THANKSGIVING DAY

THANKSGIVING DAY IS INDEED A UNIQUE CELEBRATION WITHIN OUR COUNTRY (U.S.A.), AS A DAY IN WHICH WE OFFER OUR INDIVIDUAL GRATITUDE FOR THE BOUNTY AND BLESSING THAT IS BESTOWED UPON US AS A RESULT OF GOD'S BENEFICENCE UPON OUR LAND.

NOW, THIS DAY SHOULD BE ONE OF GIVING OF THANKS, DID YOU GET THAT, GIVING OF THANKS. WHERE DID ALL OF THIS BEGIN?

WELL, SOME MAY SAY

WELL, SOME MAY SAY WHEN THE PILGRIMS TOUCHED THESE SHORES AND ELEVATED THEIR PRAYERS OF THANKS BEFORE GOD, WHILE OTHERS MAY SAY, THAT, THROUGH HARD AND EARNEST WORK OF OUR FORE FATHERS, THAT'S WHAT PAVED THE WAY FOR US TO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABORS TODAY IN THANKSGIVING.

WE, AT SHALOM SCRIPTURE STUDIES

WE, AT SHALOM SCRIPTURE STUDIES ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE WORD OF GOD FOR DIRECTION IN KNOWING THE 'GENESIS' (BEGINNINGS) OF ALL THAT SURROUNDS US TODAY, SUCH AS, CREATION, CONTINUATION, AND CONSUMMATION.

IN BETWEEN WHAT WE HOLD SACRED, I.E., CONCEPTION, BIRTH, LIFE, LABOR AND DEATH THERE IS THE MATTER OF OBEDIENCE TO EL SHADDAI (THE ALMIGHTY GOD).

IN OUR SEARCH

IN OUR SEARCH FOR THE FIRST MENTION OF THANKSGIVING IN SCRIPTURES, WE FIND IT IN LEVITICUS 7: 12, 'IF HE OFFER IT FOR A THANKSGIVING, THEN HE SHALL OFFER WITH THE SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING UNLEAVENED CAKES MINGLED WITH OIL, AND UNLEAVENED WAFERS ANOINTED WITH OIL, AND CAKES MINGLED WITH OIL, OF FINE FLOUR, FRIED.'

DURING THE SACRIFICIAL TIME IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE LORD GOD REQUIRED OF IT'S ADHERENTS OFFERINGS OR SACRIFICES OF THANKS AND THEY HAD TO BE IN A PRECISE ORDER AND MANNER.

LET US NOTICE

LET US NOTICE, THAT FIRST OF ALL THEY WERE TO BRING UNLEAVENED CAKES MINGLED WITH OIL. AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THAT 'LEAVEN' AS MENTIONED IN THE WORD OF GOD, TYPIFIES AND SYMBOLIZES THE ASPECT OF 'SIN', THEREFORE, IN THE MATTER OF GIVING THANKS, IT MUST BE ELEVATED BEFORE THE LORD WITH A PURE AND 'SINLESS' HEART. SECONDLY, IT MUST BE MINGLED WITH OIL, WHICH IS A PICTURE OF THE RUACH HA-KODESH (THE HOLY SPIRIT), WHO PERMEATES THE ENTIRE SACRIFICE AND IN A PHYSICAL SENSE ALLOWS THE DOUGH TO BE PLIABLE AND TASTY TO THE TASTE, ESPECIALLY, 'A SACRIFICE ACCEPTABLE, WELLPLEASING TO GOD' (PHILIPPIANS 4: 18C).

AND, LASTLY, IT WAS TO BE FRIED, YUMMY. NOW IF YOU JUST THINK OF IT, THE CAKES WERE FRIED AND PRESENTED BEFORE THE LORD, IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A DUNKING DONUT, WITHOUT THE LEAVEN!

LIKEWISE, OUR SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING BEFORE THE LORD CAN ACTUALLY BE A TIME OF JOY, AS WE REMEMBER THE UNIQUE AMERICAN HOLIDAY OF: 'THANKSGIVING'.

BY THE WAY

BY THE WAY, THE LAST MENTION OF THANKSGIVING IN SCRIPTURE IS FOUND IN PHILIPPIANS 4: 6, 'BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING; BUT IN EVERY THING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE KNOWN UNTO GOD'.
YOU SEE, THERE IS A PHYSICAL TIME OF THANKSGIVING AS WELL AS FOR A SPIRITUAL TIME OF THANKSGIVING.

THE KEY INGREDIENT

THE KEY INGREDIENT THAT THE LORD REQUIRES OF US IN OUR SPIRITUAL THANKS IS, IN EVERY THING THERE NEEDS TO BE 'PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION'. THE MATTER OF PRAYER AND OUR TOTAL RELIANCE UPON HIM MUST BE THE KEY IN PRESENTING OURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD WITH JOY, JOY AND MORE JOY. A GOOD REMINDER OF THAT BEAUTIFUL ENGLISH WORD 'JOY' IS,

FIRST GIVE ALL MATTERS TO 'JESUS', THEN CONSIDER 'OTHERS' NEXT, AND LASTLY PLACE 'YOU' (YOURSELF) IN COMPLETE DEVOTION AND DEDICATION TO GOD THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, THEN, YOU AND I WILL HAVE A MOST BLESSED DAY (AND YEAR) OF THANKSGIVING.

WE ALSO CONTINUE

WE ALSO CONTINUE LOOKING IN SCRIPTURE FOR THE FIRST MENTION IN OUR STUDIES OF THE WORD THANKSGIVING WHICH RELATES TO AND OR IS SPOKEN BY OUR BLESSED AND BELOVED SAVIOUR, Y'SHUA HA-MASSHIACH ADONAI (THE LORD JESUS CHRIST). AND THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW 15: 36, 'AND 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'.

WHAT A WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL

WHAT A WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THANKSGIVING... HE, JESUS OUR LORD GIVING 'THANKS' AS HE DISTRIBUTED TO THE MULTITUDE THEIR 'DAILY BREAD', BUT NOTICE THAT AS HE DID THAT, HE ALSO WOULD PROCLAIM HIMSELF AS THE BREAD OF LIFE.

LASTLY

LASTLY, THE GREATEST OF ALL 'THANKSGIVINGS' IS FOUND IN AN ADDRESS BY OUR LORD JESUS TO A JEWISH RABBI, BY THE NAME OF NICODEMUS, A RULER OF THE JEWS IN THE DAYS WHEN OUR LORD MINISTERED HERE ON EARTH, IN JERUSALEM, ISRAEL.

OUR REDEEMER

OUR REDEEMER SAID TO THE RABBI, 'FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.' (JOHN 3: 16).

DID YOU NOTICE THE ASPECT OF 'GIVING', AS GOD THE FATHER 'GAVE' TO THE WORLD, WE, HAVE THE ONE AND ONLY OPPORTUNITY, FIRST OF ALL OF NOT PERISHING, BUT RATHER RECEIVING FREELY THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD, ETERNAL LIFE.

HAVE YOU TAKEN A MOMENT

HAVE YOU TAKEN A MOMENT TO CONTEMPLATE THIS MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECT ? IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH, IT WILL DETERMINE WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY, AFTER THIS 'PHYSICAL' LIFE IS OVER.

YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT THE SACREDNESS OF CONCEPTION, BIRTH AND LIFE (AS WELL AS DEATH) ARE ALL IN THE HAND OF THE ALMIGHTY, AND ANYONE THAT INTERFERES WITH THIS IS
IN DANGER OF SPENDING ETERNITY IN HELL AND ULTIMATELY IN THE LAKE OF FIRE, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD.

THEREFORE, SETTLE IT

THEREFORE, SETTLE IT ONCE AND FOR ALL BY RECEIVING AND BELIEVING ON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR AND YOU WILL HAVE THE MOST BLESSED THANKSGIVING EVER AND FULL OF JOY.