Over the decades, Americans continued to celebrate with a feast in the fall that focused on giving thanks. This holiday arrived on our calendars through suffering and loss. Adversity and struggle, instead of dampening their spirits, fueled the gratitude in the hearts of the men, women, and children who decided to feast and give God glory with whatever they had available to eat. Their gratitude to God in the face of such hardship serves as a beacon of hope for us all.

This past week, the election of Donald Trump has given us a reason to pause and thank the Lord for the reprieve He has provided. Why? This is not necessarily because Trump will wear a Superman cape and save the country. But, because the platform and people he places around him aim for religious liberty, space for Christians to bring the Gospel to bear upon our nation, and some measure of holiness in our country.

When we venture into our own devices, ideologies, and thoughts instead of looking to align ourselves with God’s thoughts, then we place the chains of slavery upon us and others. True freedom happens when we handcuff our thoughts to God’s thinking.

As Christians who look back into the OT, all of the mysteries are revealed to us. Christ is the answer. The OT is about Christ. Don't look at the OT as the means to earn your righteousness. Look at it as the means to deepen your love and obedience to Christ.

Recently, one of the great preachers in our generation admitted to his fellow elders a sin severe enough to disqualify him from pastoral ministry. Those influenced by his teachings and preachings received a somber reminder of how no confidence should be placed in the flesh.

People change. What someone believes one day may not be what that person holds later down the road of life. When changes occur, the most crucial question is why? Why would someone go from one belief to another?

Three commonalities appear in these European missionary stories: the predicament of the people, the persecution from the people, and the proclamation to the people.