THANKSGIVING

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High” (Psalm 92:1 NKJV).

Thanksgiving ought to be an integral part of our life, and not just on Thanksgiving Day, but all through the year. Thus we want to note the following things about thanksgiving from our verse – the perspective of thanksgiving, the person for thanksgiving, and the praise in thanksgiving.

The Perspective of thanksgiving – “It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord.” We often do many bad and selfish things, but here is how we can do a good thing, namely give thanks to God. It helps us to put a better perspective on our life and therefore stops some bad behavior.

The Person for thanksgiving – “Give thanks to the Lord.” This does not mean we are not to be thankful to people. But that the Lord is the first One to be thanked for our blessings. If we cannot thank Him, we will not be likely to thank anyone.

The Praise in thanksgiving – “Sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” Thanksgiving is associated with praise to God. If we fail to thank God we fail in our praise of Him. When we thank God, we praise Him, we honor Him, and we exalt Him. And what do we thank the Lord for? Anything that is a blessing in our life. We have more to thank the Lord for than we often realize. So many little things are great blessings. Yes, it is a very good thing to give thanks to the Lord for it helps us to a holier life and it honors the Lord. Every day should be Thanksgiving Day for God’s many blessings.

(Adapted from Butler’s Sermon Starters Vol. 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“In happy moments, praise God. In difficult moments, seek God. In quiet moments, worship God. In painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God!”

Rick Warren (1954 – Present)

Baptist Pastor and Author

Word Study

Examined (tested)

In Acts 22:24 we read, “The commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him” (NKJV).

Examined (tested) is the Geek word anetázō (ἀνετάζω = an-et-ad'-zo). It is made up of two words: “ana” which is for emphasis, and “etázō” which means to examine. Thus, the word means to be examined thoroughly judicially (relating to the court) or forensically (formal argumentation). It is to give someone a hearing and, in this context, using torture in connection with the hearing.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more” (Isa. 54:4 KJV).

Did You Know…

The first mention of a Thanksgiving celebration in the Bible is found in the Book of Leviticus (Lev. 7:11-12).

Bible Quiz

In Romans 1, what does the apostle Paul say people did not do, which led to their hearts becoming darkened?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: On his death bed, King Hezekiah cried out to God in prayer. As a result of his prayer, how many years did the Lord add to his life? 15 years (Isa.38:5).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“LAMB OF GOD”

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NKJV).

1. Meaning – LAMB OF GOD speaks of the Lord Jesus as the true substitutionary sacrifice that was appointed and required by God.

2. Insights – Here we have a reference to what was prophesied in Isa. 53:7. The Lord Jesus was the true Lamb or Sacrifice required and appointed by God, of which those offered daily in the tabernacle and temple, and especially the paschal lamb, were only the types (cf. Ex. 29:38-39). John the Baptist, pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ, emphatically calls Him the “Lamb of God.” All the lambs which had been previously offered had been furnished by men. However, this Lamb was provided by God, as the only sufficient and available sacrifice for the sin of the world.

Did You Know – Christian History

Justus Falckner was born November 22, 1672. He was an early American Lutheran minister and the first Lutheran pastor to be ordained within the region that became the United States.

Falckner completed his studies in theology in 1693 at the University of Halle. However, he did not believe that he was truly prepared to follow a career in the ministry. He went to Rotterdam, where he and his brother Daniel accepted power of attorney to sell the land of William Penn in Pennsylvania.

In 1703 Lutherans in the new world were in short supply of pastors. One of the few pastors they did have was Andreas Rudman. He had been a good pastor, but his health was declining, so the parish wondered where they would find a qualified replacement. As a Swedish pastor, Rudman wrote Falckner asking: “What shall I do forsaking my little flock? Looking everywhere, I find no one better fitted than you to whom I may safely entrust my sheep.” Though complimented, Falckner remained hesitant; this was something of a conflict of conscience for him. He was German, and not fluent in Dutch. He had studied theology, but instead chose to be a land agent and surveyor. He questioned the legitimacy of ordination in the absence of regular church procedures for calling and ordaining new pastors on North American soil.

Rudman was able to satisfy Falckner on the ordination question, assuring him that his bishop in Sweden had authorized him to make ordinations. Furthermore, he could point to precedents. As to his other questions, Falckner found the answer within his own heart. And eventually became that leader. On November 24, 1703, Andreas Rudman and two other Swedish church leaders ordained Falckner in a Philadelphia church. He was the first Lutheran pastor ordained in the region that became the United States.

Falckner threw himself into the work. He learned Dutch so that he could preach in it. More than just the pastor of a single church, he sailed up and down the Hudson River visiting his extensive parish. His travels took him through New York, New Jersey, and even into Pennsylvania as a missionary and a pastor, teaching, organizing, and baptizing. His converts included blacks and Native Americans. In addition to this missionary work, he prepared a textbook on Christian doctrine and wrote hymns. When another Lutheran pastor, Josua von Kocherthal, died, Falckner took over his work, too. The upshot was that Falckner wore himself out in a short twenty years of work, dying at the young age of 51.

Falckner records of acts such as baptisms were often followed by simple written prayers that bared his heart and showed his deep concern for souls. Strangely, for someone so well known, no record was made of the date or place of his death or where he was buried.

A Little Humor

A small boy visited his friend’s home for dinner. When the youngster sat down at the table, he bowed his head and waited for someone to give thanks for the meal. The others at the table, however, began passing the food. The boy looked up and said, “You guys are just like my dog. You start right in!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“If you receive Christ it will be well; if you reject Him and are lost it will be terrible!”