This is the way the Christian life should be lived and it is exciting.

Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas! God Bless!