Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving Remembered

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 NLT

We often think of the first Thanksgiving as when the Pilgrims celebrated God’s provision, after having survived their first terrible Winter. But the fact that it is now a national holiday owes in large part to one very determined woman named, Sarah Hale. Sarah was a renowned editor of a Lady’s periodical and an author. In her novel, “Northwood” which she wrote in 1827, Sarah began the conversation about adding Thanksgiving as an annual observance. Soon she launched a letter writing campaign to governors, congressmen, and presidents. Despite growing popular opinion, the idea of making Thanksgiving an official holiday met varying degrees of opposition from many politicians until October of 1863. There, in the middle of our bloodiest war, Abraham Lincoln recognized that what our nation needed most was not just a military victory, but more importantly, God’s intervention. He understood, as today’s verse makes clear, that the way through the door into God’s presence came by giving thanks. Though Thanksgiving was generally observed after the war, the official designation of it by the law of the land did not come until December of 1941, right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Today, we are blessed to have one day set aside every year: not just for football and turkey, but for remembering that it is God who has given us life and provided our needs. We need not wait for disaster to drive us to our knees. Thanksgiving and praise should be our opening prayer every morning and our closing thought each night. Thank God for His help, both in ages past and for His faithful presence right here and now. God bless you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

Another Good Samaritan

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. Luke 27:15-16 ESV

With hospitals, charities and even news stories named after him, It doesn’t take a theologian to tell you about the “Good Samaritan.” But did you know there was another “Good Samaritan” we don’t hear much about. Like his better-known countryman, he did something good that others had decided not to. This man had a life destroying problem named leprosy, that forced him into quarantine outside of his village, where he lived with nine other lepers. Lepers were considered unclean, and in this man’s case doubly so because he was a Samaritan. As a Samaritan, he couldn’t live in the same neighborhood, worship in the same building or even drink from the same cup as Jews. Yet in spite of everything stacked against him, he along with his friends, cried out to Jesus for mercy. I will bet that they could hardly believe their ears when Jesus told them that all they had to do to be healed was to go to the priest. Understandably all of them (probably with a hoot and a holler) hightailed it towards town!

But halfway to the priest, this “Good Samaritan”, overwhelmed with gratitude, turned back to tell Jesus thank you. Though everyone else kept running towards the priest’s house, the Samaritan went back, and, like the wise men before him, he fell at Jesus’ feet to worship Him. So, I ask myself, when was the last time I, went to Jesus to give Him thanks for all He has done? When was the last time I fell at His feet to worship Him?

IN – Everything Give Thanks

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

The Apostle Paul, who wrote these words to the Thessalonians, was an expert on giving thanks in everything. When Paul and Silas had first arrived there, they were still healing from the beating they had received in Phillipi, not to mention spending the entire night hey had spent in the jail. In Thessalonica things were going a bit better for the first three weeks, but then some people began stirring up trouble there also and they ended up leaving town just ahead of an unruly mob. I imagine that when the church gathered to listen to Paul’s letter read publicly, many of these new Christians nodded their heads in agreement. “Oh yeah! We definitely know what Paul means by “giving thanks in everything.” They had witnessed Paul thanking God while still in some terrible situations. Paul thanked God when he arrived in Thessalonica and was gladly received, and he thanked God when he had to head on to the next town because of persecution. So, this morning I ask myself, “Am I being thankful while still in this situation, or am I waiting for everything to work out first”?

The beauty and the adventure of this Christian walk is not only about the victorious outcome, but in the rejoicing, praying and giving thanks to God, while all we can see is suffering, unanswered questions and problems we cannot solve. On this earth we will not see every issue resolved, every injustice made right, or every wound healed. Instead, on this side of Heaven there are tears, doubts and frustrations, but God gives us the choice of complaining about everything or giving thanks in the middle of the mess. The verse urges us to do this because it is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. It is His will in Christ Jesus, who gave thanks for the bread on the night He was betrayed, and later prayed for His enemies to be forgiven, while He was on the Cross. God’s will in Christ Jesus is the same for us, right here, right now, in the middle of everything, we are to give Him thanks!