Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ! Happy Thanksgiving!
Today we are grateful to God for the material and spiritual blessings that we abundantly receive while living in this country! God sends us everything needed for life and godliness/ He wants us to have life, and life in abundance.
We are grateful to God for the churches of the Pacific Coast Association and for their pastors, leaders of ministries, and the leadership of the Association for the support of the church partnerships, for the privilege to serve in His vineyard, as well as for the opportunity to live in such a wonderful country. The first pilgrims began their journey in America in a very difficult circumstances and it was extremely hard for them to survive and to find necessities. Many countries are experiencing that even today; some are going to sleep and do not have the daily bread. In Ukraine, where the war is going on right now, many people are in the dark and cold conditions, and they are rejoicing to receive the daily provisions of bread.
While living in this country we got used to the abundance both in material needs as well as in the spiritual. Many spiritual books remain untouched on the shelves of church libraries because the people do not have the spiritual hunger for the Bible and the resources that help to understand the Bible. We are praying the words: “Give us the daily bread” (Matt. 6:11) in expressing our need in the physical bread, while forgetting the words of Jesus Christ where He expresses the right attitude before God by saying in the Sermon on the Mount that “Blessed are the poor in spirit and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”. They are in need of God. The spiritual hunger is satisfied by “The Bread of Life” and gives us true life in abundance which leads to a constant desire for worship, adoration, and thankfulness to the Giver of all good things—our Heavenly Father, and of course, the physical blessings as well!
Happy Thanksgiving!
President of the PCSBA, Ivan Mileyev
