-Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving-Brownscombe

(“The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth”: Wikipedia)


Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. The following is our traditional Thanksgiving message:

Thanksgiving is an uniquely American celebration that began nearly four centuries ago with a deeply religious people, the Pilgrims, giving thanks to God for preserving them though a very hard year and bringing them their first bountiful harvest which they gratefully shared with their indigenous neighbors.

It was our first President George Washington who proclaimed that our first official national day of public thanksgiving should be dedicated by observing and:

“…by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.

In recent years the ‘politically correct’/secular crowd has rewritten the history of the First Thanksgiving placing an emphasis upon the hand that the indigenous American Indians played in helping the original Pilgrim community to survive. In the process they have redirected the emphasis on thanks towards neighbors and friends and away from the providence of Almighty God.

While it is always good to be thankful for others who have enriched our own lives and certainly that has a good part to play in the celebration. Nevertheless the major emphasis of Thanksgiving should always be upon giving thanks to God along with our family and friends as it was on that very first occasion.

For my family and I, we will be praising and thanking the Lord God Almighty for the bounties and the providence that he has bestowed upon us this year in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. May Our Heavenly Father bless your family today and continue to bless all of us and this nation during this holiday season and in the year to come.     

-A Day to be Thankful!

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Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.              –1Thessalonians 5:18clip_image002

As we gather together with friends and family for Thanksgiving in America, let us remember the blessings that God has bestowed upon this nation and the ultimate gift to be thankful for–His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that graces our lives.

In the midst of economic trouble we do need to remember that our worst times are better than the best of fortune for 95% of the folks living on this planet. Even in times of personal difficulty we can always be confident in the love and the strength of the Lord–we can always depend on him.

It is a great time to remember how the Lord has truly blessed each one of us and our family.

Thank you Father for your Love for us, thank you Lord Jesus for your strength, and Holy Spirit for your peace. In Jesus Name Amen.         

-Happy thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving  to you and yours. The following is our traditional Thanksgiving message:

Thanksgiving is an uniquely American celebration that began nearly four centuries ago with a deeply religious people, the Pilgrims, giving thanks to God for preserving them though a very hard year and bringing them their first bountiful harvest which they gratefully shared with their indigenous neighbors.

It was our first President George Washington who proclaimed that our first official national day of public thanksgiving should be dedicated by observing and:

“…by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.

In recent years the ‘politically correct’/secular crowd has rewritten the history of the First Thanksgiving placing an emphasis upon the hand that the indigenous American Indians played in helping the original Pilgrim community to survive. In the process they have redirected the emphasis on thanks towards neighbors and friends and away from the providence of Almighty God.

While it is always good to be thankful for others who have enriched our own lives and certainly that has a good part to play in the celebration. Nevertheless the major emphasis of Thanksgiving should always be upon giving thanks to God along with our family and friends as it was on that very first occasion.

For my family and I, we will be praising and thanking the Lord God Almighty for the bounties and the providence that he has bestowed upon us this year in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. May Our Heavenly Father bless your family today and continue to bless all of us and this nation during this holiday season and in the year to come.          

-‘Bless Friday’ Instead of ‘Black Friday’

BLACK FRIDAY BLESS FRIDAY

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Here’s a great way to start the Christmas season, in keeping with the teaching of Jesus who is the real reason for the season after all. From the Christian Post:

On a day when many Americans are crowding the stores for “Black Friday” bargains, a group of churches will instead do acts of charity as part of an annual observance called “Bless Friday.”

“We’re here to help connect individuals, groups and churches to the service opportunities that can transform our communities and our hearts,” noted its website.

     “We hope that by beginning their Christmas celebration with service participants will place their focus on Jesus.  We especially hope that Bless Friday connects Christmas and service in the minds of children, less Santa and more Jesus.”

<Read the whole article>

Response: This is an idea that Christians and churches all across America could get involved in. Making a difference in the lives of people is a positive way to start the Christmas season.

Already I see the Marines out with their drive for toys and the bell ringers for the Salvation Army. Bless Friday is something every church could get involved in some way in the future. It would be particularly helpful to include children in the event to help them understand what the season is really all about.               

-The Call of Thankfulness

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            (Image by bdec via Flickr)

This is a good time to look at the call of thankfulness in the life of the believer.

Throughout the scriptures in both the old and the new, believers are instructed to express praise and thankfulness to God as a part of their daily worship and devotion.

Here’s a few good ones to remember:

Ps 100:1-5

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
ESV

Col 3:15-17
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
ESV

Phil 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
ESV

In fact, thankfulness is the fruit and proof of one’s faith. According to Romans 1:21 the opposite is true for the ungodly who do not “honor him as God or give thanks to him.”

All believers are called to be thankful no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in (See: I Thess. 5:18 below). In fact the very act of rejoicing, thanking, and praising God changes our very lives for the better. It also can open the door to miracles.

I am reminded of the occasion when Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison. Most of us including myself would have probably complained about the situation and questioned God about why he allowed it to happen. But Paul and Silas gave thanks and sang praises and it changed everything (Acts 16:-40). I also know of one pastor who went through similar circumstances who sang praises and converted more than a few in prison in the process.

Even if our praises and thankfulness do not change the circumstances we find ourselves in, it does change us and open us up to greater intimacy with God. This is God’s will for our lives and real blessings follow.

1 Thess 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
ESV

-Happy Thanksgiving!

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              (Image via Wikipedia)

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American celebration that began nearly four centuries ago with a deeply religious people, the Pilgrims, giving thanks to God for preserving them though a very hard year and bringing them their first bountiful harvest which they gratefully shared with their indigenous neighbors.

It was our first President George Washington who proclaimed that our first official national day of public thanksgiving should be dedicated by observing and:

“…by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.

In recent years the ‘politically correct’/secular crowd has rewritten the history of the first Thanksgiving to place an emphasis upon the hand that the indigenous American Indians played in helping the original Pilgrim community to survive. In the process they have redirected the emphasis on thanks towards the neighbors and away from the providence of Almighty God.

In his official recognition and Proclamation of Thanksgiving 2009, our most secular President Obama continues the PC view and takes it to another level calling the nation to observe the following during this Thanksgiving:

“…I encourage all the people of the United States to come together, whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place where family, friends and neighbors may gather, with gratitude for all we have received in the past year; to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own; and to share our bounty with others.”

Notice that he makes no mention of thanking God in his proclamation—probably the first President to ignore the Almighty during this celebration. While it is always good to be thankful for others who have enriched our own lives and certainly that has a good part to play in the celebration. Nevertheless the major emphasis of Thanksgiving should always be upon God as it was at the very first.

Sorry Mr. President, for me and my family we will be praising and thanking the Lord God Almighty for the bounties and the providence that he has bestowed upon us this year in the name of his Son Jesus Christ.