THANKSGIVING

 

     

Its Thanksgiving in 2017… To us as Americans it’s a historical thing… However, to the church it’s something spiritual…

  

THANKSGIVING; is a biblical description of what the church looks like…

Being thankful was and is an element of what makes the church the church… This leaves also an example to the world an element of the church…

The world is to see what the church looks like… GOD’S people whether they abound or whether they are abased… The world should see a THANKSGIVING coming from the church…

Status should not matter when it comes to the church on whether it can be THANKFUL or not… The saint should give thanks no matter if it’s with or without…

A.      2 Sam 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.   KJV

 

The world’s desire to influence the church, must not be… The world can’t silence the church… Satan cannot silence the church… 

 

The word of GOD records for us… Therefore (I WILL) give thanks unto the LORD, among the heathen… The world, and satan himself has to stand back as the church with (IT’S WILL) chooses to give THANKS…

 

That means that in the process of the church giving thanks; the church is going to be heard… And they that hear will see the difference between the world and us as the church…

For the church will be thankful…

 

The world won’t understand… Their own last day testimony is that of a sign GOD gives in a description of the world… They will be unthankful 2Tim 3:2… But GOD’S purpose the world will see in HIS people, HIS church, the heart and mind to GIVE THANKS unto the LORD…

 

Too the thankful it is a conscience of “I will give thanks…”

To be thankful is a decision to be thankful… It is of our will, our choice to give ourselves to THANKSGIVING…

 

The light of the church, the world will see is the church IS NOISEY IN ITS GIVING OF THANKS…

 

HIS people…

Ps 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.    KJV

 

ENTER that is a big word, because how we enter is stipulated by doing what it takes to ENTER…

 

·        The word to ENTER means right of passage…

·        The right to ENTER means a certain qualification is met, to access…

·        Enter into his gates with thanksgiving: To go through HIS gates into HIS courts, means to do it with but one thing and that is the GIVING OF THANKS…

 

B.     Note too that there is the command for the church…

 

·        It’s a command…

·        This isn’t in the form of a suggestion…

It is a commandment of the LORD… If you’re in the church---the giving of thanks must be seen, and it must be heard in GOD’S command…

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

 

It is GOD’S will that HIS people be thankful… Yet, it is a means our will must be involved, we too choose to fulfill HIS will and purpose when we GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING…

 

C.      Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;    KJV

 

The giving of thanks to GOD and for all HE is and for all HE has done is an essential aspect in the life of the followers of Christ…

 

In all things; for all things give thanks unto GOD…

 

D.     The Psalmist gives another reason to THANKSGIVING…

 

Ps 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.     KJV

 

The psalmist writes, and the understanding is… (ITS NOT HARD TO BE THANKFUL…)

 

·        It’s not hard to be thankful because he said, thou hast turned for me…

 When where I was in my life GOD turned it for me…

·        When I couldn’t and when I wouldn’t turn myself…

 

HE came and gave me warning… And the warning said, (TURN…) When HE came and reproved or gave rebuke… HIS purpose was that HE turned me…

When there was no changing of my mind or my heart GOD came along, and HIS word found me, and it turned me…

  

·        That word (TURN) also means (CHANGE…) HE (changed) me…

·        Being made a new creature in Christ is HE has made a change in me…

·        When old things are passed away and all things become new… That is change…

·        From shackles of the world’s vices and habits… Change…

·        From the addictions that the world has that the devil uses to hold us hostage…

·        From the influences that the world has over us…

·        From the many temptations that satan has used to cause us failure…

·        From spirits of depression and stresses that the devil tries to derail GOD’S people with…

 

The Psalmist said, HE turned me… He changed me… HE GAVE ME A REASON TO SING SO SAYS THE PSALMIST…

 

E.      PS 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.     KJV

 

The phrase; (TO THE END---)

 

From the place of change to the very end… Singing is involved… Joy is present… Hope is found… That is reason for praise and THANKSGIVING…

 

·        To many have started and stopped…

·        To many have begun only to fizzle out…

·        To many have started to only arrive at compromise…

Is this all because they have forgotten??? Is it perhaps because their desire has waned???  

Perhaps there be many reasons as to why they couldn’t carry on until the end, but when it happens to all involved they cease to GIVE THANKS AND THE ABILITY TO GAIN ACCESS, ENTRANCE IS LOST…

·        HE TURNED ME SAID THE PSALMIST…

·        HE CHANGED ME…

SO, TO THE END THE CHOICE OF THE CHURCH WILL BE; I WILL GIVE THANKS…

IN THE CHURCH EVERYDAY IS A DAY OF THANKSGIVING…

 

 

 

TRUST

What a difficult thing to do is to trust… Trust it seems elusive, but only because there is but few times the demand is for it… Surely one can seemingly manufacture another alternative, but when that crashes… Well, you know that’s when trust is all you can do, and that conclusion is only after the mess… Then trust you will… It’s here when trust isn’t hard because that is when you realize that is all you got.

Ask Abraham and Sarah if it was hard to trust… It surely must have been when what little patience they had was gone and Sarah seeing in her mind, hey my time is running out… When your 90 years of age and the promise is yet to appear there surely must be an alternative plan somewhere…

God must have made a mistake, or I heard wrong, because it’s not a normal thing for a 90 year old woman to be having a baby… That isn’t hard to discern when nobody else within your life time has given birth at 90 years of age…

But after the mess that she with Abraham’s agreement made… War had come to Abraham’s house… Nobody was happy anymore… Hagar was evicted along with baby Ishmael… Hagar believed she was going to die along with her baby… Ishmael was crying for thirst… Sarah was crying and blaming Abraham for messing things  up… I’m sure too that GOD was in the mix of all that blame as well…

Trust …

I like what Corrie ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

That is sometime easier said than done when and if your in the shoes like a Sarah and Abraham…

But isn’t that exactly the way of it???

 

The word of GOD gives us hope in that we can trust HIM…

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.   

When GOD gives us a way out, and a way into where HE sees us and wants us… HE gives us the means to reach the whatever and the wherever…

This is all about trust… Life is a measure of or a count of moments and memories we all remember… How many days have passed without significance… Many, more than we can count… But the memories of the moments accumulated and tallied at the end are and will be moments of where trust was the thing that comes shining in our faces…

Moments of when there was no way but stand on the word of GOD… Like Job…

Job 23:8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Is that awesome about Job… He trusts GOD when he’s tried to find HIM and can’t…

Look, Job gives a description of GOD when he can’t even find HIM… Job says, I looked over here and over there… I went forward and backward, on the left, but note, WHERE HE DOTH WORK…

Imagine Job who can’t find GOD still can say, “o well HE’S working…” That word (WORK) and its meaning is too much to list, but in part it means (to do, or to make…) So, while Job is dying and losing, and has lost... GOD is over here where Job can’t see HIM ... And look at this, Job still says well, GOD’S over here doing and making me what I need to be…

The last word Strong’s gives for work is (USE…) Job is like, “GOD is over here where I can’t see him, but I am of HIS use…” “GOD is using me for HIS purpose… The least I can do is TRUST him…"

Look at what Job says next… 11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.    KJV

When you can say that when you can’t even find GOD…that is ((TRUST…))

Remember… “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

GOD has a plan and you are in it, but too often that plan never reaches full maturity because Ishmael is born from a method that is our own…

Isa 14:26 I have a plan for the whole earth, for my mighty power reaches throughout the world.

27 The LORD Almighty has spoken — who can change his plans? When his hand moves, who can stop him?"    NLT

GOD HAS A PLAN, AND EXPECTED END FOR US ALL… DON’T DENY HIM, OR DERAIL HIS PURPOSE FOR YOU BY A MEANS THAT IS YOUR OWN…

TAKE THE TEST…

·        IS THIS GOING TO BE A TESTIMONY THAT IS GOING TO GLORIFY GOD???

·        IS THIS GOING TO BUILD YOUR FAITH???

·        IS THIS GOING TO EDIFY THE CHURCH??? IS IT GOING TO INCREASE THE FAITH OF THEM THAT HEAR YOU AND SEE YOU???

·        CAN YOU GO TO THE WORD OF GOD AND FIND DEFENSE FOR YOUR ISHMAEL???

YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T IF IT INCLUDES YOU DOING IT…

One preacher said, “YOU NEVER REALLY TRUST GOD UNTIL YOU TRUST HIM TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE…”

Life is made of a few special memories and moments, those remembered will be monumental because they will consist of those where you didn’t do it, but GOD DID IT… THAT IS WHY ITS TRUST…

HANG IN THERE… HE’S WORKING…

PREACHING

There is no doubt that today is a day like no other ever before. No doubt every generation has probably said the same thing… However, this must never be an excuse... This knowledge of this truth must not be ignored, or cast off with the shrug of the shoulders… With each passing day proven by statistics, proven by the morals or the lack thereof… I believe also proven by the increase of our knowledge and the advancements of our age… Never has there been a day like today…

 

·        I say that not to excuse the preacher from preaching…

·        I say that not to excuse the church from being the church…

The fact is we are in a day that every day and every minute of the day our faith is under attack… If our faith is under attack that means the preaching of the word is under attack… It is the preaching of the word of GOD that caused us to believe… It’s the preaching of the word of GOD that gives us faith…

Paul asked…

Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?     KJV

 

Paul stated to the church of Rome…

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.    KJV

 

·        The hearing of the preached word of GOD is what brings forth faith…

·        The hearing of faith brought us to the Holy Ghost…

·        Christ came by the preached word of GOD…

The word was made flesh and dwelt among us... Yet, Jesus did not come without an announcement… Jesus came by way of the preached word of GOD… (THE PROPHETS, THE PSALMS…)

We that obeyed the word of GOD… The gospel was not obeyed until we first heard the gospel preached…

 

Paul said, of all things that he came preaching… Notice what he preached first…

 

1 Cor 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: KJV

 

This that Paul first received, he also first preached, because this was preached to him… What was preached to him, he received into him, and came upon him…

 

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.    KJV

 

The book of Acts is nothing but the account of what the preaching of the word of GOD gave us… We see HIS results, because we like them that first heard the word of GOD, believed…

 

Acts 2… What shall we do??? Then Peter said… Then Peter preached…

Acts 8… The Samaritans being baptized was the result of Phillip preaching the word of GOD… The Samaritans were filled with the Holy Ghost when Peter and John was sent unto them… Again, the preached word of GOD was the means of their deliverance, salvation and their knowledge of the truth…

 

The Ethiopian in Acts 8 being baptized and filled with the HG… Came about because GOD sent Philip to preach unto him the word of GOD…

 

Acts 10, gives the result of Peter preaching the word of GOD to the first gentile Cornelius and all his house…

 

Acts 16… The jailer’s salvation was the result of the preached word of GOD…

 

Acts 19… Paul preaching to the disciples of John the Baptist which already believed in Jesus yet at the preaching of Paul were filled with Jesus, because of Paul’s preaching the word of GOD…

 

Acts 9… Paul’s own salvation and deliverance from religion came not at the place of being knocked off his horse, blinded, and hearing the voice of Jesus from heaven… But came when he heard the word preached by Ananias…

 

·        IT IS THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD THAT GOT THE DESIRED RESULTS…

·        IT WAS THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD THAT CONVERTED THE SINNER…

·        IT WAS THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD THAT BROUGHT FORTH OBEDIENCE…

·        IT WAS THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD THAT CAUSED THEM “TO BELIEVE AS THE SCRIPTURE HATH SAID…”

 

Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.     KJV

 

THIS CAME AND COULD ONLY COME BY THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD…

 

The Holy Ghost fell on them when they heard the word preached…

 

Where are we to go??? To wherever the word of GOD tells us…

What are we to believe??? Whatever the word of GOD tells us…

How are we to walk??? The way the word of GOD tells us…

What are we to speak??? Whatever the word of GOD tells us to speak…

How are we to be saved??? The way the word of GOD tells us…

 

WE MUST KNOW IT HINGES ALL ON THE WORD OF GOD AND US HEARING AND OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD…

 

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?     KJV

 

We all need preaching and we all need a preacher of the word of GOD… Without a preacher we cannot believe because without a preacher we cannot hear… THANK GOD FOR THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD… THANK GOD FOR GIVING ME A PREACHER TO PREACH TO ME THE LIFE TRANSFORMING WORD OF GOD… WE CAN HAVE HOPE THAT GOES BEYOND WHAT OUR DAY IS SAYING TO US… WE CAN HAVE WHAT HEAVEN SAYS WE CAN HAVE BECAUSE OF THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD…

 

SIGNS 3

Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.      KJV

 

In our month of September, around this time the Jews somewhere at the beginning of the month it is marked by the new moon... It is at this time, by the word of the LORD there was to be a Holy Convocation… Convocation—meaning dress rehearsal…

 

This is a memorial set aside as the blowing of trumpets… It was called a Feast of Trumpets marked by the blowing of trumpets. This feast day was unlike the other six feasts which were at set times, this feast in particular could only be marked by the new moon…

 

·        When the new moon was sighted in this month of September, trumpets were to be blown to mark this Holy Day…

 

 This feast time was marked by the sighting of the new moon; a sign in the heavens… Genesis 1:14… Note specifically, this feast could only begin at the sighting of the new moon.

 

The Feast of Trumpets is also unique in that it is a two-day Feast; but it is a two-day Feast in which both days are counted as one… These two days were counted as one long day. This extended period, was to make allowances for Jews who had been dispersed in other parts who would learn of the start of The Feast of Trumpets by the sign of burning fires on mountaintops. The two days treated as one day, was to allow for all the Jews to celebrate the Feast together.

 

There were to be two witnesses that saw the first indications of a new moon. The witnesses would then run to the Temple and announce their sighting... The Sanhedrin; the 70 would then go through a ritual to verify and to determine where in the sky the witnesses saw the new moon… It was then they, the Sanhedrin would confirm if I indeed was or was not the new moon…

 

If accepted as a true sighting of the new moon, trumpets would be blown to mark the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets…

 

In the course of the ministry of Jesus… Jesus would make reference to much of what took place in Jewish history with these said feasts… We as gentiles would not know but as a Jew the culture and language only they would see the subtle references… However, we that make up the gentile church today would not see what would be hidden signs to us, but understanding to the Jews…

 

It can only be seen through their eyes because they know the language, they know their culture, they know their feasts and such like…

 

To note as in all languages there are idioms… An example of an idiom… “A PIG IN A POKE…” This was in ancient of times that while at the market… One would purchase a baby pig and they would place it in a tote sack… Often this idiom would give place to another idiom, “THE CAT’S OUT OF THE BAG…” Meaning that this idiom carried with it that the one who purchased a “A PIG IN A POKE…” Instead of a pig, there was a switch and as they got home they opened the bag only to find out they had a payed for an old alley cat instead of the pig they purchased… And thus at the opening of the bag; “THE CAT WAS OUT OF THE BAG…” ITS WHAT IS CALLED AN IDIOM… Very common… A more common idiom us today… “ITS RAINING CATS AND DOGS…” Not that it’s really raining; CATS AND DOGS… It’s just raining really hard…

 

The Jews also had idioms… And Jesus in some of HIS discourse, HE of course spoke being Jewish because as a Jewish man in that Jewish day practicing Jewish culture, Jesus also spoke with Jewish idioms…

 

This process connected with the Feast of Trumpets became known by a common idiom that marked the Feast of Trumpets at which NO ONE KNEW THE DAY OR THE HOUR when it would begin. 

 

Could Jesus with this idiom have been likening the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH to the Feast of Trumpets when He said??? “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only”(Matthew 24:36).

 

Such a possible idiom usage, if that was His intent, makes the connection with the Feast of Trumpets and the Rapture of the church...

 

The Rapture could occur at any time. But if we consider the idiom that may have been used by Jesus that refers to the Feast of Trumpets… Just a side note; we must consider that JESUS has fulfilled the FIRST four Feasts preceding the Feast of Trumpets… And doubly note JESUS FULFILLED THEM IN ORDER… And many messianic JEWS even say not just in order but to the exact day and time of each feast… (THIS IS A STUDY OF ITSELF…)

 

It’s a study and conversation about the Rapture worth having… While we see the connection of the Rapture of the Church with the Feast of Trumpets, we still do not know the exact “day and hour” of its occurrence… The importance of this knowledge is to (BE WATCHFUL AND IN PRAYER…)

 

 The idiom usage does make for one to consider the relevance of what and how Jesus in HIS choice of wording spoke with the very possibility of alluding to HIS coming again… What we if we look through study from the eyes of the Jew we would see as signs of HIS soon return…

 

The Feast of Trumpets is known by some other Hebrew idiomatic phrases.

 

1)     The Hidden Day – The Feast of Trumpets was known as The Hidden Day because of it being celebrated during two days that were counted as one.

 

The Feast begins at the sighting of the new moon in the month of Tishri. Therefore, it was believed God could hide the first sign of the new moon until He wanted it to be seen.

 

Satan’s attempt to confuse the calendar. The Feast of Trumpets was also believed that this Day was hidden from Satan because he couldn’t calculate when it would occur.

 

Some have speculated that Satan has purposely attempted to confuse God’s calendar with a Solar calendar.

 

The Antichrist is described according to scripture as one who will try to “change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25).

 

This may be an attempt to confuse those who are looking for the signs God has put forth in His Feasts.  

 

·        I know I want to be ready when Jesus returns and that consist of me being aware of the signs of HIS return...
·        I believe we are living in a day unlike any day that we have ever lived which demands for us to start looking for HIS return like we never have before…
·        I believe we need to study and watch and pray like were going some where …
·        I believe we need to witness and evangelize making people aware of the signs of HIS soon return…   

 

2)     “But My Father only” –

 

This idiom by Jesus in Matthew 24:36.

 

This is an idiom connected with the Jewish marriage ritual. When a couple was engaged the groom would then go to prepare a place, a home for himself and his bride. It would be built as an extension of His father’s house.

 

Only the father could determine or say when the new abode was complete releasing the groom to go fetch his bride. Jesus may have been making use of such an idiom.

 

In His words from John 14:2-3 we see a close possible connection with the idiom.
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.    KJV

 

This would also be in line with the marriage supper of the Lamb as given in (Revelation 19:7).

 

3)     “As a thief in the night.”

 

Another Jewish idiom that is relevant for our study is “as a thief in the night.”

 

We find this phrase in;

 

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night”

 

Jesus also used this phrase in his letter to the dead church at Sardis warning,

 

“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3).

 

Jesus uses this idiom a second time later in the book of Revelation saying,

 

“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame” (Revelation 16:15).

 

This last case becomes vividly clear that Jesus is very likely speaking in idiomatic terms.

 

The phrase “as a thief in the night” is believed to have referred to the Captain of the Temple guards or the High Priest who would move from post to post in the Temple checking to see that those on guard were awake and not asleep. If he found a guard asleep on watch he would take a torch and light the sleeping guards garments on fire to wake him up.

 

The Captain of the Guard or High Priest came to be referred to as “the thief in the night.”

 

This is important because, as Jesus taught, His return would not catch those off guard or asleep for those who are watching for Him…

 

Please note also only those who aren’t watching for Him will be burned (e.g. Matthew 25:1-13).

 

That’s the consequence of not being ready… Not on guard… Eyes closed, sleeping… Unprepared, busy with self…

 

4)      “The last trumpet.”

 

We find this phrase in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

 

The Feast of Tabernacles was characterized by the blowing of trumpets.

 

The shofar (trumpet) was blown 100 times during this Holy Day.

 

When it came to the end of the Feast the last blowing of the trumpet was referred to idiomatically as “the last trump/trumpet.”
This final trumpet blast, known as the Tekiah Gedolah, the last trump, was to awaken the listeners from their slumber and call them to repentance in preparation to the coming judgment… A SIGN…

 

The last trumpet blast will signal Christ’s Rapture call to the Church. But it will also indicate that the world is in the final stages of existence leading up to God’s Judgment Day for this sin sick world...

 

These are signs that otherwise very few have taken notice of or even know… Yet, right now Israel is looking for their Messiah… They have the red heifer ready for sacrifice (Numbers 19…)

 

They have all the temple furnishings to again start the tabernacle ways of worship…

 

They have the plans to build their third temple… They have the original cornerstone to set again for the rebuilding of their temple…

 

These are signs that the Jew presently have and are prepared in their looking for their Messiah…

 

What is your sign that you have prepared to soon meet your creator???

 

There were 10 virgins… These 10 virgins all would consider themselves to be ready... With their signs showing who they were... They had to have these to show to be prepared for HIS coming…
·        They were all pure…
·        They were all dressed rightly for it…
·        They were all at the right location… 
·        They all knew he was on his way…

 

These were signs of their readiness to meet the bridegroom… Yet, 5 were called foolish, for they had run out of oil… Their oil was insufficient and while they were gone to buy more oil, the bridegroom came... They missed their only opportunity…

 

They all had the signs but the one sign that was most needed; not just so they could see the bridegroom, but that HE could see them… They had no oil, thus no light to see or to be seen… A SIGN BUT AGAIN A SIGN NOT SEEN…