The Stand - Thanksgiving / Crawford Media Group

July 21, 2025

THE STAND

Subject: THANKSGIVING

We live in a dark and dangerous world. Our world is one ever-growing anti-Christian, even anti-religious generally. It is a world politically and personally which delights in making the profession and practice of the Christian faith difficult, if not in some cases, impossible.

It is a world which becomes ever more difficult economically. So many face economic problems, money problems, and life for families is more costly (inflation) than ever. Crime of all kinds is on the rise. Justice, real justice, and the rule of law are constantly challenged. Police and the law and order they bring are confronted, defunded, and neutralized in so many ways.

The world not only accepts, but seems to honor bizarre behavior and thinking, including the transgender, the radical changes of LGBTQ, and the traditional family seems attacked in so many ways, different now than ever before. The roles of mother and father are not the same and the loss of moral and spiritual priorities as the basis for family life seem to decline every day. It is difficult, at many times and in many ways, to be positive, to believe, to have hope.

But, my fellow Americans and my fellow Christians, remember the words of the Apostle Paul:

IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS.

Everything. In the darkest moments. When nothing goes right, when evil works, when there seems no hope, in those darkest of life’s moments:

GIVE THANKS.

For surely, as our Lord and His Apostle Paul reminds us over and again, there is always hope, there is always good, there is always love. No matter anything and everything in this world:

FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE NEVER FAIL!

NEVER. EVER. If the love of every person in your life fails, never forget that the love of Jesus Christ never fails, NEVER! If you know Him, trust Him, believe in Him, and have Him walk by your side every minute of every day as brother, friend, and savior:

GIVE THANKS!

Thank the God who made you and who gave you His son, your Lord Jesus Christ, for these blessings. THANK HIM no matter how dark and dangerous this world may be.

For the spouse in your life, the husband or wife who supports, loves, and contributes, give thanks. GIVE THANKS!

For children, the children which God has given you, really any child in your life, anywhere in your life, give thanks. Love them thankfully as Jesus loved them. Our Lord wanted all the little children to come unto Him for they, He told us, are the KINGDOM OF GOD. Rejoice and give thanks for their innocence, love, openness, and perhaps, at least to some extent, be like them.

IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS! But never, ever, forget to thank God Almighty for His UNSPEAKABLE GIFT in Jesus Christ. There can be no hope in this world, this evil, satanic world, without that unspeakable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank God, thank your Lord, for the health you have. No one has perfect health, but everyone has some, even much. Think of how wonderful it is to be able to see, to hear, to speak, to understand, to have an active and functioning mind no matter how little or much. They are gifts from God for which all of us should be thankful. Think of how wonderful it is to be able to use hands and arms, or to walk and navigate with responsive legs, to the extent you can. Think of those who can no longer walk, and give thanks this day to God for your ability to walk, for arms and legs, which allow you to live life.

Thank God for the food He provides. Even as you may pray for others, thank God for what He has given you.

The Apostle Paul thanked God for every good and spiritual person in his life. He made mention in his prayers of so many, his converts, brethren, and those he loved and respected, and counted them as the very best and finest in his life and as a result of his ministry.

You today can be thankful for all in your life who, in any way, make your life better, and you can pray for them, and perhaps more importantly, THANK THEM, for all they have done and all they do to make your life better, the truly good people at work in your life, no matter how many of the bad there may be.

In fact, in the darkest of times, when life seems at its most unbearable, that, my fellow Christians, is the very time, the best time, to give thanks to God for everything and in everything. The joy of the Lord never ends, it is always there, and only you, succumbing to the negative and the evil, can prevent that from being the most important thing in your life THIS VERY DAY!

No matter what, we should always remember and live by the words of promise of our Lord Jesus Christ:

THIS IS THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HATH MADE. LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE THEREIN.

There are always some good, some positive, some delightful and joyful moments and events every day. EVERY DAY! Whatever is good, whatever is positive, whatever is helpful, whatever is joyful and happy, so says the Apostle Paul:

THINK ON THESE THINGS.

Think about them. Rejoice in them. And:

BE THANKFUL. GIVE THANKS.

And in fact, no matter wars and rumors of wars, however strong evil and hate, no matter how dark and despairing the world may be and you may feel:

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. GIVE THANKS WITHOUT CEASING.

There, beside you, with you, arm around you, stands your Lord:

JESUS CHRIST.

He is there for you always. And because of that, nothing in this dark and evil world should ever deprive you of your faith, hope, and love in Him. Every day, and all day:

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT, YOUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!

You matter. You matter to God and our Lord Jesus Christ, you are His very special creation. You should love your life, and your Lord, and your neighbor, and you should never, never, never, give up or quit. Your life matters!

Homework

I have some homework for you today, and every day: Make a list of everything you are thankful for, EVERYTHING! Think about it, examine your life, look at all things positive and eliminate the negative. The Apostle Paul says:

“Whatever is good, righteous, positive — THINK ON THESE THINGS!”

Make a list of those things and be thankful for them and all things today and every day!

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