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November 27, 2025

A Day of Thanksgiving

The pilgrims first celebrated the holiday Americans call Thanksgiving after their first harvest in 1621. History says it was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims. The gathering lasted three days. In 1789, our first President, George Washington, issued a national proclamation of “Public Thanksgiving and Prayer, acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.”(1) Abraham Lincoln issued another proclamation in 1863 and made it a national holiday, referring to it as “A day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”(2) In their proclamations, they refer to God as:

The: Almighty God (three times);
That great and glorious Being;
Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be;
The great Lord and Ruler of the Nations;
Most High God;
and Beneficent Father.

So much for the myth of separating God from America’s government.

Washington’s and Lincoln’s proclamations are reverential and God-honoring. I won’t read them, as the verbiage and style of the day are a bit different than ours, but I have included them as an attachment at the end of today’s post for those who do wish to read them. The following is a proclamation and prayer for us to offer today; please agree with me as I read it:

Heavenly Father, we in the United States pause today to acknowledge Your gracious and omnipotent hand. America was Your idea. You formed a nation of nations - Native Americans, Asians, Europeans, Africans, Latinos, Middle Easterners, and more. Though our journey included the inevitable challenges associated with human frailties, including sinful actions, Your sovereign power overcame our flaws and formed the United States of America.

We are very aware that our birth was not just for our blessing and benefit; we were invited into a covenantal partnership with You to proclaim Your redemption from sin’s horrible curse. We acknowledge and agree with the words of Robert Hunt at Cape Henry in 1607: “The gospel of the kingdom will go forth from these shores, not only to this land, but to all the nations of the earth.” We agree with the words from Holy Scripture inscribed on the Liberty Bell: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof,” (Leviticus 25:10). This is America’s destiny and our great honor.

We are thankful, Father, for the covenants our Christian Forefathers and Founders entered into with You. They sacrificed greatly in order to fulfill Your plan, knowing they were drawn to these shores – not just to enjoy liberty – but to accomplish Your divine purposes. We are grateful for their sacrifices made so long ago, and the incredible prosperity we have enjoyed due to their covenantal partnership with You. May they be forever honored and always see righteous fruit from their labors.

Thank You for preserving us in times of war, disease, sin, and rebellion. In the war of our birth, we were saved through appealing to heaven; in the horrific Civil War, we fought one another and lost half a million sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers, yet You kept the dream alive; in two world wars, You preserved us from evil despots intent on ruling the world. Through all the difficulties and trials of four centuries, YOU have been faithful to preserve us. “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain” (Psalm 127:1). You have blessed this nation - of You, through You, and to You are all things. Thank You, gracious and beneficent God!

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, on this day, we as a nation thank You for Your great sacrifice in becoming one of us - a member of the human race. Thank You for experiencing the gnawing pangs of hunger, for feeling the heartbreaking pain of a loved one’s death. Thank You for walking dusty roads to heal diseased bodies, taking detours to redeem thirsty hearts, and spending sleepless nights in prayer. Thank You for exposing the wiles and hatred of the serpent, the destructive power of pride, and modeling true love. Thank You for revealing the Father to us once again, and creating the way for us to reconnect with Him as our Abba, our Papa. Thank You for paying such an incredibly high price: the incarnation, the beatings and lashing, Gethsemane, the mocking, the crown of thorns, the wrath of Hell, the hideous Cross, the stain of sin, and sting of death. Thank You.

Gracious Father, wonderful Savior, and blessed Holy Spirit, though we as a nation have dishonored, rejected, and even mocked You, Your love endures. We have worshiped idols, embraced false religions, shed innocent blood, defiled Your marriage covenant, and expelled You from our schools - yet Your mercies endure. Our government has risen up against You in pride and rebellion, rewritten Your laws, legislated murderous and immoral rights, and declared that You are no longer welcome in their functions and procedures - yet You have demonstrated amazing grace and patience. And while the church should have been Your instrument of preservation from these ills, she became lukewarm, complacent, and ineffective.

In spite of these and many more evils, You have promised to save America, healing our brokenness, returning our hearts to You, and preserving our destiny. Thank You, gracious Father. Thank You for the restoration occurring in the church; thank You for the army of intercessors You have raised up here and around the world - we owe them so much. Thank You for the awakening that has begun in America, regarding both our spiritual condition and the horrible fruit this has produced. Thank You for the overthrowing of evil in our government that has begun. Thank You, in advance, for the greatest worldwide outpouring of Holy Spirit in all of history. Because of Your mercy, America will once again be a strong voice for the gospel of the Kingdom throughout the earth. For all of this and more, we give You thanks. Amen.

And I thank YOU for being part of Give Him 15. Together, we are making a difference!

President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation:

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and Prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be - that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks - for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation - for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war - for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed - for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted - for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.

“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions - to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually - to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed - to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord - To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us - and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

“Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.” (George Washington)(3)

President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation:

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. The population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

“In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

“Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth. By the President: Abraham Lincoln.”(4)

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

November 26, 2025

Thanksgiving: The Communion Meal

Tomorrow we will celebrate one of America’s greatest holidays. Today’s post will help you do so with greater understanding and, hopefully, an even greater appreciation for our many blessings. Although not widely known among most Americans, the holiday is linked to the Cross, our redemption, and the matchless grace of God.

Grace The word “grace” is one of the most important terms in our language. In its broader application, “grace” encompasses the incarnation of Christ (His becoming human), His sufferings, the gift of our rebirth into God’s family, and every benefit we receive from this. We neither earned nor deserved any of these blessings; they are ours only through God’s grace, His “unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15), bestowed on us from His great love. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

“Grace” is derived from the Greek word charis,(1) a significant term that also conveys “goodwill, loving-kindness, or favor.” It is also translated as “thanks,” the response offered for benefits or favor.(2)

Never at a loss for words, “Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament defines grace (charis) as the ‘spontaneous act of God that came from the infinite love in His heart, in which He stepped down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin, thus satisfying His justice, maintaining His government, and making possible the bestowal of salvation upon the sinner who receives it by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who became a Sin-offering for him on the Cross’”(3) Wow!

“The New Testament also uses other forms of this word: charizomai, ‘to give graciously’(4); and charisma, ‘a gift that is graciously given.’(5) For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:4, 9, 28, 30, and 31, the term charisma features prominently in Paul’s teaching about spiritual gifts. Paul stresses that the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of God’s grace. These spiritual ‘grace gifts’ are not developed through natural talent, but instead bestowed upon believers by God. In The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts, William McRae defines a spiritual gift as ‘a divine endowment of a special ability for service upon a member of the body of Christ.’”(6)

Mary and the Church Charis was also the root word used by Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:28, telling her she was “highly favored” (charitoo),(7) Indeed! The honor of being entrusted to carry Christ in her womb, birth the Savior of the world, and then to nurture Him for Yahweh, was truly immeasurable favor. Yet, the same word is used one other time in Scripture, Ephesians 1:6, when describing the great favor granted to us as believers, who also now carry Christ in our spiritual wombs! Almighty God is in us!!! The fountain of life, the breath of God, the nature of God Himself is in us in the spirit of Christ. That gift comes from charis, grace.

Thanksgiving Now, would it surprise you to know that charis, this Greek word for grace, is the root word for “thanksgiving”? Thanksgiving, or “the giving of thanks,” comes from the Greek word eucharistia. The word could also be translated “giving thanks for our grace gifts.” When America set aside a day “of public Thanksgiving and Prayer” to “Almighty God,” as George Washington stated in his official proclamation (which I will include in tomorrow’s post), it was to thank God for His incomparable benefits of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ! We aren’t simply giving thanks for the physical freedom, prosperity, and abundant blessings we enjoy in this great nation; we are acknowledging that we enjoy these things because of the grace of God and the gift of His Son!

Communion And for the icing on the cake, or should we say the stuffing in the turkey, this Greek word for Thanksgiving (eucharistia) is also the word for the Eucharist, the Lord’s Table: Communion. This covenant meal is called the Eucharist, not just by Catholics but also by many evangelicals, because it’s a word Jesus used when initiating the meal: “when He had given thanks” (eucharisteo). He then gave the disciples the bread and wine, which represented His body and blood (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). “Thanksgiving” originated, not with the Pilgrims, but at the Last Supper, when God’s “grace meal” was inaugurated!

Tomorrow, when sharing the meal with family and friends, remember that Thanksgiving is rooted in the Lord’s Table, Communion, through which we celebrate God’s “grace gift” of His Son to us.

Pray with me:

Father, we thank You for Your unspeakable gift, Yeshua, and His sacrifice. Through Him, we have been welcomed into Your family, made Your heirs and His joint-heirs. As we Americans celebrate our many blessings this week, we remember that these blessings come through this grace-gift. Thank You!

And as we take time to acknowledge and thank You, we also give thanks for the grace-awakening that has begun. Thank You for the millions of grace-salvations coming soon, the grace-returning of prodigals, the grace-deliverances, the grace-miracles, and the grace-reset of America. Thank You for the grace-cleansing and grace-healing of our land. As we eat the grace-meal tomorrow, we will remember that it is a celebration of Your abounding grace!

We will also remember that Thanksgiving isn’t just America’s meal; this is the world’s meal. Thank You for saving a billion souls in the great grace-harvest that has begun. Thank You for a deluge of grace in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North and South America. Pour it out! Flood the earth with grace! Signs, wonders, miracles, dreams, visions, deliverances, radical salvations - all poured out by the Spirit of grace! We celebrate this with You! In Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that every good and perfect gift is from the Father through Christ, with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning (James 1:17).

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no.5485.
https://www.gotquestions.org/charis-in-the-Bible.html
James Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Vol 21 (Eerdmans, 1997), pp. 138–139.
Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5483.
Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5486.
William McRae, The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts (Zondervan, 1976), p. 18.
Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5487.

November 25, 2025

Introduction

Yesterday, I shared some thoughts from the outstanding book, Relational Authority: Authentic Leadership, written a few years back by my friend, Clay Nash. I had the privilege of writing the foreword for this insightful book. Clay effectively points out MANY important principles of leadership and authority.

I’m going to share a few more insights from Clay’s book today: nine important traits of excellence regarding leadership. You would be wise to pick up this book. Today’s title is:

Relational Authority: Authentic Leadership - Part 2

1. Forerunner A leader is a person who moves ahead first. Therefore, true leaders are forerunners.

“Where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:20)

A forerunner is actually a Greek nautical term. When a ship got close to the shore, the forerunner would get out of the ship with a weighted rope and swim towards the shore, sounding the depth so the captain would know how close he could come to shore without running aground. Now, this could be pretty hazardous duty, especially at night or when the surf was rough. If the ship got in at midnight in stormy weather, it could be deadly. But the essence of the forerunner’s job was to determine suitable depth for the safety of the ship, not unlike spiritual leadership determining how much “depth” exists to safely move the organization. As such, a forerunner is a balancing force, mediating between the thrashing waves driving the ship towards a hazardous shore and the need to stabilize with an anchor.

2. Motivator A leader motivates others for a certain purpose or goal. True leaders can take a group of people to a place they might not desire to go and cause them to discover that they have a purpose there.

The key to motivating people in less-than-desirable directions is to help them discover the purpose in being there. The thought of entering a crack-infested neighborhood is initially intimidating, threatening, and even repulsive. But the vision of saving the distraught souls caught in the web of drugs, violence, and death is inspiring to anyone inhabited with God’s redeeming nature. A leader blesses the people with the vision they need to move out into new and challenging territory. We tend to overcome our initial reluctance when we see God’s plan in a situation and when we trust the people who are leading us.

3. Attracts People Leaders attract and direct people to a certain course of action through persuasion, charisma, and example. And while the first two are important, it is the example set by the leader that seals the deal. I can be swayed by a powerful appeal; I can be drawn by personal magnetism. But when I encounter a leader willing to inhabit the same trenches that he or she is calling me to occupy, I know I have found someone worth following. I will listen to persuasion, I will notice charisma, but I will follow example…

4. Direction and Structure A leader gives directions and structure to others’ work and effort. Wise leaders do a lot of consulting with the people under them before ever taking action - they have to ask a lot of questions to learn what is truly going on before attempting to reorganize it.

The deciding factor in true leadership is getting others on board with change, especially if that change affects their lives. It is not pleasant to face a group of people with a new plan if these people feel threatened by the plan. A true leader knows how to enlist others and can show them the benefits of embracing the changes.

5. Coordinates Ideas A leader recognizes and coordinates other people’s ideas, bringing diverse outlooks together into a fully functioning critical mass. Everybody sees life from a unique perspective, and each viewpoint has merit - even the unusual ones. Especially the unusual ones.

6. Leads In Life A leader leads in all facets of life - he lives a life of holiness to the Lord that others may know and follow. Poor leaders think it is acceptable to lead in one area but ignore consecration in other areas of their personal lives. Yet the gold standard of true leadership is personal integrity as well as outward integrity. I am not saying a leader must be excellent at everything; everyone has areas of life stronger than others. But in all areas of life, we must be answerable to inquiry and accountability. A leader’s life is an open book, as much as some would like to ignore this fact. We cannot lead without revealing much about ourselves and our lives.

7. Instructs and Corrects A leader carries the authority to lead others by instruction and correction… Leading in correction is never easy, but it is vital. Imagine a ship with a fixed rudder. Without the ability to make course corrections, the ship is vulnerable to any current or wind that comes along. If we, as an organization - as a body - are to more accurately follow our Lord, then course corrections must become the norm. A leader’s job is to administer these in ways that bring life and fulfillment to all concerned.

8. Faces Own Faults A secure leader who has faced his own weaknesses will give the people under him the freedom to make mistakes. Some of the greatest discoveries in life are made while trying to do something and failing initially. People sometimes set out to do one thing, only to discover something greater in the process, even if it is simply the folly of their ways.

Naturally, I want the people under me to avoid the pitfalls and mistakes I have made in developing my leadership skills, but I know this is not entirely possible. They will find ways to make new and novel mistakes that I never dreamed of! Such is the process we are engaged in.

9. Vulnerability A leader is vulnerable, developing relationships with those they lead. We cannot lead without depending on others. The relationship between the leader and subordinates is a true symbiotic relationship; each needs the other. Without a vision, the people perish. Yet, without a people, the leader is just out for a walk.

My Comments John Maxwell says, “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”(1) All of us should desire to be more effective leaders, whether in a home, a classroom, a business, or a Bible study. These principles, and many others found in this insightful book, will, without a doubt, aid us in this.

Pray with me:

Father, too often those in leadership lead only from the safety of their desks, not the trenches. Jesus, God in the flesh, demonstrated true leadership by serving humankind on dusty roads, in crowded markets, on storm-tossed boats, and a rugged Cross. He came not to be served, but to serve, laying down His life for all (Matthew 20:28).

We ask for more servant-leaders to be raised up in this hour. Men and women who walk in great authority and true humility. Miracle workers and foot-washers, great teachers and sincere listeners. Teach us that we go high by bowing low; our authority increases as our need for greatness decreases. Give us leaders with servant hearts in our churches and in our governments, in our homes and in our schools. May we lead by example, modeling Your heart as we lay down our lives daily.

And in closing, we remember to call forth the harvest of the ages. We will never stop doing so. Bring it! Turn up the heat, intensify the fire of revival. In Jesus’ name we cry out. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that servant-leaders are on the increase, and that this will produce great leaders.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Today’s post was taken from the book Relationship Authority: Authentic Leadership written by Clay Nash. You can learn more about Clay at ClayNash.org.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/798495-the-pessimist-complains-about-the-wind-the-optimist-expects-it

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