Can I Get a Witness?

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Records, records, records: I’m talking about documents, papers, certificates, diplomas, permits, licenses, subpoenas, writs, articles, affidavits, contracts, statements, testimonies, receipts, purchase orders, warrants etc... .

Records are made when we’re born. We don't get a choice. We have to keep them for each vaccination we receive. We use records when we drive, switch schools, graduate from high school or college, get a job, get married, move to another state, travel outside the country, choose certain careers, pay taxes, open a bank account, or retire. Records are required to play in little league. We even have to create and process records when we die. Whew! 

We, the human race, believe in keeping good records. If we don’t, it makes a person more susceptible to neglect or fraud. Records hold the human race accountable. There must be a solid testimony as to the validity of everything we do in a responsible society.

The Old Testament law (of the Bible) reads:

One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. (Deuteronomy 19.15)

We still have many laws today that support this biblical concept though we do not hold fastidiously to that principle.

Because of man’s poor memory and also because of his tendency to lie, God required more than one witness to any serious accusation. Remember, just because someone is accused, it doesn’t make them guilty. The second and third witness nails down the accusation.

What we do continue to do even today is this: We rely on the record and testimony of people. The more “official” it is, the more we rely on it.

If we believe in man’s testimony, and we usually do, how much more should we believe God’s?

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5.9-13)

• God’s witness is the witness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• It is borne out by holy men of God. (2 Peter 1.21)
• It was accompanied by signs and miracles to prove it's validity.
• It is verified by the fulfillment of prophecies.
• God is never mistaken in his witness.
• God cannot and does not lie. (Numbers 23.19; Titus 1.2)
• The subject of God’s witness is Jesus Christ, his Son.

His witness is very clear. Though there are many things in the bible which we may not understand and never will, this witness concerning his Son is unmistakable. It is this:

1. Eternal life is a gift.
2. This eternal life is found in God’s Son.
3. We are "in" him if we believe on him.
4. He who has the Son (Jesus) has this glorious eternal life.
5. He who doesn’t have his Son Jesus does not have this gift of eternal life.

This is the record. This is the testimony. This is God’s witness. It sounds to me like he wants you to know. He must love you very much!

It's Always Thanksgiving

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I know. You will sit at the table with relatives, eat too much turkey with all the trimmings and sweets to boot. You may watch some football and might go out and play a little football. That's Thanksgiving, the holiday as we know it.

Sorry, but that's not thanksgiving of heart soul and mind. Maybe you'll say "grace," speaking words of thankfulness to God when you eat your meal. That's what we should all do, but let's don't stop there.

We've covered thirty days about Thanksgiving in this blog, I'm through typing out these posts each day on this subject for awhile. 

If there's anything we've tried to express, it's this: Thanksgiving should become a lifestyle. It should come from the heart. We should express our thanks to God early and often even when we're going through trials. And, above all - DON'T STOP.

Just as it is important that we don't only go to church on Christmas and Easter; it is also important that we don't just give thanks on Thanksgiving. Let's be thankful every day. Take time each day to get alone with God and say, "Thank you Lord." Take time when you eat together as a family to stop and say "thanks" to God then too. Every time you recognize a blessing, take the time to thank God. Even on dark days when you can't see the sun shining, thank God because you know, by faith, that it is shining. 

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15.58)

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3.13)

Daniel was a young Jewish man who had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians. He was in the palace of the King, evidently because the King recognized his great wisdom. Because he excelled, the King made him one of three overseers in his kingdom. He made Daniel the top overseer among the three and gave him authority even over princes. This made the other overseers and princes jealous so they began to plot against him.

They came up with a devious plan to convince the King to sign a decree that no one be allowed to pray to any god or man other than the King himself for thirty days. 

Not knowing what they were up to, the King was flattered and signed the decree, but those men knew it was Daniel's habit to pray. He had always prayed, not only daily, but three times a day – openly.

You would have expected Daniel to shrink back but he didn't. He went to his room with his window opened and knelt before God in the direction of Jerusalem. The bible says he "prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6.10)

Daniel had made it a daily habit to give thanks to God. When the test came his way, he was already established and continued thanking God.

Most of us know the rest of that story. The King was reluctantly compelled to throw Daniel into the hungry lions' den but Daniel came out alive and unharmed. Daniel continued to advise and serve not only the Babylonian King but Kings of the Medo-Persian empire. He outlasted all those who tried to stop him.

I cannot guarantee you that you'll come out of your next trial unharmed, but I can say that I believe you'll be glad you never failed to give thanks to God each day of your life.

Thanksgiving; Let's keep it going!

Who is Thankful?

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How do we know if we are righteous? What is the difference between one who is righteous and those who are otherwise? Let's look at the root and the fruit of righteousness.

The Root of Righteousness:

Who is a righteous person?

A righteous man or woman is someone who has been justified. “Justify” means to make righteous. None of us are righteous in ourselves. The bible says “There is none righteous, no, not one.” This may be hard to believe for many of us, so let me illustrate.

Recently in the news, we have heard rumors and proven evidence that many men of power have abused their influence because of office or clout. This, however, is just the tip of the iceberg because we are all guilty. Jesus said that sin comes from the heart – all of our hearts. We are just as guilty as those men. God has concluded “all under sin.” 

All are morally bankrupt and need someone with a deep account of righteousness to draw from. Jesus is that person in whom we can turn in faith and be counted as righteous.

He is the only one to ever live who, being God, was by nature righteous. He was also a man who went through temptations as do we, but he did so without sinning. We can be made righteous through faith in him. I call upon you to place your trust in him on this Thanksgiving Day and be "justified" or made righteous.

The Fruit of Righteousness:

How does the righteous live?

A righteous person:

• Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
• Delights himself in the law of the Lord and meditates on his word.
• Keeps his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile.
• Departs from evil, does good, seeks peace and pursues it.
• Has a broken heart and a contrite spirit
• Shows mercy, gives to the needy, and considers the cause of the poor.
• Speaks wisdom, talks of justice and speaks that which is acceptable.
• Finds his happiness in the LORD.
• Desires what is good.
• Thinks right thoughts and thinks before he talks.
• Hates lying.
• Serves God.
• Prays fervently and effectively. [1]

There is one more thing we should add as to the characteristics of a righteous person’s life. That is this – “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name.” The other thing which distinguishes a righteous individual from the unrighteous is his willingness and even desire to give thanks to God for what He’s done.

Many years ago, we visited with a man who had then recently come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. Immediately his life was changed. His story went something like this:

“Before I knew the Lord, I was just like an ol’ hog. I would just keep eating and never even look up to see who was feeding me.”

The righteous will give thanks to the name of the Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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[1] Psalm 1;34.13-18; 37.30; 64.10; Proverbs 10.32; 11.23; 12.5; 13.5; 15.28; Malachi 3.18; James 5.16

The Coming Great Thanksgiving Day

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God tells us a lot about heaven in the bible, but the things he tells us about absolutely overwhelm the imagination. Someday all believers of this age will be caught up into the presence of God.  In the book of Revelation he tells us about amazing angelic beings who are there solely to give glory to God. 

And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord,to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4.8-11)

We are also told about future events on the earth. There will be great tribulation in which thousands and millions of followers of Christ will be greatly persecuted and lose their lives. They will also arrive in God’s presence giving thanks to him.

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, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! "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, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

There will be others entering heaven rank by rank at their appointed times, but all will give thanks to God upon their arrival.

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned…” (Revelation 11.15-17)

So, one by one, group by group, dispensation by dispensation, Old Testament and New Testament saints including those of us who now believe will all be brought into God’s presence, at which time we will all give God thanks. Then, we will all be together in his eternal heavenly state where we will all loudly and freely thank him together as one. We will thank him for the gift of his Son and his redemption. We’ll thank him for showing us grace and forgiveness. We’ll  thank him for bringing us home to where his glory dwells. And:

When we’ve been there ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we first begun. [i]

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[i] Amazing Grace – song by John Newton

Four Great Thanksgiving Proclamations

Some of the finest proclamations of thanksgiving that we could find are compiled here. You may be familiar with some of these, but one may surprise you.

The first great Thanksgiving proclamation I want to mention here is that of William Bradford, the Pilgrim Governor of the Massachusetts Colony of New England.

Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.

Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the daytime, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."

William Bradford

  Ye Governor of Ye Colony [i]

The next great Thanksgiving proclamation before you was given by our first President, George Washington, who on October 3, 1789 designated Thursday, November 26 as a National Day of Thanks after a resolution was passed by Congress. This was made just after the creation of the United States Constitution. Here is part of that statement from Washington.

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 civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed…

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 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 shewn 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 encrease 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.[ii]

It would be difficult to leave out the great Thanksgiving proclamation of Abraham Lincoln in 1863 for two reasons. One – because this was the proclamation that began the American Thanksgiving tradition we still observe today. Two – because it was given right in the midst of our nation’s horrible Civil War.

In it, he mentions the blessings of “fruitful fields and healthful skies.” It reads in part:

To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come…

Concerning the war he added that although the states were warring with the others, thanks could be given for the absence of foreign aggression at such a time. Also he expressed gratitude that industry, mining, agriculture and commerce continued to grow as well as the population. From there we read:

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. [iii]

Finally, one which predates anything resembling the Colonies or the United States, goes back in time close to 1,000 years before Christ, and was made by King David. God had told David that he would not be allowed to build the temple of God which he so longed to do. Instead, God would give that privilege to Solomon, David’s son. Before he died, David gathered the materials for Solomon to construct it. Below is a part of David’s great thanksgiving proclamation just before he died. This he said and “blessed the LORD before all the congregation, and David said,”

Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. [iv] 

Our country, the United States of America, is pretty unique in its observance of this holiday that goes back since before its founding but, God's people have always been in the habit of offering, proclaiming and encouraging Thanks to God.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good. His mercy endureth forever.

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[i]   http://www.appleseeds.org/thankgv6.htm

[ii]  https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-04-02-0091

[iii] http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm

[iv] 1 Chronicles 29.10-13

Jesus, Our Example as a Thanksgiver

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What goes well with a nice, juicy butterball turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, fruit salad, and pumpkin pie topped off with lots of whipped cream?

Answer: Pausing for a moment to thank God for his blessings.

It’s always a good time to give thanks to the Lord; however, it is not always easy to get into the habit of regular giving of thanks. How can you and I learn a lifestyle of thanksgiving?

I believe it is best to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ as our example in this discipline and in everything we do. We can see from the scripture that Jesus gave thanks on a regular basis and the one time he seems to have most focused on this act was when receiving food.

This wasn’t anything new in the land of Israel. It was a practice that preceded the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the days of Samuel, when Saul went to find him, it is shown that the people would not eat until the prophet would give the blessing of the sacrifice which would then be eaten. 

…the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. (1 Samuel 9.13)

This was extended into the writings of the Rabbis during the Babylonian captivity and the period between the two Covenants.

According to the rabbinic tradition … “It is forbidden man to enjoy anything of this world without benediction,” b. Ber., 35a.

At good news one says: Blessed be he who is good and who does good. But at bad news one says: Blessed be the judge of truth … Man has a duty to pronounce a blessing on the bad as he pronounces a blessing on the good. 54a. (TDNT, Kittel, p 9.410)[i]

We can see from these writings that the blessing of the name of the LORD was to be involved in every instance of life whether it was perceived as being good or bad. This is backed by the passage in the book of Job, when after great tragedy, Job states: 

Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1.21)

We know Jesus always honored the law of God but he was not really a traditionalist for the sake of tradition. Many of the rituals taught by the Pharisees and religious leaders, Jesus paid no attention to. But the tradition of blessing of food, or giving of thanks, he held onto tenaciously.

Alfred Edersheim, the Jewish historian, actually confidently affirms that most likely Christ's prayer would have been the typical 'thanksgiving':

‘Blessed art Thou, Jehovah our God, King of the world, who causes to come forth (הַמּוֹצִיא) bread from the earth.’ (Alfred Edersheim , The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1.64)[ii] 

Jesus prayed before eating and led his disciples in the same. At the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 it says, “looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.” (Matthew 14.19)

When he likewise fed the 7,000, we read, “he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.” (Matthew 15.36)

At the last Passover meal of Jesus, as he instituted the Lord’s Supper with his disciples, the bible says Jesus prayed before he passed the cup, “He took the cup, and gave thanks” and as he distributed the bread, “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them.” This meal was strongly symbolic and showed his death – a very sorrowful event. Surely, we can give thanks before the joyous occasion of Thanksgiving and on a regular basis as we enjoy God’s provision.

So, when we sit down with family and friends to feast on turkey or whatever we choose to eat on Thanksgiving Day, we would do well to bow our heads and give thanks to God who gave it. But, let's not stop there. Let's keep it going. This will help us all to establish a lifestyle of thanksgiving for all God does.

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[i]  https://christianity.stackexchange.com/

[ii] ibid

Where are the Nine? – Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

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Once, when the Lord Jesus Christ was travelling from the northern part of Israel to Jerusalem, he entered a certain village. While there, he encountered ten men with leprosy. Because their disease was so contagious and deadly, they stood at a distance. They cried out to him, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

When he saw them, Jesus said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests," which was what God had commanded in the Jewish law.

Miraculously, while they were going, they were healed and cleansed of their leprosy!

The bible says;

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at (Jesus’) feet, giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (See Luke 17.11-19)

Here’s a statistic for you. One out of nine desperate men who had cried out loudly to Jesus and gotten healed came back to give him thanks. That’s only 10%!

I wonder what percentage of folks are truly thankful to God for his great blessings. And what about us? I’m sure there have been plenty of times when God blessed me and I failed to thank him. Every meal, every drink of water, every breath, every heartbeat is a blessing from God. Have I been thankful? 

As far as I know, I have never been healed of a terrible disease, but I can say that God has daily prevented me from contacting such a disease. How thankful am I for this and so many other benefits?

I think many of us are just oblivious. But, you know what? God just keeps blessing us anyway. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust,” Jesus said.

God is seeking those who will worship him “in Spirit and truth.” (John 4.23-24). Will you be one? Will you pause for just a moment and fall on your face at Jesus’ feet and thank him for all that he has done for you? Was there something in the past that you forgot to thank him for? Thank him now.

Do you feel that you don’t deserve to be in his presence? Neither did this Samaritan. He had it all stacked against him, but out of love and faith, he boldly showed his gratitude to Jesus. He put Jesus before his ego. He put Jesus before the letter of the law and he put Jesus before his own personal interests.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the many times you have healed us and for innumerable times you've prevented us from being the victims of something worse than any trial we've faced.

Thanksgiving can be Contagious

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might
through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
(2 Corinthians 4.15 - King James Version)

You know what’s just as contagious as influenza, hepatitis or chicken pox? 

Attitude, that’s what.

A sour attitude can be contagious.  In Moses’ day, the people of Israel murmured and murmured until the whole lot of them had a poor outlook on things. Have you ever been effected by someone else’s dour and glum disposition?

God told Moses to send twelve scouts to go and check out the land of Canaan, God’s promised land. (Numbers chapter 13) They went as they were commanded to do. Ten of those men came back with a disagreeable mindset. “They were giants. We are not able to go up against these people, for they are stronger than we.” This, in spite of the fact that God said he would give it to them.

Two of those men, Joshua and Caleb, stood against the tide, saying, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”

This was not enough to overcome the negativity of the ten which also affected the thousands of Israel who lifted up their voices and cried, “Too bad we didn’t die in Egypt or in the wilderness. It would be better than this.” They were afraid that their children would become a prey to these massive men.

Ironically, all those men died in the wilderness but their children were able to go into the land of Canaan – forty years later, along with Joshua and Caleb. It doesn’t pay to allow others to incite you into a sorry attitude. Don’t let the contagion of contempt contaminate you.

However, an attitude of joy, peace and love can also be contagious.

A dear old preacher told about how he went into a restaurant full of somber people. No one talked or laughed. They just sat there. When he entered, the owner, who knew him, said something to him to which he replied cheerfully and clear with a sense of humor. The whole crowd laughed at what he said. Immediately the place was abuzz with conversation and cheer.

This illustrates how your good attitude can impact others positively. One of the greatest ways to accomplish this is through thankfulness.

Young’s Literal Translation of the bible renders 2 Corinthians 4.15 (quoted atop of the page), in this manner:

For the all things are because of you, that the grace having been multiplied, because of the thanksgiving of the more, may abound to the glory of God;

“Grace having been multiplied because of the thanksgiving of the more,” shows that when some began to show a thankful attitude and thus speak thankfully, that this influenced more and more people. It was a revival of thanksgiving. That’s what I’m hoping to accomplish by writing this series. I think if we will grow in our thankful disposition that others will too. They will begin to notice just how good they have it in life, especially in understanding God’s multifaceted grace.

            Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised. (Psalm 48.1)

As we see God’s greatness and praise him greatly, giving thanks, people will catch on.

He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:3)

Join me in prayer that God will grant unto us a thankful heart and that the expression of our thanks would catch on to our families, neighbors, friends and community.

Plenty to Thank God For

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15)

"Unspeakable," what is the meaning of that word?  

No words can properly express the greatness of the gift
Thus bestowed on man.
It is higher than the mind can conceive;
Higher than language can express. – Albert Barnes

Wonder beyond description, – A.T. Robertson

I am thankful for many things. I thank God for life. He is our creator who took special care, attention, and personal interest in our making.

I am thankful for how God furnished our planet for us. Can you imagine how hard it would be to try to survive on Mars? There are a lot of rocks there but I don’t think we’d survive long. Instead, he gave us green grass and trees.

He gave us glorious lights from above: the sun by day and then turned down the dimmer and supplied the moon and stars by night.

He supplied oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams, but also placed water beneath the ground for us to draw from and springs gushing out. He gave us the hydrologic cycle resulting in rain even in dry places and dew from the heavens. There is water just about everywhere on this planet. Just what we needed.

He gave us amazing creatures that we might have dominion over: Anteaters, bears, chinchillas, donkeys, eagles, foxes, geese, hippopotami, ibexes, jaguars, kangaroos, llamas, monkeys … the whole alphabet plus thousands of others.

He gave us plant life: Beautiful greenery all over, multicolored flowering trees, shrubs and plants.

He gave us herbs and luscious fruit: Avocados, papaya, pears, apples, oranges, lemons, berries of all kinds and grapes. It has been estimated that there are over 2,000 kinds of fruits. Most of us only know about around 200 of them. Then, I’m sure there are hundreds of kinds of vegetables as well.

God gave us marvelous bodies with bones, sinews, tendons, joints, arteries, capillaries, veins, skin and various functioning organs which work to keep us alive and healthy. He gave us a heart to keep our remarkable blood pumping and a brain so we could think, reason, be creative and keep our other organs working even as we sleep.

That’s another thing God gave us – sleep.

He gave us the ability to reproduce just as he did for all living things. He gave us the companionship of man/woman and he gave us marriage, children and the family unit.

God gave us friends, society with government and the right to maintain a civilization. He gave us the ability to provide a living for ourselves with talents and skills. He gave us ground enriched with oil, precious metals, chemicals for fertilizer and many other resources.

God gave us the bible, written through people of faith. He gave us his commandments and then faith and grace.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1.17)

The greatest gift God gave is his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; who left heaven and came down to this lost dark world. Jesus is God’s gift of salvation to an otherwise hopeless humanity.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9.15)

Thank God for His Enduring Mercies

Have you ever had anyone to show you mercy? You knew you were guilty of something but were not punished or punished very lightly.

Once, when I was a young boy, I did something that caused me to know I was in trouble. I knew I was in trouble because I had done the same thing before and got in trouble then. As I weighed it out in my mind, I knew what I must do.

I went to my Mom and confessed my misdeed. I knew she was merciful and I cannot recall my Dad ever showing mercy (I’m sure he did, I just can’t recall it.) So, I asked my Mom to punish me, knowing that with her I would get off lightly. She did punish me but it was bearable.

When Dad got home, he immediately saw the evidence of what I’d done. He asked Mom what had happened. She told him I had done it and that she had already punished me. His response was, “I don’t care if you did; I’m going to punish him anyway.” So, by confessing my wrongdoing, I ended up getting punished twice -- once, lightly by Mom and then strongly by my Dad.

I love the memory of them both, but I will never forget the kindness and mercy that my Mother showed me.

God’s mercy is better than that. It’s not just that he feels sorry for us as if he were a softhearted mother. What he does have for us is compassion. Out of love, he did not want to see us punished, but because of who he is, God cannot just look away when we’ve sinned. Sin must be punished.

Therefore, what he did for us is beyond comprehension. He took the punishment that was ours and laid it upon his sinless Son that we might go unpunished. Forget a reduced sentence; no, he would take the whole load of our sin with its penalty – death.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5.21

His mercies are not just for a season for his chosen people, they are “forever.”

Psalm 136 Begins like this:

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
            For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
            For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
            For His mercy endures forever:

The Psalm ends as it begins:

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
            For His mercy endures forever.

Each of the twenty-six verses of that Psalm repeats the words: “For His mercy endures forever.”

I thank God today for his enduring mercies.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3.4-7)

Thank God for the Family of Faith

From our Series: Thirty Days of Thanksgiving
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Photo by Penny Beth Saum

Christian, what an encouragement you are to all the rest of us! You, yes you; even with all of your flaws and limitations are a blessing to others because of God's work in your heart.

Jesus had called the Apostle Paul to take his gospel to the nations. He actually went to most of the known world during his time, but he could not do it alone. In one of his letters, (Romans 16) we learn that Paul had a great supporting cast of individuals who stood by him, prayed for him and encouraged him. 

He called them: 

• Helpers
• Fellow workers
• People who risked their necks
• People who had church in their house
• Countrymen
• Of note among the apostles
• Laborers
• Fellow prisoners
• Beloved
• Approved in Christ
• Chosen in the Lord
• Mother
• Brethren
• Sister
• Saints

You can imagine what it meant to him to know there were people in all the places where he had preached; who, having come to Christ, had gifts, abilities and qualities that were so unique yet they operated in concert with all the other believers.

Sometimes the joy of the Lord would well up inside Paul's soul and he would give thanks. He thanked God for Christians in Thessalonica who were renowned worldwide for their faith.  

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. (Romans 1.8)

He thanked God for believers in Ephesus who not only demonstrated faith, but also love.  

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:  (Ephesians 1.15-16) 

I thank God for you, fellow Christian, I’m thankful that you hold strong to your faith in Christ. I’m thankful that you’re willing to be different, set apart from the world, as you live your God given convictions. I thank God for the love of Christ in you. I’m thankful for the way you share that love with many who don’t know him. And – I’m thankful for how you support others in their service to the Lord.

The family of faith – something to be thankful for!

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If you'd like to read the whole series "Thirty Days of Thanksgiving, you can start here.

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