As we draw close to Thanksgiving Day, I have given a lot of thought to all things that we can truly be thankful for. I think of all the “good things” in life and have come to realize that first and foremost should be thankfulness for God’s Saving Grace.I recall an incident a few years ago that occurred that really made me ponder God and His abundant blessings. My husband was actively involved in a main stream denominational church in our community. I worked on Sundays, so only rarely attended with him. I did attend a Bible study with some of the ladies in my husband’s church. As Thanksgiving Day drew closer, the conversation in the Bible study was that there was going to be an ecumenical service at our church. It was going to include many of the main stream denominational churches in our small rural community. Also included was the local Jewish congregation. I wondered how we would be having a “joint” Thanksgiving service with individuals who did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah…. Please understand that I am not in any way saying that I do not love the Jewish person, or the Muslim or any other faith, because I do. They are created by God and are precious to him, as the Christian is. I did go to the Thanksgiving service with my husband and the service was very well attended that evening. We sang songs, we said prayers and did many things to worship God, but there was no mention of Jesus – His name was removed from the songs of the service or any reference to Him. I left the service feeling sadness that a group of people could come together in worship and not recognize that without Jesus and His salvation which is God’s offering to mankind, that the main reason for our thankfulness is truly missing. We worshipped God as the creator that evening and all the beautiful things He has provided for us, and were thankful for the blessings He had bestowed on our nation.
I can understand the motivation of being all inclusive – it seems like the “loving thing” to do… A favorite Bible verse is: Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself – These are the greatest commandments. But can we truly love others while compromising on the “truth” of the scriptures? Jesus words: “I am the way, the truth and the life – no one comes to the Father except through Me” – His death on the cross of Calvary and our believing in His sacrificial death for atonement of sin is necessary part of our conversion experience.
There are two places in the Bible that “glory in the highest” appears – the correlation of these two scripture verses is very interesting. The first occurrence was in Luke 2:14. It was the announcements to the shepherds tending their flocks:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”The second occurrence was in Luke 19:38. It was as Jesus approached Jerusalem for his final week, which ultimately ended with His death on the cross for mankind’s sin.
38 “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”Jesus provided peace on earth by His coming, and peace in heaven by His atoning work on the cross that day at Calvary.
We are approaching Thanksgiving Day here in the United States of Americas. The early Pilgrims and Puritans celebrated “the harvest” with both feasting and religious observance. Giving thanks for the Creator’s gifts had always been a part of daily life for the Native Americans. From ancient times, Native People of North America have held ceremonies to give thanks for successful harvests, for the hope of a good growing season in the early spring, and for other good fortune such as the birth of a child. Giving thanks was, and still is, the primary reason for ceremonies or celebrations.
God loves to hear songs of praise and thanksgiving for all that He has blessed us with. Perhaps “The Harvest” of God’s people could be associated with the celebration of thanksgiving. Please note Psalm 100 below…..
Psalm 100
A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People
A Psalm of Thanksgiving.
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” As believers, in our worship of a loving God & Savior, we enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise…… The ultimate joy will be when we are in our Heavenly home where our Lord – Our God – lives and the where all the saints will live in peace and harmony. I really think that Heaven is beyond anything we can even imagine as far as beauty, peace and tranquility.
Revelation 7:9-12
A Multitude from the Great Tribulation
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”I think that the Great Tribulation has been thought by many to be the seven-year tribulation period which occurs during the final seven years when the cataclysmic events recorded by the prophets occur on Planet Earth - and it could be! But I would like to throw another thought – and to start with a question. What has the history of “The Church” since Pentecost after Jesus death and resurrection been? Has it not been “Great Tribulation?” Think of our brothers, the apostles, or Paul, or many of the saints of the church age. Think of how many believers have been martyred even in recent years. Jesus told us that it would be like that a couple of places in the scriptures. See John 15:20-23 below.
John 15:20-23
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.
Truly His coming must be at the imminent now…. All of the signs that have appeared with frequency seem to be increasing our anticipation. There is an excitement in the air for those of us who are looking for His appearing….. Oh, to see Him face-to-face and to worship at His throne….. And to see loved ones already there… OH GLORIOUS DAY! To meet the saints of old and hear their stories of how they made it through… What wonderful joy lies ahead for those of us who have been waiting for what seems a long, long time!!
In closing I want to share a link with my brothers and sisters of an image of what I personally feel to be significant for these days. I was intrigued with the NASA Astronomy Picture of the day for November 6th, 2015. In the photo, the upper image appears to be (by my interpretation) a Jewish Wedding Huppah (canopy)…. And standing inside the canopy is a man dressed in white. If you save the image as a picture, then zoom in to enlarge it, it really does appear to be a man standing inside a wedding huppah…..
God bless each of you taking the time to read this….. and Keep Looking Up – He is Coming for His Bride!